“Will, you could not hear our conversation, but we were discussing our debt to Scotsmen and Mr. Adam’s name was mentioned,” Georgiana explained.
“Absolutely, we owe them a debt. Watt’s steam engine is being used at a coal mine in the Derwent Valley not twenty miles from here. The man’s a genius. Granted, Scotland can be a rough country. I can speak to that personally as our cousin married into the Hamilton family, and last year Georgie and I went to her wedding near Stirling. That was quite an experience. We ventured out on our own for a few hours, dipping our toe into the Highlands, so to speak, but it was worth it as we were surrounded by incredibly beautiful scenery.”
“Mr. Darcy,” Caroline said, “I mentioned earlier to Mr. Gardiner that my grandfather was born in Scotland. I think it would be a very easy thing to convince me to go there for a visit.”
Georgiana just looked away, but Mr. Gardiner was now completely confused. At supper, he had the distinct impression that when he had mentioned the Bingley connection to Scotland, it was not appreciated by Miss Bingley. He must have been wrong and made no comment. Instead he said, “When I think of Scotland, I think of salmon, Mr. Darcy.”
“I have not forgotten, Mr. Gardiner. I have arranged for Wilkins, the man who is responsible for stocking the ponds, to take you and Mr. Hurst to the finest fishing spot on the property. If you do not catch anything tomorrow with Wilkins as your guide, you will have no one to blame, sir, but yourself.”
“Mr. Darcy, it is my intention to fill my creel to overflowing.”
Mr. Hurst just grunted. He was not sure why he was being included in this fishing adventure as he had not been fishing since leaving Oxford. He must have said something to Darcy at Hulston Hall when he was in his cups.
As soon as Louisa and Elizabeth rejoined the party, Charles kept his promise to Darcy and suggested that everyone visit the Peak the following day on horseback.
“Charles, do not be so tiresome,” Caroline said. “You know I do not ride nor does Louisa.”
“Yes, of course, I know that, but others do. So I was thinking that, for those who do not ride, I shall take them into the District by carriage on well-traveled roads.”
“Just because you race curricles, does not qualify you to drive a carriage,” Caroline said, continuing her protest.
“Good grief, Caroline! Must everything be so complicated? Mercer is an old hand at driving a team of horses, and he will be beside me. You may choose to remain at Pemberley, but I believe Miss de Bourgh, Mrs. Gardiner, and Louisa would like to do this.”
Even though the last thing Darcy wanted was for Miss Bingley to go riding, he still had responsibilities as host, and as such, courtesy demanded he extend the invitation to all of his company.
“Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst, before you decide whether or not to venture out with your brother, you should know we have a horse named Sugar, who is as gentle an animal as was ever born. Even the most timid riders are comfortable when seated upon her.”
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy, but neither Louisa nor I have ridden since we were children and…,” Caroline said, fumbling for an excuse.
“May I add, Miss Bingley,” Darcy continued, “that this particular mare was not named Sugar because of her color, but because of her disposition, and since we will be riding a narrow trail, we will be going at a snail’s pace?”
“Sir, I wish I could reward your persistence, but I do not choose to ride.” She had no intention of getting on any horse no matter what color, no matter how sweet her disposition, not even for Mr. Darcy.
Darcy had now fulfilled his duties, and he turned to Miss Elizabeth to make her the same offer after her aunt had declined.
“Since my Aunt Gardiner does not ride, Mr. Darcy, I think it only proper to accept Mr. Bingley’s invitation to ride with him in the carriage. In any event, I am not a very good rider, and I would only delay the party.” Unlike Caroline, Lizzy had no fear of horses. It was just that she had never mastered riding sidesaddle.
“Miss Elizabeth, it would be impossible to delay the party,” Charles insisted. “You will be going clippity clop, clippity clop, and no faster. The trail will not allow it, which is why I shall not be going. I cannot stand riding at that pace. No matter how splendid the views, I have no patience for it.”
Lizzy was about to repeat her decision to remain with her aunt, when she looked at Anne and Georgiana. Their looks said it all. What was she thinking? This was her opportunity to spend some time with Will free of Miss Bingley’s interference. Anne decided that the situation called for a dramatic intervention.
“If Miss Elizabeth does not choose to ride, then I shall be very brave and ride Sugar.”
Now all eyes were on Anne, who had not been on a horse in ten years because of her fear that she would have a coughing fit that would cause her great embarrassment.
Lizzy understood what Anne was doing, and was so moved by her efforts, that she took her hand in hers and said, “Mr. Darcy, I would very much enjoy riding to the Peak tomorrow, and since only one person can ride Sugar, I am afraid I must usurp your position, Miss de Bourgh.”
Georgiana let out an audible sigh, which was the final proof Caroline needed to confirm that she too was a part of the cabal. If that was the way it was going to be, she would fight fire with fire.
“Miss Elizabeth, I understand that the militia has removed from Meryton to Brighton. It must be a great loss to the neighborhood and your family.”
The only surprise in Caroline’s comment was that it took her so long to make it.
“Fortunately, we were prepared for such an event, Miss Bingley. Knowing how these regiments are constantly on the move, we made the most of their limited time with us. But shortly before leaving for Derbyshire, I learned that an acting troupe will be visiting the village, along with the usual accompanying entertainers. That news lifted our spirits considerably.”
“Oh, an acting troupe!” Georgiana exclaimed. “Every year, at midsummer, a troupe comes into Lambton, and how I do love the jesters because they make all the children squeal with delight. Did such a thing occur during your childhood, Mrs. Gardiner? I understand your earliest years were spent in Lambton.”
“Yes, indeed. And I can remember all of the village children running out to greet them as soon as they heard the sound of the horns announcing their arrival. I must confess to following the men around who walked on stilts. Along with the other children, my brother and I would tease them in the hopes that they would fall. How awful we were.”
“One year, when I was in Bath,” Anne said, “there was a procession of entertainers, and the ones I could not take my eyes off of were the jugglers. How ever did they keep all of those objects in the air at the same time?”
“And you, Miss Elizabeth? Do you have preference among the entertainers?” Mr. Darcy asked.
“Oh, if I had to choose only one, I would have to pick the acrobats. It always amazed me how they could twist and turn themselves into so many different positions and so quickly. One minute this way, and the next, quite another, and just when you thought there was no other way they could further contort their bodies, they somehow managed it.”
The room went quiet, but Mr. Gardiner, who did not understand the true meaning behind the exchange, broke the silence by asking Mr. Darcy for his preference.
“Oh, I think it must be the man who stabs himself with a knife. Of course, as adults, we all know that it is done with a collapsible knife, but it all seemed quite real while I was watching it. But enough about traveling shows. Miss Bingley, will you please honor us with one of your pieces, and since we all have a busy schedule tomorrow, I think it would be the perfect end to the evening.”
***
Once Caroline returned to her room, she could barely contain her anger. She pulled off her earrings and threw them onto the dressing table. Louisa reminded her sister that the Darcy maid was in the room and that
“pitchers have ears.”
“You are dismissed,” Caroline said to the maid. “I will ring when you are needed.”
The young woman was barely out of the room when Caroline resumed her tantrum. “Do you see what is happening, Louisa? Miss de Bourgh is determined to have that no-account Meryton nobody marry her cousin. The whole thing was planned while Miss Elizabeth was in Kent.”
“Caroline, I know you are so much smarter than I am, but Miss de Bourgh had never met Miss Elizabeth before she went to visit Mrs. Collins. Why would Miss de Bourgh be so eager for her cousin to marry someone she had only just met?”
“Obviously, this is a form of entertainment for her. What else is there to do in that big house with only her mother for company? But it will not work. You saw how disappointed Mr. Darcy was when I told him I would not ride tomorrow, and you and I have discussed how Mr. Darcy could hardly disguise his dislike of Miss Elizabeth when they were together in Hertfordshire. I will allow that he is doing a better job of concealing his true feelings at present, but that is to be expected since she is his guest. Even so, there is an undercurrent of resentment on his part that she is here at all.”
When Caroline was in such a mood, Louisa knew it was best to say as little as possible, but the truth was, Louisa did not agree with anything Caroline had said. The supposed plot sounded preposterous, and as for Mr. Darcy’s dislike of Miss Elizabeth, that was not what she had seen at all.
For her part, the evening had stirred memories that were both sweet and painful as she recalled the early days of her courtship with Mr. Hurst. They had passed notes in secret and had exchanged looks and talked in generalities only they understood, and it had been such an exciting time in her life. And because it had happened to her, she recognized it in others. She was less sure of the depth of Miss Elizabeth’s regard for Mr. Darcy, but as for the master of Pemberley, he had totally failed in his attempt to hide his love for the nobody from Meryton.
Chapter 34
On the carriage ride back to the inn, Lizzy would have preferred silence to conversation so she might go over in her mind the events of the evening. She wanted to preserve forever the memory of having dined on the finest china in an elegant dining room of the softest green with candlelight reflecting off a crystal chandelier that had been custom made for Lady Anne Darcy in Venice. That experience alone would have been a golden memory, but to know that Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy wanted her to be the mistress of Pemberley, the most beautiful home she had ever been in, quite overwhelmed her. Her awe at her surroundings brought on a rare experience for Lizzy: a loss for words.
“That certainly was an interesting evening,” Mr. Gardiner began as the driver started down the gravel drive.
“How so, my dear?” his wife asked, yawning, a little surprised that her husband was taking the lead in the conversation. He usually had very little to say about social gatherings.
“Well, let me begin with the Hursts. I would not say they dislike each other. It is more on the order of a total lack of interest, which is not difficult to understand on Mrs. Hurst’s part. Once he realized we were not to play cards, Mr. Hurst had no interest in anything other than the wine. If it had not been for the occasional grunt or belch, I would have thought he had fallen asleep.
“In contrast to Mr. Hurst, I found Miss de Bourgh to be delightful, and she gave no indication that she lived shut off from the world in an ivory tower in Kent. She was well informed as to politics and literature and the adventures or misadventures, as she called them, of the Prince of Wales. As for the young Miss Darcy, I was more than a little impressed with her finesse in conversing with Miss Bingley, who seemed to be out of sorts during the meal. Despite her mood, it did not prevent Miss Bingley from expressing her opinion on just about everything, and the interesting thing was, her opinion changed from room to room. She did not like Scotland in the dining room but wanted to visit the country while in the music room, nor did she like the color yellow until Miss Darcy pointed out that the drawing room was yellow, and then she liked it.
“I felt that I had done my duty with so difficult a companion, so when we went into the music room, I sat where I would not bear the responsibility of carrying the conversation. But I could still hear her. She was unhappy with her sister’s selection of a ballad, the lowest form of song to her mind, and one that anyone with a modicum of talent could play or sing. Oh, sorry, Lizzy. I thought you performed beautifully.”
“Please do not apologize, Uncle. It is no secret that Miss Bingley does not like me. She believes I promoted a union between her brother and Jane, which I did, and considering the social chasm separating the Bingley and Bennet families, she was offended because I had presumed too much.”
“Well, that is good for a laugh,” Mr. Gardiner said. “Mr. Bingley’s father began life as a blacksmith, but grew wealthy as a result of a smelting process he and his father had invented. Mr. Bingley was telling me, with great amusement I might add, that he remembered his father’s fingers being permanently blackened because he was always at the forge doing experiments. He also said venturers would come from London to see demonstrations of the process, and Old Grandpa would deliberately chew and spit tobacco so that they would keep their distance. Bingley’s father sired a brood of nine, and after he had made his fortune, he packed the whole lot of them off to be educated, girls and boys alike, which is why Miss Bingley is so knowledgeable, although it does not explain Mrs. Hurst.
“The eldest son, George, went to Oxford, and apparently is a financial genius. He took a modest fortune and turned it into an empire, which is what pays for the house in town and the clothes and the horses. Well, it obviously pays for everything for the three youngest Bingleys and possibly the other five as well. Mr. Bingley added that his father never traveled farther south than York, was unchurched, and unlike his daughter, had no social pretensions whatsoever.”
By that time, they had arrived at the inn, and both Gardiners immediately retired and left Lizzy alone with her thoughts. As soon as she was under the covers, her mind returned to Mr. Darcy, and she went over every minute, every word, every gesture they had shared. The previous day, her aunt had asked if she loved Mr. Darcy, and she had answered that she did not know. That was no longer the case. When he had said that the beauty of Pemberley needed to be shared, he had looked right into her eyes, and it was then that she knew the answer. Yes, she was in love, and now that she had surrendered to her true feelings, she realized that she was truly and deeply in love with Mr. Darcy. And with that realization came wisdom. She better understood why he had fought against his own feelings. It was a humbling experience to trust one’s heart to another, but by shedding his reserve, he had revealed the caring and loving man beneath.
And with all she had seen and heard and tasted, it was how she felt when Mr. Darcy took her by the hand and had escorted her to the music room that she wanted to commit to memory. In those few short minutes, she felt the physical side of being in love, and she had wanted him to take her in his arms and to kiss her. And that was what was on her mind while singing the ballad. Had he noticed that the verses were out of order? If he had, did he realize it was the effect he had on her that was the cause of her error? Elizabeth fell asleep wondering if tomorrow during their ride to the Peak there would be some time, even a few seconds would suffice, when she would feel his touch once again.
***
While Elizabeth was thinking of embraces and kisses, Darcy was trying very hard to put them out of his mind. During the time Lizzy was confusing verses, he was picturing the two of them making love in different rooms in the house. To avoid complete embarrassment, he had wisely decided to wear trousers instead of breeches, but this could not go on much longer or he would explode. There was a time in the distant past when he would have been able to exercise the droit de seigneur. As lord of the manor, he would have demanded that the Bingleys leave Pemberley immediately and that the Gardiners return to London without their n
iece, but with Anne and Georgie. And then they would make love until hunger finally drove them to seek nourishment.
This was reminiscent of his time with Christina Caxton when they had made love across the breadth of France. At the time, he was a young man of twenty-one, and it was a delight he had never before experienced. But since assuming guardianship of his sister, he had exercised an abundance of caution in everything he did, but he was a man and not a monk. So he had discreetly sought companionship and relief with the widowed Mrs. Conway, until his idiot cousin, Lord Fitzwilliam, had revealed to The Insider that he had remained with the lady until dawn. The irony was he had stayed so late so that he might share with her that he had fallen in love, and as a result, their time together had come to an end. He thought so highly of his friend that he did not want her to learn of it from anyone else. As always, she was gracious and asked about Elizabeth. As the daughter of a coal exporter from Bristol, she was surprised but pleased when she learned that the lady he hoped to make his wife was the daughter of a gentleman farmer.
If Fortune shined on him, at some time during the ride into the Peak, he would have a few minutes to talk to Elizabeth. He was not going to propose marriage until they could be alone, but he did intend to seek assurances that she would be receptive to an offer. With only Georgie and Belling, the groom, accompanying them, surely he would be able to have a private word with her. It must happen tomorrow, as she had informed him that the following day she would be leaving Derbyshire to return to Longbourn. It was his last chance to touch her heart.
***
If Darcy had been the soul of discretion, Bingley had decided to throw caution to the wind. Since he might not have an opportunity to visit with Elizabeth on the morrow, he had to act tonight.
“Miss Elizabeth, you mentioned your sister, Miss Bennet, is in good health,” Bingley said as soon as she had finished her song.
The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy Page 18
