“He is the best landlord, and the best master,” said she, “that ever lived; not like the wild young men nowadays, who think of nothing but themselves. There is not one of his tenants or servants but will give him a good name. Some people call him proud, but I am sure I never saw anything of it. To my fancy, it is only because he does not rattle away like other young men.”
Elizabeth smiled. “I must believe you. He sounds like the best of men.”
“I can assure you he is.” Mrs Reynolds looked pensive. “Of course,certaincompany might make him nervous. He would never be ungentlemanly, or any more so than any other fox chased by hounds, but other than that—”
She trailed off, uncertain why she had said that last.
Elizabeth was contrite. “Do not be uneasy. Any gentleman who relished being in that position could not be rational, and I for one, could never esteem a man who was not sensible.”
Both nodded, out of sorts at how far the conversation had veered from the usual—or at least the usual for anyone but Elizabeth.
“Do you know the master?” Mrs Reynolds asked. “I do not believe I have your name.”
“A little. He visited his friend near my father’s estate last autumn, and I saw him again at Easter in Kent.”
That gained the housekeeper’sfullattention. For a few moments they regarded each other warily.
“You must be Miss Elizabeth Bennet?”
Elizabeth curtseyed. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I am curious how you know my name.”
Mrs Reynolds glanced at the Gardiners to ensure they were out of hearing. The other servants did not trouble her. “I do know of you. Very few ladies gain the esteem and admiration of both the master and his sister, as you have. Did you know they return in a few days?”
“I heard that in the village. I hoped our visits might coincide, but alas, our plans changed at the last moment, so I could not have my uncle write. We will only be in Lambton a few days.”
“I hope you get a chance to meet. The master knows the value of a young lady’s reputation, so he would never speak out of turn, but—let us just say that he would be very happy to see you, and Miss Darcy even more so.”
Elizabeth smiled. “I would be happy with that as well. We will both attend an assembly in October, so I will see him in good time.”
They walked together for some time, talking of the house and the neighbourhood while her aunt and uncle trailed suspiciously slowly behind. No doubt they inspected parts of the house not included in the tour, but at least no one showed them the family wing.
At long last, Mrs Reynolds said, “Mr Gardiner, Mrs Gardiner, Miss Bennet, it has been a pleasure. Might you send a note when you leave Lambton, so I may let the master know, should he miss you?”
Mr Gardiner bowed. “It would be our pleasure. The house has been a delight, as has its housekeeper.”
They parted in the entrance hall, where Mrs Reynolds gave them into the head gardener’s care for a tour.
Based on the length of time the housekeeper and the gardener kept their heads together, Elizabeth suspected they were unlikely to receive the same route as other tourists. She was prepared for anything—up to and including having the gardener lock her in a shed until the master came home; though she rated the chances of that happening at <25%.
~~~
As they descended the front steps, which Elizabeth sheepishly admitted she liked very much, a carriage rattled into the drive.
Her ears pricked up like a dog’s and her aunt asked, “Is that Mr Darcy’s carriage?”
She smiled brightly towards the drive, but her face fell. “No. Perhaps he uses a hired carriage?”
“More likely he walked here in bare feet, I should think,” her uncle replied, a sentiment she sadly could not dispute.
“We shall learn soon enough.”
They waited patiently at the foot of the stairs, as it would not have been safe to cross the drive. A minute later the coach stopped, and Elizabeth smiled from ear to ear and moved towards it with barely restrained alacrity.
As the coachman secured the reins and a footman came forward with the step, she dispensed with the usual courtesies. “Mr Newton! Mr Kepler! How wonderful it is to see you again!”
Elizabeth’s favourite coachman in the world answered with his own smile. “Ah, Miss Bennet! I cannot express the rate at which my happiness has increased over the last half-minute without using a logarithmic scale!”
Elizabeth laughed gaily. “Mine as well, my good man. Kep, were you that handsome when we met?”
