The Darcys arrived at Netherfield and were greeted by the Baron and Baroness. The Baroness had known the late Mrs. Ann Darcy quite well and always treated Georgiana as if she were her own daughter. She gave her a warm embrace and led them up to their rooms.
"When you are changed and refreshed, come down and we can talk about what we might do while you are here. You will meet Miss Bennet tomorrow as I invited the whole family to come for dinner. Georgiana, you will like the two youngest sisters as they are about your own age and are quite lively; they are always up to something." This was not exactly how her brother had described them, so Georgiana was a bit confused. Still, she was even more interested in meeting them; she hoped they might become friends as she did not have many friends near her own age.
Darcy was not so sure if he agreed with this statement as he had found them to be almost too lively. However, he would not contradict the Baroness and hoped she knew what she was doing. He then thought that Georgiana's associating with the youngest Bennets might help him find a quiet time to tell Mrs. Collins his news about his cousin. He was not looking forward to this conversation even though he had always found that her conversations were quite intelligent and stimulating. She was certainly one of the most interesting ladies that he had ever met. He was looking forward to seeing her again.
That evening after dinner, when the Baroness and Georgiana left the two gentlemen to their port, Darcy asked, "So, Glenwood, how is your courtship progressing with Miss Bennet?"
"It could not be better. Mother still highly approves of her, even after seeing her and her family almost every day since we have been here. They are not in our social class but they are clearly landed gentry, so they are acceptable. They are well thought of in this area by everyone.
"Even though Miss Bennet hides her emotions under her natural serenity, Mother believes that she returns my affections, but she is not sure to what degree. She is not sure if the lady is in love with me yet, but she is confident that if I continue to treat her with gentleness and affection, her love for me will grow. She is also sure that it will not take her long to teach her what will be expected of her as the next Baroness and mistress of our estate. She is pleased with her ladylike manners and gentle disposition.
"I have even asked Mother about what her plans are for after we are married. She has it all planned out already! She wants to live with us in Warwickshire for the first several months to teach the new Baroness her duties, then stay mainly in town until our children start coming, when she will come back to help us with them. I think she is looking forward to having grandchildren to spoil. I appreciate her plans to be away from us so Jane can be the undisputed mistress while she is learning her new duties."
"So, when are you going to ask her to marry you?"
"I have been carrying a ring with me for the past week, but have not found the perfect opportunity to ask her. I hope you and Georgiana will help me by distracting her sisters while you are here. They have been too vigilant in chaperoning us."
"When I tell Georgiana your plans, I am sure she will do whatever she can to help you. You know that all young ladies have a romantic streak and she is no exception to the rule."
When they rejoined the ladies, the Baroness asked Georgiana to entertain them with some music, which she did to everyone's delight. The Baron contemplated many such comfortable evenings in the future with a wife at his side. His only regret was that she was not a pianist like Miss Darcy. However, as soon as their children were old enough to learn, he would find a teacher for them.
The next morning at breakfast, Glenwood suggested that they all ride out so he could show them the estate and some of the local area. His mother still enjoyed riding as long as it was on a gentle horse on a level trail. While Darcy knew Netherfield quite well, he thought this was a good idea as it was a warm and sunny day for early spring. The Baron had several riding horses at Netherfield, so the four of them were soon out exploring the area.
They even went into Meryton so the Baroness could show Georgiana the shops that she had found there. She was sure that the young lady would want to explore the merchandise the local merchants carried. Darcy had worried about going into Meryton in case they met any of the militia officers until Glenwood assured him that they had already decamped for Brighton. While they were riding on the main street of the village, Glenwood stopped his horse and said, "Look who is here! Those are the Bennet sisters over there."
Darcy then recognized that the five ladies looking into a shop window were indeed the Bennets. The Baron dismounted and helped his mother down, and Darcy followed his lead by assisting his sister. They went over to the ladies and Glenwood introduced Miss Darcy to them. The youngest Bennets immediately went to her and admired her riding outfit and began asking her about the latest fashions in town. At first Georgiana was almost overwhelmed with their attention, but their friendliness quickly overcame her shyness. This gave the Baron a good opportunity to talk quietly to Miss Bennet, leaving Darcy and the Baroness to speak to Mrs. Collins. When he looked at this lady, he once again realized how attractive she was. He was not pleased that his cousin may have played with her emotions. He could tell from the Baroness's remarks that this lady had earned her respect.
Darcy knew that he had to find a way to be alone with her so he could tell her about his cousin. "Mrs. Collins, I am pleased to see you again. How are you? How are your mother and your son?"
Elizabeth was surprised at how friendly he was as this was so different from how he had been in the autumn when he seemed haughty and aloof. Then she thought of how he had become more friendly with her after the Colonel left the area. She first gave the Baroness a proper curtsy. "Good morning, My Lady. Mr. Darcy, welcome back to Hertfordshire. I heard that you would be stopping here on your way to Derbyshire. We are all very well, thank you. Will you be here long?"
"Only about a week as I want to be at Pemberley in time for the spring planting. I know that I am not actually needed for that, but I like to be there in case there are any unexpected problems. With your earlier warm weather here in Hertfordshire, have you finished your seeding?"
"Just about. My tenants and farm manager expect good crops this year because of the changes we have made over the past several years. We had a record number of lambs and other animals born already, so I am anticipating a good year."
Elizabeth then looked at the Baroness. "Please excuse us, My Lady. We should be speaking of more pleasant things than animals and farming."
The Baroness laughed. "Do not worry, Mrs. Collins. We have the same concerns on our estate in Warwickshire. I am well aware that spring is critical for the whole year's production. My son and our steward are both very capable, so I am fortunate in not having to worry about such things; I leave the worrying to them." To herself, the Baroness thought that this lady would make a good mistress of any estate, even one as large as Pemberley. She saw how Darcy was reacting to this lady; just being near her seemed to make him smile more.
She then looked at Darcy, who appeared to be admiring Mrs. Collins. "I do not mind if you two want to talk about farming, so just go ahead. I will go join the young ladies to see what they are talking about. I know that it will not be planting crops!" She went over to Georgiana and the three youngest Bennets.
Darcy wanted to continue to compliment this lady. "Mrs. Collins, please allow me to say how much I admire you for having taken responsibility for managing your estate. I know of no other ladies who would, or ever could have done that, and done such a remarkable job at it." Darcy was pleased to see her blush at his compliments. "I hate to sound as if I am an expert, but please do not hesitate to ask me if you are having any problems. I have had full responsibility for my estate ever since my father became ill years ago, so I may have encountered the same situations in Derbyshire."
Elizabeth could not reconcile this friendly and open Mr. Darcy with the person who had been here before with Mr. Bingley. She clearly remembered his insult at that Assembly and how startled she had been when she met him at Oakham Mount so unexpectedly. Now she did not feel at all uncomfortable being with him; quite the opposite, in fact. This morning she once again noticed how handsome he was, especially when he smiled, which he seemed to be doing more than she remembered. She was not sure what might have caused such a change in him.
The Netherfield party did not stay long in Meryton as the Bennets were on their way to visit their Aunt Philips. They parted, saying that they would meet at Netherfield later for dinner. As they were riding away, the Baron decided to tease his friend. "Well, Darcy, I saw you talking to Mrs. Collins. Have you recognized what a remarkable lady she is? While I much prefer her sister, I can certainly see her many fine attributes. She is the only lady I have ever met who can keep up with you."
He wanted to tease him even more, so he added, "She is also the only lady in which I have ever seen you show any interest. She would suit you very well; I would not mind having you as my brother." This drew a scowl from his intended target, which did not last long as Darcy began to think how pleasant it would be to have her as his wife. While he certainly admired her, he had not really thought of her as a possible wife.
Georgiana innocently joined in. "Fitzwilliam, even though I just met them, I like the youngest Bennets; they are so lively! They are so different from the ladies I meet in town; they did not ask about you even once. I hope we see a lot of them while we are here."
"Georgie! First Glenwood, now you. I will admit that the Bennets are an interesting family and that you will like the youngest sisters. Their estate is only about three miles from Netherfield, so we will likely see them almost every day, starting at dinner tonight."
That evening, when the Bennets came for dinner, Darcy was surprised that Mrs. Bennet seemed to be more subdued than he remembered. Then he noticed that she seemed to be in awe of the Baroness, so he assumed that she must not want to do anything that might upset this lady or her son. Darcy managed to sit next to Mrs. Collins so he could continue to talk to her. The one topic he did not bring up was his cousin as he wanted to find an opportunity to do this when they were alone in case she became upset with what he had to say about him. He began to hope that his news would not upset her too much as that would indicate that she had strong feelings for his cousin.
The youngest ladies were sitting together and he saw that they seemed to find plenty to talk about, even Miss Mary who had been so reserved when he was here last autumn.
Before the Bennets returned to Longbourn, they invited everyone to come to tea the next morning. Both Darcy and the Baron were pleased with this as they each hoped to find a chance to have a quiet word with two of the ladies. After their guests had departed, Georgiana mentioned that Miss Lydia was upset as she had been invited to accompany the militia colonel's wife to Brighton, but her request to go was refused by her guardian, her Uncle Philips, on the advice of Mrs. Collins. Darcy was pleased to hear this as he could not imagine letting such an innocent young lady go with the regiment without proper supervision, especially since it would mean that she would be in the company of Wickham, as he was well aware of Wickham's history with susceptible young women. This information reinforced his positive view of Mrs. Collins's good sense.
The next morning, the four residents of Netherfield went to Longbourn. After having tea, the Baron suggested that they walk out in the gardens to enjoy the early spring flowers. The Baroness knew what he wanted, so she said, "It is a beautiful day, so you young people should take full enjoyment of it while I sit here with Mrs. Bennet."
Mrs. Bennet, not knowing that the Baroness only wanted to give her son a chance to speak to Jane, was flattered that she would want to talk to her. The others were soon outside. The three youngest Bennets went off with Georgiana and Darcy offered his arm to Mrs. Collins so he could move her away from her oldest sister and the Baron. As soon as Darcy saw that they were out of hearing range from all the others, he knew that he had to begin this uncomfortable conversation. He offered his arm to her, which she accepted.
"Mrs. Collins, there is something I must talk to you about." Elizabeth looked at him curiously. She noticed that he appeared to be tense; it could not be a pleasant subject.
"My cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam." He took a deep breath. "I am well aware that he paid a lot of attention to you when we were here in the autumn. He told me that he made sure you were aware of his interest in you but was in no position to talk about the future until he was out of the army.
"May I ask if you have heard from him since he left here?"
"Mr. Darcy! That is a rather personal question. However, I will answer as I believe that you have something important to tell me. No. I have not heard anything at all from him, but I will say that I did not expect to until his resignation from the army was finalized. I will admit that I would not be surprised if I did not hear from him even then." She was thinking that Longbourn's income might not be sufficient to support him as he seemed to expect.
Darcy continued, "He put me in a very awkward position even though I do not believe it was intentional on his part. I am not sure if you heard that he has been in Canada with his regiment for the last several months. I had a letter from him recently in which he described his life there and what the conditions are like. His resignation from the army will be effective soon and he is thinking of applying for land in Upper Canada. Apparently, almost anyone can receive a grant of land just for the asking as they are desperate for more settlers there."
Darcy had thought about not telling her the rest of Richard's news, but he decided that she deserved to know. "Mrs. Collins, I hate to tell you this, but he wrote about a family near where he is stationed who has a large tract of land with a profitable lumber mill. The family has three daughters but no son, so the father seems to hope that the oldest one will marry someone who will take over the business from him. Richard did not say anything definite, but I received the distinct impression that he is thinking of taking advantage of this situation.
"Please pardon me if I seem to be interfering with his personal life. I am only telling you this as my conscience will not allow me to see you sit here waiting for word from him. You are much too fine a lady to be treated this way. I can make no excuses for him except to say that his financial position requires him to find a situation that will support his lifestyle."
Darcy then stopped talking and looked expectantly at her, waiting for her response. He was trying to decipher what she might be thinking. He surprised himself when he realized that he was pleased that she did not appear to be devastated by his news.
"Mr. Darcy, I can only thank you for telling me this. After hearing nothing at all from him for so many months, I have to admit that this news does not really surprise me. As we knew each other for only a month, I did not have much of an opportunity to get to know your cousin very well. I have been thinking that my situation here would not have been satisfactory for him as I doubt that Longbourn's income is sufficient to support the lifestyle that he wanted to maintain." Darcy was listening intently, trying to gauge the effect his news had on her.
"In any case, Longbourn is my son's inheritance and I am doing whatever I can to improve it for him. Apart from the sums I am putting aside for dowries for my sisters, I am investing everything else to improve the estate for him. With my uncles' support, I have even bought several small parcels of land to increase its size and yield."
Elizabeth decided that she could be quite open with Mr. Darcy as he seemed to be concerned about her. "I have worried about what might happen if I marry—if my husband would support my efforts or insist on making changes that might be detrimental to my son's inheritance. If Longbourn's income would be needed to support my husband's lifestyle, then that would obviously affect my efforts to make the estate more profitable."
Elizabeth had not intended to say anything about her intentions, but Mr. Darcy had been quite open with her. "I have been thinking that I would have had to refuse the Colonel's attentions if he did return and wanted to renew them with me." For some reason that Darcy did not quite understand, this statement came as a relief to him.
"I will also admit that after my experience with my first marriage, I will be very careful before I think about remarrying. Of that, I have no doubt." Elizabeth then stopped talking and looked only at the ground at her feet. Darcy could see that this was still a painful subject for her.
Darcy thought about all that she had said, so they walked quietly for some time. "Mrs. Collins, I believe that I understand your position quite well and I approve of everything that you have been doing." Darcy wanted to say something about her remarrying, but knew that he had to be very careful after what he had just told her about his cousin.
"Mrs. Collins, I believe that I can appreciate your position regarding marriage." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I know that such a personal subject is not normally the topic of conversation between people who are not related, but I can see definite similarities between your position and my own. Please forgive me if I speak of my own experience, even though it has not been as difficult as yours."
Darcy's voice dropped to a very quiet level; he almost seemed to be speaking only to himself. "I have been looking for a wife for several years. I want someone with whom I can share my life, but I have been disappointed in the ladies that I have met in London. They all, without exception, seem to think first of my income and estate, and then, only later do they consider me as a person.
"That is not what I want. I want someone who understands that life is more than gossip, fashions, and entertainment. I worry about my future and the future of those under my care, including my sister, my staff, and my tenants. Society ladies do not seem to have any understanding of this and I know that they are not what I want in a life partner. My parents had a loving relationship and that is what I want."
Elizabeth was still holding his arm and did not resist when he pulled her closer to him. This felt natural as they were sharing such personal thoughts. She wondered if there was something else that he wanted to say, but could not. She was finding it strange that this gentleman, who had not been very friendly when he first arrived in Meryton last autumn, was now able to talk about such a personal subject. However, she felt that she completely understood what he was saying. She began to realize that they had much in common.
For his part, Darcy was quite uncomfortable talking about such personal thoughts to anyone, much less to this lady who he felt so conflicted about. He was well aware of his cousin's interest in her, but he was not pleased with that interest. He did not believe that the Colonel was worthy of her and he worried that a large part of his interest was engendered by her physical attractiveness and the possibility that Longbourn's income would be available to support his lifestyle. He hoped that Richard would decide to stay in Canada and not return.
He was also aware that his own attraction to her was greater than it had ever been for any lady. While he tried to believe that her intelligence and lively conversation were her best features, he could not help but admire her physical attractiveness whenever he had an opportunity. He was finding that his worries that her lack of connections and significant dowry were becoming less important. In any case, if her sister became a baroness, her family's status would be greatly enhanced.