It was difficult to tell who was more surprised by the encounter: she at seeing him emerge suddenly from the trees or Darcy finding himself face to face with a handsome and elegant but completely unknown young lady.
They stood silent for a few moments, then, there being no one available to effect the usual introductions, protocol gave way to practicality. He bowed, introduced himself, and asked if he may be of assistance.
She likewise acknowledged his greeting and told him she was Kathryn O'Hare, daughter of Mr and Mrs O'Hare of Colley Dale.
“I am on my way—or so I thought until I became lost—to an appointment with Miss Jessica Courtney at the Pemberley Parish school. I have been there before, a week or so ago, but we did not come through here and I must confess, this park is so large, I have completely lost my bearings,” she said. Then, consulting her watch, she added, “I do believe I have walked about these grounds for the best part of half an hour and still cannot think how to find my way to the school. Would you, sir, be so kind as to direct me?” she asked.
Darcy smiled and assured her that it was not at all uncommon for visitors to Pemberley to lose their way in the park. As for the parish school, he said, it was not far and he could take her there.
“It is really only a short distance to the village church and the school, if one knows the way. We can either take the route over the footbridge and down the path through the woods into the village, or we can make our way up the drive to Pemberley House, which you see in the distance, and walk over to the rectory, which adjoins the parish school. The choice is yours.”
She chose to go by the footbridge. “I think we had best take the shortest route. I must get to the school as soon as possible, else Miss Courtney will think I am unreliable, and that will not be a good beginning at all, if I am to work at the school. Punctuality is de rigeur in a teacher, do you not agree?”
Darcy agreed but added generously, “One cannot, however, be blamed if one has lost one's way getting there,” to which Miss O'Hare replied, with a little grimace, “Except that it might be considered evidence of ineptitude in a grown adult; I should feel rather silly admitting to it, and I hope Miss Courtney will not be provoked by it.”
She sounded genuinely concerned, and Darcy decided to reassure her. “On that score at least, I believe I can set your mind at rest. Miss Courtney is my cousin, and I can say with a fair degree of certainty that she is never provoked or aggravated and is both understanding and fair. You have no cause to fear her censure.”
Miss O'Hare looked across at her companion quickly and said, “Thank you, that is good to know. It restores my confidence a little, especially since I have some hope that Miss Courtney and I will soon be colleagues. She has offered me a teaching position at the school, and I am on my way to tell her that I have decided to accept.”
Darcy smiled, wondering why this revelation had brought such a feeling of pleasure. As they walked on through the woods, he wished he knew something more of Miss Kathryn O'Hare. She had said she was from Colley Dale, which was not a great distance from Pemberley, yet he had never seen her before in his life.
At the school, Jessica greeted them with a worried frown.
“Kathryn, I was most concerned, I thought you had been delayed by some dreadful misadventure,” she said.
“I was,” said Miss O'Hare, with a self-deprecating laugh, “by the common misadventure of losing my way; you did not warn me that I should make myself a map before undertaking the journey through the Pemberley grounds. I fear I have no excuse to offer except my own confusion.”
Then, turning to Darcy, “However, thanks to Mr Gardiner here, you see me at last, else I should still be wandering around that magnificent park.”
Jessica laughed, thanking Darcy for his help and, before escorting Kathryn into the school house, requested that he remind the housekeeper at Pemberley that Miss O'Hare would be joining them for afternoon tea.
It was an errand Darcy Gardiner promised to carry out with the greatest pleasure.
It was late afternoon when the two ladies arrived at the house, and Darcy had had time to change and await their appearance. He had lunched earlier with his grandparents and, on mentioning his chance meeting with Miss O'Hare in the park, had been informed of all the circumstances of her appointment to the parish school. Mr Darcy had described her as a remarkably well-educated young lady, whom Jessica had fortuitously discovered, while Mrs Darcy had noted that Kathryn O'Hare was, without any doubt at all, the most personable young woman she had met in many a year. “Truly, I cannot think of anyone who has so impressed me since young Anna Faulkner returned from Europe and your uncle Jonathan Bingley fell hopelessly in love with her!”
Darcy, who knew well the story of Jonathan Bingley and Anna Faulkner, agreed Miss O'Hare was certainly very elegantly dressed.
“I think when you get to know her better, you will find she is more than elegant, she is quite a remarkable person,” his grandmother continued. “I was very impressed with her appreciation of art and music, too, which we discovered in the short time she spent with us on her last visit to Pemberley.”
His grandfather concurred, adding, “And to all these accomplishments, she brings also an ability to speak with a certain confidence, a sense of understanding, that is doubtless the result of a good education and wide reading,” he said, and Darcy was pleased to note that Miss O'Hare had found favour with both his grandparents.
He was well aware of the very high standards they set. He had heard Mr Darcy express his reservations about some young men and women in the district, and as for Mrs Darcy, she was known to be quite pernickety about partners for members of her family.
His mother had often laughingly admitted that it was fortunate his father, Doctor Richard Gardiner, had been a favourite of the Darcys well before the couple had fallen in love, and there had been no question of their disapproving of the match.
“I cannot imagine Mama taking very kindly to someone she did not approve of, however deeply I was in love with them,” she had said, and Darcy knew, from some of Mrs Darcy's pointed comments about certain members of the family, that her approval was not easily given.
It was therefore good to know that they had no reservations about Miss Kathryn O'Hare; indeed, it was quite the opposite!
“I am sorry your mama is away this week; I should have liked her to have met Miss O'Hare,” Elizabeth said. “I do believe Cassy will like her very well.” His grandfather said nothing, seemingly preoccupied with his thoughts, but he smiled and nodded, and Darcy took this to signify agreement.
When the ladies arrived, he noticed that both Mr and Mrs Darcy greeted Miss O'Hare warmly and made her welcome.
At first, he was a little overawed, expecting this paragon of learning and artistic appreciation to have an opinion on everything, expressed without fear or favour. He had met one or two such women in London and had not enjoyed their company very much.
“I always feel inadequate, as if they expect me to be as erudite and knowledgeable on every subject under the sun, which I know I am not,” he had once confessed to Jessica and she had laughed merrily and accused him of being very silly.
He certainly did not wish to be so regarded by Miss O'Hare.
He was relieved indeed to find Kathryn O'Hare quite amiable and far from being opinionated on every topic. In fact, she was exceedingly reasonable, willing to accommodate other points of view and to admit her own ignorance of matters political, of which she confessed she knew very little. She did, however, declare an interest in the possibility that Mr Gladstone may soon be Prime Minister.
“My father, who has a thorough dislike of Mr Disraeli, hopes that he will live to see the day; do you believe it possible?” she asked.
“Indeed I do,” replied Darcy with some vigour. “If only it were possible to persuade Mr Disraeli to call an election, we may well see Mr Gladstone take the Prime Ministership quite soon.”
While tea was being served, the topic changed, and talk was mainly of t
he school, and though Miss O'Hare was more experienced in teaching than was Jessica, she seemed especially keen to let Miss Courtney explain her plans. Jessica was eager to do so; “What we propose is…” she began, and Darcy listened as the two ladies talked as if they had known one another for many years. They seemed to understand and anticipate each other's ideas, and it appeared they would work well together.
Jessica especially seemed happier than Darcy had seen her in years. There was, of course, another reason for her felicity, to which no one else in the room was privy but himself, and he was sworn to secrecy!
When they had finished their tea and their discussion, Miss O'Hare rose and said it was time to leave. Mr Darcy offered to send for the carriage, but she thanked him politely and refused, declaring that she was looking forward to a walk on such a fine Summer's evening.
Darcy Gardiner, who had risen as she did and moved to the door, said, “Will you let me escort you to the gates of the park? Then at least, we shall not worry that you have been left to wander the grounds all night long.”
She laughed then, a very light, pretty laugh, and thanked him for his concern, saying to the others with a smile, “I can see I am not going to be permitted to forget my lapse of this afternoon.”
She thanked her hosts and promised Jessica that she would not be late on the morrow, before turning once more to Darcy, who awaited her at the entrance. “I think I shall write myself a set of instructions, so as not to lose my way again,” they heard her say as they went down the steps, laughing together.
Jessica stood watching them. There was something about the ease with which they had come together as they walked across the courtyard and out into the park that made her smile. Perhaps, she thought, the lovely Miss O'Hare might help Darcy forget his earlier disappointment. She was very fond of her cousin and wished very much to see him happy again, but had no indication of his present state of mind.
The pair in question had walked on a while in silence.
The softness of the evening and the sheer beauty of the prospect before them, as they crossed the sloping lawn and walked towards the lake, with the woods and hills in the distance touched by the setting sun, seemed to render speech unnecessary.
He wanted to speak but was reluctant to break the silence with what might have been considered some banality, and she appeared only to want to absorb the scene that surrounded them. Her soft exclamations of appreciation as the sky blushed pink and then gleamed gold required no response from him.
They approached the bridge that spanned the stream and carried the road out to the main gate of the estate, and as they did so, Kathryn spoke, “Mr Gardiner, Miss Courtney tells me you are an acknowledged disciple of Mr Gladstone. Is this true?”
Darcy inclined his head and said, “To the extent that I am a Reformist by conviction and a believer in the cause that Mr Gladstone has stood for, I confess I am.”
Looking up at him, she asked, “And do you seriously believe he will be Prime Minister soon?”
“I do indeed, just as soon as Mr Disraeli calls an election. I have no doubt of it.”
At this response, Kathryn smiled and said, “My father will be pleased to hear that. Mr Gardiner, I should like very much for you to meet my father, who has for many years followed the progress of Mr Gladstone. Unhappily he does not get out and about much since his accident, and has very few opportunities to indulge his interest in politics. Many of his friends have moved away or passed on, and my mother and I have very little knowledge of political matters and cannot engage him in the kind of discussion I know he would enjoy….”
Waiting until she had finished, Darcy sought to assure her that he would like just as well to meet her father.
“It would give me great pleasure to meet him; it is always good to engage a fellow Reformist in conversation; there aren't many in these parts,” he said.
Kathryn was smiling, and seeing she was pleased, he added quickly, “If you would let me know when it would be convenient to your father and yourself, I would be delighted to call on him. I shall look forward to it.”
She thanked him, and they walked on.
Soon they were at the main gate, where, having said farewell without further delay, she walked briskly down the road that led out of the park.
Once, as she reached the spot where the road curved away, taking her out of sight, Kathryn turned to look and saw him standing at the gate, watching her progress. He waited thus for some few minutes longer.
Afterwards, as the sky darkened ahead and a flock of starlings flew across the lake, he walked slowly back to the house.
The rest of the year passed peacefully enough at Pemberley and equally, without an increase of tumult or turbulence, in the country at large.
Except, that is, for the rising impatience among the political fraternity at the recalcitrance of Mr Disraeli, who clearly meant to hang onto office for as long as possible.
At the parish school, Miss Kathryn O'Hare slipped with remarkable ease into her appointed role and, to Jessica's very great relief, appeared to get along exceedingly well with Mr Hurst, even though he was her senior by at least three decades. They clearly shared a sense of dedication and an interest in imparting knowledge, which made them thoroughly compatible colleagues.
The students liked her, too, and Jessica noted how meticulously she prepared her lessons and with what care she attended upon her charges, many of whom had had little or no learning at all. That she was a good teacher with a genuine love of her work was without any doubt, Jessica reported happily to Mr and Mrs Darcy, who seemed unsurprised.
Writing to Julian, Jessica observed:
The children obviously like Kathryn O'Hare and enjoy being taught by her, and I can see she takes much pleasure from their satisfaction. They are always bringing her flowers and once a basket of early fruit, which she very generously shared with all of the students and staff.
I am particularly pleased to report that she seems to get along very well with our new school master Mr Hurst, who, being a quiet, old-fashioned man, may have been expected to be rather difficult, but happily, they seem to have taken to one another. She is in awe of his years of experience, and he appears to enjoy her bright, lively manner.
It is a most happy coincidence, and I am so proud to have secured such a fine teacher for our own little school.
The rector is excessively pleased, and both Mr Darcy and your mama are quite convinced it will do a great deal of good for the children of the parish to have as dedicated a teacher as Miss O'Hare.
There was another matter too, of which she wrote:
Dear Julian, you must promise not to breathe a word of what I am about to reveal to you, but I think our dear cousin Darcy Gardiner is a little partial to Miss O'Hare. He quite clearly admires her, for she is both very handsome and exceedingly elegant, as well as remarkably well educated. I have caught him regarding her with a very curious look, as though he were trying to make her out, for she is at times serious and at others, rather pert and light-hearted in her manner and not averse to speaking her mind, much as your mama does.
There may be nothing to it, and certainly I cannot see anything on her part at this stage, beyond an amiable friendliness towards him, but if it were to grow into something deeper than a passing fascination that might happen between two attractive and intelligent persons, I believe I should be very happy for them.
However, it is not for me to say it should or should not happen, for I am definitely not a matchmaker, though it does no harm to hope, I am sure.
Both Darcy Gardiner and Miss O'Hare would have been somewhat diverted if they had been able to see what Jessica had written. In fact, neither had admitted to themselves the possibility of there being anything more significant in their association than the pleasant affinity of two people who appear to have a great deal in common and consequently enjoy the pleasure of each other's company.
That they met fairly frequently was not a matter for surprise or speculation, since Miss O'Hare came d
aily to the parish school, and Darcy, as manager of the Pemberley Estate, had charge of the buildings and facilities provided there.
It was a responsibility that had previously not lain very heavy upon his shoulders, but one which he now appeared to administer with particular zeal and dedication. The school wanted for nothing if he could provide it, and he ensured that any request for repairs or improvement was carried out most expeditiously.
Both Jessica and Mr Hurst were delighted by the attention their requests received, and the students, though unaware of this, were the greatest beneficiaries of all.
Moreover, Mrs Darcy's admiration for Miss O'Hare meant she was frequently asked to tea at Pemberley. On one occasion, Cassandra and Richard Gardiner were also present; consequently Kathryn was invited to dine with them later in the month, at Camden House.
In between times, Darcy Gardiner had, by discreet questions posed to his cousin Jessica, gleaned more information about Kathryn O'Hare.
Having arranged to call on her father, he reasoned that it was pertinent he should acquaint himself with the family's circumstances. They were not tenants, but they were neighbours, he argued, and it was only prudent to make some enquiries about them. While young Elena was frequently seen in the village, he had been puzzled by the fact that he had had no notion at all of the existence of their accomplished and charming elder daughter.
Where, he wondered, had she been all these years?
Jessica was not entirely surprised and not a little amused by Darcy's interest, but provided him with the information he sought, if she was in possession of it herself. She was able, therefore, to reveal that Miss O'Hare had been educated at a well-respected ladies' seminary in Sussex, in the district of East Grinstead, and had later been sent by the nuns there to a sister establishment in Brussels, for further study. She knew also of the position Kathryn had held at Lindfield Towers as governess to the three children of Lord and Lady Denny.
Postscript from Pemberley Page 12
