Chapter 5 Rocks and Ridges
Note: Thank you! The feedback on this has been fantastic! I am sorry I cannot answer many of the questions as that would spoil your read but the plot thickens during the chapters I post this weekend.
Book news: Baby Blue Eyes will be published in mid December so if you have that on your TBR you should read it quickly before I have to take it down. Since I add my books to Kindle Unlimited, it has to be on Amazon exclusively. Oblivion, a new modern variation will follow early next year while I write a new story with the working title Underdog. I have thought out a plot that will allow Darcy to rescue Elizabeth even though he would be considered as the underdog and there is not a carriage accident nor highwayman in sight ;) For the first time, I feel that I am nailing the romance and that is a fabulous feeling
To Elizabeth's astonishment, Mr Collins requested a private interview with her on the following morning. His attentions had turned in her sister's direction but the oncoming, insulting explanation as to why he had aborted his pursuit of herself was unnecessary. A journey to Pemberley suddenly appeared much more tempting.
Elizabeth fought valiantly to get a word in that his excuses were redundant while secretly wondering if Mr Darcy would have come riding on his black steed to rescue her if he had known what kind of peril, she was in. Ridiculous thought! Convincing Mr Collins of the injuries to her heart were negligible took some persuading but he came to terms with it followed by the most outrageous statement.
"I am to address cousin Mary next. I hardly believe it will enhance your sisterly affection if she knew she was my second choice."
Elizabeth was too stunned to reply and by the end of the day, one Bennet sister had been rejected by a most unwanted suitor, one had accepted a sought-after suitor and one had been jilted most cruelly.
#
In the afternoon, her dear sister Jane received a letter from Miss Bingley, stating that they would follow the Darcy family to town as there were nothing to entice them to stay in Meryton without their dear friends for company. Her wishes upon a union with her beloved brother and dear Miss Darcy was expounded upon with great alacrity which Elizabeth tried to convince her sister was all a lie. Mrs Darcy had mentioned an appropriate match for Miss Darcy and even named him Mr Elliot who was the heir to barony no less. Miss Bingley must be dreaming in broad daylight. Besides, Mr Bingley had shown no particular preference for Miss Darcy neither had she shown him any particular attention but Jane was inconsolable. Regardless of his reason, Mr Bingley had left.
A visit from their dear relations from town a month later proved to revive Jane's melancholy but little and it was quickly decided upon that Jane would accompany Mr and Mrs Gardiner back to town when they left after the twelfth night.
In the meantime, they had a wedding to prepare and celebrate. Mr Collins might have been a patient man but his patroness was not. She saw no reason to procrastinate when a bride had been selected amongst his cousins. It was not like it would need to be an elaborate affair. The promise of a visit to his bride by his noble patroness as soon as they arrived at the parsonage sealed the deal and a swift wedding on the fourth day of Christmas ensued.
#
As it would turn out, one advantage was left by the debacle at the Netherfield ball that none was privy to but Elizabeth.
Mr Wickham quickly became a favourite of her two younger sisters, an infatuation Mrs Bennet soon abused them of as Elizabeth related he was a persona non grata among the Netherfield party. He had not received an invitation to the ball, had he...
Mrs Bennet was convinced that the Netherfield party would soon return despite the contradictory information Elizabeth shared from Miss Darcy's letters. Mrs Bennet thought it prudent not to interact with one officer Mr Bingley disliked when there were so many others to be had.
Elizabeth shared that he was the son of Mrs Darcy's steward and had turned out very wild indeed. A trait that was later confirmed by Mr Wickham's near elopement with a young Meryton Miss named Mary King who was saved in the nick of time by an uncle from Liverpool.
Mr Wickham disappeared from the Meryton society soon after, it had grown too hot under his feet. His debts had caught up with him and with no ten thousand pounds dowry from Miss King, he thought it best to leave the area in the dead of night, taking with him several pouches of coins that were not his to take.
Deserting, however, was a capital offence and particularly distasteful in times of war. When the militia could get their hands on him, he would be a dead man according to Colonel Foster who was a usually mellow tempered man. Rumour had it though, that the bird had been hired on a ship sailing for the West Indies while another claimed he was off to his relations in the Scottish Highlands, the truth was probably somewhere in between. London had plenty of rookeries where someone could hide indefinitely.
#
The news from town was discouraging. Jane had hoped to encounter Mr Bingley in town but they ran in very different circles. As a last resort, she and her aunt Gardiner had paid Mr Bingley's sisters a visit. Mr Bingley himself had not been at home. According to Miss Bingley, he spent much of his time at Darcy House with Miss Darcy particularly.
Elizabeth knew this to be an untruth and tried to raise Jane's spirits with as many contradictions to Miss Bingley's claims she dared relate. She had kept a steady correspondence with Miss Darcy since they left Meryton on the 27th of November. Mr Bingley was hardly ever mentioned in her letters and always in context with her brother.
#
By the end of February, the letters became more sparse. The Darcy family had travelled North in time for the planting.
With Mr Darcy's absence from her life, her budding fixation had diminished. She wondered if she had been infatuated at all or if she had succumbed to her vanity by receiving attention from a most handsome gentleman, however slight said attention had been. She might have been taken in by the thought of romance like Orsino, spinning tales from thin air. Distance was supposed to make the heart grow fonder rather than indifferent, was it not?
By March, she doubted the wisdom of travelling to Pemberley altogether. Being at Miss Darcy's disposal had lost the little appeal it had produced in the beginning. She could correspond with Miss Darcy through letters, she would have liked to see The Peaks but Miss Darcy spent most of her time at home, shielding her complexion against the sun. The thought of a grand estate was not enough to lure her out of the comforts of her home. It was just a home but on a bigger scale, hardly worth the effort...
Elizabeth seriously contemplated if she should decline the offer by some excuse or another when an opportunity struck her. Her sister, Jane, had lost her spirit since the Netherfield party left Meryton. Her attachment to Mr Bingley must have been deeper than she had initially thought. She should mention the fact in her next letter and tell Miss Darcy she could not possibly leave her sister behind. Either she would be released from the obligation or her sister might receive an invitation which was not such a bad thing. Miss Bingley had often enough mentioned their yearly sojourn to Pemberley for Easter. She might accomplish to bring Mr Bingley back into her sister's life. If he laid eyes on her for a second time, surely, he would not allow her to escape again?
Elizabeth penned a letter to Miss Darcy after rereading her aunt Gardiner's latest letter. Jane was still pining for Mr Bingley but her hope was lost in the months of quietly waiting at home for a word or glance on the street. Completely discouraged, she had become pale and drawn. Aunt Gardiner was worried and tried to get her engaged by visiting some of the pleasures in town but Jane was listless and begged off most of the time.
The answer came two weeks later with a carriage to convey them to Derbyshire. Both sisters were most welcome to spend the summer at Pemberley.
#
Pemberley
When Miss Darcy waxed on about the splendour of Pemberley, Elizabeth had not imagined the grandeur of being there in reality. The house was a palace with columns that reached for the sky, perfectly situated in front of a lake with rolling hills creating an idyllic backdrop. It was magnificent!
Elizabeth could better understand Mrs Darcy's entitlement when she experienced Pemberley first hand. The lady had reason to be proud, as had her son. She might have pursued him with more alacrity last fall had she seen Pemberley before Mr Darcy entered Meryton society...
Elizabeth giggled aloud. She had immediately imagined Mr Darcy being chased around the beautiful path surrounding the lake by two ridiculously pathetic women in hot pursuit, namely herself and Miss Bingley. Poor man, she could not wish such a fate on her worst enemy, let alone Mr Darcy. He had done nothing to deserve such a dreadful fate.
#
Pemberley's housekeeper, Mrs Reynolds, welcomed the Bennet sisters and brought them to their appointed chamber, the residents of the house were nowhere to be seen.
"Supper will be served at six, there are footmen in the hallways if you get lost. I will give you both a tour of the house on the morrow."
"Thank you, Mrs Reynolds."
The housekeeper left the two sisters in their shared large, light and airy chamber with a balcony. Elizabeth was thrilled and flung herself on the bed made with the most comfortable down mattress she had ever felt beneath her person.
"I could get used to this," she admitted to her sister. "I will sleep like a baby and you must wake me with a pail of cold water at noon."
They unpacked and got themselves ready for dinner, their lady's maid was still needed at Longbourn so the Bennet sisters must serve one another.
#
It was a bit daunting to find your way around the large house but Elizabeth soon discovered there was a logic behind the long hallways and numerous doors.
She took it as a challenge to find her way without the aid of a footman. As they grew nearer, the voices revealed where their party was to be found.
"Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth Bennet!" the butler announced as they entered the room.
Mrs Darcy was talking to a gentleman that Elizabeth surmised must be her husband. Their son was a mixture of both his parents while Miss Darcy resembled her mother.
"Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, you must come and greet my husband, Mr Darcy."
Elizabeth and Jane approached the distinguished-looking gentleman, a decade older than his spouse and darker in his colourings. His son had inherited his mother's softer brown hair because his father's hair was almost black in between the silvery threads. As he stood and bowed, Elizabeth noticed he was uncommonly tall and the furrows between his brows were deeper than the ones around his deep blue eyes. A token of a life lived that had not escaped tragedy. Her mind went to the tale Mrs Darcy had told about the former Mrs Darcy. To lose his heir and wife, being left with a young girl to raise on his own must have been difficult. No wonder he had remarried rather quickly...
What Elizabeth could not understand was how Mrs Darcy could ever describe her husband as plain, not that he was rakishly handsome but he had a presence that forced you to notice him and when he spoke, you listened. Plain was not a remotely accurate description.
"Miss Darcy will be busy with her studies in the mornings, Miss Elizabeth. I will expect you to attend her in the evenings and on the weekends."
"Yes, Mrs Darcy."
"Mr George Darcy and Mr Bingley," the butler announced.
The older Mr Darcy's eyes lit up with the entrance of his son and his friend.
"How was the western pasture? Had it flooded as we suspected?"
"No, the new ditch has done the trick. It was as dry as the eastern pasture."
"Good, all our labour has not been in vain."
"Miss Darcy and Miss Bingley," the butler announced.
"Elizabeth!" Georgiana almost broke into a run at the sight of her dear friend, making Elizabeth feel bad for contemplating the notion of not coming at all. Georgiana was delighted to see her which Elizabeth sympathised with if she had been left in the company of Miss Bingley for an extended period of time.
"I am delighted to see you! Did you have a pleasant journey?"
"Oh yes, the scenery was breathtaking. You had not exaggerated the beauty of Derbyshire but I am most anxious to explore the beautiful grounds of Pemberley."
"Oh, you are welcome to explore as much as you like. Do you ride, Miss Elizabeth?"
"Not if I can help it, I am not much of a horsewoman, I prefer to walk." Elizabeth heard Miss Bingley snicker at her admission. "I can ride, of course, if the horse is particularly docile but my sister Jane is an excellent horse rider if you want for company on your equine excursions."
"I assure you that I am an excellent rider if Georgiana needs company," Miss Bingley preened.
"Yes, your brother mentioned as much at your ball at Netherfield when we were last together on the 26th of November," Jane hastened to agree.
The mention of her brother set Miss Bingley at unease. The gentleman was currently stealing glances at Jane with little effort hiding his admiration. Elizabeth wondered what could have possessed him to leave Netherfield last autumn.
The younger Mr Darcy approached his father while Mr Bingley gravitated towards the ladies, unable to keep himself away for long.
"How delightful to see you, Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth. It has been almost five months since the 26th of November when we all danced together at Netherfield. The most pleasant evening I can remember."
"Oh yes, it was magnificent, your sister is a very accomplished hostess," Jane hastened to add. She had not missed the change in Miss Bingley's demeanour.
Miss Bingley wore a funny expression, half delighted for the praise yet half distressed by the rekindling of the acquaintance between her brother and Miss Bennet. A smiling grimace, as Elizabeth would have described it.
"Supper is served," the butler announced to their party.
#
As Elizabeth lay in her bed, pondering her first evening at Pemberley, she acknowledged quite a few observations.
Mr Darcy, the younger, had shown no preference for her or any delight at their reunion and strangely enough, neither had she. He was a pleasant man to look upon but she held no further interest in him. Her first attraction must have been the novelty of being introduced to a wealthy, favoured gentleman.
Miss Darcy was delightful but full young, she found that she missed the presence of Mrs Knightley who was an interesting conversationalist when her attention was not fixed on her husband.
The relationship between Mrs and Mr Darcy seemed respectful and harmonic in contrast with her own household. Mr Darcy the elder was an interesting character study with layers to discover while Mrs Darcy was a conundrum she realised she had not yet made out but probably would by the end of her stay.
Mr Bingley was still very much in love with her sister despite his long absence and Jane reciprocated his feelings. It would only be a matter of time before one of them burst into a declaration of love. Elizabeth would wager Mr Bingley would cave first but that remained to be seen as Miss Bingley would oppose most vehemently to that union and forward her friend, Miss Darcy, who seemed not particularly interested. What a tangled web, Elizabeth thought before her eyes drifted close.
#
Elizabeth awoke to a warm chamber, the maid had lit the fire in the wee hours of the morning. Jane was a late sleeper, to avoid disturbing her Elizabeth slipped out of bed, dressed and went on her constitutional undisturbed, an occupation she would make a habit of through her extended stay at Pemberley.
She passed a few footmen in the hallways but no one protested when she left the house solitarily. She had half expected someone would demand to escort her. She was delighted she was allowed to roam the premises in private, exploring undisturbed the pleasure of the formal gardens. A more adventurous walk must wait until she had familiarised herself with the area. She could foresee many a pleasant morning thusly engaged as Jane slept and Miss Darcy was busy with her lectures. It would probably make the entire journey worth it, in addition to a happy solution to the budding romance between Jane and Mr Bingley, a happenstance she tended to look upon as a foregone conclusion.
#
Over the coming days, a schedule formed that pleased Elizabeth very much. She roamed the out of doors in the morning and watched Jane and Mr Bingley fall deeply in love in the evenings. A pleasure she shared with Miss Darcy who was almost as eager as her to watch the romance unfold. Miss Bingley was going to be very disappointed. Her efforts to thwart the courtship was cut off by a stern Mrs Darcy who in no uncertain terms had lectured Miss Bingley on the difference between wealth and standing in society of which standing would always be preferred over wealth. Money was a too vulgar commodity to even contemplate while Miss Bennet was born into an ancient line of the gentry, which was all that mattered.
Miss Bingley had futilely mentioned Jane's relations in trade but the law was a gentleman's pursuit and Mr Gardiner's father had been a gentleman. Miss Bennet's relations were not nouveau rich but second and third sons who needed to make a living. In Mrs Darcy's eyes, the two was by no means comparable. She came from a child rich family of thirteen siblings, she refused to demean her brothers, who needed an occupation to live on, to that of a tradesman. Mr Gardiner should have had a law practice but since he had received a gentleman's education and was the son of a gentleman, her charitable side could overlook the fact that he owned a few warehouses.
#
On the weekends, additional guests arrived. The colonel Mr Darcy had written to in the Netherfield parlour was one of them and the second son of the late Mrs Darcy's brother.
Games were played in the gardens, lavish dinners were consumed while impromptu dances formed in the evening. A month went by that was broken up by Easter who came and went with even more guests.