by Anne Louise
“It is true to a degree. I do like to walk and if there is a prolonged period of rain or other inclement weather, I might become agitated. Mr. Darcy, I will say that I have sprained my ankle on more than one occasion and was not pleased to be confined. My aunt saw my displeasure first hand.”
Darcy asked a servant to bring the food to the table so that his guests could fill their plates, and other servants filled the guests’ cups with coffee.
“Mr. Darcy, should we be alarmed with the rain? Are we in any danger?”
“No, we are not in any danger, but others may be. Even now, the creeks are starting to overflow, but I am looking for the rain to stop before I go out to inspect things.”
****
The rain continued that second day as those at Pemberley waited for a sign that it might stop soon. Darcy took the time to talk to his guests and soon learned that Mr. Gardiner owned an import and export business in town and that Mr. Gardiner knew Darcy’s uncle, the Earl of Matlock. Darcy continued to be impressed with Elizabeth’s relatives and enjoyed his talks with Mr. Gardiner where the two enjoyed discussing history and politics. They also spoke about trade issues and Mr. Gardiner’s business and Darcy and the man agreed to meet later in town at Mr. Gardiner’s warehouse to discuss Darcy’s possibly investing in Mr. Gardiner’s business.
Some of the servants who lived in Lambton were allowed to leave Pemberley the day before to return to their families in the event of flooding, while others stayed on. Mrs. Reynolds also visited with Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth and soon they were speaking of growing up in Lambton and of people they knew. During those talks Mrs. Reynolds asked much about Elizabeth and her family but said little about Darcy, except that he was a good master and a gentleman.
Elizabeth’s aunt was now certain that Mrs. Reynolds favored Elizabeth over other women for Darcy. Though Mrs. Gardiner never discussed such things with Mrs. Reynolds, she had agreed with her husband to let things take their own course.
After the two men spent nearly half of their day in the study and away from the ladies, Elizabeth began to feel jealous and wanted to see Darcy. It was just as the two men exited the study that Elizabeth saw her uncle turn to Darcy and saw the two men laugh. She next observed Darcy turn toward her and smile and when her uncle left for his room, Darcy approached her.
Suddenly there was a lump in her throat and her heart best faster and as he neared she felt his smile warm her soul. “I have been wondering, Mr. Darcy, what you both could have talked about for such a long time?”
“You would have found the discussion interesting. It appears that the man has similar interests as you and I. We spoke of politics and history and our country and his business and of the rain.”
“Yes, it continues, does it not?”
“It does continue, Miss Bennet, but I am happy for the rain, because it brings us together. I do not want to see flooding and the hardships it brings, but I am happy that the rain coincides with your visit. Your aunt needs more time to rest before leaving for town. By then you might have read many books.”
“It would take me forty days and nights and still I could not read even one percent of your books.”
“Yes, but perhaps you might observe Noah completing his ark?”
“No, Mr. Darcy, I am hoping for the sun to come out on the morrow and I know that will make me feel better. Do too many rainy days sometimes adversely affect you?”
“Of course, if it were not for your presence here at Pemberley, I would be in a foul mood. As it is, I feel terrible that your aunt is suffering and that your trip has turned out so poorly.”
“You must not think such things, Mr. Darcy. Accidents happen but you have been most helpful. There is no place better than Pemberley and I still wish to start walking the grounds as soon as the sun comes out.”
“Then your wish will be fulfilled soon. There are trails that drain quickly that we can walk, and later, after more time to dry, we can walk other trails. Once the rain stops and the sun comes out, all of us will be in better spirits.”
“And you can show me the forts and tunnels you built when you were a young lad?”
“How would you guess that I did such a thing? Did Mrs. Reynolds tell you this?”
“I prefer, sir, not to answer your question. For one thing, I do not make it a habit of telling others what may have been told in confidence. And more importantly, I know boys build forts and tunnels.”
“Have you seen them do such work?”
“Elizabeth raised her eyebrow and turned her head up and proudly said she had helped the boys.”
“You mean you did such things alone with the boys? Did you dig or nail boards? Were any girls around you?”
“I was eleven and the two boys were twelve. My sister, Jane, was with us, but I was mostly a helper but did some digging. Jane just stood around and watched.”
“So this was at your home?”
“It was on one of the tenant farms nearest our home. Father went to welcome the new family and they had a twelve year old son and he had a friend and they were playing. My father was overseeing workmen who were making repairs to the house so left us to play with the others.”
Darcy could only smile at hearing her story and started to chuckle as she reached his arm and turned him around. “Are you mocking me, Mr. Darcy?”
So what is this? Those eyes are absolutely beautiful and so intense when she is getting mad. I would kiss her now if I was sure she would not slap me.
“No, far from it, I am just trying to picture you at that age helping the boys. Did you finish the project?”
“Yes, we built a tunnel and it connected with a log fort of small dimensions with a roof made of small evergreen branches.”
“And after you climbed through the tunnel, were you watching for an attack?”
“I was only in the fort once and the one boy pulled my pigtails and tried to kiss me, so I kicked him and slapped him and left and told him that if he ever tried that again I would tell my father.”
“So he never kissed you?”
“No, but I did regret kicking him. He was all bent over and in much pain. He also was a good looking boy.”
“He must have thought the same of you. I can picture you now as a younger girl in pigtails. You must have looked very kissable to the lad. I have to admit that had I been that lad I may have had those same thoughts.”
Yes, Mr. Darcy, I hope you have such thoughts today. Perhaps you can lead me behind a bookcase and give me my first kiss? You are very handsome, and you have shown that you are kind and generous, and I like you.
Elizabeth knew she must respond to Darcy but thoughts of him kissing her were all she could think of. She now chuckled as she watched as Darcy brushed away an errant curl.
“Mr. Darcy, that curl does not want to obey you. I will bet that you had problems with that curl, even as a boy.”
“You are most observant, Miss Bennet, and that curl and I have been at odds for many years.”
“Then I must say the curl makes you more vulnerable to a young miss that you might have wished to kiss. What I am saying is, that had you been that boy, I may have wished for you to kiss me.”
Good, Miss Bennet, perhaps when we walk I will give you that first kiss.
“That is my loss, Miss Bennet. Anyway, would it help my chances if I removed the offending curl or left it as is?”
“Do not remove it, sir. It looks good on you.”
Next, Darcy grinned. “Then it is decided. I have it from a handsome young woman that the curl shall remain.”
Elizabeth chuckled and turned to peruse some books but suddenly tripped and fell against Darcy who caught her before she reached the floor. Immediately she colored but the feeling of him embracing her brought new feelings and his voice made the hair stand out on her neck and arms. Suddenly his nearness and his scent of spice and leather brought on stirrings. Elizabeth was happy for the diversion, but Darcy spoke. “Are you hurt, Miss Bennet? I do not know how that book got on the
floor, but will promise to look into it.”
“That is not required, sir, and I should have been more observant.”
“Miss Bennet, let me get us more light in this room. The sun is not cooperating, but we have many candles. I have some letters to write and would appreciate your company if you desire to read after we have eaten. Cook has prepared a light lunch and we must tell the Gardiners.”
After their lunch, the Gardiners and Elizabeth returned to their rooms and minutes later Elizabeth returned downstairs with a book in her hand.
“The room is so bright! This will do quite nicely and I can make some progress on my book.”
“I hope not to disturb you, Mr. Darcy.”
“You do not disturb me, Miss Bennet. If you find you need to speak with me, that will be fine. Your voice is quite pleasant.”
“You, make me blush, Mr. Darcy.”
“I hope your blush is not making you uncomfortable. A blush on the face of a pretty woman only increases her beauty, and there are any number of women who are pretty. You have an excellent mind and your personality makes you stand out.”
“Thank you, sir, but your words will not make my blush go away.”
“Then I will move to a different discussion. Yesterday you implied that all your education has been at home and that your father is responsible for most of it?”
“Well, my father certainly is responsible for my love of reading, and he and I have similar interests, as does my uncle. So I suppose that might be one of the reasons that both of you were together so long this morning?”
“Miss Bennet, you are most correct. I enjoyed our talk and he is an intelligent man. Your uncle said he attended the university.”
“Yes, sir, he attended Cambridge, as did my father. Mr. Gardiner is my mother’s brother.”
“It appears to me that both your relatives consider you their favorite niece. Is this the way that you see it as well?”
“I know they like me, but I do not believe that they put me first. I know that they enjoy my elder sister and myself visiting more than the others, but I believe that is because we are older and more mature. They certainly are not so happy when Lydia visits, as she is very immature and is of little help with the Gardiner children.”
“I hope that you might visit the Gardiners soon after your return to town.”
“No, I imagine Jane will be next and then Mary and later Kitty, though that could change.”
“Miss Bennet, I will find a way to see you before Christmas, even if I have to ride to your little village and take a room and meet you during your rambles about Longbourn.”
“It would be best if Jane and I come to town for our Christmas shopping. If so, I could see you again and meet your sister. I should be happy to meet Miss Darcy. Her portrait shows her as a handsome young woman and Mrs. Reynolds said she is nearly fourteen years. That makes her a few months older than my youngest sister, Lydia. All of my sisters are roughly two years apart.”
Darcy was pleased to learn this intelligence. She is eighteen or very close. Does she know the power in her eyes? How is it that she never has been kissed? Yes, Elizabeth, such ruby lips are meant to be kissed, and I will be the first, but how?
“I hope to meet all your family one day, Miss Bennet.”
“Then you do not recall what I told you yesterday. My mother is out to find husbands for all her daughters. If she learnt that I dined privately with you at Pemberley, then you could hear her exclamations for miles, and my father would be very agitated as well as my sisters. My mother would read things into our friendship that could never be and I would find living there intolerable.”
“You did say that. We will have to leave such a meeting for another time.”
Darcy now went to his desk and turned to his letter writing, but his mind was on the young maiden with ruby lips and eyes that sparked like diamonds in the flickering candlelight. Darcy had never experienced young love, or any love for that matter, and Elizabeth was unlike anyone he had ever met. Her nearness and allurements coupled with her scent of lavender had him bewitched. How many other men had she bewitched?
Darcy was not a man to be impulsive, but he made up his mind to see if he could win her heart and resolved that he could not lose her to another man. Though it was easy for him to write to his sister to tell him that he had met Elizabeth, his eyes continued to watch her as she read. She is such an innocent and lovely creature. I could never tire of her company.
PART III
The next morning saw the return of the sunshine as all rain had ceased during the early morning. Elizabeth happily awoke to the bright rays of the sun and after completing her ablutions and putting on her morning dress she walked downstairs for breakfast. Darcy heard her as she made her way to the dining room and escorted her inside.
“Well, Miss Bennet, it appears that the weather is greatly improved, and I am sure it meets with your satisfaction. After breakfast, if you desire, we can take a walk close by on a few of the paths and I can show you my mother’s rose garden and some other things. Later today I plan to take my horse and try to determine the extent of the flooding on the roads into Lambton.”
No sooner than Darcy had spoken those words, the Gardiners appeared in the dining room and greeted the others.
“Good morning,” Mr. Gardiner said. “I can see that there are many smiling faces today, knowing that the rain has stopped and the sun is out. Now Lizzy, if it is your desire to go for a walk outside, your aunt and I insist that you have a chaperone nearby for propriety.”
“Mr. Darcy and I have just spoken of such things and we plan to take a brief walk after we have had our breakfast, and we will have a female servant close to us.”
“Mr. Gardiner. How are you both feeling this fine morning? Did you sleep better?”
“Thank you for asking. Both of us slept well and my wife said her ribs are not as sore as they were earlier.”
“That is good news,” replied Mr. Darcy. “Mrs. Gardiner, it may be that you are getting used to the pain, but I imagine you are also coping better with the situation. You do look much better rested. Do you notice it is getting easier to navigate the stairs?”
“I do find it easier using the stairs and for some reason, today, I have a better appetite.”
“Then you and Mr. Gardiner must come and join your niece and myself for breakfast.”
“Mr. Darcy, I remembered us speaking about you possibly attempting to go to Lambton once the weather improved.”
“That is still my plan. Earlier I mentioned to your niece, that we will take but a brief walk in some of the gardens nearby and later this afternoon, after the ground has had a chance to dry some, I will take my horse and ride further to judge if there are any major problems with the roads. I will certainly alert you and Mrs. Gardiner of the status of the roads once I return.”
Not long after they had completed their breakfast, Darcy and Elizabeth and a female servant set off for an early stroll in the gardens just outside the great house. The servant girl kept an adequate distance behind the couple and it was easy to talk without the servant hearing them.
“This is quite a little hill you have Mr. Darcy. Is this where you were working on the day that we arrived?”
“It is, Miss Bennet, and I was working here in my mother’s rose garden. I have made a habit of trying to keep it weed free and beautiful, just as she did.”
“The roses are quite beautiful and they are certainly fragrant. Does Pemberley also have a greenhouse?”
“Miss Bennet, we have two green houses at Pemberley and all the flowers you see in the house were grown here.”
“I must say that you have done a really good job with these gardens, but I have to wonder why a man so busy on other things, would not delegate such work to a subordinate?”
“That is a fair question to ask, Miss Bennet, but I enjoy such work. It is as if her spirit lives at this place and often I talk to her spirit when I visit her roses. I find peace that way, much like you do talking
to your favorite books. But I do have the garden maintained by others, and I do not stay here long, but there are just times when I want to break from the paperwork and want to be outside and in the sun.”
“I can certainly understand why you like to visit the site. It is beautiful, and I don't know if there is a better vista of the great house and the surrounding landscape. Your mother chose an ideal location for her garden. Since you mentioned it, I often talk to things or animals or think out loud at various times when I am alone. You also heard me humming a tune, but sometimes I sing when I know I am alone. Do you sometimes do the same thing, Mr. Darcy.”
“Yes, Miss Bennet, sometimes I sing, but very ill. I will confess that hearing your voice and seeing you blush when we first met was something I will never forget. You have a lovely voice and I could never tire of hearing you talk.”
“You are not alone in your thoughts of our first meeting. It was a surprise that I will never forget, but we are visiting your mother’s rose garden and it is situated in an excellent location.”
Elizabeth watched as Darcy tended to his unruly curl. “Now I must deal with that same unruly curl!”
“You may use one of my pins, if you wish.”
“That might be a fair trade, Miss Bennet. I have thought of how you might look with your hair taken down.”
That thought appealed to her in an unladylike way and she giggled.
“Did you do garden work as a boy?”
“Sometimes when I saw my mother out in her gardens, I would come over to see her and she might let me help, but there were other times I sensed she enjoyed the diversion of being alone and away from the routine of Pemberley. I will tell you that most times that she was out here that she would return with a rose for me and she would call me her little man.”
Darcy took a quick glance at Elizabeth and saw the tears pooling up in her eyes.
“You must have loved her a great deal?”
“Yes, Miss Bennet, it was a great loss for a small family when my mother died just days after giving birth to Georgiana. She was a kind hearted woman and had many friends, but I am not as social as her. I believe I must be more like my father, but that is not exactly the case either. My mother was always more friendly and outgoing than me, and although I have many acquaintances here at Pemberley and in town, there are but I handful that I would call my friends. This is not due to my position, but it is clearly a matter of how I feel in my heart about certain people.”
