Disdain, Agony, Hope, and Love #Wattys2020

Chapter 28

Votes and comments, please :)

Time passed as time does, slowly or fast at times. Darcy's twenty-eighth birthday came and went - it was celebrated very quietly with nothing more than congratulations and many happy returns of the day given by all his friends and family.

He himself could find no joy on the day. It was unhappy - he wished he could have seen his birthday with Elizabeth at his side.

It seemed that ever since their return from Kent, Darcy's life had been one continuous spiral downwards. He could not break out of it - and he did not know what he would find at the bottom.

Three weeks it had been since their return; three weeks in which Darcy's moods unpredictably swung from depression, irritable (usually when Miss Bingley was around) anger and despair. He was short-tempered and found fault in everything and sometimes could not refrain from snapping at everyone.

Darcy could not see Bingley without being reminded of how he had hurt Jane Bennet (unintentionally but done all the same) nor could he face his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam without a surge of jealousy at how Fitzwilliam had enjoyed Elizabeth's company and she his. When he saw Georgiana he remembered Wickham and how he had helped turn Elizabeth against him.

But the worst was that there was not a single minute in the day that he did not think of her, and his behaviour towards her during their acquaintance. Reflecting upon all their meetings together he realised that Elizabeth's accusations were not without foundation.

In fact, he sometimes wondered how he could face himself everyday with the knowledge of all that she had said.

___________________________________________________________

It was late evening. The curtains were shut in the library and the only light was from a dying fire. Darcy sat in a large chair by the fire, his face hidden in the shadows. He was not concerned - the shadows seemed to reflect what he was feeling.

He sensed, rather than heard, his sister come in. Nowadays, it was something of a routine for Georgiana to try to persuade her brother to join their company. She had had no success.

"Will you be joining us tonight?" she asked.

Silence for sometime.

"No."

Darcy heard Georgiana stifle a sob. Suddenly she walked determinedly away in the direction of the piano. He heard her sit and open it.

Though it was dark, he knew his sister needed no light if she was playing from memory. Darcy gave no thought to his sister's actions until she began to play.

Mozart's Sonata in A, 1st movement. The piece Elizabeth played at Rosings. Though Georgiana played beautifully, he could not bear to hear her play this particular piece.

"Stop!" he cried.

The music broke off abruptly. It was replaced by stifled sobs, and then running feet. A door slammed and then silence returned.

Darcy felt guilty about what he had done to his sister but that feeling was soon eclisped by anger. How dare she play that piece! It was Elizabeth's piece.

Suddenly the door opened again and was shut decisively. Darcy did not know who had entered but the mystery was soon cleared up as the one who entered spoke.

"Are you alright?" asked the Colonel in a tone of impatience, as if he knew what the answer would be.

"Yes," replied Darcy shortly and tightly from his position in the chair.

"No you are not." The Colonel came around to face Darcy, trying to see past the darkness shrouding him. "You have been in a foul humour ever since Kent. If you have to take your bad temper out on someone, take it out on me and not Georgiana! Can you not see how worried and upset she is?"