Chapter 2
There was to be a large party at Lucas Lodge, and Elizabeth was excited to be there so that she could see Mr. Darcy again.
To Elizabeth's surprise and pleasure, Mr. Darcy approached her right away as soon as his party arrived at Lucas Lodge. She had been standing by the window hoping he would approach. She did not want to seem like a grasping female after his wealth; but she did want to be friends, if he desired it.
"Good evening, Miss Elizabeth," he said, with a bow.
"Good evening, Mr. Darcy," she curtseyed.
There was silence for a moment, as if Darcy did not know what else to say. Elizabeth took pity on him. It seemed he was shyer than she thought. "Did you know that the regiment have been quartered at Meryton for the winter?"
"I have heard so," said Darcy, looking relieved that Elizabeth had brought up a topic of conversation.
"I am afraid my youngest sisters are very excited to hear the news, but as they are not yet out, their communication with the officers will be limited."
"That is good. It is always well to be careful with young ladies."
"What do you know of young ladies, sir?" she asked pertly, with her eyebrow raised teasingly.
Mr. Darcy smiled. "You will remember that I have a sister, more than ten years my junior. She is shy, but once she gets to know a person, you can perceive her bright and happy personality."
"What does Miss Darcy like to do in her free time?"
"She practices pianoforte for hours each day. She is quite talented."
"More talented than I, then! I'm afraid I never could force myself to practice much."
Mr. Darcy gave a small smile, and seemed about to speak, when Charlotte Lucas approached them.
"I am going to open the instrument, Eliza, and you know what follows."
Elizabeth tried to demur, but Charlotte persevered in her request, until she finally assented.
As she sat down to play, she noticed Mr. Darcy watching her. The look on his face was strangely earnest as he listened to her play. She wondered what he really thought; she was not a very good player, as she had admitted to him.
Mary took up the pianoforte next, and Elizabeth was relieved to return to Mr. Darcy, who came to her side once she had finished.
"You play with great feeling, Miss Elizabeth," he said. "I enjoyed it very much."
"You are too generous, sir," replied Elizabeth with a laugh. "But –"
Before she could finish her thought, Miss Bingley approached and slid her arm into Darcy's. "Mr. Darcy, there you are! I must have your company for a few minutes. This evening has been so tediously dull, I need someone of intelligence with whom I can converse."
A spasm of annoyance crossed Darcy's face, but he quickly masked it. He discreetly shook off her arm. "Of course, Miss Bingley. I am at your service." He bowed to Elizabeth. "Miss Elizabeth, thank you for the pleasant conversation. I hope we shall see one another again soon."
"Thank you, Mr. Darcy," She replied, amused despite herself. It appeared Miss Bingley had Mr. Darcy, or his wealth, in her sights, and would not be gainsaid. Unfortunately for her, Mr. Darcy did not seem to return her wishes. She wondered if there were some elegant and highborn lady he was destined for. She did not feel much better at the thought.
Darcy was highly annoyed with Miss Bingley. Not only did she interrupt his conversation with Elizabeth, but she spent the rest of the evening berating not only Elizabeth, but all the Bennets, and the rest of the community. She did not cease even when they got into the carriage to return home, nor when they got to Netherfield. He only escaped when Georgiana came to hear how the evening had gone. At once, Miss Bingley put on her false-friendly smile, speaking to Georgiana in a saccharinely sweet tone.
"Oh, Miss Darcy, you should be relieved that you did not have to spend the evening in such undesirable company," she said, and Mrs. Hurst parroted her words.
"I thought they were very agreeable," said Bingley in protest, but Georgiana just gave Miss Bingley a stiff smile and turned to her brother.
"Perhaps I might meet some of the neighbours?" she said.
"I would be happy to introduce you to the Bennets," said Darcy. "I think you would especially like Miss Elizabeth."
Miss Bingley frowned darkly at this, but before she could speak, Bingley said, "Marvellous idea, Darcy. Let us call on them tomorrow, shall we?"
"Jane Bennet is a dear, sweet girl," Miss Bingley said, with Mrs. Hurst's agreement, although the compliment sounded forced.
Darcy ignored her. He knew her claims of being friends with Miss Bennet were only words; the woman was about as sincere as a snake.
Bingley had set aside a room on the main floor so that Darcy would not have to ascend the stairs, and so he and Georgiana went to their chambers, which were side by side, still talking of the evening, leaving Miss Bingley and her false praise behind.
The next morning, when visiting hours arrived, Mr. Bingley, Darcy, and Georgiana prepared to visit the Bennets. Miss Bingley and the Hursts had disdained the thought of such a visit, and Darcy was glad to leave them behind. Darcy loved riding, but a carriage was always easier for him to travel in, so the three climbed into Bingley's carriage to traverse the three miles to Longbourn.
When they arrived, they found Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, and Mrs. Bennet in the drawing room. They all set down their needlework and stood to greet the visitors. "Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, what a delight to see you again so soon!" exclaimed Mrs. Bennet, coming forward to greet them. Darcy looked over at Miss Elizabeth and found that she was smiling at him. Could it be she was glad to see him?
He had taken notice of her first sight of him at the assembly. She had not looked revolted or disgusted at his maimed limbs; nor had she looked avaricious. She looked as if she wanted to be his friend; and each meeting with her after that was the same. It was a breath of fresh air to one who had been pursued so ruthlessly for his money. Perhaps he and Miss Elizabeth could be friends; he found he liked that idea very much.
"May I introduce my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy?" he asked the company.
They all greeted Georgiana in a very friendly manner, but Darcy could see her shyness overtaking her. He decided he would bring her over to sit next to Miss Elizabeth.
"This is Miss Elizabeth, Georgiana," he said.
"Come, will you not sit beside me, Miss Darcy?" asked Elizabeth with a friendly smile. Georgiana gave an uncertain glance at her brother. When she saw his encouraging look, she sank onto the settee next to Elizabeth. Darcy took a chair beside them.
"Your brother tells me you are fond of playing the pianoforte, Miss Darcy," said Elizabeth.
Over the next fifteen minutes, Darcy watched with delight as Elizabeth drew out his painfully shy sister, making her feel more comfortable than Darcy had ever seen her in the company of Miss Bingley or Mrs. Hurst, despite their declarations of eternal friendship.
Mr. Bingley, meanwhile, had captured Miss Bennet's attention, and they both seemed to be having a pleasant conversation. Darcy hoped this was not another one of his friend's infatuations. He would hate it if Miss Bennet took his attentions seriously and perhaps fell in love with him. If that happened, then his inevitable defection would surely hurt her. He resolved to keep an eye on the situation in the days that followed.
The next day, Elizabeth had arisen with the sun and started out on her walk when dawn was on the horizon. The ever-present footman followed about ten steps behind her. She had walked about fifteen minutes when she heard the sound of a horse trotting through the grass. She looked up to see who was coming, and was surprised to see Mr. Darcy. She was not aware that he would be able to ride with his handicap. But of course, she should not have imagined such a thing. He no doubt was able to do anything she was able to do, as long as he set his mind to it.
Still, she could not stop her face from lighting up when Mr. Darcy alighted from his horse and bade her good morning.
The footman stepped in front of her to block Darcy's way, but Elizabeth put a hand on his arm. "It is well, Jones. I know Mr. Darcy. You may stay just a few steps behind us."
Jones looked dubious, but followed Elizabeth's instructions. "Very well, Miss Elizabeth."
"Good morning, Mr. Darcy! How are you?"
"I am very well. And you?"
"I am enjoying my little stroll."
"Where were you walking this morning?"
"I thought I would go to Oakham Mount. Would you like to see it?"
"I would."
She wondered how well he would be able to keep up with her, so she walked slowly as he limped beside her with his cane, letting the horse wander placidly behind them.
"You have a magnificent horse," Elizabeth commented, glancing back at it.
"He was bred by my father. My parents both had magnificent studs from Arabia that they purchased and had brought over to England. They sold the best horses to people all over the country."
"And do you continue their legacy, Mr. Darcy?"
"I do my best," he said earnestly, looking into her eyes. "I try to live up to my father's noble character, but I know I sometimes fail."
Elizabeth felt strangely touched. "Tell me about your parents, Mr. Darcy," she said. "I know they have passed away. What were they like when they were alive?"
"My mother passed away when my younger sister, Georgiana was born. She developed an infection during her lying-in and never recovered."
"I am so sorry," Elizabeth murmured.
"Thank you. My father died when I was two and twenty, of a heart ailment. I do not think that he ever truly recovered from my mother's death, to be honest."
"They loved each other?" asked Elizabeth, surprised. She had assumed marriages in high society were all about wealth and connections.
"Very much," Darcy nodded. "My father was friends with my uncle, my mother's brother. They had gone to school together. So he knew my mother from the time she was young. I think their affection for each other came about very naturally over the years."
Elizabeth wondered what had inspired Darcy to tell her something so personal. She wanted to think it was because he felt comfortable with her, that he liked her. She dared not hope for any more.
That thought brought her up short. Why should she hope for more? She did not really know this man after all. And yet she found that she liked him. Her initial impression that he was proud melted away when she realized he was just shy. It must be difficult being in such a high position in society, sought by so many, when he was private and retiring. She felt a softening toward him in her heart. The poor gentleman. No wonder he wanted a quiet walk in the morning. She desperately wanted to ask how he had come by his deformity. Had he been born that way? But she knew better than to draw attention to his handicap. It would certainly hurt or offend him.
"Are there many great walks at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy? What are the grounds like?" she asked instead.
As he expounded on his home with enthusiasm, she admired the animated lines of his face. They walked until they reached Oakham Mount.
"It is beautiful," said Darcy, looking out over the view.
"This is my favourite place to walk," said Elizabeth, with some pride for her home county.
"Thank you for showing me this, Miss Elizabeth," said Darcy in a soft voice. She looked over to find him looking at her, an expression on his face which she could not read. Was it tenderness? No, it could not be that.
"Perhaps we should head back," she said after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
"I will escort you," Darcy said.
"All right, but only to the edge of the wood. I do not want anyone to see us together and draw the wrong conclusion," she said.
"Very well," he said.
They continued on in congenial conversation, Darcy's horse trailing behind, until they reached the edge of the wood. There Elizabeth said goodbye to Darcy. "Thank you for joining me on my walk sir."
"Thank you for permitting me," he said.
Elizabeth turned to go. When she turned to go to the walk toward the house, Jones behind her, she turned to see Darcy still standing there, looking after her.