Darcy opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. Just down the main street, the Bennet sisters stood speaking to three men in regimentals. Apollo nickered and sped forward, not stopping until he reached Elizabeth. Darcy dismounted.
“Good morning, Miss Elizabeth. And how are you today?” he asked, searching her features for clues to her mood. A tenseness surrounded her eyes, and her smile was forced.
“Quite well, Mr. Darcy.”
Darcy turned to the rest of the group, and the breath whooshed from his lungs. Wickham! Again the scoundrel had presumed to speak to Darcy’s beloved. Darcy ground his teeth.
Wickham paled as Fitzwilliam joined them. Before Fitzwilliam could even speak, Wickham hurried to make his excuses and left the group at a jog. Darcy’s lips twitched as mirth for the man’s rapid decamping smothered his fury.
Wickham had every reason to be afraid of Fitzwilliam: it was a miracle Darcy’s cousin had not killed the blackguard long ago. Fitzwilliam had never had any patience for Wickham’s tricks and, by the time Darcy’s father had died, his impatience had turned into outright animosity. Any remaining restraint had vanished when Wickham had treated both Darcy and Georgiana so poorly.
Darcy and Fitzwilliam greeted the rest of the group which consisted of the other four Bennet sisters, Lieutenant Denny, and Lieutenant Pratt. The two lieutenants remained cool, but Fitzwilliam engaged them in conversation along with the two youngest Bennet girls.
Darcy turned to the middle Bennet with a kind smile. “And how are you today, Miss Mary?” he asked quietly.
Miss Mary gave him a shy smile. “Well. Thank you for asking.” She hesitated. “And—and you?”
“Quite well.” He shifted to include Elizabeth in the conversation. “My morning ride was less vigorous than normal today, however, I am, as my cousin puts it, working the kinks out with our trip to Meryton.”
Elizabeth’s cheeks tinged pink where she stood petting Apollo.
“We called at Longbourn and were told you had visited Meryton today,” Darcy continued.
“Yes.” Elizabeth glanced at her two youngest sisters. “We decided to visit our aunt this morning.”
“May we escort you?”
“Of course,” Elizabeth said with a smile.
“Mr. Darcy, are you going to introduce me?” Miss Bennet asked as Apollo nickered at Elizabeth.
“Forgive me for my breach in manners, Miss Bennet,” Darcy said, his lips turned up. Every so often he caught glimmers of Elizabeth’s sense of humour reflected in Miss Bennet. It gave him hope that much lay beneath her surface and that she and Bingley would do well together. “Miss Bennet and Miss Mary, this is Apollo.”
Miss Bennet curtsied while Miss Mary shrank from Darcy’s horse.
Darcy gestured towards the young ladies. “Apollo, Miss Elizabeth’s sisters, Miss Bennet and Miss Mary.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I am sure Apollo would offer a bow if he were trained in the art of being a true gentleman.”
“I am afraid I have never trained him as such.”
Miss Bennet began to stroke Apollo’s neck. “He seems a very sweet horse.”
“He is rather spoiled, I am afraid,” Darcy said ruefully.
“And whose fault is that?” Elizabeth asked with an arched eyebrow. She turned to Miss Bennet. “I tell you, Jane, Mr. Darcy is even more excessively attentive to Apollo than you are towards Maisy. Maisy is our horse,” she added in an aside to Darcy.
“Perhaps I am only excessively attentive to his desires when they coincide with my own,” Darcy said, his gaze fixed on Elizabeth.
Elizabeth blushed.
“Regardless, I am certain that Apollo appreciates having you as his master,” Miss Bennet said. “And if you had truly spoiled him, he would not be so sweet.”
“There! You see, I have nothing to repent,” Darcy told Elizabeth triumphantly.
“Only time will tell,” Elizabeth demurred. “Now, Apollo, would you care to accompany me to my aunt’s house?” Without waiting for an answer from Darcy or anyone else, she began walking down the street. Apollo followed her like a puppy trailing a beloved master.
Darcy offered his arm to Miss Mary and was holding out his other arm to Miss Bennet when Fitzwilliam intervened.
“You cannot escort both ladies and leave me to make my way alone,” Fitzwilliam said severely.
Darcy glanced over to see that Lieutenant Pratt had offered his arm to Miss Kitty and Lieutenant Denny was even now being pulled along by Miss Lydia.
“I shall be glad of your escort, Colonel Fitzwilliam,” Miss Bennet said kindly.
Darcy suppressed an eye roll and walked after Elizabeth and Apollo. Forcibly dragging his attention from Elizabeth, he turned to Miss Mary. “Do you dislike horses, Miss Mary?”
She nodded. “Though they are God’s creatures as well, I have discovered that I have no particular bond to them.”
“Perhaps you have yet to encounter the right horse,” Darcy offered. “That is not to say that you are required to like horses—many people are not fond of them.”
She gave him a shy smile. “Thank you, Mr. Darcy.”
“For what, Miss Mary?”
“Few who are lovers of something are willing to offer the opportunity for others to dislike said thing.”
“I suppose that is true. We all enjoy having others appreciate the things we enjoy. However, I believe that similarity of opinion does not always make for an enjoyable friendship.” His gaze shifted to where Elizabeth strode down the street, Apollo’s reins held loosely in one hand, and he smiled. “I have found that engaging in discourse with those who hold a different opinion than my own has aided my growth as a person.”
Miss Mary considered him. “I had not thought of it from that perspective. I have always believed it is necessary to attain and hold a correct opinion on any given subject.”
“But what if there is no correct opinion?” Darcy asked. “For instance, is it the correct opinion to like horses or to dislike them? It is simply a matter of preference, not of rightness.”
“While some discussions do not have a morally superior position, one must always consider the motive behind such positions,” she said with a frown. “For example, if I were to disdain horses simply because I dislike them, that would not be aligned with their place in God’s creation.”
“Perhaps. However, I am not certain that it is beneficial to hold the ‘morally superior’ position if one is doing it with a poor motive.”
“If one is holding a morally superior position, it is impossible to hold it from a wrong motive,” she said incredulously.
Darcy suppressed a wry smile, recognising his former self’s beliefs in Miss Mary’s arguments. “But what if one believes it is necessary to take care of one’s tenants—a morally superior position—because one is proud of one’s land rather than because one is determined to love one’s neighbour?”
Miss Mary hesitated. “Holding a morally superior position leads to doing the right thing.”
“Yes, but wrong motives often twist the good a person may intend to do,” he said with a sigh.
“I shall have to consider your arguments, Mr. Darcy. May we discuss this another time?”
“I look forward to it, Miss Mary.”
She looked around as though searching for another topic of conversation. “Your horse seems to like Lizzy a great deal.”
“He does,” Darcy agreed.
“Does he always follow people around?”
“Thus far he has only obeyed the command to ‘heel’ for myself and his primary groom, though he often follows my sister Georgiana around when we are out-of-doors together.”
“Does your sister like horses?”
Darcy smiled. “Yes. She named Apollo.” Darcy’s brow furrowed as he tried to recall whether he had told Miss Mary about Georgiana’s love for music. He did not think he had. “Georgiana shares your love of music. She plays regularly on the pianoforte. When Apollo was born, Georgiana maintained that the patch
on his left shoulder appears to be a musical note.”
Miss Mary looked at him in confusion.
“Apollo is the god of music, healing, and light,” he said kindly.
“I see,” she said, a blush creeping over her cheeks. “I am afraid I did not notice the shape of the patch on your horse.”
Darcy chuckled. “Even if you had noticed it, few people agree that it is shaped like a musical note.”
“Do you play an instrument, Mr. Darcy?”
He shook his head. “My mother gave me lessons in the violin as a child, but I did not keep up with it.”
“I suppose you are very busy,” Miss Mary offered.
“I am frequently busier than I desire to be.”
“Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth called from where she had halted out front of a store. “I believe your horse is trying to tell me something.”
“Oh?”
Elizabeth’s dimples peeped out. “He desires to accompany me inside the milliners, however, I have told him that it is not appropriate for horses to wear hats.”
Darcy laughed. “A hat would not suit him at all.” He sped over to her, Miss Mary still on his arm. “Apollo, what are you thinking? A hat would surely come off the first time you galloped.”
Elizabeth’s laughter filled the air. “Not if you tied it on. But I do think it might look rather ridiculous.”
“I shall hold Apollo if you desire to visit the milliners,” Darcy said, smiling warmly down at her.
“Thank you, kind sir,” Elizabeth said, handing the reins to him.
Miss Mary shrank away from Apollo.
“Mary, is there anything you wish to look at?” Elizabeth asked.
Miss Mary’s eyes widened, but she nodded vigorously and scurried into the shop.
Darcy’s gaze followed the two women. Miss Mary seemed more than uncomfortable with Apollo, bordering on terror. Had she suffered some similar trauma with horses as Elizabeth? It seemed unlikely that she had tried to ride a spirited horse, but perhaps she had experienced some other scare. And the lack of governess meant that no one had forced her to move past her fear.
Apollo snorted, and Darcy soothed him, running a hand down the side of his neck. “She will not be long.”
Darcy smiled as he contemplated how much Elizabeth seemed to care for Apollo, despite her dislike of riding. She could have ended up like Miss Mary—afraid of horses and unwilling to be anywhere near Apollo.
Elizabeth was perfect for him in so many ways. But how could he show her that he was perfect for her? Fitzwilliam believed that she already cared for him, and, after their conversation, Darcy was unwilling to wait to put his fate to the test lest he lose her to someone else. But how to go about asking for a courtship was a mystery. He had blurted out his feelings to Elizabeth Before. So long suppressed, they had bubbled up and spilled over almost without his volition. He could not and would not do that now.
Fitzwilliam and Miss Bennet arrived, interrupting his thoughts. “Shall I escort you inside?” Fitzwilliam asked Miss Bennet, gesturing to the milliners.
Miss Bennet shook her head. “I am not in need of anything at this time. I do thank you though.”
Fitzwilliam grinned at her. “Then we shall just have to endeavour to entertain you until your sisters return, eh, Darcy?”
Darcy dragged himself back to the here and now, recalling his resolution to build a friendship with Miss Bennet so that he could ask for her assistance with Elizabeth. “Indeed. Miss Bennet, I am curious as to how you came to be a horse enthusiast in a family of those who are less enthusiastic towards horses.”
Miss Bennet smiled. “Mary has never cared for horses, and Lizzy fell off a horse when she was young,” she told Fitzwilliam.
“What of your other sisters?” Fitzwilliam asked.
“They do not care for horses either, but I believe it is merely because they have not had the opportunity to learn.”
“They have not?” Darcy asked.
Miss Bennet shook her head. “Those of us who did not wish to learn were not required to do so. My two youngest sisters have never wished to learn more than the basics of riding because it takes away from their time doing other things. In addition, the horses are often needed at the home farm and so there is less opportunity for them to practice.”
“I see,” Darcy said. He could easily see why the two youngest would consider such a skill to be a waste—he had yet to see that they had devoted themselves to any sort of learning other than fashion and flirtation.
“In addition, neither of my parents are particularly fond of riding, so I suppose it is natural that they did not think it a necessary skill to learn.”
“That is very common!” Fitzwilliam said heartily. “Many of my skills are due to my parents’ particular enjoyment of something which caused them to focus on that piece of my education.”
Miss Bennet nodded.
Apollo nickered as Elizabeth and Miss Mary exited the milliners, a small parcel clutched in Miss Mary’s hands.
Elizabeth laughed. “I was not gone for that long! You make it sound as though I had spent the day inside the milliners,” she scolded Apollo.
“Perhaps you have even more admirers than I surmised, Miss Elizabeth,” Fitzwilliam said with a twinkle in his eye.
Elizabeth laughed again. “I think you mistake the matter, Colonel Fitzwilliam.”
Fitzwilliam shook his head. “At the rate he is falling in love with you, Darcy will have to leave Apollo here or bring you to Pemberley lest he pine away.”
Darcy glared at his cousin. Those carefully chosen pronouns had said one thing and implied another.
Elizabeth blushed. “I am certain he will rally.”
“Well I, for one, am not.”
“Would you like me to carry your purchases?” Darcy asked Miss Mary.
Miss Mary started and looked around as though searching once more for someone else he was speaking to. “Th-thank you. That would be very kind of you.”
Darcy smiled at her and took the parcel, his heart swelling with compassion. How often was she overlooked? Often enough that she did not expect him to see or speak to her.
The party resumed their stroll, Darcy escorting Miss Mary though he had offered his other arm to Elizabeth, as had Fitzwilliam. She declined them both in favour of Apollo’s escort though she did remain near enough to converse with Darcy and her sister.
“I have spoken to Father regarding music lessons,” she began.
Miss Mary stumbled, then caught herself on Darcy’s arm.
“He was not encouraging, I’m afraid. However, I will continue to pester him until he gives in.” She smiled grimly. “Father hates nothing so much as being disturbed in his library.”
“I hope that you are successful,” Darcy said.
“As do I.” She smiled at Miss Mary. “In the meantime, perhaps we could work on our music together? I know that you have a better notion of fingering than I do, and I may be able to help you with your—emotional context.”
“Thank you, Lizzy,” Miss Mary said breathlessly. “It is more than I ever expected.”
“I am only sorry it has taken me so long to enact such a trade.” Elizabeth made a face. “Though I prefer being outdoors to practicing the pianoforte, I do wish to better my playing.”
“As do I.”
“I am certain your efforts will be well-rewarded,” Darcy offered.
“I suppose we shall see,” Elizabeth said.
“Perhaps someday the two of you might play for me so that I can witness your progress firsthand.”
Elizabeth studied him. “I suppose you may be a sympathetic audience even if your sister does play exquisitely.”
“She did not always play so well, of course. I have much experience in listening to a budding musician, however, Georgiana’s perseverance has made her into a true artist.”
“So you did not find excuses to be elsewhere when she was practicing?” Elizabeth teased.
“Certainly not!” He smiled. “I was o
ften away while she practiced, but not by design.”
“So you would wish to listen to us only occasionally then?” Elizabeth quipped.
Darcy turned to Miss Mary. “Have you noticed that your sister has an unfortunate tendency to twist whatever one may say in order to mean something quite different than what one intended?”
Miss Mary shook her head, wide-eyed.
“Come, come, Mr. Darcy! If you continue speaking of Jane in such a manner, I shall certainly tell her of your disparagements. And perhaps, I shall even tell Mr. Bingley,” Elizabeth added with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
“I tell you, Miss Mary, it is nearly impossible to communicate with Miss Elizabeth at times.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Mary, tell Mr. Darcy that I could say the same thing about him.”
Darcy took pity on Miss Mary’s apparent bewilderment. “I bow to your superior arguments, Miss Elizabeth. I shall retire from the field gracefully for the moment.”
Elizabeth drew herself up to her full height. “And I shall accept your surrender—for the moment,” she said snootily.
Darcy laughed and even Miss Mary gave a tentative smile.
“Apollo, I do not believe he is taking me seriously,” Elizabeth remarked. “Well, I shall certainly remember this impertinence.” With that, she strode ahead in pretended offense and tied Apollo up in front of her aunt’s house.
◆◆◆
After they left Mrs. Philips’s house, Fitzwilliam took over escorting Miss Mary and, as they left Meryton, Miss Bennet joined them, leaving Darcy and Elizabeth with Apollo.
“I am grateful you arrived when you did,” Elizabeth said seriously.
“As am I.” Darcy frowned. “Was Wickham bothering you?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Not at all. Though he initially paid me many pretty compliments, he appeared to grow bored by my lack of response and turned his attentions to my youngest sisters. He was charming beyond anything, I’m afraid, and I am concerned for my sisters. I cannot forbid them to speak to him.”
“Do they not worry about their reputations if they are seen speaking to one who possesses a less-than-acceptable reputation himself?”
“Mr. Darcy, I do not believe my sisters are old enough to care about their reputations.”
A Vision of the Path Before Him Page 31
