A Quest for Mr Darcy

by Cassandra Grafton

  Once confident she was unlikely to be bitten for her troubles, Elizabeth reached for the string, but it was too sturdy for her to break. Pleased the captive hound had at least quietened Elizabeth smiled reassuringly.

  ‘Do not despair, little one. I shall do my best to free you.’ Grasping the branch around which the string had become tangled, she tried to bend it with all her might, hoping it might break. By the third attempt, she was pink-cheeked and her boots were liberally covered in mud, but as she paused to gain her breath before attempting another onslaught, she heard the sound of hooves slowing, and she froze.

  Surely not! Elizabeth sighed. Fate could not be so unkind. With a wary glance at her booted feet, she slowly turned around.

  Seated atop his mount a little way down the bridleway was Mr Darcy. For a moment, she thought he would turn about, much as he had done at Rosings sometimes when coming across her on her rambles, but after a moment’s hesitation, he came towards her.

  ‘Miss Bennet.’ He lifted his hat.

  ‘Good morning, sir.’ She offered a brief curtsey, surprised when he dismounted and wrapped the reins about an obliging branch.

  ‘Is anything amiss?’ Mr Darcy glanced at the hound, which seemed to be looking hopefully between them.

  Though tempted to state the obvious, Elizabeth curbed her tongue. ‘This poor thing has become entangled with a branch and confined by the bog beneath. I am attempting to free him.’

  ‘Then let me help you.’

  Elizabeth stared at him in surprise. ‘You, sir? Thank you, but I am perfectly able to—’

  ‘Miss Bennet!’ Elizabeth’s eyes widened at his tone, and he sighed audibly. ‘I am not questioning your ability. I know no one so capable as you when it comes to many things, but there are times when you must allow someone to come to your aid.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘Nor should you question my ability to assist you. What would you have me do? Stand aside whilst you tug? What if someone should walk by? Would you have my reputation so maligned?’

  Elizabeth began to smile. ‘I would not do you the disservice, sir. If you must, please tug away.’

  She moved onto the grassy path, and Darcy stepped down to take her place. He grasped the branch firmly and forced it backwards on itself, and with a resounding snap it broke. Releasing the string, he turned to the hound, placing firm hands on it and dragging it easily from its muddy prison and up onto the grass.

  It stood unsteadily on its legs for a moment, then shook itself, liberally spraying the gentleman’s trousers with a shower of mud before turning and bolting into the woodland without a backward glance.

  ‘Ungrateful beast!’

  ‘Oh dear!’ Elizabeth chewed her inner cheek to prevent a smile forming as the gentleman examined his filthy boots and trousers.

  ‘There; you see, Miss Bennet? I have taken this hit for you.’

  ‘Indeed you have, Mr Darcy. Very gallant, though sadly you are now six inches deep in mud.’

  ‘You do not appear to have fared much better yourself.’ He eyed her hemline and mud-coated boots.

  Elizabeth shrugged lightly. ‘Old habits die hard. At Longbourn, Hill was used to my ways. I am less popular when I return to The Grange in such a state.’

  ‘May I be of any further assistance? I am on my way back to Pemberley.’

  Elizabeth raised a brow. ‘Now the hour for people paying calls is safely passed?’

  ‘As you no doubt realise also, Miss Bennet.’

  Elizabeth felt a little discomfited. ‘Guilty as charged, sir.’ She bit her lip, then added, ‘It seems our mutual bid for solitude was not to be. Please,’ she waved a hand towards his mount. ‘Do continue with your ride. It is time I returned home.’

  Darcy turned to untether his mount, but to Elizabeth’s surprise, as she turned to retrace her steps, he took the same direction, his steed following in his wake.

  ‘I trust Miss Darcy will forgive our not calling today.’ She spoke over her shoulder, the way being too narrow to permit two.

  ‘It is me you wished to avoid.’

  Elizabeth stopped and turned about. ‘I suspect it is a mutual desire, sir.’

  Darcy fixed her with a serious eye. ‘You blame me. For all that has happened to your family—you hold me culpable.’

  Quickly fuelled with her habitual resentment, Elizabeth raised her chin. ‘Yes, I do.’

  ‘I cannot – and will not – deny the charge. I gave you no leave to share intelligence of Wickham’s true character and left him free to prey upon other innocent young girls. It is the reason behind the chain of misfortunes your family has suffered.’

  Elizabeth’s expression faltered, the aggression leaving her as suddenly as it had come.

  ‘You take too much upon yourself, sir. While it may be so your protection of your sister did not prevent Wickham from making further attempts to ruin a young girl, my sister was as much to blame. In her, he found a willing partner. They were both foolish and unthinking of others or the repercussions of their actions.’

  ‘You are kinder to me than I deserve.’

  ‘I think not; but it is Jane you have to thank for my appreciating its truth.’

  They continued along the path but her curiosity was rising, and when she reached the lane below and Mr Darcy and his mount joined her, Elizabeth turned to face him.

  ‘When you spoke with Jane, she said you also wanted to understand which Militia man eloped with my sister. Surely there could be no question of his identity?’

  ‘I had suspected Wickham, but there was no certainty.’ Mr Darcy hesitated. ‘What became of him?’

  ‘I neither know, nor care.’ Elizabeth glanced at the gentleman by her side as they turned to walk on. ‘There was a fire. Wickham and Lydia had taken lodgings above an alehouse in a low part of Town. We were never told how the fire began, but it was a timber building of inferior construction and quickly took hold.’ Elizabeth lowered her head, remembering how she felt as the news reached Longbourn. ‘Lydia—she was found in the room she shared with Wickham, but alone. There were other casualties in the bar below the lodgings, but Papa was given to understand some were unidentifiable, such was the intensity of the blaze.’

  Mr Darcy had paled, and Elizabeth bit her lip. ‘Forgive me, sir. I know he was a scoundrel, but he was once your childhood friend.’

  ‘It is not that which concerns me. Wickham is like a shadow; he infiltrates dark places, and he disappears like smoke at the smallest sign of trouble.’

  ‘You fear he escaped from the building?’

  ‘If he was even there at the time.’

  ‘It had not crossed my mind he might be elsewhere.’

  ‘Let us hope he was not.’

  Elizabeth took his meaning and nodded, unable to say more.

  They walked in silence for a while, Elizabeth struggling with mixed emotions. Despite the nature of their conversation, was she enjoying herself?

  ‘I understand from Rivers it was you who brought news of Thatcher’s decline yesterday?’

  Elizabeth looked up. ‘Oh! Yes, indeed.’

  ‘It is a sad business.’

  ‘What will happen to them? To Mrs Thatcher and the children?’

  ‘I believe they will join her family in Bakewell; I called upon her just now to reassure her she had no need of moving for the foreseeable future. She is near her time, and it is important any upheaval is minimised.’

  It was impossible to not be impressed by this personal attention to those who lived on the estate, surely the jurisdiction of the steward? Unbidden, admiration rose within Elizabeth, and for the first since their reacquaintance, it met no barrier, no resistance from her former preference for holding him culpable.

  ‘She is fortunate to have such a master.’ There, she had said it aloud, not just to herself!

  ‘It is what anyone would do in such circumstances.’

  Elizabeth would have liked to disagree with him; after all, she was more accustomed to disagreeing with him th
an anything. But for now, she let it lie.

  ‘And when does Mr Bingley arrive?’

  ‘Directly. We expect him before nightfall, along with two of his sisters.’

  ‘Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst?’

  ‘No. These are two of his half sisters.’

  Elizabeth’s curiosity rose. ‘I did hear mention of five sisters and – I think – a cousin being at Netherfield shortly after your friend first arrived in the neighbourhood, but everyone dismissed it as hearsay.’

  ‘They did all come to Netherfield, yet only Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst remained. Bingley’s other sisters are full young and not out in society. Since their parents’ untimely passing, they have lived with an older cousin who has since raised them. The twins—’

  Elizabeth turned quickly to face him. ‘Twins? How delightful!’

  Darcy smiled. ‘Not fully identical, or they might be even more trouble than they are now.’

  ‘Trouble, sir?’

  ‘I am too severe upon them. They are merely full of fun and mischievousness. They spent but a few days at Netherfield before travelling to a seminary in Cheltenham where they have passed most of the last two years. They will complete their education at a finishing school in Harrogate, hence their making some stay at Pemberley on the way northwards.’

  They had reached the gates of The Grange now, and Elizabeth turned to face the gentleman. ‘Thank you for coming to my aid and releasing the hound.’

  Darcy bowed, before meeting her gaze and holding it. ‘It was a pleasure, Miss Bennet.’

  For a moment, Elizabeth found it impossible to move, her eyes fixed on the gentleman’s face. He was a handsome man; how was it she had forgotten? Then, warmth filling her cheeks, she made a hasty curtsey and turned to hurry down the drive.

  Darcy watched her make her way to the door. She did not look back; nor did he expect her to do so. It was only the impatient nudge from his steed against his arm which roused him, and he turned and quickly regained his seat, throwing his mud caked boots a baleful glance as he urged his mount into a canter.

  If he was not careful, he was going to be in as deep as ever, and it would not just be in mud!

  Chapter Nineteen

  Darcy passed most of the afternoon with Rivers, discussing estate matters and trying his best not to think about Elizabeth. A futile exercise, with the plan of the estate before him, his eye drawn constantly to where The Grange was marked and, when he forced said eye away from it, on the bridleway where they had walked.

  He then joined Georgiana for some tea, where he tried even harder not to think about Elizabeth, but his sister was no aid in this. She spoke more of her pleasure in the acquaintance and speculated upon its continuance, and any attempt to alter the direction of the conversation was neatly sidestepped.

  Eventually, he retreated behind a newspaper whilst Georgiana turned her attention to her book, though he barely saw a word. Despite still trying not to think about Elizabeth, his mind kept revisiting the charming picture she made earlier, her hair a little tousled by her endeavours to free the hound, her cheeks full of colour, and those intelligent eyes...

  ‘There is a carriage crossing the bridge, sir. I believe it to be that of Mr Bingley.’

  With a start, Darcy dropped the paper into his lap. ‘Thank you, Mrs Reynolds.’

  Getting to his feet, he placed the paper on a side table. Here was the first of many welcome distractions, and he was thankful for it.

  ‘Come.’ He held out his hand, and his sister joined him. ‘Let us greet our friends.’

  ‘I do hope the twins will like me,’ Georgiana said quietly as they passed out into the hallway.

  Darcy patted her hand where it rested on his arm. ‘How could they not?’ He smiled down at her. ‘Remember, Georgie, the twins take more after their brother than their elder sisters.’

  He led Georgiana out of the entrance as a familiar carriage drew up, and they made their way out to the gravel sweep, discreetly followed by two footmen ready to remove the luggage to the visitors’ quarters.

  ‘You made good time.’ Darcy shook Bingley’s hand as he stepped down from the carriage, a wide smile on his genial features.

  ‘We were up with the lark! Or rather,’ he glanced over his shoulder and laughed, ‘my sisters were, and so I had little choice but to do likewise!’

  Bingley bowed to Georgiana, still smiling. ‘Miss Darcy! How delightful it is to see you again; I trust you are well?’

  ‘Quite well, thank you, sir.’

  ‘Good; good. Well, it can be delayed no longer. Permit to introduce to your acquaintance two of my sisters.’ Bingley turned back to the carriage and held out his hand, first to one young lady, then the other, as they joined him on the driveway.

  The twins were of slight build and middling height, a little taller than Darcy remembered them, their heads crowned with golden curls beneath their bonnets. Though not fully identical, there was sufficient similarity in appearance to allow for some confusion amongst those who did not know them well.

  Both girls stepped forward eagerly, warm smiles on their faces.

  ‘Darcy, you remember my sisters. Miss Darcy, allow me to introduce Miss Olivia Bingley,’ he indicated the young lady on his left, ‘and Miss Viola Bingley to your acquaintance.’ The young girl on his right imitated her sister in bobbing a curtsey before they both spoke at once.

  ‘We have had the most thrilling journey!’

  ‘We are so excited to be here!’

  ‘You are most welcome.’ Darcy could not help but smile at their enthusiastic demeanour.

  Olivia’s smile widened. ‘Mr Darcy, you have saved us from a fate most horrid!’

  ‘Indeed, sir!’ Viola nodded, her curls bouncing against her cheeks.

  Trying to avoid his sister’s wide-eyed stare, Darcy addressed Olivia. ‘How so, Miss Bingley?’

  ‘Our brother told us. You have helped us escape the clutches of an evil woman!’

  ‘Olivia! That will do.’ Bingley gave his sister a warning look.

  The young girl had the grace to look a little chastened. Then, a mischievous smile formed. ‘We did enlist the services of a frog. He was most obliging!’

  ‘Caroline was quite right to be cross with you both.’

  ‘Indeed she was, Brother,’ piped up Viola. ‘But you cannot deny we achieved our purpose, no?’

  Darcy smiled. ‘I trust you decided to restore the frog to its rightful place and not bring it with you?’

  The girls exchanged an impish look across their brother.

  ‘But of course, sir.’ Olivia’s face sobered a little. ‘The poor frog suffered more than sufficient for the favour he served.’ Then, her face brightened. ‘We saw a lake as we entered the park, Mr Darcy. Viola says she plans to swim in it at the earliest opportunity!’

  Viola leaned around her brother to stare at her sister. ‘I so did not!’

  ‘Oh, but you did!’

  ‘I said what fun it would be. Besides, you said you would too!’

  Olivia drew in an exaggerated breath. ‘I did not!’

  ‘Girls…’

  ‘I declare, ‘Livia, you did so.’

  ‘Girls!’ Bingley finally managed to interrupt them.

  They both threw their brother an apologetic look, and Darcy bit his lip. It was hard not to be amused, not only to see the identical looks of contrition directed at Bingley, but also to see his friend’s attempt to curb his sisters.

  ‘Come, let us go inside. You must be in need of refreshment.’ Darcy glanced at his sister, who was eyeing the twins with some astonishment. ‘Georgiana, perhaps you could show Miss Bingley and – er, Miss Bingley to the drawing room? I believe Mrs Reynolds is arranging for tea?’

  She threw him a wide-eyed look, but he smiled reassuringly at her and before she could speak, the twins had each taken an arm and almost dragged Georgiana up the steps and into the house, their incessant chatter sufficient to ensure his sister had no need for words.

  Bingley was s
haking his head. ‘Forgive me, Darcy, for foisting them upon you.’

  ‘Not at all. Come,’ he waved a hand towards the steps. ‘Tell me all about your journey.’ He knew he must speak to Bingley of Jane Bennet, but as he had no notion of how to begin the conversation, procrastination would suit him admirably for the present.

  ~o0o~

  ‘Miss Darcy, we are so grateful to your brother for allowing us to make some stay with you.’

  The twins walked into the drawing room ahead of Georgiana and turned about, clearly admiring the room.

  ‘Not at all. It is a welcome disruption. Oh!’ Colour flooded Georgiana’s cheeks. ‘Forgive me, Miss Bingley. I mean no slur. That is to say, I do not mean you are a disruption.’

  Olivia grinned fetchingly. ‘Oh, but we are! Our brother says we are adequate disruption for all the ills in the world.’

  Viola nodded as she removed her bonnet. ‘Indeed. But,’ she paused and glanced towards the door before continuing in a lowered voice. ‘We are cautioned; we must be on our best behaviour.’ She frowned. ‘Though we do not know what that is, for we have not been on it before, to our knowledge.’

  Georgiana let out an involuntary splutter of laughter. ‘Oh, forgive me.’

  ‘Miss Darcy!’ Olivia tossed her bonnet onto the chair next to Viola’s and grasped Georgiana’s hands. ‘You have no need to stand on ceremony around us. We are younger than you, but not so much as to make us unsuitable as companions. We shall soon be all that is natural together.’

  ‘We are a little boisterous. According to Caroline, we lack decorum.’ Viola sniffed and walked stiffly in a circle, her nose in the air, an accurate rendition of her elder sister. ‘There is something lacking, by all accounts, in our air and manner of walking.’

  ‘But we mean no harm, and when we are not amongst friends, we can behave exactly as any young lady ought.’ Olivia beckoned her sister to join her, and they demonstrated her point by giving a graceful curtsey befitting any ladies of quality and schooled their features into identical ones of polite interest.