A/N
On to Chapter 8. As always thank you dear readers for the engagement with my story. Your kind appreciation and suggestions, and the awareness that many of you are waiting to know how we will proceed keeps me toiling hard to forge ahead : -)) Thank you all, once again!
I do not know how many of you noticed that Mr, Talbot changed from a doctor to an apothecary in the previous chapter quite unceremoniously! Actually, it was a suggestion from one of you that it would have been somewhat improbable to have a Physician residing in a village the size of the hypothetical Bassingtonstoke! Since I agreed with the argument, I changed Mr. Talbots qualification - Mind you, he is a really good apothecary :)
To reader NYT - in Chapter 6 you had asked about that apology for things that were not said but meant. Well… the best I could think was what I made Elizabeth do.. apologize but let the reason remain vague.. and hope that they understand as our good Darcy did! Afterall it is only a hunch that the other party is aware of the insult. What if they are not… too risky to mention the reason : ))
To reader Lisa – Thank you once again for spending time on my story with a discerning eye, I really appreciate your kind help
A Chance EncounterCopyright © 2021 by S. Neha
All rights reserved.
Chapter 8When Elizabeth woke up the next morning, she felt much better despite having gone to sleep at such a late hour. She looked around and found that she was alone in the room. It appeared that Mr Darcy and Millie both were already up and about. She looked out at the beautiful morning, and suddenly feeling full of energy, decided to go down for breakfast. Anyhow one more day of being cooped up in the room was a wholly unattractive proposition.
When she reached the dining room, she found Mrs Webster was still at breakfast. "Ah, Elizabeth! Come on in. It is good to see you downstairs and looking so much better too." Their hostess smiled in welcome.
Elizabeth had just returned the lady's kind greeting when she found herself being addressed once again. "Do you think it is wise, my dear? Mr Talbot advised you rest." Darcy asked in concern as he entered the room after her.
"Mr Talbot only asked me not to overtire myself, sir. I can assure you, coming down for a meal would definitely not tire me out." Elizabeth smiled.
Darcy gave her a searching glance, then nodded reluctantly. Once they were all seated, Elizabeth asked about Millie's whereabouts.
"I sent Millie out with Tom to pick some flowers. She was once again asking after her grandmother." Mrs Webster replied sombrely. "By the by, I told her that her grandmother is currently unable to travel and is staying with a friend. I am sorry Elizabeth, Mr Fitzwilliam, but she was so insistent this time around that I had to tell her something. However, I really could not tell her the truth." She added after a while.
Elizabeth and Darcy nodded their understanding. For some time, there was an uncomfortable silence on the table as all the adults were busy with their thoughts about the child playing outside. To lighten the oppressive atmosphere, Mrs Webster addressed Darcy. "I saw that you went out for a ride on Pegasus, Mr Fitzwilliam. I hope he did not play any of his usual tricks on you."
"No, not really, Mrs Webster. He was a little frisky in the beginning, but we came to an understanding soon enough. It also helped that I was already alert to any possible tricks since John had warned me beforehand. Consequently, I had quite an invigorating ride." Darcy smiled at her.
"I am quite relieved to hear that." Mrs Webster smiled back. "Mr Fitzwilliam, John informs me that I have to thank you for coming to our aid regarding the repair to the boundary fence." She added.
"There is no need to thank me, ma'am. In fact, I believe I should beg your pardon for taking the repair work on myself without first bothering to inform you about it. You could blame my compulsive streak for that. Whenever I see something that I can fix, I feel comfortable only after the task has somehow been accomplished."
"Begging pardon for helping us out! You are a strange one, Mr Fitzwilliam. That fence that you mended will bring a lot of peace of mind to both John and me. You do not know, but we have been having a spate of trouble recently. The reinforced fence would help John… " Mrs Webster's words were interrupted by a squeal from Millie, who came rushing in with a posy of beautiful peonies. With a delighted smile, she offered one each to Elizabeth and Mrs Webster. However, the biggest and the most striking red one was reserved for Darcy.
"Red flower, Dawcy!" The child offered it to him proudly. "Thank you, poppet. It is beautiful." Darcy smilingly took it from her and put it on the lapel of his coat. With a happy chuckle and a few claps, the child started to amble out of the room once again.
When he turned to glance at the ladies in the room, he was a little disconcerted to find them both regarding him with identical, amused smiles. He cleared his throat a little self-consciously and addressed himself to Mrs Webster. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you regarding this trouble that you mentioned, ma'am. You do not have any reason to trust me but…"
"On the contrary, Mr Fitzwilliam, I believe that I have quite a few!" Mrs Webster interrupted him as she meaningly glanced at little Millie walking out of the door and then looked back at him. In that one moment, Elizabeth knew with complete certainty that whatever the old lady was saying was absolutely correct. Mr Darcy was a person one could trust implicitly. What she was now unable to understand was how she could have been so wrong about him? While Mr Wickham's stories about Mr Darcy had cemented her dislike of him, it was his own behaviour that had initiated the antipathy. And really his interference with Jane… Her musings were interrupted by Mr Darcy clearing his throat and speaking once again.
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"Yes… well… you may think it is presumptuous of me, Mrs Webster, but I was hoping to know more about this trouble you are facing. I believe I might be able to offer some help. I… I assist the Justice of peace in my county, and the experience might come in handy." Although Darcy himself was the Justice of peace in his area, he did not want to boast or give Mrs Webster cause to get curious about their identities.
Mrs Webster looked doubtful at that but still narrated the tale as requested by him. "The problem started a fortnight ago when one evening John found a couple of miscreants trying to damage our boundary fence as he was returning from the village. Luckily John had a couple of his cronies from The Red Lion with him. On seeing that they were outnumbered, the miscreants ran away or rather rode away. At the time, they were not successful in damaging the fence. John tried to give chase, but it was an unequal one since he was in the pony cart, and those men were able to get away easily."
The lady gave her audience a bewildered look. "Frankly, Mr Fitzwilliam, we could not understand the purpose behind the incident. Till this event we never even bothered to lock our gates at night. Theft and vandalism are almost unheard of in Bassingtonstoke. Moreover, there is nothing here worth stealing, except perhaps…." Mrs Webster's voice petered off.
"Except Pegasus?" Darcy asked quietly.
Mrs Webster nodded unhappily and continued with her story. "Although at the time we believed that it was an attempt at mischief by some drunken strangers passing through our village, still we started to put a padlock on the entry gate at night. Things remained quiet for more than a week after the incident, but five days ago, there was another attack. This time they came late at night."
The distressing recollections appeared to upset the old lady immensely, and she fell quiet for a while. Darcy and Elizabeth continued to wait in silence, and their patience was rewarded presently. Taking a deep breath, Mrs Webster resumed the narration. "Five days ago, I woke up after hearing a commotion outside the house. As fast as I could, I went out with my rifle.
Yes… the same rifle with which I welcomed you that day." She added with a wan smile.
"When I went outside I found John and my grandson Cyril attempting to fight with two assailants, one of whom was wielding a knife. I could only watch helplessly as the knife-wielder slashed John on his arm and the other man hit Cyril on his shoulder with a piece of wood or some such. It was only when I noticed that both John and my grandson were getting overpowered by their assailants that I could force myself to act. I rushed forward and warned them, much as I had warned you on your arrival. Thankfully the view down the barrel of the rifle appeared to make an impact. The men decided to quit, but not before one of them pushed me down on his way out. They left behind a group of injured and bewildered people, for I too suffered a sprain in my foot when I fell down." She shook her and sighed deeply.
"It was much later that John informed me that he had woken up due to Pegasus's screams. Those men, it appeared, had been trying to get to our horse, and it was his violent reaction to their misadventure that protected him and woke up John."
"And since then, John has been sleeping in the loft above the stables to prevent any further mishap?" Darcy asked.
A quick nod was his only response. Before Darcy could ask any more questions that were clamouring in his mind, Mrs Webster spoke, "My grandson did say that we could sell Pegasus. It would not only thwart whoever was trying this mischief but also do away with the necessity of constantly keeping this tension filled watch every night. But I just cannot bring myself to do that, even though I have no real need for Pegasus at the moment. I did not sell him last year when my Harry passed away, and I really was in some difficulties.
Cyril has gone back to London now, but he said he will come back sometime later to check if I have changed my mind. But I cannot sell that horse. He gives me hope that…" The old lady suddenly went silent.
Realizing that Mrs Webster would not be revealing anything further unless prompted, Darcy asked her gently, "Who offered to buy Pegasus a year ago?"
"No one had actually offered to buy him, Mr Fitzwilliam. However, Cyril offered to make some inquiries on my behalf when he came to know of my difficulties with… with repayment of a loan." Darcy and Elizabeth exchanged a look, and this time Elizabeth asked the old lady, "Has anyone shown an interest in purchasing Pegasus in the past year?"
"No… no one has approached me." Mrs Webster shook her head.
"Well, he is a dream of a horse, a pure thoroughbred. Had you been wanting to sell him; I would have been very tempted to give you an offer for him myself." Darcy's smile faltered a little at the look on the old lady's face. "Please do not worry, ma'am. I would not do so, now that I am aware of your unwillingness to part with him."
For a while, there was a strained silence at the table as Darcy pondered how to help Mrs Webster. The only person who had shown any interest in the horse in the past year was her own grandson! But in all probability the man had been trying to help out a relative who was facing difficulties - both financial and otherwise. It was hard to solve the mystery of the attack in the limited time he had left in Bassingtonstoke. However, he could begin by making things more secure and comfortable for their kind hostess. 'But how to do so without hurting her self-esteem?' He mused uneasily. All of a sudden, an idea occurred to him, and he smiled to himself. The best part was that the scheme was beneficial for him also. Perhaps, that would make it easier to convince Mrs Webster. Feeling buoyed, he addressed the old lady. "Mrs Webster?"
"Yes, Mr Fitzwilliam?"
"I have a request to make."
The old lady silently raised her brow and he replied, "I understand that I cannot have the thoroughbred that you have in your stable, but I believe you will not have any objection if he sires one for mine?"
"I am sorry, I do not take your meaning, Mr Fitzwilliam." Mrs Webster replied in a confused voice.
"I have a mare in my stables. More precisely, it is my sister Georgie's favourite mare. For some time now, Georgie has been desirous of acquiring a foal from her favourite. I believe that in Pegasus, we have found the perfect candidate for that coveted foal's sire."
"Oh, I see." That was all the response Mrs Webster offered.
Believing that she needed to be convinced further, Darcy added, "I would, of course, be paying the prevalent market rate for the… ah… service." He finished a little awkwardly.
Looking amused at his sudden discomfort, Mrs Webster waved that away. "What is the name of the mare?" She asked abruptly, giving Darcy a searching glance.
"Her name is Snowdrop," Darcy replied with a sheepish grin. "She was named so for the obvious reason – that she is as white as a snowdrop. However, please do not blame me for the unoriginal choice. Georgie is the one who named her."
Suddenly, Mrs Webster appeared more relaxed. Offering one of her more genuine smiles, she replied, "I think it was a perfect choice. Very well, Mr Fitzwilliam, I am quite happy to grant your request."
"Capital! Georgie will be delighted to know that." Darcy gave a pleased smile in response. "I will need some time to make arrangements for Snowdrop to be brought here, but I believe that we can easily be back here sometime next month if that is convenient to you?" He asked.
"That should not be a problem." Mrs Webster replied.
"Great! And, ma'am, now that I have found a way to fulfil my sister's long-cherished wish, I would not want anything to spoil it So… I am hoping that you would not mind if… if I ask Jones to employ someone to guard Pegasus at night." As Mrs Webster's brow shot up in surprise, he added hurriedly, "Only for the intervening time till we come back with Snowdrop."
"Oh, but I really cannot allow you to…" Mrs Webster began in bemusement.
"Please, Mrs Webster, it will greatly relieve my mind if you grant one more request. I am only thinking about my sister's happiness."
"Oh, very well, Mr Fitzwilliam, do as you deem fit." The lady replied dryly.
"Then I will go and discuss the arrangements with John." Darcy got up and excused himself.
When he was at the door, Mrs Webster called him suddenly. "Mr Fitzwilliam?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Now that you have arranged everything so beautifully, I would suggest you take Elizabeth and little Millie out for a small picnic." She smiled in amusement when Darcy flushed after realizing that she had been wise to his intentions.
"Oh, but…" He began to protest but was interrupted by the good lady.
"Please do not worry, Mr Fitzwilliam, I am now taking your wife to the parlour with me. There she can put up her feet and rest while giving me her delightful company. This way, she need not tramp upstairs and down multiple times and tire herself. Also, the picnic spot I am suggesting is a prettyish wilderness, just behind the house. I am sure both Millie and Elizabeth would greatly enjoy themselves there."
Darcy looked at the palpable anticipation on Elizabeth's face and grinned, "There you have me, Mrs Webster. Very well, we will go for this picnic as soon as I am back." Although he addressed Mrs Webster, he looked at Elizabeth as he spoke. The delighted smile he received in return made him blink. It was with difficulty that he remembered that he had few arrangements to make and forced himself to leave with a bow to the ladies.
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Mrs Webster watched him go with an amused smile, then turned towards Elizabeth. "If ever Mr Fitzwilliam is looking for an alternate career, tell him from me to never try his luck walking the boards." The old lady grinned and added, "That man cannot dissemble to save his life! Had I not discerned that he is genuinely interested in that foal for his sister, I would have been very hard-pressed to accept his help, even though I need it badly."
Elizabeth gave Mrs Webster a sheepish smile and replied, "Alex always does prefer a square dealing."
Mrs Webster nodded and motioned for Elizabeth to follow her to the parlour. After a few moments of silence, she spoke again, "You know, he reminds me so much of my Harry. That outwardly tough persona with an unfortunate tendency towards arrogance - that sometimes make them appear cold. Most deceivingly so, because the inner core is all gentleness and empathy." She gave a reminiscent smile and added, "We are lucky, you and I, that we found such men. As would be any children that you both will be blessed with."
For no good reason, her words left Elizabeth with a desire to cry. She could not understand why she should be suddenly assailed with a feeling of acute loss. It was with difficulty she forced herself to pay attention to what Mrs Webster was saying further.
"My father, although fair, was an indifferent sort of man. I can tell you that life can often be challenging with people of that ilk, especially if they have complete power over you."
Elizabeth nodded in understanding. It appeared that Mrs Webster was in a mood to reminisce, and she was more than happy to lend a willing ear. 'Maybe I would come across something that would help Mr Darcy to solve the mystery of the attacks that the good lady had faced.' Elizabeth decided as she sat back comfortably to listen.
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