WHO Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Darcy WHERE near the doors, then one of the parlors WHEN mid-morning, 9 August WHAT they have..feels. sort of STATUS Complete WARNINGS Low
Well. It was done. Elizabeth had known that things would change after Jane married, but now the door that had stood between their neighboring rooms had disappeared, sealed over as Jane's rooms had moved, turned into a marriage suite. It was..bittersweet. Their entire lives, Jane and Lizzie had shared a room until arriving at Summerview, but even then they only had a door between them. And now Jane had a husband. Mr. Bingley- Charles- was perfectly charming and amiable, and she was happy for her sister and new brother-in-law. Truly. Lizzie knew that had been the whole goal of coming here, but now she felt a little bit at a loss.
She'd been doing her best to make new friends, to put herself out there, so to speak, but even that left her confused more often than not. Yes, the gentlemen she'd spent time with were nice, she just..Maybe she didn't know what she wanted. Lizzie had thought she'd known, but now..she felt like she was questioning everything. Unable to stand it in her rooms any longer, she tugged her boots on and a Spencer jacket, glad that it wasn't snowing any longer, and started out of her rooms.
Lizzie wasn't entirely sure where she was going, just..outside, perhaps. Somewhere to not think for a little while. She stopped by the dining room for some fruit, dropping them into her pockets before exiting. "Oof-" Her mind must have wandered more than she thought, for as she approached the main door, she ran right into another person, hands coming up to steady herself- and them. "Oh, Mr. Darcy! I'm so sorry-"
--
His hands lifted to steady her in the same moment, their hands and arms brushing. At the touch, he stepped back. He had just come in from outside, had just removed his gloves to let his fingers thaw out a little, and her touch was electric. "Miss Bennet," he said, surprised. "No need to apologize. Were you about to go for a walk? It's chilly outside, but the snow has stopped." He didn't know quite what it was about her that allowed him to speak more than usual.
No, that wasn't true. He knew what it was about her. And with each passing minute, especially since the wedding the day before, it was eating away more and more at him. He had always understood what sort of woman he might eventually have as a wife, and Elizabeth Bennet wasn't that sort of woman at all. And yet …
--
Elizabeth's breath caught as he stepped back, and her gaze found his, a shiver running down her back. "I was- yes? Or- I hadn't decided. I just- I needed to move or to-"
Why was she like this today? She didn't normally stutter and stammer like this. But still- something about Mr. Darcy left her unsteady, and not necessarily in a bad way. Closing her eyes, she took a careful breath in an attempt to steady herself before looking back to him. "I just needed to get out of my room. Is it really still so cold?"
She wasn't even sure why she asked that; it wasn't that she didn't believe him. "I'm sorry. I just- everything is different now. Jane's married and her room's gone and I don't know what I'm supposed to do next."
--
A moment's hesitation and he offered her his arm. "I'll go back out if you'd like to take a turn about the gardens," he said, even though he was a little chilled to the bone. Still, he'd prefer that to letting her go off on her own. He hadn't known he would be seeing her, or that he had hoped that he would.
"It is a big change, as much for the two of them as for those of us who are used to it being a different way," he agreed with her.
--
"I can't ask you to do that, not after you just came in," Elizabeth replied, shaking her head. She did take his arm, though, turning back toward the parlors. "Come on. Let's ring for tea, see if we can get you warmed up."
She turned into the nearest parlor, releasing his arm so she could ring for help, requesting a tea service be sent in for them. "I've shared a room with her my entire life until we came here, and even then we had a door between our rooms. And when I woke up this morning, it was just..gone. I'm happy for them both, truly, I am- I just- oh, I sound so selfish, don't I."
Elizabeth sank down on a chaise. "I enjoyed myself yesterday, though. Dancing with you..I had a lot of fun."
--
"I don't mind," he began to protest, then stopped as she led him on toward the parlor instead of back outside. "Thank you," Darcy continued, shivering warmth back into his body as they settled into the parlor.
He sat on a straight-backed chair near but not too near her. "It's not selfish to wish to remain close to someone with whom you are close," he said. "I know that one day, my sister will marry, as she should, and I will be left adrift. Perhaps not in the same way you feel now, but similar, I imagine."
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"You're welcome." There was a fireplace in the parlor-perhaps they could ask staff to light it once they arrived with the tea. Elizabeth was quiet as he spoke, and she found some of the tension she carried easing in his presence, shoulders loosening. Yet again, he surprised her, listening and simply being there when she didn't think she could bear to be alone.
"Similar, I think. And I know this will pass, it's just.. It feels like it came so quickly and I wasn't quite ready. But I suppose I wouldn't ever have truly been ready. And- maybe you won't be so adrift. Perhaps by then you'll have someone you can lean on."
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He was looking at her, not moving his gaze away at all. "Perhaps I will," he echoed quietly. Darcy cleared his throat and started over. "Well, the purpose of being here is to marry though, isn't it? We should all be expecting it."
--
Elizabeth looked across to him, something in his voice giving her pause. Then he cleared his throat and she nodded. "Yes, I suppose we should."
She opened her mouth to say more, but was interrupted by staff returning with the tea service. It wasn't long before the cart was left with them and a fire started in the fireplace. "And.. Have you had any luck with your search?"
--
He focused on the staff and the tea service, instead of on Elizabeth. It was all he could do, otherwise he'd find himself staring at her again, and he didn't want to be caught doing that. "I - " He found himself at a loss for words. Or at least for truthful words. "I don't know. I might have. Have you?"
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"I'm.. Not sure, either. I've met gentlemen, and some I'd consider friends but there's.. I haven't thought of marriage to anyone specifically. And- I hardly think anyone is thinking of me as a bride." She thought back over her time here, while there were only a couple who stood out to her, one of them being Mr. Darcy himself, Elizabeth wasn't quite sure that she was thinking of marriage.
Turning toward the service, she reached for the pot to pour them each a cup, handing one to Mr. Darcy before adding a little milk and sugar to her own. "I'm-I don't know what it means yet, but I enjoy our conversations and the time I've spent in your company, for what it's worth."
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"I've greatly enjoyed your company as well, Miss Bennet," he murmured, accepting the tea cup and holding it in his palm without drinking it. "Very much so."
--
Elizabeth looked over at his words. She thought back to Kitty's words the morning after the Sweethearts Ball. She hadn't believed it, but perhaps…
Oh, she was staring. Blinking, cheeks flushing, she busied herself with a sip of her tea. "I'm.. I'm glad that the feeling is mutual, then. Perhaps.. This is terribly forward of me and probably not entirely appropriate, but perhaps we might continue spending time together? More regularly?"
Her blush deepened for a moment and she looked down, almost nervous to see his reaction. "And if not, that's entirely alright, too. I know I'm not the most-"
No, she shouldn't speak like that about herself. And certainly not to Mr. Darcy. Snapping her mouth shut she shook her head. "Never mind that."
--
It was endearing, her reaction, and he couldn't keep from smiling, a real smile, albeit a small one. It had the possibility to grow though. "Yes," Darcy said to her. "I believe we ought to continue to spend more time together."
--
He was smiling. He was smiling and it didn't immediately drop away. Her mouth formed a soft 'oh' of surprise, but it quickly turned into a smile of her own. "I'd like that," Elizabeth replied, voice soft. Her smile turned playful a moment later. "I did promise Nelson I'd bring him more apples someday, after all. And I don't dare approach him on my own." Not yet, at least.
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"We wouldn't want to disappoint Nelson, would we?" If it was a good excuse to spend time together, then he'd take it.
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"Of course not," Elizabeth replied with a grin. "Perhaps after it warms up again. I hope it doesn't stay cold for very long. I'm getting restless staying inside, and would hate for this to last through real winter."
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"I imagine you aren't the type of woman to stay inside just because there's some snow or cold weather," Darcy said, nearly in a flattering way. Yes, it was a compliment, though one he wasn't sure she would be able to see it as one.
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"Not usually. But I didn't want to fall ill before the wedding!" Lizzie's cheeks flushed faintly, and she took another sip of her tea. "That would have been the worst timing, to stand up for Jane in a lovely new dress with a head cold, nose red and coughing through the whole ceremony. But it was a lovely ceremony, and I'm glad to see the two of them so happy."
--
He had an immediate mental image of an ill Elizabeth, with a red nose and cheeks, sniffling and miserable. And he realized that he'd want to take care of her, and that realization hit him straight in the chest. He coughed discreetly and shifted in his chair. "It was a lovely ceremony. I have never seen Bingley so happy, truly."
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Elizabeth smiled as she set her now-empty teacup down on the tray. "Nor I with Jane. She looked so radiant." She sat back on the chaise, looking down to her hands. The henna that had been painted on was a little faded after a few days, but the designs were still clear enough. It was beautiful, and she had learned a little about the tradition that day, but it was still very new to her. Her gaze returned to Mr. Darcy after a moment. "So does that mean you've changed your mind about how long they've known each other? I recall you once expressing some concern…"
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"The fact that we have all been forced into such close quarters on our arrival here negates my previous concern," he admitted. "It is one thing to know of someone for a short time without seeing them often. Here at Summerview, we take many meals together and have many opportunities for conversation and dancing."
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Elizabeth smiled slowly at his response. "I'm glad to hear that. And who knows, perhaps you'll be swept away as quickly someday."
--
Now that didn't cause Darcy to smile, though he did appear quite contemplative. "Perhaps I will be, yes."