Chapter 6
The next morning Elizabeth put on a riding habit that she had borrowed from her aunt. Neither she nor Jane had brought riding clothes since they had no expectation of such an activity in London. She had discussed it with Lady Dunmore the day before, and the countess had offered Elizabeth one of their own horses for her use; so Elizabeth was to meet them at Dunmore House.
Mr. and Miss Darcy were already there when she arrived. They had ridden over from Darcy House on the mounts they had brought from Pemberley.
"My brother and niece are already in the stable," said Lady Dunmore as she welcomed Elizabeth. "Shall we go out and find a mount for you?"
"That would be delightful. Thank you."
Mr. Darcy looked up when they entered and his face brightened. "Good morning," said Elizabeth.
"Good morning," he replied.
Miss Darcy peeked around a stall door. "Miss Lizzy! You must come and see my pony!"
Elizabeth laughed and strode forward. "I would like to. What is his name?"
"I call him Chip," she said proudly. "Is he not wonderful?"
"He is, indeed," she smiled. "How long have you had him?"
"Ever since I can remember. My Papa taught me to ride when I was only a baby."
"Well, you were a little older than that, Melody," put in Mr. Darcy with a dry smile. "I had you up on the horse in front of me by the time you were two. You started to learn to ride your own pony when you were about four."
"And did you teach her yourself, Mr. Darcy?" asked Elizabeth.
"I did," he replied simply.
Elizabeth thought it was a wonderful thing to have so dedicated a father. Clearly he was not like other men of his station; but she had known that already.
"My father made sure my sister and I learned how to ride," she said. "But I will admit I do not ride the more spirited animals. Something more placid would be better for me."
"We have the perfect horse for you then," said Lady Dunmore. "Come and pet Pansy. She is a gentle mare."
"Here." Darcy held out his hand, and Elizabeth put forth her own to receive a green apple.
"Ah," she said. "I see you know how to make friends, sir!" she said with an impish smile.
He laughed. "Only with horses."
She was glad to hear the laugh, and turned to meet Pansy.
She spent some time petting and getting to know the mare, then fed her the apple on her palm. She felt the horse's soft mouth and whiskers as she dipped down to crunch on the treat. She mounted easily with the mounting block, and then all four of them were on their way.
For the first ten minutes or so, Elizabeth paid close attention to the unfamiliar animal, and manipulated the reins carefully. Once she was aware of her surroundings again, she realized they were trotting through the park, and that Lady Dunmore and Miss Darcy were ahead. Mr. Darcy was riding next to her.
Up ahead, aunt and niece were chatting away, but she had noticed Mr. Darcy was a quiet man. She decided to try to draw him out. She wanted to see him smile again. He really was handsome when he smiled, she thought abstractedly.
"We must have some conversation, Mr. Darcy," she said lightly.
He smiled at her. "Must we?"
"I suppose we could discuss the weather, or even the local gossip, but I must admit I prefer more substantial topics."
"Do you? Such as?"
"What think you of books?"
"I am always happy to discuss books."
"Have you read anything interesting lately?"
"I have been reading a new novel by Walter Scott called Waverley. Have you read it?"
"No, I have never heard of it. What is it about?"
"It is about a young man who becomes involved in the Jacobite uprising in 1745. I have not read very much of it, I admit. Melody and I have been busy enjoying ourselves since we arrived in town, and ever since my sister arrived, we have been spending time with her family."
"Lady Dunmore is a very kind lady."
"She is." Darcy nodded earnestly. "I am very fortunate to have her as my sister."
"Am I correct in saying that she is much younger than you?"
"She is, by twelve years. I was more like a father to her than a brother."
"I can tell you are close."
"We are. Our parents were … distant. They did not have much time for us. My father made sure I learned how to run the estate, but besides that he did not have much time for me, nor did my mother. Georgiana came along when I was twelve, and I became more than a brother to her."
"I am sorry," Elizabeth said. "I know I am very fortunate to have such a loving father."
"My father found more delight in the company of his godson, George Wickham. He was the son of Pemberley's steward. Mr. Wickham had a silver tongue as well as a handsome visage and happy manners. He was capable of charming anyone."
"But not you, seemingly," said Elizabeth perceptively.
Darcy turned to look at her. "No, you are right. He was not a good man, Miss Elizabeth."
"Was? Is he deceased?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I have not heard of him in ten years or more. After I married, he was arrested for debt and was sent to Marshalsea Prison."
Elizabeth had noticed the bleakness entering Mr. Darcy's eyes again, so she sought to distract him from these gloomy thoughts. "You must tell me more about Waverley, Mr. Darcy. Perhaps I will read it myself."
"You may borrow it once I have finished it, if you like."
"Oh, I could not presume…"
"It is no presumption," he said softly.
"Thank you, sir. That is very kind of you." She wanted to bring an air of cheerfulness back to their conversation, so she continued lightly, "I have been reading The Romance of the Forest."
"Gothic novels, Miss Elizabeth?" asked Darcy, raising his eyebrows.
Elizabeth let out a peal of laughter. "Do not tell me you have never read one!"
"No, I cannot say that. When Georgiana was younger, she loved those novels. I think she still does, to be honest. But my cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam, and I, were her guardians after my father died, and we read the books first to be sure they would be appropriate for her. I think her favourite was The Mysteries of Udolpho."
"That one I did not care for. I remember wishing that Emily would die to make the story more interesting. She was the most aggravating character!"
Darcy laughed and she grinned.
"Now, The Romance of the Forest is better. I have found that it has many parallels to Shakespeare's Macbeth."
Darcy looked surprised. "Really?"
"Yes. There is a theme of light that runs through the novel that aligns with Macbeth."
"Perhaps I will have to read it then," he said, with a smile.
"We can exchange books once we are finished," said Elizabeth impishly. "Then we can have a true discussion."
"True. I look forward to it, Miss Elizabeth."
Just then Miss Darcy called back to them that she wished for a race.
"We cannot race here in the park, sweetling," said Mr. Darcy. "Remember, I have told you that before. We will have to wait until we return to Pemberley."
Miss Darcy pouted, but did not argue with her father. "Miss Lizzy, you must come see Pemberley!" she cried instead.
Mr. Darcy nodded. "You would be welcome anytime," he said quietly.
Elizabeth smiled at both of them. "Thank you both. Perhaps I will someday."
Lady Dunmore let her horse fall back beside theirs. "Would you like to stop at Hatcherd's? We are coming close to it."
"Can we walk from here?" asked Darcy.
"The groom assures me we can."
"That sounds like a good idea to me. Miss Elizabeth, would you like to go to the bookshop?"
"I should be delighted!" she exclaimed. She realized at once that she did not have any money with her, but she would enjoy just browsing the shelves.
They soon had to get off their mounts in order to walk, and the grooms took hold of the horses and pony for them. Darcy held open the door for the ladies as they entered.
"I love the smell of paper and binding," Elizabeth said offhand, and Mr. Darcy nodded.
"Yes, a bookstore is one of my favourite places to be," he replied.
Elizabeth and Miss Darcy both gravitated toward the children's books. Mr. Darcy wandered toward the first editions and Lady Dunmore looked at the new releases. After a few minutes, Miss Darcy called her father over.
"Look at this one, Papa! We do not have this one!"
"Indeed, we do not," he said, taking it from her outstretched hand and leafing through it.
"Can we buy it, Papa? Please?"
"Certainly, my dear," he said, then he looked at Elizabeth. "Are you looking for a book for your cousins, Miss Elizabeth?"
"No, well, actually, I have an interest in children's literature myself," she said, blushing.
"You do?" he asked, his eyebrows raised in curiosity.
"Yes," she said, but did not add any more. Mr. Darcy seemed to take the hint and dropped the subject.
They spent a pleasant hour looking through the books, while Miss Darcy sat to read the one she had selected. Finally, Lady Dunmore said she needed to get back home to her children, and so they secured the books they had bought in their saddlebags and headed back to the park to ride home.
They had only ridden about ten minutes when they came across two ladies and a gentleman, all about Mr. Darcy's age, who were apparently his friends. Darcy introduced Mr. Bingley, a blond-haired gentleman with his blonde-haired wife, and Bingley's sister, a Mrs. Parkinson, a hard-faced woman with bright red hair. Mrs. Parkinson treated Elizabeth dismissively, but both the Bingleys greeted her in a friendly manner.
"Lady Dunmore! I am glad to see you in town! It has been a long time since we have had the pleasure of your company!" said Mrs. Parkinson.
Lady Dunmore did not seem nearly as enthusiastic to greet the other woman, but still answered civilly.
Mrs. Parkinson then turned to interrupt her brother's conversation. "Mr. Darcy, we have not seen you for some weeks, ever since you had dinner with us when you first came to London. We have missed seeing you, have we not, Charles, Melanie?"
"My sister arrived in town soon after, Mrs. Parkinson. I have been spending a lot of time with her and her family," replied Darcy.
"Of course, family is so important. My poor departed Mr. Parkinson always agreed with me that family is very important. I daresay you want a mother, do you not, Miss Darcy?"
She turned a calculating face on the little girl, who looked uncomfortable with the scrutiny and question. "I am happy with just my Papa," she said at last timidly.
A twinge of annoyance passed over the woman's face. "Of course. You do not know any better, dear Miss Darcy, but I daresay your father does. He should be searching for a new mother for you. All children need a mother. Mr. Parkinson and I were never blessed, but I have always doted on the little ones."
She turned a look on Darcy, who either did not see it, or ignored it.
Elizabeth held back a burst of laughter. The woman was absolutely ridiculous! She clearly had set her sights on Darcy and meant to have him, whether he wanted her or not! Elizabeth was highly amused.
"Miss Darcy and I are perfectly happy as we are, Mrs. Parkinson," he said mildly, but gave a quick glance to Elizabeth, then looked away again. Elizabeth could not read what she saw in his eyes in that moment, but dismissed it as she continued to listen to Mrs. Parkinson's fawning.
"Of course, a man would not readily realize that a house is not a true home without a wife to run it," she continued. "It is all very well to have a housekeeper, but it is no comparison to having a true mistress. Mr. Parkinson often praised me for my management of his household, which I ran for a full ten years before his untimely passing."
Elizabeth, brimming with amusement, was watching Mr. Darcy's face, and saw a sort of weariness overcoming it. At once she felt sorry for him, and badly for being so amused at his expense.
"Caroline, if Darcy does not marry again, that is his choice," interjected Mr. Bingley in an annoyed voice. "We will certainly not change his mind if he does not wish to."
Mrs. Parkinson had the nerve to look offended. "Goodness me, Charles, how you can take friendly concern and turn it into something intrusive, I do not understand. Mr. Darcy is a dear friend and I am sure I only want what is best for him."
Bingley opened his mouth to respond when Darcy interjected. "Thank you, Mrs. Parkinson, but as I told you before, Melody and I are quite content as we are."
"Contentment is one thing, but happiness is another," continued Mrs. Parkinson. "A man can only truly be happy when he has a loving wife, and a child a loving mother. A great estate like Pemberley must feel empty without a mistress in it."
Apparently Mr. Darcy had decided to ignore Mrs. Parkinson's further attempts to ingratiate herself. He turned back to his friend, and he and Mr. Bingley began to talk. Mrs. Parkinson turned her fawning attention instead to Lady Dunmore and Miss Darcy, to the latter's discomfort. Elizabeth was left to ride next to Mrs. Bingley, who she found to be a kind but rather dim-witted lady, and discussed the weather.
As she passed desultory conversation, she began to think about Mr. Darcy and feel sorry for him. Was he the target of many grasping widows, eager to get their hands on his fortune? Clearly Mrs. Parkinson planned to get to Mr. Darcy through his daughter, but she could tell Miss Darcy was very uncomfortable around the woman, though she was being polite, as she had been taught.
Elizabeth marvelled again at what a very good father he was, though she happened to agree that Miss Darcy would probably be happier having twice the love and attention as she did now. The key would be to finding a woman who could truly love her as her own daughter, and could love Mr. Darcy as he deserved to be loved. Was there such a woman, or were they all grasping and avaricious like Mrs. Parkinson?
Soon the thought fled from her mind, as they reached a parting of the ways, and the Bingleys and Mrs. Parkinson had to turn one way, and the rest of them continued on to Dunmore House. Elizabeth overheard Darcy and his sister talking as they stabled their horses.
"Mrs. Parkinson certainly has not changed over the years, has she?" asked Lady Dunmore.
Mr. Darcy sighed, a weary sound. "That woman is a scourge, Georgiana. She is indefatigable. After I married Anne I thought I was finally rid of her, but now that her husband has died she is back to pester me again."
"If you find someone else, she would have cause to leave you alone," suggested Lady Dunmore.
Darcy sounded bewildered. "Someone else? Georgie, who else could there be? Do you expect me to find someone just to keep Mrs. Parkinson at bay?"
Lady Dunmore sighed. "No, of course not. It was just a thought."