part0017

The visit to Netherfield was everything Elizabeth had hoped for, and more. The delight to see Jane, and see her so happy, could not be surpassed by anything, she thought – until, at the first opportunity for private conversation, Jane told her in the strictest confidence that she was expecting an addition to her happy household, sometime in early spring.

Elizabeth held her and wept with joy, then dried her eyes with her fingertips in a most unladylike fashion, as she attempted to shake off her sensibility by laughingly remarking:

“So, the time to teach your children to play their instruments very ill is drawing nearer. Oh, Jane, I am so happy for you! And for dear Charles of course.”

Jane embraced her sister once more and whispered, close to tears:

“I miss you, Lizzy. I wish you would come to live with us.”

“Someone needs to keep Mamma and Lydia in check,” Elizabeth said, seeking to make light of it. “It would be unfair to leave that to Kitty. She has only recently acquired some sense herself.”

“Oh, Lizzy,” Jane laughed, forgetting herself, “you sound just like Papa.” As soon as the words escaped her, Jane covered her mouth and whispered dejectedly, “Forgive me. I should not have said that.”

“No, Jane,” Elizabeth answered, fresh tears welling in her eyes, “truly, this is one of the loveliest things you could have said to me.”

They held each other then and wept freely, the sisterly bond they shared making the burden lighter. Then Jane dried her face and said matter-of-factly:

“We should dress for dinner. I hope you like your room. I chose it especially for you, as it overlooks the eastern fields. The view is lovely first thing in the morning, with swirls of mist and glittering dew. You will see it at its best, as you are such an early riser. Georgiana’s room was the next one along when she stayed with us. She was very taken with the prospect, and I think she rises almost as early as you do. ”

“Oh? So you have met Miss Darcy, then.”

“Yes, and she is delightful. Mr Darcy and his sister stopped at Netherfield for a while. I only wish you arrived sooner, or that they stayed for longer, so that you could have met her yourself. Having said that, I do believe Mr Darcy will be quite disappointed to have missed you. He inquired most particularly about you several times while he was here.”

“I cannot imagine why,” Elizabeth said, a faint blush rising in her cheeks at the intelligence. “But we did come across him in town, quite by accident, Kitty and I.”

Elizabeth readily shared the details of the unexpected encounter in Green Park, along with some of her own thoughts on the matter.

“It was quite a shock to see Mr Darcy so devoid of his habitual reserve at first, but I daresay he regained it soon enough. I can never comprehend the man,” she finished with a smile.

“Mr Darcy is quite an intricate character, I grant you, but I came to see he is very pleasant company once you get to know him better.”

“Perhaps,” Elizabeth conceded, with a little laugh. The agreeable conversation in the park led her to believe Jane might be correct in her estimation, yet the man’s propensity to regain his cool reserve without any warning or apparent reason was positively infuriating.

It would have been a falsehood to claim she had not thought of him, now and then, ever since their paths had diverged last autumn – and a great deal more often after their puzzling encounter in town. As she had once confessed to Jane, he would remain in her memory as one of the most intriguing gentlemen of her acquaintance. And one of the most intelligent, and perhaps one of the handsomest. One could scarce fail to acknowledge his superiority, when faced with the likes of Sir John Middleton. Even Colonel Brandon, whom she esteemed and regarded with great fondness, was found lacking by comparison, in many respects.

‘But that is neither here nor there,’ Elizabeth reminded herself. Despite the obvious pleasure with which he had greeted her in Green Park, which in itself was a great surprise, there was no denying that he had not called upon them in Portman Square, as he had sought permission to. But perhaps her mother and Lydia were a deterrent, unlike herself, Kitty or Jane. It was a painful, but not an improbable conjecture. Or perhaps he was unaware they were to leave town so soon. Elizabeth tried to remember if she had imparted the intelligence, and found that she could not. Or perhaps he was a very busy man. Or perhaps she ought to leave him to his devices, and return to her wise decision of not making herself unhappy over him. And that was precisely what she set out to do.

Their time at Netherfield was a delight, although the shortness of the visit would have been hard to bear, had she not known she would have her dearest sister all to herself before too long.

It was good to see old friends and familiar places, although sometimes sadness prevailed. Predictably, it was very painful to call at Longbourn, as was to see her father’s beloved library turned into Mr Collins’ sterile domain. But such was the way of the world, and Elizabeth was resolved to accept it as best she could. At least she had not visited Longbourn alone, but with her dearest sister, aunt and uncle. As always, they were a balm to her soul, and Elizabeth was grateful for them, and for all the blessings in her life.

The time to start on their trip northward was upon them before they knew it, and the merry party of three set off in pursuit of novelty and amusement. They travelled towards Derbyshire without much delay, stopping in just a few notable places, as they had already agreed they would linger and indulge their curiosity for other worthwhile sights on their return. Their main destination was Lambton, the little town Mrs Gardiner hailed from, and where she had lately learned that some acquaintance still remained.

To her surprise, Elizabeth discovered from her aunt that Pemberley was but five miles from Lambton, and Mrs Gardiner expressed a wish to visit the place again. For her part, Elizabeth was in two minds about the scheme. While she would dearly like to see it, she felt uneasy about going to Pemberley without a proper invitation, and was compelled to share the sentiment with her relations.

“Uneasy?” her uncle asked. “What of Blenheim or Chatsworth? There was no unease there.”

“No indeed, Sir, as I am not acquainted with the families, so I was at liberty to be a visitor. At Pemberley, without a proper invitation, I would feel more like an intruder.”

“Then we shall not visit, if you prefer,” her aunt said placatingly. “But perhaps we could inquire if the family is down for the summer,” she wisely suggested, and Elizabeth could not disagree with that sensible plan .

Their inquiry was answered in the negative at the inn in Lambton, where they eventually took lodgings. Thus, they decided that on the first morning when Mrs Gardiner would not be otherwise engaged with her acquaintances, they would set off to Pemberley.

The chosen day dawned bright and clear, posing no impediment to the outing, so they drove the five miles with great anticipation, and finally turned in at the lodge. The park was very large, and they continued for some time through a beautiful wood, gradually ascending until they found themselves at the top of a considerable eminence, where the wood ceased, and the eye was instantly caught by Pemberley House, on the opposite side of the valley. It was a large and handsome stone building, standing well on rising ground, and in front, a stream led to a lake, with nothing artificial in its appearance. Its banks were neither formal, nor falsely adorned. Elizabeth was delighted. She had never seen a place for which nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste.

The house itself did not disappoint, when they applied to see it. The rooms were lofty and stylish, their décor suitable to the owner’s standing. Elizabeth saw with admiration that it was neither gaudy nor uselessly fine, with less splendour and more real elegance than was the prevailing fashion.

For the first time, Elizabeth understood the Darcys’ position in life. She had known, as far back as the year before, in Hertfordshire, that Mr Darcy was above Mr Bingley in status by as much, and possibly more, than the difference between the Bingleys and the Bennets. Still, she had never thought that the disparity between Pemberley and Netherfield, or between Pemberley and every place she knew, for that matter, would be so marked. It was a humbling feeling, which made her feel more than a little uncomfortable.

The housekeeper, to whom they applied to see the house, was a pleasant, welcoming lady, whose main enjoyment seemed to be the opportunity to speak of her master and his sister. A very favourable account of both followed, making Elizabeth wonder how the perfect gentleman described by Mrs Reynolds could possibly have shown such lack of manners at the beginning of his stay in Hertfordshire. And yet she could not find fault with the older woman’s account. She herself had seen that side of him which exuded consideration and kindness, as well as the power to influence other people’s lives .

They were finally brought into the long gallery, for which her aunt had expressed a great deal of interest, as she was keen to see some of the paintings displayed there. Elizabeth could not join her in the sentiment. She knew very little of the art, and could not find the same enjoyment in the works of great masters as Mrs Gardiner. She would have liked to see the library instead, and said as much to Mrs Reynolds. The affable lady readily agreed to escort her there, while her relations remained behind, attended by a footman.

Elizabeth followed the older woman down a wide staircase and along a corridor, then Mrs Reynolds opened a door and admitted her into Elizabeth’s notion of heaven.

Large windows allowed the sunlight in, and the joyful golden spears shone brightly over the most outstanding collection of books she had ever seen. Warm-coloured sofas were scattered about the place, for the pleasure and comfort of all who sought their enjoyment there, and on one of them Elizabeth espied a very young lady, curled up with her book. The lady looked up and straightened as they entered, and at the sight of her, Mrs Reynolds swiftly apologised:

“Oh, I do beg your pardon, Miss Darcy!” she exclaimed, much to Elizabeth’s consternation, when it became clear they had been misinformed in Lambton, and the family was not away for the summer. “I did not know you were within when I offered to escort Miss Bennet to the library,” Mrs Reynolds explained, then added, “Miss Bennet has expressed a great wish to see it.”

Elizabeth was torn between embarrassment at having so clearly intruded, and curiosity to see Miss Georgiana Darcy, of whom she had heard so much. She was reluctant to claim any connection with the family – but suddenly, to her astonishment, Miss Darcy came to greet her and asked:

“This may seem forward and rather odd, I fear, but may I ask, are you by any chance related to Mrs Bingley of Netherfield? She was Miss Bennet prior to her marriage, I was given to understand…”

“Mrs Bingley is my eldest sister,” Elizabeth replied with surprised pleasure. “I saw her a se’nnight ago, and she told me of her delight in making your acquaintance, Miss Darcy.”

The younger lady blushed becomingly.

“The pleasure and honour were all mine. It was a privilege to meet your sister. Mrs Bingley is one of the kindest and most generous ladies I know. Pray forgive my asking of your family connections, but I should not have wished to miss the opportunity of properly welcoming one of her relations.”

“You are very kind,” Elizabeth said, wondering once more at the extent of the deceit perpetrated by that scoundrel, Wickham. That he should have described such an obliging young lady as haughty and proud was yet another despicable deed on his long list of sins.

“Have you had the tour of the house, Miss Bennet? If not, I would be delighted to show you around,” Miss Darcy suggested, to Elizabeth’s renewed surprise.

With warm appreciation for the gracious offer, she replied in the affirmative, then complimented Miss Darcy on her lovely home and thanked Mrs Reynolds for her efforts. The housekeeper nodded:

“The usual tour is largely completed, with the exception of the west wing, that is. Miss Bennet and her party have not seen it yet.”

“Then perhaps I could escort you there. And it would give me great pleasure to have your company for tea afterwards. Yours and your party’s, of course,” Miss Darcy added shyly.

The invitation was gladly accepted, and Mrs Reynolds returned to attend to the Gardiners and order refreshments, while Elizabeth and Miss Darcy set off to tour the library and the west wing together. As expected, the library gave Elizabeth great pleasure, and she could easily see that it was the loving work of many generations.

“This is such a delight!” she could not help exclaiming, reverently touching the spines of some of the books, friends of hers of old.

“You are most welcome to return and enjoy it at your leisure,” Miss Darcy said, and Elizabeth glanced around with a half-awed, half-wistful little sigh.

“I thank you, Miss Darcy, you are most obliging, but I fear a lifetime would not be enough to acquaint myself with all the wonders this room holds.”

“That is probably the case,” Miss Darcy smiled in response, “but you are welcome to return, nevertheless.”

Privately acknowledging that tarrying for longer in the library would do nothing but stir an appetite which the available time could not sate, Elizabeth declared herself at her companion’s leisure to continue on their tour, and they walked towards the west wing, conversing companionably about the places Elizabeth had visited in her travels .

The west wing housed an elegantly fitted-up saloon and the music room, and Elizabeth voiced her admiration for their loveliness and the views they offered, as well as for the beautiful instrument that instantly caught her eye.

“I thank you,” said Miss Darcy. “It has just come down for me. A present from my brother.”

“I have heard much praise for your proficiency at the pianoforte,” Elizabeth said, remembering Miss Bingley’s raptures, so long ago, at Netherfield.

“I am sure it has been greatly exaggerated,” Miss Darcy replied with a charming blush. “I must admit, I am very fond of music and I would like my skills to do it justice, but I fear I fall short of my expectations. Do you play, Miss Bennet?” she added, in an attempt to divert attention from herself.

“Aye, but very ill indeed.”

“I believe you are too modest,” Miss Darcy offered with a smile.

“May I return the sentiment,” Elizabeth laughed, “and with good reason, for I was given to understand that you practise constantly, which is more than I can say for myself.”

“Then perhaps you could visit again during your stay in the area, and we might compare our skills,” Miss Darcy suggested, with a boldness that surprised even her – not just because she was not in the habit of extending invitations and hardly ever had the courage to play for company, but especially as she could scarce remember the last time when she had found herself driven to further an acquaintance so recently established. Yet there was something very appealing about Mrs Bingley’s sister, an openness of manner, an easy, unaffected friendliness that made her wish to know her better. “I would greatly appreciate your society, Miss Bennet,” she added with a smile. “We have been very quiet here for some time, my companion and I, as my brother could not travel to Pemberley after our stay with Mr and Mrs Bingley. He had to return to town, to await some news of great import, and although he did not explain further, I doubt he will join me very soon.”

There it was, then, the answer to the question Elizabeth could not bring herself to ask, and she was rather satisfied that now she knew, although she could not tell if she was more relieved or disappointed to hear of Mr Darcy’s continued absence from Pemberley. As for his sister’s invitation, albeit surprising, it did not give rise to any disconcerting conundrums and Elizabeth accepted it with pleasure, subject to her companions’ concurrence.

At length, Miss Darcy escorted her back to the main staircase and thence to the floor above, to a delightfully appointed room, less formally imposing and much lighter and airier than any of the ones she had visited. Elizabeth understood she was now in the part of the house reserved for the family, even before Miss Darcy explained:

“This is my sitting room. Perhaps you would like to rest, and we could have some refreshments. Mrs Reynolds will escort the rest of your party here. Are you travelling with a large group of friends?”

“No, just my uncle and aunt from town.”

“I should be delighted to make their acquaintance,” Miss Darcy civilly said, but Elizabeth could not fail to notice a slight hesitation, which somewhat belied the sentiment and indicated the return of the young lady’s shyness.

“This is a very pleasant room,” she remarked, in an attempt at conversation.

“Thank you. My brother had it done up to surprise me, for my return from town. He is the kindest of brothers, and very attentive to me.”

“It is no more than you deserve, no doubt,” Elizabeth smiled, and slowly ambled forward to admire a couple of charcoal sketches that adorned the facing wall.

As she drew closer, one of them sharply commanded her attention. It was a very accurate rendition of Mr Darcy, but it was not the person portrayed, rather the air captured, that made her stop and stare. She had seen likenesses of him before. In fact, there was one in the long gallery, where he looked very much the indisputable Master of Pemberley. Not haughty, but powerful. Not vain, but self-assured. And in no doubt about his duty, his merits or his place in the world.

The little sketch before her was a different matter altogether. There was absolutely nothing formal about his air. A warm smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and the look of unmistakable affection in his eyes lit up his entire countenance. It was almost as if the artist had caught him in one of his unguarded moments, when he had divested himself of the great, heavy cloak of Master of Pemberley, and had allowed himself to be human after all .

“May I say, you are a very talented artist,” Elizabeth observed, once she had noticed the signature in the corner.

But of course. She should have guessed. It was for Miss Darcy, the light-hearted smile, the affectionate and engagingly self-conscious look. That was no surprise to her. She knew him to be a devoted brother. The surprise was that he could look like that – for anyone.

And yet there was something oddly familiar about the air his younger sister had so skilfully captured… Puzzled, Elizabeth briefly wondered why – until it came to her. Of course. In the very first moments of their unexpected encounter in Green Park, Mr Darcy’s mien had been very much the same. A pity that reserve had prevailed so soon…

Unwittingly, Elizabeth returned the smile in the sketch. She had always thought him handsome, but this likeness made him even more so. It was utterly devoid of the unbending reserve he displayed to strangers, and showed a very private glimpse into how he would appear to the people of his closest acquaintance. Having seen it, Elizabeth could more easily understand his sister’s obvious devotion, the bond between him and Mr Bingley, and Jane’s insistence that he could be very pleasant company if one got to know him better. Mr Darcy certainly showed very different sides of himself to different people, and Elizabeth found herself wishing she were among the privileged few who were allowed to see the facet portrayed in that charcoal sketch.

“You are very kind. I thank you. ‘Tis a likeness of my brother,” Georgiana explained in response to the compliment, and – abruptly drawn from her deep and unaccountable reverie – Elizabeth glanced towards her with a start.

“Yes, the resemblance is remarkable,” she said, for want of a more inspired comment, and to her surprise, Miss Darcy eyed her with a puzzled expression.

“I am happy to hear it, although I have always thought that my brother and I did not look so very similar…”

“I apologise, I meant—”

But she could not finish, as Miss Darcy spoke again, blushing too.

“You must think me very foolish. Of course, I should have known that, as Mr and Mrs Bingley’s relation, you must be acquainted with my brother as well. ”

Elizabeth could only say “Yes, I have had the pleasure,” and then turned away to admire the other drawing, before Miss Darcy might be inclined to ask about their acquaintance – an unnecessary measure, as it happened, for the young lady was too shy to even entertain that notion.

To Elizabeth’s relief and Miss Darcy’s short-lived concern, the door was soon opened, and the Gardiners were admitted, followed almost immediately by the previously ordered refreshments. Once the introductions were performed, in an attempt to conceal her revived shyness, Miss Darcy busied herself with the tea things, gladly accepting Elizabeth’s assistance, both in preparing the tea and in establishing the beginnings of a conversation.

Still, it did not take her long to warm up to the new acquaintances, for Mr and Mrs Gardiner were pleasant, genteel people, with a great deal of kindness to recommend them – and, had that not been enough to break the ice, Mrs Gardiner’s familiarity with the area supplied them with plenty of topics for relaxed conversation. They moved on to discuss music, then the most recent performances in town, and a short hour later they parted, delighted with one another.

By the end of the visit, Miss Darcy lost all the reserve that would have prevented her from extending the invitation, and cheerfully asked them all to return to Pemberley. Much to their regret, Mr and Mrs Gardiner were unable to accept, on account of prior engagements, but they saw no reason why Elizabeth should feel compelled to join them, particularly since she was not acquainted with many of Mrs Gardiner’s friends as yet. Thus, it was decided that she would visit Pemberley again on the following morning.

Shortly afterwards, the Gardiners and their niece returned to their lodgings in Lambton, charmed by Miss Darcy’s amiable nature and gentle manners. No less pleased with them, as soon as the carriage rolled away, Miss Darcy hastened back to her sitting room, to write to her brother about the delightful lady of her recent acquaintance.