Elizabeth laughed and was about to demand he do exactly that and tell her about the other guests when a voice greeted them from inside the breakfast room. They had arrived.
“Stephen!” Georgiana beamed at him from where she sat at the breakfast table. Beside her, Darcy had risen from his seat at the head of the table. The gentleman to his right rose as well. He fit Georgiana’s description of Mr. Bingley. Though there were at least four other guests in the house including Jane, no one else was there yet.
“Hello, Stephen,” Darcy said. “Good morning, Miss Elizabeth. May I present my friend Mr. Charles Bingley.Charles, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn, Hertfordshire.”
Mr. Bingley turned to his friend for a moment, a look of confusion on his face. He quickly turned back to Elizabeth and offered her a warm smile and a bow before saying, “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Elizabeth. I have heard so much about you.”
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Bingley, and I, too, have heard much of you.”
“Apparently, she has intelligence on all of us,” the colonel offered amiably. “May I fix you a plate, Miss Elizabeth?”
“You think you could guess my favourites when you failed so miserably with my name?” she teased.
“I am wounded,” he declared with one hand on his heart and the other his forehead. “I must be allowed to redeem myself.”
“Very well, I would not want to be responsible for your premature demise. You may attempt to make a plate for me, but be advised if I am not pleased, it may result in a hex.”
Georgiana laughed. Though not quite sure what much of their conversation meant, it was clear two of her favourite people were getting on quite well.
“I have been warned,” he said, then proceeded to the sideboard.
Everyone else resumed their seats.
“How long have you known Colonel Fitzwilliam?” Bingley asked Elizabeth.
“Just met an hour ago,” the colonel answered matter-of-factly before placing a plate in front of Elizabeth and taking a seat beside her. It had most of her favourites and none of the things she disliked. The others resumed their seats and their eating.
“What is the verdict?” he asked.
“I will allow you to live,” she said. Then after swallowing her first bite of croissant, she added, “For now.”
The colonel was still laughing when the other guests appeared in the doorway.
The gentlemen rose as the three newcomers moved into the room.
“Mrs. Hurst, Mr. Hurst, Miss Bingley, may I introduce Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn, Hertfordshire. Miss Elizabeth, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst are Mr. Bingley’s sisters,” Darcy said in his most formal voice.
Elizabeth had risen from her seat in between Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana and now made her way to where the others stood.
She offered her curtsy. “It is a pleasure to meet you. Miss Darcy has told me much of your meeting last summer.”
“Miss Elizabeth, you are Miss Darcy’s friend?” Miss Bingley asked, the same incredulity in her voice as had seemed to be present on the expressions of both the colonel and Mr. Bingley when they met.
“I have that honour,” Elizabeth answered.
“We met many years ago,” Georgiana put in.
Elizabeth made her way back to her seat, eager to partake of the food the colonel had procured for her. The Hursts went to the sideboard and began selecting their fare without a word. Miss Bingley took the seat next to her brother.
“Yes, I remember, Darcy seemed to believe you were quite the heroine that day, Miss Elizabeth,” Bingley said, looking between the two.
“Certainly not,” Elizabeth demurred.
“I, too, have been treated to the tale, and I assure you, you were assigned the role of saviour by both my cousins,” the colonel agreed.
“You are determined to embarrass me, so I am determined not to give you any such satisfaction,” Elizabeth said, aiming a wide smile at the colonel. “You are correct, of course. I must be credited with the heroic rescue of a young girl who but for me would have surely solved her own problems and likely with far less chatter and bother.”
“Certainly, she would not have,” Georgiana declared with a firmness she rarely displayed in front of those she did not know well. “You might exclaim at the term hero or saviour, but can we all agree that we are thankful you were in the woods that day?”
