The Lady of the Mount
And
Patience Rewarded
Two Stories of Darcy and Elizabeth
By Don H. Miller
The Lady of the Mount and Patience Rewarded: Two Stories of Darcy and Elizabeth
Copyright 2019 by Don H. Miller
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any format whatsoever.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious and are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Preface
During my efforts to find the storyline for my next book, I often start two or three before I formulate a storyline on which I wish to concentrate and finish. In the past I have started many storylines, which I eventually put aside in favor of another idea. Of course, since I have often worked many hours developing some of those unfinished storylines, I do not discard the work I have done, thinking I may come back to them or use some of what I have written in them in a future work.
The two books presented here were storylines I started years ago and dug out of my files as I started to consider what I would write next. I found I quite liked what I had written but have had no success trying to decide how to expand them to make them into the length of book I prefer to publish. Finally, rather than just put them back in the forgotten files again, I decided finish them to a point I thought was reasonable and then publish them as they were, hoping my readers would enjoy these shorter books as they were.
In The Lady of the Mount, Darcy first meets Elizabeth the day that he and Bingley first go to Netherfield Park to examine it as a possible estate for Bingley to lease or buy. Darcy and Elizabeth have an unusual encounter on top of Oakham Mount, and Darcy is intrigued. Finally, Bingley moves into Netherfield, Darcy visits, and Darcy meets Elizabeth again on Oakham Mount during an early morning ride. Later in the day, while chaperoning Jane and Bingley, their attraction to one another becomes even stronger and leads to a result unexpected by either of them. On a subsequent trip to London, their relationship is tested when they encounter Wickham, who, with the help of Mrs. Younge, has once again convinced Georgiana of his regard for her. The fate of Wickham is far different in this book than in most books of this genre, as are the actions of Lady Catherine.
Patience Rewarded assumes the relationship of Darcy and Elizabeth begins as in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but that he must leave Hertfordshire well before the Netherfield Ball to deal with a fire at Pemberley. He does not see Elizabeth again until nine months later, when she visits Pemberley with her Uncle and Aunt Gardiner. He realizes his feelings for her, which developed while he was in Hertfordshire, have not disappeared and eventually tells her she is the only woman he has ever met whom he would like to marry. She refuses to believe a marriage between them could be felicitous, and he shows great patience and persistence as tries to convince her of their suitability for each other in the ensuing months. One of the things he does is to convince Bingley to return to Netherfield Park before his lease expires, which, of course, pleases Elizabeth, but Bingley is not as well received by Jane as he had hoped. Their relationship and Col. Fitzwilliam’s interest in Jane are one of the stories explored in the book.
Table of Contents
Book I: The Lady of the Mount
Chapter 1: Netherfield
Chapter 2: The Lady of the Mount
Chapter 3: The Assembly
Chapter 4: After the Assembly
Chapter 5: An Early Morning Ride
Chapter 6: Longbourn
Chapter 7: Chaperones
Chapter 8: Tea, Cakes, and Other Things
Chapter 9: Intentions
Chapter 10: Declarations
Chapter 11: Informing the Family
Chapter 12: Informing Bingley’s Sisters
Chapter 13: Announcements
Chapter 14: The Bad and the Good
Chapter 15: Wickham
Chapter 16: Georgiana Learns the Truth
Chapter 17: Disgruntled Relatives
Chapter 18: Lady Catherine
Chapter 19: Mr. and Mrs. Wickham
Book II: Patience Rewarded
Chapter 1: Lambton
Chapter 2: Pemberley‒The Morning Tour
Chapter 3: Pemberley – The Afternoon Tour
Chapter 4: Staying at Pemberley
Chapter 5: Fishing and Other Activities
Chapter 6: Darcy Declares
Chapter 7: London and Hertfordshire
Chapter 8: Bingley and Darcy Return
Chapter 9: A Walk to Meryton
Chapter 10: A Walk to Oakham Mount
Chapter 11: An Unforgettable Walk
Chapter 12: From Pemberley To London
Chapter 13: Before the Grand Tea Party
Chapter 14: The Grand Tea Party – An Interesting Conversation
Chapter 15: The Grand Tea Party – Darcy Prevails
Chapter 16: Dinner at Willingham Mansion
Chapter 17: Trouble with Relatives
Chapter 18: Wedding Plans and Family Matters
Chapter 19: Another Engagement
Book I:
The Lady of the Mount
Chapter 1: Netherfield
Fitzwilliam Darcy and Charles Bingley arrived by horse at the front door of the Netherfield Park manor shortly after eleven o’clock on Tuesday morning. Coming down the steps to greet them was Mr. Canfield, the agent of the owner of Netherfield Park. Darcy and Bingley had been looking for an estate for Bingley to lease and were informed of this one by Darcy’s banker, Sir Ronald Carlson. The owner was Lord Preshwick, who was the father of Lady Inez, Sir Ronald’s wife. The property had recently become available, and because of its proximity to London, seemed a perfect choice for Bingley, who was seeking to become a part of le bon ton, the upper-class society in London. Darcy, by birth a member of le bon ton, was acting as Bingley’s mentor in his campaign to raise his status from a member of the merchant-class to a gentleman of the upper-class.
After greetings had been exchanged, Mr. Canfield said, “Mrs. North, the housekeeper, is waiting within to give you a tour of the house and Mr. Langston, the steward, is available anytime this afternoon to give you a tour of the grounds. Because the property has not been occupied for a month, there is no kitchen staff available to prepare us a lunch; therefore, when you have finished the house tour, I will take you to the Meryton Inn, an excellent establishment, for lunch.”
“That is entirely acceptable,” responded Bingley. “Let us then begin the tour.”
Mrs. North gave them an extensive tour of the house, and both she and Mr. Canfield were astonished at the number and acuity of the questions which Darcy asked. Later, as they were eating lunch at the Inn, Bingley said, “Darcy, you asked at least 20 or 30 questions which I would never have thought of asking. I thought the house was rather fine. Is your opinion otherwise?”
“No, the house is in good condition given its age and the fact that it is been leased for the last six years. Either Lord Preshwick has been very lucky in his choice of the lessees or he has been a good landlord and has not been reluctant to ensure the house has been maintained properly. There are several minor problems which I believe should be addressed before you offer to lease the property, but other than those minor problems, I believe the house is in fine shape.”
“I assure you that Lord Preshwick is an excellent landlord,” said Mr. Canfield. “And he has been fortunate in his choice of lessees. Anothe
r advantage is that Mrs. North’s husband is a carpenter and general repair man in Meryton, and Mrs. North has been given free reign by Lord Preshwick to have her husband correct any faults she or Mr. Langston find. Also, Mr. Langston is a knowledgeable steward and his staff takes excellent care of the grounds and exterior of the Manor.”
“Is it usual that an Earl would be so attentive to property he leases?” asked Bingley.
“No, it is not,” said Darcy. He then looked at Mr. Canfield. “May I assume it is actually Lady Inez who is acting as landlord of Netherfield?”
Mr. Canfield smiled and nodded his head. “I can see you know Lord Preshwick and Lady Inez. You are correct. It is she with whom I deal.”
“There you have it, Bingley. Lady Inez is a meticulous and honest woman. She and her husband lived here before her husband’s father died, at which time they moved to his large estate in Shropshire. I suspect she is quite fond of Netherfield. I do not believe we need to spend much time looking at the property and talking to the tenants, because I am sure she keeps in touch with Mr. Langston to ensure the tenants are happy and that the properties and buildings on the estate are properly maintained.”
“Again, you are correct, Mr. Darcy. For one thing, none of the lessees of Netherfield since the Carlsons moved out were interested in eventually owning the property. They only leased the house. Lady Inez, with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest daughter of the Bennet family, who own Longbourn, the estate just to the west of Netherfield, look in on the Netherfield tenants regularly. I believe Miss Elizabeth and Lady Inez are quite close.”
“That is unusual, that the daughter of a neighboring estate would be attentive to the needs of an estate.”
“Yes, I believe Miss Elizabeth is quite unusual. She is extremely knowledgeable, has an effervescent personality, and is quite a favorite of those in the neighborhood.”
As expected, the tour of the property in the afternoon took less than two hours. Darcy found Mr. Langston to be a well-organized and knowledgeable steward and was impressed with the manner in which the buildings and properties had been maintained during the years Netherfield had been leased. They also spoke with two of the tenants and discovered they were very happy with their situations and full of praise for Mr. Langston, Lady Inez, and Miss Elizabeth, who regularly visited them.
When the tour was completed, they returned to the manor house to have a final discussion on the terms of lease. When Mr. Canfield assured Bingley all the minor discrepancies Darcy had pointed out would be corrected, Darcy said, “I believe this is the best property we have seen, Bingley, and I suggest, if you like it, you sign your intent to lease with an option to buy now. I am sure others will be able to see what an excellent property this is, and it will not remain on the market long.”
“I do like it. It should suit my needs well, and I like that is so close to London.”
Twenty minutes later as the three of them exited the house, Mr. Canfield told them the repairs would be made within two weeks, and the final lease document would be available in two days. Bingley made an appointment to see him in his office in three days to sign the lease.
Before Mr. Canfield left, Darcy pointed to a high hill they could see a mile or two away and asked, “Is it possible to see much of the countryside from that high hill there?”
“I am told you can. It is called Oakham Mount, and I know there is a trail leading to the top, but I have never been up there and do not know how well you can see the surrounding land through the trees and shrubbery. It is, however, the highest point in this part of the county. If you go down the road in front of the house to the west for almost a mile, you will see a tree with OM emblazoned on the trunk. If you take the trail that goes past the tree, it will eventually lead you to the top of the Mount.”
After Mr. Canfield had departed, Darcy said, “Bingley, it is only 3:30, and I believe I would like to see what it is like at the top of Oakham Mount. Would you go with me?”
“I do not think so, Darcy. I think I will go back to the Inn and write a letter to my sisters in Bath telling them I am going to lease Netherfield and asking if one of them would be willing to be my mistress for a few months. If they were not together, I would ask Louisa, but Caroline would raise a fuss if I did not include her in the invitation. I know you would rather not visit when she is with me, but I see no way around it. I promised father I would look after her and, therefore, I must include her in my plans.”
“I understand. But I must tell you, if she continues to be so blatant about seeking my favor, I will be forced to tell her rather bluntly that she is one of the last persons I would ever marry. I will put up with much from her because of my friendship with you, but I am beginning to reach my limit with respect to what I will accept from her.”
Bingley nodded his head. “I know, and I have told her you have no intention of pursuing her, but she refuses to believe it. I do not think she will accept it until it comes from you, and believe me, you will in no way endanger our friendship by telling her.”
Chapter 2: The Lady of the Mount
Fifteen minutes later Darcy, on his horse Ulysses, was turning on the trail past the marked tree which would lead him to Oakham Mount. After taking a well-maintained trail to the base of the hill, he and Ulysses started up a narrower, obviously less used trail he assumed would end at the top. As he was nearing the top, he stopped and cocked his head. He thought he heard a woman singing, but he was not sure from which direction the singing was coming. He started up the trail again, and the closer he came to the top, the clearer and more enchanting the voice sounded. He concluded the singer must be on the top of the Mount. The woman had a soprano voice which sounded almost angelic and, in fact, he thought he recognized what she was singing as a church hymn.
At the top of the Mount the trail led into a clearing surrounded by large trees, but there were spaces in the vegetation where one could look out over the valleys around the Mount. Singing was coming from one of the large oak trees, but as he approached the tree, a large Irish Wolfhound, which he had not seen, arose from beside the tree and looked at him menacingly.
Suddenly the singing stopped, and a woman’s voice said, “I see you, sir, and wonder who it is who dares invade the private realm of the Lady of the Mount.”
“I am sorry, my Lady. The agent showing us Netherfield Park told me this was the highest spot in this area and that I might have a beautiful view of the country surrounding this mount. He failed to tell me this was someone’s private realm.”
“Ah, so you are an outsider. Is your agent perhaps Mr. Canfield?”
“He is. My friend and I were at Netherfield Park, examining it as a possible house and property for my friend to lease and possibly buy. May I assume you know Mr. Canfield?”
“I do, sir, and knowing him, I suspect he may have sent you up here thinking there was a chance I would be here. He is, at times, a devious man.”
“No, it was I who asked if there was a trail to the top. I do not believe he would have said anything about it, had I not. However, now that I am here, would you allow me to introduce myself and be willing to introduce yourself?”
“I am sorry, sir, but that would not be a proper introduction. Besides, I am an ugly and misshapen being, who dares not let anyone look upon her or give them her name.”
“How do you know I will not climb the rope I see hanging from the lower limb and come up there to meet you?”
“Because my dog would show you no mercy, should I tell him to attack you, and even if you were able to conquer him, the branches up here are too small to hold a man of your size. Besides, I have rocks in my pockets to discourage you and strong legs with which to kick you should you get too close.”
“I am sorry, but from the sound of your voice, I do not believe you are ugly and misshapen, yet I cannot imagine a young woman walking to such a place with only a dog for an escort. You have intrigued me greatly. Are you sure you will not come down and meet me?”
“Sir, I do not kno
w you, and without a proper introduction, we should not even be having this discussion.”
Darcy knew she was correct and given she insisted on a proper introduction, concluded she must be a gentlewoman. Yet, she must be quite an unusual gentlewoman if she walked alone with only a dog for company and climbed trees, to say nothing of singing in the tree when she had reached her destination. However, for some reason, as he had told her, he was intrigued. She had a pleasing voice, both speaking and singing, and spoke in a way which make him envision her as someone who looked quite the opposite of how she had described herself.
“Given you are so concerned about a proper introduction, I must assume you are a gentlewoman. However, in a situation such as this, where we are communing with nature and there is no one available to introduce us, surely rules of proper society can be bent slightly. Even I, who usually insists on correct conduct, am willing to tell you that my name is Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire. Will you not also bend the rules a little, come down, and introduce yourself?”
“Ah, so you are the famous Mr. Darcy of whom I have heard and whom Lady Inez told me would be examining Netherfield Park with Mr. Bingley today.”
She paused and then said, “I am sorry, sir. Even given that information, I still believe it is safer for my reputation if I stay where I am, keep my name to myself, and you stay where you are.”
“Then I must tell you that Mr. Canfield told us of Miss Elizabeth Bennet who helped Lady Inez by visiting the tenants of Netherfield Park. If Lady Inez told you we were coming, then I assume you must be Miss Elizabeth Bennet. However, he did not tell us you were the Lady of the Mount.”
“Your reasoning is sound, and I apologize. I was feeling quite mischievous and upset that someone had disturbed my practice session. Usually no one bothers me here, particularly since Lady Inez gave me Calabas four years ago to attend me on my walks. She thought it unsafe for me to walk without an escort.”
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