“Let me go in the other room to try on this habit so we can decide what alterations must be made. My meeting with your brother here was quite by accident, but it was very fortuitous, and I am delighted to be engaged to him now. Later, you may have to tell me what he said about me in his letters so I may tease him about it,” Elizabeth said as she went into the dressing room with Georgiana’s lady’s maid.
After she was dressed in the riding habit, she came back into the bedroom to model for the other ladies.
Her aunt appraised her carefully. “It fits well. The length is good, as is the fit around the waist, but the bodice is a bit tight. How does the jacket feel?”
“It is a bit snug in the chest, I am afraid. That will not be as easy an adjustment,” Elizabeth told her aunt. “Is there another jacket that might work with the skirt?”
Georgiana held up another jacket. “What do you think of this one?” She held up another one that contrasted nicely with the skirt.
Elizabeth slid her arms out of the other jacket and tried on the newer one. The chest was still tight, but she could breathe more easily in this one. “I am afraid, Georgiana, I am a bit more well-endowed than you. Maybe when we go to Lambton to shop, we can look in at the dressmaker and see about having a riding habit made for me. If I am going to learn to ride, I will need a better-fitting jacket.”
“She is outstanding with taking older gowns and refurbishing them to fit. She would likely know how to make either of these jackets fit you better,” Georgiana offered.
“That is a wonderful idea, Georgiana. When we go to Lambton later this week, we can take these jackets and ask,” Elizabeth said.
“You would do well to order a few dresses from the dressmaker while we are there. Winters in Derbyshire are cold, far colder than you are used to. The dressmaker here will be better equipped to help you obtain what you will need,” her aunt suggested.
“Is it not a bit presumptuous, Aunt?” Elizabeth wondered.
“You are engaged, my dear. I think it is safe to expect that you will spend some time here soon,” Mrs. Gardiner replied.
“But we have not discussed…,” Elizabeth trailed off, remembering his comments from that morning about how he would always live at Pemberley if he could. “I do not have the funds to purchase several dresses right now. And Papa has not said yet how much I may spend on a trousseau.”
“Your uncle and I would happily purchase several dresses for you, my dear. They will be far less costly here than in town. And I believe purchasing here will help when you become the mistress of this estate,” her aunt wisely added.
They decided the outfit would work for the lesson that day and tomorrow’s picnic. Elizabeth changed into her morning dress, and the group headed down to the music room, where Georgiana offered to play for them. After playing a few short pieces, she asked Elizabeth to play a duet or two with her. When the gentlemen returned after changing, they found the two girls playing together with Mrs. Gardiner and Mrs. Annesley, Georgiana’s companion, chatting quietly. William smiled to see the two women he loved best enjoying each other’s company.
Luncheon was announced, and the group entered the dining room. The conversation was easy between the six, with Richard entertaining them all with stories of the fish they caught, with Darcy and Gardiner occasionally offering clarification about one of the colonel’s more outlandish statements.
When lunch was over, everyone headed upstairs to prepare for the afternoon’s activities. Soon, the Gardiners were in theircarriage directed toward Lambton and the rest toward the stables.
Several horses were saddled and ready when they arrived. Georgiana demonstrated how to place the riding habit to ensure her legs were covered and the proper posture for riding sidesaddle. Although Georgiana had used the mounting block, William lifted Elizabeth into the saddle and helped her arrange her skirts around her. When he accidentally touched her ankle, he grinned unrepentantly, and she just glared at him, although she finally relented and smiled prettily at him when he offered her a compliment.
He demonstrated how to hold the reins in her hands and use them to guide the horse. “When astride, I would use my heels to indicate the direction I want the horse to go, but when riding sidesaddle, you must rely on the reins to guide the horse,” Mr. Darcy explained. “Let’s try it at a walk. You want to keep your back straight and shoulders back. Now, use the reins to indicate you want the horse to walk. Remember that if you pull them tightly, the horse will think you want to slow down or stop. Hold the reins more loosely.”
Elizabeth remembered enough to make a credible attempt. Walking was easy enough, and she soon graduated to a trot. After demonstrating the basic knowledge, all four decided to leave the paddock and take a short ride across the fields.
With William beside her, Elizabeth found she enjoyed riding immensely. Pemberley was beautiful, and she enjoyed seeing more of it than she had been able to see on foot.
“William, what was the colonel alluding to earlier with his comment, or lack of comment, about riding?” Elizabeth blurtedwhen the two of them were a safe distance away from Richard and Georgiana.
Darcy’s entire face turned red with embarrassment. “Elizabeth,” he gasped. “This is something not to be discussed until after the wedding.”
“Was it so terrible, then?” she asked innocently.
“It is not appropriate for a maiden, to be sure. Richard is far too used to the company of men, not all of whom are gentlemen. I would have been tempted to challenge him had Georgiana heard such a comment, and your uncle quite took him to task when we arrived at the lake,” Darcy told her. “I love your curiosity and your natural inquisitiveness, my dear, but in this area, we simply cannot speak of it at present.”
“So, men are expected to know about marriage, but not ladies? That is quite a double standard,” Elizabeth protested.
“It very much is, my love, but know this—the only knowledge I possess is what I had heard when I was in school and at the club, but I have no, umm, practical knowledge myself. When we come together, we will be learning together. That is another reason Richard teases me so often in this area,” Darcy explained.
She smiled beatifically at him. “I am pleased to know that, William. While society’s expectations are unfair, it is good to know that we will be equally ignorant and have the chance to learn this together.”
He groaned. “Please, love, temper your curiosity in this matter until we are wed. I will answer any questions you may have then.”
“I have some knowledge,” she told him. “I do live on a farm, and I have seen animals mate.”
“Elizabeth, please,” he cried, his voice sounding strained.
