Chapter 34: Surprise
Elizabeth stomped home in anger and was in the same temperament as the day she had met Darcy for the first time.
Lord Anderson is no different from the others. How dare he speak to me like this? I am not his servant. Who is he to worry about my safety?
Her source of anger was due to the comparison he had made between his daughter and herself. She was furious with him for even thinking in that way. Who is he to care for me like a father? Just because I do not have one, he cannot take the liberty to question me or my actions. She reached home and hurried upstairs.
To her surprise, she found Lady Isabella standing beside one of the windows. It was still early, and she was startled once she saw Elizabeth.
"Good morning, Lady Isabella," Elizabeth said.
"Good morning."
She left without further conversation, and Elizabeth walked toward the window, trying to understand why she was up so early.
She looked outside and understood that Lady Isabella had looked at the same spot in the garden, where she had seen someone. It was becoming obvious that something sinister was happening in the house, and she wanted to head to Lady Martha right away but knew she had nothing to support her doubts.
What am I to tell her? I saw someone in the garden one night, the next day I saw Lady Isabella with a letter, and in Grovnor Park I eavesdropped on her conversation with her mother.
Elizabeth could not imagine the reason behind her needing the money.
Is someone blackmailing her?
She felt guilty for keeping her concerns from Lady Martha, as she had not hidden anything from her, including her identity, and now she was in a dilemma as to what to do. When she had taken employment in Ashton Park, she thought she had left behind all her problems in Hertfordshire, but once she had fallen in love with Darcy, everything became more complicated. In recent weeks, she felt concerned about Mary as her letters had become scarce and short. Her words were restrained and expressed a sense of distress.
She hardly mentions anything about Mr. Bingley or her life there. Maybe something is wrong there.
That morning, Lord Anderson discussed his concerns about Elizabeth with his sister.
"I cannot understand how you could be so careless about someone who lives with you in your household, Martha. From what I can see, she is not merely a governess, according to you."
"You are right, she is a member of the family, and all of us feel so. I cannot imagine what makes you think I am neglecting her."
"As I mentioned, she was walking in one of the trails near the woods this morning; I am certain it was just half past six. How could you allow her? Don't you care about her safety?"
"I do. But she needs her freedom as well."
"What if something happens? It's too much of a risk."
"I am well aware of the trails she walks in, and she does inform me when she plans to explore new trails. She occasionally walks to the Mount as well. The footmen are always aware when she is out for her walks or to the village; they will immediately inform me if she does not return on time. I assure you, it has not happened before."
Lord Anderson was not convinced.
"May I ask why you care about her welfare? You never seem to interfere with anything I do."
"And may I ask why you treat her like family?"
Lady Martha was silent.
"Honesty Mark, I do not know. I mean, you may have known her only for a couple of weeks, but I have known her for months; she has remarkable qualities for such a young age. The moment she set foot in Ashton Park, I felt a close connection with her."
"Does she truly have no one except her aunt?"
Lady Martha hesitated; she had not revealed Elizabeth's secret to anyone and did not want to discuss it with her brother.
"Yes! This is her home now, and if you think I do not care about her safety, you are wrong."
Lord Anderson nodded, and he could see Elizabeth's presence in the house had impacted everyone in many positive ways. Every year, he visited her sister's house for a couple of weeks, and Ashton Park offered him a welcome change from his life in Scotland. They were to leave in a few weeks, and somehow, he felt sad to return to his routine life and business.
As the harvest ball was fast approaching, Georgiana visited Ashton Park on alternative days and was busy preparing for the ball. All the guests were to stay in Pemberley after the ball, and the children were excited to be part of it. Elizabeth had not visited Pemberly for a long time and was least interested in the ball.
Meanwhile, in Hertfordshire, Darcy was preparing to leave for town, and Mr. Bingley seemed to be at ease with estate management; however, he was not happy about his friend leaving.
"Will you be leaving for Pemberley soon?" He asked Darcy.
"I am not certain, but I need to return. Georgiana has been pressing me to come for the ball."
"Then you must go; I am guilty of keeping you stuck here," Mr. Bingley said. "But I will miss your company."
He was not the same person who came to Hertfordshire with excitement, eager to spend time in the company of pretty girls. Jane taught him a lesson for life, and even after the assembly when they met socially, she avoided him and preferred to be around Darcy. Darcy was also aware of this, and he was thankful that his friend finally understood the world.
The news about Darcy leaving disturbed Miss Bingley, as he was still indifferent towards her. Common acquaintances extended dinner invitations to Mr. Bingley and Darcy, and they had an invite from Longbourn as well. Darcy did not want to attend, and Mr. Bingley did not press him, however, he agreed to the social gathering at Lucas Lodge the day before his departure.
"How could he deny our invite, Mr. Bennet? How could he? Lady Lucas says he will be part of the gathering this evening at Lucas Lodge," Mrs. Bennet cried to her husband.
"I do not know. We invited only Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy for dinner; maybe he felt uncomfortable."
"Oh! What is there to feel uncomfortable about when Jane is here? He could have spent time with her; now he is returning to town; how do we even make them meet after this?"
Mr. Bennet was annoyed; he was tired of his wife's matchmaking skills. Mrs. Bennet was extremely disappointed that Darcy was not interested in Jane.
"Jane dear, maybe you need to forget him and focus on Mr. Bingley," her mother, said to Jane.
"But I have avoided him for a while now. I don't know how to befriend him again."
"Of course, you can, he was smitten by you, and I am certain he still is. Forget about Mr. Darcy tonight, Mr. Bingley is set to stay in Netherfield, and I am certain he will not waste time securing your hand once he knows you are on the market again."
Mary was disgusted by her mother's scheme and fervently hoped Mr. Bingley would not fall for her sister again.
She was also worried about what was in store for Elizabeth if Darcy returned to Pemberley.
She prepared for the evening with apprehension. Every time she saw Darcy, she was pained by the situation of her sister. The answer to all her sorrows stood before him, but Mary did not know how to help. Darcy readied himself for one last social gathering in Hertfordshire.
He respected Sir William and wanted to say goodbye to all the acquaintances he had made in a short time. Miss Bingley had no interest in the evening, especially as her sister declined to join them. But she did not want to miss the evening, aware that Jane would be present, so she accompanied them.
The Bennets arrived first, followed by other guests. The Netherfield party arrived last, and to Mr. Bingley's annoyance, Jane immediately chose to engage with him. Miss Bingley was relieved that she did have competition with Darcy.
Darcy was appalled at Jane's shameless behavior. It was evident to him that she chose to return to her pursuit of Mr. Bingley as Darcy was leaving the country. From the expression on Mr. Bingley's face, it was evident to Darcy that his friend felt disgusted in the same way.
"It was wonderful to have you be a part of our humble society, Mr. Darcy. Could we expect you to return to Hertfordshire?" Sir William asked.
"I imagine not in the near future, sir."
"Oh! Why would you say so? Considering that your friend is comfortably settled here?"
"I assure you, Sir William, Darcy will definitely return," Mr. Bingley said with certainty.
Darcy did not engage in any conversation with Mr. Bennet, and he could sense some animosity from him as well. However, he sought out Mary's company.
"It was nice knowing you, Miss Mary. I plan to return to town tomorrow."
"I hope you have a safe journey back, sir."
Mary struggled to stay composed; Darcy noticed her discomfort and felt unsettled. On the other hand, Mr. Bingley noticed Darcy and Mary standing together and for the first time felt jealous. Even when Jane had avoided him on previous occasions, he had never felt jealous. Now he understood that his feelings for Mary had gradually developed into something more sincere.
"Miss Bennet, please excuse me," he said, moving away from Jane and joining Mary. Darcy could not suppress his smile. So, I made you jealous, Bingley.
"You must wish me good luck, Miss Mary; I shall be in terrible spirits after my friend leaves," he said.
"Well, I believe you can be well entertained in the society here in evenings as these. But I do understand that certain friendships cannot be replaced by any entertainment the society may offer."
"I assume your friendship with Miss Lucas is of the same kind," Mr. Bingley said with admiration.
"Yes, sir. We grew together, and her elder sister has been a good friend too."
"The one who lives in town?"
"Yes."
Darcy did not interrupt their conversation and was happy for his friend. Though he did not have a favorable opinion of the Bennets, he had a good impression of Mary. He was constantly thinking about the mystery in their family and about the daughter who disappeared.
After dinner, the woman displayed their talents at the pianoforte, and Mr. Bingley was very impressed to hear Mary's music. Sir William led Darcy to show his library.
"I am certain it is not as grand as the one in your estate or Netherfield, but it has been my eldest daughter's favorite place in the house. I do not read much. These are all books collected by my eldest daughter." Darcy was impressed.
"This is a well-stocked library, sir," he said as he browsed the books. He found a lot of poetry.
"Ah! Those are all Charlotte's favorites. She had a good time reading and discussing books with Miss... I mean a close friend here," he said.
Darcy noticed that Sir William's composure changed suddenly.
"I can leave you here if you would love to enjoy a few moments of solace," he said and left him.
Darcy could not understand his behavior and was glad to spend some time alone, away from the hustle of the gathering. He opened one of the books, and after reading a couple of pages, he stopped abruptly. Darcy could not believe his eyes. He stood rooted to the spot as his world froze, and at that precise moment, the library door opened.
A week later, Elizabeth sat in the parlor with Lady Martha and the others. She could not escape the company of the Andersons, as there were no lessons for the children during the weekends.
"Is Georgiana not visiting today?" Lady Martha asked Elizabeth, and before she could reply, her niece answered.
"Oh! Yes, Miss Darcy promised she would visit us today. I admire all that she is doing for the ball, in the absence of Mr. Darcy. I wish he could return soon."
"Perhaps Miss Darcy would not feel so lonely if he married. What do you say, sister?" Lady Anderson asked.
"Well, I think Fitzwilliam's marriage will bring about a lot of happiness not only to Georgiana but to all of us," Lady Martha replied.
"He looks up to your words and why have you not advised him to settle down soon? There are many young women in your sight for you to recommend," she said, looking at her daughter. Miss Anderson blushed.
"Yes, he looks up to me, but I do not interfere in his personal affairs to recommend suitable brides for him, and neither is he a person who would blindly take my recommendations," Lady Martha replied with a smile. She knew the intentions of her sister and niece, and as much as she would have been happy to have Darcy become related through the marriage, she knew he never favored her niece. She had observed enough of his struggle in society, to deal with women who favored him because of his wealth and status.
Elizabeth found the entire exchange amusing, she always liked the way Lady Martha handled people like Lady Anderson.
As expected, Georgiana arrived and beamed with happiness as she entered the room. Before she could say anything, the entire room was stunned by the entry of Darcy, who followed her.
For Elizabeth, it was the shock of a lifetime, and she could not control her emotions seeing him after so many weeks. She tried her best to hide her happiness and tears and hoped no one would notice her state.
Darcy's eyes were fixed on Elizabeth since he entered the room. Miss Anderson sat next to her, and she assumed he was looking at her.
"Fitzwilliam, good heavens. When did you return?" Lady Martha asked in surprise.
"I returned today morning."
"Georgiana did not mention you were returning?"
"She did not know."
"Yes, Lady Martha. He surprised me this morning, and I cannot tell you how happy I am."
Darcy welcomed Lady Anderson and her daughter.
"It is indeed wonderful to see you again, Mr. Darcy. Beatrice and Miss Darcy have been inseparable in recent days."
"I hope you are doing well; your sister has missed your company, and I have been eager for your arrival as well," Miss Anderson said, smiling at him.
Elizabeth could not breathe; she felt suffocated, unable to hold her emotions.
He turned to her, and she struggled to meet his eyes.
"I hope you are doing well, Miss Smith," he said formally; there was no emotion in his voice.
"I thank you, yes," she replied, unable to say anything more. Had she known of his arrival, she would have been better prepared. A thousand questions were raised in her mind.
Why did he return? What made him change his mind?
The others joined them and were equally surprised by his arrival. Elizabeth did not dare to look in his direction.
"I am so thrilled that he chose to return, and I feel so happy about the ball now," Georgiana exclaimed.
Lady Martha pressed Georgiana and Darcy to stay for dinner, and they agreed. Darcy expressed his wish to see the children, and Elizabeth had no choice but to accompany him and Georgiana upstairs.
Unaware of her struggle, Georgiana chatted away merrily; she was elated to see her brother after so many weeks. Darcy and Elizabeth walked in the silence. Elizabeth could not gauge Darcy's thoughts, and she did not dare to look at her face. The twins were delighted by his arrival and ran up to him in delight.
"Fitzwilliam, we are coming to the ball, do you know?"
"Yes, my dear Georgiana told me. I am excited that you both will be attending the ball," he said, and Elizabeth saw him look at her with an expression she had not seen on his face before. He looked at her piercingly, as though his regard for her had vanished completely.
Elizabeth could not mistake his expression; his features expressed anger and spite. She had never seen him look at her with such displeasure. She was tormented to understand whatever she had hoped to happen by refusing him had finally happened.
He hates me.
She could not bear to stay in the same room as him and knew dinner was going to be even more stressful.
"Are you unwell, Miss Smith?" Georgiana asked, noticing her expression.
"No, no. I am well," she said, trying to maintain composure. She knew Darcy was watching her.
During dinner, Elizabeth sat opposite Darcy. Georgiana and Miss Anderson sat beside him.
Mr. Anderson sat next to her and was conversing amiably; she hardly paid attention to anything he said. Whenever she looked up, she could see that Darcy avoided looking at her. She was tired of the situation and wanted to leave the room.
"I am so excited for the ball now, Miss Smith, and I am glad you will be staying with us that night."
"I must thank you for the invitation," she said, not wanting to set foot on Pemberley. The siblings left, and Elizabeth could not come to terms with reality.
The rest of the day passed painfully; she struggled to act unaffected by his arrival. Lady Anderson and her daughter had nothing else to discuss except his sudden arrival and how charming the prospect of the ball was. Lady Martha noticed that something troubled her.
Before Elizabeth retired for the night, Lady Martha brought it up.
"Are you not feeling well, my dear?" she asked.
"Not at all, Madam, I am quite well."
"Is something wrong regarding Hertfordshire?"
"No, Lady Martha, I have nothing of concern regarding that."
"You do understand that I am supportive of anything you may need or willing to listen to you if you want to discuss something, don't you?"
"I do, and I am grateful for that."
Lady Martha smiled; she touched Elizabeth's cheek; it was the first time she had done that.
"Good night," she said with affection.
Elizabeth hurried up the stairs and fell in bed. She wanted to blurt out everything to Lady Martha, but she could not. Life would never be the same if I revealed his proposal to Lady Martha, I cannot do it. I must hold this secret forever in my heart and probably have to watch him marry Miss Anderon or someone else.
Clearly, she had misjudged her own strength in the matter. She was unable to endure his presence like before. It pained her beyond measure that the man who loved her would never come to know of her true feelings.
What is wrong with me? I let this happen. There is no one else to blame, and definitely not Mr. Darcy.
The very eyes that showed concern, affection, and love now expressed anger and spite. Elizabeth could not digest the fact that he held her in contempt, but she could understand his reasons.
She cried herself to sleep that night, not wanting to wake up to see another day in a world where the man whom she loved with all her heart hated her.
The next morning, she left home earlier than usual for her walk. Her face, if anyone saw it, would realize that he had cried a lot. She hoped the fresh air would help her feel better.
She walked for some time and then reached a stream and sat down nearby, watching the sunrise. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a rider and immediately assumed it to be Lord Anderson. To her shock, the rider was none other than Darcy.
The whole night, she had imagined situations she would have to endure in his company in her life; she had never contemplated the prospect of meeting him in private. The moment he saw her, he dismounted from his horse swiftly and walked towards her.
No, I cannot talk to him. I must leave.
No matter how rude it seemed, she got up and hurried away from him; in which direction she went she did not know; all she wanted was to escape from him.
Elizabeth half expected that he would call out to her to stop, but she heard nothing. She walked as fast as she could, and to her horror, someone pulled her and swung her around. She came face to face with Darcy, who looked fierce with anger.
Elizabeth was so close to him that she could feel the tension in his body.
"What are you doing, unhand me?" she cried.
"How much longer are you going to run away from me, Miss Smith? Or must I say, Miss Elizabeth Bennet?"
Elizabeth froze.