She swallowed. “When Mama had Lydia, it was the middle of the night. She was in distress. Papa did not take the time to call for his horse. He ran to the stables, threw a bridle on his mare, leapt on his back without a saddle, and galloped to the house where Mr. Jones lives. On the way back, the apothecary did the same. Their quickness saved Mama’s life.”
He arched his brows.
She huffed. “You are suggesting that I, for the sake of safety, learn to ride.”
“Not at all. The danger of losing a sister overrides the fear of a horse. At that point, the animal becomes the most efficient means to an end. What I am suggesting is that you become familiar enough that you would not waste precious time if you needed to act quickly.”
“I will think about it, sir,” Elizabeth clasped her hands tightly.
“That is all I ask.”
She leaned towards him, stopping before her arm touched his. “To be fair, sir, I have admitted to you my two worst fears, horses and Brussels sprouts. What are your two worst fears?”
Without hesitation, he replied, “I sincerely appreciate your candor. Time is passing quickly. If you are here on the morrow, I will give you my reply.”
She stood, as did he.
“Until tomorrow, then.” Dipping her knee, she returned to Longbourn, wishing the day away so she would see him again.
16
The next morning, Darcy was the first to arrive. He barely had time to hobble his horse before Miss Elizabeth appeared.
One thing he appreciated about her was that she always seemed to meet each occasion with a smile. It was the perfect beginning to what promised to be a weighty conversation.
After their greeting, he gestured to the tree. “If you do not mind, I shall pace while I give you my response to the question you raised.”
“Pray do not be disturbed, sir. My request was bold. You are under no obligation to answer.”
“No,” He let out a long breath he was unaware he was holding. Tension quickened his pace. Stopping short, he faced her. “Not only is it a matter of fairness, but I also admit that discussing my situation with you has given me the ability to take a step back to see a larger picture of my circumstances. How can I not benefit from sharing another topic with you? Besides,nothing I fear is worse than a cabbage the size of a small walnut.”
Her lips betrayed the smallest curve. “Sir, I can see that your sorry attempt at humor is because you are unsettled. Therefore, before you begin, I have a completely unrelated question that came to me shortly after I returned to Longbourn. Now, I am desperate for your opinion. Would you mind terribly if I were to ask?”
Relieved, he said, “Not at all.”
Miss Elizabeth patted the seat next to her. Once he was as comfortable as a person could be on an old oak, she said, “If you could travel anywhere outside of England, where would it be and why?”
Surprised, he said the first thing to come to mind. “To Philadelphia, find Cole, and get answers before I gave him his due.”
“No, no, no. Not a ‘need to’ sort of journey. A ‘want to’ sort, please.”
“Derbyshire?” he teased.
She bumped her shoulder against his. Tingles shot through him from the point of contact. Heat crept up his neck despite the cool air. He needed a moment to regain his composure. “Ah…I would venture to Egypt to see the pyramids and the great sphinx, vestiges of an ancient civilization that at one time ruled the world. Then I would go to Alexandria to stand at the place where the library once existed, dreaming of the smell of papyrus scrolls lining the walls, wondering at the wisdom lost from the fires.”
“Where else would you go?”
Her question seemed to free him from his natural restraints. “From Egypt I would head northeast through the Holy Lands to a different Philadelphia along withEphesus, Miletus, Philippi, and Athens. I would stand at the Areopagus where the apostle Paul gave his famous speech, see the ancient temples, and learn about the people. From there, I would sail to the island of Malta and then to Napoli. When my father went on tour after Cambridge, he remembered the Amalfi Coast being one of the most beautiful places on the planet. I would love to see it myself.”
She leaned closer, her finger tapping her right temple. “I doubt that you would need to look very close to see yearning for the same. However, for as much as I long to experience ancient civilizations, there is a large part of me that is curious about the jungle surrounding the mighty Amazon River, the Orient, the islands in Polynesia.”
“You would see monkeys and snakes and mosquitos bigger than you are?”
She giggled sweetly. “Absolutely. I would see vibrantly colored orchids and taste odd-shaped fruits with seeds and stems unlike anything I have ever seen before. I would feel the sun on my skin during the day and see constellations like the Southern Cross at night. I would meet people who never saw anyone like me as I had never seen anyone like them.”
“You are a brave one, Miss Bennet.”
“And you are not?” Her brow arched sharply.
