Bingley swept the lad up into his arms and spun about to Peter’s shrieks of glee.Soon the young boy was running across the lawn and Bingley was tearing after him.Peter eventually ran toward where Jane and Elizabeth were standing in the archway to the rose garden, and Bingley stopped in his tracks when he spotted Jane.
“Miss Bennet!”
“Mr.Bingley.”
Elizabeth looked back and forth between them with a smile.“Good morning, Mr.Bingley.Shall I take up the chase?”Before Bingley could answer, Elizabeth took off toward Peter where he had stopped to see who his uncle was talking to.When he spotted Elizabeth coming toward him, his eyes widened a second before he turned and ran in wide circles, then headed toward his nurse.Elizabeth slowly ran behind the giggling boy, pretending he was too fast for her to catch up to.Peter ducked behind his nurse’s skirts, then peeked out at Elizabeth with a mischievous grin on his face.
“Well done, Miss,” said the nurse with a smile.
“Thank you.”
“Do you often play with children, Miss Elizabeth?”said Mr.Darcy.
Elizabeth looked toward Mr.Darcy at the odd question.She had forgotten he was there, he was so quiet.
“I have cousins much younger than myself, and I often play outdoors with them, yes.”
He nodded, a slight tinge to his cheeks.She did not know what had caused it, but then he was an odd man.
She looked back to her sister and saw Jane was speaking with Mr.Bingley who was standing very close.Deciding to give them a little privacy, she turned back to Mr.Darcy.“What brings you to the garden this morning?”
“Bingley was considering some improvements to the shrubbery garden on the west side of the house and wished to show them to me.”
Elizabeth only nodded.She was out of things to say.Thankfully, young Peter had no such problem.He tapped Darcy’s leg and cried, “Up!”
Darcy smiled down at the boy and lifted him up into his arms.He seemed very comfortable with children, but Elizabeth thought it would be rude to ask how a gentleman such as himself had come by the experience.For all she knew, he was similar to herself and had a bevy of younger cousins.And he had said he had a much younger sister.Perhaps he had spent time playing with her when they were younger.
“Up!Up!”Peter cried.
Darcy stepped away from the ladies and threw the boy up into the air and caught him, a wide smile on his face.
“More!”Darcy turned and threw the boy again with a deep laugh.
Elizabeth watched him and something niggled in the back of her mind.That laugh…it seemed familiar somehow.As she ruminated, they started a new game.Peter would run in a wide circle around Mr.Darcy while trying to avoid being caught.Of course, there was no difficulty in catching a two-year-old boy, but Darcy let him make a few circuits before he nabbed him.He used Peter’s momentum to turn about and swing the boy high into the air, both of them laughing heartily, before placing him back on the ground to start the game again.
Elizabeth’s breath came faster.She had seen this game.She knew that laugh.She watched Mr.Darcy, her eyes wide and unblinking.Just then, the clouds broke and the sun shone brightly into the garden.She could not see Darcy’s face anymore, only his silhouette.Strong shoulders, a straight back.A small boy flying through the air.Laughter in her ears.
“Dear God!”she whispered.Ice ran down her spine and she felt as if she could not get enough air.
“Lizzy, are you well?”Jane was speaking quietly beside her, but Elizabeth could not make herself respond.
It was him.The man from her dreams.He was standing in front of her at this very moment.
“Lizzy!”Jane hissed.
Elizabeth jolted from her thoughts and turned to see Jane staring at her worriedly.
“Oh, Jane.”
“Come.”Jane took her sister’s arm and led her away from the lawn.Elizabeth vaguely heard her making their excuses, but she could not seem to focus on words.It was him!Mr.Darcy!
Jane pulled her through the rose garden they had walked in earlier and into an ill-kept shrubbery that might have been a small maze at one point.She found a bench, dusted it off with her hand, and pulled Elizabeth down beside her.
“What has happened?Are you well?”
Elizabeth, her heart pounding, could only stare at her sister for what felt like an interminable amount of time.Why could she not order her thoughts?
“It is all right, Lizzy.All is well.I am here.”Jane stroked her arm and spoke in soothing tones.
