Page 34 of Companions of Their Youth
“Not to Pemberley. Not here in Town. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere no one expects. Give this creature time to grow bored or make a mistake. You are being hunted.”
Darcy stared down into his brandy.
“I do have an invitation,” he said after a moment. “From Bingley. A small town in Hertfordshire. Meryton. He has taken a house there for the autumn.”
“Go,” Richard said instantly.
“I had intended to accept at first, but now... with Georgiana… someone needs to keep an eye on her. And she is safer in London than trying to move her to Pemberley.”
“I will stay here with her. I can secure emergency leave without difficulty—thanks to Father’s meddling, I have not seen the front lines in two years. They call it a commission, but it is little more than parade dress and paperwork. My uniform is more ornament than duty now.”
Darcy hesitated.
“Go,” Richard repeated. “You are being stalked. Your sister nearly eloped. Your nerves are as taut as a bowstring. Get out of the city. Rest. And leave Georgiana and your mysterious admirer to me.”
Darcy managed a bleak half-smile. “You do know how to issue orders, Colonel.”
Richard raised his glass. “Then consider this one of them.”
Chapter 7
Meryton, September 1811
The sun cast a golden hue over the ripening wheat fields as Elizabeth strolled along the familiar path leading to Oakham Mount. The gentle rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds provided a serene backdrop to her thoughts. She had always found solace in these walks, a momentary escape from the confines of Longbourn.
As she began her ascent, the expansive view of the countryside slowly unfolded before her, a patchwork of greens and golds stretching towards the horizon. The tranquility was soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching.
"I thought I might find you here," Mark's voice called out, a warm smile on his face.
Elizabeth turned, her face lighting up at the sight of her brother. "Mark!" she exclaimed, embracing him. "I did notexpect you back so soon. I thought you were going to visit a friend after your term ended in July and remain there until you went back to school.”
“Plans changed,” he said with a shrug. “I knew someone else who was traveling this way after Michaelmas, and they graciously offered me a ride in their carriage. I thought it would be a nice surprise.”
“It is a most welcome one,” Elizabeth said. “I was sad to not see you during your summer vacation. Are you staying until next year’s term? When does it begin?
“October tenth. And yes, I am; I wish to help Father with the fall harvest.”
“Well, you sound like quite the gentleman! ‘Father’ indeed. He will never stop being ‘Papa’ to me.”
Mark grinned but did not respond. They walked in silence for a few minutes, their steps falling into rhythm.
“I missed this,” Mark said at last. “The quiet. The green. Everything smells clean.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Is Cambridge so bad, then? Wishing you had remained here after breaking the entail, instead of begging Mama to let you finally leave home?”
“No, not bad. Just—crowded. Noisy. Full of men who think they’re smarter than they are.” He laughed. “Though some of them are very clever. A few of them even bathe.”
Elizabeth chuckled. “And what do you actuallydoall day? Besides proving your superior hygiene?”
Mark snorted. “Well, if you must know, I rise earlier than I would like. I attend lectures—mostly Latin, mathematics, and logic. Sometimes moral philosophy. The dining hall is a great cavern of noise, and the port is better than I expected. I have a tutor for classics who thinks Cicero is a personal friend, and a mathematics supervisor who speaks in riddles.”
She laughed. “And here I thought university was all salons and strolls and sonnets.”
“Only if you are reading English literature, which is not considered a proper subject.”
“And you are reading…”
“Mathematics and classics. TheTriposis everything. If I pass well, it will open doors—clerical livings, even politics.”
