Page 64 of His Pride and His Prejudice

Elliot finished adjusting his cravat and turned to Charlie. “Ready to depart?”

“Indeed,” Charlie said. “Now let me ask you, dear friend, how is Jack?”

Elliot gave a quick update on Jack’s visit to London as they made their way downstairs. He also mentioned Caroline Bingley’s visit which he had not been aware of to include in his last letter to Charlie.

“She was always false of face,” Charlie said. “It is no surprise to me that the acquaintance has come to an end.”

“Nor I,” Elliot agreed.

“It is a shame that Jack has had to go through this,” Charlie continued. “But he will learn some lessons that will bring him some comfort.” A pause. “And it is not as if he must rush to find a mate now, not now the entail is safe with your family.”

“Charlie—”

“Meaning your home will always be your home,” he rushed to finish. “And your belongings your belongings. There is no one now to take them from you.”

Elliot swallowed against the sudden lump in his throat. “Dear friend…how I appreciate your words. Mama will not of course, but I do.”

Charlie laughed. “The terror I feel whenever I am called to Lady Catherine’s home is nothing compared to the future terror of the prospect of living with your mama!”

The two men were still laughing as they were joined by Mr. Collins and Sir William. As the weather was fine, they had a pleasant walk of about half a mile across the park. Every park has its beauty and its prospects and Elliot saw much to be pleased with, though he could not be in such raptures as Mr. Collins expected the scene to inspire or in such admiration when the cost of the glazing was announced!

When they ascended the steps to the hall, Elliot couldn’t help but notice that the rest of his party, Mr. Collins included, looked quite nervous. He wondered whether he should be feeling the same way, but Elliot couldn’t see that there could be much difference between this alpha and any others he had the pleasure, or indeed the misfortune, to have met over the course of his life.

From the entrance-hall, of which Mr. Collins pointed out, with a rapturous air, the fine proportions and the finished ornaments, they followed the servants through an antechamber, to the room where Lady Catherine, her daughter, along with a companion—a Mrs. Jenkinson—were sitting. Her ladyship, with great condescension, arose to receive them, and as Charlie had settled it with her husband that the office of introduction should be his, it was performed in a proper manner, without any of those apologies and thanks which Mr. Collins would have thought necessary.

In spite of having been at St. James’s, Sir William was so completely awed by the grandeur surrounding him, that he had but just courage enough to make a very low bow and take his seat without saying a word.

Elliot however found himself quite equal to the scene and could observe the three ladies before him composedly. Lady Catherine was a tall, large woman, with strongly marked features which might once have been handsome. Her air was not altogether pleasant, and her manner of receiving them was such that they were to be left in no doubt of their ranking and hers. She spoke with a self-importance that irresistibly reminded Elliot of Mr. Wickham, and he had to smother a grin at the thought of the two of them in a room together, which surely, they must have been at some point given the degree of familiarity between their families. Her looks though, Elliot could see Darcy in them, from the chiselled features all through to the arch of the brows. It was slightly disconcerting.

Miss de Bourgh on the other hand was completely unlike her mama in figure and face. She was exceptionally small and slender, very, very pale and looked quite unwell. When she spoke, which she did very infrequently, her voice was so low that all had to strain to listen. She was sat in the darkest corner of the room, her eyes protected from the weak light coming in through the glazed—twenty thousand pounds worth!—windows. Elliot gave her his smartest bow and most charming smile because, for some reason, he quite liked her and thought that she might be interesting to talk to if given the chance.

He was not given the chance. Instructed by Lady Catherine, Elliot was seated next to Mrs. Jenkinson. She looked exactly how Elliot would expect the companion of the heir to Rosings to look—all harsh features and no-nonsense attitude. Her body was angled so that Elliot could no longer see Miss de Bourgh properly, and not least because Mrs. Jenkinson held a screen that every so often, she placed in front of Miss de Bourgh’s eyes.

“What is the meaning of the screen,” Elliot eventually whispered whilst Lady Catherine berated Mr. Collins for his poorly arranged hair.

“To stop the sunlight hurting her constitution,” Charlie replied with a sigh.

Mrs. Jenkinson gave the screen a slight flicker. Elliot marvelled at what the interplay must be like between these three women of Rosings.

They sat for just a few minutes, exchanging pleasantries before they were all sent to one of the windows to admire the view, Mr. Collins attending them to point out its beauties, and Lady Catherine kindly informing them that the view was better in the late summer, and sounded quite vexed actually that Elliot had not decided to visit then.

After a few more minutes as they turned to take their seats again the door opened, and two gentlemen joined them. In the moment before those gentlemen came into view Elliot’s skin seemed to prickle. Goosebumps ran along his arms, and he shivered from the feel of it. A very familiar scent tickled his nostrils, and he automatically took a deep breath. If asked in the hours that followed, Elliot would say that he had no idea who it was going to be.

But, of course, he did.

Why else would his body have responded so?

It was Mr. Darcy.

Thirty-Two

Unlike Elliot, Darcy had known all along who would be waiting for him in Rosings. It was, in fact, the single reason he had made the journey from London the night before. He was accompanied by his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and as the other man was introduced to the Collinses and to Sir William, Darcy took the opportunity to consider Elliot.

It had been an age since he had last seen him.

Months in fact.

Darcy had felt every moment of that absence and yet the sense of familiarity he felt when seeing the other man was so absolute that it had taken his breath away slightly. His body knew Elliot and it was pleased to be near him once more. The feeling was remarkably similar to how Darcy felt when returning to Pemberley.

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