Through the Window 2

by Mary Jane Ballew

  After Elizabeth finished with Mrs. Smith, she went to the library to find Caroline sitting with Kitty and Jane. “Miss Bingley, I was wondering if you might like to take a turn with me in the gardens?”

  Caroline furrowed her brow in confusion. “I am sorry, Mrs. Darcy, were you speaking to me just now? I am sure I did not hear you clearly,” she asked as she looked over at Kitty and Jane.

  Elizabeth laughed, “Yes I was, I thought perhaps you might show me around the gardens. Mr. Darcy is busy with his steward, and Georgiana has gone to lay down with a headache. I thought since you have stayed here on several occasions you might like to accompany me. I know you have a keen eye for the finer details of things and thought you might be able to show me all the lovely areas around the gardens.”

  Caroline hesitated for a moment. She was not sure what she should say. “I suppose I could accompany you. I will go and get my wrap.”

  Elizabeth waited until she returned and then the two of them headed out the side door and into the garden area. “Mr. Darcy mentioned that there is a rather interesting maze situated in the middle of the garden. I would very much like to see it; have you ever ventured in?”

  Caroline smiled. “On several occasions, yes. Mr. Darcy has shown both myself and my brother the gardens here at Windham House and at Pemberley.”

  Elizabeth looked around the garden. There were beautiful evergreen trees that lined each side of the walkway all the way from the door. There were two large urns that sat on either side of the steps that were filled with smaller topiary trees. Off to the right were several dormant rose bushes and other various kinds of bushes and shrubs. There were two small sitting areas near the entrance to the garden maze. “Mr. Darcy said the gardener enjoys sculpting with the greenery. I am looking forward to seeing the maze. He said there is a lovely little area at the very center of it. He remarked that it was one of his favorite spots to read in the warmer months.”

  “Yes, I believe he shared that with my brother as well. I know Georgiana often spends time there reading,” Caroline said.

  Elizabeth smiled. “I will count on you to guide us then since I have not been through it before now. I fear without your guidance, I would probably only get lost.”

  Caroline furrowed her brow. “I would have thought you and Mr. Darcy might have stopped here on your wedding trip. Am I to understand this is your first time to Windham House?”

  “Yes, it is,” Elizabeth told her. “We had planned to come here, but then William had some business to attend to so we returned to Pemberley instead.”

  Caroline suddenly seemed that much happier to be joining Elizabeth on her walk. “Then please, allow me, Mrs. Darcy, to show you all the wonderful places that this home has to offer. Of course, you, having only ever stayed at Cheapside when in London will not have had the opportunity to see the truly magnificent gardens and rooms that some of the more refined homes of London have to offer, I am sure. I believe you will find this garden to be truly wonderful. The mazes are perfectly manicured year-round. I do believe Mr. Darcy’s gardener takes great care in keeping everything just so.”

  Elizabeth knew Caroline would enjoy the fact that she had knowledge of Windham House that she herself did not have. She smiled politely and listened. She reminded herself why she was going out of her way to spend time with her. If she was going to help Caroline find her own Mr. Darcy, then the two of them had to be on equal footing, Elizabeth decided. “You must call me Elizabeth. We are all such close friends and family now. I see no need for formality, do you?”

  Caroline hesitated for a moment before responding. She thought about what Darcy had said to her before, about how Elizabeth would always be his wife, the comment still stung just a little. “Yes, of course. You are right, Elizabeth. How very remiss of me not to suggest it myself. I hope you will call me Caroline.”

  Elizabeth listened as Caroline led her around the gardens and through the maze. She took note of how lovely the area was. There were several large trees that surrounded the back of the house; they made one feel as if they were still in the country. When they finally got to the center of the maze, Elizabeth could understand why it was that William liked the spot so much. There were several beautifully sculpted topiary trees, some stone statues, and a lovely water fountain that sat in the middle with two nearby benches for seating. “It is so lovely and peaceful here,” she said as she walked around the area. “The fountain is very beautiful.”

  Caroline nodded her head. “Yes, it is. I believe Mr. Darcy went to great lengths to make this look like one that he saw on one of his trips to Paris. Although the fountain will probably be turned off very soon due to the colder weather.”

  Elizabeth nodded her head. “I think you are right about that,” she said. “William mentioned that he had much of the house remodeled after the home he stayed at while he was there with his father. He spoke very fondly of that time. I can understand why William and Georgiana would enjoy this spot so much. I imagine in the summer when all the roses and flowers are blooming; this must be truly amazing.”

  Caroline looked around the garden. “I do remember the last time we came was in June, and the flower’s lovely fragrance just seemed to linger all around you. As I recall, it was a rather pleasant, quiet sort of place.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “Perhaps William and I will find our way back here during the warmer summer season.”

  “It can be a lovely time to visit. There are several very nice parks around London that are particularly beautiful in the summer. I have always preferred London to the country myself,” Caroline said as she looked back at the house. She sighed just a little as she considered that it might have all been hers if not for Elizabeth and her entrapment of Mr. Darcy. She thought about how she should proceed going forward. Mr. Darcy had made it very clear to her at Netherfield that he was in love with his wife. Caroline realized that there was very little chance she would be able to persuade Mr. Darcy into seeing how beneath him his marriage was. She wondered if there might be another way to come between them. Perhaps there might be a way to cause Mr. Darcy to fall out of love with Elizabeth; then she could have him to herself. To do that, she would have to get closer to Elizabeth. “I just realized, you have not shared with me how you like Pemberley. You must tell me all about your time there,” she said as sweetly as she could manage.

  It was Elizabeth’s turn to be surprised. She knew Caroline was not really interested in being her friend, so this sudden turn in mood was puzzling. “I like Pemberley very much. It is exactly as I imagined it would be.”

  “As I recall, you were at Pemberley before you, and Mr. Darcy settled on your engagement. I think it must have surprised you just how magnificent the place truly is. I imagine you must have been struck with the prospect of how wonderful it would be if only someday you might be mistress of such a house,” Caroline said in a rather odd way. She wrapped her arm around Elizabeth’s arm as they began walking back up to the house.

  Elizabeth was not entirely comfortable with this display of warmth and friendship from Caroline. She knew the lady well enough to be leery of her. “I can honestly say that was not going through my mind when I first saw Pemberley.”

  Caroline furrowed her brow. “Then you did not like Pemberley when you first saw it?”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “No, that is not what I meant to say. I liked it very much; I just was not thinking of living there or my being the mistress of Pemberley at the time. At least, not in the way that you described.”

  “Surely by then, Mr. Darcy must have conveyed his regard for you?” Caroline commented. “I would have thought by then there would have been some kind of understanding between you two.”

  Elizabeth did not like where this conversation was headed. She did not want to share all the intimate details of her and William’s relationship with Caroline. She felt as if she was losing control of the conversation and she wanted to regain it. After all, in walking with Caroline in the gardens, Elizabeth hoped to get to know her bett
er, so as to aid in finding a husband for her. She considered what to say, “I believe for both William and me, our feelings came about so gradually that we both held very high regard for one another before we even realized it.”

  Caroline feigned a smile. “Now I better understand your meaning, I suppose,” she said. She had hoped to learn some additional information that might help her cause in separating Elizabeth and Darcy from one another.

  Elizabeth smiled, “I have always thought of our relationship as one that has grown with time. We came to a place where we both liked and respected one another,” she told her. “We found as we came to know one another better that we share so many things in common. For example, our love for walks, our love for reading, our devotion to our friends and family, our mutual desire for children; these are just a few of the things which I believe can aid in our building a truly happy and lasting marriage.”

  “I am sure you are right,” Caroline said somewhat snidely. “Although I have no experience myself in this area, so I cannot really say what makes for a truly happy marriage.”

  “But I am sure you have considered what you hope to one day have?” Elizabeth suggested.

  “I do not think I understand your meaning?” Caroline commented.

  “Well, I suppose what I am asking you is if you were to meet your future husband while we are here in London, what would he look like?” Elizabeth asked.

  Caroline narrowed her eyes a bit, “Do you mean what would he look like physically?” she asked her somewhat puzzled by the question.

  Elizabeth laughed just a little, “Well yes,” she answered her. “But more than that. Whom would he be? What kind of marriage do you hope to one day have?”

  “I cannot say,” she said as she furrowed her brow.

  “Surely you have given it some thought, Caroline?” Elizabeth commented. “Surely you have some idea of the kind of man you wish to spend the rest of your life with. You must have considered the sort of man you would one day fall in love with and marry.” When Caroline did not respond Elizabeth asked, “Have you really never given any thought to the sort of character you might like him to have?”

  Caroline bit at her bottom lip as painful old memories washed over her. “I do not know…” she said, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with sorrow and regret.

  Elizabeth laughed just a little; she did not realize how upset Caroline was. “Oh come now, there is no need to be coy. I dare say every young lady at one time, or another has thought about the man she would someday spend her life with,” she suggested. “Perhaps when you were younger, when you first came out into society, you thought about what you hoped your future life would be like and the man you would spend it with?”

  Caroline was caught off guard by the questions. She honestly was not sure how to respond to Elizabeth at that moment. There was a time when she knew exactly the kind of man she wanted to marry, but that was so long ago she had almost forgotten. As agonizing memories filled her mind, she did her best to bury them again. The truth of the matter was for so long, she had been driven by one purpose, and that was to marry wealthy. She was determined to marry someone who held position and wealth. Someone of high rank and connection, someone of superior birth so she would never be looked down upon ever again. When Charles met Mr. Darcy, he fit that description perfectly, and she began her pursuit of him. As she stood there, she suddenly realized that she had been so caught up in the idea of one day marrying Mr. Darcy and becoming the mistress of Pemberley she did not consider anything or anyone else, not even her own heart. Her only desire was to be Mrs. Darcy and to have all that would come along with the title. “I must admit that I do not know the answer to those questions,” she said as they reached the house again. Caroline suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She felt confused by the realization that she had no idea what she hoped for in a marriage. She pulled away from Elizabeth and lowered her eyes. She tried to keep her emotions in check as she said, “I find I am suddenly feeling unwell. I am sorry, but I think I should go and lay down for a time. If you will excuse me, Elizabeth.”

  She furrowed her brow in confusion, realizing for the first time just how distraught Caroline was. “Yes, of course,” she said as she watched her go. Elizabeth sighed heavily. That did not go exactly as she had hoped it would. She was just about to go inside when William came out to join her.

  “Elizabeth, is everything all right? I passed Miss Bingley just now, and she seemed rather distressed. I believe she may have even been crying,” Darcy said as he came up and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.

  “I am afraid I do not know what to make of her hasty retreat just now. She and I went for a walk together in the gardens and I…” she began to say when he interrupted her.

  “I beg your pardon, darling; did you say that you and Miss Bingley went for a walk together in the gardens, or did you mean to say you were both walking in the gardens at the same time?” he asked her for clarification.

  Elizabeth smiled and shook her head. “No, I meant that we went walking in the gardens together. I wanted to see the maze, and so I asked Caroline to show me how to make my way through.”

  Darcy furrowed his brow. “If you wanted to explore the gardens more, why did you not come and find Georgiana or me?” he asked as he took her arm in his and they walked over to a nearby bench.

  “You were still busy with Mr. Fletcher and then with Richard,” she reminded him. “And Georgiana was playing the pianoforte for a time before she went to her room. I did not want to disturb either of you, so I asked Caroline to accompany me.”

  Darcy helped Elizabeth sit down on the bench and then sat down next to her. “Well, tell me darling; what do you think of your home and the gardens?”

  Elizabeth’s mind was otherwise occupied, and she tried to think of how to proceed with her plan to find a husband for Caroline. She did not hear William say her name until after he repeated it again.

  “Elizabeth, are you feeling well?” He asked, his voice filled with concern.

  She smiled and nodded her head. “Yes, I am well,” she said. “William, may I ask you a question?”

  “Of course, what is it?” Darcy asked her.

  “Do you have wealthy friends that might be in want of a wife?” she asked him.

  Darcy furrowed his brow, “Do you remember when we were last at Pemberley and you made me promise to tell you if you ever behaved as your mother…”

  Elizabeth laughed, she knew as soon as she asked the question, that it must have sounded rather odd to him. “Oh, William, I am asking because of my plan to help Jane by finding Caroline someone to marry.”

  Darcy smiled as relief washed over him. “Oh yes, now I recall you telling me about this notion of yours to find a husband for Miss Bingley,” he said. “I suppose there are some of my friends that may be of interest to Miss Bingley, but I will freely admit I am reluctant to suggest anyone to you.”

  “Why ever not?” Elizabeth asked somewhat surprised by his response.

  He laughed, “Because my dear, I would not be a very good friend if I recommended Miss Bingley to them. I cannot say I think she would be a very good match for anyone. She is a most difficult woman. You know for yourself how miserable she has made poor Jane these past weeks. Why would I want to subject someone I call a friend to a lifetime of that?”

  Elizabeth sighed. “Oh, I had not thought of that,” she admitted. “Well, what should we do? Caroline will never settle for someone who is not wealthy and comes from a position of status with the right connections.”

  Darcy narrowed his eyes. “When did this plan of yours become ‘we,’ instead of ‘you’?”

  Elizabeth smiled sheepishly, “I was hoping that you might consider helping me in this endeavor?”

  Darcy kissed her hand and smiled. “No, I will not. I am afraid I cannot be of service to you,” he said. He saw that she was just about to protest, so he continued. “And honestly, I would advise you against meddling in Miss Bingley’s affairs. I am sorry for the difficulty sh
e has brought to Jane, but it has been my experience that no matter what the motive, attempting to manipulate matters of the heart is not a very good use of one’s time, nor does it ever end well. If Jane is truly unhappy with Miss Bingley, then she should speak with her directly, or at the very least she should talk with Charles.”

  Elizabeth considered what he said. “Will you be angry with me if I encourage her to find someone without involving you?”

  He thought for a moment, “I will not be angry with you, but I will not help you either. I really do think you should leave Miss Bingley to find her own husband.”

  She smiled. “I understand, Mr. Darcy, and I will not impose on you,” she said, then added, “However, I will just say in defense of my meddling that every single woman needs a little help and guidance from time to time.”