“Oh? Do you recall where she lived?” Since he was attached to his ancestral home, he always liked to hear about someone from close to Pemberley when he was away. It was a shared connexion of sorts, and it made him feel less adrift in the world.
“A town called Lambton. I see from your expression you have heard of it.”
Darcy was unable to keep his surprise from showing. He had not expected her to name the market town closest to Pemberley. “Lambton is five miles from my estate. I cannot say I go there often, but I am familiar with it. When did she move away? What was her name before her marriage?”
They determined Mrs Gardiner, as he learnt she was called, had left the county some fifteen years earlier. He only vaguely remembered having heard about her father’s family. Afterwards, Miss Elizabeth asked him to share his understanding of advancements with steam trains, and they speculated what it would be like to travel by that method rather than carriage. Their conversation outlasted the set, and they stood together chatting for some time, only parting when Miss Mary Bennet asked for her assistance with something or other. Darcy watched Miss Elizabeth walk away, full of how much he had enjoyed being close to her.
Be careful, a quiet voice in his head warned. It would not do to become infatuated with a country lady of little standing.
CHAPTERSEVEN
As was her custom when the weather was fair, Elizabeth went for an early walk the morning after the assembly. She slipped out of the house after consuming a cup of tea and a bun glazed with honey. Her favourite path took her past a grove and meadow, and along a stream, where she could delight in the signs of early autumn.
The assembly had been far more agreeable than she had anticipated, and remembering it brought a smile to her face. An image flashed across her mind, reminding herwhyshe had found it so amusing. Mr Darcy of Pemberley, Derbyshire. She laughed and tried not to grin like a fool. Interest at Longbourn in the days before the assembly had all been on Mr Bingley—understandably so—and even when they had returned home last night, it was he and his sister about whom her mother and sisters spoke. Their quieter friend was not entirely forgotten, but because he did not go about the room talking to everyone and did not dance every set, her family was prepared to say he was not as admirable or amiable as the Bingleys, and leave it that.
“But he askedmeto dance, and it was…more than I expected,” she murmured to the birds.
When they had first seen the party from Netherfield Park, Elizabeth had been willing to agree with her mother and sisters that Mr Bingley was very handsome and Miss Bingley was lovely and elegantly dressed, but her attention had been caught by Mr Darcy. He was tall and dark and had an air of strength and intelligence that attracted her. There was no denying it to herself, but she would never admit it aloud. Although she had kept busy with friends and acquaintances, she had been aware of him throughout the evening. Most often, he had stood by himself and watched, almost like a child who views other children playing, wants to join them, but does not know how to go about introducing himself to their group.
The analogy did not quite work, of course. He was an adult and surely knew how to get along in society. For whatever reason, he had not been inclined to speak overmuch with anyone. As Elizabeth had discovered, it was not that he had nothing to say.
Our conversation was…pleasant.
Using such a meek word for what had been the best part of the assembly felt wrong, but she did not know what else to call it. How she described it did not matter; what did was she knew she would enjoy his company while he was visiting his friend. She expected nothing beyond that.
She wondered about his connexion to the Bingleys. Mr Darcy had mentioned their friendship, but could there be something else between him and Miss Bingley? In time, she would learn about the depths of their relationship, if she was more than the sister of his friend. Elizabeth would not voice it even to herself, but she would be disappointed if he had an attachment to the lady. Elizabeth did not quite like her, though she could not say why. Miss Bingley had been sociable enough, but there was a certain falseness to her manner. It was subtle, and Elizabeth acknowledged she might be imagining it. Once she was more familiar with her new neighbour, she might decide Miss Bingley was perfectly charming and all she should be. She and Elizabeth might even become close companions.
After walking some distance, Elizabeth sat on a large rock. It had been warmed by the morning sun, which had also dried the mist. She extracted a letter from the pocket of her gown and was reading it when her solitude was interrupted by a most welcome addition: the very gentleman who had captured her attention the night before. He sat atop a dark horse which, even to her untrained eye, was an excellent representative of its type and spoke of its owner’s wealth.
“Mr Darcy. Good morning.” She stood and offered him a smile.
He dismounted. “Miss Elizabeth. I had no expectation of encountering anyone this early and so far from any dwelling.”
“I often walk in the mornings. No matter what time I retire, I am always awake with the dawn. This happens to be one of my favourite spots to rest, perhaps even read, if I have sufficient time.”
“I have been pleasantly occupied exploring the environs. It is very pretty country.”
Elizabeth felt a bubble of delight in her chest to be standing there, chatting with Mr Darcy. “On behalf of the residents of Hertfordshire, or at least my little corner of it, thank you for your kind words.”
He chuckled, making a dimple appear on one cheek, and nodded towards the sheet of paper which was clutched in her hand. “I am afraid I interrupted your reading.”
“Not at all.” She hastily folded it and placed it in her pocket. “It is a letter from my cousin. Not actuallymyletter at all. He writes to my father, who permits me to read them too.”
“Oh?” He was surprised by her words, and it took Elizabeth a moment to sort out why.
She gestured as though William’s existence mattered not at all. “He is a distant cousin, really. I believe his father and mine shared a grandfather or great-grandfather. You cannot be interested in such details. Longbourn is entailed, and since my mother and father had the misfortune of only having daughters, my cousin will inherit.” Elizabeth knew she was babbling, but she felt unable to stop the words from pouring from her mouth. The odd mix of excitement and nervousness she felt at being with him was silly, but also beyond her control.
“I see.” Mr Darcy’s furrowed brow suggested otherwise. “You are…close to him, then?”
She blushed, which only made her feel embarrassed, heightening the heat in her cheeks further. “William, I mean to say, Mr Collins—my cousin—came to live at Longbourn after his father’s death. He was twelve years old at the time, and I was seven. His mother died in childbed, and while he has some maternal relations, my parents and they agreed he should live at Longbourn, since he will inherit it. My father and mother knew there would be no more children after my youngest sister was born.” Her mother had nearly died and had been told she certainly would not survive another pregnancy.
“I see,” he said again, this time with more conviction. “Does he still call Longbourn home, or has he settled elsewhere?”
“For now, he resides with us. Mr Collins took orders in the spring, though he has no position yet. He went to see a friend from when he was at Oxford, and he writes that the friend wants him to meet someone who is looking to fill a vacant living. We were expecting him to return this week, but we shall have to wait a little longer.”
From what she had had time to read before Mr Darcy’s arrival, the living was a valuable one in Kent. It was fifty miles from Longbourn, which was not precisely an easy distance, but there was a comfort in contemplating how much farther it could be. For instance, if the living was in Derbyshire, visiting would be costly and thus less likely to happen. If William obtained it, he would begin the post by the end of the year.
“I hope he finds success, though your family might not like to see him remove to a new home.”
