On the morning of the third day after the assembly, Darcy rode out to visit a young couple near the Longbourn border. The young woman had recently endured a miscarriage and was quite distressed. After ministering to the couple, offering comfort through scripture and prayer, he set his sights on returning to the parsonage.
A short distance from the fence, he saw the welcome sight of Miss Elizabeth, with her cousin Miss Mary, gathering blackberries. Without a second thought, he reined in his horse, dismounted, and secured the horse to the fence, before happily greeting the charming ladies
When Elizabeth first caught sight of him, she grinned. For several moments, Darcy was unable to form a single coherent thought. Elizabeth had no way of knowing that while Mr. Darcy had considered her handsome before, seeing her outdoors with her green eyes shining brightly, a warm blush on her cheeks and the sun's rays illuminating her dark curls, he was now convinced she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Elizabeth and Mary warmly greeted him after which Mary went back to picking berries leaving the young parson and her cousin to converse. Elizabeth eyed his magnificent steed and said, "What a beautiful horse, Mr. Darcy. What is his name?"
"His name is Apollo."
Elizabeth arched her left brow and lightly tipped an index finger to her lips. "Ah, Apollo, the God of light and beauty." She smiled at the rider first and then at his beautiful steed. "The name suits him well, Mr. Darcy." Elizabeth gently approached the horse, lovingly stroked his nose, and was rewarded with a nicker of thanks.
There was no doubt in Darcy's mind that Elizabeth Bennet was an intelligent and well-read woman, but he had no idea the woman's interest went so far as studying mythology. Try as hard as he might there was no way to suppress the surprise in his voice. "Do you enjoy reading Greek mythology, Miss Elizabeth?"
"Very much sir. From the name of your horse, I deduce you enjoy it as well."
Darcy offered a slight smile and nodded, "Shall I help you to pick berries?"
Elizabeth and Mary looked at the sparse amount of fruit in their baskets and eagerly nodded to each other. It was Elizabeth who addressed the handsome vicar. "If you have time, we would be grateful for any assistance you can provide."
Darcy stayed with them for longer than he had anticipated, gathering berries and talking mainly with Elizabeth. They compared their impressions about Greek mythology, philosophy, and also discussed the new school.
The day before had been the first day of school in Netherfield and the ladies had several questions for him. Darcy mentioned his disappointment at having only a few children on the first day.
"You should not be discouraged because there were four children on the first day; I am sure more children and maybe even some adults will join in the next few days." Elizabeth consoled him.
Mr. Darcy's comment reminded Mary of a previous conversation with a tenant and seriously asked him, " Mr. Darcy, two daughters of a Longbourn tenant are interested in learning. They are ten and eight years. Can they join the school even if they are Longbourn tenants?"
"With pleasure, Miss Mary. Tell me the name of the family so I may personally invite them to attend the lessons."
Both women were happy at his offer to make the family's acquaintance and Mary pointed the way. "It's the Smith family. If you follow this road about half a mile you arrive at the house."
"Before I return to the parish, I will visit them."
Elizabeth looked him in the eye and said, "If you agree, Mr. Darcy, we would like to help you with the lessons. However, if you think it would be more convenient to open a school in Longbourn, we will try to convince my uncle to."
Darcy was pleasantly surprised that the two young ladies would go to such lengths to support their neighboring tenants above and beyond their basic comforts. "I gladly accept your help! Thank you. Regarding a new school, I suggest you inquire if there are enough children and adults interested in learning."
Elizabeth nodded. "You are right, Mr. Darcy. After Sunday's sermon, we can convince Mr. Tilks to ask the congregation their opinion about the possibility of opening a new school. Additionally, we can talk with the tenants next week when we visit them. We can also ask Jane for help."
Although it was not necessary, Darcy insisted on escorting the ladies to Longbourn and carrying the baskets, with Apollo walking behind them.
Seeing the handsome vicar arrive with Mary and Elizabeth, it occurred to Mrs. Bennet that he could be a suitor for Mary or Elizabeth. She greeted him cordially and invited him for tea. Darcy thanked her for the invitation, but declined as another commitment required his attention. Before leaving he reminded the Misses Bennet that they would see them the following day at Lucas Lodge.
After finishing his commitments, he rode back to the parsonage, oblivious to the broad dimpled grin on his face as his thoughts were fixed on the fine eyes of Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
PPP
Shortly after returning to Longbourn, Elizabeth and Mary went to Mr. Bennet's study to discuss the prospect of opening a new school.
After listening the proposal, Mr. Bennet honestly replied, "It is important to take into account, Lizzy, that Netherfield is twice the size of Longbourn and has twice as many tenants. Mr. Darcy mentioned that only a few tenants and their children were interested in learning how to read and write."
Elizabeth nodded slightly, and Mr. Bennet added, "You know it is a massive effort to open another school just for a few tenants."
Elizabeth and Mary had assumed Mr. Bennet would be skeptical to open a new school but were determined to make a difference in their community, so, Elizabeth replied, "Uncle, I understand your concerns, and probably having two schools is not a reasonable decision. However, I would like to gather more information before making any decision. It would be helpful to know how many tenants in Longbourn are interested in learning. Perhaps you and Mr. Tilks can ask the tenants during the upcoming Sunday church service, as Mr. Darcy previously did.
Mr. Bennet sighed. "All right, Lizzy. But honestly, I prefer spending Longbourn's money on other things instead of a school. For example, I would rather save that money for my daughters' dowries."
"Uncle, you don't need to use Longbourn's money for the school. I am willing to use my pin money to buy ink, paper and other necessary supplies." Elizabeth replied with confidence.
Mr. Bennet nodded, and looked at Elizabeth, and then at Mary. "I have another important question; who is going to teach at Longbourn's school?"
Elizabeth was quick to reply, "At least Mary and I would be happy to do it. But if Longbourn's tenants are not interested in opening a new school, we would like to teach at Netherfield."
Mr. Bennet looked at his daughter. "Have you spoken with your mother about it, Mary?"
"No, Father. But I will speak with her today. If Mother doesn't object, I will invite Jane to join us. Please, Father, I want to do it!"
"Well, I promise that I will speak with Mr. Tilks tomorrow morning and see what we can do about it."
That same afternoon, Elizabeth and Mary spoke with Mrs. Bennet. At first, Fanny Bennet did not understand why her daughter and niece wanted to waste their time teaching the tenants to read and write. In her opinion, the tenants were not worthy of Elizabeth and Mary's attention or responsibility.
With remarkable patience and diplomacy, Elizabeth was able to convince her aunt that due to their accomplishments and selfless acts of charity, they would attract the attention of eligible bachelors. Finally, Mrs. Bennet was in agreement with them.
Then, Elizabeth and Mary spoke with Jane, who gladly promised to join them whenever she had time. Jane had experience helping her mother to teach Lydia and Kitty to read and write, and she enjoyed being with children very much.
The following morning - as he had promised Elizabeth -Mr. Bennet spoke with Mr. Tilks about the school. The parson had exactly the same opinion as Mr. Bennet, but he promised to ask the parishioners about the school the following Sunday.
