Riding across the countryside, away from the lane, proved a more enjoyable journey for Darcy as he guided his horse onto the grounds of Pemberley. He chose to arrive a full day ahead of his sister and guests in order to put the house to order. Mrs. Reynolds, his housekeeper, was notified of the party’s arrival and, being the fastidious woman she was, had most likely finished the preparations. He knew she would scold him for arriving a day early, but his offenses would soon be forgotten due to the warmth of spirit she possessed for Darcy and his sister.
The sun shone warmly, and he made no hurry to arrive. It had been many months since his last visit, and he enjoyed the view of trees and vast farmlands that stretched away from his property. The house itself came into view and Darcy smiled. It was amazing how such a place can fill someone with peace. He believed material collections could not—nor should they—replace the peace of mind brought by a solid constitution of character; but that ideology met with resistance when his mind found peace at the sight of Pemberley.
He brought his horse to the stables and left it with an attendant. There was a brief moment of salutations and a welcome home to which Darcy kindly thanked the man. Walking around the lane from the stables, he was deep in thought when he suddenly took to surprise. There on his grounds, not twenty yards away, was Miss Elizabeth Bennet who, in appearance, was casually walking the lane. His initial surprise was matched by the obvious look of surprise on her face. Not sure what to do or how to respond to this situation, Darcy examined the area and could see an elderly couple walking the grounds several yards away. The image brought to mind thoughts of a small family outing. Elizabeth turned towards the couple and began to walk their direction, but Darcy called out to her in a move that honestly startled both of them.
Walking calmly towards Elizabeth, he made no sudden moves and was soon of the belief he was in no danger; not like he had been on their last encounter. Miss Bennet seemed to be held in check by embarrassment and uncertainty, emotions which Mr. Darcy was inexperienced with in regards to the lady.
“Miss Bennet, I was not aware you were in the country.”
“I do not believe it to be common knowledge,” she replied while unable to meet his gaze. “My aunt and uncle brought me here just yesterday to tour the local villages. We are staying at the Inn in Lampton and the easy distance to Pemberley allowed us an opportunity visit. I can assure you my intentions for being here are of innocent curiosity for this magnificent estate and nothing else.”
Darcy caught the subtext of her meaning and knew she did not mean for a repetition of their disagreement involving heated words and a dagger.
“I trust the journey was well and you have rested since arrival?”
Elizabeth sensed his unease but could not bring herself to help him; this lack of assistance sprouted from her extreme embarrassment at being caught touring his estate. Truthfully, she was visiting the countryside and, had she any inclination he was about, she would have avoided the area but fate would seem to play her for amusement.
The two continued with the conversation in a very stilted and awkward manner.
“And how is your family?” he asked, as he could think of nothing else to say.
“They are quite well. Jane is now home at Longbourn and each member is well.”
“Each of them well? That is good to hear. And your father, I imagine him to be fine.”
“Yes, fine indeed. He is dealing with summer projects.”
“Ah, that is good to hear, and are all your sisters enjoying the summer and keeping well?” The absurdity of the questions he was asking did not escape Mr. Darcy and his embarrassment seemed to be in competition with Elizabeth’s; his only enjoyable thought was that their last meeting of anger and weaponry was to be treated as if it had not occurred.
“Yes, my sisters are enjoying the fine weather. My youngest sister Lydia is away to Brighton for the season to visit with the Militia and Colonel Forster’s wife, but the rest of us are enjoying the summer activities.”
A moment’s pause in the conversation turned into two and then three. Darcy could think of nothing else to say, and Elizabeth could do little to make eye contact. It was with civility that Darcy broke the silence.
“If you will excuse me, I have had a long ride and need to refresh myself.” He bowed politely. Elizabeth returned the gesture and they parted company.
Darcy headed into the house and up to his chambers. He was vexed and could not believe his inability to think clearly when engaged in conversation with this lady. As he cleaned up at the washbasin he wondered what she must be thinking of him at this moment. He had thoroughly embarrassed himself, and his inept attempts to converse had embarrassed Elizabeth as well. He was now determined to have a glass of water, change his clothes, and hide in his room attending to letters. This is exactly what he did do for a few minutes.
Sitting at a small desk in his bedroom, Darcy felt refreshed. He had changed clothes and eaten a small amount of cheeses and breads brought to him. His mind was still difficult to bring to task, and when he was struck with the insanity of his actions, he grabbed his current work and headed to his office on the main floor.
Settling into the room, he opened his drawers, took out fresh paper, readied ink, and then opened a window for fresh air. He could see that out on the grounds walked Miss Bennet and her companions, along with his gardener. They were arriving back to the main grounds from the higher levels of his estate. He was surprised to see them still on his property. Watching them talking and viewing his estate he thought about Miss Bennet. She could not see him from her vantage point, and Darcy was treated to a heartwarming view of the lady he had so ardently and recently expressed affection to.
She smiled as she conversed with his gardener. In the small amount of time she was acquainted with his staff she appeared to have a more intimate relationship than he. Elizabeth stooped to examine a flower and, plucking a petal, showed it to the other lady of the party. They then examined the foliage together as the gardener chatted with the gentleman. Darcy found he liked the view very well and, deciding against the awkwardness of the situation, headed to meet with them.
His approach could not be hidden and the distance to them gave him time to think. He saw Elizabeth start when she spied him, but he could not help this and his determination was steeled with the idea that, once being seen, he was committed to the meeting.
Elizabeth watched his approach and thought Mr. Darcy might turn off the main path, avoiding them and turning onto a side path. Her mind was mixed with emotions of embarrassment and nervousness. She could not guess Mr. Darcy’s feelings, but she also could not believe he held her in much esteem after their last encounter. That encounter had left her with an initial conviction of action, but his letter, and her contemplation of its truth, had since robbed her of the conviction and cruelly replaced it with shame. The robbery of that conviction was tortuously done a little each day as she watched the ink slowly fade from her letter.
As he neared, she might have been amused to learn that his determined approach was born from his inability to quit after being seen. For his part, he would have been amused that Miss Bennet saw the obvious retreat, while his mind would not have seen it, even if the side path were marked with waving banners.
Again they met, and the two engaged in conversation. This time Mr. Darcy was very civil, and his initial surprise from the previous meeting seemed to have vanished. He talked at ease about his estate, the buildings, and the grounds, and the attendants of which he was very fond. Elizabeth commented on the pleasantness of the staff, including Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper, whom they had already met and found to be very pleasant. Darcy smiled at the compliment and then surprised Elizabeth by asking for introductions to her companions.
Elizabeth was taken aback but composed herself and with some pride turned to her companions. She introduced them as the Gardiners who were also her Aunt and Uncle. Mr. Gardiner was a well respected merchant from London and Elizabeth took more joy in introducing them than she believed she would. The respectability of her relations gave her a sense that not all of her family wanted for propriety. She half expected Mr. Darcy to find some fault with the Gardiners, and she watched his face for the telltale sign of his pride and judgment for which he was known. She was curious when she did not see it, and more astounded when he heartily greeted the couple and began talking about the local countryside.
The four of them headed down the path at a leisurely pace, while the estate gardener took his leave and left the group. Elizabeth was quite left out of the conversation while her aunt and Darcy found a common ground of conversation regarding the local area. While they had never met, both of them owed their childhood to this part of England. Elizabeth stayed perplexed and then her eyes widened with a sudden realization; Mr. Darcy was trying. To what ends she could only guess, and the difficulty of the task was known only to her; for her aunt and uncle were happily engaged in conversation, and their first impression of this man must certainly be different than her own.
After a few turns of the path, the Gardiners found topics which interested only the two of them and separated from Elizabeth and Darcy, who continued on the path for a minute or two before either spoke.
“I trust you are well, Miss Bennet, and that my letter was not of such a personal or shocking nature as to insult you in any way.”
“It was not. I was uncertain to its truthfulness, but a re-examination of events, along with more than one encounter with Mr. Wickham upon my return to Hertfordshire, convinced me of its veracity.”
“You were not offended by an explanation of my family’s duties?”
“Confused would be a more apt description. We all have duties in the gentry and many of them are of a military nature. I imagine the rise of Napoleon has something to do with this. I have made inquiries of my own and have learned that, whatever the exact duties may be, the Darcy family is held in high regard amongst the nobility. I believe even Mr. Wickham holds the duties in high regard, if not a personal belief in their underlying tenets. I am amazed you did so little upon his first dishonouring your sister, but I understand the need for restraint in matters of social dishonour.”
Darcy blanched and Elizabeth immediately felt sorry for the remark. She attempted to think of a way to recover, but Darcy nodded and continued his walk.
“Your aunt and uncle are very respectable people. I believe him well suited as a merchant.”
Taking the conversation cue Elizabeth followed him.
“Yes, I would agree. Thank you for making the effort to talk with them. I know how difficult it can be for you and how much you may not like the activity.”
Darcy looked at Elizabeth trying to determine if she were sincere; he detected no trace of deception.
“It has been brought to my attention that my current social skills could use some practice.”
“Any comments on my part were not meant as an insult.”
“I was not necessarily referring to you, although I believe you are also a proponent of my practicing. I was instead referring to my sister, Georgiana. She will arrive on the morrow with the Bingleys, and she is particularly interested in meeting you. I wonder if you would allow the opportunity for her to make your acquaintance.”
Elizabeth was once again surprised by Mr. Darcy, and she readily acceded to his request, although if she were pressed she could not say she was very aware of how she acceded; her mind was too caught up with thoughts of astonishment. If his sister was inclined to meet her then she must have heard favorable information from someone; the idea of Mr. Darcy being that individual allowed her to further conjecture he must still hold her in some regard. While she did not hope for his feelings, she found the idea of his approval to be affirming.
The walk ended several minutes later, and the master of Pemberley saw to the carriage arrangements of the guests. Bidding them farewell, the carriage drove off and Darcy headed into his home.
Within the carriage Mrs. Gardiner smiled and commented on the pleasant nature of Mr. Darcy.
“He was not exactly as I envisioned him from your description, Lizzy.”
“Indeed not, had I but met him this day I would be hard pressed to believe my own description. Perhaps limited exposure has not allowed a full imprint of his character, or perhaps Mr. Darcy’s nature is more sociable while at home on his estate.”
Conversation continued as they journeyed back to the Inn, and Elizabeth was able to focus more easily than earlier in the day. Her mind did wander occasionally to events of the last hour, but she could not come to a satisfactory understanding of them.