Alas! Must sigh and break.”
Lizzy bowed her head in appreciation of the applause, and although she knew it was unwise, she looked at Mr. Darcy and felt tears welling up in her eyes.
“As you can tell, my uncle was correct, at least as far as I am concerned,” Lizzy said. “These love songs always make me cry.”
Mr. Darcy sprung out of his chair and handed her one of his handkerchiefs, and looking at her, he shook his head ever so slightly, as if to tell her that she need not cry and that all would be well.
Georgiana, who had organized the night’s entertainment, signaled for Avery and Potter, two of the footmen, who were accomplished fiddlers, to come in. The chairs and tables were quickly moved to the side, and the footmen began with a lively Scottish air. For the remainder of the evening, Lizzy was able to forget that the following day was to be her last at Pemberley.
The previous evening, Georgiana had suggested that the last day of their guests’ visit should be spent exploring one of the many caves in the Peak and mentioned Thor’s Cave, which was considered to be one of the most spectacular caves in all of England.
“Georgie, that is not possible,” her brother said. “With the short days and the vagaries of the weather, it cannot be done,” which his sister already knew.
“Maybe we should go Shepherd’s Cave? That is within easy distance of the house.”
Earlier in the day, while her brother had been otherwise engaged, Georgiana had conspired with Richard, and behind closed doors, the pair had plotted how best to get the two together and had settled on Shepherd’s Cave.
Since meeting Lizzy, Georgiana regretted her role in promoting Miss Montford to her brother. When she first had visited with Letitia, she found that she was not a particularly good conversationalist but believed that would change once a friendship was established. On her second visit, Letitia had played a sonata by Beethoven so exquisitely that she had been moved to tears. At that time, she decided that this sweet, accomplished lady would be kind to her brother, which was of utmost importance to her because she did not want someone like Augusta Selridge or Caroline Bingley for Will. It was only after experiencing Lizzy’s wit, intelligence, vivacity, and wonderful curiosity did Georgiana realize she had been championing the wrong lady.
“As you know, Richard, it is very tight in the cave, and as they make their way to the rear, they will be close enough to embrace.” With her vivid imagination, she could picture her brother taking Lizzy in his arms, and while so entwined, the colonel and she would slip away, leaving the two to speak of their love for one another. Richard agreed that it was their best opportunity to have them in such close proximity, but warned his young cousin that her brother was capable of many things, but making an open display of affection in front of others was not one of them.
Before Darcy would agree to such an excursion, he felt it necessary to explain to his guests that the only way to reach the cave was on horseback followed by a quarter-mile walk.
“Shepherd’s Cave is nothing to compare to Thor’s Cave, but we on the eastern side of the Peak have a few interesting caves of our own. Archaeologists from Cambridge have studied it and concluded that the cave has been in use for thousands of years, as there are a number of primitive drawings on the walls from prehistoric times. As interesting as they are, it is the stalagmites and stalactites caused by deposits of calcium-rich water dripping from the ceiling on to the floor of the cave that are truly fascinating.”
“Mr. Darcy, you need not convince us of the worthiness of your choice, as Mr. Gardiner and I will not be going,” Mrs. Gardiner responded. “Because it was mentioned in The Compleat Angler, my husband has already made plans for a fishing excursion near the Milldale bridge with Cubbins, and I promised Mr. Ferguson that I would spend my last day with him in the Chinese garden.”
After learning that the Gardiners would not be going, everyone looked to Lizzy.
“I have never been to a cave of any kind. So this is of interest to me, and I would enjoy seeing it. My only request is that I be allowed to ride Sugar. We are old friends now.”
Darcy silently thanked his sister for suggesting the excursion, and once again he had to admire her maneuvering, as he knew full well that the desired end had been Shepherd’s Cave all along. But that was something he would keep to himself, as he was pleased with her results.
Aunt Gardiner was not blind to what was going on around her but had said nothing because she could not imagine that Mr. Darcy of Pemberley would show such an interest in Elizabeth. Having grown up within a few miles of Pemberley, she was well aware of the prominence of the family, their extensive holdings, and wealth. Mr. Darcy also moved in a world so different from Lizzy’s that it would be an extraordinary event if he were to honor her with an offer of marriage. But after last night, when Lizzy could not hold back her tears because of her feelings for the gentleman, and when Mr. Darcy utterly failed to hide his love for her, she felt that she must speak.
“Did the dancing go on for much longer after Uncle Gardiner and I retired?” Aunt Gardiner asked, and while Lizzy finished her toilette, her aunt noticed the puffiness around her eyes and had no doubt that her niece had been crying.
“For about another hour. I do not know where I got the energy to continue, but Colonel Fitzwilliam is so entertaining that I did not want the night to end.”
“And Mr. Darcy?”
“Aunt, I know why you have come,” Lizzy said, “and I want to tell you that I am fine. In the past, I have shed some tears over Mr. Darcy, but last night I cried myself to sleep, and when I awoke very early this morning I said ‘enough.’ Nothing was ever going to come of this flirtation anyway, so I am ready to move on and put all thoughts of him from my mind. Jane writes that I have received a letter from Mr. Peterson, who is a very respectable man and one who owns a large farm near Watford. I was reluctant to encourage him because he had lost his wife a little more than a year ago, and his children are so young. But if he thinks he is ready to begin anew, I will receive him.”
“Please forgive me for being so forward, my dear, but what you and Mr. Darcy have between you is hardly a flirtation. The man is besotted, and I saw this despite his efforts to disguise it.”
“I am sorry to hear it because Mr. Darcy is to become engaged to a lady from London named Miss Montford.”
“Then why is he here and not in town?”
“I cannot explain his behavior, and it puzzles me exceedingly. If the matter of their courtship is still not settled, he should have remained in town and seen to it, and if the matter is settled, then he should not have come at all, knowing that I was here as the guest of his sister. But there are different rules for the Mr. Darcys of the world. In his sphere, he may come and go as he pleases, while I must sit and wait and say nothing.”
“Lizzy, I understand there are different rules for people of rank and always have been, but I cannot reconcile the Mr. Darcy I have come to know with the callous man you are describing. I think Miss Montford and he may have come to an agreement not to proceed with a courtship, which would explain why he is here and not in London. I know nothing of the Montfords, but I suspect the problem might lie with her parents. They may want to press forward because an alliance between their families would be quite a feather in the Montfords’ cap.”
“I am sorry, Aunt, if you think I have been too harsh because Mr. Darcy is guilty of nothing. He never made any promises to me of any kind. Our relationship, if you can call it that, has consisted entirely of a handful of conversations and even fewer dances, and he most certainly may come to his own home whenever he chooses. I just wish he had waited a few more days, so that I would not have been here.”
“But, Elizabeth, I think the reason he came now is because he cannot stay away from you. When he arrived, he declared that he had come for the shooting alone, but he will not shoot today as he is going with you to Shepherd’s Cave.”
“But it does not matter if he chooses to come or not,” Lizzy said, shaking he
r head as if to dislodge any thought of Mr. Darcy. “Today is my last day in Derbyshire, so I intend to enjoy the company of Miss Darcy, who is very agreeable, and Colonel Fitzwilliam, who is charming, and Mr. Darcy as well.” Lizzy walked to the window, and while gazing at the vast gardens and the woods beyond, she said, “Being at Pemberley is like going to sleep in my own bed and awaking in a beautiful and exotic foreign land. It makes for a pleasant dream, but reality comes with the first light.”
It seemed that the Darcys had clothes for every occasion, including a chest full of dresses, boots, bonnets, and breeches for when they went “caving.” But Lizzy had never worn uglier clothes in her life. When they arrived at the stables, the outfit actually got worse because, once they were in the cave, Lizzy would need to put on a wide-brimmed farmer’s hat that was coated with coal tar to make it waterproof. Mercer had come up with the idea for the coating during his years as a coach driver, and now he was inflicting it on his master’s guests.
“The ceiling of the cave drips, miss, and you don’t want that mineral water plopping down on your head and ruining a pretty bonnet,” Mercer explained.
“Do not worry about your appearance, Lizzy. The men do not look any better,” Georgiana said while glancing at her ugly brown riding coat. When the two gentlemen came out of the stables carrying their farmer’s hats, Georgiana started laughing. “Well, we may now proceed, as Farmer Will and Farmer Dick have arrived,” which made Darcy laugh. He found his sister to be delightful, and his most unguarded moments were when he was with her.
Because the trailhead was two miles away, Mr. Darcy had decided to travel there by carriage in case it should start raining and had sent the horses ahead with the grooms. As soon as Lizzy got in the carriage, Miss Darcy and the colonel’s plans became evident. The colonel chose to sit with his cousin, requiring Mr. Darcy to sit next to Lizzy. But as much as she liked the pair of intriguers, she could not support their efforts to bring Mr. Darcy and her together. It was time to put the gentleman behind her.
Once the wagon reached the trailhead, Darcy, who left nothing to chance, wanted to go over every detail with the grooms before sending them back to the stables, and while they waited for him, Lizzy went over to Sugar.
“Sugar is also the favorite of my nieces, the daughters of Lord Fitzwilliam,” the colonel said after watching Lizzy stroke the dappled gray’s face.
“Do they come here often?”
“Not often enough, as their father tries Darcy’s patience like no other. Usually, it is I who brings them, but, occasionally, Darcy will gather them up when Georgie and he are coming for a few weeks. The girls have drawings of Sugar on the walls of their nursery.”
“Sugar is perfect for me. With her wide girth, I feel quite secure.”
“Ah, a wide girth! That puts me in mind of my Aunt Catherine,” and Lizzy stifled a laugh. “That may seem unkind, but every time I look at Sugar, I cannot help but think of the august personage of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, as they are both broad abeam.”
“I have never met Lady Catherine,” Lizzy said, ignoring the colonel’s comment about his aunt’s girth, “but I might possibly in the near future, as my good friend, Charlotte Lucas, is to marry her vicar in a week’s time. I understand he is invited to Rosings Park every Thursday for the purpose of editing his sermons, and he is asked to stay for supper.”
“Good God! You are a relation to Mr. Coggins?”
“His name is Mr. Collins, and he is my father’s cousin. I do not know him very well as he has visited Longbourn only a few times.”
“This is astounding!”
“That your family and mine have a connection through Mr. Collins?”
“No, that his sermons are edited—certainly not for length.”
“Colonel Fitzwilliam, you are making me laugh when I should not.”
“You must understand, Miss Elizabeth, that one needs a sense of humor in order to have an aunt such as Lady Catherine. I have never met anyone who knows so little about so many things and is more than willing to speak about them at length, and her influence is felt far beyond Rosings Park.”
“Is she in the commission of the peace?”
“No, but she is an active magistrate in her own parish, and whenever her tenants are quarrelsome, discontented, or too poor, she goes forth into the village to settle their differences, silence their complaints, and scold them into harmony and plenty.”
“Mr. Collins shared a great deal about your aunt and Miss de Bourgh during his visit to Longbourn.”
“If Mr. Collins was truthful, then you know that mother and daughter are like night and day, Anne representing the day. Unlike her mother, Anne knows a lot about a lot of things and has a wonderful wit. Unfortunately, she is very frail and travels little. I hope you will have an opportunity to meet her because you would get on very well.”
By that time, Darcy signaled that they might proceed, and he helped Lizzy to get on Sugar. “Squeeze the saddle with your legs if you feel as if you might fall off,” and after handing her the reins, he added, “and tighten up on the reins. You hold them too loosely.”
Well, this was a great start as it appeared Mr. Darcy was already annoyed with her, and they had not even arrived at the cave. Just as well, she thought. “I don’t want to talk to you either.” But Darcy was not annoyed with Lizzy, but with his cousin.
“Richard, when we have an opportunity, you will have to explain to me how your flirting with Miss Elizabeth advances my cause.”
“Because if she is talking to me, then she is not looking at your scowling face,” Richard quickly rebutted, “and I readily admit I am attracted to her, but not in the way you think. We are kindred spirits as we both must wait for events to come to us. As a woman, she may not speak freely, and because I am a younger son, I am dependent on the kindness of my relations to keep me out of poverty. And please do not think me ungrateful because your allowance permits me to live in some degree of comfort, but sometimes this dependence on others sticks in my craw. But enough of this complaining. Today is a day for exploration, so onward to the cave!”
The first half mile of the trail allowed for two horses to ride in tandem, and so Richard took the opportunity to ride next to Lizzy. Scanning the expanse before her, she asked if all this land was a part of the Darcy estate.
“Most of it. What is not Darcy land belongs to the Ashtons, and Lady Ashton is Darcy’s aunt. However, if you go back in time, you will find the Darcy family’s holdings were in Hampshire, not Derbyshire, along with a barony. But the Darcys are a stubborn family, which cost them greatly, and that is why I am grateful that I am a Fitzwilliam.”
“May I ask what happened to cause the loss of the title and properties?”
“When it was wise to be a Protestant, the Darcys remained Catholic, an act of conscience and admirable, but they paid a price for it. Because of that, their properties in the south were confiscated during the Commonwealth and never returned to them after the Restoration of Charles II as other people, more important than the Darcys, wanted it. Instead, thousands of acres here in Derbyshire were substituted. But at that time, it was a wilderness, and the family had to start from scratch. As for the title, it went to another.
“Will is no different than his stubborn ancestors and continues the contrarian tradition. When it would serve him well to be a Tory, he remains a Whig. And speaking of wilderness, that is where the Whigs will be for years to come, and when the Prince of Wales ascends to the throne, Darcy will not profit, as he has made it known that he disapproves of the size of the prince’s allowance. He speaks his mind but, as I said, at a cost.”
“Yes, he does speak his mind. I was on the receiving end of it when we first met at an assembly. He mentioned within my hearing that as far as my beauty was concerned he found me merely tolerable and not handsome enough to tempt him to dance.”
“Good grief! Even for Darcy, that is a bit much.”
“Yes, but the next day, he came to my home to apologize, and it has bec
ome something of a joke for us.”
“I can assure you, Miss Bennet, that Mr. Darcy now finds you to be much more than tolerable.”
“So he has said on occasion. How much farther is it to the path to the cave?”
“The trail will narrow shortly, and then we will need to walk from there,” and he thought that Darcy had better move quickly. Time was running out, and he was in danger of losing the girl.
It was an easy ride to the trailhead, allowing Lizzy to take in the vista spread wide before her. She had visited many beautiful places in England, but there was something about the rugged beauty of the Peak District that enthralled her. Man’s hand was less evident here, and it was Nature stripped to its essentials that she found so compelling.
Accompanying the foursome was a lad of little more than ten. “This young man is Ben Avery, Ellie’s brother,” Darcy said by way of introduction. “He has been given the important job of carrying the torch when we go into the cave.” After tousling the boy’s hair and sending him on his way, Darcy shared with Elizabeth that Pemberley was awash in Averys. “In addition to Ellie, there is a sister who is a maid, their cousin John was one of the footmen who played the fiddle last night, and you practically trip over Averys when you are in the stables or carriage house. However, I imagine having an unlimited supply of Averys will soon change as a flannel manufactory has opened nearby, and one groom has already resigned his position to go to work there. But I believe in progress, and the factory will provide much needed jobs for those in the Derwent Valley.” He then pointed in the direction of the path. “But please allow me to go ahead of you.”
“Do you feel safe with me walking behind you, Mr. Darcy, on such a narrow path and on an incline?” After seeing how he had acted with Ben, her heart had warmed, and she felt the beginning of a thaw.
“Perfectly safe, Miss Elizabeth, as there are too many witnesses about,” and he returned her smile.
A Wife for Mr. Darcy Page 14