“Is it not obvious that we are taking a walk and that I am Kitty and Georgiana’s escort? Obviously, you do not consider me to be proper.”
“Miss Elizabeth, you are all that is proper, but it is not wise for young women to walk in such a remote area without a male escort. I know not what your father thinks of this, but I do not allow Georgiana to take such walks unescorted, even at Pemberley. You would have no defense against a determined male assailant.”
“Mr. Darcy, I have been walking these trails by myself for many years and have never required an escort. The people in this area are not dangerous.”
“But this would be a place where one might find vagrants who have come to the area from London or other places. I fear I cannot allow Georgiana to continue with you without an escort.”
“Will,” said Georgiana, “can we settle this today by you providing us an escort? They are taking me to the highest point in the area, which they say has beautiful views. I promise I will not do it again.”
“We do not want to bother your brother, Georgie,” said an annoyed Elizabeth. “I see no solution, but to let him take you away, and Kitty and I will continue on our way.”
“Please, Mr. Darcy,” said Kitty, “I want to show Georgie Oakham Mount. Will you not come with us?”
He cogitated for a moment. He could see definite advantages to providing an escort. It would be a chance to speak with Elizabeth in relative privacy. “Miss Elizabeth, I am sorry I was so abrupt. Would you consider allowing me to escort you for the remainder of your walk?”
It occurred to Elizabeth that for a man as wealthy as Darcy, the possibility that someone might want to abduct Georgiana was a true threat. He was not trying to be obstinate but was just very protective of his sister. “I apologize also, Mr. Darcy. I am not used to being scolded for just taking a walk, but I believe I can understand why a man of your wealth would be concerned about his sister. I see no reason you cannot join us. Will you walk with us or continue to ride?”
Darcy dismounted and put the reins over his horse’s back. “I will walk. Perseus will follow me.”
The four of them started on the trail again, with Darcy walking with Elizabeth. As Darcy said, his horse followed closely behind, sometimes stopping to eat some grass. “I take it that Perseus is your horse. Did you bring him all the way from Pemberley?”
“No, I keep Perseus in London. The horse I have at Pemberley is named Saladin. I am somewhat particular about the horses I ride.”
Elizabeth chuckled. “Mr. Darcy, I believe you are particular about a great many things.”
After they had walked further, she said, “In fact, Mr. Darcy, speaking of being particular, is it not inappropriate that we are walking together without a proper chaperone? The girls are, after all, under age. They would probably not be considered an appropriate chaperone by your peers.”
He smiled as he said, “You are probably correct. I fear I am compromising you. No doubt your father with require that I marry you. I will submit to his will after our walk is over.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Mr. Darcy, you are incorrigible and amazingly persistent. Have you truly considered what a marriage to me would mean to you and Georgiana?”
“I have – a lifetime of marital bliss for me and someone to guide Georgiana through the difficult years ahead.”
She stopped and looked at him, shaking her head. “If you cannot give me serious answers, I will never talk with you on this subject again. Where is that taciturn, proud man I met at the assembly? Perhaps we need him back. He would have given a thoughtful answer.”
“The answer I gave you is serious, and that Darcy would have given you the same answer, had he known you as well as this Darcy. It is what I firmly believe.”
She turned and started walking again. Since he did not seem inclined to say more, she asked, “Did you ride here hoping to meet me walking?”
“I did not. You told me you generally walked early in the morning; therefore, my only intention was to ride around the countryside, visit places I had not been before and perhaps go into Meryton for tea. I understood we were not to call on you and Miss Bennet until tomorrow, and I intended to honor your request. I will not say I am not happy I did meet you, but it was not my intention when I started out.”
After a moment’s pause, he said, “As long as we are talking about you walking, may I again state my concern that you often walk alone. I know Wickham is not in these parts at present, but he is a man whom would take advantage of a single woman walking alone, and there are many such as him in England.”
“Mr. Darcy, my solitary morning walks are an important part of my daily routine. They invigorate me and give me the mental energy I need to get through the day. I fear I am addicted to them and would find it very hard to give them up.”
“I suppose that is another strike against me. Should you be at Pemberley again, whenever you walk alone, one of the footman will be following you. However, they will be very discrete and give you plenty of room.”
“I will keep that in mind should I ever visit again. However, the likelihood of that is small.”
“That sounds like you have decided irrevocably again me. Is there no hope that you will someday understand I am not the taciturn, arrogant, proud, disdainful, uncompromising, …?”
“Stop, Mr. Darcy. I do not believe all those things about you. Perhaps I might have, at one time or another in the past, thought them, but, as my sister said and as I am sure you know, my opinion could hardly be better. But I need more time. Furthermore, had I decided irrevocably against you, I would have told you.”
“Very well, I will not mention my plight any more, while I am here. At least I will try. About what would you like to converse?”
She managed to start him talking about books and plays and soon they had reached the summit of Oakham Mount. “Oh Lizzy,” said Georgiana, “this is a beautiful place. Do you come here often?”
“Yes. Two or three times a week during the summer, but less often now. See that tree there. See how low that first branch is and the stump under it. I use that to climb onto the branch and then often climb very high in the tree.”
“This place is where she often practices singing,” said Kitty. “She particularly likes to sing when she is up there. I followed her here a couple of times and heard her.”
“Kitty, shame on you. You were not supposed to tell anyone about that. You promised me.”
Kitty clapped her hand over her mouth. “I am sorry, Lizzy. I forgot. It just seemed like the natural thing to say. Please, Mr. Darcy, Georgie, do not tell anyone else.”
After they had both promised, Mr. Darcy said, “Would you sing something for us now?”
“I am sorry, but I would rather not. I must be in the right mood. I sing when I see a glorious sunrise, or a beautiful bird, or something that makes me feel I need to sing to express my thankfulness for being alive and living in such a wonderful place.”
They stayed there for about half an hour while Kitty sketched one end of the clearing and the view one could see beyond it to the valley below. Georgiana had also brought her sketch pad and was sitting beside Kitty, trying to emulate what she was doing. Elizabeth and Darcy walked around and then sat on a convenient stone, continuing their talk about books and plays. To Darcy the time seemed to fly by, when Elizabeth looked at the sun and pronounced it time for them to return. As they prepared to go, Darcy looked at what Kitty had sketched and was amazed at how good it was.
“Miss Catherine, I had no idea you were so good. How do you explain your ability?”
“I cannot. It just seems natural to me. I started drawing when I was young and for the last several months, I have been reading some books on painting and sketching that Lizzy gave me. She is the one who has encouraged me to draw and only she and Lydia know how much I like to do it.”
“You should study with a master. You could be an exceptional painter. When your sister and I are….”
“Mr. Darcy!” interjected Elizabeth,
“You will say no more.”
Kitty looked at the two of them. “Why did you cut him off, Lizzy? I wanted to hear what he had to say.”
“Miss Elizabeth, I was just going to say that when we are both in London next Season, perhaps I could introduce you to a young man I know who teaches art there. Perhaps Miss Catherine could take some lessons from him.”
Elizabeth blushed and said, “I apologize, Mr. Darcy. I jumped to conclusions. However, I doubt that father could afford to bring a teacher to Longbourn from London.”
“Does Miss Catherine never visit your aunt and uncle?”
“Not like Lizzy and Jane do,” said Kitty. “Aunt and Uncle Gardiner are very partial to them. I only visit them when the entire family goes for a few days.”
“You could come to visit me,” said Georgiana. “Then William could hire his acquaintance and we could both learn to draw and paint better. I could never be as good as you, but I would enjoy learning.”
“An excellent idea,” said Darcy. “Do you suppose your father would let her visit, Miss Elizabeth?”
“I see no reason why he would not; particularly since Mama would pester him to allow it because she would see it as an opportunity for Kitty to meet eligible gentlemen, no matter how unlikely it truly is.”
The walk back to Longbourn was uneventful, with the girls chatting amiably and Darcy and Elizabeth discussing the war and Darcy’s concern about his cousin, Col. Fitzwilliam. As they neared Longbourn, Darcy said, with a smile, “Do you think I should go talk with your father or should I leave you here before anyone in the house sees us?”
“I believe you should walk us to the beginning of the drive and then leave without coming in. I am sure one of the girls will mention you walked with us, and Papa will probably see us through the study window. I will explain why you were with us. I can assure you, your marital status is safe.”
“Why is it I seek the hand of the only woman in England whose father would not take advantage of this situation and demand I marry his daughter?”
“Probably because if he were not the man he is, I would not be the woman I am.”
They departed, as she asked, at the beginning of the drive, and Darcy rode back to Netherfield pondering what she had said. He had always been very critical of her parents, but she was probably correct. She would not be who she was, had her parents been different. He vowed that he would start looking at them that way and try to be more tolerant of them.
Chapter 11: An Unforgettable Walk
The gentleman and Georgiana arrived at Longbourn at nine-thirty. Georgiana had come to pick up Kitty and take her to Netherfield. The gentlemen were there to visit Jane and Elizabeth and, after a short conversation with Mrs. Bennet and the sisters, once again decided to walk to Meryton, where they would take tea and then return. The day was bright and sunny and there did not seem to be any threat of rain; therefore, they had hopes they would be able to complete their walk that day.
As they were walking toward Meryton, while staying together and speaking on inconsequential topics, Jane said, “Mr. Bingley, I was thinking about our agreement and realized I had forgotten that you once told me you were leasing Netherfield with a possibility of purchasing it. Do you still feel that way?”
“Darcy and I have been talking about that. Netherfield is certainly in an ideal spot if I wish to continue on my path of becoming a gentleman of the ton. It is close enough to allow me to participate in ton events and come home the next morning, should I wish. Darcy assures me I can always stay overnight at his house and, of course, I can always stay with the Hursts. The drawback is that because of its proximity to London, the land price is higher, and I get a smaller house and estate than I would were I to buy further away. However, it also depends on how my suit of you goes. If we decided we should not marry, I believe it might be difficult for me to live here where we might often meet. Luckily, there are still three weeks until October 1, so I have some time to ponder my decision.”
“Mr. Darcy, how much bigger an estate could Mr. Bingley acquire, say in Derbyshire, for an equal amount of money?” asked Elizabeth.
“I would say a slightly larger house and about one third to one half more land, depending on where in Derbyshire he purchased. Of course, wherever he buys, it also depends on how anxious the seller is to sell the property. If he went even further north, he might get even more land, but it would probably not be quite as productive.”
“I would point out another problem with Netherfield Park you might want to consider, Mr. Bingley. Should my father, God forbid, pass away, Mr. Collins would become your neighbor. I do not know how you feel about him.”
“That is a good point, Miss Elizabeth. I had forgotten about that. That may tip the balance toward letting the lease expire.”
When they reached Meryton, they were a group of interest to all who saw them. The four of them knew there was much speculation about Bingley renewing his suit and Elizabeth’s connection with Darcy, whom she once so disliked. As they were sitting in the pastry shop, having tea and pastry, a few who had known Bingley well, came by the table, welcomed him back, and asked if he would be here long. He told them all the same thing. He was looking at properties all over England and was still undecided about Netherfield Park; therefore, he did not know how long his stay would be.
As they were walking back, Bingley and Jane walked ahead, allowing Darcy and Elizabeth to speak privately once again. “May I ask, will you be taking any early morning walks?” asked Darcy.
“I suppose I will, but I never know when until I wake up and decide it is a day for a walk. In any case, it would not be proper for you to walk alone with me, if that is what you are thinking.”
“I thought perhaps I might join you and have a footman accompany us.”
“Is that because you want to take an early morning walk with me or because you do not think it is proper for me to walk alone and you want to provide an escort.”
“It is both, but if you object to me being with you, I would still like offer the use of my footman.”
“Mr. Darcy, that is ridiculous. You will soon be gone, and I will continue to take my walks. Do you think there may be more danger on the days you are here than after you leave?”
“No, it will just allow me to sleep better while I am here. If you would let me, I would leave a footman in my employ at Longbourn with the primary purpose of escorting you on your walks, but I know you would not accept, so I will not offer. You will just have to contend with the fact, when you are on your walks, that you are causing me loss of sleep because I will worry about you.”
Elizabeth was touched that he thought so much of her that he wanted to protect her at all times, even without any commitment from her. Not long ago, she would have been angry that he was trying to control her life. “Why am I not angry now? Could it be that I love him for it?”
She stopped and looked at him. When he realized she was not beside him anymore, he stopped and looked at her. She could no longer deny it. “I am falling in love with him. I love being with him and I miss him when I am not.” It was suddenly very painful to think of him leaving in two weeks and that there might come a time when some other woman might be with him. What was she going to do?
After a while, Darcy said, “May I ask what is troubling you. Did my last statement make you angry?”
They had been walking side by side, but not touching. Suddenly, to his surprise, she came to his side and took his arm. “No, Mr. Darcy, unfortunately, it just made me examine my feelings and begin to understand myself. My rational mind tells me we are too different to marry. My emotions tell me something else. This is what you wanted to happen, was it not?”
Darcy stopped, took her hands, and looked into her eyes. “Yes and no. I hoped you would fall in love with me, but I also prayed I could convince you we would be perfect for each other. That marrying was also the rational thing for us to do. All I was sure of was that you had some affection for me. If we were not in such a public place, I would kiss
you and you would know how wonderful our love is. But as it is, I believe we need to keep walking and decide what we are going to do.”
He drew his eyes away from hers and tucked her arm in his again. “Are you willing to let me propose to you?”
“I believe that you have been proposing to me every time we have been together since the library at Pemberley. I still do not understand why your feeling are such that you are willing to propose to me, and I do not know how, in such a short time, I could have so much affection for you, because not long ago I thought I thoroughly disliked you. However, I do believe that from the very first time I saw you, I wondered if you were someone who could find me suitable. That is why your statement at the assembly so devastated me.”
He nodded. “It is true, I have been proposing to you. Will you tell me your answer?”
“If I let my emotions dictate, Will, I would say yes, but I still feel it would not be a good marriage for you. Those in my world will think I am the luckiest woman alive, but I cannot stand the thought that you and Georgie would be estranged from family and friends because of me. Also, I still believe that once we have been married for some time, you will better understand all my shortcomings and may be disappointed. I could not stand that.”
“Elizabeth, could you imagine living your life with me at Pemberley, socializing with my neighbors, who I am positive will accept you, and not taking part in the London social scene?”
“Yes. Pemberley is like heaven. But I do not believe, despite what you think at this moment, that you would want such a life. Besides, we would have to participate in the Season at least until Georgie debuts, and I do not think I would be well received. I believe a marriage between you and me would significantly affect Georgie’s chance for a good marriage.”
“I do not worry about her. She has a £30,000 dowry and an aunt and uncle who are part of the cream of the ton. They can handle her debut, if necessary. I do not think she will suffer. But I think that is a moot point. I do not think you will be rejected, but I am telling you that if you were, I would gladly live with you at Pemberley for the rest of my life. I rarely take part in the ton and will not miss it. We can still go to the theatre and just ignore those about us. I know we can visit your aunt and uncle and my cousins, and I am sure there will be others. But again, I contend you will be accepted by many and eventually by most.”
The Lady of the Mount and Patience Rewarded: Two Stories of Darcy and Elizabeth Page 28