A Spring Sentiment: A Pride and Prejudice Novella Variation (Seasons of Serendipity Book 2) by Elizabeth Ann West Page A

providing the smoke, I shall provide the cognac.”
    Mr. Gardiner pulled down his waistcoat that continually bothered him when he sat or stood and escorted the two young men to his study. Darcy paused for a moment upon entering the room, his eyes settled on the window seat where he had finally managed to win Elizabeth’s heart with a game of chess.
    “Don’t look now, but we’ve lost the love-sick Darcy again, I’m afraid.” The colonel continued to hold out the glass to his cousin as he had done so for a few moments. Darcy shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, taking the proffered glass and finding a seat closest to the door.
    “Ah, leave be, Colonel. It is said those who tease loudest are likely to suffer a similar affliction all too soon themselves.”
    Richard shifted his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot and moved to inspect a great naval battle depicted on the far wall of the Gardiner study. “Were you a Navy man, Mr. Gardiner?” Richard asked, noting the amazing detail of the two warships firing upon one another.
    “Sadly, no. But I always wished to be! Unfortunately, I’m horrifically land-legged. Couldn’t even stomach a proper boat rowing with Madeline back when we were courting.”
    “Does Miss Elizabeth enjoy the water?” Darcy asked.
    “I think that might best be a question for you to ask of her, a nice neutral subject for a sitting room under observation of others.” Mr. Gardiner touched his nose with his forefinger.
    “Yeah, Darce, what the devil made you come back to London so early? A good country ramble with your intended seems far too great an inducement to rush back to the prying harpies of society. It couldn’t have been that bad, could it?”
    “Ugh, the vulgarities of Mrs. Bennet are beyond what you can imagine, Cousin. Forgive me, Mr. Gardiner; she is your sister.”
    “No, no, Son, you’re perfectly free to share your burdens here. I’m much acquainted with both of my sisters and hold no delusions where their manners are concerned.”
    Darcy nodded and continued his tales of absurdity and outright fleecing between the behavior of Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Bennet. It wasn’t long before all three men in the study were howling with laughter.
    In the drawing room, the ladies were of a decidedly different bent. As Kitty was asked to pour the tea in her first official practice of London living, Mrs. Gardiner started the conversation about the upcoming plans to visit her home county of Derbyshire.
    “It is such a lovely place, with rolling hills and stunning pastures. There is a particular shade of green that I confess I miss with all my heart.” Mrs. Gardiner reminisced and carefully stirred her tea. She tried to keep her emotions under good regulation, but a wave of homesickness flooded her heightened senses, and her eyes began to mist over. Not wishing to make the girls uncomfortable, she looked up at the ceiling for a moment and then back down with a warm smile back in place.
    “I am so happy to hear we share a home county! Our home is my favorite place in all of England. Just wait until we can walk the gardens, Elizabeth, and I can’t wait to see you plan your roses,” Georgiana exclaimed.
    Elizabeth coughed on her tea, but steadied herself. “Pardon me, but my roses?”
    Georgiana nodded most enthusiastically. “Yes, all of the Mistresses of Pemberley plan their own rose gardens. I spend more time in my mother’s, but I do also like Great-Grandmother Darcy’s circular path of increasingly deeper shades of pink.”
    “There is more than one rose garden at your home?” Kitty asked.
    Georgiana looked at the three Bennet sisters and realized she had committed a faux pas. She hadn’t meant to emphasize the difference in their stations, and her brother had warned her of just that very thing.
    Mrs. Gardiner patted Elizabeth’s hand and offered her a warm smile. “How foolish of us to make all of these plans about your Easter trip! Dash over to your uncle’s