“Will and Mr. Bingley race phaetons, and it is a very exciting sport. But we shall declare victory if you learn how to have the team go at a trot. It is all in the reins.”
That simple statement took an hour to achieve, but when Lizzy realized the two horses were actually doing what she wanted them to do, she was all smiles. And that day was as perfect as the one before it and the one after. No matter the weather, fog, light rain, wind, or cold mornings, Lizzy’s days at Pemberley were sublime, that is, until she learned Mr. Darcy was coming.
“Lizzy, this is such good news,” Georgiana said as she stood in the foyer reading her brother’s letter. “Will is coming to Pemberley with our cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and you will like the colonel very much. He is charming and witty and gracious as well as being an excellent dancer and card player.”
Lizzy pretended to be pleased with the news, but what she really wanted to do was flee.
“Oh, this is disappointing,” Georgiana said as she continued reading. “Will writes that he is coming to shoot, fish, and ride, and he has underlined all three.” Turning to Lizzy, she explained, “He has not fired a gun once this season, and December is nearly upon us, so you can imagine his frustration.”
“Georgiana, this may be a good time to remind you that as wonderful as our time here has been, it must come to an end. Mr. Gardiner needs to return to his business and Mrs. Gardiner to her children, and I must go back to Longbourn as my dearest friend, Charlotte Lucas, is to marry shortly.”
“But I would really like for you to meet Colonel Fitzwilliam, who is a particular favorite of mine. Although Will does not say exactly when he is coming, they should be here no later than three days hence.” Georgiana pleaded with Lizzy with her big eyes, which she had probably used to get whatever she wanted since she was a child, and they got her what she wanted once again.
“I shall ask my aunt and uncle if we may stay for another three days, but after that, we must go.”
“Will! Richard!” Georgiana shouted from the top of the staircase when her brother came into the foyer with Colonel Fitzwilliam. “You are early,” she said too loudly as she rushed down the stairs. She kissed her brother on the cheek before turning to her favorite cousin, and standing on her toes, she gave the tall, fair-haired colonel a kiss before he lifted her off her feet and hugged her.
“Let me hear it, Georgie,” the colonel said, and it was not until she had said “Uncle!” that he put her down. It was a ritual they had established when Georgie, as a young girl of twelve, had developed romantic notions about her handsome cousin, and Richard, recognizing that her excessive attention was a clumsy attempt at flirting, had turned it into a game.
With Richard and Georgie happily engaged, Will let out a loud whistle that brought David and Goliath from the far reaches of the house, and when Darcy crouched down to pet his whippets, their enthusiasm knocked him over. They were crawling all over him and licking his face, and it was minutes before he could get them to settle down. This scene was repeated every time Darcy returned to Pemberley.
It was at that point that the dour Mr. Jackson arrived and, standing as erect as any sentry, waited for orders from his master. Darcy, feeling a little foolish sitting on the floor in front of his butler, finally stood up, dusted off his coat, and asked Jackson to send word to Mr. Littlejohn, the gamekeeper, that the colonel and he would be shooting later in the day.
Darcy explained to his sister that their early arrival was due to the fact that they had not come from London.
“After Mercer heard a noise he did not like, we stopped in Derby so that he could have a look at the undercarriage. We stayed with the Hulstons, and they send their regards. And where are our guests?”
“Mr. Gardiner is still in his room. He has been out fishing every day, and I think he finally exhausted himself. He certainly exhausted Cubbins. Mrs. Gardiner and Mr. Ferguson have become the best of friends, and it is so very touching to see the two of them talking about plants and flowers. Since Mrs. Ferguson died, he has barely put two sentences together, but now the words are flowing.”
“And Miss Elizabeth?”
“I believe she is walking near the gazebo. I did not go out with her today because I was preparing for your arrival, but you have caught me unprepared.”
“No worries, Georgie. We are here for the shooting. Continue to see to your guests as you have done all week, and Richard and I will take care of ourselves. Please excuse me, as I want to spend a few minutes with Mr. Aiken before I meet with Mr. Littlejohn.”
Will was barely out the door when Georgiana turned to the colonel. “What news from London?” and Richard brought his cousin up to date on the unhappy Miss Montford, Georgiana’s equally miserable brother, and the plan he had put into action with Lord Fitzwilliam.
“Oh dear! Are we seriously relying on Antony to solve our problems? He is usually the source.”
“Georgie, you know he is an incurable gossip, and we are relying on him to do just that.”
“And Will is agreeable to this plan?” When the colonel nodded, she said, “He must be desperate to be free of Miss Montford if he is deliberately involving Antony. Your brother gets under his skin like no other. When we were at the Clermont ball, Antony had a wager with Sir Edgar about the color of Lady Eleanor’s eyes and asked Will to settle the bet. Antony lost!”
“Well, it has been awhile since they have been together—years in fact. But never mind that. If Antony performs as expected, your brother will be in his debt.”
“He will not like that.”
“But he is willing to do what he must to be rid of Letitia Montford in a manner that will not embarrass her.”
“Which will free him to be with Elizabeth,” Georgiana said with a smile.
“Exactly.”
After Darcy had finished meeting with his steward, he went to the stables with David and Goliath in lockstep behind him. While he waited for the gamekeeper, he asked Belling to bring out Macbeth, his favorite horse, but one who was starting to show his age. When he had left for town, the black stallion had been favoring his back leg.
“He’s been treated royally, sir, and he’s got used to it. If he give you any trouble about being ridden, it’s because he don’t think he has to earn his keep no more.”
Darcy smiled and then ran his fingers along the white blaze marking on his forehead, and after looking into his eyes, he saw that there was still a fire in them. He knew Macbeth had a lot more to give before being put out to pasture. Darcy had always been attracted to animals with spirit, and he had a good eye for it. David and Goliath had been the runts of the litter, but you would never know it from the way they ran at the bigger dogs, including his father’s Great Dane. The horses he loved the most were those who wanted to show him what they could do.
As Belling took Macbeth’s tether from him, a splash of color at the top of the hill caught his eye, and he immediately recognized Elizabeth Bennet’s blue coat. It was the same one she had worn when she had walked to Netherfield to visit her ailing sister.
“Sir, that lady is Miss Darcy’s friend, Miss Bennet,” Belling said, following his master’s gaze. “She walks up there every morning and usually runs down the hill going at a right good gait. She probably ain’t doing it today because of last night’s rain making the grass as slippery as ice. She’ll be coming this way because she gives Sugar a few carrots before going up to the house.” Before taking Macbeth back to his stall, Belling asked Mr. Darcy if he should send Cubbins to see what was keeping Mr. Littlejohn.
“No, that is not necessary. I am in no hurry.”
As much as Lizzy liked riding Sugar, walking remained her greatest pleasure, and she enjoyed walking to the top of the hill where a gazebo provided a vista of the surrounding countryside. From this vantage point, Lizzy had a clear view of the manor house and gardens, and she would wait for the reds and yellows of the gardens below to rise out of the mist in tiny bursts of color. It was her favorite thing to do at Pemberley.
&
nbsp; But as she waited for the first signs of the endless rows of chrysanthemums to emerge, she realized that today everything would change. It was the last morning in which she could roam the grounds freely as Mr. Darcy was expected in the late afternoon. Upon his arrival, all formalities would have to be observed, or she might shock the lord of the manor with her casual dress and bonnet left behind on her dressing table and long braid hanging down her back.
Since Mr. Darcy would be arriving later in the day, Lizzy thought she might ride Sugar around the lake. She had not gone out yesterday because of storm clouds. Now that the morning mist was rising, it looked as if this would be a good day to go riding, and it would be her last opportunity to be with the aging mare.
As she approached the stable, she looked down at her muddy boots and the dirty hem of her coat, and she remembered the time she had arrived at Netherfield in her soiled frock. “Six inches deep in mud,” she had heard Caroline Bingley say, followed by Mr. Darcy’s remark that he would not approve of his sister going about in such a way. “Well, you may have something to say to Miss Darcy about where she walks,” Lizzy said to herself, “but I am not going to let a little rain and some puddles keep me from walking on such a beautiful morning, especially with winter just around the corner. So there, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley.”
As Lizzy walked the path leading to the stables, she was met by a growling David and Goliath, and when she took another step, they started to bark at her, which was unusual. In fact, she had never heard so much as a yelp from either dog. She then remembered something Ellie had said: “If you want to know where Mr. Darcy is, all you need do is find David and Goliath.” After hearing Mr. Darcy’s voice ordering his dogs to stop barking, she came to a complete stop and tiptoed her way back down the path.
“Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Darcy said, poking his head around a bush.
“Mr. Darcy,” Lizzy said, bowing and wishing for all the world that she had worn her bonnet so that he might not see her wild hair or how embarrassed she was to be found in such a state.
“I thought we agreed at Netherfield that if you wished to go unnoticed, it would be best for you to stay off the gravel,” and looking at her hem, he said, “and I see you are still having difficulty avoiding puddles.”
“We had a brief storm last night, and the path leading to the gazebo is quite muddy as a result,” Lizzy said, pointing up the hill to the cause of her less-than-ideal appearance.
What was he doing here? And why was he so handsome with his amazing eyes, which were gray today, having taken on the color of the sky, and even with his long riding coat, she could see how well his breeches fit him. Oh God, do not look there, she thought. You are already blushing, and you are at risk of embarrassing yourself even more than you already have, and she looked everywhere but at him.
“You were not expected until this afternoon, Mr. Darcy,” she said, talking to the bushes in a voice that was almost an accusation.
“I am sorry to disappoint you by coming so early, Miss Elizabeth, but I have only come from Derby, not London. We actually should have arrived last evening.”
“Well, if you had, sir, I would have been properly dressed today,” and she flipped her braid over her shoulder. Looking at her hem, she added, “I would most certainly have kept to the gravel paths if I had known I was to encounter the lord of the manor.”
“You look fine, Miss Elizabeth,” he responded, and then he could stand it no longer, and he went to her and took her in his arms. He kissed her, and just as he had imagined a hundred times, she clung to him, savoring every kiss and pressing in against him.
“Mr. Darcy, Mr. Littlejohn is here,” Belling said, interrupting a beautiful daydream.
“Tell him I will be with him in a few minutes, Belling,” Darcy answered, annoyed by the interruption, but grateful that he was wearing a long coat. Turning his attention once again to Lizzy, he asked her what she had been doing during her time at Pemberley. “Other than stuffing Sugar full of carrots.”
Lizzy smiled. He was trying to put her at her ease, and she felt some of the tension leaving her neck and shoulders.
“Belling took us by wagon to visit White Peak, and we had a lovely picnic. Your sister spent a whole day teaching me how to drive a phaeton. Please do not laugh,” she said when she saw his smirk. “I can now handle a pair of horses quite well as long as they are old and will only be asked to go around the lake.”
“It is for the purpose of teaching novices how to drive a phaeton that we keep the older horses in the stable,” he said, still laughing at the thought of an inexperienced Elizabeth driving a pair of horses, “and I commend you for trying. Anything else?”
“Not really. My uncle is determined to fish in as many streams on the property as possible, and my aunt cannot be kept from the gardens. So we have been quite content to remain at Pemberley.”
“So you have enjoyed your time here?”
“Who would not? When we leave on Thursday, I will know exactly how Adam and Eve felt when they were expelled from the Garden of Eden,” and for a second, a wave of regret passed over her as she thought about what she would leave behind.
“I understand from Miss Darcy it is your intention to engage in only manly pursuits,” Elizabeth teased. “No lawn bowls or strolls around the lake for you and the colonel. You have come for the shooting and to ride and fish. But, perhaps, we may pass each other in the gallery, or I may see your coattails as you go out one door and I come in another.”
“Miss Elizabeth, I have come for the sport as I have not shot a gun this season, and I rarely ride in town as parading about in parks is not for me. So please do not think I am trying to avoid you.”
Lizzy laughed. “You would not have to avoid me, Mr. Darcy. This is your home. It is I who must give way.”
This statement caused his whole demeanor to change. “Surely, you do not think I would want you to leave Pemberley because I have come.”
“No, I do not think that, but then we do not know each other very well. Can either of us be certain of what the other would do in any given situation?” and Lizzy took a step back, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken.
But Mr. Darcy closed the gap between them, and after taking Lizzy by the forearm, he looked at her with an intensity she had not witnessed before and said, “You know me well enough.”
But Lizzy did not think she did. If she had, then she would know why he was in Derbyshire. “I do know some things about you that I did not know before coming to Pemberley.”
“Such as?” he asked, unsure of what she might say. Her statement that she did not know him had stung.
“That you know how to play the pianoforte and can perform duets with your sister.”
Darcy let out a sigh of relief, and after letting go of Lizzy’s arm, he said, “Georgiana is a wicked girl for telling you such a thing. I play badly and for an audience of one—my sister.”
“But now that we know your secret, you will be hard-pressed to avoid our requests for a tune.”
“Miss Elizabeth, I see that you have been able to indulge in two of your most favorite things while at Pemberley: teasing and walking.”
“But it was your sister’s hope that I would be so comfortable at Pemberley that I would act in exactly the same manner as I would if I were at Longbourn.”
“I agree with Georgiana. I would not want you to change because you have come here,” including wearing your hair down, he thought. He would love to be the one to take her hair out of its braid and to brush it himself, but those things were reserved for a husband. “You may be very sorry you have discovered my closely held secret, Miss Elizabeth, because you will now be forced to listen to my flawed efforts on the pianoforte. Last time I played a tune, David and Goliath ran out of the room.”
With an impatient Mr. Littlejohn within her view, Lizzy said, “I will leave you to arrange for your shoot, Mr. Darcy, and look forward to tonight’s entertainment.”
“Consider yourself warn
ed,” he called after her, and he turned his attention to manly pursuits, so he might not spend the whole day thinking about Elizabeth Bennet.
As Lizzy approached the manor house, she saw a handsome gentleman walking toward her. Assuming that he was Colonel Fitzwilliam, she stopped and waited while he approached and decided that she would never again leave the house without a bonnet.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam at your service,” the man said and made a deep bow. “Please forgive me for not seeking a proper introduction, but I have heard so much about you, Miss Bennet, that I have circumvented convention.”
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Colonel Fitzwilliam, as Miss Darcy speaks of you with the deepest affection.”
“I am fortunate in having two wonderful female relations, Miss Anne de Bourgh of Rosings Park in Kent being the other one, and I see too little of both.” Holding out his arm, he asked if he might walk with her back to the house.
“But weren’t you on your way to the stables to join Mr. Darcy? He is arranging for the shoot with Mr. Littlejohn, and I have no wish to detain you.”
“I will be with Darcy all afternoon, and why should I stand by while my cousin discusses the specifics of the shoot if I can enjoy the pleasure of your company?”
“I am afraid Miss Darcy may have exaggerated my attributes.”
“I do not think so, and Miss Darcy was not my only source.”
So Mr. Darcy had spoken about her to his cousin, which meant what? Lizzy could feel something like resentment building up inside her. She wished that Mr. Darcy had stayed in town, so that she might enjoy the rest of her holiday and not have to think about what had happened in London.
“So you are here for the shooting, Colonel.”
A Wife for Mr. Darcy Page 12