Mr Darcy’s eyes were drawn once more to Miss Elizabeth. She was not quelled by his icy civility, and he found himself thinking that the sooner she married Mr Bingley, the better. She would then be settled in her own home instead of being forced to live with him at Pemberley. She was far too independent and opinionated to make a comfortable house guest, and as she was too old to be tamed by a governess or sent away to a seminary, then marriage was the best way of making sure he did not have to see her very often.
With this in mind, he said to the company in general, ‘Tell me, what do you know of Netherfield Park?’
‘I know very little of it,’ admitted Mrs Gardiner.
‘It is a fine estate and it is available to rent as the owner has died,’ said Elizabeth boldly. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘I have a friend who is looking for an estate and I wondered if Netherfield Park might suit him.’
‘It depends on what your friend is looking for,’ said Elizabeth. ‘Netherfield Park is a gentleman’s residence with sizeable rooms and an extensive park. It is only a few miles from Longbourn and so you already know the neighbourhood. The estate is in good order and it is to be let furnished. Some of the servants have stayed on, to look after it until a tenant can be found. They are all local people and I believe they would be willing to work for the new owner, if he desired. If your friend wants to view the estate he should contact Mr Morris. But I wonder at someone of your acquaintance wanting to rent an estate. Do your friends not all own estates of their own?’
He felt himself bridle at her tone of voice. Everything she said sounded like a direct challenge, and he wondered if she were really pitting herself against him, or if he was imagining it. He could see no reason why she should be against him. In fact, she had every reason to be grateful to him. But instead she behaved as though she disapproved of him. Or, no, perhaps not as if she disapproved of him, more that she was reserving judgement until she knew him better.
Most people of his acquaintance judged him on his house, his name and his fortune. It was a new experience to find out that someone was only prepared to judge him on himself, and he was not sure if he liked it. A part of him found it intriguing but another part of him found it insulting. He was not used to such confused feelings.
They led to even more confused feelings, because a part of him admired Miss Elizabeth for her independence, and a part of him disliked her for her impudence.
No woman had ever awoken such strong and confusing feelings in him.
But Miss Elizabeth was waiting for an answer.
‘Not all of them, no. This particular friend would like to buy somewhere eventually, but it would suit him to rent to begin with,’ he said.
‘A sensible idea,’ said Mrs Gardiner, nodding her approval. ‘In that way, he can familiarise himself with the neighbourhood and the people before committing himself to living anywhere.’
‘I am sure he can have no objection to the people or the neighbourhood here,’ said Elizabeth, quick to defend her home.
Mrs Gardiner smiled indulgently at Elizabeth’s loyal outburst. ‘I am sure that Mr Darcy did not mean a slight on Meryton, but perhaps his friend is more used to town life.’
‘He has a varied experience of life,’ said Mr Darcy, thinking of Bingley’s origins in trade. ‘But he likes the country and so I will view the estate tomorrow, to see if it is suitable. If it is, I will organise a viewing for him.’
‘You seem very good at organising other people’s lives,’ said Miss Elizabeth.
And there it was again, that note of challenge, thought Mr Darcy, and this time he could swear he saw a mocking smile playing about her lips. Was he imagining it? Was she really challenging him and mocking him? Or was she not, after all, only complimenting him? If he took her words at face value then she was definitely flattering. That must be it. Normal people flattered him and praised him. It was unheard of for anyone to tease him. Not even his sister would risk such a familiarity.
And yet, as he looked into her merry eyes, he could not rid himself of the feeling that she was laughing at him.
And so he drew himself up to his full height. Then, ignoring her comment, he bowed and said, at his most haughty, ‘I will bid you all good day.’
When he had gone, the younger girls were full of questions and Jane started to tell them all about Mr Darcy’s proposal.
‘Will you walk with me in the garden, Elizabeth?’ asked Mrs Gardiner.
‘Willingly,’ said Elizabeth.
Once they were outside, Mrs Gardiner said, ‘It was quite wrong of you to tease Mr Darcy in that manner, Elizabeth. Remember, he does not know you as we do. He did not know what to make of your remarks.’
‘Oh, Aunt, I am sorry,’ said Elizabeth, as they walked across the emerald green lawn towards the wilderness. ‘But he was so proud and arrogant that I thought that if I did not begin by being impertinent then I should grow to be afraid of him, and that would never do. I cannot be afraid of my brother-in-law. Moreover, I do not want Jane to be afraid of him. And so I set about teasing him, for there is no surer way to puncture someone’s conceit than to laugh at them.’
Mrs Gardiner shook her head disapprovingly, but nevertheless there was a smile playing about her lips.
‘I should tell you off, Elizabeth, but a part of me feels that you are right. Mr Darcy is more awe-inspiring than I had imagined.’
‘Yes, he most certainly is,’ said Elizabeth.
They went through into the pretty little wilderness garden and sat down on a stone seat. The legs of the seat were carved in the shape of winged lions. Long grasses grew all around it, full of wild flowers, and above it was an apple tree which afforded them some pleasant shade.
‘I was intrigued by Jane’s letters,’ said Elizabeth. ‘I was also intrigued by her description of Mr Darcy and I looked forward to meeting him in the flesh. But he is not at all what I imagined. Jane told us of his good manners and his kindness, and so I imagined an altogether different kind of man.’
Mrs Gardiner arranged her shawl around her shoulders and then said, ‘I can see how that might come about. Yet Jane’s description of him is just.’
‘Is it?’ said Elizabeth. ‘I would not describe Mr Darcy as good mannered or kind. Indeed, only someone of Jane’s innate goodness could think so. I would describe him as proud and conceited . . . and completely the wrong sort of husband for her.’
‘No.’ Mrs Gardiner shook her head decisively. ‘You are quite wrong, Lizzy. Mr Darcy is exactly the sort of husband I would like to see for Jane.’
Elizabeth loved and respected her aunt and so she did not take offence, even though her aunt was contradicting her. Instead, she listened to what her older relative had to say, and Mrs Gardiner continued.
‘Jane is a lovely young woman but she is of such a pliant and generous disposition that she is easily cheated, as you have seen with your own eyes.’
‘Yes, that is true,’ said Elizabeth. She picked a handful of daisies and started threading them together in a chain. ‘Some of the more unscrupulous shopkeepers give her poor goods and service, knowing she will not complain. Some of the servants, too, take advantage of her gentle disposition. They invent headaches so they can stay in bed in winter, or so they can loiter about outside in the summer, instead of getting on with their work.’
Mrs Gardiner nodded, then said, ‘It is something that has concerned everyone who loves Jane. But no one will dare take advantage of her once she is Mr Darcy’s wife. She will have the wealth and power of Pemberley at her back. Everyone will be eager to please her, the more so because they know that, if they don’t, they will incur Mr Darcy’s wrath.’
Elizabeth saw the truth of it. No shopkeeper would risk losing Pemberley’s custom and no servant would risk being turned off without a reference. Jane herself would not have the spirit to take her custom elsewhere, or dismiss a servant without a reference, but Mr Darcy would. His arrogant nature would have its uses.
‘And it is not just a question of s
hopkeepers and servants,’ said Mrs Gardiner. ‘Jane does not have a decisive temperament. She finds it difficult to take decisions because she wants to please everyone and such a thing is impossible. But in life many decisions have to be taken. When Jane marries Mr Darcy she will never be put to the trouble of making a decision again because he will make all the important decisions for her.’
‘Oh, yes, I am sure he will be only too happy to do that,’ remarked Elizabeth saucily, remembering his autocratic manner.
‘I know you would not like it, Lizzy,’ said her aunt. ‘It would rouse your fighting spirit. But Jane is not like you. She will be grateful for it. And then, leaving aside the question of personality, there are other things to be considered. I have been worried for some time about Jane. She is of an age to be married, and yet who is there in Meryton for her? There are no young men of the right age to be suitable, and no one of the right temperament to make her happy. And, added to this, Jane has no dowry to speak of. But Mr Darcy does not require a dowry. He requires only a sweet-natured wife —’
‘— who will agree with him in all things?’ asked Elizabeth in a bantering manner.
But her aunt replied seriously, ‘Yes. Is that really so much to ask, in exchange for everything he has to offer?’
Elizabeth was chastened. ‘Perhaps not.’
‘I know you would like a love match for your sister, but I beg you to remember that this marriage might blossom into a love match in time. Even if it does not, Mr Darcy will always treat Jane with respect and he will make sure that everyone else does likewise. She will be safe and comfortable for the rest of her life, and I am persuaded she will be happy as well. And so I ask you to get to know Mr Darcy better, and to make it your business to find something you can like about him, for Jane’s sake if not your own.’
‘Very well, Aunt, I will try,’ Elizabeth said.
‘Good. Because you will be seeing a lot of him in the future and I do not want you to feel uncomfortable in his company, or he in yours. Your sister herself has chosen this fate, remember. She has freely accepted him, so now it is time for you to be happy for her, Lizzy.’
Elizabeth finished her daisy chain and slipped it around her wrist.
‘I understand,’ she said.
‘Good. Then that is all I ask.’
Luckily for Elizabeth, she was not tried too hard over the next few days, for Mr Darcy returned to Pemberley so that he could make sure everything was prepared for Jane’s visit.
‘I wish I were going to Pemberley,’ said Lydia as she watched them pack. ‘I am sure Mr Darcy must have some eligible friends or relatives. What fun it would be to marry one or other of them!’
‘In point of fact, you are too young to marry,’ said Mary, pushing her spectacles up onto the bridge of her nose.
‘La! Whoever asked you?’ said Lydia, pulling a face at Mary.
‘I think I shall marry Mr Darcy’s friend when he takes Netherfield Park,’ said Kitty, patting her hair.
‘If he takes Netherfield Park,’ said Mary. ‘Nothing has been decided yet. Mr Darcy’s friend has not even been to see it.’
‘But Mr Darcy approves of Netherfield. I heard it from Mr Morris’s sister so the thing is certain,’ said Kitty.
‘If anyone is to marry Mr Darcy’s friend, it will be me,’ said Lydia.
‘Oh dear, should I really be going to Pemberley?’ asked Jane in dismay. ‘I cannot help thinking my aunt and uncle Philips will find it burdensome to look after my sisters.’
‘Your aunt and uncle Philips are very happy to help,’ said Mrs Gardiner firmly. ‘And speaking of your aunt Philips, she will be here directly, to take care of the younger girls. It is all arranged. Now, is everything packed?’
Elizabeth nodded. ‘Yes, it is.’
‘Then as soon as Mr Darcy’s carriage arrives for us – just one example of his kindness,’ said Mrs Gardiner, looking meaningfully at Lizzy – ‘we will be on our way.’
The journey into Derbyshire was long but pleasant. The carriage was well sprung and the seats were comfortable. They stopped at various coaching inns along the way to change the horses, and the ladies took some exercise and availed themselves of some refreshments each time the horses were changed.
Each time they stopped they found themselves in a different kind of countryside. Their home in Hertfordshire was full of low green fields and gentle scenery, but as they travelled further north the scenery became more dramatic. They found themselves travelling high up on exposed moors, with purple heather blooming in the sunshine, and large outcrops of rock forming grandiose features. Elizabeth sprang across the moors when they stopped at various isolated inn, caring nothing for the thinness of her shoes, and climbed some of the lesser rocks in order to have a more splendid view. Her sister and aunt were more cautious, staying on the road and not venturing onto the moor.
Elizabeth felt her interest quickening still further when the private carriage approached Pemberley. Her aunt regaled them with stories of her youth spent in the neighbourhood, and Elizabeth watched such landmarks as the inn at Lambton fly by.
And then, far sooner than she had imagined, they were at the gates of Pemberley.
Elizabeth felt a sense of awe at the size of the gates and she could tell that Jane felt the same. The gates were immensely tall and the gate posts were topped with stone pineapples, as was customary in many fine estates.
A lodge keeper emerged from the well-built stone lodge and opened the gates, bowing as the coach rolled through. Then he closed the gates behind him.
Elizabeth turned her eyes ahead. The Pemberley park now opened up in front of them in all its glory. They drove for some time through a beautiful wood and then they climbed steadily for half a mile before the wood ceased. The sight took Elizabeth’s breath away. She found herself staring at Pemberley House, a magnificent edifice, situated on the opposite side of a valley.
Lucky, lucky Jane! she thought. To be the mistress of Pemberley will be something indeed!
The coach continued along the drive and Elizabeth drank in every detail of the wonderful estate. The house was enormous, built of stone, and was very ornate. It was positioned on a hill, with woods behind it, and in front of it was a large stream which had swelled so much that it could almost be called a river.
They crossed the bridge and drove to the entrance. The coach rolled to a halt. One of the footmen jumped down from the front of the coach and opened the door. He let down the step and then helped Jane, Elizabeth and Mrs Gardiner to alight.
Elizabeth settled her bonnet more firmly on her head and then smoothed her hands over her muslin gown, which had become creased in the coach.
Next to her, Jane unfurled a parasol and Mrs Gardiner fastened one of the buttons on her pelisse, which had come undone.
Then the ladies approached the front door. As they did so, it opened and Mr Darcy emerged.
Elizabeth caught her breath for the second time that day, for Mr Darcy was looking as magnificent as his house. His dark hair was brushed back from his face, revealing the proud forehead, chiselled cheekbones and determined chin she remembered so well. His clothes were immaculate. His coat of blue superfine was so well tailored it fit him like a second skin. Snowy white linen spilled in a frill from the front of his coat and trimmed the bottom of his sleeve. A white cravat was intricately tied around his neck and a diamond tie-pin caught the light. Cream pantaloons were moulded to him and disappeared into boots which were so highly polished they reflected the light.
He was a perfect match for Pemberley.
He descended the stone steps and crossed the gravel drive to meet them. He went straight to Jane, bowing over her hand and welcoming her to Pemberley.
Jane thanked him.
He welcomed Mrs Gardiner and then turned to Elizabeth. She felt herself caught in his penetrating gaze. He seemed to see right through her: to see her admiration of his splendid residence and her curiosity about him. For she was curious about him. As the man who was to marry her siste
r, she wanted to know everything about him, for she loved Jane dearly and she wanted him to know that Jane was well loved. She wanted him to know that Jane might be meek and mild, but that she had a spirited sister who would take up cudgels on her behalf if it should be necessary.
And she wanted to fulfil her promise to her aunt, and try to find some things she liked about Mr Darcy so that the two of them could become friends.
So, resisting the urge to meet his penetrating look with an arch remark, she merely dropped a demure curtsey.
Once they had given their outdoor clothes to the servants, Mr Darcy offered to show them round the house. Jane declared herself tired after the journey and said she would like to rest. Mrs Gardiner, too, said she would welcome a rest. But Elizabeth was of an energetic nature and she accepted his offer. And besides, she was eager to seize the chance of spending some time with Mr Darcy alone so that she could better judge his character, and so she said she would welcome a tour.
She wanted to get to know the man who was going to be responsible for her beloved sister’s future happiness and she was determined to take every chance that offered itself in pursuit of that goal.
Chapter Four
Elizabeth’s sister and aunt retired to their rooms and Elizabeth turned to Mr Darcy. He did not looked pleased that she had accepted his offer, but nevertheless he seemed to accept it.
‘Where would you like to begin?’ he asked.
‘I will put myself in your hands,’ Elizabeth said.
‘I doubt if —’He broke off, and she had the feeling he had been about to say, I doubt if you have ever put yourself in anyone else’s hands on your life. You like your own way too well. But instead he said, ‘Then we will start in the dining parlour.’
She was alert to every nuance of his behaviour as he led her through the magnificent hall, for she was trying to work him out. Elizabeth was a student of human nature and, despite herself, she found him intriguing. His nature was a rare type. In fact, it was so rare that it could not be called a type at all. Mr Darcy was unique. He was, according to Jane well mannered and kind. He was, according to Mrs Gardiner, an honourable man who would make Jane a good husband. And he was to Elizabeth . . . what? She did not yet know.
Darcy and Elizabeth What If? Collection 1 Page 22
