Falling for Elizabeth Bennet Page 11
Darcy comes into the kitchen and says, “It is fine, Mrs. Reynolds. I was looking for Miss Elizabeth. I can see from here that she is having a fine time and making my favorite scones at that!”
Elizabeth laughs and says, “Mr. Darcy, if you will give me just a moment, I am almost done.”
Darcy replies, “Take your time, Miss Elizabeth.”
Darcy watches as Elizabeth wipes down her hands on her apron, takes it off, and hangs in on a hook in the kitchen. Darcy is fascinated watching Elizabeth wash her hands. Elizabeth turns and looks to Darcy, raising an eyebrow at him, and says, “Mr. Darcy, I await your instructions.”
Darcy smiles and asks, “Miss Elizabeth, will you take a short walk with me?”
Elizabeth smiles, nods, and stops suddenly, calling out, “Fitz! Come on, girl!”
Darcy watches as little Fitz runs across the kitchen from a special basket that has been placed in the kitchen for Elizabeth’s puppy. Darcy asks, “Miss Elizabeth, how long have you been visiting the kitchens? I noticed that Fitz has her own basket in the kitchen.”
Elizabeth hesitates and replies, “Mr. Darcy, I have been visiting with your staff every morning since the second morning of my visit. They give me treats before I go out for my morning walk.”
As they walk slowly toward the front of the house, Darcy turns to Elizabeth and asks, “Miss Elizabeth, how are you enjoying your stay at Pemberley?”
Elizabeth replies, “Mr. Darcy, I am enjoying my visit very much. Your home is lovely, and your staff is friendly and welcoming.”
Darcy watches as Elizabeth bites her lip. Darcy asks, “Miss Elizabeth, what is wrong? I can see something is troubling you. Have you had any problems with your back or your health?”
Darcy watches as Elizabeth hurries to reassure him by placing her hand on his arm, saying, “Mr. Darcy, I am perfectly fine. My back is fully healed, and I have had no health problems of any kind. If anything, I find myself at loose ends. I am used to helping my father with estate work or, as you just saw, sometimes helping in the kitchen when the mood struck me. I would take my walks, but usually it was only when the house was very loud or my mother was giving me a trying time. I guess I just do not know what to do with my time. I have been reading in the evenings, but I would like to be of help to you if I can. Is there not something on your estate that I could assist you with?”
Darcy is surprised and asks in shock, “You want to help me with my estate business? I would love to have you help, but you are supposed to be relaxing. I could not impose upon you in such a way.”
Elizabeth stops and faces him, saying, “Please, Mr. Darcy. I would prefer to be useful. Just think, if you get through your estate business sooner, you will be able to show me your lovely estate yourself. We could even work in the mornings and spend the afternoons with you showing me your estate.”
And so began Elizabeth’s time helping Darcy run Pemberley. This turn of events thrills Darcy as it allows him more time with Elizabeth, and they are able to get to know each other better. Every morning after breaking their fasts, Darcy and Elizabeth would meet in Darcy’s study and go over any business that needed to be addressed. Once business was done, Darcy would take Elizabeth around Pemberley or into Lambton, the local town just five miles from Pemberley.
Darcy has been writing to Mr. Bennet to keep him apprised of Elizabeth’s health and happiness. Today Darcy is writing Mr. Bennet just a letter of all that Elizabeth has seen and how happy and relaxed she appears. Darcy is describing to Mr. Bennet that Elizabeth is sitting in the study with him reading a book with Fitz sleeping on the floor near Elizabeth’s feet. Darcy watches Elizabeth carefully and realizes just how much he has enjoyed having her spend time with him. Darcy finishes his letter and looks up to see Elizabeth, watching him. Darcy watches as Elizabeth blushes when he catches her watching him.
Darcy asks, “Miss Elizabeth, have you been enjoying your stay even though you have spent so much of it working with me?”
Elizabeth replies, “Mr. Darcy, you know very well that I have enjoyed your home, your library, and walking your grounds. I have also enjoyed our many talks and discussions. I will truly miss this.”
Caught off guard, Darcy stands crossing the room to sit next to Elizabeth, saying, “Miss Elizabeth, do you mean to say you are leaving Pemberley?”
Elizabeth replies, “Mr. Darcy, my uncle received word that he is needed with his business back in London, and my aunt and the children do not like to be parted from my uncle. So we will be returning to London.”
Darcy asks, “Miss Elizabeth, do you truly wish to leave Pemberley?” Darcy watches as Elizabeth wrinkles her forehead in confusion. Darcy explains, “Miss Elizabeth, do you not remember that I told you that I was in love with you?” When Elizabeth nods, Darcy says, “Miss Elizabeth, I wanted you to see Pemberley to see if you would want to live here with me.”
Elizabeth is surprised and asks, “Mr. Darcy, if this is true, why have you said nothing since the carriage?”
Darcy replies, “Miss Elizabeth, I did not want to push my feelings on you. I was hoping you would grow to love me on your own and learn about me yourself. I have been told that I can be difficult and quite high-handed at times.”
Elizabeth nods and asks, “Mr. Darcy, may I have some time to think this over?”
Darcy nods as he replies, “Yes, of course, Miss Elizabeth. Take all the time you need.” Darcy stands and crosses back to his desk and sits, pretending to write. Darcy looks up to see that Elizabeth is trying without success to read. He wrinkles his forehead in confusion and concern.
After a few moments, Elizabeth stands and says, “Please excuse me, Mr. Darcy. I am going to take a walk with Fitz.”
Darcy stands and bows, “Of course, Miss Elizabeth. Have a pleasant walk.” Darcy waits until Elizabeth is out of the room and walks across the room to stand in front of the window and stare out it blankly as he whispers softly, “Damn.”
Darcy does not know how long he has been standing at the window, staring out at nothing when he suddenly feels a presence behind him. Darcy turns to find Richard watching him from the doorway. In surprise, Darcy exclaims, “Richard! When did you get here? Have you been standing there long?”
Richard replies, “Hello, Darcy. I arrived about a quarter of an hour ago. I have only been standing in the doorway for about five minutes. I already knew something was wrong before I ever made my way to you.”
Darcy frowns at Richard and demands, “What do you mean, Richard? What could possibly be wrong?”
Richard sighs as he walks over to the window next to Darcy. “Darcy, when I first arrived at Pemberley, I encountered a visibly upset, crying Miss Elizabeth. Darcy, did you and Miss Elizabeth have a fight? I tried to ask her what was the matter, but she would not confide in me. Perhaps you can explain it to me.”
Darcy says, “Richard, I did not have a fight with Elizabeth. Elizabeth told me that she was going to be leaving with her family within the next day or two as her uncle’s business requires attention. I was taken by surprise and decided to remind her that I was in love with her and that I wanted her to live here at Pemberley with me. After that, Elizabeth withdrew from me and, after trying to read for a few minutes, withdrew from the room after she promised to think about it.”
Richard looks at Darcy and asks, “Darcy, what you have just told me, is that the conversation you had with her, or is that a summary of events?”
Darcy, looking puzzled, replies, “Richard, it is basically the conversation I had with Elizabeth why? What did I do that would cause Elizabeth to cry?”
Richard looks at Darcy in shock and replies, “Darcy, what did you mean when you asked Miss Elizabeth if she wanted to stay here with you?”
Darcy replies, “Richard, I want to make Elizabeth my wife.”
Richard holds up his hand as he notices that Darcy is becoming angry. “Hold on, Darcy. I know your intentions regarding Miss Elizabeth, but she does not. Since you have told me that was your entire conversation
with Miss Elizabeth, I can understand why Miss Elizabeth was upset.”
Turning to look at his cousin, Darcy demands, “Richard, what do you mean by that?”
Richard replies, “Darcy, I mean no offense when I say this, but I believe that Miss Elizabeth believes that you mean to make her your mistress, not your wife. You spoke of her staying here with you at Pemberley but you have never made any mention of marriage. Darcy, you also must remember that Miss Elizabeth doubts her worth due to what her mother must have put her through with her health condition.”
Richard watches in surprise as Darcy’s face crumples and Richard has to actually grab hold of Darcy as his legs give out from under him as the import of what Darcy’s words would have had on Elizabeth. Richard carefully guides Darcy to his desk and pours Darcy a glass of brandy. Richard goes back to the window and sees Miss Elizabeth wiping her face with Fitz running about her feet. Richard watches as Elizabeth walks toward a garden. Turning around to watch Darcy, Richard sees that Darcy has not taken a drink of his brandy but is staring at it. Crossing around to the front of Darcy’s desk and taking a seat in one of the chairs there, Richard asks, “Darcy, what are you going to do about Miss Elizabeth?”
Without looking at Richard, Darcy replies, “Richard, how can I face Elizabeth with her thinking this of me? The pain I have caused her is unimaginable.”
Richard hears real pain in Darcy’s voice, causing Richard to say, “Darcy, look at me.” When Darcy is looking at him, Richard says, “Darcy, you need to tell Miss Elizabeth the truth—that you do not perform well to strangers or to the woman that he loves.” Richard laughs lightly at that and continues saying, “Darcy, you need to explain everything to Miss Elizabeth. Once everything is explained, if Miss Elizabeth still wants to leave, you should let her go. Perhaps time and distance away from you is what Miss Elizabeth needs.”
Darcy runs his hand over his face and stands and says, “Richard, I thank you for your counsel. Now I just need to track down Elizabeth.”
Richard replies, “Darcy, I am always here for you. I believe you will find Miss Elizabeth in your mother’s rose garden—I just saw her walking in that direction a few minutes ago.”
Darcy stands, slaps Richard on the shoulder on his way out of the study, and says, “Wish me luck, Richard!”
Chapter 11
Darcy takes his time walking to his mother’s rose garden as he needs time to think about what he is going to say to Elizabeth and he needs to calm down. After pacing back and forth in front of the entrance to the rose garden, Darcy finally enters the garden to search for Elizabeth. Darcy finally finds Elizabeth asleep under a tree near the rear of the garden. Elizabeth has tearstains on her face, and Fitz is sleeping in her lap. Darcy is disgusted with himself—he does not like to see that he has caused his beloved Elizabeth pain.
Darcy picks up Elizabeth’s hand and gently squeezes it and says, “Elizabeth, please, sweetheart. Wake up.”
Darcy watches as Elizabeth’s eyelashes flutter open, and Elizabeth looks at Darcy with caution in her eyes. Darcy takes a deep breath and says, “Elizabeth, please forgive me for taking so long to find you.” Darcy watches as Elizabeth wrinkles her brow in confusion, but she says nothing. Darcy again gently squeezes Elizabeth’s hand and explains, “Elizabeth, Richard came and saw me after he had seen you walking the grounds after you had left my study. I spoke with Richard—actually Richard demanded to know our conversation, and Richard pointed out that what I had wanted to say and what I actually said were two very different things.”
Elizabeth softly says, “Mr. Darcy, I am afraid I do not follow.”
Darcy explains, “Richard, pointed out to me that I do not perform well to strangers or apparently the woman I deeply love. Elizabeth, when I asked you to stay with me at Pemberley, that was my poor attempt to ask you to stay here as my wife.” Darcy hears Elizabeth’s shocked gasp. Looking up, Darcy reaches up and lifts Elizabeth’s chin so that he can see her eyes and asks, “Elizabeth, did you really believe that I meant to make you my mistress?” Darcy watches as Elizabeth nods. Darcy earnestly says, “Elizabeth, please forgive my words. I never meant to cause you pain. I hope that I have always acted the part of the gentleman in your presence and that I would never be anything but honorable.”
Elizabeth touches Darcy on the cheek and says, “Mr. Darcy, you are an honorable man, and I truly did not wish to think you anything else, but as marriage was never mention, I did not know what else to believe. I mean, with my health, you could not possibly mean to truly marry me. Mr. Darcy, I have always known that I would not marry but rather be a burden on my family until my sisters marry and then I would help care for their children.”
Darcy stands up abruptly, pulling Elizabeth to her feet with him, dumping Fitz on the ground. Darcy places a finger on Elizabeth’s lips and says, “Elizabeth, any man would be lucky to have you for a wife. You are lively, witty, intelligent . . .”
Elizabeth reaches up and puts her finger on Darcy’s lip and replies, “Mr. Darcy, you are the first man to ever see me in such a way. Mr. Darcy, do you truly wish to marry me and perhaps one day raise a family?”
Darcy nods and watches as Elizabeth searches his face. Finally, Elizabeth tells him, “Mr. Darcy, I must admit that I am overwhelmed by the idea of being your wife, and I wish I had Jane here to speak with. We always discuss our problems together.” Darcy asks, “Elizabeth, would you like for me to arrange to have Miss Bennet meet you in London? I can send your father an express, and she would be able meet you there.”
Elizabeth looks at Darcy in surprise and asks, “You are going to let me go to London?”
Darcy replies, “Elizabeth, you have had your emotions bounced around today, and now I am asking you to share your life with me for the rest of our days. You asked for time, and I want to give you everything you need. If you need time, I can give you that. If you need your sister, I can arrange that too. I want you to have time to know your own heart, and I can hope that there is a chance that you may one day love me in return. Do the Gardiners know when they are planning on returning to London?”
Elizabeth shakes her head and says, “No, Mr. Darcy, I do not know for sure. I believe it will be in the next day or two. Also, I wish to thank you for offering to have Jane meet me in London. I will think about it and let you know.”
Darcy puts Elizabeth’s hand on his arm and walks her toward the house and says, “Again, Elizabeth, I apologize for my words. I never meant to cause you pain.”
Elizabeth replies, “Mr. Darcy, the misunderstanding has been cleared up, and I thank you for explaining everything. I do have one question for you. Are you aware that you have been addressing me as Elizabeth during this entire conversation?”
Darcy sighs and replies, “My apologies, Miss Elizabeth. I did not mean a breach in propriety—you have been Elizabeth to me for a while now. I will remember.” Once they reach the house, Darcy and Elizabeth go their separate ways.
About an hour later, Richard enters the drawing room to find Elizabeth reading a book with Fitz playing at her feet. Elizabeth stands and says, “Good afternoon, Colonel Fitzwilliam.”
Richard motions for Elizabeth to sit. Elizabeth says, “Colonel, I wanted to thank you for your assistance in clearing up the misunderstanding between Mr. Darcy and myself.”
Richard replies, “It is fine, Miss Elizabeth. I am glad I could be of service to my cousin. I do have a question for you. What are your plans now?” Elizabeth looks at Richard in confusion, and Richard makes an impatient sound and asks, “Miss Elizabeth, when will the wedding be and how soon can we expect the pleasure of your family?”
Elizabeth calmly replies, “Colonel Fitzwilliam, there is no wedding at this time.”
Richard looks at Elizabeth in surprises and asks, “You mean to tell me you refused an offer of marriage from Darcy? Are you out of your mind? Do you know who he is and what he can offer you?”
Elizabeth stands and looks at Richard and says, “Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr. Darcy of
fered me time and no pressure—not that anything I discussed with Mr. Darcy is any of your business.”
Richard stands towering over Elizabeth and snarls, “Miss Elizabeth, anything that concerns Darcy concerns me. I do not want to see my cousin taken in by a fortune hunter.”
Elizabeth takes a deep breath and looks up at Richard and asks, “Colonel Fitzwilliam, is this what you truly believe of me? In spite of everything you have seen that I suffered at my mother’s hand that I would hunt a man for his money?”
Richard silently nods.
Elizabeth calmly says, “Colonel Fitzwilliam, I thank you for your honest opinion. Please excuse me.” Elizabeth bends down, picks up Fitz, and leaves the room.
At dinner that night, Darcy, Georgiana, and Richard learn that Elizabeth and the Gardiners will be departing early the next morning so that Mr. Gardiner can attend to his business. Georgiana and Elizabeth take turns playing the pianoforte after dinner. As Elizabeth is saying good night to everyone, Darcy softly calls Elizabeth’s name and says, “Miss Elizabeth, will you please speak with me briefly in the morning before you leave?”
Elizabeth nods and says, “Yes, Mr. Darcy, I will speak with you in the morning. Have a pleasant evening.”
Darcy watches as Elizabeth says something to Richard as she departs the room. Darcy asks, “Richard, what did Elizabeth just say to you?”
Richard replies with a calmness that he does not feel, “Nothing much, Darcy—just thanking me for my help in clearing up the misunderstanding you two had earlier.” Richard groans to himself as he knows that Darcy is going to be angry with him come morning, but he has a promise to keep. Richard stands and says, “Darcy, how about a game of billiards?”
Darcy awakens the next morning to sunlight already streaming into his room. Darcy sits up and suddenly groans with a headache and remembers having a couple of drinks with Richard while they played a few games of billiards. When Darcy is dressed, he goes downstairs and finds only Richard at the table. Darcy looks around in confusion and asks, “Richard, where is everyone?”