“To begin, let me say that I like Elizabeth, I truly do. I sense that she is a decent and kind person; however, she has something very heavy weighing on her heart. I was already apprehensive because she came ahead while my nephew lay injured in London. Nonetheless, I hoped that when she arrived all my doubts would be dispelled.”
“She did not oppose discussing Fitzwilliam, I think, as much as she did not know what to say,” Joseph Fitzwilliam added. “Not a one of my questions regarding his injury, what treatment was being rendered or when he might be expected to join her, was in her power to answer. And I know if we were in a similar situation, you would have had all the answers.”
Olivia stopped walking to face her husband. “My thoughts exactly. I have tried to assuage Mrs. Reynolds’ fears, even as my own have overwhelmed me at times. Nevertheless, I must and I will support Elizabeth, for she is Fitzwilliam’s choice. I just pray that things are not as grave as they appear at present.”
“Did you get the impression that she and Richard reached a truce of some sort just before he left, or was I the only one who sensed that?”
“On the steps?” Olivia asked. At her husband’s nod, she continued. “Yes, I saw that as well.”
“Since Richard always defends Fitzwilliam in every situation, if he has made peace with Mrs. Darcy, then things may not be as serious as they seem.”
“I pray that is so. For now, I must be sure not to let the servants sense my reservations,” Olivia stated. “I believe I shall have my hands full with Mrs. Reynolds, though. She is not easily fooled.”
“I have faith in your ability, my dear,” Joseph Fitzwilliam said as he brought one of her hands up for a kiss. “After all, you convinced our children that my family cared for them, though most had no concern for them at all.”
“That was effortless, for I loved Jenny and Arthur. And I would not have them think that anyone wished them ill, even if it meant attributing kindness to those who had none.”
She leaned into his chest as his arms went around her waist. Then he kissed the top of her head, whispering into her hair, “Thank you for loving me despite my family.”
“I had no choice. I could not stop myself.”
Joseph leaned down to capture her lips and this kiss lasted far too long for propriety’s sake. He cared not if every servant at Pemberley saw them.
Let them look, if they are obliged, for they shall be able to boast that once in their lives they witnessed a perfect love.
Chapter 21
Pemberley
The stables
One week later
Elizabeth knew the stables would be alive with activity even at the break of dawn. After all, from the time she could walk, she had accompanied her father to their stables almost every morning—perhaps because they were the only two members of the family awake at that hour. Watching the various animals exiting the huge barn the first thing each day had been very exciting for a child, for it reminded her of the story of Noah’s ark she had heard in church. To this day, Elizabeth could not suppress a smile whenever she remembered pretending to be Noah as she sat safely atop the paddock fence where her father had placed her. So, making her way in the foggy mist of this new morning, a childlike eagerness filled her heart.
As she neared the buildings, however, it became readily apparent that Longbourn’s stables paled in comparison to Pemberley’s. Viewing them through the trees from the balcony of her bedroom had not prepared her for seeing them up close. Not only were there separate buildings for the different livestock, many hidden from view one behind the other, but also there were literally scores of men scurrying from building to building. None of them seemed to notice her in the shadows, for she had eschewed bringing a lantern. After all, she had reasoned, she would not need one in another half-hour. Nonetheless, the closer she got, the more nervous Elizabeth became. What would the servants think of her traipsing about at this hour in the dark?
Suddenly a booming voice came from out of the darkness. “What are you doing here?”
Startled, Elizabeth turned to see a bear of a man walking towards her with his hands on his hips. The shawl she had draped over her head fell to her shoulders, and immediately the man recognised her.
“Mrs. Darcy! Please forgive me. I... I did not know it was you, ma’am. I thought—never mind what I thought. I am Travis Miller, the coachman.” He performed a quick, unpractised bow.
“Mr. Miller, I apologise for coming here unannounced. I awoke early and suddenly decided that I needed to choose a horse for my personal use this morning. Mr. Sturgis, my husband’s steward, has been kind enough to drive me around to the tenants’ homes in a carriage, but he informed me that the last few families can only be reached via horseback.”
“It is true that there are a few in the farthest sections where a carriage is not practical because of the terrain. Usually the only vehicles seen in that area are sturdy wagons.” Then his brow furrowed as he looked back to the manor. “Are you going out alone?”
“Mr. Sturgis is too busy today to accompany me, so I must.”
“I will send for a footman to go with you then. I am sure Mr. Darcy would—”
“That is not necessary. I have ridden by myself for years.”
“But Pemberley is a vast estate and you are not familiar with—”
“I have a good memory and I remember the way to the tenant houses. I can assure you that all will be well.”
“If you say so, ma’am,” the coachman said in the end, though his voice and expression were both doubtful.
“I much prefer walking, but that is not practical for my purpose. If possible, I would like a jumper, if you have one, as I have been known to take fences if it means not having to ride miles out of the way. And I prefer a mare.”
Mr. Miller nodded, still unconvinced. Then, taking a deep breath, he ventured, “If you will follow me, I shall try to find one to suit.”
In the semi-darkness, the man kept glancing over his shoulder as they walked towards the buildings, as though he expected her to disappear. This tickled Elizabeth, though she managed to suppress a smile. When they reached the horse barn, two grooms were just opening the huge, double doors.
Mr. Miller stopped to shout, “Hold off releasing the mares until I have time to look them over.” The grooms nodded before going on inside. “Wait here, please, Mrs. Darcy. When the horses are released from their stalls, they tend to head to the pastures like they have been locked up for years. One could easily get trampled, especially by a stallion.”
Elizabeth wanted to tell the man that she was aware of the danger, but she did not. “Thank you for the reminder.”
It was several minutes before Miller returned, leading a dappled-grey horse. It was now getting light enough to see well, and Elizabeth smiled, for the animal was very handsome.
“This one we got in trade from Lord Dutton last month. Mr. Darcy wanted a stallion, and this mare was part of the bargain. According to his lordship, his daughter rode the horse until her marriage, after which she moved to Scotland. The mare is very gentle. I know, for several of the young grooms have ridden her.”
Elizabeth ran her hands over the horse’s head, pushing the mane from her dark brown eyes. “You are a lovely girl.” Then she addressed Mr. Miller. “What is her name?”
“I don’t rightly remember hearing anyone say. I suppose that you may call her whatever you please.”
“Then I shall call her Phoebe,” she said, rubbing the horse’s neck. “Do you have a saddle?”
“I do. Miss Darcy has used several saddles over the years and I can think of one that may be a good fit for you.”
In no time at all, Mr. Miller returned with a saddle and a blanket. After all the cinches were tightened on the saddle, he led the mare to a very old set of steps leaning against the paddock fence.
When he turned to see that she had not followed, he declared, “Begging your pardon, Mrs. Darcy, but this is how Miss Darcy used to mount a horse before she grew so tall.”
Elizabeth pursed her lips, amused at his unease, and walked to the steps. After she had mounted the horse, Mr. Miller handed her the reins, and she kicked Phoebe into a trot. She made several effortless rings around the paddock before taking the lane that led to the pasture. Having noted that if she followed the fence line, she would eventually find the tenants they had missed previously,
Elizabeth was determined to do just that.
Watching her leave, Mr. Miller was pleased to see that she sat the horse well; in fact, it was as though she and the grey had been partnered for years. Thus, it was with a small sigh of relief that he returned to his job. Knowing Mr. Darcy as he did, it was a given that the master would not be happy that he had helped his wife pick a horse and would tell him so in no uncertain terms. And he would like it even less when he learned that she had ridden out alone. Regardless, the look in Mrs. Darcy’s eye when he had questioned her made it plain that it was futile to argue. As he paused one last time to look in the direction she had ridden before entering the barn, Mr. Miller came to a conclusion which brought a smile to his face: I have the feeling that Mrs. Darcy will have her way when it comes to a lot of things around here.
IT WAS LATE IN THE afternoon by the time Elizabeth visited the last of the tenants’ houses she could manage in one day. She was tired, but pleased that she had thought to bring along bread, cheese and an apple, allowing her to keep to her plan without having to worry about eating. For at the last house she visited, she had discovered a family in great need of baby clothes, towels and bed sheets before their family increased.
Mrs. Becker was a very friendly woman, though a bit pale and drained from her circumstances. She told Elizabeth that she was four and twenty and was expecting her second child in about a month, though from all appearances, the baby could come at any moment. There was a child in the house already, a girl of five named Mazie, who was quite the talker. Elizabeth found her inquisitiveness delightful, and that had been one reason she had stayed longer than planned. Mr. Becker was nowhere to be seen, but his wife had said that was not unusual because he worked from sunrise to sunset.
Now heading back to Pemberley with visions of how to help this couple swirling in her mind, Elizabeth kicked Phoebe into a canter. The sun was beginning to wane, and it seemed the faster she rode, the faster the sun set. Thus, by the time she turned down the road leading to the stables it was almost dark, and Elizabeth could barely make out a group of men up ahead. They were saddling horses as she entered the paddock, and each turned to watch her in total silence. At once, it became painfully obvious that they had been preparing to begin a search for her.
Saying a quick prayer that her cheeks were not as red as they felt, Elizabeth held her head high as Mr. Miller stepped forward to take Phoebe’s reins, his scowl showing his displeasure. As she slid off the horse she meant to apologise but Joseph Fitzwilliam suddenly appeared at her side.
“Elizabeth, we were all worried sick about you.” He took her arm and began to lead her towards the manor. “What in the world kept you out to this hour?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary, I assure you,” she said as confidently as possible. However, she sounded a little breathless as she continued, for it was hard to keep up with her uncle’s long strides. “The time simply slipped away before I knew it.”
Joseph Fitzwilliam stopped to look at her as though she had grown two heads. And when next he spoke, he reminded her of Fitzwilliam during their last conversation.
“Did it never occur to you that this entire estate hinges on your welfare? You are their mistress, and the staff—from the lowest gardener to Mrs. Reynolds— has been frantic, thinking you may have come to harm. Not to mention that Olivia is beside herself, imagining all sorts of things. I need not remind you that my wife is ill and does not deserve to be excessively worried when it is easily avoided.”
“I... I did not—” Lizzy sputtered.
Joseph was not finished, and he interrupted as he walked her towards the house. “My nephew is not here to protect you, but he would assume that I had sense enough to do so in his absence. I beg you. Never again leave the premises without leaving word where you are going and taking a footman, a groom or the steward along. Even I am willing to escort you, if need be.”
Elizabeth said defensively, “Mrs. Reynolds was aware that I was going to call on tenants this week.”
“Yes, but she thought you were riding out with Mr. Sturgis again today. When she encountered him this afternoon, she was shocked to realise that he was here but you were not. It was only after checking with the liveryman that she learned you had ridden out alone.”
“I have called on the tenants of Longbourn by myself for years now.”
“How large is Longbourn? Can it compare in any measure to Pemberley?” Before Elizabeth could answer, he added, “Where you grew up it may be perfectly safe for a woman to ride out alone and be gone all day without a word, but that is not the case here. On this vast estate, packs of wild dogs, capable of taking down a horse, occasionally pass through. And if that does not frighten you, from time to time vagrants have been found living in the shepherd’s shacks, hay barns and other structures dotted throughout the fields, forests and pastures. They live off whatever they can forage or steal, if not from my nephew, then from the tenants. While the guards who circle the perimeter rout them whenever they encounter them, Pemberley is so large that it is a constant struggle.”
“But if the tenants are safe in the far reaches of Pemberley, other than missing a few items—”
“The tenants are not valuable to use as ransom. Mrs. Darcy is!”
Suddenly they neared the manor where torches were spread out evenly across the grounds, while the house itself looked as though there were candles lit in every room. Mortified that she had caused such a disturbance, Elizabeth’s audacity fled and she fought back tears.
“I apologise. It was inconsiderate of me to cause such upheaval.” She looked to her new uncle. “I promise that it shall never happen again.”
Then Joseph Fitzwilliam did something totally unexpected. He pulled her into an embrace, hugging her very tightly before remembering himself and pushing her to arm’s length.
“Now it is I who must apologise for being so outspoken. It is just that... ” He took a ragged breath, and his voice broke as his expression became pained. “You are only a bit older than my Jenny would have been, had she lived. When I thought something might have happened... ” His voice trailed off and his tear-filled eyes dropped to the ground.
Elizabeth laid a hand on his arm. “I understand completely. Thank you for caring for me.” Then she looked to the terrace where Olivia had just walked out to get a better look. “We should go in before Aunt Olivia takes a chill.”
Joseph nodded and together they hurried on to the house. When she gained the terrace, Elizabeth fell into Olivia’s open arms. It was obvious that her aunt was crying, for her shoulders shook, but she did not utter a word of reprimand.
Elizabeth was grateful as she whispered, “I am sorry.”
Over Olivia’s shoulder, Mrs. Reynolds stood wringing her hands, and as soon as she had kissed her aunt and slipped from her embrace, Elizabeth went to the housekeeper, giving her a hug as well. Again, there was no lecture, not that the housekeeper would have said whatever she thought in any case, but Elizabeth apologised profusely for the worry she had caused.
“I am just so relieved that you are home. You must be starved,” the elderly servant said softly. “I shall send a tray up to your room, for you must eat before you retire.”
Harmony was restored at Pemberley once again as all the candles were snuffed and a myriad of servants went to bed, for they had to rise early. In her own bedroom at last, Elizabeth was too tired to converse with Mrs. O’Reilly who, fortunately, was uncharacteristically quiet as she helped her undress. After she was left alone, Elizabeth stared at the ceiling in the darkness and considered how drastically her life had changed.
Gone were the caref
ree days of wandering alone wherever she desired. From now on, her every move would be watched and chronicled, whether she wished it or not. Suddenly the enormity of the situation brought her to tears. She was married to a man she barely knew and, in her unhappiness, had judged poorly, accusing him of despicable acts he had not committed. It remained to be seen if he could ever forgive her. If that were not bad enough, she had upset the entire house today because she had chosen to do things her way.
Congratulations, Lizzy! You have managed to make everyone at Pemberley think you are a foolish child during your very first week as mistress.
A knock on the door announced that the supper tray had arrived, so she let the maid in. The events of the day had taken a toll on her appetite, but to show her gratitude for Mrs. Reynolds’ care, she consumed a goodly portion of the fare as well as a welcome cup of tea. Afterward, she crawled into the big bed and plopped wearily back onto the pillows.
It was a long time before she fell asleep, however. Besides her conduct this day, Joseph Fitzwilliam’s words kept running through her head—not his reprimand, but his mention of Jenny. Now Elizabeth comprehended the source of the sadness that was ever present in her aunt and uncle, and it was painful to think she had added to that sorrow, even unintentionally.
LONDON
Darcy House
The study
Now that William was back on his feet, howbeit not all day long, he was more satisfied. Of course, standing caused his ankle to swell again, but if he propped it up every hour or so for a quarter-hour, it was tolerable. Already, his local bootmaker, Hoby, was designing a special, wider boot which would both accommodate the injured foot and would match his regular footwear, should he need to appear in public. Nonetheless, William hoped that he might be able to wear his regular boots by the time he left for Derbyshire. That remained to be seen, however, as Mr. Graham was not in the least bit happy that he insisted on being afoot so soon. Nor was he happy that William was using brandy to dull his pain.
Darcy and Elizabeth--A Most Unlikely Couple Page 35
