Colonel Fitzwilliam, never one to be silent when he could be speaking to a pretty lady, began asking her about her home. At first, his questions were simple and her answers even simpler, but they persevered, and before they reached the garden gate, the colonel and Elizabeth had laughed twice and shared innumerable smiles about the vagaries of village life and market towns. Elizabeth invited them in for tea and they were quickly introduced to Charlotte and Maria and conversation continued much like it had outside. Mr. Darcy sat quietly, speaking only when necessary, Colonel Fitzwilliam had enough to say for both of them, and Maria was so nervous she said nothing at all. Charlotte and Elizabeth kept the colonel well entertained between the two of them and Mr. Darcy seemed happy to simply observe. After half an hour, the gentlemen left, the colonel all smiles and Mr. Darcy wearing his usual haughty expression.

That afternoon, as was now her habit, Elizabeth went to Rosings to practice her music. The butler greeted her as he usually did and a footman guided her downstairs. She practiced for an hour, ended with a song she knew by memory and enjoyed playing, and went upstairs and let herself out a side door near the stairwell.

What she didn’t know was that Mr. Darcy was in the room just above, standing at the window looking out at the estate.

“What is Miss Bennet doing here?” he asked.

“Sir?”

“Nothing, Timms. I just saw Miss Bennet leaving and wondered if she was visiting my aunt,” Darcy mused as his valet continued laying out his riding clothes.

“As I understand it, she visits around this time every day to practice the pianoforte.”

“Practice? Where?”

“In the companion’s room. Will there be anything else, sir?”

“No, that will be all. Thank you, Timms.”

~

The Monday following Easter (and a long and tedious Easter sermon followed by an even longer holiday dinner), Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam spent the morning reviewing estate accounts. After tea, Darcy took a turn in the garden and when Miss Bennet exited the house after her usual pianoforte practice, he offered to escort her home. She deferred at first, saying it wasn’t necessary and she was perfectly fine on her own, but he insisted.

They did not speak for the first five minutes, until they were out of sight of the house and walking through a sunny grove.

“How long will you stay in Kent, Miss Bennet?” he asked.

“My father will collect me at the end of the month,” she answered.

“Does he have business in Kent?”