Page 75 of The Heroic Mr Darcy's Bad Manners
Hannah arrived. She was a lively girl about Elizabeth’s own age. They reached her chamber papered in Spanish fly green with a white wainscot and gold trimmings. In the middle of the room stood a large bed with a canopy, and fresh flowers made the chamber smell like a meadow. Smiling, she went to a window to enjoy the delightful prospect of the winding valley. She sighed in contentment and felt a sudden impulse to dance a reel.
The tour of the house was rather quick, and once it was completed, Miss Eudora Darcy imparted that they had been invited to Pemberley for dinner and they had best hurry if they were to arrive on time.
“My nephew is always so attentive to my needs. He knows I keep only the one cook, and I usually send her by post between London and Derbyshire,” Miss Eudora Darcy explained. “He was concerned that she would not arrive in time to prepare our meal, and he therefore invited us to dine with him this evening.
That little titbit of news made Elizabeth feel uneasy. She had come implicitly to see Mr Darcy, but when she encountered him, she had become tongue-tied and had forgotten everything she had planned to say. She needed more time to prepare a speech, but as that was not to be had, Elizabeth donned her shawl with trembling hands and entered the carriage for the short drive to Pemberley, where they were welcomed by the housekeeper.
“May I enquire whether the child who fell into the river is well?” Elizabeth asked, which earned her surprised looks from her grandmother and Miss Eudora Darcy.
“How good of you to ask,” the housekeeper replied in astonishment. The master could not have informed her about their awkward meeting by the riverbank nor related whose shawl the child had been wrapped in. “Little John is very well indeed. The fish he had caught got loose, and he fell into the river when he tried to retrieve it. Fortunately, he managed to grab hold of a stone in the stream, and the master rescued him out of the water.”
“John is fortunate to have such a heroic master,” Elizabeth quipped.
“He certainly is, and better yet, he appears unharmed but for the fright. He is still here, warming himself by the kitchen fire whilst being spoilt rotten by our cook. She was never blessed with children of her own and heartily welcomes the intrusion. It was convenient since the kitchen fire is the only one that is lit at the moment.”
“I am relieved he appears to have suffered no lasting injury,” Elizabeth admitted, and the housekeeper escorted them to the dining room.
Dinner was awkward at best. Mr Darcy enquired after her family, then coloured and bowed his head. It was a potent subject with the recent trial and the downfall of the Matlocks.
“Thank you, they are all very well. How is your sister, Miss Darcy?”
“Very well, thank you.”
“Is she not here?”
“Um, no. She is visiting one of our neighbours, Miss Throwbridge, who is her particular friend.”
“I am sorry I missed her. Would you be so kind as to send her my regards?”
“Certainly.”
After the stilted conversation that did nothing to appease her nerves, Mr Darcy scarcely uttered another word. Several minutes elapsed without the sound of his voice. Unable to resist the impulse of curiosity, Elizabeth raised her eyes and waited for a glance in her direction so that she could smile to cheer him, but his eyes darted so quickly away that she never managed it. She found him looking at Jane as often as herself, and frequently at no object but the floor. He plainly expressed more thoughtfulness and less anxiety to please than when they had been together in London. She was disappointed, and angry with herself for feeling so. What could she possibly expect after he had shunned her for months?
With their small party, there was no separation of the sexes after dinner. Elizabeth was requested to entertain, and she was glad she had spent her time wisely and practised diligently of late. She was in no humour for conversation with anyone besides Mr Darcy, but she hardly had the courage. In her solitude by the pianoforte, she dwelt on the subjects that would deaden her hopes—Mr Darcy’s silence, gravity, and indifference. It was better for all concerned to give him up when his society afforded no pleasures that could atone for the wretchedness she felt.
Elizabeth was certain she could feel Mr Darcy’s gaze burning into her skin before the music captured her completely. She finished and was applauded until her cheeks were ablaze.
What was she to do? How could she give him encouragement without being too forward? It was not as though she could request a private moment with the master of the house.
To her consternation, her sister stifled a yawn. The colonel noticed and promptly announced their wish to retire. It had been a long journey, and they had farther still to travel.
“When do you depart?” Elizabeth asked the colonel, hoping it was not at first light. She might find herself in dire need of Jane’s consolation ere long.
“Not for a few days.” Her brother-in-law smiled.
“What a relief,” Elizabeth muttered gratefully. It meant that she would have an excuse to visit Pemberley under the guise of seeing her sister for a few blessed days more. Mr Darcy’s head snapped up. She was finally able to bestow the smile she had been so eager to give, and the gentleman returned the gesture.
It was with a slightly lighter heart that Elizabeth left for Edensor with her grandmother and Eudora Darcy.
Chapter 24 Sweet Harmony
Elizabeth
Elizabeth awoke from the sun’s rays filtering through her window. She glanced at the clock; it was a quarter past five. She turned her back to the light, but her body hummed with energy. After fifteen minutes of listening to the cheerful chirping of a blackbird, she huffed, sat up, and rose to dress. Something simple would have to do. She was not disturbing the servants at such an ungodly hour.
The park outside her window beckoned. She found the sturdy walking boots that would not be ruined in dewy grass and donned a light shawl to stave off the morning chill. She walked determinedly through the quiet passage and down the stairs. A sleepy footman drew the latch and opened the door.
“Do you need an escort, madam?”
