Page 33 of Darcy's Guarded Heart
“Ah, a reason to escape,” she teased. “Pray, tell the truth, Mr Darcy, was it not rather convenient for you that I fell and you discovered me, thus allowing you to escort me back to be seen to and evade the entire spectacle?”
He smiled. “It is not so easy for me to be sociable,” he conceded. “Among those I know well enough, it is practicable, yet I find it difficult when surrounded by strangers. I truly admire how easily you connect with others.”
“Oh, I am certain a gentleman of your standing finds it easy, too,” she replied, her tone more earnest.
He regarded her thoughtfully; it was true that his status influenced his comportment, yet it was far more complex than that. He had always been somewhat reserved, as Bingley would suggest, in public settings. His mother had remarked that he took considerable time to warm to others before forming friendships. And his father often lamented his lack of easy unreservedness something the late Mr Darcy admired in Wickham.
“At times, I wish I could emulate Wickham in that regard—not in any other, mind you. Yet the truth remains, he finds it effortlessly simple to charm,” she acknowledged. “He could walk into any inn or tavern and walk out with five new friends.”
“Five friends? He could cheat at a card game or take advantage of the naïve, if all you have related of him and what Thomas has indicated is accurate, Mr Darcy.”
“Indeed, that is true. Yet in that instant, he would have had five new companions. I wager that is how he has managed these past years—roaming from place to place, winning people over, until he could no longer contain himself and spoiled everything.” Darcy had not spent much time thinking of Wickham and his exploits over the last few years but with his sudden appearance here, he had to. “I believe being taken in as our ward gave him a sense of being superior to others and allowed him to build such confidence that he might not have had if he’d remained a mere steward’s son.”
“There are such individuals in life. Yet not all wards are of that ilk. Some are simply driven by the desire to be good, to live as joyously as they can under the circumstances,” Elizabeth said as the horse neared the clearing.
He cast a glance at her, remembering their conversation from the previous evening, which had remained amiable until he felt compelled to speak poorly of Thomas once more.
Looking up, he spotted the young man seated with Bingley, Miss Bennet, and Georgiana. The sight struck him like a dagger in his side. Feelings and memories he’d long suppressed had resurfaced of late and he did not like it. In fact, he was in such discomfort he had contemplated departing early, taking Georgiana with him, yet she seemed to be relishing her time.
Nevertheless, the thought lingered in his mind. If only he did not find Elizabeth’s company so enticing, even if vexing at times. This was another reason he had not been able to bring himself to leave yet. If only her smile did not drawforth emotions he wished to avoid. Life would be so much less complicated.
At length, however, he could not dwell on such thoughts, for they had arrived at the gathering. Upon noticing Elizabeth perched awkwardly on the horse, both Jane and Lydia Bennet hastened over to her, soon followed by Thomas.
“Pray, what has transpired?” Lydia enquired. “We came here for a picnic and found you not here. I thought you had ridden into the woods as you are prone to do but here you are, looking dishevelled!”
“I tumbled from the foolish horse,” Elizabeth explained. “The horse ran away, leaving me stranded. Mr Darcy gallantly came to my aid.”
“Fitzwilliam!” Georgiana exclaimed as she joined him. “What has happened? Oh dear, are you injured, Elizabeth? Shall we fetch help?”
“I can summon help at once,” Bingley offered as he approached the throng. Darcy felt a wave of warmth rise beneath his collar, not due to the sun, but from the sudden attention surrounding them.
Fortuitously, the larger part of the group lingered behind as he turned to aid Elizabeth in dismounting the horse. As he steadied her, he felt her delicate waist beneath his fingers, and for a moment, struggled against the desire to inhale her scent.
The woman was driving him to distraction. He carefully set her down, and Thomas swiftly wrapped his arm about her to assist her in walking.
“I do not require aid, Mr Bingley, but I thank you for your concern. I only wish to sit and if someone could look for the horse,” she said.
“Lizzy, come sit! Let me take a look,” Jane Bennet urged before addressing Darcy. “Thank you, Mr Darcy, for your assistance.”
“Of course,” Darcy replied, following the group as they made their way beneath the tree once more.
Immediately, her foot was examined with care by her sister, aided by Lady Lucas, who had also joined the gathering. Darcy blinked and turned to Bingley.
“Bingley, where have all these people appeared from? I was unaware there was to be a picnic.”
“There was not,” Bingley informed him, “but when I sent word to the Bennet family that their charges would be staying with me and that we were to ride out in the morning, Mr Bennet responded, stating that his younger daughters, accompanied by some of their friends, wished to orchestrate a picnic in our honour. I thought it a splendid surprise, do you not agree?”
“A splendid surprise indeed,” Darcy replied, though in truth, it was anything but.
“Come, sit,” Bingley beckoned. “Thomas was just telling us about a rather hidden fishing spot he discovered.”
Darcy sighed and settled down, vowing to conduct himself with civility.
Indeed, as he leaned against the tree with his hat at his side, he found, in due course, that the gathering was not quite as dreadful as he had anticipated.
He conversed primarily with Elizabeth, Charlotte Lucas, and her mother, Lady Lucas, who were keeping them company.
Meanwhile, Bingley and Thomas had excused themselves to look for the horse, a venture that bore fruit rather quickly and the errant horse was returned to the others.
