Darcy's Refuge: A Pride & Prejudice Variation Chapter 12 On Elizabeth’s return from one of her walks, she spotted a figure in uniform approaching Longbourn on horseback. At first she thought it was one of the officers who had returned for some reason, but as he drew closer, she realized his uniform did not match that of the militia. The face under the black bicorne hat seemed simultaneously familiar and strange, and it was not until he dismounted in front of the house that she recognized Colonel Fitzwilliam. She had never before seen him in regimentals, and it made him appear quite a stranger to her eyes, but she approached him with pleasure. Her discomfort in refusing his proposal was quite forgot in the happiness of seeing someone who knew the truth of her engagement. She hailed him by name, and he swept her a bow so extravagant as to make her laugh. “Colonel, this is a delightful surprise. I had not thought to see you at Longbourn.” “Although I will never complain of your charming company, I confess the object of my visit is to speak to your father.
