Honour and Intimacy - A Sequel to Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'

Chapter 5

Elizabeth realised how tired she was in the morning. Her back ached and she could barely get up from her bed. Mr Darcy advised her to stay in the bed and take some rest but she would not listen to him. With great courage, she had got up and with the help of Mrs Reynolds, she had dressed herself properly. Mrs Reynolds accompanied her to the parlour where they saw an unexpected guest waiting for them.

He was staring at the painting above the fireplace, examining it carefully, with his eyes focused on each and every detail until Mrs Darcy and Mrs Reynolds had entered the room. He looked at them and immediately bowed in civility.

"I apologise deeply for intruding on your property, once again." His soft voice showed how sincere he was with his apology. When he looked up at Elizabeth, he smiled and felt the need of introducing himself. "I am Mr Everett. Mr Darcy had called me to design a painting."

"And I am Mrs Darcy." Elizabeth grinned in a friendly manner and walked towards the couch where she seated herself comfortably. "He wants another painting to be made, does he not?"

"He does." Mr Everett replied as he walked towards the elegant pianoforte and touched it with his pale, delicate hand.

Just then, the door opened once again and Mr Darcy and Georgiana entered the parlour. They too were surprised to see their guest, but Georgiana was a little more astonished than the former.

She stared at Mr Everett without uttering a single word. He noticed her stare and gazed back at her. Their eyes were locked with each others and, though it may sound silly, Georgiana could feel her heart race like never before. Mr Everett's lips lifted up to form a genuine grin and that was when Georgiana realised her mistake. She had been staring at him for too long.

She quickly left the room, without wasting much time in there, and rushed out to the Pemberly gardens where she took a deep breath in. She felt odd, as if there were butterflies fluttering in her stomach, seeking an escape. This was the first ever time she had felt like this and she had forgotten all about the manners and etiquettes that she should have in front of a guest. She wanted to go back to the parlour but she was too weak to, and did not have the courage to walk back in there as if nothing had happened.

As she was lost in her thoughts, she felt a hand on her shoulder, which caused her to turn around and face Colonel Fitzwilliam.

"Greetings, my fair Georgie." He ruffled her hair affectionately and noticed the look on her face but he did not say anything about it.

"Cousin, how many times have I told you that I am not a child anymore. I will be turning twenty next year." Georgiana replied in an irritated manner, but it did not have any effect on Colonel Fitzwilliam, who just chuckled a little at her annoyance.

She locked her arm in his as they slowly walked on the fresh, evergreen grass of the Pemberly gardens.

"On what occasion have you come here?" Georgiana asked.

He looked at her in a gentlemanlike manner and replied, "I could not attend the gathering yesterday, so I thought I could come here today and congratulate your brother and sister-in-law on this merry occasion."

"Well, then," Georgiana looked at the sky and let out a sigh, "why do not you go and congratulate them right now? Why interrupt my peaceful moment? You do know that they are in the parlour-"

"Attending to another guest." Colonel Fitzwilliam quickly said, cutting off her sentence.

Georgiana slowly nodded her head as she thought about that guest.

"Let us head back inside." He said as they turned around. She agreed and they made their way into the house, where they were encountered by Mr Darcy and Mr Everett.

Georgiana, perplexed and shy, hid behind Colonel Fitzwilliam and dared not to look at the gentleman, who she had encountered before.

"Pardon, but is that Georgiana Darcy?" Mr Everett turned to Mr Darcy in a slight whisper, who then replied him with a pleasant nod. Mr Everett smirked a little as he looked at the lady. "It would be tough to make a portrait of such beauty, but I do enjoy challenges. Anyhow, I will leave it here, and we will start with the painting to-morrow."

With a slight bow, he left Mr Darcy, but as he was walking away, his eyes met Georgiana's and he realised that she was blushing. He quickly turned away his eyes at that instance and hurried out of the mansion.