Only Mr. Darcy Will Do (7 page)

No, he was not a man who was easily understood.

She knew not what to expect once they arrived at Pemberley and could only hope that she would be able to stay sequestered away with Emily as the remainder of the Willstone family enjoyed the hospitality of Mr. Darcy and his sister.

Elizabeth was seated beside Rosalyn and across from little Emily as the carriage rambled down the dirt road, full of ruts and pits from recent rains. The travellers were tossed by the swaying of the carriage, much like Elizabeth’s thoughts. Their last few days in Town and their recent stay at the Matthews’ home in Northamptonshire had passed far too quickly for her spirits to remain calm. They were now on their way to Pemberley.

She had endeavoured time and again to view this as judiciously as she could. She had, after all, been acknowledged in the invitation to Pemberley and therefore should have no reason for the feelings of awkwardness and confusion that she was experiencing. She would make every attempt to view Mr. Darcy as the gentleman that he was, and not merely the man whose offer of marriage she had turned down.

The mere thought caused a tightening in her chest and a quickening in her pulse. How she wished she could easily push down those feelings that arose with every reminder of their destination and with every word from Rosalyn of her hopes and expectations.

Elizabeth let out a frustrated sigh.

Rosalyn turned to her. “Elizabeth, is the trip too much?”

Elizabeth forced a smile. “I am well. Perhaps a little tired.”

Emily looked at Elizabeth and tilted her head as she asked, “Are you not pleased to be going to… Pem… Pem…” She turned to her aunt with a frustrated sigh. “Where are we going again?”

Elizabeth lifted her eyes to the perceptive little girl; so much like herself when she was younger.

“It is Pemberley, and why would you say such a thing, Emily?” Rosalyn inquired of her niece. “I am certain Miss Bennet is quite pleased at the prospect of seeing it, as much as I am.”

Emily looked at her aunt with an air of youthful self-assurance. “Perhaps, but every time we talk about going to Pemberley, her eyebrows pinch together.” She turned back to Elizabeth. “Like that.”

Elizabeth nervously laughed, bringing her fingers up absently to smooth the crease between her brows. She was able to honestly say to her young ward, “Emily, I have indeed been out of sorts recently. But it is due to having left my sister in Town.” She reached over to take Emily’s hand and said, “Forgive me if I have appeared troubled.” She hoped that would answer Emily’s concerns.

A jolt in the carriage turned their thoughts back to the conditions of the road. “This road is certainly not allowing for a smooth ride,” Rosalyn grumbled. “I am sure the recent rains have only served to make them in dire need of repair. I do hope the weather will be cooperative and allow us to see all there is to see.”

Rosalyn let out a giggle. “On the other hand, perhaps if it does rain, the men’s days of sport will have to be abandoned, and we will just have to tolerate Mr. Darcy’s company inside. Do you think we shall be able to endure being in his presence all that time?” Another giggle followed, and she turned to Elizabeth. “I must confess that perhaps a little rain might be the very thing we need!”

Elizabeth turned her head abruptly and looked out the window. She wanted nothing more than for this to be all over. Perhaps the two weeks at Pemberley would pass quickly, and before she knew it they would be on their way to Nottinghamshire, away from Pemberley and away from Mr. Darcy. He, however, would continue to be with Rosalyn, even if only in her thoughts and dreams. Elizabeth knew that after spending a fortnight at Pemberley, when they finally departed, things would likely not be the same for either one of them.

The three carriages conveying the Willstones, Elizabeth and her travelling companions, and the servants and luggage stopped for a short time at an inn. They all eagerly stepped out, grateful to be able to stretch their legs, eat, and freshen themselves. As Elizabeth took a short walk to calm her ever-rising nerves, she breathed in the country air that had been cleansed by the recent rains and thought ahead to their next stop.

The next time she stepped out of the carriage, she would be on Pemberley’s soil: the place where Mr. Darcy was born and now bore the title Master, the home she could have called her own.

***

Upon returning to their carriages, it was midafternoon, and after a short while, Emily grew tired and put her head on Elizabeth’s lap. She fell asleep quickly. Elizabeth closed her eyes as well, but her thoughts prevented her from attaining any rest.

She tried to direct her thoughts to the previous two weeks spent at the Matthewses’ country home instead of the two weeks that were to come. Elizabeth found their home comfortable and spacious, and the hospitality delightfully warm. She had enjoyed the company of Rosalyn and Lorraine’s brother, Simon, and his family. They were gracious toward her and welcomed her into their home as much as if she had been a dear friend.

When they had been there a few days, Elizabeth was surprised to realize how much she had missed being in the country since leaving Longbourn. Once again she was able to ramble over hill and dale, sometimes with Emily during the day, and sometimes without her early in the morning. On the two Sundays they were there, when she was free from her duties, she took longer walks as she explored the diverse countryside. She followed path or stream, or forded her own way through the sparsely wooded areas. She could not have been happier.

Unfortunately, the rain had moved in the past three days, and she had not been able to walk at all. They were all left to entertain themselves with indoor amusements. Elizabeth was pleased that Simon Matthews was as avid a chess player as she was, and she enjoyed a few challenging sets with him.

Emily was occupied much of the time with her little cousins, both of whom were just a little younger than herself. She loved helping their nanny care for them, and Elizabeth oftentimes found that her duties as governess and regularly scheduled times of teaching were not expected as much as when they had been in Town. That frequently put her in the company of the Willstone and Matthews families. While Elizabeth enjoyed their company, Rosalyn seemed disposed to speak only on the subject of which she could now openly discuss, and which solely would satisfy her—Mr. Darcy.

Elizabeth opened her eyes when she noticed that the inside of the carriage had grown dim. Looking out the window, she saw that they were riding through a dense thicket of trees. The sun, approaching close to the horizon, sent diffused streaks of light through the thick cluster of foliage, little of which was reaching them. She shuddered as a coolness suddenly pervaded the carriage.

She pulled up a blanket to cover both her and Emily, who was still sleeping, and she noticed that Rosalyn was gazing out the window with wide eyes.

“We have entered Pemberley Woods,” Rosalyn uttered softly when she saw that Elizabeth had stirred. “It is even more beautiful than I remember.”

Elizabeth intertwined her fingers together, and her heart began to pound violently at those words. It seemed to be as loud as the rumble of the carriage travelling down the road. She took in a few slow breaths in a vain attempt to compose herself. Her own gaze turned to look out her window as she felt a blush creep upon her face—or perhaps it was turning white with alarm—so as not to let Rosalyn see the effect her words had on her.

Her eyes took in everything around her. She noticed a wide, briskly moving stream that seemed to dictate to the road its curves and turns and straight paths. Sometimes it disappeared behind the trees, and at other times it burst forth from those very trees as it continued on its way.

“I had no idea…” Elizabeth whispered as she drew the blanket more tightly about her.

“The woods will become less dense as we draw nearer the home.” Rosalyn spoke with a fervent hush, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. “I believe we shall see it first out your window, and then a turn in the road will bring it around to my side.”

Upon hearing voices, Emily stirred. As she stretched out her arms she asked, “Are we there yet?”

“Almost,” Rosalyn replied. “Look outside Miss Bennet’s window and watch for a magnificent home. We shall see it soon.”

Elizabeth kept her head turned toward the window. She dared not look at Emily for fear of what the young girl might read on her face.

They continued on for some time, expectation rising within each young lady in the carriage to catch the first glimpse of Pemberley. Elizabeth expected to see the home at every bend in the road, at the crest of every hill, but it was kept from their view. What she did see was delightfully beckoning mounds and valleys, a myriad of flora and fauna, and the ever-present stream urging them along.

The carriage slowed, and Elizabeth and Rosalyn looked at each other curiously. When Elizabeth turned back to the window, she gasped, for there in all its splendour was Pemberley. Situated majestically across a small crystal blue lake, it rose in stature and breadth in glorious prominence.

Emily squealed with excitement, and Rosalyn silently brought both hands up and covered her rapidly beating heart. A knock at the carriage door startled them all out of their reverie.

“Come, girls,” Mr. Willstone called. “Step out and take a look at the grand Pemberley before we make our way down the road to it.”

He helped each one out, and they joined Mrs. Willstone, who was already taking in its beauty.

“Look, Rosalyn,” she said as her sister drew to her side. “I am as much in awe of it today as I was when I was younger.”

“It is beautiful.”

They watched as the setting sun cast an ethereal golden hue across the stone edifice. The deepening oranges and reds of the clouds painted a rainbow palette of colours as it reflected on the lake at the front. A slight breeze stirred small white caps on the lake, distorting the mirrored image of Pemberley that extended down into the depths of the water.

Emily ran over to join her mother, who took her hand. Mrs. Willstone then leaned over and looked at Elizabeth. “What do you think of it, my dear? Is it not grand?”

Having seen nothing as magnificent in all her life, she nodded her head slowly. “Yes, Mrs. Willstone. It is beyond anything I have ever seen.”

Mrs. Willstone smiled and let out a contented sigh. “What an honour for us and our Rosalyn. Such an opportunity as this does not often come along.”

“Now, now,” cautioned Mr. Willstone. “It is not as if he has made our Rosalyn an offer or even stated his intentions toward her. We have to remember that Mr. and Miss Darcy merely extended an invitation to all of us to spend two weeks here. I believe there will be a few other guests, and it may be nothing more than that.” A sly grin on his face revealed that he was teasing his sister-in-law.

“Oh, Richard, how you love to provoke me!” laughed Rosalyn. “You, yourself, told me you thought his invitation was on my behalf.”

“True, but I am only being cautious. We do not want to have our hopes dashed now, do we?”

As they talked amongst themselves, Elizabeth continued to watch as the waning sunlight deepened the hue of the marble and stone that graced the front. The grass and flowers surrounding the home intensified in colour. She was oblivious to the conversation around her. The only thought that played through her mind was that this could have been her home. Of this, she could have been Mistress.

“Well, let us hurry and proceed to the house before darkness settles upon us!”

Mr. Willstone’s cheery voice alerted Elizabeth to the fact that they were all returning to their carriages. She took one last glance at Pemberley before turning to follow. From here she could view it and appreciate it for all its beauty. She could admire it and esteem it for all that it was. Once she stepped inside its doors, her admiration… and any burgeoning longing for what might have been hers… could never be openly shown.

When they were all settled back inside the carriage, Elizabeth shivered and pulled her shawl tightly about her. She then noticed Emily looking at her with a very discerning eye. Elizabeth attempted to smile, for she did not wish for her to think that she was not pleased with coming here.

Leaning down to her, she said, “We shall be there shortly, Emily. Is this not exciting?”

Emily slowly nodded, and then Rosalyn let out a squeal. “Look, we are now coming upon it! Come, Emily, look out my side. We are finally at Pemberley!”

The ladies watched as the carriage approached the sizeable manor. As it grew in stature as they drew near, Elizabeth felt as though her heart would burst. The magnificence of the home was one thing, but to know that in only a matter of moments, she would be face-to-face with Mr. Darcy and his sister was almost too much to bear. Neither could possibly want her there.

Rosalyn suddenly reached out for Elizabeth’s hand and turned to her. “Oh, Elizabeth, how am I to endure these two weeks? You must help me! If you see me do anything that appears to displease Mr. Darcy, I give you leave to enlighten me. I will leave it to you to be my confidante, for I fear this might be a trial of sorts, to see if I meet his exceedingly high standards.”

“Exceedingly high standards?” Elizabeth asked curiously.

“Oh, yes. A man of his standing certainly has expectations to marry only an exceptional woman. I may not have the highest connections, but I certainly have the qualifications to be Mistress of a place such as this.” She let out a long, drawn-out sigh as she strained to look ahead. “We are almost there. I can see the other two carriages have stopped and the servants are helping Lorraine and Richard out.”

Turning back to Elizabeth, she said softly, “I know your association with him was not particularly intimate, but if there is anything you can recall that either pleased or displeased him, I would be eternally grateful for any advice.”

Even if Elizabeth had any advice for the young lady, Rosalyn did not wait to hear it, for she turned back to the window and began to comment on how close they were—how soon it would be—before they pulled up and stopped.

Elizabeth distracted herself by helping Emily get ready. She smoothed the young girl’s hair and retied the bow at the neckline of her dress. The two were startled when Rosalyn let out a shriek.

“There is Mr. Darcy!” Pulling herself upright as the carriage slowed down, she turned her head slightly toward the window. “Oh my! He and Miss Darcy have come out to greet Lorraine and Richard. Is that not kind of them?”