Page 30 of Roses from Pemberley
“Yes,” said Richard from the other side of the room, “I agree with Bingley.”
Darcy grimaced. “I thought you were talking to Anne!”
“I can do both,” said the colonel proudly. “But you are changing the subject. What shall you do about Miss Elizabeth?”
Darcy shrugged. “I am not certain, for it was only days ago that I feared for her life.” He finished off his port and added, “Perhaps I shall walk in the garden tomorrow and enjoy the good weather.”
Bingley only looked at him as if he had grown horns but said nothing more about it. Richard, thankfully, was now focused on his conversation with Anne.
CHAPTER 15 Lady Catherine’s Visit
The next morning Darcy awoke early and went straight to the rose garden. It was even lovelier in the morning than it had been at twilight. He walked between the rows and studied the blooms, a pair of shears in one hand and a basket in the other. He whistled as he walked, happy that Elizabeth was finally out of danger and excited about the possibilities before him. He cut one stem then another, choosing a variety whose shades consisted of pink, yellow and pale green. He sniffed the blooms and wondered if Elizabeth would sniff them as well in the not so distant future. But he knew he had a great deal to make up for, and that he needed to apologise and show her a better side of himself. He would even grovel if he needed to.
He went on clipping and whistling, then eventually saw Lady Catherine appear on the terrace above him.
“Darcy!”
“Yes, Aunt?”
“What are you doing there? Should you not be at breakfast with the rest of us?”
“I did not think you would be awake yet, Aunt. I apologise.” Darcy looked at his pocket watch and was surprisedto find that he had already spent more than an hour in the garden.
Lady Catherine walked down the steps and joined him. “Are you picking flowers, Darcy?”
“I am. They are for Miss Elizabeth.”
She eyed the blooms closely and fingered a few of them. “Sir Lewis used to come here and pick some for me…when he was alive.”
“Oh…I never knew.”
She smiled nostalgically. “His tastes tended more towards the darker reds, however.”
Darcy nodded and waited for her to say more. He expected to hear more reminiscences about Sir Lewis de Bourgh but instead she said, “So have you decided to join us today?”
He shook his head. “No…not today. Perhaps…tomorrow. But I would be grateful if you gave these to Miss Elizabeth for me.”
Lady Catherine frowned. “I could simply tell you to give them to her yourself…”
“Yet I hope that you do not.”
She shook her head. “I cannot understand you, Darcy.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes, I cannot understand myself.”
Lady Catherine laughed. “You are a strange one, Nephew. But I shall do this for you. However, you must promise to call on her…one of these days. And soon.”
Darcy was confused and asked, “But why should you care so much whether I do or not? Why should you keep pushing me towards Elizabeth when it was only a week ago that you wished for me to marry Anne?”
She touched him lightly on the chin, as one might do a little boy, and replied, “Because…you love her. And I wish for you to be happy.”
She turned away before he could say anything and began to walk back up the stairs. “And I insist you come up to breakfast forthwith.”
Darcy smiled, looked at his basket full of flowers and responded, “Yes, Aunt, I shall be there directly.”
*****
An hour later, Elizabeth sat in an armchair by the window and saw two people coming up the lane. One of them was Mr. Bingley, and the other was…Lady Catherine.She leaned forward and took a closer look just to ensure that she was not mistaken. It was, in fact, Lady Catherine. Elizabeth leaned back against the chair and wondered if she was simply there to visit Charlotte. That was the most likely explanation. She also noted that Bingley was carrying a beautiful bouquet of flowers in his hand which were likely for Jane. She smiled at his thoughtfulness and wished that Darcy could have given her some flowers. But of course she had no right to expect that as she had called him deluded and told him she did not even like him.
