They continued on for some time, expectation rising within each young lady in the carriage to catch the first glimpse of Pemberley. Elizabeth expected to see the home at every bend in the road, at the crest of every hill, but it was kept from their view. What she did see was delightfully beckoning mounds and valleys, a myriad of flora and fauna, and the ever-present stream urging them along.

The carriage slowed, and Elizabeth and Rosalyn looked at each other curiously. When Elizabeth turned back to the window, she gasped, for there in all its splendour was Pemberley. Situated majestically across a small crystal blue lake, it rose in stature and breadth in glorious prominence.

Emily squealed with excitement, and Rosalyn silently brought both hands up and covered her rapidly beating heart. A knock at the carriage door startled them all out of their reverie.

“Come, girls,” Mr. Willstone called. “Step out and take a look at the grand Pemberley before we make our way down the road to it.”

He helped each one out, and they joined Mrs. Willstone, who was already taking in its beauty.

“Look, Rosalyn,” she said as her sister drew to her side. “I am as much in awe of it today as I was when I was younger.”

“It is beautiful.”

They watched as the setting sun cast an ethereal golden hue across the stone edifice. The deepening oranges and reds of the clouds painted a rainbow palette of colours as it reflected on the lake at the front. A slight breeze stirred small white caps on the lake, distorting the mirrored image of Pemberley that extended down into the depths of the water.

Emily ran over to join her mother, who took her hand. Mrs. Willstone then leaned over and looked at Elizabeth. “What do you think of it, my dear? Is it not grand?”

Having seen nothing as magnificent in all her life, she nodded her head slowly. “Yes, Mrs. Willstone. It is beyond anything I have ever seen.”

Mrs. Willstone smiled and let out a contented sigh. “What an honour for us and our Rosalyn. Such an opportunity as this does not often come along.”

“Now, now,” cautioned Mr. Willstone. “It is not as if he has made our Rosalyn an offer or even stated his intentions toward her. We have to remember that Mr. and Miss Darcy merely extended an invitation to all of us to spend two weeks here. I believe there will be a few other guests, and it may be nothing more than that.” A sly grin on his face revealed that he was teasing his sister-in-law.

“Oh, Richard, how you love to provoke me!” laughed Rosalyn. “You, yourself, told me you thought his invitation was on my behalf.”

“True, but I am only being cautious. We do not want to have our hopes dashed now, do we?”

As they talked amongst themselves, Elizabeth continued to watch as the waning sunlight deepened the hue of the marble and stone that graced the front. The grass and flowers surrounding the home intensified in colour. She was oblivious to the conversation around her. The only thought that played through her mind was that this could have been her home. Of this, she could have been Mistress.

“Well, let us hurry and proceed to the house before darkness settles upon us!”

Mr. Willstone’s cheery voice alerted Elizabeth to the fact that they were all returning to their carriages. She took one last glance at Pemberley before turning to follow. From here she could view it and appreciate it for all its beauty. She could admire it and esteem it for all that it was. Once she stepped inside its doors, her admiration… and any burgeoning longing for what might have been hers… could never be openly shown.

When they were all settled back inside the carriage, Elizabeth shivered and pulled her shawl tightly about her. She then noticed Emily looking at her with a very discerning eye. Elizabeth attempted to smile, for she did not wish for her to think that she was not pleased with coming here.

Leaning down to her, she said, “We shall be there shortly, Emily. Is this not exciting?”

Emily slowly nodded, and then Rosalyn let out a squeal. “Look, we are now coming upon it! Come, Emily, look out my side. We are finally at Pemberley!”

The ladies watched as the carriage approached the sizeable manor. As it grew in stature as they drew near, Elizabeth felt as though her heart would burst. The magnificence of the home was one thing, but to know that in only a matter of moments, she would be face-to-face with Mr. Darcy and his sister was almost too much to bear. Neither could possibly want her there.

Rosalyn suddenly reached out for Elizabeth’s hand and turned to her. “Oh, Elizabeth, how am I to endure these two weeks? You must help me! If you see me do anything that appears to displease Mr. Darcy, I give you leave to enlighten me. I will leave it to you to be my confidante, for I fear this might be a trial of sorts, to see if I meet his exceedingly high standards.”

“Exceedingly high standards?” Elizabeth asked curiously.

“Oh, yes. A man of his standing certainly has expectations to marry only an exceptional woman. I may not have the highest connections, but I certainly have the qualifications to be Mistress of a place such as this.” She let out a long, drawn-out sigh as she strained to look ahead. “We are almost there. I can see the other two carriages have stopped and the servants are helping Lorraine and Richard out.”

Turning back to Elizabeth, she said softly, “I know your association with him was not particularly intimate, but if there is anything you can recall that either pleased or displeased him, I would be eternally grateful for any advice.”

Even if Elizabeth had any advice for the young lady, Rosalyn did not wait to hear it, for she turned back to the window and began to comment on how close they were—how soon it would be—before they pulled up and stopped.

Elizabeth distracted herself by helping Emily get ready. She smoothed the young girl’s hair and retied the bow at the neckline of her dress. The two were startled when Rosalyn let out a shriek.

“There is Mr. Darcy!” Pulling herself upright as the carriage slowed down, she turned her head slightly toward the window. “Oh my! He and Miss Darcy have come out to greet Lorraine and Richard. Is that not kind of them?”

A slight gasp followed and Rosalyn turned to them. With hushed excitement she exclaimed, “He is coming over! He is going to open the door for us himself!” Clasping her hands together, she whispered, “This is such an honour!”

Rosalyn promptly turned back, and a graceful calm swept over her as she smiled warmly at the gentleman at the door. Elizabeth watched, her heart pulsating wildly, but could only see his hand reaching in. She then heard his voice, “Miss Matthews, welcome to Pemberley.”

His voice was much warmer than she remembered, and the sound of it caused an unwitting shiver to course through her. Her heart pounded as she knew the moment had arrived when she would be forced to face him.

“Thank you, Mr. Darcy,” Rosalyn said warmly as she took his hand and stepped out with the cool elegance of someone completely at ease.

Elizabeth gave Emily a gentle nudge toward the door as his hand reached in once more. Emily took it and happily jumped down. Elizabeth looked down to gather her things as she heard him welcome the young girl. She then slowly slid across the seat to the door, fully expecting Mr. Darcy to escort her two travelling companions to the others and allow a servant to help her step out of the carriage.

Elizabeth clasped her small parcel tightly, looking around her for anything that may have been left. Once assured that she had everything, she took in a slow breath and closed her eyes to still her erratically beating heart. Upon opening her eyes, she became aware of a figure at the door. She slowly turned her head, at precisely the moment Mr. Darcy lowered his head to peer in.

As their eyes met, he drew back slightly. He pursed his lips and briefly looked down, taking a quick breath and letting it out.

When he looked up again, he asked, “May I?” and reached out his hand.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice soft and quivering slightly. Her mind was in such upheaval that she had to remind herself to move. She tentatively extended her hand toward him and he reached out to take it. His hand was warm to the touch, and Elizabeth was not prepared for the jolt of feeling that surged through her as his fingers clasped hers. A tremor passed through her that travelled through her fingers all the way to her toes.

Her eyes turned down as she hoped he was not able to readily discern in her expression the feelings he evoked in her.

Confusion swept over her. He seemed different. His eyes seemed softer than she had remembered, his voice more gentle. Yet there was something of surprise in his response when he first looked in and saw her, and Elizabeth wondered whether he had truly not expected her to come.

Once Elizabeth stepped out, she waited for Darcy to release her hand. She stood for a moment facing him, feeling all the awkwardness that their meeting again prompted, while at the same time experiencing a plethora of thoughts and emotions that were foreign to her.

He seemed to catch himself and released her hand abruptly, silently extending his arm toward the others. She walked ahead of him, grateful that he was behind her, but fully aware of his presence there. She inwardly chided herself for those unexpected and startling feelings that arose when she first beheld his face peering into the carriage. She would have to maintain a bit more presence of mind in his company. She must remember her place, and most of all, who she now was.

Darcy’s long strides drew him up alongside her, and she was flooded again with all the awkwardness of their last meeting. When she’d seen him that last day at Rosings, encountering him out in the grove, he had been solemn, abrupt, and spoke only what was necessary as he had handed her the letter he had written.