Unwithered Love
Author's Note: Dear Readers, thank you so much for your support! I know without it, I would not have the inspiration to keep writing. This is another shorter story that I hope you will find less dark and depressing than my last one. Thanks again for reviewing! I love reading every one of them.
Chapter 1
Darcy sat in his study, hearing Georgiana's pianoforte practice tinkling through the open door. He was tired of London; tired of his aunt and uncle's matchmaking; tired of ton society. The young ladies looked at him with disgust and abhorrence until they learned of his wealth and connections; then their looks turned avaricious and their mamas no less so. He had nearly found himself in a compromising position several times. He wanted to marry, yes; but for the sake of happiness, not for wealth or connections. He wanted to marry someone he could love, who would love him back truly and honestly, not for his property.
He and Georgiana had just returned from a lovely summer at the seaside in Ramsgate. Georgiana and her companion, Mrs. Annesley, had spent a couple months there, and Darcy had surprised his sister by joining them unexpectedly for the last few weeks, and they had had a lovely time together.
Perhaps it was in the country where he would find someone he could love. He thought again about the invitation from his friend Mr. Bingley. Bingley had visited him in a mood of excitement over a lease he had signed for an estate in Hertfordshire, and had invited Darcy to go with him. As much as Darcy deplored Bingley's sisters, he enjoyed Bingley's company; and if Georgiana came with him, it would add that much more pleasure to the visit.
He rose to ask Georgiana what she would think of a winter spent in Hertforshire.
Elizabeth and Jane entered the ballroom after their mother and Mary. There had been much talk about Mr. Bingley, the new tenant of Netherfield, and his £5,000 a year, and Mrs. Bennet wanted to be sure that her girls were shown to their best advantage. She was sure one of them would catch his eye. Elizabeth had rolled her eyes in feigned exasperation, making her older sister laugh. But here they were at the assembly, and now everyone was simply waiting for the arrival of Mr. Bingley and his party of nine ladies and seven gentlemen.
However, instead of the sixteen people promised, only five entered the Meryton assembly hall. The dancing had already started, but Elizabeth and Jane were sitting out, and therefore had the leisure to observe the newcomers.
Mr. Bingley was a young man who looked to be about three and twenty, with reddish-blond hair and a cheerful air. With him was a corpulent gentleman, and two ladies, one with brown hair and one with red. Behind them stood the most handsome gentleman Elizabeth had ever seen, and her breath actually caught at the sight of him. He was tall, taller than anyone else in the hall, with curly black hair. Elizabeth could not tell the colour of his eyes from this distance, but she guessed they too were dark. She inquired of her friend Charlotte Lucas as to the identity of all the newcomers. Charlotte leaned in closer to answer.
"The young gentleman with the fair hair is Mr. Bingley. The two ladies are his sisters, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. Mr. Hurst is the gentleman with brown hair currently looking for the punch bowl." They both giggled.
"And the last gentleman, Charlotte?"
"I have heard that that is Mr. Darcy, a friend of Mr. Bingley. He is said to have £10,000 a year and a grand estate in Derbyshire."
Elizabeth did not care much about his estate in Derbyshire; but she would like the chance to dance with such a handsome man. Therefore, when Mr. Bingley requested an introduction, she was happy to see that Mr. Darcy was with him. To her surprise, however, she now noticed that Mr. Darcy was crippled in one leg. He was wearing an oddly shaped boot on his left foot, which appeared twisted, and he leaned on a cane as he limped toward them. Elizabeth also now noticed that his left hand was deformed, although hidden in a glove.
"Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, allow me to introduce Mrs. Bennet and her daughters, Miss Jane Bennet and Miss Elizabeth Bennet," said Sir William Lucas.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bingley," Mrs. Bennet simpered. "I have three other, younger daughters. You may see Mary, seated at the pianoforte, and my youngest, Kitty and Lydia, are not yet out."
"It is an honour to meet you ladies," said Mr. Bingley gallantly, but his eyes were on Jane. "May I inquire, Miss Bennet, whether you would honour me with a dance?"
Jane smiled and blushed slightly. "I would be glad to, sir. I am not currently engaged."
"And you, sir? Do you like to dance?" Mrs. Bennet asked Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth winced at her mother's faux pas. Had Mrs. Bennet not seen the cane and twisted foot? But before she could say anything, Mr. Darcy answered.
"I do not dance, Madam," he said somberly. "But if Miss Elizabeth will be content with my mere company, perhaps we might find somewhere to sit and converse during the dance."
"I should be pleased, sir," Elizabeth responded quickly, before her mother could say anything else. Mrs. Bennet looked pleased, and Elizabeth led him away to a bench on the edge of the ballroom.
Elizabeth was not sure whether Mr. Darcy truly wanted to sit with her or not, but she did not want to give up the opportunity of conversing with such a handsome man. So she smiled at him. "Perhaps we can sit here."
Her smile seemed to make Mr. Darcy relax. "Thank you," he said.
As the dance began, Mr. Darcy seated himself carefully, and Elizabeth sat beside him. At first Mr. Darcy was silent, and after a few moments, Elizabeth decided to start the conversation. "How long have you been in Hertfordshire, Mr. Darcy?"
"I arrived yesterday," he replied.
"Ah, so as yet you have not seen much of the countryside."
"No."
"I hope you will enjoy your stay here. Hertfordshire is a beautiful place; although I do not know how it compares to Derbyshire. What is the countryside like there?"
"It is, indeed, lovely; although I must admit I might be biased."
Elizabeth agreed. "I can understand that; for I suppose I must be the same."
There was silence again, and Elizabeth was becoming a little unnerved by his closemouthed manner. Did he think he was above his company? He was surely used to mingling in society. Why could he not learn to make a little conversation? But then he surprised her by speaking.
"What is your favourite way of enjoying the countryside, Miss Elizabeth?"
"I must admit that I dearly love my walks; there is a very pretty path from my father's estate that leads up to a beautiful view, called Oakum Mount."
"How long have you been taking walks, Miss Elizabeth?"
"Oh, since I was about five or so. I always bring a footman with me, however, in case I run into danger of some kind."
Mr. Darcy's brows furrowed in concern, and for the first time Elizabeth wondered if Mr. Darcy were perhaps simply shy. He seemed to be trying to make conversation with her, although it was stilted and awkward, as if he were making a great effort but was not very good at it.
"Do you walk during the mornings?"
"Yes, for the most part. I make my way out of doors before breakfast, and my walk usually whets my appetite for breakfast." There was another moment of silence, and then Elizabeth asked, "Do you have any family, Mr. Darcy?"
"My parents have both passed on, but I have a sister, more than ten years my junior. She is not yet out, or she would have joined us at the assembly tonight."
"Then she came with you to Netherfield?"
"She did indeed."
"I should like to meet her sometime."
Mr. Darcy gave a small smile. "I am sure you shall."
Just then the dance ended, and Mr. Darcy led Elizabeth back to her mother. "Thank you for sitting with me, Miss Elizabeth," he said.
"It was my pleasure, Mr. Darcy."
By the time they reached home, Mrs. Bennet was crowing her victory over Jane and Elizabeth's conquests, as she called them. "Jane, you were so admired! Everybody said how well you looked, and Mr. Bingley thought you quite beautiful. To dance with you twice! And Lizzy," she turned to her second-eldest daughter. "To have Mr. Darcy ask to sit with you! It is a shame the poor man cannot dance, but perhaps you have a chance with him! You must try to catch his attention the next time you meet. Perhaps he shall sit with you again."
"I shall do nothing of the kind, Mama. He was merely being courteous to ask me after Mr. Bingley had already requested a dance from Jane."
"Do not be ridiculous, Lizzy. You are just as beautiful as Jane, and have just a great a chance as she does. Besides, you are intelligent. That must be an attractive trait for such a high-born man."
"I wish I could have gone to the ball!" cried Lydia petulantly. Not being yet out, she and Kitty had not been permitted to attend.
"You are not yet old enough, Lydia," said Mr. Bennet. "Be grateful you have the freedoms that you do. If you continue to whine like a child, it shall not convince us you are old enough to do more."
Lydia frowned but did not complain again.
"Indeed, you should follow the example of Jane and Lizzy," said Mrs. Bennet. "They are the perfect examples of well-bred ladies."
Lydia made a face but did not answer.
Once Elizabeth had gotten ready for bed, Jane came into her room to confer about the assembly. Lizzy asked her what she thought of Mr. Bingley.
"He is just what a young man ought to be," replied Jane, "sensible, good humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners – so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!"
"He is also handsome, which a young man ought likewise to be, if he possibly can. His character is thereby complete."
"Lizzy, do not tease me so. But what did you think of Mr. Darcy?"
"I think him very handsome," Elizabeth admitted with a blush. "But I am not sure about his character. At first I thought him above his company, for he was rather stiff in his conversation; but now I wonder if he is merely shy. Simply because he is master of a great estate does not mean he cannot be private and diffident."
"It is a shame about his poor leg," said the ever-compassionate Jane.
"Perhaps it is not a shame to him," said Elizabeth perceptively. "Oh, undoubtedly it is a handicap, but I daresay if he was born that way, he has dealt with it his whole life. It might not be such an evil to him as it seems to us."
"That is very true, Lizzy."
"I look forward to seeing more of him. He has a sister, too, whom he said he might introduce me to."
"Perhaps he shall," said Jane with a smile.
The Bingley party returned from the assembly to Netherfield, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst complaining the whole way about the unsophisticated and uncouth people in the country. Darcy ignored them, as he usually did. He knew Miss Bingley wanted to marry him, but he had no intention of ever acceding to her wishes. She did not love him; she only wanted his wealth and connections; and Darcy was determined to marry for love, as his parents had. Before his mother and father had died, each of them had exhorted him to find someone whom he could esteem and admire rather than marrying for dynastic reasons. His aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, had always insisted that he marry his cousin, Anne, but Darcy knew his parents had not wished for such a match.
Georgiana was awake when they returned to Netherfield, and wanted to hear from Darcy all about the assembly. Her companion, Mrs. Annesley, who had been with them since Georgiana finished school, had already gone to bed. Darcy tried to give Georgiana an overview of the ball, but clearly was not satisfying her curiosity.
"Did you admire any special lady, Brother?" she asked with smiling eyes.
"I did sit out one dance with a Miss Elizabeth, a lady of the neighbourhood. She was very agreeable."
Georgiana was clearly disappointed that Darcy had not more to tell, and he sent her off to bed with a kiss on her forehead, before retiring himself.
The day after the assembly, Elizabeth was making the rounds among the tenants, delivering baskets. She, Mrs. Bennet, Jane, and Mary, all made visits to the tenants, and Mrs. Bennet was trying to get Kitty and Lydia interested in the task too, although the silly girls were too self-centered for it at the moment. Elizabeth was grateful that her parents would not allow her youngest sisters to come out until they were eighteen; Mrs. Bennet had pushed Jane and Elizabeth out at age fifteen.
A footman accompanied her, as always, as she stopped at her favourite farm, the Tanner home. Three little children came rushing to the door when she knocked. "Miss Lizzy!" they cried. There was a girl of about six, another girl of four, and a boy of three.
Elizabeth smiled at the family in welcome. "Hello, Mrs. Tanner. Hello, children. How are you this fine day?"
"Very well, Miss Elizabeth," replied Mrs. Tanner. The woman was heavily pregnant, and Elizabeth had an idea that she would give birth soon.
"I was able to get some sweets from cook in the kitchen," Elizabeth told the children.
"Oh, thank you Miss Lizzy!" they cried, as she handed out the gingerbread, then gave the basket to Mrs. Tanner.
They devoured their treats as Elizabeth asked Mrs. Tanner how the children were doing. She had an especial fondness for the middle child, and Mrs. Tanner assured her of their well-being. When Elizabeth asked if they needed anything, Mrs. Tanner replied that the Bennets took such good care of their tenants, that they required nothing. Elizabeth stayed a while longer to play a game with the children, and then took her leave. She would be back next week.