Elizabeth laughed. “I do not believe you! This is a scheme to make me lower my guard so you might steal the treasure by convincing me that it is not real.”
Her eyes were so bright.
Darcy wobbled as they walked back up the steps to leave the cave and return to the modern world far away from this dimly lit remainder of the medieval. Their host immediately served them from a new heated pot of mulled wine. Their servants went down into the cave, while the party sat in the parlor and prepared themselves for the journey back to Netherfield.
There was a clatter outside, and when Mr. Watson looked out, he gained a deeply conflicted expression. Another group had arrived to tour the caves, but they were of lower status than Darcy and Bingley. It would not do to leave substantial gentry to their own devices to entertain a middling tradesman. But Mr. Watson obviously wanted the fees from the tradesmen.
To relieve him of the worry Darcy stood and shook Mr. Watson’s hand. “A fine tour. A fascinating display. Are there any paths about town we might walk before we leave?”
“Yes, yes of course. You must have seen the ruined manor when you came in? On the hilltop? It was a palace of Henry VIII; you can take a pathway around to look at it, and to get to the hilltop. A fine view of the whole area.”
“We will walk around then. Good day.”
“Good day, sir! Good day!”
They walked back into the cold day. The winter sun had already passed its zenith and was beginning to lower, but it would still be many hours before it set. There was barely any wind stirring through the bare branches, bothering the blackbirds that perched upon them. The winter was a symbol of Darcy’s feelings of his own life: Everything had seemed bleak and cold, and barren for so long, but beneath it there always had been flows of sap preparing for the coming of spring. Of Elizabeth.
Though the outer environment was in winter, Darcy’s soul was in a full bloom and profusion of growing flowers and of trees pushing out endless green leaves.
Elizabeth exclaimed, “To the walk! I want to see the promontory. And I must walk some before I am imprisoned in a carriage once more!”
Chapter Fourteen
Bingley’s ball was to be held four days before Christmas, and the day before that ball Elizabeth’s favorite relations, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner arrived at Longbourn. In tow with them was another friend, Mrs. Gardiner’s cousin, Mr. Peake who had been in business with Mr. Gardiner for the past four years.
Mr. Gardiner strode confidently into Longbourn tossing his cap onto the rack, and allowing Mrs. Hill to help him out of his traveling coat. He gestured with his free elbow at the tall figure of Mr. Peake behind him, who bowed with more elegance than he showed a few years before when they had first met. “Do not mind an additional person?”
“Lord! No!” Mrs. Bennet happily shook his hands. “Be welcome, Mr. Peake, be welcome. Any partner of my brother’s is welcome — you are now partner. You ought to consider marriage. We have many delightful girls in Hertfordshire you can meet.”
“I am in no rush for such a connection.”
Mr. Gardiner shook his coat off and put his arm around Mrs. Gardiner. “Marriage is a good thing once you can afford a wife. It settles you in the world, and other men of business take you more seriously.”
“I am yet too much of a romantic to seek about with the intention of finding a fine wife.” Mr. Peake half shrugged. He frowned a little and shook his head.
When they met Mr. Peake in Derbyshire, his manner of speaking while Mr. Gardiner sought to convince him to join his firm had made Elizabeth suspect that he had a strong admiration or attachment to a woman who he had no hope of winning in his modest position, and that escaping from the pain which a hopeless infatuation gave had been a source of willingness to leave. Perhaps he had never truly recovered from that first affection.
Elizabeth hoped, if her theory was true, that he would not allow such memories to control him for the entirety of his life.
Mrs. Bennet added, “Our dear children are married and gone — except of course Lizzy — so pleasant to host a friend. And ample room! I do wish Lydia would return for Christmas, but a friend in London, and gone off with her friend’s family to Brighton for the season. I cannot understand why the memories of her poor Wickham would not drive her away from that city forever.” Mrs. Bennet added in a stage whisper, “By the time Captain Wickham was lost at Waterloo, I fear that no great affection remained betwixt them.”
“Captain Wickham’s fate was quite too good for him.” Mr. Peake replied, “I am not surprised Lydia learned to dislike him.”
“I ought to defend my son in law, but I am possessed byyouropinion.” Mr. Bennet shook hands with Mr. Peake. “You are Lydia’s superior in terms of conversation.”
“Nonsense, dear.” Mrs. Bennet pushed Mr. Bennet’s shoulder. “More than ample room for him, and Lydia, and my brother, and Lizzy, and everyone else — only when all five girls lived here did the house become crowded during this season.”
The Gardiner children then demanded attention, though the oldest girl was now fourteen and almost of an age she would enter society and become fascinated by gentlemen. While Mrs. Gardiner took the younger siblings up to the nursery, she was allowed to remain in the drawing room, and from her manners Elizabeth suspected Miss Gardiner had a girlish infatuation for poor Mr. Peake.
Elizabeth approached that gentleman. “Full partner. Decidedly impressive. And only twenty and five.”
He laughed and flashed his white teeth, with his shoulders held back confidently. “Miss Lizzy, delightful to seeyouagain.”
“Don’t be that way.”
Mr. Peake was confident, lean, and still young. He had a genius for financial matters that Elizabeth could not begin to understand. The young man had matured enormously from the youth Mr. Gardiner had convinced to join his firm.
“I am now more impressed with you. I am now well acquainted with your old employer, Mr. Darcy. He is a man worthy of remark and giving up a position with him was a compliment to my uncle.”
