My Virtual Darcy 🏆 2021 Wattys Shortlister

21 - The Jewel of Derbyshire

"What are you doing?"

Theo's question interrupted my frenzied Carlton dance. I slowed down, then stopped swinging my arms back and forth to answer, "I'm celebrating?"

"Damn right, you are," he confirmed, before joining me with the worst Alfonso Ribeiro's impression ever. Spotting my sardonic grin, he sighed. "Shall we leave for Derbyshire now that I've made a fool of myself?"

"We shall. But only to have a look at your secret space. I have to go to bed early tonight. Bridge, could you please fast-forward to the day Elizabeth toured Pemberley? Perhaps right after her visit, the first time she met Darcy after his rejected proposal?"

The timid buds in the grass bloomed to lush and colourful flowers, and the woods of Kent disintegrated in millions of pixels, reforming as the verdant hills that surrounded the ancestral home of the Darcy family.

In awe, I spun around, drinking in the glistening river that winded through the valley down there, and marvelling at the stunning stone building whose generous shade protected me from the harsh summer heat.

About forty feet away, the Gardiners strolled, their backs to me. Mr. Gardiner pointed to the pilasters that graced the facade, and his wife caressed the grass with the tip of her umbrella. In front of the entrance, a rented carriage awaited, but I passed it and followed the alley leading to the stables.

Not a soul in sight.

I looked for Theo in each stall, worried that the fast-forward might have forsaken him in Rosings Park. However, a beautiful dapple-grey mare, sweating and still saddled up, was munching on hay in the last box. I went back outside and kept walking on the gravel track. While I pondered triggering Theo's apparition, it led me down the sloping upon which Pemberley was built, and stopped in front of a quiet, rectangular pond.

"Surprise."

My breath hitched as Darcy's glorious body emerged from the lake. His white shirt, rendered see-through by the lucky water streaming down his torso, stuck in the most interesting places. Oh, and his breeches... Caroline, you were right about the magnificence of these upper thighs.

Theo shuffled to me, biting his lip in a seductive smile. He raised a hand and brushed my jawline, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. "You have drool dripping out of your mouth."

"Have not," I denied, pushing his mocking finger away.

He chuckled, and in the blink of an eye, his outfit was dry and desperately opaque. "You should see your face."

I didn't answer, and pouted at his successful teasing.

With a satisfied smirk, he took my hand, and we sauntered back to the great house. Quiet as a couple of mice, we infiltrated it through the kitchen, startling the cook and scullery maids, and scrambled up the servants' stairs to the ground story. I kept to myself, unwilling to talk in front of NPCs and reveal Theo's scheme, but my greedy eyes relished every pedestal table, every candelabra, every floor tile until at last, we stopped in the picture-gallery. It was empty except for the two of us, and Theo gently pushed me forward, inviting me to enjoy its grandeur.

The windows were draped with golden brocade, whose splendour was only surpassed by the intricate ceiling roses and plaster cornices. Three fireplaces punctuated the hall. On their mantelpieces, delicate porcelain services testified of the Regency fascination with all things Chinese or East-Asian. I counted twenty-eight portraits, and roamed the gallery in search of Darcy's one. Then, like Lizzy, I stood in contemplation of his handsome face, dazzled by his dashing expression.

An annoying scraping sound tore me away from the dimple on his chin.

With an apologetic grin, Theo asked, "Could you please help me move this sofa under the portrait?"