Elizabeth’s smile broadened. “I am at your disposal. Perhaps we could ride out in your phaeton sometime?”
“Perhaps tomorrow?”
A gleam of anticipation appeared in the young heiress’s eyes, and it might well prove a fascinating day. Elizabeth could hardly wait to begin.
She turned her attention back to Lady Catherine. “I beg your pardon for the impertinent question. I fear my native curiosity has been my downfall again. It is a wretched nuisance sometimes. You see, I studiedlogicandphilosophyextensively this year. I have done my best to absorb everything from Aristotle to Francis Bacon, and tried the methods. I came tothe obviously incorrect conclusion about your potential illness usingdeductive reasoning[xvi], which is useful, but occasionally in error if one misjudges the initial evidence or misunderstands the logic. I seem to have run afoul there, so I hope I have not offended you.”
She did not particularly care whether she had offended the great lady; but politeness was always best when it could be managed with no inconvenience.
Lady Catherine gasped. “Logic! Philosophy! Those are not appropriate subjects for a gently bred young lady.”
“I am surprised thatyou in particularwould say so,” she replied with all the innocence of a newborn lamb, while Mary smirked. “Perhaps I will need to redouble my efforts, as I am still failing in my logical pursuits. Based on logic alone, Iexpected you to be the very last woman in the world to place such a stricture.I suspect it would be best to leave the topic.”
“Not so hasty, if you please. I have by no means done,” said the lady. “You have now presented two points of confusion, and I will not be satisfied until both are answered. What could you possibly mean?”
Much to Elizabeth’s surprise, Mr Darcy chuckled and answered in her stead.
“Miss Bennet may well be the cleverest woman I know, but this particular bit of discourse is not so confusing. She has presented two puzzles, if we may call them such. I can easily understand the first, but the second is a mystery.”
Elizabeth stared at the man in confusion. The grin on his face was unusual; the chuckle, unprecedented; his defence of her argument, alarming.
Besides, she had to sheepishly admit—to herself, but not another soul in the world—that he was exceedingly handsome when he did not look quite so foreboding.
Lady Catherine’s voice dragged Elizabeth’s attention back to the group. “It would seem my nephew has laid down the gauntlet. Perhaps you could explain your second mystery, without introducing any others, since we do not have all night.”
Elizabeth wrenched her scattered attention from the ever-confusing Mr Darcy back.
Lady Catherine leaned forward and spoke emphatically. “3 decades ago, I was your age and double your impertinence. I do not scare easily.”
For what must surely be the first time in many years, everyone in Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s drawing room laughed uproariously, if in some confusion.
Lady Catherine looked at her carefully. “We await enlightenment, wonder, and astonishment at your astute observations.”
“To fully answer the question about why I am surprisedyouwould advocate against women perusing such subjects, I shall need a few numbers and an anecdote or two. I hope you will not mind.”
“I am not afraid of you.”
“I should hope not! You see, I chatted with your steward about a week ago—lovely man, and his wife makes scones one would give much for—but I digress. We spoke of the fields in the north-west corner of the home farm, about a mile from the parsonage. I was interested in them because a flower I did not know grew there, but my native curiosity got too much to bear. They lie adjacent to the glebe, which William plans to lease out, so the yields should be similar.”
William added, “At your direction, dear sister.”
Everyone shifted their attention to him for a moment, so he elaborated. “Elizabeth suggested it, and even worked out the finances. We are making plans.”
Surprisingly, Mr Darcy said, “Well done! If I may aid your endeavour in any way, pray ask.”
“My thanks, Mr Darcy. I will accept your generous offer should the need arise—but I interrupted my sister.”
Elizabeth smiled at her brother. She liked him more and more as time went on.
“Your steward told me the yields on that field increased by over 25% in the past 20 years. For example, the wheat increased from around 13 bushels an acre to nearly 17. The rye part of the cycle increased from around 14-17. An impressive improvement, if I may be so bold as to say.”
“I attribute it mostly to the Norfolk four-course system of crop rotation. Are you familiar with it?”
“I tried to get my father to adopt it without success. William, Mary, and I are trying to work out a way to sneak it in under his nose to our mutual benefit. I discussed it at some length with Mr Mallon.”
“And this applies to your current mystery how, exactly?”
“Unless your family Bible is not to be trusted, your husband has been gone around 20 years. When the estate adopted the four-course system, your trustworthy nephews were 8 years old. Unless your brother was unusually active, Occam’s razor suggestsyoumade the change—or at the very least, you directed your steward to do so. Am I correct?”
