young lady, Rosalyn did not wait to hear it, for she turned back to the window and began to comment on how close they were—how soon it would be—before they pulled up and stopped.
Elizabeth distracted herself by helping Emily get ready. She smoothed the young girl’s hair and retied the bow at the neckline of her dress. The two were startled when Rosalyn let out a shriek.
“There is Mr. Darcy!” Pulling herself upright as the carriage slowed down, she turned her head slightly toward the window. “Oh my! He and Miss Darcy have come out to greet Lorraine and Richard. Is that not kind of them?”
A slight gasp followed and Rosalyn turned to them. With hushed excitement she exclaimed, “He is coming over! He is going to open the door for us himself!” Clasping her hands together, she whispered, “This is such an honour!”
Rosalyn promptly turned back, and a graceful calm swept over her as she smiled warmly at the gentleman at the door. Elizabeth watched, her heart pulsating wildly, but could only see his hand reaching in. She then heard his voice, “Miss Matthews, welcome to Pemberley.”
His voice was much warmer than she remembered, and the sound of it caused an unwitting shiver to course through her. Her heart pounded as she knew the moment had arrived when she would be forced to face him.
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy,” Rosalyn said warmly as she took his hand and stepped out with the cool elegance of someone completely at ease.
Elizabeth gave Emily a gentle nudge toward the door as his hand reached in once more. Emily took it and happily jumped down. Elizabeth looked down to gather her things as she heard him welcome the young girl. She then slowly slid across the seat to the door, fully expecting Mr. Darcy to escort her two travelling companions to the others and allow a servant to help her step out of the carriage.
Elizabeth clasped her small parcel tightly, looking around her for anything that may have been left. Once assured that she had everything, she took in a slow breath and closed her eyes to still her erratically beating heart. Upon opening her eyes, she became aware of a figure at the door. She slowly turned her head, at precisely the moment Mr. Darcy lowered his head to peer in.
As their eyes met, he drew back slightly. He pursed his lips and briefly looked down, taking a quick breath and letting it out.
When he looked up again, he asked, “May I?” and reached out his hand.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice soft and quivering slightly. Her mind was in such upheaval that she had to remind herself to move. She tentatively extended her hand toward him and he reached out to take it. His hand was warm to the touch, and Elizabeth was not prepared for the jolt of feeling that surged through her as his fingers clasped hers. A tremor passed through her that travelled through her fingers all the way to her toes.
Her eyes turned down as she hoped he was not able to readily discern in her expression the feelings he evoked in her.
Confusion swept over her. He seemed different. His eyes seemed softer than she had remembered, his voice more gentle. Yet there was something of surprise in his response when he first looked in and saw her, and Elizabeth wondered whether he had truly not expected her to come.
Once Elizabeth stepped out, she waited for Darcy to release her hand. She stood for a moment facing him, feeling all the awkwardness that their meeting again prompted, while at the same time experiencing a plethora of thoughts and emotions that were foreign to her.
He seemed to catch himself and released her hand abruptly, silently extending his arm toward the others. She walked ahead of him, grateful that he was behind her, but fully aware of his presence there. She inwardly chided herself for those unexpected and startling feelings that arose when she first beheld his face peering into the carriage. She would have to maintain a bit more presence of mind in his company. She must remember her place,
Elizabeth distracted herself by helping Emily get ready. She smoothed the young girl’s hair and retied the bow at the neckline of her dress. The two were startled when Rosalyn let out a shriek.
“There is Mr. Darcy!” Pulling herself upright as the carriage slowed down, she turned her head slightly toward the window. “Oh my! He and Miss Darcy have come out to greet Lorraine and Richard. Is that not kind of them?”
A slight gasp followed and Rosalyn turned to them. With hushed excitement she exclaimed, “He is coming over! He is going to open the door for us himself!” Clasping her hands together, she whispered, “This is such an honour!”
Rosalyn promptly turned back, and a graceful calm swept over her as she smiled warmly at the gentleman at the door. Elizabeth watched, her heart pulsating wildly, but could only see his hand reaching in. She then heard his voice, “Miss Matthews, welcome to Pemberley.”
His voice was much warmer than she remembered, and the sound of it caused an unwitting shiver to course through her. Her heart pounded as she knew the moment had arrived when she would be forced to face him.
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy,” Rosalyn said warmly as she took his hand and stepped out with the cool elegance of someone completely at ease.
Elizabeth gave Emily a gentle nudge toward the door as his hand reached in once more. Emily took it and happily jumped down. Elizabeth looked down to gather her things as she heard him welcome the young girl. She then slowly slid across the seat to the door, fully expecting Mr. Darcy to escort her two travelling companions to the others and allow a servant to help her step out of the carriage.
Elizabeth clasped her small parcel tightly, looking around her for anything that may have been left. Once assured that she had everything, she took in a slow breath and closed her eyes to still her erratically beating heart. Upon opening her eyes, she became aware of a figure at the door. She slowly turned her head, at precisely the moment Mr. Darcy lowered his head to peer in.
As their eyes met, he drew back slightly. He pursed his lips and briefly looked down, taking a quick breath and letting it out.
When he looked up again, he asked, “May I?” and reached out his hand.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice soft and quivering slightly. Her mind was in such upheaval that she had to remind herself to move. She tentatively extended her hand toward him and he reached out to take it. His hand was warm to the touch, and Elizabeth was not prepared for the jolt of feeling that surged through her as his fingers clasped hers. A tremor passed through her that travelled through her fingers all the way to her toes.
Her eyes turned down as she hoped he was not able to readily discern in her expression the feelings he evoked in her.
Confusion swept over her. He seemed different. His eyes seemed softer than she had remembered, his voice more gentle. Yet there was something of surprise in his response when he first looked in and saw her, and Elizabeth wondered whether he had truly not expected her to come.
Once Elizabeth stepped out, she waited for Darcy to release her hand. She stood for a moment facing him, feeling all the awkwardness that their meeting again prompted, while at the same time experiencing a plethora of thoughts and emotions that were foreign to her.
He seemed to catch himself and released her hand abruptly, silently extending his arm toward the others. She walked ahead of him, grateful that he was behind her, but fully aware of his presence there. She inwardly chided herself for those unexpected and startling feelings that arose when she first beheld his face peering into the carriage. She would have to maintain a bit more presence of mind in his company. She must remember her place,
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