Page 20 of The Cherry Trees of Rosings
In another moment, they were both seated on the garden bench only a little distance away from the Scots pine.
“Well,” Elizabeth said. She had her sheaf of pages in her lap, cushioned over her book. Pencil in hand. “I am ready when you are, Mr. Darcy.”
They started to work on the letter.
At first, it was a simple enough task.
They had to make the letter urgent enough so Colonel Fitzwilliam would not ignore it, or set it aside. Elizabeth decided to do away with civilities while remaining formal. But soon theyreached the point where she had to prove she was indeed communicating with Mr. Darcy’s spirit.
“Gracious, Mr. Darcy! I would have never imagined you capable of this.”
Elizabeth nearly snorted as she finished writing about the “Fitzwilliam secret stash” and how a young Darcy had kicked his older cousin into an overfilled ditch because of a dispute over jam and scones.
“I aim to please,” he said, a satisfied smirk on his face.
Elizabeth stared at him for a moment. And then burst into laughter.
“A jest, Mr. Darcy? I would not have believed you capable of that either if I had not heard it myself.”
Mr. Darcy smiled ruefully at her. “There is much about me you do not know, Miss Bennet.”
“So it seems,” Elizabeth said, sobering immediately.
He was not wrong.
She had only started to realize that.
Mr. Darcy looked at her questioningly, but she shook her head.
They continued with their task. And after a while Mr. Darcy requested that she finish the rest of the letter in his words. It would lend more authenticity… or so he said.
Elizabeth just hoped Colonel Fitzwilliam would believe it. She was risking much by writing to an unrelated man. That too about such an outlandish thing!
But it was only once they reached the part where Mr. Darcy began to speak of his sister…
—and Elizabeth had barely scratched out a line on the page—
…when he suddenly seemed to choke up, and vanished once more!
Chapter 14:
Inconvenient Summons
“Eliza, are you feeling unwell?”
Elizabeth looked up, startled. Her eyes fixed on Charlotte.All the inhabitants of the parsonage were currently at the dinner table, enjoying a modest but elegant spread.
“I am well.”
“You seem distracted, Cousin Elizabeth,” Mr. Collins said, peering at her from his seat at the head of the table.
Elizabeth smiled blandly at him. She was in no mood to have him pry into her life.
“I was simply enjoying the wonderful dinner, Mr. Collins.” She glanced at her plate. There was a cut of beef and seasoned potatoes on it. “The potatoes are… very good.”
Mr. Collins puffed up with pride immediately and nodded.
“Lady Catherine personally recommended Mrs. Potts to me,” he said. “And what a delight she has been to Charlotte and me! Did I tell you about…”
