Page 14

"And you, Fitzwilliam," Lady Catherine said, turning her stare upon the Colonel, "you also do not visit often enough."

"My apologies, Aunt," he said. "I am kept very busy. But it is a delight to be here at Rosings again. I forget how beautiful the park is every time I leave. And the food, of course. Well, I shall look forward to that."

Lady Catherine sniffed, but seemed mollified by his praise of her estate and her cook.

"We shall have a light supper this evening, but tomorrow night my parson and his wife will dine with us, and so I have planned a greater meal. I do like to ensure the man is well fed and has the chance to hear some words of wisdom on the state of his parish."

"I am sure he appreciates such attention," Darcy said, not wholly convinced anyone would.

Except, well, he had met the man, and he thought he probably did appreciate it. His wife, perhaps, did not.

"Alas, I shall soon have to replace him in the parish, and just when he began delivering the sermons exactly as I like them," Lady Catherine said with a sigh.

"He is leaving?" Darcy asked, wondering what better offer the man had received.

"Why, yes. He had the estate entailed upon him of a country gentleman who recently passed away. A good friend of Mrs Collins, as it so happens. Although soon she shall be mistress of her former friend's childhood home, and I rather imagine that will put a strain upon such a relationship."

"Yes, I am sure it would," Darcy said.

He had forgotten such details, but he remembered now upon whom the Bennets' home was entailed. But when he thought of the Bennets and this great loss in their lives, it was not the entire Bennet clan that filled his mind.

No, it was one woman in particular, although he could scarcely admit it.

Why, in the time since he had met Miss Elizabeth Bennet, since she and her sister had stayed at Netherfield while Miss Bennet recovered, since they had danced together at the Meryton Assembly, had his mind repeatedly decided to wander back to her?

He could not answer it.

And yet it was there his mind did wander.

He felt sorry for her, not only for losing her father, but also for losing her childhood home – the very roof over her head – for he presumed they would not have much to live on if everything was entailed upon the fortunate Mr Collins.

]They heard a few more of both Lady Catherine's and Anne's complaints about their health before Darcy said, "Would you excuse me? I wish to freshen up before dinner."

Lady Catherine waved her assent, and he withdrew from the room rather expediently.

Instead of going upstairs to freshen up, he went straight for the front door and slipped through it before the butler even noticed him.

He missed his hounds, who were always at his side at Pemberley, especially when he went for a walk outdoors. But for now, he was merely happy to escape the stifling confines of the large house and breathe the fresh country air.

He did not intend to think about the fine eyes and sharp wit of one Miss Elizabeth Bennet. It was a foolish notion.

And if he had told his friend Bingley not to pursue such an avenue for fear of ending up with the whole family in his home, he knew very well that he had to follow the same rules.

Indeed, he had no intention of proposing to the woman.

But that did not mean he could not think of her now and again.

He strolled through the grounds of Rosings and out through the front gate, wishing to see a little more than only that which belonged to his aunt.

It was growing dark, the sun dropping behind the hills, but he would not be out for long. He could not be late for supper, or his aunt would find him unconscionably rude.

He would simply go a little farther.

Feel a little taste of freedom.

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Although Elizabeth had intended to wait until the Collinses and the Lucases were out before going for a walk, by her third day, with them not planning a visit until the following evening, she was growing restless.