by Anne Louise
“Then, let me wish you both a good trip, but first of all I hope that you both can meet Miss Elizabeth. You see, I have already written to her but she has not answered my letter.”
Georgiana now became excited. “William, I will give you a reason to stop at her home. Much like you gave her your letter to deliver to me here at Darcy House, I ask you to deliver my letter to her at Longbourn.”
Now Darcy grinned. “That is an excellent suggestion, and I thank you.”
Georgiana later went to bed happy and she was pleased to suggest he deliver her letter and this gave him the excuse he needed to visit with Elizabeth. Though Darcy knew her suggestion was sound, he did not know what his welcome would be once he arrived, but his heart beat rapidly just to think that soon he would see her again and start a courtship.
The next day Darcy returned to the Gardiners with his friend Bingley for tea.
Mrs. Gardiner had offered for Darcy and his sister to stop by for tea but was happy to meet Darcy’s friend. Both men rose from their chairs as Jane entered the room and almost immediately Darcy and Mrs. Gardiner saw the attraction between the others and neither could stop smiling nor could they look away. Mrs. Gardiner winked at Darcy as if to silently agree they both knew the importance of the moment. Before they left, Darcy told the two women that he and Bingley would be leaving the next day to inspect Netherfield as a possible country home for his friend.
“Mr. Bingley, my niece can tell you about the property. Her home is at Longbourn and it is less than three miles from Netherfield.”
With that said, the two sat near one another in the far side of the parlor and spoke for nearly an hour as Mrs. Gardiner gave Darcy a letter from her husband and asked him to deliver it to Mr. Bennet. He and Mrs. Gardiner next watched as Jane had some papers with her and appeared to be writing a letter. She was actually finishing a letter to her sister and after getting it together she handed it to Mr. Bingley to deliver to Elizabeth at Longbourn.
Mrs. Gardiner spoke privately with Darcy whilst the others were engaged in conversation. “This is all so surprising. I know that Lizzy will be happy to see you. I expect your friend will return to call on Miss Bennet once his business in Hertfordshire is over. Both Jane and your friend seem to like one another. Now please give all our love to the other Bennets and be sure to return safely to us, Mr. Darcy.”
The two men next thanked the women and took their leave and left. Darcy’s investment meeting with Mr. Gardiner would have to come later.
“Well, Jane, did you enjoy meeting Mr. Bingley?”
“Yes, Aunt, somehow I have this feeling that I have known him all my life. I do hope he moves to Netherfield, though that is not certain.”
“Whether it is Netherfield or some other property, these rich young men are focused on the prize and will get around any obstacle placed before them. He may not be interested in Netherfield, but I am certain that you have not seen the last of Mr. Bingley, and the same can be said for Mr. Darcy and Lizzy.”
“Lizzy has not been herself since she returned home. Do you believe she is in love?”
“Now Jane, you know your sister better than I do. What I do know is that Mr. Darcy and Lizzy spent a lot of time together at Pemberley and both were very happy together.”
Early the next day the two friends set off for Hertfordshire. As they mounted their horses, Bingley spoke. “You know, Darcy, this will be very interesting seeing you with your new friend. I was beginning to give up on you. What caused this transformation?”
“It is a long story, my friend, and I will share my thoughts with you later, but basically I am tired of being alone and I need an heir for Pemberley and Georgiana needs a sister. I believe that I have found my soulmate, but I shall let you see for yourself.”
“Then you have my approval. Any sister of Jane Bennet must be very special.”
The friends stopped a few times to rest the horses and arrived in late morning. Darcy commented that the little village was not as large as Lambton and was older but he thought the few people they met were kind and civil and they politely pointed them in the direction of the Meryton Inn, where they rested their horses and took two rooms. After a short rest, the friends visited the solicitor who would show them the estate the next day.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen, I trust your trip from town went well?”
“It did,” Bingley replied. “Are we still on for seeing the place in the morning?”
“Yes, but of course we are to see it then. The showing will take over two hours, including transportation. I will have a carriage here at eight and we will go together.”
“Is it for from here?”
“No, it is less than three miles. After your horses rest you are free to ride up to the place and inspect the grounds. It is a handsome estate. The current owners are very old and have moved to Bath. They have no children and would prefer to sell the property but will accept a year lease or a lease to buy option.”
“I see. Can you give us general directions to the place?”
“Just wait a few moments Mr. Bingley, and I will write specific directions.”
And he did provide them directions to Netherfield and also to Longbourn.
After further resting and a light lunch, the two men rode off in the direction of Netherfield. Elizabeth was on one of her walks and could see in the distance two gentlemen riding fast in the direction of Netherfield, and she wondered who they were.
Later Elizabeth and her mother came into Meryton. Mrs. Bennet first stopped off at her sister’s house and Mr. Bennet had asked his Lizzy to stop at the bookstore and inquire if a book he had ordered had come in. Elizabeth was pleased to have a diversion. Her mother had talked the whole of their walk about Mary and her male friend, and Elizabeth knew she would next ask her of her prospects for marriage during their return home.
As Elizabeth turned to leave the bookstore, she bumped into a man and dropped the book as well as another small package. Out of embarrassment she did not look at the man, who now reached down to pickup her things. She now saw the large hands and the strong shoulders of the man she could not forget.
“Mr. Darcy, I am so sorry, I.”
“Miss Bennet, it is my fault, not yours. Are you well?”
“Lizzy, what is the matter? Can I help you?”
“No, Mama, I want to introduce this man to you. Mama, this gentleman is Mr. Darcy, of Derbyshire. The Gardiners and I met him during our tour of Pemberley.”
“Darcy bowed as the ladies curtseyed.”
“Were you also taking a tour that day, sir?”
For a brief moment Elizabeth did not wish to answer but knew she had to set things right. “Mama, I thought that I had told you. Mr. Darcy is the owner of Pemberley. There was a terrible storm and much flooding and we stayed there with Mr. Darcy for several days as his guests.”
Mrs. Bennet looked at her daughter and next at Darcy.
“Mrs. Bennet, Miss Bennet, I wish to introduce you to my good friend, Charles Bingley.”
Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth next curtseyed as Mr. Bingley bowed.
“Gentlemen, you now know my mother. Our father and my sisters are at home, except Jane, the eldest. She is now in town staying with the Gardiners.”
“It is a long way from town, Mr. Darcy. Are you stopping over to rest before going on to some other place?”
Elizabeth was surprised that her mother said such a thing and now remembered his promise to come and visit her before Christmas. Darcy now watched as she blushed crimson.
“That is a good question. Mr. Bingley has asked me to join him and inspect the Netherfield estate. We arrived earlier and rode out to look at the property. We will see the house on the morrow.”
“Will your family be joining you, Mr. Bingley?”
“My sisters are in Bath and I am not married.”
“And you, Mr. Darcy, surely you are not also unattached?”
“I too am not married.”
“Miss Bennet, your sister gave me a lette
r to give to you.”
“Thank you Mr. Bingley. I shall read it as soon as I return home.”
“Miss Bennet, my sister handed me her letter and asked me to give it you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy. You are both most kind.”
“Lizzy, tonight Mary’s friend is to dine with us. It will be a perfect time to invite your new friends to join us for dinner. It is no imposition and we have more than enough food and your father will enjoy the male company.”
“Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, please, both of you must join us this evening. My mother will not forgive me if you decline.”
Darcy next replied. “We have no other offers as promising. Thank you, Mrs. Bennet.”
The friends next watched as Elizabeth and her mother left to return to Longbourn.
“Darcy, Miss Elizabeth is the woman I often have pictured you with. How did you manage to get her to care for you so much? I have been meeting all manner of young women these past few years and never have I seen any as appealing as your friend and her sister.”
“There is much to tell. You often speak of your angel, but meeting her was a result of the heavens opening up. It rained so hard and for so long and it came on so suddenly that they stayed at Pemberley for several days because of all the flooding.”
“Oh, how I envy you Darcy. I believe she is already in love with you. Yes, I am looking forward to seeing how you act amongst strangers.”
“From the time I spent with Miss Elizabeth, I do not believe the Bennets will appear as strangers. I shall be friendly to her family. You know, I feel as if I already know them from our talks at Pemberley. Do you intend to see her sister when you return to town?”
“Yes, Darcy, I shall call on her when I return to town.”
“So you like her?”
“Darcy, she is a very special young woman. I think this time I have found my angel. Perhaps you have also found your angel?”
“Come, Bingley, we must rest and then prepare for the dinner. It should be very entertaining and I want to observe you with the Bennet family. This may be your family soon.”
Elizabeth and her mother talked some but Elizabeth saw her mother was nearly speechless.
“Lizzy, your father said you have mostly been unhappy since you returned. You do not have to answer my questions, but is Mr. Darcy the reason that you have been in poor spirits? I can see that he cares for you.”
“Yes, Mama, I cannot stop thinking about him. I am just afraid that he will never love me.”
“From his reaction at seeing you, I believe you should not be concerned about his feelings. Listen now, we will enjoy ourselves this evening and you will see that he cares for you. There is another thing, I can see that these gentlemen have feelings for you and Jane. That being said, I will not embarrass you by behaving as though I am a suffering mama out to marry off her daughters. Who knows, Jane may already like Mr. Bingley as well, and if the man takes Netherfield Park, you will likely see much more of your Mr. Darcy”
Elizabeth could not believe the change that her mother had undergone.
“Yes, I believe they will soon be on good terms.”
As they entered the house Mrs. Bennet went and spoke to the cook and then spoke with her husband. When she returned to the parlor she told Elizabeth that her father wanted to speak to her.
It was with no small trepidation that she entered the library and took a seat.
“Do you know why I have asked to speak with you, Lizzy?”
“Is it because of Mr. Darcy?”
“No, Lizzy, I am not so surprised that the man has come with his friend as apparently his friend is considering moving next store to Longhorn.”
“It is hardly next store, Papa. It is just shy of three miles.”
“But Lizzy, does it not register as strange that Mr. Bingley is looking at moving to Netherfield?”
“I can see why you would think that way. Mr. Darcy did tell me his friend has been considering looking at various properties but he never mentioned Netherfield or where the properties were located. I do not believe that his meeting Jane had anything to do with his coming to inspect Netherfield because Mr. Bingley had scheduled his visit weeks ago.”
“That may be, but his seeing her probably prejudices him in favor of being close to her, and then again, he knows his friend is interested in you.”
Elizabeth did not want to comment on Darcy’s feelings. “Anyway, I was very surprised to run into Mr. Darcy today.”
“You must mean you walked into Mr. Darcy”
“Papa, we walked into each other as I was leaving with your book, and I was quite mortified seeing him that way.”
“Your mother said he was very kind to you.”
“That is the problem. He is too kind to me and I want it to continue, but he and I come from different spheres and he will soon forget me.”
“Lizzy, the fact that you met that way will keep Mr. Darcy’s memory of you fresh, and your mother’s food will keep his stomach full.”
“At Pemberley he told me that he would visit me before Christmas, but I did not expect him to do that and certainly not so soon. He handed me a letter from Miss Darcy. Mr. Bingley also gave me a letter from Jane.”
Mr. Bennet turned away and tried not to laugh. “Lizzy, you must forgive me, but I have never seen your mother so calm. I am anticipating an interesting evening. You see, I have five daughters and this evening three gentlemen will be at our table.”
“Mama did say she would be calm tonight. For that I am grateful.”
“Lizzy, can you give me a few minutes and tell me more about Mr. Darcy and his friend?”
“Yes, Papa, but I know little about his friend.”
Elizabeth next took her time and told her father about the rain, and how she met the man and about him saving the boy’s life and finding the Gardiners and summoning the doctor.
“Lizzy, I have noticed you have been in poor spirits lately. Could it be that you were waiting for a letter?”
“Yes, Papa, I met Miss Darcy in town and have expected a letter from her.”
“Well, then, this letter arrived while you were in Meryton. It is several days old so it must have been redirected.”
“Good, it is from Miss Darcy. Thank you, Papa”
“Do you feel better now?”
“Yes, Papa, I am happy again.”
“That is what I wanted to hear, Lizzy. Now, be off with you and go and read your letters.”
Lizzy next left the library and went to her room to read her letters. She first read Jane’s letter. The letter was written over a few days and told that her trip to town was without mishap and that the Gardiners and the children were in good health and happy to see her. Later in her letter she wrote of meeting Mr. Darcy and his sister, and she described them as very friendly. Jane also wrote that she thought that Darcy was in love with her. The last part of her letter she wrote after meeting Mr. Bingley. She wrote that just before the men left, she took a few minutes to complete her letter and then asked Mr. Bingley to deliver it to her sister. Jane ended her letter with her wish that Mr. Bingley would move to Netherfield and that she and Elizabeth might find happiness with these new friends.
Elizabeth could only smile when Jane wrote of how excited she was now that she has met Mr. Bingley and that he promised to call on her once he returned to town.
Elizabeth next read Georgiana’s first letter and saw it had been sent days earlier but could see it was misdirected at first. Georgiana had written that Darcy had admitted how much he had missed her after she left Pemberley and he told her that he had acted withdrawn and had been unhappy. Her letter was not long but she called Elizabeth her first friend and said she missed her company.
Darcy and Bingley arrived after Mary’s friend, Mr. Harrison, and soon all introductions had been made. Lydia giggled at seeing Darcy and his friend, but that was the only imperfection in an otherwise perfect evening. There was no angst and everyone talked and interacted. Though Jane was not present, Mr. Bing
ley often spoke of her, such that he was very clear about his feelings. After the dinner the men adjourned to the library as Mrs. Bennet and her daughters sat in the drawing room.
“Mr. Bennet, I almost forgot, Mrs. Gardiner asked me to personally deliver Mr. Gardiner’s letter to you, so here it is.”
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy.”
The men spoke of many things but Mr. Bennet wanted to learn as much as he could regarding the men’s knowledge of the world. He knew right away that his Lizzy and Darcy were much alike in their interests and both were intelligent, and clever, though he thought Lizzy bested Darcy with her wit.
The men knew that Mary’s friend was also friends with Georgiana’s piano teacher. Mr. Bennet saw Mr. Bingley as a happy soul who was kind and generous and right away thought he might be a good match for his eldest daughter.
Finally the men returned to visit with the others and after another hour they left Longbourn. The house settled down as Mrs. Bennet listened as Elizabeth’s sisters talked about the evening and about the handsome gentlemen who dined with them.
The next day Darcy and Bingley inspected Netherfield, but Darcy had a few questions that he needed to ask Mr. Bennet, so before noon he and Bingley arrived at Longbourn. They soon were let in and joined Mr. Bennet in his library.
“Good morning gentlemen, how was your inspection of Netherfield Park?”
“Sir, it went well, but Mr. Darcy and I thought you might advise us regarding some questions that we have.”
“Very well, now please take a seat and tell me what I can do to help you?”
The friends next went over their questions and Mr. Bennet answered those he could and gave advice on the others. The questions mainly pertained to cost and major repairs and liens and any bad history of the place. They were interested in determining how long the estate had been for sale and what offers had been made.
“I do have some recommendations for you. Mrs. Bennet’s sister knows anything and everything that happens in these parts. You will find her to be a friendly woman and I will write her a brief missive about why I have sent you to her. She will be most helpful to you and after meeting with her you may be able to hone in on a good price from which to negotiate.”
