Page 20 of He Taught Me to Hope (Darcy and the Young Knight’s Quest #1)

Ben eagerly interrupted, as he sprang from his mother’s lap and climbed into Darcy’s, “Oh! Allow me to tell the story, my King! Please!”

“Calm down, young man. If you insist upon having your share, then I suggest we do it together.”

“I insist,” declared he with a smile as wide as could be.

“Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a brave young knight travelled along a long and winding road in search of a place to rest his exhausted and weary soul, when all of a sudden—” he began.

And so it proceeded as Ben and Darcy went about telling Elizabeth the story of the history of their friendship, taking turns where they would, and mixing in Arthurian legend where they could, and thoroughly entertaining her in so doing, with little regard for the passage of time.

For the first time in what had been an exceedingly long time, Elizabeth found herself especially relaxed, whilst enjoying a bout of frivolousness.

She was more than pleased to see just how delighted her son was in Mr. Darcy’s company as she came to know, indeed, it had been his departure from Hertfordshire that had wreaked such havoc on her son’s spirits over the past few months.

She eventually decided it was time they returned to the house, but first she needed to spend a few moments alone with Mr. Darcy. “Ben,” she began, “I think it is long past time for you to go back to the house. Return to your room, and I shall visit you there shortly. ”

“Mama, must I return just yet? I do not like parting with my best friend in the world after so short a time together.”

Darcy intervened, “You must always do as your mother advises, young man, without questions. Besides, we shall have plenty of time together in the morning.” Darcy stood to see Ben off and then directed his full attention to Elizabeth and offered her a hand to assist her to her feet.

Elizabeth felt an uncontrollable quivering pulsation as they locked hands.

She was convinced he was not unaware of the effect he had over her sensibilities.

Darcy rubbed his thumbs tenderly along the soft skin of her wrists as he gently caressed her hands a bit longer than was necessary.

Elizabeth was mindful of the need to interrupt their intimacy, as he surely was not inclined to do so.

She was speechless in the face of the one man in the world who managed with the slightest touch to shatter her defences and beget a sense of yearning she was simply unable to put into words.

“I wish we did not have to part just yet,” Darcy spoke tenderly.

“My thoughts of you have been my constant companions as I struggled to come to grips with your situation. You cannot possibly know what a torment it has been to have to think of you as married to that ridiculous parson, and imagining him as your husband, chasing you about your room each evening, catching up with you, and then having his way with you night after night.” For an instant, he raised his hands to cover his face in affected disgust. “Oh! The horror of it all! How could you so cruelly allow me to go on as I did?” Before Elizabeth could protest, Darcy silenced her with a gentle touch of his fingertip on her lips.

Her heart raced. He bestowed a magnificent smile to signify he was merely speaking in jest. “I know you did not owe me any sort of explanation. I realise now your silence on the matter was a reward for my officiousness.”

Elizabeth smiled in acknowledgement of the truth of his words. “There is something to be said of a man who owns his mistakes so willingly.”

Darcy extended his arm to Elizabeth, she warmly accepted his offering, and they began to make their way along the path in return to the parsonage .

“Indeed. And, to make up for my past interference, I shall not utter a single disparaging word as regards my opinion of the new Mr. Collins—how he is all wrong for you, how he would be an extremely contemptible father for Ben, and how I plan to do all that is within my power to see that a wedding between you two never comes to pass.”

“A man who willingly admits his past mistake, then endeavours to make up for it by keeping his opinion to himself,” she began playfully.

“Be still, my heart.” At that particular moment, Elizabeth had two choices as she saw it.

One would be to point out the glaring inconsistency in his expressed sentiments, and the other would be to continue basking in the easy companionship they had established over the last hour or so.

She gladly chose the latter, thinking surely he was speaking in jest, and even if he were not, knowing she would have plenty of time to set him straight over the coming days.

Before either of them would have wished, they stood directly in front of the door of the parsonage, with their next step over the threshold to be met with the reality that was Elizabeth’s life.

Darcy reluctantly relinquished his hold over her arm, opened the door, and allowed her to pass through the entryway.

Geoffrey Collins had worked himself into quite a state during the entire span of his betrothed’s absence.

He had stood at the window and observed the two of them as they made their way along the path to the garden.

He was beside himself with fury when he observed Darcy steer Elizabeth in the opposite direction, along an obscure path beyond his direct line of vision.

Charlotte witnessed all this and desperately wished not to see the proud man react to the unfolding turn of events in a manner they might all come to regret.

Her carefully chosen words halted him in his steps after he decided he did not trust the haughty gentleman, of Pemberley and Derbyshire , who apparently was no stranger to his intended, to be alone with her.

“I do not envy Mr. Darcy one bit,” Charlotte began, in a manner suggesting she merely was thinking aloud.

“Elizabeth is quite a force to be reckoned with when she feels she has been crossed.” She directed her next words to her perplexed brother-in-law.

“Did you see the looks she bestowed on poor Mr. Darcy? No, indeed, I do not envy him one bit by the time Elizabeth is done giving him one of her set-downs.”

Charlotte’s not so subtle words of caution seemed to do the trick as Geoffrey Collins halted his steps towards the door, returned to his station at the window, and resumed his futile vigil. By and by, he observed an approaching carriage and remarked on it to his brother.

The younger man nearly pushed the elder aside such was his eagerness to see who might be visiting his home.

He was so thrilled to see it was one of Lady Catherine’s carriages.

He hurried outside to greet its occupants.

While he did not stay out-of-doors terribly long, the message he conveyed to his dear wife upon his return was heralded as though it was the revelation of a lifetime.

Geoffrey Collins rushed to Elizabeth’s side the moment she entered the drawing room and placed himself directly between Mr. Darcy and her.

“Elizabeth, my dear, I trust you have told Mr. Darcy all he needs to know as regards any future association with young Ben and how he is not to encourage him in his fictional accounts.”

“Actually, I did no such thing. Mr. Darcy does not need to be told how to act together with my son.”

Collins was taken aback completely by Elizabeth’s words.

He thought surely they were in perfect agreement on this subject.

“Perhaps you and I can discuss this matter further,” he directed his glare towards Darcy and spoke the following words mostly for his benefit, “when the two of us are alone later this evening.”

Darcy was not especially impressed. He discerned enough of Elizabeth’s stark change in demeanour since entering the room to know not to be overly concerned as regarded the power that gentleman held over her.

Elizabeth replied, “Perhaps. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go upstairs to look in on Ben.”

“I must bid everyone a good day as well,” Darcy began.

“Mr. and Mrs. Collins, thank you for having me in your home.” Towards the elder Mr. Collins, he simply nodded, though barely perceptibly, in acknowledgement of his presence.

“Madam,” he spoke kindly to Elizabeth after bowing to her, “until we meet again.”

Try as she might in containing her cheerful smile in ardent anticipation of the intriguing possibilities for the day ahead, she was simply unable to do so with any convincing measure of success. Geoffrey Collins was not at all pleased by her display.

Mr. William Collins interrupted the goodbyes with glad tidings. “Indeed, we shall meet again very soon, Mr. Darcy. Her ladyship dispatched a messenger whilst you and my fair cousin were out. We have received an invitation to dine at Rosings Park this evening!”