leaned over and looked at Elizabeth. “What do you think of it, my dear? Is it not grand?”
Having seen nothing as magnificent in all her life, she nodded her head slowly. “Yes, Mrs. Willstone. It is beyond anything I have ever seen.”
Mrs. Willstone smiled and let out a contented sigh. “What an honour for us and our Rosalyn. Such an opportunity as this does not often come along.”
“Now, now,” cautioned Mr. Willstone. “It is not as if he has made our Rosalyn an offer or even stated his intentions toward her. We have to remember that Mr. and Miss Darcy merely extended an invitation to all of us to spend two weeks here. I believe there will be a few other guests, and it may be nothing more than that.” A sly grin on his face revealed that he was teasing his sister-in-law.
“Oh, Richard, how you love to provoke me!” laughed Rosalyn. “You, yourself, told me you thought his invitation was on my behalf.”
“True, but I am only being cautious. We do not want to have our hopes dashed now, do we?”
As they talked amongst themselves, Elizabeth continued to watch as the waning sunlight deepened the hue of the marble and stone that graced the front. The grass and flowers surrounding the home intensified in colour. She was oblivious to the conversation around her. The only thought that played through her mind was that this could have been her home. Of this, she could have been Mistress.
“Well, let us hurry and proceed to the house before darkness settles upon us!”
Mr. Willstone’s cheery voice alerted Elizabeth to the fact that they were all returning to their carriages. She took one last glance at Pemberley before turning to follow. From here she could view it and appreciate it for all its beauty. She could admire it and esteem it for all that it was. Once she stepped inside its doors, her admiration… and any burgeoning longing for what might have been hers… could never be openly shown.
When they were all settled back inside the carriage, Elizabeth shivered and pulled her shawl tightly about her. She then noticed Emily looking at her with a very discerning eye. Elizabeth attempted to smile, for she did not wish for her to think that she was not pleased with coming here.
Leaning down to her, she said, “We shall be there shortly, Emily. Is this not exciting?”
Emily slowly nodded, and then Rosalyn let out a squeal. “Look, we are now coming upon it! Come, Emily, look out my side. We are finally at Pemberley!”
The ladies watched as the carriage approached the sizeable manor. As it grew in stature as they drew near, Elizabeth felt as though her heart would burst. The magnificence of the home was one thing, but to know that in only a matter of moments, she would be face-to-face with Mr. Darcy and his sister was almost too much to bear. Neither could possibly want her there.
Rosalyn suddenly reached out for Elizabeth’s hand and turned to her. “Oh, Elizabeth, how am I to endure these two weeks? You must help me! If you see me do anything that appears to displease Mr. Darcy, I give you leave to enlighten me. I will leave it to you to be my confidante, for I fear this might be a trial of sorts, to see if I meet his exceedingly high standards.”
“Exceedingly high standards?” Elizabeth asked curiously.
“Oh, yes. A man of his standing certainly has expectations to marry only an exceptional woman. I may not have the highest connections, but I certainly have the qualifications to be Mistress of a place such as this.” She let out a long, drawn-out sigh as she strained to look ahead. “We are almost there. I can see the other two carriages have stopped and the servants are helping Lorraine and Richard out.”
Turning back to Elizabeth, she said softly, “I know your association with him was not particularly intimate, but if there is anything you can recall that either pleased or displeased him, I would be eternally grateful for any advice.”
Even if Elizabeth had any advice for the
Having seen nothing as magnificent in all her life, she nodded her head slowly. “Yes, Mrs. Willstone. It is beyond anything I have ever seen.”
Mrs. Willstone smiled and let out a contented sigh. “What an honour for us and our Rosalyn. Such an opportunity as this does not often come along.”
“Now, now,” cautioned Mr. Willstone. “It is not as if he has made our Rosalyn an offer or even stated his intentions toward her. We have to remember that Mr. and Miss Darcy merely extended an invitation to all of us to spend two weeks here. I believe there will be a few other guests, and it may be nothing more than that.” A sly grin on his face revealed that he was teasing his sister-in-law.
“Oh, Richard, how you love to provoke me!” laughed Rosalyn. “You, yourself, told me you thought his invitation was on my behalf.”
“True, but I am only being cautious. We do not want to have our hopes dashed now, do we?”
As they talked amongst themselves, Elizabeth continued to watch as the waning sunlight deepened the hue of the marble and stone that graced the front. The grass and flowers surrounding the home intensified in colour. She was oblivious to the conversation around her. The only thought that played through her mind was that this could have been her home. Of this, she could have been Mistress.
“Well, let us hurry and proceed to the house before darkness settles upon us!”
Mr. Willstone’s cheery voice alerted Elizabeth to the fact that they were all returning to their carriages. She took one last glance at Pemberley before turning to follow. From here she could view it and appreciate it for all its beauty. She could admire it and esteem it for all that it was. Once she stepped inside its doors, her admiration… and any burgeoning longing for what might have been hers… could never be openly shown.
When they were all settled back inside the carriage, Elizabeth shivered and pulled her shawl tightly about her. She then noticed Emily looking at her with a very discerning eye. Elizabeth attempted to smile, for she did not wish for her to think that she was not pleased with coming here.
Leaning down to her, she said, “We shall be there shortly, Emily. Is this not exciting?”
Emily slowly nodded, and then Rosalyn let out a squeal. “Look, we are now coming upon it! Come, Emily, look out my side. We are finally at Pemberley!”
The ladies watched as the carriage approached the sizeable manor. As it grew in stature as they drew near, Elizabeth felt as though her heart would burst. The magnificence of the home was one thing, but to know that in only a matter of moments, she would be face-to-face with Mr. Darcy and his sister was almost too much to bear. Neither could possibly want her there.
Rosalyn suddenly reached out for Elizabeth’s hand and turned to her. “Oh, Elizabeth, how am I to endure these two weeks? You must help me! If you see me do anything that appears to displease Mr. Darcy, I give you leave to enlighten me. I will leave it to you to be my confidante, for I fear this might be a trial of sorts, to see if I meet his exceedingly high standards.”
“Exceedingly high standards?” Elizabeth asked curiously.
“Oh, yes. A man of his standing certainly has expectations to marry only an exceptional woman. I may not have the highest connections, but I certainly have the qualifications to be Mistress of a place such as this.” She let out a long, drawn-out sigh as she strained to look ahead. “We are almost there. I can see the other two carriages have stopped and the servants are helping Lorraine and Richard out.”
Turning back to Elizabeth, she said softly, “I know your association with him was not particularly intimate, but if there is anything you can recall that either pleased or displeased him, I would be eternally grateful for any advice.”
Even if Elizabeth had any advice for the
Similar Books
