I Met Mr Darcy Via Luton

by Fredrica Edward

  They followed her into the dining-parlour. It was a large, well-proportioned room, handsomely fitted up. The windows afforded a beautiful prospect: a hill, crowned with wood; the river with trees scattered on its banks; and a winding valley. As they passed into other rooms, it became clear the house had been designed to afford beautiful views from every room. Each room was lofty and handsome, and Elizabeth could only admire Mr Darcy's taste in furniture, which was elegant without being gaudy or uselessly fine, with less of splendour than the furniture of Rosings.

  She longed to inquire of the housekeeper whether her master was really absent, but had not the courage for it. At length, however, the question was asked by her uncle; and she turned away with alarm, when Mrs Reynolds replied that he was, but adding, "His trip to Yorkshire was originally planned to keep him another week, but he sent word that his business is concluded and we expect him back tomorrow."

  Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.

  Mr Gardiner, whose manners were very easy and pleasant, encouraged Mrs Reynolds by his questions and remarks.

  "Is your master much at Pemberley in the course of the year?"

  "Not so much as I could wish, sir, but I dare say he may spend half his time here."

  "If your master would marry, you might see more of him," remarked Mr Gardiner.

  "Yes, sir, but I do not know when that will be. I do not know who is good enough for him."

  This encomium made Elizabeth grit her teeth.

  "I say no more than the truth, and everybody will say the same that knows him," continued Mrs Reynolds.

  Elizabeth thought this was going pretty far, and she listened with increasing astonishment as the housekeeper added, "I have never known a cross word from him in my life, and I have known him ever since he was four years old."

  This was praise, of all others most extraordinary, most opposite to her ideas. That he was not a good-tempered man had been her firmest opinion.

  "There are very few people of whom so much can be said," replied Mr Gardiner, "You are lucky in having such a master."

  "Yes, sir, I know I am. If I were to go through the world, I could not meet with a better. But I have always observed that they who are good-natured when children are good-natured when they grow up; and he was always the sweetest-tempered, most generous-hearted boy in the world."

  Elizabeth almost stared at her. "Can this be Mr Darcy?" thought she.

  "His father was an excellent man," said Mrs Gardiner.

  "Yes, ma'am, that he was indeed; and his son will be just like him–just as affable to the poor."

  Elizabeth listened, wondered, and doubted. She could only assume that they paid the servants well at Pemberley.

  Mr Gardiner, highly amused by the kind of family prejudice to which he attributed the housekeeper's excessive commendation of her master, soon led again to the subject; and she dwelt with energy on his many merits as they proceeded together up the great staircase.

  "He is the best landlord, and the best master," said she, "that ever lived, not like the wild young men nowadays, who think of nothing but themselves. There is not one of his tenants or servants but will give him a good name. Some people call him proud, but I am sure I never saw anything of it. To my fancy, it is only because he does not rattle away like other young men."

  On reaching the spacious lobby above, they were shown into a very pretty sitting room, lately fitted up with greater elegance and lightness than the apartments below, and were informed that it was but just done to give pleasure to Miss Darcy.

  "He is certainly a good brother," said Jane, as she walked towards one of the windows.

  Mrs Reynolds anticipated Miss Darcy's delight when she should enter the room. "And this is always the way with him," she added. "Whatever can give his sister any pleasure is sure to be done in a moment. There is nothing he would not do for her."

  The picture-gallery, the library and the music room were all that remained to be shown.

  In the gallery, there were many family portraits, but they could have little to fix the attention of a stranger. Elizabeth walked in quest of the only face whose features would be known to her. At last it arrested her—and she beheld a striking resemblance to Mr Darcy, with his familiar look of hauteur.

  "And that," said Mrs Reynolds, pointing to his portrait, "is my master—and very like him. It was completed only a year ago."

  "I have heard much of your master's fine person," said Mrs Gardiner, looking at the picture. "It is a handsome face. But, Lizzy and Jane, you can tell us whether it is like or not."

  Mrs Reynolds' respect for the young ladies seemed to increase on this intimation of their knowing her master.

  "Do these young ladies know Mr Darcy?"

  Jane nodded complaisantly, while Elizabeth coloured and said, "A little."

  "And do not you think him a very handsome gentleman, ma'am?" said Mrs Reynolds, directing her question at Elizabeth with a knowing smile.

  "Yes, very handsome," she replied noncommittally.

  "I am sure I know none so handsome."

  "And is Miss Darcy as handsome as her brother?" asked Mrs Gardiner.

  "Oh! Yes–the handsomest young lady that ever was seen. Her portrait is still being finished by the same artist, but you can see her as a little girl with my master." Here she directed their attention to a picture of a youth holding a little girl's hand. "She is so accomplished! She plays and sings all day long. In the music room is a new instrument just come down for her–a present from my master; she is currently at Matlock but comes here tomorrow to join him."

  Lizzy's eye was then drawn to two family portraits on the other side of the contemporary picture of Mr Darcy, both containing a small boy with an unruly head of dark curls. The eyes of this boy clearly identified him as Mr Darcy. One portrait showed him with both his parents. His father's hand lay proudly upon his son's shoulder. In the second portrait, he was posed less formally with his mother, a lady with dark chestnut tresses not dissimilar to her own. His head lay against her breast while her arm encompassed his shoulders. Elizabeth noted the sweetness and similarity of their smiles. She stood several minutes before this picture, in earnest contemplation, and returned to it again before they quitted the gallery. Mrs Reynolds informed them that both the family portraits were completed shortly before Mr Darcy's parents died suddenly in a carriage accident.

  Mrs Gardiner shook her head sadly. She recalled her parents discussing the tragedy, communicated by one of the many letters her aunt wrote from Lambton.

  They then exited the gallery by the other end, down some stairs. Mrs Reynolds awaited them in a handsome foyer before a pair of oversize double doors. "And this," she said, as she opened these doors, "is the famous Pemberley library, considered to be one of the finest in England."

  They entered into what Lizzy could only describe as a wonderland. The room was of magnificent proportions and of double height with a mezzanine balcony running around the periphery on three sides, which could be reached by a spiral staircase. More formal and ornate than the rest of the house, it had a vaulted ceiling, and was lit principally by a wall of windows facing south. The books, thousands of them, lined the walls from floor to ceiling.

  "Oh!" exclaimed Lizzy, overcome by its magnificence. If my father covets the Netherfield library, what would he do if he saw this? Barricade himself in and refuse to come out?

  Lizzy heard her relatives make suitably appreciative noises before Mrs Reynolds directed them to the music room, but she just stood there, unable to move, feeling like a pig in mud.

  After swimming in lazy circles for a while, Darcy hauled himself out of the water and lay in the sun on the pontoon until he was dry before pulling on his small clothes, breeches and shirt. Stringing his boots together with his cravat, he rolled his waistcoat inside his tail-coat and tied the arms, disposing the bundles behind his saddle. Then he mounted his horse barefoot and headed back to the stables. He knew that Mrs Reynolds would scold him if he walked through the public rooms at
tired thus because there were sometimes tours at this time of year, so he made his way round the side of the house and nipped in through the library.

  Lizzy could not believe her eyes when Mr Darcy walked in through a door set in the south windows wearing less than formal attire. As he put down the boots in his right hand and turned to close the door, she was treated to a vision of a pair of tight muscular buns sheathed in skin-tight buckskin breeches that literally took her breath away. Turning back towards her, he picked up his boots once more; then standing upright, tossed his head to flick his dark locks out of his eyes. He obviously hadn't had a haircut recently. The curls tumbled over his collar at the back and stood out in wild disarray around his head. He looked much younger than when he was formally dressed, and devastatingly handsome.

  Completely oblivious to her intrusion, he continued towards her and she froze in front of him like a startled deer. He had rolled his sleeves up, and she could see that his forearms, which were muscular but surprisingly unhairy, tapered down to a fine pair of wrists before blossoming into the large hands with long fingers that she had studied so long ago when they were playing chess. His long muscular neck, which rose straight up from a pair of broad square shoulders, was almost a bull neck.

  Halfway across the room, his eyes adjusted to the sparser light and, finally realising he was not alone, he stopped dead in his tracks and blinked.

  "Miss Bennet!" he said, promptly dropping his boots.

  Disgusted by his own lack of address, Darcy bent down to retrieve his boots. On picking them up, the top of his shirt gaped open and Elizabeth was treated to a great view down his front as he stood up.

  She blushed from head to toe.

  Upon seeing this, Darcy suddenly became aware that he was dishabille in front of a lady and brought the bundle of clothes in his left hand up to his chest.

  He glanced at the spiral staircase that led to the mezzanine and thence to the master's chambers. "I beg your pardon, Miss Bennet. I didn't realise the room was occupied."

  "I beg your pardon, Mr Darcy," she said, backing towards the entrance. "I lingered to appreciate the library and got separated from my group."

  "Please!" he begged. "Don't let me disturb you! I'm taking a short cut to my rooms. If you will give me but half an hour, I will be back!"

  Upon saying this, he took three quick strides to gain the bottom of the staircase, then fled nimbly up the steps in his bare feet before disappearing behind a door disguised by a bookcase.

  Elizabeth retreated quickly across the adjoining room into the music room where the Gardiners and Jane were admiring a gilded harp.

  "And this," said Mrs Reynolds, "was the mistress's harp. She played like an angel!"

  "Jane!" Lizzy hissed into her sister's ear, "Help me! We must leave. Mr Darcy has returned!"

  But this Jane was by no means inclined to do. She was aware Elizabeth thought him an unlikable arrogant fellow, but there was no need to run in the other direction as soon as he walked in the door.

  Elizabeth was nearly beside herself. Here she was, a member of the hoi polloi caught trespassing on his majesty's turf, and the last time she had engaged him on neutral ground, she'd taken a stick to him. Perhaps he would lock her in the dungeons and exercise droit de seigneur?

  Chapter 34: Now, that's a library!

  Lizzy was overpowered by shame and vexation. Her coming to Pemberley was the most unfortunate, the most ill-judged thing in the world! How strange it must appear to him! In what a disgraceful light might it not strike so vain a man! It might seem as if she had purposely thrown herself in his way again! Oh! why did she come? Or, why did he thus come a day before he was expected? She blushed again and again over the perverseness of the meeting.

  She tried to encourage her relatives to move back through the house towards the entrance, pulling ahead and then waiting impatiently for them to get closer, before moving again. Mr Gardiner was still intent on asking all manner of questions of Mrs Reynolds, and Jane dawdled also–possibly she hoped that Mr Bingley might pop up from behind the furniture.

  Lizzy was distraught.

  Her efforts were in vain. They had barely reached the lobby when Mr Darcy appeared not fifteen minutes later, immaculately attired, but still with overlong hair which he had somehow managed to tame.

  Darcy's mind was in turmoil when he reached his chambers. His first thought was that fate had given him a second chance–that he must make himself presentable in a trice, before Elizabeth managed to escape from his life again. Fortunately, Finn was in his chambers, darning a rent in a nightshirt by the light of a window.

  As his valet quickly and efficiently prepared him, Darcy tried to calm himself and think more rationally. He had erred grandly at Hunsford with his improper proposal. Clearly, Elizabeth was now uncomfortable in his presence. He must do his utmost to assuage her anxiety that there would ever be a repeat performance of that shameful episode.

  She had said she was in a group. Perhaps her sister Jane accompanied her? If so, she might be willing to attend a dinner if Bingley was present.

  Finn declared him ready but tut-tutted over the overlong hair. He had tried to cut it before Darcy had gone off to Yorkshire but had received no cooperation from his master. Darcy couldn't be bothered. He had thought the only person he was interested in impressing to be in Hertfordshire.

  Running into the hallway, Darcy flew down the stairs and strode through the house, alert for the sound of Mrs Reynolds' voice. He could hear the visitors had reached the lobby.

  Slowing down and adjusting his cuffs, he moved to join the group, which he saw consisted of Elizabeth and her sister Jane (yes!), as well as a slightly older couple.

  He greeted Jane and Elizabeth as acquaintances of long standing.

  "Would you be so kind to introduce me?" he said, looking at their companions.

  "Certainly," replied Jane and presented her aunt and uncle of Gracechurch Street.

  Lizzy stole a sly look at him to see how he bore it and was not without the expectation of his decamping as fast as he could from such disgraceful companions. That he was surprised by the connection was evident; he sustained it, however, with fortitude.

  Gracechurch St? Darcy thought. This was not how he had imagined her aunt and uncle. They were a young, handsome couple, dressed in expensive fabrics, but with such tasteful restraint. The woman smiled with an enigmatic intelligence.

  So far from going away, Darcy bent to kiss the lady's hand, completely failing to recognise her from the theatre when his eyes had been fixed solely on Elizabeth.

  Mrs Gardiner was amused by this old fashioned gesture that pricked at her memory.

  Darcy then entered into conversation with Mr Gardiner.

  Elizabeth could not but be pleased, despite her anxiety. It was consoling that he should know she had some relations for whom there was no need to blush. She listened most attentively to all that passed between them and gloried in every expression, every sentence, of her uncle, which marked his intelligence, his taste, or his good manners.

  Her astonishment, however, was extreme. Just what was Mr Darcy up to? She could not claim to understand the rules of the Ton, but one did not generally fraternise with the relatives of one's mistress? Did one?

  After ten minutes of polite conversation, Mr Gardiner considered they had imposed upon the great man enough and began to move the party towards the waiting carriage.

  As they crunched across the gravel of the drive, Darcy moved to walk beside Elizabeth with his hands clasped behind his back.

  "There is a person arriving tomorrow," he ventured, "who most particularly wishes to be known to you. Will you allow me, or do I ask too much, to introduce my sister to your acquaintance during your stay?"

  The surprise of such an application was great indeed; it was too great for Elizabeth to know in what manner she acceded to it.

  Having made their farewells, Mr Darcy handed the ladies into the carriage. Elizabeth was loath to give him her hand, but he treated her wit
h perfect propriety. For his part, he was careful not to distinguish her from the other two ladies when they touched, as much as he wished to cling to her hand. When they drove off, Elizabeth saw him walking slowly towards the house.

  The observations of her uncle and aunt now began.

  "Lizzy, Jane, is he not the gentleman who greeted you at the theatre?"

  They affirmed he was.

  Her aunt and uncle then proceeded to pronounce him to be infinitely superior to anything they had expected. "He is perfectly well behaved, polite, and unassuming," said her uncle.

  "There is something a little stately in him, to be sure," replied her aunt, "but it is confined to his air and is not unbecoming. I can now say with the housekeeper, that though some people may call him proud, I have seen nothing of it."

  "I was never more surprised than by his behaviour to us," affirmed Mr Gardiner. "It was more than civil; it was really attentive; and there was no necessity for such attention. His acquaintance with Elizabeth and Jane is very trifling."

  "Well, Lizzy," said her aunt, "how came you to tell me that he was so disagreeable?"

  Elizabeth felt that they had entirely misunderstood his character, but could say nothing.

  "There is something of dignity in his countenance that would not give one an unfavourable idea of his heart," continued Mrs Gardiner. "But, to be sure, the good lady who showed us his house did give him a most flaming character! I could hardly help laughing aloud sometimes. But he is a liberal master, I suppose, and that, in the eye of a servant, comprehends every virtue."

  Elizabeth could do nothing but think, and think with wonder, of Mr Darcy's civility, and, above all, of his wishing her to be acquainted with his sister, which seemed inconsistent with a renewal of his previous improper proposal. And his behaviour, so strikingly altered–what could it mean? That he should even speak to her was amazing!–but to speak with such civility. Never in her life had she seen his manners so little dignified, never had he spoken with such gentleness as on this unexpected meeting! She knew not what to think or how to account for it.