It was such a beautiful day.

The breeze fluttered through the curtains, cooling Elizabeth and Emma, and bringing the scent of green. An adventurous bee rose to the second floor window. It flew into the room and hovered in front of the window before turning round and descending again, to Elizabeth's relief and Emma's disappointment. In the distance men shouted at each other as they worked, and birds shouted to each other with their caws and songs as they went about their day.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth and her charge were trapped in the hot house.

Lady Catherine might visit at any time, and she would dislike it if Elizabeth tried to explain that she gave the lesson outdoors due to the weather. Lessons were supposed to be indoors, and that was that.

Elizabeth did not want to make Emma study. It was too beautiful a day. She should be running around outside happily. Emma could barely concentrate on her book or listening to Elizabeth's advice. Elizabeth could barely concentrate on teaching her and forcing her to attend to the task. She'd spent nearly as much time dreamily staring out the window at the green grass as her pupil.

It would be so nice if she could walk again with Mr. Darcy.

Even if it was wrong to feel as she did for a man who was engaged to another woman — Anne had made the wrongness of her desires clear to her — Mr. Darcy was so kind, and so capable, and so determined, and his face looked so…perfectly proportioned. When he walked in his tightly tailored riding jacket her heart thumped…and there was the way his buckskin breeches clung around his thighs.

So long as it was just her imagination…

Elizabeth shook herself and poked Emma. "Have you finished reading that passage from the Chronicles of the Kings of England?"

"It is so boring! I'll never memorize them all. They are too boring! We are going to live with Mr. Darcy. He won't hurt me. So I shouldn't need to memorize them."

"History should be amusing — you were reading about Edward I and his children. There is a story about his son that Lady Catherine would not approve of, that may help you remember him. Did you read about his wife? Isabella?"

"She was from France, and the daughter of the king of France. It was a good marriage for England."

"It wasn't a good marriage for Edward II, though. She wasn't very nice. It is not in this book, because this is the one Lady Catherine picked. She thinks you should only hear the most moral parts of history."

Emma nodded. "Lady Catherine would select the boring version."

Elizabeth had her audience now. Emma expected a good story.

"Isabella hated her husband. In fact she raised a rebellion against him and encouraged all the other nobles to side against him."

Emma nodded eagerly. "That is a good wifely behavior. I must memorize it for when it comes time for me to marry."

"You must. Furthermore, she won. As you should know from your book, Edward was deposed."

"Deposed? Such a big word. What does it mean?"

"It means removed from power."

"Oh. I should have known that. But he died right after, didn't he? So he didn't miss the power for very long."

"Yes." Elizabeth lowered her voice. "Isabella was so unhappy by how he'd treated her that she had him killed."

"But the book said he died in an accident."

Elizabeth whispered, "That is what Isabella told everyone. But she lied. There is more—"

"More! But what more could there be if she killed him!"

Elizabeth blushed. The story her father told her when she was Emma's age was not appropriate for the ears of a young girl. But it would ensure that Emma remembered Edward II. "Do not tell Lady Catherine I told you this story."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"Isabella had Edward II stuck in one of her castles. Then she had the castellan heat up an iron rod very, very hot. And then…they stuck it up his bum and kept shoving until he died."

The girl shivered with horrified glee.

"The screams echoed in the rafters for years. In fact if you go to that castle now, and stand in exactly the right spot, you can still faintly hear them."

Emma's eyes were wide and eager.

"Remember, that is what happened to the king after Longshanks, who fought the Scots, and before Edward III, who fought the French."

"What happened to the queen? Did she continue to rule?"

"For a time. But when her son took full power, he stuck her in a castle and forced her to live the rest of her life there. Twenty years. What moral lesson should be drawn from this story?"

Emma stuck her tongue out. "A true queen should murder her son in addition to her husband?"

Elizabeth giggled.

There was a knock on the door and Darcy entered. "Might I interrupt your and Miss Williams's important studies for a period of time?"

He was smirking sunnily, as though he knew how little work he was interrupting.

Emma exclaimed, "Oh yes! I am quite dying of boredom."

Elizabeth laughed and poked the child. "She only says that to be kind. In fact she is completely devoted to her work and devastated that your entry distracted her from it."

"I can see that in Emma's face. Perhaps I'd best go." Darcy turned as though he were about to leave, and Emma's face collapsed in disappointment and she looked at Elizabeth with such an expression of betrayal that Elizabeth could not keep her countenance and began laughing.

Darcy turned back with raised eyebrows. "May I imagine you have changed your mind, Emma?"

The girl pouted and stuck her tongue out at him as well as Elizabeth. "Do not tease me like that."

"But you are such a darling goose when I fool you," Elizabeth said, embracing the girl.

"As for me, I shall earn your forgiveness through bribery. I have a surprise for you." Darcy smirked. "Follow me; it is much too pretty of a day to be stuck indoors. It is practically criminal."

Emma took Darcy's hand as he led them downstairs.

They went outdoors, the entire way Darcy teased Emma as she begged for some hint as to what he planned to show her. But he would regularly glance back at Elizabeth with that bright look in his eyes. Her stomach leaped.

They went out to a large field that had been cleared for exercising the horses. With a groom stood a lovely pied pony with a broad chest and a neatly clipped mane.

"Every girl needs a pony." Darcy spoke firmly. "You are almost big enough for a horse, but that should wait another year or two."

Emma's eyes lit up. "I always, always, always wanted one! Mama said we would buy one, but we did not have the chance. Is it for me?"

"It is your pony."

Darcy pulled from the deep pocket of his coat half of an apple. He handed it to Emma, who excitedly held the fruit out to the pony, who munched it and then licked Emma's hand. She giggled with happiness.

Darcy lifted her up onto the handsome animal, and spent some minutes explaining how she should hold her legs and the reins as she rode. He was so serious and careful. He made sure the eager girl understood all his instructions and repeated them back before leading her around the field twice while he walked next to her pony. Then she was allowed to go around on her own, though the groom followed closely behind. In an easy movement, Darcy put his hand on the fence and leapt over the paddock to stand where Elizabeth leaned against the fence watching them.

"She is delighted. I confess horses frighten me a little." Elizabeth's eyes closely tracked Emma as she smoothly rode the pony in a neat circle.

"They do? That is a pity, for horses are the sweetest animals in the world."

"Dogs are the sweetest animals in the world — especially puppies." Elizabeth forced herself to stop watching Emma as though at any moment she would be thrown and crack her head. She looked at Darcy with a challenging smile.

He said, "I confess I have a few dogs I would miss greatly. And who have an even sweeter disposition than my horse. But since I was wrong, I must find something different to disagree with you upon. It is proving a harder task than I imagined, since you reason so persuasively."

Emma rode up to the fence next to them and waved at Elizabeth. "Did you see me! Did you! I am so good!"

"You are the finest rider in the county." Elizabeth touched the hand Emma held out to her. "Be careful."

Emma laughed and set off around the park again.

Darcy touched Elizabeth's shoulder. "There is little danger. I would not have let her, if—"

"I know. But…one cannot be brave in everything. I rise to most occasions."

"I admire that about you. Greatly." He spoke in a low serious voice. His voice vibrated in Elizabeth's chest.

She quickly looked away, smiling. "Emma does not treat every adult in such a way. It speaks well of you — I never imagined you would be perfect with a child."

"No! I can imagine you did not. You never allowed me any such virtue as liking children."

"I did not. I also imagined you unable to enjoy the company of puppies. In fact I believe I was quite certain that you…" Elizabeth blushed, deciding the joke she wished to tell was too much.

"What were you certain about me?" He smiled that distracting, dancing smirk.

"Uh…"

"Please tell me? What did you imagine I did?"

"You went around biting the heads off of puppies."

"Did you?" Darcy raised his eyebrows.

Elizabeth pursed her lips and nodded vigorously. "Puppies. Heads. Biting. I thought you were a troll who lived under a bridge — the bridge was named Pemberley — and that you came out to attack children and puppies."

"That… It is completely untrue. I have owned many puppies. I find them adorable. And I never ate any of them."

"Not even one?"

"No."

Elizabeth poked her tongue into the side of her mouth. "Pity. You would be far more interesting if you had."

Darcy now giggled. He lowered his voice and caught Elizabeth's eye. "I do have a shameful confession to make."

She nodded seriously. "But not about harming puppies."

"No. About your other accusation."

Elizabeth blinked in confusion, having no idea what Darcy was talking about.

He held her eye and said solemnly, "In fact, I am one eighth troll. But we never speak of that branch of the family."

"Ohhhhh. A shameful relative!"

"Lady Catherine takes after them. You can see the resemblance in her easily. She is three eighths troll."

"You can see the resemblance! Tell Emma. She will be delighted to learn that she was right."

"Emma believes Lady Catherine to be part troll?" At Elizabeth's nod he turned to the girl who had circled round the sandy field and was coming towards them again. "Fine form! Fine form!"

The girl beamed and waved at them as she jauntily rode the animal towards them. Darcy leaned towards Elizabeth and said, looking into her eyes once more, "I must get her a second pony. She shows great perception."

Elizabeth laughed.

Emma came close, and Darcy and she exchanged words about the pony.

Elizabeth began to feel guilty about insulting the woman who was now her patron. Lady Catherine did believe in physical discipline for Emma, but she did not go to extremes. Elizabeth had heard stories of parents who'd treated their children far more horribly.

Not every woman would have accepted an illegitimate ward, even if they were the only relative, and most women would not have hired Elizabeth. Her servants largely liked the lady. She demanded subservience, but the lower orders had been bred and trained to provide it. They did not mind being told to be more subservient.

"I should not laugh at Lady Catherine. You must be curious, about my sister Lydia. You have cause to hate your aunt, but I should not. She hired me, even though she knew all of the particulars."

"You need not tell me. It does not matter."

"You say that — I even believe you — but any change will be for the worse. Surely you do wish to know the details."

Darcy put his hand over Elizabeth's and she felt a fluttering at seeing their bodies so closely together. "It is only curiosity. I will not judge. Not her, and certainly not you."

"You have my leave to judge Lydia — Lord! I judge her." Elizabeth smiled at Darcy. "I hate it when I say that word: 'Lord.' I can hear my mother — it was her favorite word during our annus horribilis. 'Lord! If only you girls had married,' 'Lord! If only my husband had been immortal!' 'Lord! If only my brother had not trusted the wrong man' — by the way, the bankruptcy was more my uncle's fault than that of any of his partners. They all made mistakes."

"Business matters always involve risk. I am sorry for him — your affection for him is clear."

"He is a good man, and he is struggling to pay back the partners who trusted his scheme, even though he is now quite poor."

Darcy squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "He must be deserving of your praise, for you do not praise lightly."

Elizabeth flushed. "I've praised undeserving people — you know that."

"But you did not do so lightly."

Elizabeth giggled and bit her lip. She loved how he had learned to tease her and could turn her words around. "I was heavy in foolishness at the time. I've learned to be…not more discerning, but more able to accept my ability for error since then. I was quite wrong about you."

"You were not. That day was the most valuable of my life, and the most painful except that of my father's death."

"You took my words so seriously?"

"The memory has been a precious torment to me, but more precious than torment."

Elizabeth pulled her lip under her teeth and smiled. "You turned it to good account. I like to hear that I had such an influence over a man — my pride is not completely dissipated — I needed to learn as well. The mistakes were not just yours—" Elizabeth looked into his eyes again. "However, honesty compels me to give you a large share of the mistakes."

Darcy laughed merrily, his eyes brightening.

They both quieted and looked into each other's eyes. Darcy turned his eyes to check on Emma and the groom shadowing her.

He didn't move his hand away from hers.

Elizabeth looked down. His large hand and its smooth leather riding glove covered her much smaller fingers. "I want you to know about Lydia. I trust you to. I have learned that I can trust you."

"You can always trust me. I swear that."

"Lydia went to Brighton — I already told you that. And then she fled with Wickham. You have heard that part."

"It was my fault. If only I had exposed him—"

"And you already said that to me. It is ridiculous though. Lydia begged him to take her with him. She wanted an intrigue, even if she expected marriage then. Wickham simply was the man she chose."

Darcy had a steady gaze that stayed on her face. She met his eyes again. "Lydia behaved poorly because it was in her character to do so. That is not your fault."

"What happened next?"

There was something in his eyes that made butterflies fill her stomach. He looked so compassionate and understanding, and caring. It made Elizabeth want to cry with some sort of relief. "The normal matter. You know this was when my father died. He set out with Colonel Forster to track them along the road to Scotland. There was no evidence of them upon the Great Northern Road. So they looked about for evidence in London. This continued for some time. We never found evidence then of where she had been."

"You should have come to me. I would have had some idea where to look for him. And if I found them, I would have made Wickham marry her."

"You! The idea never occurred to me."

"I wish it had. I wish you…you said you trusted me. If ever you are in such desperate need of help, trust me. I will do whatever I must to rescue you from it."

Elizabeth laid her hand on his shoulder. She felt his thick muscles through the thin cotton fabric of his summer coat. Elizabeth felt some spiritual force jumped betwixt them at her touch. There was something intense in his eyes. He felt it too. She said, "I should have gone to you."

"You only knew a proud and arrogant man."

"I was wrong."

"No. It is that I have changed."

"You have, but you always would have helped us to find Lydia."

"Yes." He was quiet and stared into her eyes.

Elizabeth broke the connection between them, remembering that they were in public, and the groom who was watching after Emma certainly could see them. She looked emptily towards the field, feeling her stomach fluttering and flying high. She was full of happiness.

Darcy quietly asked, "Lydia, did she return to your family after Wickham tired of her?"

"Only after Papa died."

Darcy put his hand on hers again.

Elizabeth squeezed her eyes to keep back tears. "Thank you for being so comforting. It took him quickly. So quickly that…that there was no time. I never saw him again. When I went to the north, we'd parted on poor terms because I'd argued with him to not allow Lydia to travel. Maybe he pushed himself so hard to find her because he didn't wish to return to me and admit he'd been wrong."

"It was not your fault."

"I know, but I…when I think of it, I feel bad. As though it was my fault. Other things were my fault. We lost the house because of me."

"It would have been ridiculous for you to marry Collins." Darcy spat the name out in a disgusted voice.

Somehow it made Elizabeth feel better.

The two fell silent. Elizabeth looked at Emma. The girl trotted the pied pony up to the fence. "Lizzy! Did you see how I have kept such a good control over her?"

"You will make a fine horsewoman, quite unlike me."

Emma said proudly, "I will teach you once I am sufficiently skilled, and then you will be the apprentice and I the teacher." The girl giggled and winked at Elizabeth and rode off.

Elizabeth shook her head in amusement. She said to Darcy, "Thank you once more for providing this for Emma."

Darcy said, "That was why you arrived that morning to nurse Miss Jane with muddy skirts and a sweaty dress. I had wondered why you hadn't ridden."

Elizabeth hit Darcy's arm. "Shame. Shame for reminding me that I ever looked so poorly in front of you."

Darcy smirked back at her. "Poorly? I admired your appearance excessively. You looked exceptionally fetching."

They looked into each other's eyes again. He had such blue irises. Darcy recollected himself this time, as the sound of hooves came closer again. He looked away.

Elizabeth looked down. "I ought to complete the scandalous story about my sister. Fever took my father, then Wickham abandoned her. When he did, Lydia was visibly with child. She lived with my aunt and uncle for a time, but she did not like the rules they placed on her behavior. We all lived with them then. The house was crowded, and my uncle's trade had already begun to fail. Money was tight, and Lydia received no ribbons, spending money, or little comforts that she had always been used to."

"You had lost them too."

"Yes, but I could be a philosopher about the matter. Mostly — fine goose pens, I really miss the best pens. It is a small thing, but…"

"It is the small things that matter most." Darcy smiled at her. "And I know what present to give you for your birthday."

Elizabeth blushed. "That was not a request."

"Which is why it will be all the sweeter to fulfill it — I would hope, should I suffer reverses, that I would act as nobly as you."

"Shame, Mr. Darcy, you shall give me a quite large head. Shame."

"I should only be shamed because I barely praise you halfway to your due."

Elizabeth laughed. "I adore how you can say such with a straight face."

He looked disconcerted. Elizabeth grinned happily, even though she was telling the story of Lydia, she was happy.

She looked back out at Emma, who waved at her, but continued to make the pony prance her way around the yard. "After the birth of the child — it was an easy birth — she left the house and her child. We did not know anything of her for some months. Then she sent a letter to Kitty explaining how she had become the mistress of a middling gentleman, and that there was a neighbor of her patron who would be quite pleased to look at Kitty as a prospect. Lydia wrote that Kitty should come immediately, so that they could be together again."

"That—" Darcy whistled and shook his head. "That is… At least she showed a little concern for her sister — I recall seeing them stick together a great deal."

"I believe Lydia would have gained a fee as a procuress. Maybe your interpretation is true — Lydia since has changed her patron twice, or that is how often she has written to us of changing him. She once wrote for money. But after our refusal, she found a new patron. We have not heard of her for six months now…"

Despite how she trusted Darcy, now that she had finished the story, Elizabeth found it hard to look at him.

He touched her hand again, and then moved it away when she looked at him. "I could not possibly judge any person by the behavior of their relations. Not any longer. It would be the rankest hypocrisy."

Elizabeth blinked. "What your sister did — she never did anything else, simply agreeing to an elopement is not—"

"I speak of Lady Catherine." Darcy's face clouded, and he spat out the name like a vicious curse word.

"Oh."

"There is nothing in your sister's story so vile as how she has forced me into this engagement."

"I…I wish you did not need to marry Anne. You are too good…" Elizabeth had a sudden vision of a world where he did not need to marry. Where he did not care about Georgiana more than himself and her. She bit her lip to keep from crying. But even then she could not be happy. When he married Anne, Lady Catherine would transfer Emma to his care, and then her Emma would be safe. It was so strange that Darcy's marrying Anne would protect Emma. There was no way that they could all be happy.

"You are crying. Elizabeth — don't cry…please, Lizzy…"

"You are not crying. One of us must cry. It is my place as the woman — but you feel the unfairness, the injustice, as clearly as I can."

He raised a finger to brush the tears off her cheek, and then he drew it away as Emma came up on her pony. They were not alone.

Emma jumped off the animal and threw her arms around Elizabeth's waist. "What is the matter? What is wrong?"

Emma glanced at Mr. Darcy with an accusing look.

Elizabeth pulled Emma tight against her. "I heard a sad story. But it is all right. But let me hold you for a while."

Emma squeezed her back tightly.