by Nicky Roth
What was more vexing, however, was that in all this time he had not seen Miss Elizabeth, nor had he received any correspondence. While the former was a little unsettling, the latter was easily explained for not once had Darcy managed to go into Meryton to see whether there had been any letters for him and John certainly did not offer to inquire in his stead. Perhaps that was just as well, considering all suspicions. He would most certainly not ask him to pick up his letters, even if there were any. No, John, while he had always been rather snotty, over the last few days had become quite hostile towards him as if waiting for his fellow servant to step out of line in some way or another. Even Smith noticed as much and repeatedly scolded the boy for it but to no avail, John kept on moping and scowling. The only consolation was that after John had told Peters that 'William' wrote to Miss Darcy, he had not said another word about it to anyone.
It was already early in the afternoon and they had been working on one of the fields that was close to the London Road, when he spotted a chaise and four some distance away coming nearer. Had it been one of the usual carriages with either a single horse or a pair, he probably would not even have noticed, but this one decidedly stood out in all its grandeur. And it looked disconcertingly familiar. Darn, he had underestimated Bingley's enthusiasm for everything new and also his habit of making hasty decisions! For this was no doubt his friend's coach. He really should have known better than to recommend Netherfield Park for there was little guesswork needed that this was where he was bound. If only Darcy had kept his mouth shut and not mentioned it. He had brought that onto himself, really.
And perhaps he should have paid more attention to what was talked about in the servants' hall and he might have been at least prepared for this encounter, since there was always much gossip going around. But by the time dinner was served, all of the farmhands were just too tired to do much more than eat and then take care of the animals before going off to bed. Now all he could do was stare at the carriage in some surprise before it became absolutely necessary to bow his head so as to not be recognised for though he would not have minded his friend spotting him among his fellow workers, it was undoubtedly Bingley’s younger sister looking out of the window with disdain written all over her face as she observed the pastoral scene before her.
If only he had not taken off his broad-rimmed hat earlier on, concealing his face would have been so much easier, but this way, in the end the wisest thing to do was turn around just when the carriage was mere paces away and hope that Caroline Bingley had not recognised him.
'What a pretty lady!' he heard Tom sigh next to him. 'Where are they going, I wonder?'
'Netherfield, I guess,' Peters sighed, 'not that it's any of our business.'
'Aye, and besides, she looked as if she'd had a pile of dung under her nose,' Henry grimaced. 'No comparison to our own Miss Bennets who are always smiling and treating us with kindness. Pretty she might be, but I already don't like her.'
Darcy almost burst out laughing at hearing this. Henry inadvertently had hit the nail on its head just looking at Miss Caroline for less than a minute.
By dusk they finally finished one last field and made their way back to Longbourn, thoroughly exhausted and just in time to find the whole house in an uproar.
'What's going on here then?' Bob inquired yawning as soon as he set foot over the threshold of the kitchen and finding an exasperated Mrs Hill making tea.
'The young gentleman who has taken Netherfield has arrived and Mr Bennet refuses to go and pay him a visit. Mrs Bennet is beside herself. I just hope the tea will calm her down a little. Ever since Mrs Phillips brought the news about his arrival some three hours ago, this has been going on, despite Miss Bennet assuring her mother that her father was only teasing. You know how Mr Bennet is and that he can be quite a jester at times.'
Though Darcy had barely ever seen the man, from what he had heard he thought it to be a fairly accurate description of his master. - And mistress, for that matter. Mrs Bennet, amiable and loving, could occasionally be a bit exuberant and since it was likely that she was aware of Bingley being unmarried, she must naturally hope for him to fall in love with one of her daughters. If he had to bet on it, he would put his money on Miss Bennet: beautiful, sensible, and compliant. In short, she was everything Bingley greatly admired in a lady and for once he could not but approve should it come to that.
For some reason, even the courting-game seemed less daunting here in the tranquillity of the country and though undoubtedly Mrs Bennet could hardly ignore the fact that his friend was very wealthy, he was still certain that it was her daughters' happiness she had foremost on her mind for otherwise, surely, she would have married them off already. At least her eldest. It was all but impossible that Miss Bennet had not had her share of admirers over the last couple of years.
Again he had a sinking feeling when thinking that he had not seen her next younger sister for so many days together, when normally he would see her walking out of doors almost every day. And then there was his other worry, for he had not seen Prickler all that much either, though that might be easily explainable by Darcy having been so busy and there being so many people working with him all of the time. Perhaps he had just overlooked his little friend among the high grass of the boundary ridges.
Chapter 32
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.
- Thomas Jefferson
The next morning saw Mr Bennet come into the stables to ask for his horse to be saddled just as the lads had returned from their breakfast and were once again busy to go out and prepare the fields. Darcy lent them a hand before setting out for his actual work around the park, work that had been rather neglected over the past weeks.
'Good morning,' Mr Bennet greeted them cheerfully and with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes, that reminded Darcy strongly of Miss Elizabeth. 'I know you are busy, but if one of you could just saddle my horse so I can give my wife a bit of a surprise, I would appreciate that.'
All of them scrambled to oblige their master, but in the end it was Darcy who took care of the matter seeing that the others already had their hands full with the workhorses – the same horses that usually drew the carriage, and also two pairs of oxen who, though docile and good-natured, where also lazy beasts that had to be coaxed and shoved to do what they were supposed to.
'You are very versatile,' Mr Bennet remarked off-handedly while Darcy led the horse out of its stall and began grooming it. 'One has to wonder why a man with your abilities is content with such a lowly job as that of an under-gardener...'
'I... - I enjoy working in the garden, Sir.'
'Do you indeed? Curious. Well, you obviously also enjoy working with animals.'
'Yes, Sir.'
'And you read and write seeing that you are teaching my staff to do so. That is no small feat.'
'Well, at the moment there is little time for that, Sir,' Darcy gently pointed out while scratching out the hooves.
'Yes, I can imagine. I hope the old schoolbooks helped?'
'They did. I thank you, Sir. - And the maids as well as John pour over them whenever they can with the little I have been able to show them in the meanwhile. They are quite eager to learn and I hope I can resume the classes this evening at long last. The slates also helped and again I thank you, Mr Bennet.'
'Well, that was all my little Lizzy's doing.'
This was no surprise. Of course, it would be due to her consideration. A small smile flickered over his face, thankfully concealed by the horse's head.
'Seeing that you were employed in London before you came here, you would not happen to know a Mr Bingley and his sister?'
'Only from hear-say, Sir,' Darcy lied, feeling the colour rise to his cheeks.
His master looked at him curiously and there was little doubt that he had noticed, but if so, he did not remark on it.
'And, do you happen to know his character?'
'I have only heard the best of it. He is said to be a very amiable man and h
is sister is very elegant.'
'Ah, well then, I will be glad to make his acquaintance. I thank you, William.'
'Sir,' Darcy bowed, leaving to get both saddle and bridle.
It took him almost no time to put both on the horse and for some reason, it was kind of a relief to see Mr Bennet ride off. For a man doing so but rarely, he was actually quite a good horseman. But before he could ponder any longer why the barely perceptible scrutiny of his master unsettled him or how much he missed to ride himself, duty called and he once more made his way over to the front of the house to rake the driveway, then tend to the vegetable garden for an hour or two before taking care of the lawn and some of the flower beds in front of the house where the first weeds had sprung up and needed taking care of.
Again no sign of Miss Elizabeth, but at least his little friend appeared by his side once more.
'Good morning, Prickler, how are you? Hm, and where have you been all this time?'
The hedgehog in some kind of reply gave a small sound before curling up under a shrub to sleep a little. Well, seeing that hedgehogs were mainly nocturnal, this was only natural and Darcy had to smile at hearing the first soft snores.
All of a sudden he had the distinct feeling as if someone was watching him and feeling slightly unsettled by this, he turned to see whether he was merely imagining things or whether he was correct. At first, he saw nothing, but then, in some distance, he did spot a lone figure standing in the fields intently looking in his direction. There was little doubt as to who it was, for he knew her appearance quite well by now. So she was still out and about, but why then was she avoiding him? Had he somehow upset her? Now, that thought was an unsettling one. If only it was in his power to approach and ask her. Yet this was impossible.
But again his musings were interrupted, this time by the return of said lady's father and since everyone else was out in the fields, he had to take care of the horse again amongst all the other things Peters had charged him with.
'You were right, William, Mr Bingley indeed seems a very amiable, gentleman-like chap,' Mr Bennet greeted him. 'And can you believe it, he told me that it was your former master who recommended Netherfield to him. - Mr Darcy! Ah, the world is but a small place, is it not?'
Blanching Darcy replied: 'Yes, indeed.'
Blast, Bingley! Well, no, blast his own carelessness when he had recommended the place to him. It had been a foolish thing to do given his present circumstances. But alas, there was little use crying over spilt milk, was there?
'At first he was almost reluctant to tell me who had been so wise to advise him in the matter but then it slipped,' Mr Bennet added cheerfully. 'And it slipped him quite accidentally, I tell you. And before he could stop himself he added that the man knows the country quite well and greatly enjoys staying here and had taken it upon himself to greatly recommend my daughters to him. You would not know anything about that?'
How had he ever thought he would get away with this ruse? He had never been good at the art of deception and this was proof of it now.
'Well, what I do know is that Mr Darcy has decided to stay in the country for few weeks under a false name just to get away from everything. He is not the most sociable creature and the Season is usually quite tiring for him, Sir,' he again stayed as close to the truth as he dared, hoping to evade further questions.
'Ah, I feel for him then. No wonder he has decided to work as my under-gardener and doing a pretty good job at it. By the way, I took it upon myself to pick up your letters from the inn, if only to confirm my suspicions.'
Speechless, Darcy took the letters and bowed, before taking care of the horse.
Behind him, Mr Bennet chuckled: 'And, how will you avoid Miss Bingley?'
'I do not know yet, Sir. But then again, I assumed that I was dismissed, so there would be no problem then.'
'Why would I dismiss such a hard-working man such as you?'
'Because I obviously deceived you, Mr Bennet?'
'Ha, but what a hypocrite would I be if I held that against you, seeing that I declared to my wife, that I would certainly not go and call on Mr Bingley, though I have clearly done just that? And right behind her back! You surely must have heard her lamenting last night, for she was likely wailing loud enough for all of Meryton to hear. Ah, the little joys of married life...'
Again the man's eyes sparkled brightly and Darcy once again bowed.
'Stay as long as you like, for all I am concerned. But just let me warn you, John suspects something as I have been told by Hill, though I initially dismissed it seeing that the allegation was too wild and also, I think my Lizzy is on to you as well.'
'Miss Elizabeth has already found me out, Sir.'
'Ah, has she indeed? Interesting that she did not say anything then...'
And before Darcy could say another word, Mr Bennet had turned and marched towards the house.
Chapter 33
The most important thing in the world is family and love.
- John Wooden
'Lizzy, would you mind stepping into my library for a moment?' her father approached her just when she had returned from her ramble.
'Yes Papa, what is it?'
She really did not have much of an idea what he wanted to speak to her about and truth be told, her mind was still reeling slightly at the realisation that she had not been able to resist the temptation to stand there for a moment and watch William do his work with stoic calm, tending the vegetable garden carefully as if he had never done anything else, once in a while looking about him, presumably to check on his little companion.
'Is a father not allowed to speak to his daughter just for the enjoyment of it?'
'I suppose it is,' Elizabeth answered warily, well aware that her father much preferred to just sit and read in silence instead of making idle conversation.
'Well then, do take a seat, my child. How about a cup of tea? Hill has just brought some in and it is still nice and hot and seeing that you have been out...' he trailed off, raising one of his eyebrows much in the same way as she was in the habit of doing.
'Yes, please.'
With somewhat awkward attention Mr Bennet poured the tea and it was obvious that something was on his mind, though what it was, she could not even fathom. Her father was a mystery more often than he was not and even knowing him quite well did not mean he was easily read by his expression. Even her mother, after more than twenty years of marriage, was still unable to do so, and though that probably did not say much in her case, it still bore testimony to her husband's unfathomable character.
'I have been out riding this morning,' Mr Bennet began, startling his daughter. 'And with good intentions, you might say, when you hear that I have called on Mr Bingley.'
'I thought you would, seeing that you always call on our new neighbours.'
'Am I so easily seen through then? Oh dear!'
'By no means, Papa. Quite the contrary.'
'I am glad to hear it.'
Waiting for what was to follow, Elizabeth took a sip of the scalding hot tea. Very strong tea, just as her father preferred it to the more moderate brew her mother insisted on.
'Now Lizzy, anything interesting you have come across while you were out?'
'Well, unless you count the new blossoms and the first daring butterfly as such, no.'
'Ah, then you look so cast down for no reason?'
'Cast down, Papa?'
'You can hardly deny that you have not been quite yourself over the last couple of weeks, can you? I know you Lizzy and I saw the repeated frowns upon your face. Do tell me, what is the matter?'
'Nothing, Papa. Aside from Lydia's coming out and all the things that needed taking care of. It was quite tiring.'
'And also to make Mary see reason and put in an effort?'
'You noticed?'
'You, of all people, should know that I am a very observant man, Lizzy.'
Yes, that he was and in this instance that was quite disconcerting. He might be in the habit of hiding a
way in his library, but with that, safely ensconced in his little haven, he did spent much of his time sitting by the windows, for his bookroom was right at the corner of the house facing towards both the driveway and the park giving him a perfect view on what was going on outside while he mused over his books. It also gave sufficient light to read in the otherwise dark chamber with its old-fashioned panelling and unfashionably dark and almost rustic furniture that must have seen at least the civil war if it was not even older, just like this part of the house which was the oldest and quirkiest with its many nooks and crannies.
