“You wouldbothbe very welcome in Hertfordshire,” she said so softly he had to lean in to hear her. He smiled at her on hearing the emphasis placed onbothand opened his mouth to say more.
Just then, they heard voices approaching. “Elizabeth, where are you?” a female voice called.
She smiled at him and murmured, “My aunt and uncle.” Then she called, raising her voice to be heard, “Here I am, Aunt.”
The others came around a curve in the path, and all stopped short when they saw the pair standing together. “Mr. Darcy,” the gardener called. “I am glad to see you home, sir. We didn’t expect you until tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Chambers. I found I needed to come sooner than the rest, and I am delighted I did. Miss Elizabeth, will you introduce me to your relations?” he asked graciously.
“Mr. Darcy, allow me to introduce you to Uncle Edward Gardiner and my Aunt Madeline Gardiner. My uncle owns Gardiner Imports, located in Cheapside in London,” Elizabeth said. “Aunt and Uncle, this is Mr. Darcy.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner,” Mr. Darcy began, “welcome to Pemberley. I hope you are enjoying your visit. Have you finished your tour?”
“Yes, Mr. Darcy,” Madeline Gardiner answered, surprised at the polite greeting from the Master of Pemberley after what Elizabeth had said of him in the winter. “Your estate is lovely. Although I am sure there is much we have not seen, the parts of the house and gardens we saw were enchanting. What did you think of the grounds, Lizzy?”
“There is much to admire at Pemberley,” Elizabeth said, glancing shyly at Mr. Darcy. “The gardens are indeed wonderful. There is much to see, and I am sure we have only seen a small portion.”
“I have only just arrived,” Mr. Darcy said, indicating his dishevelled and dusty attire, “but if you would care to explore further, I would welcome your company for refreshments in a quarter of an hour, perhaps.”
Mrs. Gardiner looked at Lizzy for confirmation. Then, at her slight nod, she accepted his invitation for the group. “Thank you, Mr. Darcy. We would love to join you for refreshments.”
Mr. Darcy nodded and headed toward the house to change. Mrs. Gardiner took Elizabeth’s arm and whispered to her. “How did this happen, Lizzy? How on earth did you come upon Mr. Darcy? And after how you described him in December, I am surprised that he would offer us refreshments in his home, although Mrs.Reynolds took a much more positive view of him. And spoke differently about another gentleman from Derbyshire.”
“I met with Mr. Darcy again in Kent, Aunt,” Elizabeth said. “I have found that he improves with further acquaintance. And I have learned that the other man is anything but a gentleman.”
Mrs. Gardiner looked at her niece for a moment but did not speak, and after a moment, the three continued their tour. Before long, too short a time for Elizabeth to be ready to see Mr. Darcy again, Mr. Chambers delivered them again to the front of the house. Mrs. Reynolds once again welcomed them into the house and escorted them into a drawing room they had not seen on their earlier tour. She seemed to look over Elizabeth much more carefully this time and wondered about the master’s invitation of these visitors in for refreshments, something he had never done before.
Mr. Darcy greeted them with a smile. “Welcome again,” he said. “I never asked, how do you come to be at Pemberley?”
Mrs. Gardiner answered for the group. “We had intended to visit the Lakes but had to abbreviate our trip, deciding to visit Derbyshire instead. I grew up in Lambton—my father was the vicar there for many years—so we thought we would take the opportunity to visit some old friends while we were here and use Lambton as the base for our other excursions.”
“And how long will you stay in the area?” Mr. Darcy asked.
“I must be back in London by the end of August for business,” Mr. Gardiner answered. “We arrived the day before yesterday and will stay in the area another week complete. We will take our time returning and delivering Lizzy to Longbourn before collecting our children and returning to London.”
“Mr. Gardiner, I believe my uncle, the Earl of Matlock, mentioned that he has been investing with an importer in Cheapside recently. That would not be you, would it? It would explain why your name seems so familiar,” Mr. Darcy asked, suddenly recalling the man’s name.
“Yes, he began investing with me just after Christmas to diversify some of his holdings. He mentioned he was going to encourage a nephew to do the same. I believe we have a meeting scheduled early in September, shortly after I return to London,” Mr. Gardiner answered.
“My uncle mentioned a meeting and encouraged me to attend,” Mr. Darcy said. “I am looking forward to learning more about your business and the potential for investment with you.”
“Edward, you are on holiday,” Mrs. Gardiner chided before he could begin. “No business talk.”
“Yes, dear,” Mr. Gardiner complied, winking at Mr. Darcy, who grinned back at him. Elizabeth looked at him in surprise, unused to seeing that expression on his face.
“Might we speak about fishing, madam?” Darcy asked, smiling when he received a nod from the lady. “Mr. Gardiner, do you care for the sport?”
“Indeed, I do,” he said. “In London, I have few opportunities, but I enjoy the diversion when I can manage it.”
“We have several streams on the estate that are ideal for fishing, and the lake, depending on the type of fishing you prefer,” Mr. Darcy explained. “If you would like, you can return to fish tomorrow or the next day. However, if you wait until the day after tomorrow, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Hurst will also be here and would be happy to join us.”
“Well, sir, I would enjoy that very much.” Mr. Gardiner said.
“Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Elizabeth, my sister would very much enjoy your company when Mr. Gardiner comes to fish. I would like to bring Miss Darcy to the inn tomorrow to meet you if you would allow it, and then you could join her for tea, perhaps, on the following day.” Mr. Darcy suggested. “My sister would very much like to make your acquaintance, Miss Elizabeth, and I hope you would allow me to introduce her to you while you are visiting.”
Elizabeth flushed and looked down at her hands. “I would like to meet Miss Darcy very much. I have heard much about her.” She looked up at him, and catching his eye, smiled cautiously. Their eyes locked for a long moment before they both turned away.
“Did you have a chance to view the library earlier?” Mr. Darcy asked in a sudden change of topic.
