From behind him, she spoke. “Sir, if you are ever to have peace with yourself and your sister, you need to let go of the resentment against Mr. Wickham. I am not saying that you believe that what he did was justified, for it was not. Keeping this anger in your soul will eat away at you while it does not affect him. It is like taking a drink of poison, thinking that it might harm him.”
He finally said, to himself, to the universe, “I am Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire, the son of Gerald Darcy and Lady Anne Darcy.”
He was unaware of the moment she stepped next to him and was surprised to see her lovely eyes looking up at him through thick eyelashes. “You are Fitzwilliam Darcy, a man who does not shirk his duty, a man who rises from the ashes to become whatever is necessary to protect those precious to him, a man willing to suffer loss to gain true value, the safety of his sister.”
His breathing slowed as remembrances from hisidyllic boyhood to the hard work of his own hands stirred him. “To succeed will mean that Wickham and Simon Cole may have Pemberley, but in essentials, they fail.”
“Yes, it does, since they will forever believe they are not safe from your pursuit. That you choose not to chase your tail will be unknown to them if you are restrained.”
“I am always restrained.”
He easily saw it in his mind’s eye. Wickham watching helplessly as Pemberley falls from his grasp with each poor choice he made, always looking behind him, thinking Darcy would be at his heels. Simon Cole’s loss of esteem eating away at him as each day passed, knowing he can never return to England without fear of Darcy seeking revenge. And Darcy, overlooking freshly tilled land, his land, with Miss Elizabeth at his side.
Like now.
Miss Elizabeth at my side?Why had he envisioned her with him? He was not in a position to be attracted to any lady. Nor was he thinking that having a mate would improve his position. As she said, she had no dowry, and her family did little to recommend themselves. She did not even recommend herself. Yet, he must admit that she piqued his curiosity.
Never had he spent this much time in conversation with a female since his mother was alive. Never would he have considered a woman’s opinion as worthy of such contemplation. As well, he…well, he peered at her closely. There was something about her eyes that drew him in. Given her honesty and willingness to sacrifice for others, for the first time since his arrival in Hertfordshire, he felt the danger of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He did not mean to feel an interest in her. In fact, these stirred emotions were inconvenient.
Before he took one figurative step toward whatever lay ahead, he needed to know what he was going to do with her.
“Miss Bennet, I am precipitous, but might we be friends?”
“You have quite taken me by surprise, sir.” Her eyes sparkled in the sun. “I do not know what to say other than I thank you for the honor.”
“The honor is mine.”
He needed to return to the turmoil that faced him at Netherfield Park. He had been away too long. “Until next time, my friend.” He bowed.
She curtsied. “Until next time.”
13
Elizabeth appreciated Mr. Darcy’s offer. A friend was a rare find. Acquaintances, she had many, but true friends were treasures. And Mr. Darcy was willing to listen to her opinion. Not even her father paid much attention to her ideas or suggestions.
How had they come to this point? And so quickly? Shrugging, Elizabeth realized that it mattered not.
“Sir, there is a path facing Longbourn that will be far easier for your horse.” She pointed toward the narrow gap in the trees.
He mounted effortlessly, sitting tall in the saddle. With a smile and a dip of his head, he was off.
She observed him until he was out of sight. Elizabeth barely understood the feelings dancing through her heart. It was not just that he was as handsome as sin. No, that was not all that affected her.
As she carefully descended the steep trail, it hit her. More than the words spoken, it was the powerful emotions behind them that touched her. He hid nothingof his situation from her, displaying an unanticipated humility that completely unnerved her.What was he doing to her?She felt like a blade of grass that easily swayed in the wind. Her initial disgust was replaced by… Could she even admit it to herself?
Laughing, she ran the rest of the way down the hill. She liked him. Elizabeth Rose Bennet liked Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, formerly of Pemberley in Derbyshire and soon to be… Who knew?
Sobering when she drew close to Longbourn, she considered each of his suggestions. Upon arrival, she would approach her father, requesting a few extra coins from the harvest income. It was a meager start, but it was a start.
Maybe if she explained the situation to Jane and Mary, they would accompany her so they, too, could take charge of their futures.
Later,after explaining to Jane and Mary her idea, they met with their father. “Papa, we have a proposal to discuss with you.” Elizabeth, flanked by her two sisters, spoke confidently as they entered his bookroom.
“A proposal? For all three of you? I thought there were only two unattached gentlemen at Netherfield Park, neither of whom has come to speak to me.”
Failing to react to his tease garnered his full notice.
“Papa, Mary brought to our attention the little we have set aside for us. In discussing the situation, we have decided to pool the contents of our purses, sending them to Uncle Gardiner for him to either place in an accountthat draws interest or invest safely. At the assembly, we learned that the price for grain increased from last year.”
