by Louise, Kara
“Mebbe.” Foster said softly. “But it’d do ye well to put yerself back into the frame of mind in which ye was found that night.”
“Trust me. That would not do me well at all,” Darcy said with a quick shake of his head.
“Well,” Foster said, as he slapped Darcy on the shoulder, “whatever it takes to walk an’ talk a little more like that ne'er-do-well, I would suggest ye do it! I’ll remain wi’ ye fer jest tonight an’ then leave to find a ship, get it ready, an’ start spreading the word ’bout Lockerly. I’ll interview any men that show up before you do to git rid of any troublemakers. Evans an’ Lindel will stay an’ work wi’ ye fer the next three days to rid ye of yer refined manners, an’ they’ll also instruct ye in the basics of sailin’. Then in four days we’ll meet at the ship.”
Darcy was amazed at how quickly and thoroughly Foster could change from talking properly to speaking like the most uneducated ruffian. He also thought Foster looked a little too eager, as though he thought that this was an excellent plan. Darcy, however, had his doubts.
They rode the remainder of the way in silence. The silence was deafening to Darcy, for in all the talk of ridding himself of gentleman-like behaviour, Miss Bennet’s accusations resounded loudly.
*~*~*
At length, they pulled off the main road and came to a small house situated behind some trees. It looked like a cottage, smaller even than the main dining room at Pemberley.
“Here we are! Yer trainin’ – Lockerly – will continue ’ere.”
The carriage door was opened and Darcy began to step out, but Foster stayed him with his hand. “One more thing. I’ll no longer be Foster. Me new name is Forrest, an’ Evans an’ Lindel are now Ellis an’ Lansing.”
Foster did not wait for Darcy’s response, but extended his hand for Darcy to step out and directed him towards the house.
As Darcy walked towards the small structure, Foster called out, “A lit’l more swagger an’ a limp might be nice!”
Darcy tightened his jaw and then did what Foster said. He heard the men snicker softly.
They entered the small home, and the aroma of bread baking and some sort of meat dish greeted them. Darcy wondered how long it had been since he had eaten a decent meal.
He was shown to his room, and Foster turned to leave, saying, “We’ll be eatin’ in half an hour. Clean yerself up… but only jest a little.”
The room was small, but Darcy was grateful it was clean. The last place he had stayed – before being thrown into a gaol cell – most likely had not been cleaned in months. An opened satchel was on the bed, and when Darcy peered in, he saw clothing.
He was anxious to get out of the clothes he was wearing, but when he pulled out a white shirt with ruffles down the front and billowing sleeves, much like the sails on a ship, he threw it back down into the satchel.
He shook his head. “I refuse to wear this nonsense!”
He walked to the basin and picked up the pitcher. He poured water into the basin and dipped his hands into the cool water, bringing them up and splashing it onto his face. His fingers ran over his stubbly beard, and again he wished for his valet’s attention. How much he would love a bath. How much he would love – and desperately needed – a shave.
He picked up a towel and patted his face dry. At least that part of him felt clean. He walked over to a mirror and braced himself for what he would see when he looked into it.
The person who stared back at him seemed a stranger to him. His hair was longer than was deemed decent, just brushing his shoulders. The natural curl was flattened with oil and grime. His beard had filled in a good deal since the last time he had seen his reflection. His eyes were red, and dark shadows lay beneath them. His lips were dry and cracked, and he wore a scowl. Perhaps he actually was turning into a pirate!
Darcy let out a huff and sat down on the small, narrow bed. He was tempted to lie down and fall asleep, hoping he would wake up from this nightmare. But the nightmare was not only having to pass himself off as a pirate, but having to face the accusations about his character that Elizabeth Bennet had attributed to him.
The dinner bell rang. Good! He would push that thought aside for now and enjoy a decent – he hoped – meal.
He walked down the hall to the small dining room and found the three men already there. He greeted them with a nod of his head.
“No need fer all that formality, Lockerly,” Foster said with a smile. “Jest come in an’ sit down wi’ the rest of us.”
“Thank you,” Darcy replied.
“Now where’d ye learn all yer manners, Lockerly? No need to say please an’ thank ye to us.”
Darcy sat down, deciding he would not speak unless spoken to. He placed the cloth napkin on his lap.
“No, no, no!” Lindel cried out. “Ye ’ave no need fer a napkin! Yer shirt sleeve’ll serve the purpose better.”
“You mean the shirt in my room with sleeves big enough to sail a ship and ruffles that should only be worn by a woman?” Darcy shook his head. “Indeed, I shall not wear that!”
“Ye must look the part, Lockerly, in addition to speaking an’ acting the part.” Foster took some potatoes from a bowl and set it back down in front of him. “But there are other shirts in there without the ruffles. Ye ken wear those.”
“Good! Please pass me the potatoes, Foster.”
Foster was looking down at his plate and turned his head slowly, lifting only his eyes to Darcy. “Who is ye talkin’ to? Me name is Forrest an’ I’ll do no such thing. Ye’ll reach across the table for ’em, as ye’ll do fer anything else ye want!”
Darcy sat there for a moment stunned, and then suddenly he began to chuckle. Then he began to laugh out loud.
“What’s so funny?” Evans asked.
Darcy shook his head and extended both hands. “This! All this! I would have loved to have gotten away with this behaviour as a child, but having proper manners was instilled in me with severe repercussions if I exhibited otherwise. It has been so long that I have lived that way, that it has become a part of me. I am really not sure I can do this.”
“Trust me,” Foster said. “By the end of our stay ’ere, ye’ll not think twice ’bout ’aving to speak or act a certain way.”
By the time Darcy retired for the evening that first day, his mind reeled with everything the men had tried to teach him. The inarticulate din that had been coming out of his mouth caused him to shudder. But if he had hoped that having a diversion such as this would rid his mind – and his heart – of Elizabeth Bennet, he was mistaken. Every mention of ridding him of his gentleman-like behaviour made her accusation as fresh as if it had happened yesterday, not just over two months ago.
Chapter 5
Elizabeth stood at the rail of the ship, a hand tucked through her father’s arm. The fog had begun to lift, and rays of sunlight could be seen dancing across the water. A mild breeze moved the ship steadily along the Thames towards the English Channel.
“My dearest Lizzy, I am glad you agreed to accompany me to see my sister. I would not have wished to travel alone, and you are sensible enough to know that you are the one person whose company I find most pleasing and suited to my temperament.”
“I am delighted you wished for me to come along.”
He reached over and patted her hand. “Truth be told, I am concerned about Viola. I have no idea how she will be when we get there. She most likely will be in a sickly state, possibly worse. I needed to have someone strong by my side if we find her at death’s door. I know you will prove to be invaluable to me.” He shook his head sombrely and took in a deep breath. “I only wish I had made more of an effort to see her these past few years.”
Elizabeth placed her hand over his. She felt his long, bony fingers and the rough calluses on his knuckles and gave his hand a light squeeze. “I shall be there for you, Papa. If you need a shoulder to cry on, use mine.”
Mr. Bennet waved his other hand through the air. “Upon my word, you know I never cry…”
<
br /> Elizabeth stole a glance at her father and thought she saw his eyes glisten.
He was silent for a moment, and Elizabeth finally said, “We shall make this a very special visit, Papa. We shall enjoy every moment with her and take good memories home with us.”
“Yes, yes, my dear, we shall.”
The two stayed up on deck until the boat reached the English Channel. They passed the White Cliffs at Dover and ventured further out into the sea. The waves became a little choppy, and the wind picked up, moving the ship briskly along. Salt water sprayed into their faces, and they both decided it would be best to return below deck.
*~*~*
The ship made good progress to the Isles of Scilly with a steady wind, relatively calm seas, and a very knowledgeable and courteous crew.
Elizabeth’s cabin was small, but clean. It had two beds, a chest of drawers, and a single mirror on the wall.
Elizabeth got along splendidly with her travelling companion, Miss Alice Whiting. She was thirty-seven, never married, but seemingly content in her circumstances, living with her brother and his wife. Mr. and Mrs. Whiting loved to travel, and his sister almost always accompanied them. This was their third journey to the Isles of Scilly to visit friends. They loved the beautiful beaches, mild weather, and lack of crowds.
Despite a rather large age difference, Elizabeth and Miss Whiting discovered they had much in common. They both delighted in observing people, and more than once they shared a laugh over something someone said or did that they found diverting.
They were both early risers, and the first morning out at sea they enjoyed a leisurely walk on the deck of the ship before most people were up. They found that the morning waters were calmer than later in the day.
The two ladies also discovered that they had read many of the same books and enjoyed the same favourite poets, which prompted lively discussions between them.
There was one other thing they had in common. They had both turned down a proposal of marriage.
Miss Whiting confessed to Elizabeth that she now regretted turning down the proposal from a man for whom she had felt only a friendship. She was under the impression that she would have had more strength of feeling if she truly loved him.
Elizabeth admitted to Miss Whiting that she had also turned down a proposal, but one that she did not regret at all. She could readily laugh as she told Miss Whiting about Mr. Collins and his oddities. Then she told her about how her friend Charlotte readily stepped in to mend any sort of broken heart Mr. Collins may have suffered at Elizabeth’s refusal, and promptly secured his offer of marriage for herself.
“I honestly believe,” Elizabeth told her, “that his pride was wounded more than his heart by my refusal.” She smiled and shook her head. “He would have had a difficult time going back to his patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh without having secured some sort of understanding with a lady.”
As much as Elizabeth could laugh about refusing her cousin’s offer and readily talk about his unpleasant ways, she could not bring herself to mention refusing Mr. Darcy’s offer of marriage. It was something that still aroused a great many mixed feelings within her.
As they walked together the second day out, Miss Whiting brought up the subject again.
“Do you think it wrong, Elizabeth, for me to wonder how different my life would be now if I had only said yes to him? I am not unhappy living with my brother and his wife, but I wonder if I truly made a mistake.”
Elizabeth took her arm and patted it. “We all wonder about things like that, Alice. I often wonder how different my life might be if I had had a governess growing up, or maybe even a brother. From time to time we all ask how things might be different.”
“Yes, we do, but there is a difference in wondering about being in different circumstances that you cannot control and wondering about having made a decision that affects you the rest of your life.”
Elizabeth looked straight ahead. Accepting Mr. Darcy’s proposal would certainly have changed her life, but she could not say that she actually regretted her answer to him.
“Do you know what happened to the young man?” Elizabeth asked after a few moments of silence. “Did he ever marry?”
Alice nodded. “Yes, within a half year. I think it was then that all my regrets surfaced.”
“I can understand that,” Elizabeth replied. Then with a laugh, she added, “I was more shocked than anything else when I heard of my friend’s engagement to Mr. Collins. I could not understand how she could do such a foolish thing.”
“Well, it is good that you know you did not make a mistake. I, on the other hand, do not have such assurance.”
Elizabeth tried to smile, but could not. Mr. Darcy had not turned out to be the villain she had first thought him to be, yet she still felt he had acted injudiciously in discouraging Mr. Bingley in his affections for her dearest sister, Jane.
Elizabeth let out a mournful sigh. She had the assurance that she did the right thing in the one proposal, but did she have it in the other?
*~*~*
The journey to the Isles of Scilly took them just within sight of the English shoreline as they made their way south and west. Occasionally the coast would be out of sight, and then different points of land would jut out enough to give all the travellers a feeling of reassurance that they were not drifting aimlessly out in the middle of the vast sea.
On the morning of the third day out, the two ladies were up on deck, knowing they would be arriving soon at their destination. Miss Whiting told Elizabeth to watch on the right side of the ship for the small rocky outcroppings that were off St. Martin’s island.
“They will keep a good distance away from those dangerous rocks,” she said. “Apparently the rocks all around the Isles of Scilly have taken many a good ship down, including a fleet of four naval ships in the 1700s.”
“Heavens!” Elizabeth replied. “That would certainly make for an undesirable adventure!” She let out a laugh keeping a lookout on the starboard side. “Let us hope that our captain keeps well away from those rocks!”
The boat finally docked at the port on St. Mary’s without any such adventure. Elizabeth and Miss Whiting wished each other God’s blessings and went on their separate ways.
Elizabeth joined her father, and they disembarked the ship. She held on to his arm as people rushed past, eager to reach their loved ones or set off to their final destination. The merchant ship had been transporting a variety of produce and textiles, and large crates were offloaded onto carts, which were now making their way out of the harbour.
A young boy walked towards them, asking people he passed if they needed assistance. Mr. Bennet reached into his pocket and pulled out some coins and a slip of paper. He stopped him with a wave of his hand.
“Young lad, we need a carriage to convey us to this address. Would you be so kind as to find a driver to take us there?”
The boy bobbed his head, taking the coins and the piece of paper. “Yessir, I’ll fetch one fer ye at once!”
They waited just a bit longer before seeing a carriage round the corner, the young boy running alongside as he directed it to Elizabeth and her father. The carriage driver stepped down, and Mr. Bennet pointed out their luggage. He gave the boy another coin for his promptness.
With a quick nod of his head and a “Thank ye, sir,” he skipped away.
Elizabeth and her father stepped into the carriage and sat across from one another. As the carriage moved along, Elizabeth turned her head from one side to the other, enjoying the view out of each window. They climbed a small hill and Elizabeth looked back at the harbour. Although smaller than the one in London, there were a good many ships of all different sizes. They rose and dipped in harmony at the command of the waves. And out beyond, in the other direction from which they had come, she could just barely see the perilous rocks, some large and some small, that stood ready to battle any ship that dared come near.
“So, Elizabeth,” Mr. Bennet said after a while. “From all that
I could collect by your manner of speaking, you and Miss Whiting seemed to enjoy each other’s company. Of what interesting topics did you speak to find you so engaged?”
“We talked about things women like to talk about. I am quite certain you would find it all tedious!”
“I suspect you are right, Lizzy, but I have no objection to hearing about your new friend.”
Elizabeth laughed. “We spent many late nights talking about how she has had to live with her brother and his wife as she never married and how I live in a household with four sisters, three of whom are quite silly, but one who is my dearest friend.”
“Miss Whiting seemed pretty enough. She has had no suitors, eh?”
Elizabeth bit her lip. “She did tell me about a proposal she once turned down and now regrets – just a little.”
Mr. Bennet laughed. “Splendid! I suppose you were able to lament about the proposal you turned down and now regret, eh?”
“You know I most certainly have no reason to lament turning down Mr. Collins’s proposal, for I do not regret it in the least! What I did lament was how Charlotte took it upon herself to secure his engagement herself.”
“Imprudent affair on her part, indeed. But I fear, my dearest daughter, that your mother still begrudges you for refusing him.”
“Still? But she does not say anything to me about it anymore.”
“That is because I admonished her not to say another word to you about it,” Mr. Bennet said as he reached out and patted Elizabeth’s hand.
“I thank you for that, Father.”
“Oh, she had a difficult enough time of it when you visited Charlotte in Kent. I do not think a day passed when she did not wonder aloud how you felt now that you had seen how content Charlotte was being married to Mr. Collins. For you must know how often Mrs. Lucas talks about it.”
“I imagine so,” Elizabeth said softly.
“No need to fret about it. I believe your mother was more upset about not being able to boast to Mrs. Lucas about your marriage to my esteemed cousin and instead has had to put up with Mrs. Lucas boasting to her.”