All Hallow's Eve (71 page)

“Perhaps when she is older she may, but for now I would be grateful for your assistance in teaching her to respect her elders by having her address you more formally.”

Elizabeth’s mouth formed into a silent, “Oh,” and she nodded.

At a look from Mr. Darcy, the governess told Georgiana that story time was over, and it was time for a writing lesson. The remainder of the group said goodbye to Georgiana and headed toward the library.

As they walked, Mr. Bennet asked William what he had been sketching, and William handed him the pad, blushing. “This is very good!” Mr. Bennet said as he slowed to look at the beginnings of a sketch of Elizabeth. “Have you studied with a master?”

“A little, sir. I enjoy it, but…”

“But?”

“Mr. Bennet, at school the boys tease me, saying that drawing is a girl’s activity, so I do not practice when away from home.” William blushed again.

Mr. Bennet smiled. “Ah! Lizzy is often told she should not read so much, and that girls should not learn mathematics or science or ancient languages or play chess because they are all things that boys usually do. What is your opinion, Master William? Do you think I should not allow her to learn these subjects?”

William’s look could be described as horrified. “No, sir, I would not change anything about Miss Elizabeth.”

“What do you think Lizzy would say to anyone who dared to tell her that she likes boy’s activities? Do you think that would stop her from doing what she loved to do?” Mr. Bennet said with a smirk.

William tried not to smile while saying, “I cannot imagine what she would say, but I know she continues to do what she enjoys as long as you do not forbid it, sir, and she is proud of her accomplishments. I do admire her spirit, Mr. Bennet.”

“One would think that the father has much to teach the daughter, but Lizzy tends to teach me more than I could have dreamed possible. Perhaps you can learn a lesson from her in this regard as well?”

“Thank you, sir.”

He clapped William on the shoulder, and the two picked up the pace to catch up to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.

When they arrived at the door of the library, Mr. Darcy allowed Elizabeth to enter first. She took a few steps into the room, and all eyes were on her expression. Elizabeth stood wide-eyed and open-mouthed as she looked around the room. She whispered, “
This
is your private
library
?”

“You do not have to whisper, Miss Elizabeth. We are the only people here. This is just a small sample; the true collection is at Pemberley,” Mr. Darcy answered.

The eyes that none of the gentlemen thought could open wider, did. “This is but a
small
sample? But… there are more books here than in my uncle’s bookshop!”

“I am very proud of our collection, Miss Elizabeth. It is the work of many generations of Darcys. Your father spent many hours ensconced in this room during his youth, as well as in our library in Derbyshire. Do you like it?”

“It is…
heavenly
, sir!”

July of 1804 – Hertfordshire – Three years later…

After inspecting the wheel to their coach, Mr. Darcy shook his head while addressing the driver, “John, take the lead horse and ride ahead into the next village. I am certain they will have someone able to repair the wheel. If there is an inn at the village, inquire about any available rooms for us.”

“Yes, Mr. Darcy. I’ll be back as soon as I can, sir,” John responded as he unhitched the lead horse from the coach.

“We will need to send an express to Georgiana’s nanny in London when we know where we will be staying, William. I trust the delay in our arrival in London will be only a day or two in duration. You will still have plenty of time to shop for what you need to begin your life at Cambridge.”

“We could not be more than two or three hours from London by horseback, Father. If it should take more than two days, we could always ride.”

“Excuse me, can you tell me if Longbourn is anywhere near here?” asked Mr. Darcy of the
labour
er who was seen walking down the road towards them. William’s eyes brightened. Mr. Darcy remembered his son’s disappointment to have missed Mr. Bennet’s visits in London several times over the past three years, especially on those occasions that Elizabeth had also been present. William knew that Longbourn was in Hertfordshire, but had no idea where it was exactly.

“Yes, sir. ‘Bout a mile back from where I came.”

“Thank you.” Mr. Darcy handed the man a coin, then turned to William. “What good fortune! I would enjoy a visit with Bennet while we wait for the wheel to be repaired. Would you rather stay with the coach, William?” Mr. Darcy could not resist laughing at the disappointed expression on his son’s face. “I was only jesting, son!” Turning to the footman, he said, “James, we are walking ahead to the estate of Longbourn. Please stay with the coach and ask John to follow to inform us of his findings in the village.”

The two began to walk in the direction in which the
labour
er had pointed, but came across a group of boys along the road. They asked the boys if they were headed in the right direction, and the boys obligingly showed them a shorter footpath to Longbourn. As they were walking through the woods the boys had indicated, William looked up, and his attention was drawn to some colo
u
r that did not belong in a tree, piquing his curiosity. As they approached, he noticed shoes, stockings and a bonnet at the base of the tree. Smiling, he looked up and found exactly what—or who—he was looking for.

At the sound of an embarrassed, “OH!” Mr. Darcy looked up as well. Thirteen-year-old Elizabeth Bennet was standing on a tree branch high above them.

“Good afternoon, Miss Elizabeth! It is good to see you again.” Mr. Darcy said with a smile of his own.

“Mr. Darcy… Mr. Darcy, good afternoon. I would curtsy, but that would prove to be a bit difficult at the moment.” She flashed the gentlemen a brilliant smile and began to climb down the tree. For a moment both gentlemen were undecided concerning what to do, caught between seeing her safely to the ground and retaining her modesty. William turned his back first, whispering, “Father, I have it on good authority that Miss Elizabeth climbs trees rather often. I think she will be safe without our assistance.”

“Oh? Just where have you come by this information?”

“Though it was discussed three years ago, sir, it is of her own words that I speak. From the looks of it, things have not changed much.” Both Darcys tried not to laugh too loudly.

“May I ask you both to remain facing that way while I return my footwear to its original state?”

“Certainly, Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Darcy said with a smile in his voice. “May I ask what you were doing up in that tree?”

“Yes, you may, sir. I am the captain of a pirate ship and was standing in the crow’s nest looking for the next scallywag from which to plunder booty, of course. May I ask how you came to be in these woods, sir?” Her voice betrayed her struggle with one of her stockings.

“Certainly. We are on our way to London to prepare William for Cambridge, and our carriage wheel has broken. Since we found ourselves not far from Longbourn, we could not pass up the opportunity to visit with your father and you. May I ask where your
crew
is presently, Madam Pirate?”

“Are you both well? I do hope none of your staff was injured!”

“We are well, Miss Elizabeth; no one was injured. I thank you for your concern,” replied Mr. Darcy, pleased with her inquiry.

“And the horses?”

“They are fine, Miss Elizabeth.” The Darcy men exchanged a warm glance. It could never be said that Elizabeth Bennet was not a very caring person.

“Mutiny, sir!” Elizabeth exclaimed loudly as she put her foot right through the stocking with a little too much enthusiasm. The sound of the cloth giving way caused the gentlemen’s smiles to reappear. She glared at her bare foot with ire before shrugging her shoulders. “My crew would insist that the captain should
not
be the one to climb to the crow’s nest. I felt that since I
was
the captain that I should be allowed to make the rules, and I told them that if they did not like it, they could walk the plank, and so they did. May I now ask if it was three boys who directed you along this path, sir?”

“Yes it was, Madam Pirate.”

Fully redressed, Elizabeth walked around to face the gentlemen, put her hands on her hips and said, “Aye, as I thought. They sent you this way on purpose to embarrass me!” she glared in the direction of the path on which the boys had departed and then looked back to the gentlemen before her. After a moment during which the gentlemen could see a multitude of thoughts pass through her eyes, she smiled at them and said, “But I am glad they did, because if they had not, I might have stayed up in that tree the rest of the day and missed your visit entirely.
That
would have been a shame indeed.” Elizabeth’s smile changed into another glare as she crossed her arms across her chest, “Now, me hearties, if you wish to escape alive from the Dreaded Pirate Lizzy, you must agree to take a blood oath that you will
not
tell my mother that you found me in the crow’s nest, nor may you give away my secret identity as the Dreaded Pirate Lizzy.”

As she spoke, William observed that Elizabeth was taller and thinner and even more awkward looking than the last time he had seen her, but her personality had the same special quality that he remembered, and the same intelligent sparkle was present in her eyes.

“May I tell
Mr
. Bennet, Madam Pirate?” asked Mr. Darcy.

“Oh yes, that would be fine, sir—just do not tell my mother!”

Though his son endeavored to hide his amusement, Mr. Darcy could not help but allow a chuckle to escape. Elizabeth held out her hand for the gentlemen to each shake in order to seal their agreement, and so they did.

“Have either of you ever
met
my mother?” Both gentlemen shook their heads, and Elizabeth continued to speak as she began walking, leading the way to Longbourn they presumed, “Aye, me mateys, it is just as I feared,” She said with a sigh. “Well then, you should prepare yourselves. If you insist upon a visit to Longbourn, you will be fussed over excessively and may even be witness to a scolding or two of my most unladylike manners while my angelic sister Jane is praised to the skies. Please
do
understand that my Jane deserves every word of praise she receives—more actually. But my mother’s praise embarrasses Jane exceedingly, and so my mother’s habit of persisting in it, no matter how deep a shade Jane’s blush becomes, is not
favour
ed by either of us. She might even push Jane towards you, Mr. Darcy,” she warned as she turned to look at William, “for she is fifteen years of age and will be out next year. She is the most beautiful girl in all of England, in my opinion! But I give you leave to pay my mother no mind, for Jane and I have sworn an oath to marry only for the deepest love, and
I
will not let her fall into any traps set by Mama to marry a man just because he is rich!” The Darcys exchanged another amused look, and William blushed.

After a brief silence, Elizabeth continued, “I must tell you that I took your advice, Mr. Darcy,” looking back over her shoulder toward William again, “and took up embroidery, which did
a little
to
quiet my mother’s fears of my forever being a hoyden and never marrying. Please note that I did
not
say ‘catch a husband,’ as you had instructed me to avoid the phrase. I have put much effort into improving my skills at embroidery, though I still do not get on very well at all.” She frowned and walked on for several minutes before saying in a more subdued tone of voice, “It is not only for my sake that I ask you not to mention what you saw today, but for your own and for that of my parents. Mother is a very excitable lady and would more than likely need her smelling salts if she
were
to know that two such fashionable gentlemen witnessed my misdoings. Father would certainly need to rush you all off into his study to avoid witnessing a severe attack of her nerves.”

Trying to steer Miss Bennet away from giving a full account of
all
their family secrets, William asked, “Perhaps you can show me a sample of your embroidery while we visit?”

“Certainly, if you wish it, sir, but I do give you fair warning that once you see what I have managed, you may soon wish you had never made that request!” She laughed, then continued, “Though I am told I should, I have not yet learned to accept empty praise, gentlemen, and I always know when it is not deserved, so please do not offer any to me.” Elizabeth stopped walking, forcing both gentlemen to stop short almost bumping into her, though she did not seem to notice. She cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brow, then turned to them before saying, “Though, on second thought, if you feel you
must
to avoid insulting my mother, I give you permission to do so. I will know the difference.” Elizabeth nodded a little and said, “I trust your superior judgment in the matter and will endeavor to accept your compliments gracefully,” she concluded with a bright smile and began walking again.

Both gentlemen hesitated a few moments to exchange another amused look between them before following Elizabeth again. William thought that life within her family must certainly never be boring!

The trio trod on towards Longbourn, and before long, they heard someone whistling. Elizabeth’s face brightened with another smile, and her dark eyes twinkled with delight. “Baron Leisenheimer?” she called out in the direction from which the tune was coming. The whistling stopped, and a slightly portly gentleman of medium height and with a tuft of blonde hair in a half-halo around his head came from around a bend of an intersecting path.

“Ah, Miss Lizzy! How good it is to see you! I was on my way to visit at Longbourn,” Baron Leisenheimer said with a thick German accent and a cheerful demeanor. “I see that you have an escort today, my dear.”

Elizabeth introduced the gentlemen, “Baron, allow me to introduce Mr. George Darcy and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire. Gentlemen, please meet Baron Charles Ludwig Leisenheimer of Purvis Lodge, formerly of Prussia.” The typical greetings were exchanged. “Mr. Darcy,” she said to William, “do you remember I told you of the gentleman who taught me German? This is he.”

“Taught? I did nothing of the kind. You
absorbed
the language, dear girl! I barely put any effort into the endeavor at all, and you had more interest than either of my own daughters did,” he chuckled, his eyes twinkling with obvious affection for all three girls.

“Are your daughters still at home, Baron?” Mr. Darcy asked as they began walking toward Longbourn once again.

“No, my girls are grown now, Mr. Darcy. My Gwendolyn is married these three years and Cynthia a little less than two… a fine choice of husbands, if you ask me. Both had spent some time every year in London with my wife’s relatives while growing up, so the fact that the German language is not very fashionable influenced their choice of learning Italian and French instead. Miss Lizzy was a great help to them there, though they were so much older than she,” he explained to the gentlemen. “My preferences, like Mr. Bennet’s, are for the country, so we rarely accompanied them to town for long after I sold my business. Miss Lizzy has been almost like another daughter to us and a great comfort to me when she stops by to check up on me every day since my wife is away assisting my Cynthia during her confinement. Mrs. Bennet has commanded that I attend tea every day while my wife is away. There are not many men brave enough to risk displeasing such a woman as she; and I, for one, have never passed on good company. But, I did not know the Bennets had other guests today….”