‘Yes. I should have stayed with them, but the lake was so beautiful I wanted to see it from every angle. My aunt encouraged me to do so. She, alas, was too tired to walk further.’
He tucked this piece of information away thoughtfully as he accompanied his lovely young lady back to the boat house.
‘Aunt, Uncle, may I present the Darcys’ steward?’ said Elizabeth.
Mr Darcy was about to correct her when he decided against it. If she thought he was the steward, so be it. It would give him a chance to find out if she liked him for himself, before she discovered he was a wealthy man. He counted himself fortunate indeed that it should be so. He had never imagined that he might find a woman who loved him for himself. All the young ladies he met knew he was one of the country’s most eligible bachelors and so consequently they fawned on him. But here was a young woman who thought he was a steward. If she liked him in that guise, he would know she truly loved him and not his possessions.
The thought brightened his life.
‘It is very good of you to show us round, Mr Fielding,’ said Mrs Gardiner, once greetings had been exchanged.
Mr Darcy quickly made up his mind to take the place of his steward. He could imagine nothing better than spending the next few hours in the company of such an interesting young lady.
‘Not at all,’ he said.
‘Mr Fielding has a message for you,’ said Elizabeth.
Mr Darcy froze. Of course, he had said as much to Elizabeth just a few moments ago. But now he no longer wanted to deliver that message because it would mean admitting that Stuart was injured. For a moment he did not know what to do. But Mr and Mrs Gardiner looked at him expectantly and so he must say something. So he said, ‘I merely wanted to say that, if you would like to tour the estate in a phaeton instead of on foot, I would be happy to arrange it.’
‘Thank you. That is most considerate,’ said Mrs Gardiner. ‘I confess I tire more quickly than I used to do. I like to walk for short distances, but I like the security of knowing a carriage is close to hand.’
‘I must leave you for a short while so that I can have it readied but I will return before long and then we can continue together.’
He made them a bow and then, mounting his horse, he rode away.
Elizabeth watched him rode off with a mingled feeling of delight and regret: delight that she had seen him again and that he was every bit as handsome and charming as she remembered. And regret that she would soon be leaving the neighbourhood and would, thereafter, probably never see him again. For she could not disguise from herself that he was one of the most interesting young men she had met in a long time. Not only was he handsome and charming, but he had been very considerate towards her aunt. She was sure he had meant to deliver a different message, but had changed it when he had realised how tired her aunt was. Briefly, she wondered what his original message could have been, but she did not have long to wonder about it, for her aunt said to her:
‘He seems an interesting young man, Lizzy. It seemed to me that you had met him before. Am I right?’
‘Yes, aunt. I met him when we were here last time.’
‘A very fine young man,’ said Mr Gardiner approvingly.
He tucked his thumbs in his waistcoat and puffed out his chest and looked at Elizabeth questioningly.
Elizabeth felt herself blushing.
‘He is a fine young man,’ agreed Mrs Gardiner thoughtfully. ‘And an eligible one, too. Mrs Reynolds was telling me about the rest of the staff here. She does not approve of them all by any means. Some of the gardeners trail mud into the flower room and some of the younger grooms sneak into the kitchens when she is not looking and flirt with the kitchen maids. But she approves of Mr Fielding. She was only saying, when last I saw her, that she hoped he would find a wife soon. He has a good living and a respectable house on the estate. He is well thought of by the Darcys and his wife would be respected as well as comfortable.’
Elizabeth turned towards her with a smile. She had recovered from her earlier embarrassment and was now ready to laugh at the turn events had taken, for although she liked Mr Fielding very well, she had spent no more than an hour in his company and it was far too soon to think of anything as serious as marriage!
‘Are you trying to play the matchmaker, Aunt?’ she teased.
But to her surprise, her aunt did not smile.
‘Matchmaker? No. But I could not help but notice your reaction to him, Lizzy, and I could see that you like him. It is time you were thinking of marriage, and who is there in Meryton for you? There are hardly any young men, and of those young men, there are none I would like to see you marry. It is necessary to be sensible and level headed about these things, and I know that you possess both of those qualities. I am not suggesting you should do anything rash, but I am suggesting that you should at least consider the possibility. It would be a respectable match for you, and one which seems as if it would afford you a chance of happiness. It is too soon to say for sure, but if you think you might come to like him in time, then we could extend our stay here and see how things develop.’
‘This is serious talking indeed, Aunt,’ said Elizabeth.
‘Someone must speak to you about these things, and your parents will never do so. They are both good people, but your mother’s head is full of nonsense and your father will not think of your future. I am sorry to say so, but it is true. He neglects you in this matter. But I do not. I have your best interests at heart, as I am sure you know, and so you will not mind me speaking to you about it.’
Elizabeth matched her aunt’s serious tone, for although she loved to laugh she was also capable of thinking seriously on serious subjects.
‘No, I do not mind. And I must confess that your idea of us remaining in the neighbourhood is one that appeals to me. If all goes well today, and Mr Fielding does not give us a disgust of him for some reason we cannot yet imagine, then I accept your offer. I would like to stay a little while longer.’
‘Then it is settled,’ said Mrs Gardiner.
She and Elizabeth exchanged affectionate glances. They had always been close and this was an example of how Mrs Gardiner was able to give Elizabeth good advice without causing offence. She had often acted as a mother to Elizabeth in some ways, since Mrs Bennet was inclined to be silly and was forever complaining of her nerves, and Elizabeth loved and respected Mrs Gardiner.
There came the sound of the phaeton approaching and Elizabeth saw that it was a very modern carriage, drawn by perfectly matched bays. Its bodywork was gleaming and the steward drove it with style. Indeed, he cut a dashing figure as the phaeton drew to a halt and he jumped down.
Mr Gardiner gave his wife his arm and escorted her to the phaeton. The steward offered Elizabeth his arm and she took it. She felt a tremor pass through her gloved fingers to her arm and thence down to her toes. It was a strange but enlivening feeling. She glanced at the steward but she could read nothing on his face. It was turned forward, revealing nothing but his well-defined profile.
They walked to the phaeton and then he handed her in.
The carriage was expensively upholstered and it smelled of leather and polish. It was very different to the lumbering Bennet carriage, which smelled of cabbages as it was often used to transport things for the farm, and which often contained wisps of hay.
The phaeton was also very different from her aunt’s carriage. The Gardiner’s carriage was newer than the Bennet carriage but it was used to transport the young Gardiner children, so it often contained discarded toys or bits of toffee which would stick to the skirts of the unwary.
Mr and Mrs Gardiner, too, climbed in. The steward took his place on the box and the phaeton set off.
Chapter Four
Mr Darcy, seated on the box of the phaeton, with the reins in his hands, heard Mrs Gardiner address her niece as Lizzy. He liked the name. Elizabeth. He turned it over in his mind. He liked the affectionate informality of the shortened name, Lizzy, too. It suited her.
Un
fortunately, he could not speak to her because he was sitting at the front of the carriage, whilst she was sitting in the main body of the carriage, behind and below him. He was gratified to hear her exclamations of pleasure as she saw the some of the splendours of Pemberley, but that was not enough for him. He must find somewhere suitable for them all to walk together. Mrs Gardiner had said she liked to walk, as long as it was not too far.
If they walked, he could go on ahead with Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle could walk behind. He was sure her aunt and uncle would not object, since he had seen a look of approval in Mrs Gardiner’s eye and this had pleased him on many levels. He was pleased because it meant that the Gardiners, like their niece, were not mercenary, and would welcome a humble steward as a son-in-law, instead of being determined to find the best match – in worldly terms – for Elizabeth. He was also pleased because he was sure Mrs Gardiner would not hinder him when he tried to know her niece better. And so he formed a plan . . .
He drove the phaeton through a delightful woodland area, following the road upwards until they came to the top of small hill. On the way, he was rewarded by the sound of more appreciative noises coming from behind him.
At the top of the hill, he reined in the horses and the phaeton came to a standstill. He jumped down and looped the reins loosely over the branch of a tree. Then he went to his guests and said, ‘There is a splendid view from the top of this path.’
‘Then we must see it,’ said Mrs Gardiner.
He helped Elizabeth out of the carriage whilst Mr Gardiner helped his wife and then the four of them set off up the path, with the Gardiners walking behind the young couple.
‘What do you think of Pemberley so far?’ he asked Elizabeth.
‘I think it is splendid. I have never seen such a fine estate,’ she said.
The praise gratified him, and he thought she would make a fine addition to the place. She was as beautiful as any of the portraits in the gallery; perhaps not obviously so, for her beauty owed as much to the intelligence shining out of her eyes as it did to her features. She had a curious personality and she asked him many questions about the estate, which he was happy to answer. It had come to seem like a burden to him in recent months, but in her company he saw it again in all its beauty and he was proud of it. He was also proud that he was to inherit it, and that he could lay it all at her feet.
And yet he was going too fast. He hardly knew her.
Something his cousin had once said came back to him: that we can be acquainted with some people for years and scarcely know them, whereas we can be acquainted with someone else for days and yet know them very well. He felt he was on the way to knowing Miss Bent well, despite their short acquaintance.
‘Is it like your own county?’ he asked.
‘No. There are no moors in Hertfordshire. It is gentler country and very pretty, but it does not have the grandeur of Derbyshire.’
They had reached the viewpoint at the top of the path and they stood looking out over the rolling moors. There were outcrops of rocks and little villages nestled here and there in the folds of the hills.
‘You are staying with your aunt and uncle at the moment, I believe?’ he asked.
‘I am on a touring holiday with them,’ she said.
‘Then I am lucky you decided to include Pemberley in your tour.’
He did not usually compliment young ladies – they usually bored and annoyed him – but it had just slipped out. He regretted it instantly, thinking that, even in his disguise as a steward he should not raise any expectations, but he need not have worried. She was not missish about the compliment. She took it naturally and unaffectedly.
He found himself liking her more and more.
‘Do you often tour with them?’ he asked.
‘No, but I stay with them regularly. My sisters and I take it in turns.’
‘Ah.’ He was getting to know her and he found it stimulating. ‘How many sisters do you have?’
‘Four.’
‘Four?’
She laughed. ‘Yes. Four sisters and no brothers. My poor father is outnumbered!’
Her laughter was refreshing to him. He would not have dared to laugh at his father, but she obviously had an easy relationship with her father, which he envied.
He was not yet ready to reveal he was Mr Darcy of Pemberley, but soon, perhaps, he would do just that.
Elizabeth was enjoying herself. Pemberley was beautiful, the weather was good, her aunt and uncle were happy, and the steward was attentive. She could not help noticing that he was attracted to her, and she knew she was attracted to him. He was intelligent and knowledgable, he was good to her aunt and uncle. He was, without doubt, her model of a perfect gentleman.
After they had admired the view he escorted them down to a small stream which ran through the woods. There was a kingfisher there, his bright plumage flashing as he dived into the stream for fish. There were bluebells carpeting the floor and filling the air with their sweet perfume.
As the Gardiners fell behind, Elizabeth began to learn more about him.
‘Do you have any brothers or sisters?’ she asked.
‘I have a sister. She is younger than me, only sixteen years old.’
From his tone, it was obvious he was proud of her.
‘What is your favourite part of Pemberley?’ she asked him.
‘The waterfall. It is too far away for us to visit today, but when next you come – that is, after the ball – I hope you will allow me to show it to you.’
‘I would like that,’ she said. ‘The ball must make a lot of work for everyone here.’
‘It does, but it is worth it. The Pemberley balls are worth seeing, as you will discover.’
Elizabeth was shocked at his words.
Does he take me for a grand young lady? she thought.
She remembered their first meeting in the ballroom. She then thought of their present meeting, which required him to show her and her aunt and uncle around the estate as guests.
She was dismayed. If he thought of her as an heiress then he would not think of courting her. And Elizabeth found that she wanted him to court her. It was an unusual feeling for her. She was usually unimpressed by young men, but he was different.
She was just wondering how she could let him know that her aunt was a friend of the housekeeper, without it seeming obvious, when Mr Gardiner hailed them.
‘Mrs Gardiner is growing fatigued. I think we had better return to the phaeton.’
The steward was at once attentive.
‘Of course,’ he said. ‘If you continue to the end of this path, it will bring you out on the carriage drive. I will bring the phaeton and meet you there, so that you do not have to walk back up the hill.’
‘That is very considerate,’ said Mrs Gardiner thankfully.
He left them to continue along the downward-sloping path, whilst he climbed back to the phaeton.
Before long, they met again on the carriage drive and he took them back to the Pemberley stables, where the Gardiners’ carriage had been left.
There was no chance for Elizabeth to speak to him on the phaeton ride, and she could do no more than bid him a polite farewell. But as he helped her into her aunt and uncle’s carriage, he bowed and said, ‘I will look forward to seeing you at the ball.’
The carriage door was shut and the Gardiners’ coachman set the carriage in motion. The last thing Elizabeth saw, as the carriage headed down the drive, was the steward standing in front of Pemberley, looking after her.
He could not be more handsome or charming if he were Mr Darcy himself, she thought. Even the heir to Pemberley could not be a finer young man. Adding to herself, But I am very glad he is not the heir to Pemberley, for then he would be so far above me there would be no hope of a match between us.
She caught herself up a moment later, realising she had been carried away. She hardly knew him, after all. But they had made a promising start to a friendship, and perhaps more. If only she could find a way o
f letting him know that she was not a notable heiress . . .
Chapter Five
‘You seemed to be getting on very well with the steward,’ said Mrs Gardiner.
It was a few hours later. They had returned to the inn and Mars Gardiner had had a rest, then they had all met up in the private parlour for afternoon tea.
‘I like him very much,’ Elizabeth admitted. ‘But there is something that is bothering me.’
Elizabeth told her aunt of her fears, and Mrs Gardiner understood her difficulty.
‘I see.’ She thought for a few minutes and then she said, ‘I think I know how it can be done. Mrs Reynolds has spoken to me of her difficulty in finding suitable help for the ball. Some of the villagers have been drafted in as maids and footmen but they are not used to the role and require a great deal of direction. Mrs Reynolds is worried that she cannot be everywhere at once, and that everything will not be done in the proper order. In token of my friendship for her, I offered her my assistance but she declined as she knew we were not intending to stay so long in the neighbourhood. Once I tell her we have decided to stay, I am sure she will accept my offer. You will be welcome to come with me and as the steward usually helps at these occasions he will see that you are a friend of the housekeeper and not a guest at the ball.’ Mrs Gardiner’s voice then became humorous, and she said, ‘Only make sure not to tell your mamma about it, or she will never forgive me!’
Elizabeth laughed. Her mother was always looking down on the Lucases because Charlotte Lucas was expected to help out in the kitchen, baking pies. Mrs Bennet had been heard to remark on more than one occasion that she kept servants who knew their job, and her daughters were never expected to help in the kitchen!
‘I promise not to mention it.’
Elizabeth was pleased with her aunt’s idea overall. It was not perfect but it would set matter straight and it should help to overcome any awkwardness relating to the misunderstanding. After that, she could proceed with the steward on a more equal footing.
Darcy and Elizabeth What If? Collection 3 Page 12
