“Hypatia was different. Agamede was different. Michelangelo was different. I would have you no other way.”
Elizabeth hugged her sister.
“Does your Mr Darcy know about this difference?”
“Yes.”
“He might be cleverer than he appears, if he inferred all that.”
“He is cleverer than we gave him credit for, but it was unnecessary. I told him the entire story at Rosings, warts and all. He called Charlotte’s plan medieval.”
Jane smirked. “The man I saw in Gracechurch Street wasrepentant, but he was most assuredlynot intimidated.The man who called on Papa wasnot afraid.The man who repaid every possible debt of civility is not overly proud. If you have not scared him off yet, it cannot be done.”
“He is not afraid, but that does not necessarily mean his dam has collapsed, or that mine will follow.”
“We shall see in a few months. I reserve the right to say I told you so.”
They laughed, and decided they had better return to their task if Jane was to be the happiest woman in Meryton in a few short hours.
La Casa
“Look at this, Lizzy. We meant to hurry back to town for my business, but it appears we have an extra week. What say you to visiting Lambton? It would only add a day or two.”
Elizabeth gave hardly any thought to her answer. “Aunt would certainly like to visit old friends, I would surmise, and I am not averse to a visit myself. I call it a good plan, or, as Sir William would say,‘Capital! Capital!’”
Mrs Gardiner concurred. “I remember Lambton fondly, and it would be nice to visit old friends. I favour the scheme, if you think Kitty and Lydia will not object to keeping the children another week.”
“In the first place, Kitty and Lydia are enjoying their time with the little ones, particularly as it gives them a respite from Mrs Jenkinson’s training regimen. And even if Kitty, Lydia,andAnne were willing to let them out of their sight for long, the only difficulty on our return might be prising them from Mrs Hill. She misses having young ones underfoot.”
“I imagine we are bound for Lambton, then. Do you suppose we should visit Pemberley? It is but 5 miles away.”
Both adults studied their niece.
Elizabeth laughed. “Of course, and you should stop looking at me as if I might swoon, though I am told it makes for good effect and abundant sympathy. We know Mr Darcy well enough that it would be impolite to be so close andnotcall if the family is at home. If they are not, he will not begrudge us a tour, as he certainly had no qualms about visiting Longbourn when I was absent.”
To her relatives, this seemed less Shakespeare’sthe lady doth protest too much, and rather more likethe lady doth appearmore eager than expected. They appeared happy to see her ease, as they both dearly wished to see the house.
With a collection of random thoughts and deep musings, they departed for Lambton; though, to be fair, Mr Gardiner lay back and fell asleep, so his thoughts were unlikely to be all that profound.
~~~
The report from the inn said the family was not in residence but expected soon. They would miss them by a few days, which Elizabeth bore philosophically. She would meet him in October, and that was soon enough.
Pemberley was everything she thought it might be and more. She deliberately did not try to distinguish whether she hadthoughtorhopedit so. She had never seen a place for which nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by awkward taste. They were all warm in their admiration, and it was exactly as she might have expected from Mr Darcy. Some parts of the grounds were as cultivated as Rosings, but most remained much closer to nature’s intention. His gardeners and groundsmen exerted a guiding hand rather than a bludgeon. She very much approved of the entire enterprise.
Once inside, she found even more to delight the senses. Much like Darcy House in London, every room was delicately and tastefully arranged, a testament to the most recent Mrs Darcy. Every window looked out on a good prospect, a testament to skill and planning by more ancient ancestors, and good sense in their descendants not to fix what was not broken.
Mrs Reynolds was in all ways a delight. Not wishing to presume on the acquaintance, Mr Gardiner gave her his card, said he knew Mr Darcy slightly, and asked the housekeeper to pass his regards to the master.
Elizabeth did not give her name, since up to that point, every single person who knew both her and the master seemed aware thatsomething hadoccurred between them. It was possible Mrs Reynolds had never heard her name even once; but equally likely she could expound at length on the best ways to manage mirrors and statues, both within her province as housekeeper.
Elizabeth was wool-gathering and missed the beginning of what her uncle said, but considering his penchant for mischief, that was probably for the best.
She caught the housekeeper’s reply. “I say no more than the truth, and everybody will say that knows him. I have never known a cross word from him in my life, and I have known him ever since he was 4 years old.”
Mrs Reynolds was obviously the perfect example of a smart and capable woman, so Elizabeth did not doubt her word. However, she could not quite resist the temptation to tease a little.
“Mrs Reynolds, I realise you have never heard a cross word from the master, but is it possible that others might have?”
