As they “walked” across the section of the park that separated Rosings from Hunsford Parsonage, it was evident to Darcy that both of his adult companions were annoyed by the antics of the youngest member of their group, and Darcy’s tolerance of them.
Emily would run forward. Then a fascinating piece of grass would catch her attention. She would pull at that grass for several minutes, before abandoning the task for studying a rock. Then at seeing her father ten feet ahead, and smiling at her while beckoning and repeating, “Come, come,” she would run up to him, and then past, only to immediately find adifferentpatch of grass wholly absorbing.
Or a beetle. Or a line of ants. Or the sight of one of Lady Catherine’s deer — part of a herd that had famously been hunted by Henry VIII when he was courting Anne Boleyn. The sight of the deer made her squeal in delight and spend several minutes chattering “dee, dee, dee”.
Advice to hurry and come along was wholly ignored, though on occasion she would look up with a beaming smile and run towards them.
Eventually Darcy’s own impatience to see how Elizabeth greeted him, and to discover what he felt upon the renewed acquaintance, led Darcy to scoop the giggling girl up, flip her upside down, gnaw on her belly, and then swing her up to her ordinary perch.
However, despite his eagerness to see Elizabeth, upon being conducted with Colonel Fitzwilliam to the drawing room by Mr. Collins, Darcy found himself wholly unable to speak once he was again in Elizabeth’s presence. She had risen upon their entering, with a flushed face, and their eyes met. Then she looked away again immediately.
She glowed in the afternoon light through the window, her hair a halo. Her wide smile, pert nose, clear freckled skin, and light figure. She was all that he remembered. He had never been able to stop thinking about her, and he still could not.
He felt a strong anxiety, as he knew that he ought to speak. He should ask after her family, and all the commonacquaintances. It once had been so easy to converse with her, but now his mouth was wholly stuffed up.
Not seeming to notice Darcy’s silence, Mr. Collins greeted his wife and cousins, and introduced Colonel Fitzwilliam to them.
It was, in fact, only then that Darcy realized that Mrs. Collins and Mary Bennet were present in the room with Elizabeth.
Mrs. Collins was beautiful as ever, even though she was heavy with child and clearly close to the date at which she would face the childbed. Miss Mary was slightly pinch faced, as ever. She was a pretty enough girl, but nothing to her sisters.
Those were thoughts that flitted through his head, but most of his mind was focused on Elizabeth. She did not look back at him, but the colour of her face, and the way she held herself as she smiled and curtsied to Colonel Fitzwilliam as he made gallant remarks kept him convinced that her attention was upon him as much as his attention was upon her.
If nothing else, she would have ordinarily replied in a light and railing manner to Colonel Fitzwilliam’s comments upon being glad that there would be women present to entertain him during the dull stay at Lady Catherine’s.
Darcy forced himself to greet to Mrs. Collins and Miss Mary, and then he faced Elizabeth again. Seconds of hesitation. Awareness that his cousin was aware of his behaviour. Elizabeth’s deep eyes. “You are well. I see you are well. Yes, you look very well. I hope? — I can see you are well. And your family? I see your sisters here. They are very well. But your other sisters? And your family in London? Are they all well?”
“I am very well.” She smiled at him. “Emily, she has become so large!”
Darcy put the girl down, and Emily immediately hid behind him.
Elizabeth smiled at Emily and made a funny face when she caught the girl’s eye.
Emily responded with a gigantic smile. Then of course she shyly turned her face aside, while still keeping the corner of her eye on Elizabeth.
“Are you well?” Elizabeth asked. “Your sister… and all. We heard.”
Elizabeth's manner proclaimed that she was not at all at ease either.
“Yes, my sister. Well. With my aunt and uncle. In Matlock. Recovering from her… experiences. She is well. All is well. Emily is big. Yes.”You are beautiful. “Mr. Bingley sends his greetings to you and Mrs. Collins.”
This caught Mrs. Collins’s attention, and she asked, “Is he well? I do wish I’d been able to pursue our acquaintance further. A gentleman who is very much like a gentleman ought to be.”
“Mr. Bingley is in good spirits and good health. He has established himself in London for the remainder of the season, and I believe he intends to return to Netherfield afterwards.”
There was something in Mrs. Collins’s manner that suggested to Darcy that she might like to continue the conversation upon the subject of his friend.
Colonel Fitzwilliam entered their conversation again, saying, “I had no idea I might encounter so many lovely ladies so close to Rosings. I will insist that you all dine with us tomorrow. Your sister,” he indicated Mary, “says that both she and you play very well. Can we expect ‘Greensleeves’ or ‘The Lass of Richmond Hill’? — I much prefer good English folk tunes to any of those complicated foreign pieces, or the Irish jigs always popular these days.”
“Does your sister still play the piano so much?” Elizabeth asked Darcy, rather than replying to Colonel Fitzwilliam.
Darcy flushed. Georgiana had at first declared that she ought not play anything, because she enjoyed it too much. That lasted three months whole. “Only recently has she returned to the practice,” Darcy replied. “But I am very happy to hear her.”
“And she always plays,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said, “those complicated foreign pieces I was presently railing against. Young women like to prove their facility with such pieces. A talent at a simple tune says that the girl enjoys music.”
Having had enough of standing in this room, surrounded by far taller persons who she did not know well, Emily exclaimed, “Lalalala. Lalalala.”
“We’ll go very soon, dear.” Darcy picked her up. “Now pray, should I flip you upside down?”
