Darcy's Passions (21 page)

 

Georgiana joined him for a light breakfast before his departure. “I envy your ride this morning, Brother,” she teased. “I wish my escape was so easily achieved.”

“At least,” he grinned,“Charles will be
devoted
to you today.”

“I thank you again for that, Fitzwilliam.”

“I will see you at Pemberley tomorrow, my Dearest,” he took Georgiana into his arms and gently kissed her forehead. “By addressing my business with Mr. Howard today, I can be at your disposal tomorrow.”

“Be safe, Sir,” she pushed his hair out of his eyes. “It is just we two. I will plan our time at Pemberley carefully,” she laughed.

 

Darcy gave her one last hug and left the inn. The sun burned off the morning dew as he mounted the horse he secured from the stable. He would prefer Cerberus, but to be alone in the saddle delighted him. He turned the animal toward Pemberley and rode away; he stopped several times to rest the horse, not sure of the animal's dependability. He stayed to the roads until he drew closer to Pemberley; by taking the rolling hills surrounding the parkland, he knew he could save valuable time; plus, the prospect of the house coming from the far side of the lake always took his breath away. No one on the estate expected him until late evening and being alone on his lands brought him peace.

 

He rode into his stables at midmorning, scattering servants
surprised to see the master. The ride left Darcy covered in road dust and perspiration, but he dismounted the horse with the self-confidence he always displayed. Handing over the reins, Mr. Howard's approach from the back of the house startled Darcy.

“Mr. Darcy, Sir, we did not expect you until later today at the earliest,” he stammered.

“The rest of the party will arrive tomorrow,” he offered, shaking hands with his steward. “I hoped we could address our business later this afternoon; then I can be at my sister's disposal to help with our guests.”

“Yes, Sir,” Mr. Howard offered.“Whenever you are ready, Sir.”

“I will send word once I freshen my clothing,” Darcy turned toward the house.

“Mr. Darcy, Sir,” Mr. Howard continued, “Mrs. Reynolds reports there are visitors in the main house.”

“Visitors—I will try to avoid them. Thank you, Mr. Howard,” Darcy stared toward the house trying to see where the visitors might currently be.“I am not quite attired for social calls, am I?”

“No, Sir,” Mr. Howard mumbled.

 

Darcy thought the visitors would still be in the main corridors of the house so he followed the road from behind the stables to make a side entrance. Coming forward from the road, he encountered the visitors standing on the lawn leading down to the stream; they still looked toward the house, and, at first, he thought he would step back into the bushes until they passed him by when his eyes alighted on a figure he many times envisioned standing in this exact place; it was Elizabeth, and she was within twenty yards of him. His heart leapt at the sight of her, and Darcy momentarily froze. Her eyes met his, and they both blushed with the initial embarrassment of seeing each other for the first time since he left her at Hunsford.

Darcy's prayer was answered; Elizabeth was here at Pemberley, and he had a second chance. He recovered quickly and advanced to where her party stood; she instinctively turned away from him, but
when he called her name, she stopped and received his greetings. Although not as composed as he wanted to be at that moment, Darcy made a point of speaking calmly and with civility. “Miss Elizabeth, what a surprise to find you at Pemberley,” he blurted out while trying to steady his voice and his composure. He made her the obligatory bow, but he could not take his eyes from her face. It had been months since he had seen her, and he
had
to observe how she reacted to his presence.

Blushing, she curtsied and addressed him, her voice more composed than his. Elizabeth did not raise her eyes but said,“Mr. Darcy, we understood you were away.”

“No, no, I am not,” he answered as evenly as his composure would allow.

Elizabeth did not respond; obviously, her embarrassment was intense; she was a woman who was never at a loss for words. Darcy realized how she must feel at his finding her at Pemberley; she would
never
be here if she thought he was here. He had to let her know her choosing to come to
his
house pleased him. “I returned early; I have business with my steward. None of the household staff knew of my change of plans.”

“Your housekeeper assured us of as much,” she nearly whispered.

“Forgive me,” he said haltingly,“are your parents in health?”

She half smiled,“They are, Sir.Thank you for asking.”

The start of the smile sent his mind spinning with hope for some renewal of their acquaintance. She continued to be embarrassed, but no disdain showed in her being.

“And your sisters are in health, too?”

“They were, Sir, when we left Longbourn,” her voice had more volume.

“How long have you been in Derbyshire?” he must keep her talking; Darcy could not walk away from her.

“Two days,” she stumbled over the words.

“Your parents are in health?” he chuckled at his own discomposure. “Where are you staying?”
Oh, God, should he have said that?

“In Lambton—at the Royal Crown,” her uneasiness still
remained. She lifted her eyes briefly to him, evidently still expecting him to take some sort of revenge for their last meeting, but Darcy's mind was more pleasantly engaged. “We should not have disturbed your privacy, Mr. Darcy,” she faltered. “I can only offer my apologies.”

“Miss Elizabeth,” he stammered through the words, “you are always welcome at Pemberley.” He wanted to say more, but he realized how his unkempt appearance must betray the sedateness he hoped to present. “Please enjoy the grounds at your leisure.” With that, he made his bow and left her standing on the lawn.

 

He walked away quickly knowing once he propelled himself forward, he could not stop. If he paused even briefly, Darcy thought his legs would buckle under him.
Elizabeth was here at Pemberley.
If Hurst's carriage had not broken down, Darcy would still be in a village twenty miles away keeping Caroline Bingley company. Instead, he had a chance, although slim it may be, to show Elizabeth Bennet he learned from her accusations; Darcy was not the same man she refused at Hunsford.

Entering Pemberley, he took the staircase two steps at a time. He knew not what he would do, but he knew he must engage Elizabeth again before she left the grounds. Servants rushed about as he barked out orders for fresh water to be brought up to his dressing area immediately. He luckily sent Henry ahead last evening with some of the trunks to lighten the load of both coaches. He prayed as he ascended the stairs he would find Henry and fresh clothing awaiting him in his chambers.

At the top of the stairs, Darcy nearly ran into Mrs. Reynolds. “Mr. Darcy,” she exclaimed.“You were not expected.”

He did not acknowledge her remark, but he made his inquiry. “Mrs. Reynolds, the visitors—were they treated well?”

“Yes, Sir, I showed them the house myself.”

“Send word to the gardener to delay their leaving as long as possible. I wish to greet them properly,” he rushed by her.

“The young lady said she was an
acquaintance,”
the housekeeper
added as he started toward his chambers.

Darcy stopped dead in his tracks. “Did she say anything else, Mrs. Reynolds? I mean—about me?”

“She agreed she found you to be handsome,” she looked at the young master questionably. His contrary behavior to expectations made her unsure whether what she said was appropriate.“And she spent some time looking at your portrait in the gallery, returning to it several times. I thought that was unusual. Should I have not shared those areas with her party?”

Darcy's smile unmistakably showed his happiness. “Mrs. Reynolds, the young lady should
always
be welcomed at Pemberley.” Then he turned and rushed off to his chambers.

“Henry, I am glad you are here,” he called to his valet.

“Mr. Darcy,” the man hesitated,“what do you desire, Sir?”

“I want fresh clothes, Henry.There are visitors on the grounds I want to greet properly. I must be quick. They are acquaintances from my time in Hertfordshire.”

The man set about helping his master off with his boots as warm water was brought in for Darcy's bath. “The water is only warm, Sir—not hot.”

“It will do, Henry. Please hurry.”

“Yes, Sir,” Henry snapped into action, and in less than half an hour, Darcy exited one of Pemberley's side doors and headed toward the parkland.
Elizabeth!
Somehow Darcy must show her, as if she did not already know, the power she had over him. He was affectionately attached to her and would never see a woman whom he thought her equal, but he must not rush things. However, he had but a limited time; she may not be in Lambton long. One of the gardener's apprentices pointed the way the visitors took, and Darcy set out toward an abrupt rise. The apprentice apprised him of the whereabouts of the visitors; they entered the woods and ascended some of the higher ground and neared part of the stream. Darcy knew the gardener would lead them around the outskirts of the area; he would cut across the less traveled pathways to intercept them.

As he approached, he noted Elizabeth tried to compose herself; he saw the setting of her shoulders and the raising of her chin. There would be no more surprise for either of them for each had had a few moments of preparation since he left her on the lawn. His emotions felt the gamut of sensations; there was pleasure, pain, agitation, delight, and even a bit of misery. For her, it was obviously purely embarrassment—not disdain or contempt—just embarrassment at being found by him at his estate.

“Mr. Darcy,” she began, “Pemberley is
delightful
and
charming.”
Suddenly, she stopped as quickly as she began.At first, this confused Darcy, but then he saw the “horror” flash upon her face; she feared he might think her motive might be to regain his favor with praise of his home.

It amazed him to think she did not know he would give anything to be pursued by her. He assigned importance to her opinion so he asked,“Then you approve?”

Elizabeth blushed.“What type of person would not approve of such a home? It is so well situated—I never saw such an estate.”

“Your opinion is valued, Miss Elizabeth,” he said earnestly. His voice betrayed his anxiousness and the intensity he felt; yet, he maintained an elevated politeness, which seemed to confuse her. “Miss Elizabeth,” he faltered, “please excuse my manners—would you do me the honor of introducing me to the rest of your party?”

He detected a hint of a smile as she moved past him. “Mr. Darcy, may I present my aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. My sister Jane stayed with them on her recent trip to London.”

Darcy, a bit astonished, had taken the couple for people of fashion. He understood her hint of a smile; these were the same people he criticized at Hunsford. Although the folly of his earlier opinion stunned him, he did not turn away as she obviously suspected he might do. Instead, to her surprise, he began to walk with them and to converse with her uncle. Admittedly, he did not expect Mr. Gardiner to be the man of intelligence, taste, and good manners he was, and he did not expect to notice “hints” of his own father in the man's phrasing and gestures. He discovered he enjoyed
the short-lived conversation with Elizabeth's uncle, and as they came up on the stream, Mr. Gardiner paused to observe the trout. “Mr. Gardiner, do you enjoy fishing?” he asked cordially.

“Indeed I do, Sir.”

“Then please feel free to fish the stream, or the lake, for that matter, at any time you choose. I will have my man furnish you with tackle; let me point out some of my favorite spots.” He led her uncle toward the stream and began to point out secluded alcoves for the sport. “I hope you will fish at Pemberley before you leave the area.” Darcy could feel Elizabeth's gaze upon him; his actions a compliment to her earlier censure of his manners, he hoped she saw the changes. Curious about some water plant, Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner walked down to the brink of the river while Darcy spent his time with Mr. Gardiner, but as luck would have it, Mrs. Gardiner found Elizabeth's arm inadequate support when they turned back toward their carriage.

Mrs. Gardiner turned to her husband for his arm, allowing Darcy the luxury of taking a position next to Elizabeth. They walked on in silence with the lady speaking first.“Mr. Darcy, again I must apologize for disturbing your privacy. Your housekeeper informed us that you would certainly not be here until tomorrow. Indeed, before we left Bakewell, we were informed you were in London and not in Derbyshire at all. I feel horrible at your having found us here; it seems so inappropriate; my aunt had her heart set on showing me Pemberley, and I had no way of denying her that pleasure without a complicated explanation.” Neither of them wanted to openly discuss their last conversation so they talked in circles without acknowledging the obvious.

“Miss Elizabeth,” he started, “please do not stress over my finding you here. I am pleased to see you again. As I said before, business with my steward precipitated my coming forward a few hours before the rest of my party.”At this point, he hesitated, but he knew some reference to their acquaintances could not be avoided forever. “Among those who travel from London with me are several of whom you are familiar—Mr. Bingley and his sisters.”

Elizabeth lowered her eyes but gave a slight nod of the head as an acknowledgment of what he said. Darcy worried about the images of Bingley's name besetting her.There were scenes of their time in Hunsford such as the sharing of his mother's favorite walk, which brought them both joy, but there were also moments of pain, which affected their ease with each other even now. Yet, Darcy felt the pain softening, and he hoped for friendship and reconciliation; anything beyond that was a distant dream. They walked on, both embarrassed by the realization of their folly.