Handsome is a handsome does

Fitzwilliam Darcy arrives early, only to discover that Charles Bingley left Netherfield on a small errand the day before and has not been seen since. By happenstance, Elizabeth is called upon to aid the newcomer in his search. How will the prickly pair get along as they conduct their search for the elusive Bingley?

"When you told Mrs. Bennet this morning that if you ever resolved upon quitting Netherfield you should be gone in five minutes, you meant it to be a sort of panegyric, of compliment to yourself–and yet what is there so very laudable in a precipitance which must leave very necessary business undone, and can be of no real advantage to yourself or anyone else?" Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 9

Elizabeth Bennet was still swinging her bonnet in her hand rather than wearing it on her head when she turned the corner in the path to find the drive of her father's estate occupied by several men. She had a love-hate relationship with the troublesome apparel which, while ornamental, served to detract from her full enjoyment of the light morning breeze. Now she made quick work of donning the headpiece under the embarrassing notice of several local men and one very tall and handsome stranger.

Mr. Bennet, as always, found amusement in her scramble, "Ah Lizzy, just the person I was hoping to see!" And I shall thank you privately for drawing even more unwanted attention to my person, Father!

Having completed her task, Elizabeth stepped off the path and onto the drive, "Father, Gentlemen. How are you this morning?" She executed a curtsy and looked to her father for answers.

Instead of her father, Sir William Lucas did the honors, "Eliza, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy, this is Elizabeth Bennet, one of the brightest jewels of Hertfordshire I told you about and also my daughter Charlotte's dearest friends."

The tall, handsome man bowed only slightly and said not a word. He was dressed exceedingly fine, despite the dust on his apparel which indicated a long journey by horseback. He was older than herself, perhaps in his late twenties or thirty, and had the face and bearing of a noble. At the moment his face bore a look of haughty disdain. Clearly he did not agree with Sir William's ridiculous description of her as a "jewel." Think as you wish, Mr. Arrogant. I made no such claim. If anyone deserves such a description, it is my sister.

Her father spoke up, "Sir William comes this morning in his capacity as the magistrate. It seems that Mr. Bingley, the new Master of Netherfield, has gone missing. As I am the last person other than the household servants to have seen the man, they hoped that I might have some idea of where he might have taken himself."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow to scold her father. The house had been in an uproar for several days because Mr. Bennet had refused to go and visit the new tenant. Mrs. Bennet had wailed endlessly about poverty, unmarried daughters, and hedgerows for the past few days. "And when was that visit, Father?"

With every evidence that he was enjoying a fine joke, Mr. Bennet answered, "Yesterday morning."

"I fail to see how Miss Bennet..." Elizabeth silenced the man with a cold look and another raised eyebrow, then turned her attention to Sir William, "When was he last seen by the servants?"

Mr. Darcy answered, but Elizabeth kept her eyes on Sir William. "The housekeeper, a Mrs. Nichols, tells me that he left the house shortly after his visit with your Father."

"Did he give any indication of his destination?" Again her eyes remain fixed upon Sir William. With an irritated voice, Mr. Darcy again responded, "She thought that he had expressed a desire to speak with the haberdasher about a new top hat. It seems that his usual topper was knocked off his head and made an acquaintance with a local puddle."

This was humorous enough that Elizabeth had mercy and addressed her next question directly, "And did Mr. Daugherty have any information about your friend, Mr. Darcy?"

For just a moment, Darcy was taken with the twinkle in Miss Bennet's eyes. Then he made himself reply, "Mr. Daugherty had no recollection of a visit from a man of Charles Bingley's description."

Elizabeth nodded, "As much as I hesitate to suggest it, your next inquiry should be made to Mrs. Phillips... my aunt and the wife of the local solicitor."

Once again that look of superiority and disdain returned to Mr. Darcy's eyes, "And why should she be my next point of contact?"

Mr. Bennet, who had been greatly enjoying the exchange, furnished the answer, "Because my sister-in-law is the biggest gossip in Hertfordshire. If your friend has been seen in Meryton yesterday or today, then she would know of it. Lizzy, I'll have James saddle Persephone and you may make the proper introductions. Failing her, see if you can use your exhaustive contacts to sniff the man's location out."

Elizabeth nodded, excused herself, and hurried into the house to change into her riding outfit. As she left she heard Mr. Darcy begin to protest, but did not stay to listen in. Arrogant man probably thinks that a woman could not possibly help.

Mr. Darcy's concerns were along a different tract, however, "Mr. Bennet, while I appreciate your intentions, I hardly see..."

Mr. Bennet laughed, "Oh ho! You are worried that I am attempting to throw my daughter into the path of a rich man! Do not concern yourself, Mr. Darcy. Firstly, I shall have James accompany the two of you on your search. Secondly, you have already made a poor first impression on my Lizzie and she has no interest in your money or your status. Thirdly, you will need her assistance should your friend remain illusive. While my redoubtable sister-in-law and my own wife may know everything about everyone, my daughter actually knows everyone."

While Sir William agreed, Darcy ground his teeth in frustration. A poor first impression! No interest! What does it matter. The chit has is a poor country nobody! Her features are neither beautiful nor even symmetrical! Certainly, with the breeze blowing her hair there is a certain attractiveness about the girl, but she is certainly not handsome enough to tempt me!

Elizabeth Bennet returned downstairs much more quickly than Darcy had been used to with females of the species. While it was obvious that she had made little effort with her couffieur, there was, admittedly a certain attractiveness to the young woman in her riding habit. Elizabeth barely spared the man a glance when she said, "Sir William, if Charlotte is available could you ask her to speak to the tenants and farmers west of Lucas Lodge? Mr. Darcy and I will head to Meryton and then east."

Mr. Darcy noticed that she had several bundles in her hands and was followed by the housekeeper with more. "Are we to give gifts to solicit information, Miss Bennet?"

Elizabeth eyed the tall man without any trace of warmth, "No, Mr. Darcy. While we traverse the locality, I must also make certain deliveries."

Darcy needed to find his friend and this young woman might be his best hope for this. Personally he doubted her efficacy and felt that the two older men were making a joke at his expense, but for now he would play along. Bingley should have returned to his estate by now and might be somewhere lost on the road.

After placing her parcels into saddle bags, Miss Elizabeth rose into her saddle using a mounting block and without assistance. Persephone was a hunter of good proportions and Miss Elizabeth was small, but the young woman assumed her seat with perfect aplomb. Mr. Darcy could not help but notice that she looked quite natural and fetching as she guided her mount out onto the road. She had a light and pleasing figure, that was certain. Once Darcy was beside her she let the horse speed into a steady canter.

No words were spoken until they neared town and Elizabeth asked, "Is it usual or unusual for Mr. Bingley to vanish for days at a time?"

Darcy did not wish to promote gossip against his friend, but answered truthfully, "He might be described as... adaptable. He is pleased with all he sees and can be content in the city or the country."

Elizabeth raised that dratted eyebrow again, a gesture that Mr. Darcy found irritatingly attractive, "If I read between the lines, your friend tends to be happy wherever he's at, which means that he is also happy to go elsewhere if the prompting of others should offer an enticement. Still, he is your friend and you do not impress me as a spontaneous man, so he would not be so rude as to hie off to a distant location when he was expecting a guest."

Darcy could not deny the young woman's alarmingly accurate supposition, yet he needed to clear up one matter: "He was not expecting me quite so soon."

"Oh! So something sped you on your way from Town sooner than expected and Mr. Bingley, supposing himself free until a later time, may have chosen to move about the country?"

The creature certainly had a sharp intellect, "That would be an accurate summary... though I still cannot help but feel a certain worry. He was quite enthusiastic about leasing this estate and meeting the people of this community."

Elizabeth heard both the concern for his friend and his skepticism about the community in the man's tone. The second irritated her, but the first made the man seem more human. It also irritated her that he had dimples and that annoying curl on his forehead that her fingers itched to move back into place.

Before reaching Meryton, Elizabeth stopped to greet a farmer and his son herding sheep. "Mr. Beecher, how are you. And you, young Percy?"

"Fair and well, Miss Bennet. Fair and Well. Ma Missus is still down with the chest cold, but my boy Percy here is full recovered, thanks to you and yer sister."

Elizabeth smiled and reached back into her saddlebags to extract one of the little parcels. "Here is some more willow bark tea... don't scrunch your face up too much, Percy. You don't have to drink any more of it but it'll help your Ma. I know that it is bitter, but it will help with her throat so that she can get well again."

The farmer took the package gratefully and the riders moved on. "Is there not a doctor or apothecary in the area, Miss Bennet?"

"Mr. Jones is the apothecary and does most of the physician work in the area, but he is dealing with a difficult case miles to the west of us. The Beechers have been our tenants for three generations and we do what we can for our own."

They were entering town and attracting notice, so Darcy refrained from further comment. As her father had noted, Miss Elizabeth Bennet seemed to know and be known to everyone she saw. She did not ask every person, but did question certain individuals for any sightings of Mr. Bingley. They rode on to the home of the same solicitor who had handled the lease of Netherfield. Mrs. Phillips must have been watching from a window, because she hustled onto the entry stairs to greet her niece and the tall gentleman before they could even dismount.

"Lizzy! How nice of you to visit," the woman greeted and then added an insinuating, "And who it this fine gentleman?"

"Aunt Phillips, this is Mr. Darcy. He is a friend of Mr. Bingley, the new Master of Netherfield. He came to visit his friend, but Mr. Bingley seems to be nowhere to be found. Have you heard of or seen the gentleman?"

Another woman with similar features hustled out and Darcy saw Miss Bennet grimace and color. "Lizzy! Who is this handsome man? Please introduce me."

Clearly dreading the exchange, Miss Bennet replied, "Mama, please meet Mr. Darcy, as I said to Aunt Phillips, he is a visiting friend of Mr. Bingley, the Master of Netherfield. Mr. Darcy, this is my mother, Francine Bennet."

"Oh! How delightful! Such a handsome young man and sooo well dressed! You must come in and meet my Jane. She is considered the most beautiful young woman in the county!"

Darcy stiffened and became more haughty in his demeanor, so Miss Elizabeth Bennet quickly forestalled what might have become a hostile exchange by reiterating, "Mama, Aunt Phillips, Mr. Darcy does not have time for a visit at this moment. He is here in search of his friend, who has not been seen for over a day. Aunt Phillips, have you seen or heard mention of him being here in town?"

Mrs. Bennet clearly wished to insist, but the aunt answered, "I have certainly heard much of him, but I have not heard of him being in town these two days since."

Darcy nodded coldly and wheeled his horse away, while Elizabeth gave her thanks. As she rode to join the man, both heard Mrs. Bennet remarking, "What an arrogant, rude sort of man!"

Mortified with her relations and incensed with Mr. Darcy, she nevertheless caught up with the man and sharply demanded, "Is Mr. Bingley the type to explore horse trails or go off the beaten path?"

Darcy, equally mortified and not a little disgusted, answered, "He enjoys a brisk ride more than a rough trail, but has been known to ride on either."

Elizabeth did not scowl at Mr. Darcy's condescending tone because she had seen the same reaction to her mother's and aunt's vulgarities before. Still it irked her for some reason to be judged harshly by this man. Nevertheless, she had a task to fulfill, "Then I propose that next we ride to Netherfield and explore the most likely trails that Mr. Bingley would have followed."

Having little else to do and oddly reluctant to end this exercise with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, he agreed. Upon riding onto the properties belonging to Netherfield, Elizabeth made two more stops, one to deliver a mustard poultice to farmer Buford, who had a wound on his leg, and another to deliver a little dress to another tenant who had a little girl who had outgrown most of her clothing. Darcy watched the little girl grin and hug Elizabeth and marveled at the natural way that his guide interacted with people from any level.

Once they had departed that farm, he asked, "You help the tenants of another man's estate?"

"The owners have been absent for more than a decade. Mr. Baverley, the steward, is a good and honest man, but his wife passed five years ago and it is too much to expect him to see to that aspect of the tenant's needs."

"And yet you do."

"I and my sister's do. Jane collected and dried the willow bark. Mary made the poultice. Kitty and Lydia sewed the dress. My younger sisters may be young and too lively for most tastes, but they are learning the wife's proper care for an estate from my mother, along with the rest of us." Elizabeth regarded the man, "Who looks after your tenants, Mr. Darcy?"

It was an impertinent question, but since he had opened this line of questioning he could not turn back now. "My mother did until she passed thirteen years ago. I do, for the six to nine months that I spend on my estate. Mrs. Reynolds, my housekeeper, and Mrs. Timmons, my steward's wife, help as well. I believe perhaps that it is time for my younger sister to begin to learn under their tutelage."

Elizabeth found herself oddly pleased with his response. "I commend you, Sir. Too many young gentleman and nobles do not even know their tenant's names, much less their needs. Now, this trail here would be a likely one because it promises to be a safe trail for a brisk run. We should follow it first."

Darcy was shockingly pleased with Miss Bennet's approval, though he could not explain why. He also found the sparkle in those amazing eyes to be quite... he could not say why, but he also could not stop looking when those eyes were turned in his direction.

At the beginning of their day, he had found the girl to be not handsome enough to tempt him. Now he found her to be one of the handsomest females of his acquaintance. How did that happen? Perhaps it was her actions as much as her beauty. She does so much for so many without any expectation of reward. A remarkable woman indeed.

Elizabeth spurred* her horse into a slow gallop and the tall man on his large stallion followed. Over the next hour they explored all of trails branching off from Netherfield and then, just in case, those trails that Elizabeth loved the most. In the early afternoon the pair and their escort crested the rise onto the top of Oakham Mount, where they paused for a long rest while looking over the panoramic view.

In a soft voice Elizabeth noted, "This is my favorite place in all of this area. You can see Meryton there to the left, Longbourn below, and Netherfield off to the north. Lucas Lodge, that is the property of Sir William, is right there, by the two hills. And on a clear day such as this you can see the spires of the churches in St. Albans, ten miles away."

"Enchanting," Darcy said just as softly, but when Elizabeth looked over, he seemed to be looking in her direction rather than at the view. She blushed and James, who had been forgotten by both, coughed quietly.

"Sir, I am afraid that we have explored all of the areas within greater Meryton and the surrounding estates where your friend Mr. Bingley might have taken himself. I will speak with my father and Sir William to encourage them to spread the word, but I do not think that he is currently in our neighborhood."

Darcy reluctantly agreed. "Mrs. Nichols has graciously consented to prepare a room for me even without the presence of Mr. Bingley, since he did tell her to expect us in two days. I will just have to hope that all is well."

"If you wish... I am quite certain that my mother would be pleased to have a guest at our table?"

Darcy successfully quelled a grimace before answering, "For tonight I will eat and rest... but if I might call tomorrow... to discover what your father may have learned, of course!" He said the last a little too quickly and James picked up on it, but Elizabeth frowned, "I am certain that my father would be pleased to receive you. My mother intends to drag all five of her daughters to the local dressmaker in preparation for the assembly in two days... so I suppose that I will say goodbye until then. If you follow this trail to the right, it will lead you directly back to Netherfield Park."

The pair went their separate ways, neither pleased with the separation and neither quite certain why.

Darcy was shocked when Charles Bingley, looking tired but as cheerful as ever, rode onto Netherfield's drive at the same time as he entered from another direction. "Darcy! I was not expecting you for another two days! How are you, my friend?"

"Bingley, where were you? Mrs. Nichols said that you left for a quick errand early yesterday and have not been seen since."

Bingley laughed, "Well yes! I could not find a suitable top hat in Meryton, so I rode on to St. Albans. Then who should I meet there but Jake Mattingly, you remember him from college, I am certain. Well he said to me, 'Bingley, it is good to see you old boy. You are just the person I require. My estate is near Hertford and I have guests, but only six others. We need an eighth to round out our game. Why don't you ride back with me and pay a visit?"

Darcy shook his head. Bingley was the most suggestable young man he had ever met. Someday someone might say, "Bingley, let's make a tour and circumnavigate the world. We leave in three hours!" and Bingley would probably go along. Dismounting, he said, "Well then I am glad that you came home before they won your entire fortune. Come, it has been a long day and I could use a meal."

Two days later the full Netherfield party made their appearance at the assembly. Charles Bingley, upon meeting Jane Bennet, was lost to the world and immediately solicited her hand for the next set. Mr. Hurst saw the refreshment table and hurried off to fill his stomach. Mrs. Hurst and her sister Miss Bingley looked down their noses at all and sundry. Mr. Darcy walked up to the Bennets, bowed to Mrs. Bennet, and then solicited the hand of Miss Elizabeth for her next available set. He had to wait for thirty minutes, but then he immediately secured a second set for the close of the evening.

Those who had heard of his great estate in Derbyshire and his ten-thousand a year (which was everyone except farmer Howard, who was completely deaf) marveled that such a man would give consequence to one of their local girls.

On the sidelines Mr. Bennet, who had decided to attend, extended an open hand to Sir William Lucas. "Pay up, my friend."

"They are not engaged yet, Mr. Bennet."

"Double or nothing?"

Sir William watched the couple and saw the way that their eyes held each other, even when the dance forced a separation. Eventually he shook his head, "No, I think you won this bet."

Bennet grinned and pocketed the crown. "Now, shall we talk about Mr. Bingley and my Jane?"

* I used the word "spurred" to imply that Elizabeth used some method to encourage her horse into a gallop. Not being a horseman, and not having a clue about riding side-saddle, could someone please provide me with the correct wording and a description of how a woman riding side-saddle would get her horse to obey commands?