Chapter 3
The Easter Sunday presented Rosings Island with an uncharacteristic warm weather for the time of the year. The day began hot, windless and so humid that it excited the fears of eldest and most experienced villagers that something dreadful was going to happen. They considered it a bad omen. Spring had never been benevolent on the island and this uncommon stillness, the red dawn and the unusual absence of seagulls and birds that usually adorned the skies was the announcement that a big storm was coming. What they did not know was that the storm that would unmercifully batter Rosings Island for the next two days, would bring much more than wind and rain.
The festivities of the day began with the morning services in Rosings' Chapel. Mr. Collins' sermon was long, in accordance to the importance of the holiday, and constantly accompanied by the sound of the fans that the attendants agitated energetically to mitigate the heat. Once the sermon was over, the leading families of the island were invited to the house where the Easter breakfast was served.
"Blind man's buff!" cried the children.
"Then that is what we shall play, little ones. We only need a handkerchief," said Ann, looking around. "Which one of you, gentlemen, would provide us with such precious piece of attire so we can play our game?"
With an elegant reverence, Colonel Fitzwilliam gave her the piece of cloth.
"Thank you, sir," laughed Ann, "your gallantry will be rewarded. Would you honour us by being the first blind man of this day?"
The colonel could not deny the enthusiastic chorus that followed her request. "Madam, your wish is my command."
Ann put both hands on the task of covering the colonel's eyes while several of the young, unmarried ladies of the party, encouraged by their mothers, joined then on the lawn. With a handsome and rich bachelor participating, the game was not a child's game anymore.
The gentleman was spun around before being allowed to chase around his prey.
"Ah, my dearest Ann, I could recognize the fragrance of your rosewater anywhere," said he, sensing the proximity of his cousin.
Ann giggled while running around him. "You are never going to catch me, Richard!"
Like the good soldier he was, the colonel planned his strategy. Oriented by the giggles, he followed another group of girls, who were now screaming and laughing to call his attention. But Ann would not allow him to find someone else. She taunted him, passing very close to him several times, until he got her by a ribbon.
"And who would this one be?" He brushed his fingertips over Ann's face. "Nay, it cannot be. My cousin's skin does not feel so soft and she has warts all over her cheeks."
"Richard!" Ann laughed.
The colonel lifted the wrap from his eyes. "I believe I caught you. What shall be my reward, madam?"
Miss de Bourgh smiled coquettishly. "It would depend on the gentleman's …"
"Ann! Enough of that game!" bellowed Lady Catherine. "You have been under the sun for too long."
The young couple stepped apart.
"Find a distraction and meet me beyond the maze," Fitzwilliam whispered quickly. "I shall be waiting for you."
Ann acknowledged his petition with a nod. Her eyes quickly scanned those around her and found her escape. "Miss Bennet! You must be next!"
"Oh, no, thank you. I have never been good at this sort of games."
Ann took her hand and led her to the centre of the group. "Please, let me persuade you. I would do it myself but I feel dizzy when I have my eyes blinded."
Reluctantly, Elizabeth accepted and the cloth was wrapped around her head. Ann spun her around and Elizabeth began a tentative search of her surroundings.
No one noticed the colonel leaving the party. No one realized that Miss de Bourgh left only a few minutes later. No one, except Miss Maria Lucas.
"Richard?" came Ann's whispered voice from in between the bushes. "Richard, where are you?"
A strong arm encircled her waist and Ann was lifted and swirled around in the gentleman's embrace. Her scream of happiness was muffled by his ardent lips.
"Oh, my love," Ann breathed against his mouth, "You cannot imagine how much I had wished this moment to come!"
"So have I, dearest."
"We must be careful. My mother suspects. She has spies informing her of our whereabouts day and night. I cannot leave the house without a servant following my every move."
"Hopefully, the game will keep her entertained for a while." Fitzwilliam took both her hands in his and kissed her knuckles.
"Oh, Richard," she sighed, "We must do something to end this agony. I cannot bear another year without you. I wish we could escape from this place and live our lives together, away from my mother's dictates."
"We cannot elope, my love, you know that. Everything would have been for naught. We only have to wait a few months and you will be free to marry where you choose."
"But my mother is determined to marry me to Darcy! She will never desist in her purpose. Mrs. Jenkinson told me that she is planning to speak to him today."
"Darcy will never consent to her wishes."
"He has no choice and neither have I! You know she can force us and there is nothing we can do to prevent it!"
The colonel looked at her with determined eyes. "No, Ann, I will not allow it. I will defend our love with my heart and my sword. I will find a way to stop her. Your mother will never pull us apart."
Miss Lucas' eyes observed the lovers sharing a passionate kiss. She had never seen a gentleman display so much ardour with a woman nor a lady receive his attentions with such wantonness. Shocked by what she saw, Mariah covered her mouth and ran back towards the house.
"Miss Elizabeth!" cried one of the girls, "over here!"
Completely blinded by the cloth, Elizabeth swirled around, following the giggles of the children that were running all around her. The sounds of laughter and skirts took Elizabeth closer to the part of the garden in which the tables with refreshments were being served, where a group of guests were observing those who were playing around. The children rushed in front of her and in her attempts to catch one of them, she ended holding the sleeve of a coat. A man's coat.
"You must guess!" said one of the girls. "You must tell us who he is!"
Elizabeth then found herself in a great predicament. Certainly there was a man in front of her and she did not think that continuing with this would be appropriate. Yet, it was a game and these liberties were allowed for the sake of the amusement. With hesitant movements, she moved her hands to the gentleman's chest. Undoubtedly, the man was tall, for his cravat was almost levelled with her face. If her recollections were correct, there were only two gentlemen in the party that could sport this stature, Mr Darcy and Mr Elsworth, one of Lady Catherine's tenants. Mr. Eslworth was in his early forties and he had a moustache so if this gentleman had a clean face, then he could only be …
With no little trepidation, Elizabeth's palm moved up to the man's face, finding the smooth skin of his cheek. By now, she was almost certain of the gentleman's identity. The faint scent of Mr. Darcy's cologne was unmistakable but Elizabeth would not risk a wild guess without further confirmation. She slowly moved her hand closer to the gentleman's mouth. Before she could touch it, she was caught by the wrist and her tentative inspection was detained.
Startled, Elizabeth lifted the blind from her eyes.
"I believe you caught the wrong person, Miss Bennet," Darcy persisted in his firm hold of her hand. "I am afraid I am not part of this game."
Elizabeth blushed intently. "Excuse me, sir, I did not see where I was going or otherwise I would never endeavour to impose on you in this manner."
He smiled and released her hand. "Do not trouble yourself, your eyes were covered."
"Now if you will excuse me," Elizabeth made a courtesy, "I must return to the others."
"I believe you already lost your turn, madam, when you did not guess who I was." Darcy took the cloth from Elizabeth's hand. "And as I am the one to blame for your misfortune, I can only redeem myself by offering you a refreshment. May I escort you to the buffet?"
Elizabeth reluctantly took the arm that was being gallantly offered to her.
"I hope you did not object that I separated you from the others. I thought you might appreciate staying out from the sun for a while," said he, as he led the way to the refreshment table.
"You guessed right, sir, it is a hot day."
They reached the refreshment table where the servants diligently served two glasses of cold lemonade and, glasses in hand, they walked slowly towards the house, to one of the many terraces that bordered the cliff, and climbing a dozen of steps that separated it from the gardens, they reached the tiled balcony, with the hope that the breeze from the sea would bring some relief on this warm day.
"I did not know of your preference for these games, Miss Bennet. You seem to find great enjoyment in participating, even when the weather has turned too hot for such an energetic entertainment."
She took a sip of her lemonade. "I do not mind a little exercise. I find it invigorating."
"I would not expect another answer from you, knowing your fondness for long walks and intrepid climbing." There was a faint smile on his face.
Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. Was she detecting censure in his tone? "I presume you do not find those activities appropriate for a lady."
"No, madam, you are mistaking my words. I never said that I find such conduct improper or unladylike. I consider it worthy of praise that a lady would take pleasure in such healthy occupations."
Elizabeth was not inclined to believe such affirmations, less coming from a gentleman who had always found reproof in her actions. He did not look insincere, though, and puzzled by this rather sudden turn in his behaviour, she turned around and walked closer to rail with the hope that the fresh air would clear the confusion that she always felt when close to the mysterious Mr. Darcy.
"How high would you say this cliff is, sir?" asked she, leaning a hand on the stone rail and taking a peep down to the sea.
Darcy immediately took her by the arm and pulled her back. "Be careful, Miss Bennet, some of the stones are lose. You might tumble and fall. I am not certain about the height of this cliff, but surely it is a long way down."
With his free hand, he gently shook the rail to show her the danger to which she had just exposed herself. It moved and several lose pebbles fell down the cliff.
Elizabeth paled with sudden fear. "Your aunt should see that this is repaired. Someone might fall."
"I fear my aunt does not care much Rosings' upkeep. The colonel and myself are constantly reminding her of her obligation, but she is not one to accept sound advice." Offering her his arm, he led the way back to the garden. Elizabeth gladly took it.
"Have you heard of Mr Bingley?" she asked as they descended the steps. "We had not received word from him nor his sisters since he left. I hope he is in good health."
"He was, the last time I saw him. So were his sisters."
"I am glad to hear it. Do you know if he's planning to return to Netherfield?"
"I am not certain that that would be his wish."
"What a pity. The house had been vacant for so long. The entire town of Meryton was having expectations that Mr. Bingley would choose Netherfield as his country residence."
This time, Darcy did not reply, only nodded briefly as they joined the others on the lawn. Having no other thing to say on the matter, Elizabeth chose to remain quiet, too. A moment later, Darcy broke the silence when he asked, "Are you enjoying your stay at Rosings?"
"Oh, yes, very much. Mrs. Collins is a dear friend of mine and was I longing to spend some time with her."
"It must be difficult to be settled at such great distance from her home. I imagine that she is most pleased now that her family and friends have come this far to visit her."
"She is indeed. Charlotte is very happy. She felt very lonely during the winter."
"I can well imagine. Sometimes, the weather at Rosings can turn unpleasant, especially during the cold months."
Elizabeth nodded silently. The weather was not the only unpleasant thing on this island.
"During storms, the navigation becomes impossible and the island remains separated from the mainland for days. The villagers must depend on the stock they have at home to survive."
"I could not imagine living in such isolation." Elizabeth sighed. "The letters my sister sent me were delayed by the fog and I thought I would go mad in longing for a word from her. She has been in London for the last two months. Did you happen to see her while you were there for the season?"
"No, I did not have that pleasure."
Elizabeth studied his countenance. He suddenly looked displeased. She would have asked him more about his stay in Town and the Bingleys but just then Colonel Fitzwilliam chose that moment to join them.
"A cold glass of lemonade," exclaimed the officer, "you cannot imagine how desperate I am for one. Where can I find one of those?"
Darcy pointed at the table where refreshments were being served, few yards away from them. The servants stationed there quickly obliged the colonel.
"Well, Darcy," said the colonel, pointing at the cloth with which he covered his eyes during the game that was hanging loose from his pocket. "It seems that Miss Bennet convinced you to play Blind Man's buff. How was your luck?"
"I did not play. I merely stood in Miss Bennet's way and she happened to catch me."
Col. Fitzwilliam turned to the young lady. "I should have imagined that was the case. Darcy has a distaste for this sort of amusements."
Elizabeth found this a great opportunity to tease the gentleman. "You rarely dance, you do not enjoy summer games, Mr. Darcy. I wonder in what sort of entertainment a man like you might be inclined to enjoy."
"There are several activities in which I find pleasure, madam."
"Pray, enlighten us, sir. We are eager to know," said she, with a glance at the colonel. "Al though my acquaintance with you has been short, I have always seen you reluctant to participate in general amusements."
Darcy was about to reply, but it was the colonel who answered her request. "I can recite them to you, Miss Bennet, I happen to know my cousin very well."
The admonishing glance Darcy cast on his cousin should have silenced him but Fitzwilliam went on. "Riding, fishing, fencing, playing chess and reading until his eyes burn. He is also fond of walking and has a rather dangerous preference for climbing the higher peaks of his dear Derbyshire. Music is also a favourite of his. I can almost affirm that listening to his sister play the piano forte is one of the things he likes best. I believe Mozart is his favourite composer."
"That is interesting," Elizabeth was impressed. "Except for the first three, we have a lot in common, Mr. Darcy."
"Are you, too, fond of Mozart?" asked Darcy.
"Yes, I like his music very much."
A footman approached them, interrupting their conversation with a, "excuse me, Mr. Darcy. Lady Catherine requires that you join her on the terrace."
Darcy's countenance darkened considerably. "Thank you. I will be there in a moment."
The servant left and the Colonel cast a glance at the terrace where Lady Catherine had conveniently secured Ann's presence by her side. "Oh, my, when is this going to end?"
"Never." Darcy said under his breath. "Never if we do not attempt something to stop her."
With a fastidious tug at his coat, Darcy headed towards the terrace to join his aunt and cousin, leaving Elizabeth and the colonel to converse by themselves. "Poor Darcy, he cannot find peace while at Rosings."
"Then why is it that he comes? Certainly he can spend the Easter Holiday somewhere else."
"Sometimes he has no choice."
"I cannot understand how that can possibly be. Mr. Darcy is a man of fortune, surely that bestows upon him a great degree of independency."
"In some matters, yes, but also increases his responsibilities. My cousin is deeply committed to his family and friends. Usually his decisions have great effect on the others so he is very prudent in his actions and encourages the others to do the same."
"Then he must be very sure to always give the best advice."
"His intentions are always the best, believe me. Recently, he saved his very good friend from what might have been a disastrous match."
"His good friend?" Elizabeth's eyebrows arched up.
"Yes, I believe Darcy accompanied him to the country to see an estate he was interested in purchasing. Apparently, his friend became attached to a local girl and was about to propose to her, but Darcy convinced him not to proceed with his folly."
Elizabeth could not believe what she was hearing. It was obvious that the colonel was referring to Mr. Bingley and his feelings for Jane thus confirming her most dreadful suspicions. Darcy had been the one that separated them, inflicting on her dear sister the greatest pain.
"But, what was so disastrous about the match? Did he think that the lady was inappropriate for his friend?"
"No, not her. I believe it was her family that he found objectionable."
Elizabeth's indignation was as high as the overwhelming heat of the day, the anger inside her chest growing as immense as the storm that was now darkening the sky. Winds of resentment cooled her heart with the same strength of those that were beginning to blow over the island.
The storm approached them with such haste that the servants barely had time to fetch the adornments that had been placed in the garden for the Easter festivities. Leaves, dirt, tables, clothes, everything that was not firmly attached to the ground was now being flown away by the unmerciful gusts of wind. Trees were bent like reeds, the deep rumble of the thunder was making the land and rock tremble.
The suddenness of the storm's arrival had left Elizabeth in such stupor that she had not had time to react. The branch of the tree above them cracked and Elizabeth felt herself being pulled away before she was crushed under its weight.
"We must go inside!" the colonel put his arm around her and guided her towards the house. "A storm is coming!"
Return to Belén's page
Return to
Austen Interlude
e-mail
Belén - authors love feedback!