Darcy kept a firm, protective hold on Emily as she clambered onto the cushions of the seat, put her hands on the top of the seat, and hopped, saying “Hop” again as she did so.
“I see,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said. This followed by a long suffering sigh. “I said frog and frogs hop.”
“Hop,” was the cheerful reply.
“I am not sure, but I think I liked her more before she spoke so much,” Colonel Fitzwilliam replied.
“Em-Em, stick your tongue out at Colonel Fitzwilliam.”
The girl of course obeyed that command without any hesitation, and then they were there.
The greeting was difficult.
Lady Catherine instantly frightened Emily, and her insistence on holding the girl and giving her a kiss led to Emily crying. At which point Lady Catherine began to severely scold her for not managing her emotions — a Fitzwilliam never cried.
Darcy picked Emily up and carried her several feet from Lady Catherine. “I beg you, madam,” he said stiffly, “do not say such things to my child.”
“She should not be indulged in crying. It is a terrible vice, I can only tolerate tears in children who have not yet reached two years of age.”
“Shehasn’t,” Darcy replied with frustration. “She lacks that age by two months still.”
Lady Catherine stared at him. And then she waved her hand. “A matter of little importance.”
Once Darcy set her down, Emily immediately began to wander around the carriageway. But then she saw Mr. Collins approaching across the park, huffing slightly in the unseasonably warm day.
The girl immediately ran back to her father and hid behind his legs.
“Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy!” Mr. Collins waved widely as he stepped up to the group. “Greetings, and salutations. Your daughter looks to be in such fine health that Galen would have despaired at the uselessness of his craft should he have seen her. My Lady, congratulations on seeing the fine specimen of childhood that is your granddaughter.”
“She cries more than a child her age should,” Lady Catherine said.
Darcy bowed to Mr. Collins, and then introduced his cousin.
Colonel Fitzwilliam made his bow and handshake and said as he did, “I was speaking of you when we passed by in the carriage.” He turned to Darcy with a grin. “Was I not?”
“I bring you greetings. And from my wife and my cousins who are present with her as well,” Mr. Collins said. “We are all very happy to see that you have arrived in a perfection of safety, and without any chance of mishap on the journey from London.”
“There was achanceof mishap,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said.
Mr. Collins gasped. “With Miss Darcy aboard? The Almighty would not have allowed it.”
That drew a laugh, a little bitter, from Colonel Fitzwilliam. Darcy had heard enough stories from his cousin of horrid things that he’d seen during the wars to know that he considered the Almighty to be, in his wisdom, willing to permit a great deal.
Darcy believed, unlike Colonel Fitzwilliam, that all things worked together for good — though oftentimes the reward for good done would only be achieved in the next world.
Yet again Mr. Collins made his deep, low bow. “I can now give my happy confirmation that I have seen and spoken with you. I shall return to my humble parsonage to impart the beyond blessed news of your safe arrival.”
“You ought to hurry,” Colonel Fitzwilliam suggested, “I cannot help but imagine that your wife and cousins have been in desperate anxiety to hear of our fate.”
Darcy wondered. He hoped that Elizabeth felt something.
“Wait,” Darcy said to Mr. Collins. “I shall make the walk across the park with you. Madam,” Darcy said to his aunt, “Emily needs to walk and run after such a long time in the carriage.”
“We shall?” Colonel Fitzwilliam said in a shocked tone of voice. It was clear that Mr. Collins had not yet given his cousin sufficient cause to consider him to be a fine sort of fellow.
“You need not,” Darcy replied tartly. “If you are so overcome by your journey as to require resting in the main house.”
He suddenly realized that his interest in Elizabeth was going to be impossible to conceal from Colonel Fitzwilliam once he faced the girl himself.
