Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER ONE
"Shh! He will hear you for sure! Do you want to surprise our cousin or not?"
"We do! Yes, we do!" were the whispered answers from the youngest Bennet girls.
"Then be quiet—otherwise we will not hear him."
Kitty and Lydia held their peace. Their older sister Elizabeth—more commonly known as Lizzy—was bound to be right.
Sure enough, from their hiding place inside the hollow box hedge that grew beside the gravel approach to Longbourn, they could hear the unmistakable sound of a gentleman's boots scrunching on the stones.
Kitty opening her mouth to speak, was silenced with great forethought by Elizabeth, who placed a hand over her mouth.
"When I say so," mouthed Elizabeth silently.
The two girls nodded.
The sound of scrunching boots moved nearer. It had to be Mr. Collins—no one else was expected. At last, the footsteps drew alongside their hiding place; Elizabeth whispered "now" and they leaped out, screaming with delight, and threw themselves onto their prey.
As they had hoped, he was taken completely unawares and their assault bore him to the ground. All at once though, their laughter turned to consternation, as they realized that the gentleman on the floor was not their cousin, Mr. Collins, visiting from Hunsford, Kent, but their neighbor from Netherfield Park, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.
"What is this?" he grunted from his prone position.
"Oh, Mr. Darcy! Oh my goodness me! I do beg your pardon!" exclaimed Elizabeth, horrified. "Kitty! Lydia! Get off Mr. Darcy at once, and ask his pardon!"
They did as they were bid, curtsying and bowing as politely as their rather disheveled state would permit.
"Now go inside and tidy yourselves up. Hurry!"
"What about the odious Mr. Collins?" asked Lydia, perhaps the most persistently curious of all the Bennet ladies.
"We will find another way of torturing him," she answered. "Go now." She turned to their victim, who was now sitting up on the ground. "Pray get up, Mr. Darcy."
"I would have done so, Miss Bennet, but you are still holding on to my arm!"
Elizabeth realized that in her hurry to organize her sisters, she had forgotten to let go of Mr. Darcy herself, and blushing profusely, she now did so. He scrambled to his feet, then put out his hand politely to help her up. She pushed back the thick, dark-brown hair, which was constantly coming out of its chignon, and always seemed to be too heavy for her face, and looked anxiously up at him. He was a tall man, strongly built, with hair a shade or two darker than her own.
"I beg your pardon, most sincerely," said Elizabeth again. "The thing is, that we are expecting our cousin today and the younger ones wanted to surprise him. But—"
"But I got the surprise instead," he finished for her. "I take it that you do not have accurate news of when to expect your cousin, Miss Bennet."
"No, except that it was to be late this morning." She suddenly noticed that the visitor had not escaped unscathed from their attack. "Oh Mr. Darcy, your coat!" she exclaimed. "Allow me to . . ." and so saying, she began vigorously to brush the dust off the shoulders of his buff overcoat, standing on tiptoe because of his height. He endured this briefly, a smile of pure amusement crinkling the lines at the corners of his dark eyes and lightening the rather somber effect of the deep lines from his nose to the corners of his mouth.
"Enough," he said at last. "I'm very grateful, but that will do. I'm not one of your younger sisters needing tidying up."
Elizabeth chuckled at the sight of the haughty gentleman. "No indeed! Please come inside. Do you wish to see my father?"
"Thank you," he replied. "But first, since you have been kind enough to rectify my appearance, allow me to do you the same service." So saying, he plucked a twig out of her hair and solemnly presented it to her.
She led the way inside, where Mrs. Hill, the housekeeper, took the visitor's coat and wide-brimmed hat.
“I will leave you now, Mr. Darcy," said Elizabeth. "Oh, and might I ask you not to . . ."
“Fear not, Miss Bennet," he replied, bowing slightly, his hand on his heart. "Your secret is safe with me." She curtsied in reply, then went upstairs to find her sisters.
****
"Lizzy, was he very cross? Mr. Darcy always looks so cross! Is he going to tell Papa?" asked a voice anxiously through the banisters.
Elizabeth smiled up at Kitty, her heavy dark hair, so much like Elizabeth's own, flopping into her eyes.
"I don't think so," replied her sister, smiling reassuringly. "He didn't seem angry at all—more amused."
Kitty disappeared to tell Lydia the glad tidings. To have earned a punishment on the very day when the detestable Mr. Collins was due to visit would have been too dreadful to be borne.
Once upstairs, Elizabeth met her oldest sister Jane in the corridor. Jane, with her shiny straight blonde hair, blue eyes, and nicely curved figure, was commonly reckoned to be the beauty of the family.
"Hello Jane," said Elizabeth. “Lydia and Kitty are just tidying themselves. I thought I'd go and see Mama."
"Not until you've done some tidying yourself, I hope," replied her sister. "Look at the state of your hems! What have you been doing?"
It was frequently the case that the immaculate Jane had to remind her dearest sister about her appearance. Elizabeth looked down guiltily. There were dirty marks on the skirt of her gown from where she had knelt on the ground.
Grinning impishly, she said, "Wrestling with the proud Mr. Darcy!" before darting off from the room which she and Jane shared.
Downstairs, in the small study, Mr. Thomas Bennet was pouring his guest a glass of wine. It might be that Mr. Darcy, as a newcomer to the vicinity, would be in need of the advice of a long-established neighbor, but in general, advice seemed more frequently to be going the other way.
“I understand that your nephew is due to arrive today," remarked Mr. Darcy.
"I believe so," replied Mr. Bennet. My youngest are all very excited," Mr. Bennet said sarcastically.
"Yes, they certainly appeared to be when I met them outside," answered Darcy, hiding a smile. "Miss Elizabeth was with them."
"She's a good girl. I've no idea what we'd do without her."
Darcy thought of the romping hoyden whom he had just encountered. She had hardly seemed to be much older than her young sisters at that moment.
"What of your friend, Mr. Bingley?" went on Bennet. “Does he plan to lease Netherfield for long?"
"I think so," replied Darcy.
"He must have met many young ladies at the assembly," said Mr. Bennet.
They were silent for a few moments, Mr. Bennet thinking hopefully of Jane. There was no denying that Darcy would be quite a catch; there was no doubt that Mr. Darcy was well-to-do. Ten thousand pounds a year, as a matter of fact. Certainly from the reports, Pemberley had never been in a better state of repair, and the land that went with it was excellent.
Eventually Mr. Bennet said, "It is always a pleasure to see you, sir; is there any way in which I may serve you?"
"It's more a case of how I may serve you," replied Darcy with a smile. "I think I may have found a tenant for the cottage next door."
"You don't say so!" exclaimed Mr. Bennet. That's very good of you. How has this come about?"
“It's not by any means certain," warned Darcy. "Some
one of my acquaintance wants to retire to the country for a little while and is looking for a small property, without very much land."
“Then Crystal Cottage would be ideal," said Bennet eagerly. "When will you know?"
"I've told Mrs. Clarke to get in touch with your legal man. I would think you'll hear quite soon, if she decides to take it."
"I hope to God she will," said Mr. Bennet fervently.
Darcy thought for a moment, not wanting to pry. At last he said tentatively, "Is it bad?"
"Not good," replied the other, looking down into his wine. "As you know, we had a poor harvest, but then . . . well, never mind! We shall come about." He smiled, but there was a hint of strain behind his eyes.
Darcy said diffidently, “If a small loan would be of assistance. . . "
Mr. Bennet waved his hand. "No no, my dear fellow. I'm more than grateful to you for your offer, but borrowing really must be the last resort."
Soon afterwards, Darcy left the house, and was walking towards the gates at the end of the drive when he heard his name called. Turning, he saw Elizabeth hurrying towards him, her hair secured once more on the top of her head, her grubby bronze gown exchanged for one of dark green. It was not in the latest fashion, or even in the fashion before last, but of a shade that was very becoming to her.
"Mr. Darcy, I am so glad I caught you," she said, a little breathlessly. Her cheeks were flushed with color because she had been in haste.
“I wanted to make sure that we had not hurt you in our roughness."
“That's very kind of you, Miss Bennet, but I'm really quite solidly made," he smiled. “I've suffered no ill-effects at all. Are you out to enjoy the fresh air now? May I accompany you?"
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy, but I have only come outside to gather some flowers for my mother."
"How is she today?" he asked.
"Not well," she replied. "So I had better go and see her, then get on with the household duties." She made her curtsy, then hurried back into the house.
He turned to watch her. How many household tasks fell on to her shoulders, he wondered. Thoughtfully, he walked the short distance back to Netherfield Park.
Four years ago, Elizabeth had become engaged to Peter Stratford, a colleague of her uncle, Mr. Phillips. Peter's death the following year had caused her to bury herself in family concerns. Darcy hardly knew Miss Bennet; but that morning, he had a glimpse of a young woman who rather intrigued him.
****
Once she had gathered the best of the blooms that she could find, Elizabeth made her way to her mother's bedchamber. She was frequently lying in, and at other times she was often ill.
She entered her mother's chamber with the daffodils in her hand. Mrs. Bennet was sitting up in bed looking tired, even though it was only eleven in the morning. Elizabeth had grave concerns about her health.
“Lizzy, my dear, how nice you look. What lovely daffodils you have gathered for me. Grace, put them in water, will you, please?"
Mrs. Bennet's maid took the flowers, and went out. Elizabeth leaned over and kissed her mother's thin cheek, returning her smile.
“If I look nice, it's down to you, Mama, for you chose the material."
"Did I really?" asked her mother, wrinkling her brow. “It cannot be the stuff that we bought for you after you had become engaged to Peter Stratford."
"Yes, it is," answered Elizabeth, her brow only clouding slightly at the memory of her fiance who had died just before their wedding.
"It's lasted very well. It must be—two years old?"
"Four," replied Elizabeth quietly.
"So long," murmured her mother. "It's time you had something new."
"And so I will—when the younger ones are married," answered Elizabeth robustly. "They must come first."
"I know,” sighed her mother. And it is all my fault that you and Jane have missed your chances. If I had not been so wretchedly ill. . ."
"It was not your fault,” retorted Elizabeth. Seeing that her mother was becoming fretful, Elizabeth diverted her by telling her about the way in which she and her younger sisters had ambushed Darcy by mistake. She had no doubt that her mother would find the tale amusing, and she was not disappointed.
"I've no doubt that Mr. Darcy was quite rude," said Mrs. Bennet.
"Surprisingly, he found humor in the situation," replied Elizabeth.
Mrs. Bennet looked speculatively at her daughter. "I've always wondered whether he might not do for you," she mused, much to her daughter's surprise.
"But Mama, he is the most disagreeable man in the world," said Elizabeth, puzzled.
"Yes, but. . ." began her mother, then Grace came in with the flowers, and she broke off what she was saying. Elizabeth was not altogether sorry, and she began to speak about Mr. Collins's arrival. Mrs. Bennet's face softened.
"How lovely it will be to see him. Have you spoken to Cook?"
Assuring her mother that she would do so immediately, Elizabeth gave her a kiss and left. She thought again about the strange suggestion that her mother had made concerning Darcy.
He hadn't always been courteous. At the Meryton Assembly, Darcy danced only once, with Mr. Bingley's sister, and refused to be introduced to any other lady. Having caught Elizabeth's eye, he swiftly turned away. “She is not pretty enough to tempt me,” he said coldly to Bingley. Darcy then spent the rest of the evening walking about the room.
He certainly had never shown the slightest interest in her. In any case, after the pain that she had felt when she had lost Peter, she had resolved not to consider marriage again—especially to a man as frigid as Mr. Darcy.
There came into her mind a picture of Darcy prone on the ground after they had knocked him down, and she could not help but giggle. He would hardly be romantically interested in her after that!
Her thoughts were interrupted by her father putting his head out of the study.
“Lizzy, would you come in here and help me? I'm in a muddle with the estate accounts, again."
“Just a minute, Papa. I must see Cook first, if we are to eat tonight," she replied.
After agreeing with Cook that as Mr. Collins was very fond of potatoes, that should certainly be provided, along with chicken in oyster sauce, and some apple tart, Elizabeth returned to the book room.
“Lizzy, thank goodness," said her father in a relieved tone. "My totals will not balance."
"Let me have a look, Papa," said Elizabeth, sitting down and taking up a pen. "Perhaps I'll find that we have thousands more than you thought we had."
"Wish that were so," replied her father. "However, we may be in for some good news soon. Mr. Darcy came this morning to tell me that he may have found a tenant for Crystal Cottage for us."
"Mr. Darcy?" exclaimed Elizabeth. “That is very kind of him."
"Yes, indeed," answered Mr Bennet. "And he also offered to . . . er . . ." he cleared his throat—"er . . . that is, he was glad to help. My dear, I am sure that you will manage this much better if I am not here to interrupt!"
What had he been about to say? she wondered, after he had hurried out. It was strange how Mr. Darcy's name had come up in conversation with both her parents today.
What had Mr. Darcy offered to do? Probably he had offered to help them financially in some way. That must be avoided at all costs. They had managed to scrape by so far without falling into debt; it would not do to start now.
CHAPTER TWO
"There is a new arrival in the village, I am told," said Mr. Bennet to his daughter. “I understand that the new tenant for Crystal Cottage has taken up residence. Mr. Collins happened to be passing, and they exchanged a few words. I must call as soon as she has had a chance to settle in."
"No doubt we will meet her during the next few days—perhaps at church on Sunday," answered Elizabeth.
She was to meet Mrs. Clarke sooner than expected. She walked back through the churchyard, stopping briefly by Peter's headstone to tidy the flowers which had become a little disarranged by the wind. As sh
e rose to her feet once more, she turned and saw Mr. Darcy standing a short distance away with a stylishly dressed lady whom she did not recognize leaning on his arm.
"Miss Bennet," said Darcy when they met. This is an unexpected pleasure. Will you allow me to introduce you to Mrs. Clarke, who has taken Crystal Cottage?"
The two ladies acknowledged one another politely. Inexperienced as she was in fashionable ways, Elizabeth could tell immediately that Mrs. Clarke was dressed well. The olive green of her walking dress was very becoming with that shade of auburn hair, and Elizabeth would have been prepared to wager that her gloves, her boots, and her bonnet had only been purchased recently.
"Miss Bennet, I am very pleased to meet you," said Mrs. Clarke, in well-modulated tones and with a charming smile. "Mr. Darcy was just telling me about your family. Four sisters! It is so refreshing to find those in the country with high spirits, but good manners as well."
"From this, Miss Bennet, you will infer that they won't jump out upon Mrs. Clarke as they did upon me," put in Mr. Darcy with a smile.
"Oh good heavens! Is that customary? Do I have it to look forward to?" asked Mrs. Clarke in tones of comical dismay.
"Do not allow Mr. Darcy to alarm you, ma'am,” smiled Elizabeth. “My sisters jumped on him by mistake. They thought that he was our cousin visiting. Mr. Collins is a clergyman in Kent."
"We were about to take a look around the church,” said Darcy. “I don't suppose that you would care to accompany us?"
Elizabeth looked at Mrs. Clarke, not wanting to intrude, but could only see in her face an expression of polite interest, so she agreed.
Elizabeth had always been fond of the old church. It was here that she and Peter would have been married and after his death, she had frequently come here to sit, away from the noise and bustle that always seemed to be going on at home. Mrs. Clarke appeared to be genuinely interested, and asked Elizabeth a number of questions about the history of the church, all of which Elizabeth answered to the best of her ability.
"You are clearly an expert, Miss Bennet,” said Mrs. Clarke as they left the church.
“I'm not really," protested Elizabeth gently, before Mr. Darcy could say anything. "I just love the old church. All of us girls were christened here. Mama and Papa were married here, and I did think to have married here myself. . ." She broke off.
The Ramsgate Affair Page 1