The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy (16 page)

As soon as Anne crossed the threshold of Pemberley, she was met by her cousin, who had been pacing in the foyer. Although she had insisted she was too tired to talk, Will would not make way until he had Anne’s assurance he could visit with her before joining the others in the dining room. After the agreed-upon fifteen minutes had passed, Will was occupying a chair across from Anne and Mrs. Jenkinson in his mother’s sitting room. Only those guests who knew Lady Anne well were allowed to use her apartment, which, of course, included Anne, a favorite niece, who had been devoted to her aunt.

“Will, you cannot always have your own way,” Anne said as soon as Mrs. Jenkinson left the room. “You demand an audience, and I must oblige you or you will be cross with me.”

“Have my own way? I cannot remember the last time I had my own way. I have been repeatedly outflanked by my female relations. And since it was you who had arranged for Miss Elizabeth Bennet and me to be at Pemberley at exactly the same time, I look to you in order to know how to proceed.”

“What do you want to know?” Anne was not really annoyed. In fact, she was relieved that her cousin was not angry considering how he had been manipulated.

“What do I want to know? I want to know everything!”

“Then you will be disappointed as I have little to say. I was not with Elizabeth for more than ten minutes for fear your anger would fall upon Georgiana.”

“I am not angry with either of you. I am, however, a little disconcerted that you embarked on such an elaborate scheme after I had told you I already had a plan in place.”

“Your plan was terrible. I have saved you weeks of anxiety about Elizabeth. You must own to it, Will. My plan was better than yours.”

Darcy had to admit his cousin’s efforts had shortened the timeline considerably. “Let us not quarrel, my dear cousin. Will you kindly share with me what Elizabeth
did
say?”

“Apparently, when you came upon her in the garden she was spinning in circles, and she was concerned you might think she had lost her mind.”

Will laughed. “Not at all. I am well aware of the lady’s great love of Nature. I knew exactly what she was doing.”

“The only other thing she had to say was that she found you to be very gracious and was looking forward to dining at Pemberley this evening.”

“But was there nothing to be discerned in her demeanor?”

“Of course, there was a noticeable difference to me. The last time I saw her was immediately after she had rejected your proposal, and so, naturally, she was ill at ease when discussing you. However, I detected no such uneasiness in our short time together. I do not think you have anything to worry about, and you will be able to decide for yourself in a matter of hours.”

***

Things were not going as Caroline had planned. First, Miss Darcy asked if she could ride in their carriage, which limited what she could say to Louisa, and Caroline did not trust her. When asked why Miss de Bourgh had set off on her own, all she would say was that her cousin had business in Lambton. A twenty-five-year-old spinster, a virtual recluse, who lived in Kent, had business in Lambton? It was all very suspicious.

But as soon as the carriage had pulled up in front of Pemberley, Mr. Darcy was out the door welcoming them to his home. His enthusiasm over her arrival was palpable, and she thought this might be the visit when their courtship would begin; that is, until Mr. Darcy realized that Anne was not in the carriage. After that, he had all but pushed his guests up the stairs to their rooms, so that he might speak to his sister. What had Anne and Georgiana got up to that had caused such a reaction? She did not like any of this.

However, her mood again shifted when the Hursts and she came downstairs. Waiting for them in the foyer was Miss Darcy and Mr. Darcy, and he had escorted her into the dining room where Charles was already seated. Both of their hosts seemed to be in excellent spirits, so it would seem that whatever had prompted the scene in the foyer was of no lasting consequence.

After they were seated, Miss Bingley immediately praised Pemberley. “It is even more beautiful than I remembered. I have often told my brother that when he builds his manor house it should be in the style of Pemberley.”

“But closer to London, if I recall correctly, Miss Bingley.”

“I think I have changed my mind about that, Mr. Darcy. As long as one has a house in town, then the country house should be far removed, so that one may forget all the tumult of the city. And who would not want to spend as much of the summer as possible at such a beautiful estate? Your taste is exquisite.”

Georgiana stifled a groan. If this was an example of what would be discussed during Miss Bingley’s visit, the days would drag on and on and on. She anticipated spending a good deal of time on horseback.

“Caroline, I don’t think Darcy had anything to do with the design of Pemberley,” Charles said. And turning to his friend, he added, “Darcy, didn’t you tell me that your grandfather designed the manor house, and your father worked with Repton on the gardens?”

“Yes, that is correct. There is nothing new on my watch. The only thing I have done is to see to the repair of the roof. The servants had grown tired of moving buckets around during a heavy rain.”

“My brother was being quite ungenerous with his comment, Mr. Darcy,” Caroline said, glaring at Charles. “Seeing to the proper maintenance of an estate is no small matter. One only has to look at Hulston Hall.” She shuddered at the memory.

“But, Caroline, the Hulstons are very nice people and excellent hosts,” Bingley said.

“The one has nothing to do with the other, Charles. Nice people can live in hovels. It is simply a matter of setting priorities. For example, one might have to choose between repairing falling brickwork or the purchase of a pack of hounds.”

If Anne had not been the daughter of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, she would have been amazed at Caroline’s tone deafness. Just as her mother was oblivious to how her words insulted and injured, so it was with Caroline. If she had been less self-absorbed, she would have noticed that Georgiana was offended by her reference to the Hulstons, and Will was doing a slow burn.

“Will, I must correct you regarding Pemberley,” Anne said. “There is something new here, your gift to Georgiana of that beautiful pianoforte. And, Miss Bingley, I understand that you are an accomplished musician. We would be delighted if you would favor us with a display this evening as we are to have additional visitors. I believe you are acquainted with them. Am I correct, Will?”

“Yes, I was just about to bring the subject up. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner of London are visiting the Peak, and with them is their niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. They are staying at the inn at Lambton, and they have agreed to dine with us this evening.”

The result was as expected. Louisa looked confused, Caroline’s jaw dropped, and Bingley just about jumped out of his chair.

“Darcy, are you saying that Miss Elizabeth Bennet is but five miles from here?”

“Yes, she was here yesterday touring the house.”

“Well, I shall visit immediately,” Charles said enthusiastically.

“Bingley, she will be at Pemberley in a matter of hours. It is not necessary,” Darcy insisted.

“I am sure they will not come before 8:00, and that is five hours from now. I was hoping to ride before supper anyway, and since Montcalm is in need of exercise, I shall ride to Lambton as soon as our meal is finished.”

“You are too hasty,” Darcy cautioned his friend. “Miss Elizabeth and the Gardiners are here on holiday. Do you really think they are sitting in their rooms on such a beautiful day?”

“But, Will, I think Mr. Bingley may proceed with some hope of success,” Anne remarked. “Surely, the Gardiners and Miss Elizabeth will want to return early to the inn to prepare for their engagement with us.”

“I should like to go too,” Georgiana said, adding to the confusion. “I am the only one who has not met Miss Bennet and the Gardiners.”

“There you have it, Darcy,” Charles said. “Your sister and I shall go to Lambton.”

“Charles, what are you thinking?” his sister asked. “If Miss Darcy joins you, how can you exercise Montcalm? You will have to go in a phaeton.”

“I am afraid that is not possible as the phaeton is being repaired,” Darcy interjected. Caroline was smirking at her brother when he continued, “But I can order the carriage, and I shall go with you. But it will have to be a short visit as we must allow our guests time to prepare for this evening.”

“Perhaps Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst would like to join us,” Georgiana said. Anne shook her head at her cousin, but Georgiana ignored her. “We now have a milliner in the village from Bristol, and they may wish to visit her shop.”

Caroline stared at Georgiana. A milliner from Bristol? What next? Picking out calico at the draper’s shop? Besides, she would not go one step out of her way to meet Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and since Mr. Darcy had been opposed to the idea of going to the inn, she could stay at Pemberley free of any concerns regarding Mr. Darcy and Eliza Bennet meeting again.

“That is very kind of you, Miss Darcy. But I think Louisa and I will remain with Mr. Hurst and Miss de Bourgh.”

“Then it is settled,” Darcy said, silently thanking Charles.

***

After the two gentlemen and Miss Darcy departed, Caroline quickly went to work, and the knives came out. “When we were in Hertfordshire, Louisa and I were told that Miss Elizabeth was considered to be a beauty. She looks well enough, but a beauty? And all of her dresses were out of fashion, and the colors she chose, especially yellow, did not complement her complexion in the least.

“And, Louisa, do you remember when she visited her sister at Netherfield Park? Miss Bennet had fallen ill, and her sister insisted on nursing her and remained for days. She greatly irritated Mr. Darcy. They came very close to having words on a number of occasions. I believe you knew her in Kent, Miss de Bourgh. What was your impression of the lady?”

“I did notice that at least two of her dresses had yellow in them as well as a bonnet, and she seemed to be fond of roses. But now that you mention it, Miss Bingley, I do recall Mr. Darcy and she did disagree on one matter.”

“Yes,” Caroline said eagerly.

“They were discussing the different bathing resorts, and if I recall correctly, they were unable to agree on whether Weymouth was better than Lyme. By the end of the evening, no agreement had been reached.”

“Perhaps, Miss de Bourgh, we should take advantage of our hosts’ absence and return to our rooms to rest,” Caroline suggested. If that was the best Miss de Bourgh could do, then she might as well be sleeping.

Anne agreed, and once she reached her room, she shared her exchange with Mrs. Jenkinson, and they had a good laugh at Caroline’s expense.

***

Although Darcy had ordered the carriage, Charles insisted on riding horseback. It had been months since he had had an opportunity to ride one of his favorite horses, a splendid hunter he had personally trained. And totally out of character for the chatty Georgiana, she was quiet on the ride to Lambton, and it provided her brother with an opportunity to think about Elizabeth, who was once again inhabiting his dreams. At Hulston Hall, Elizabeth had come to him clothed in a gossamer night shift that left nothing to the imagination, and she had allowed him to undress her. Once she had joined him in bed, she slid beneath him in an effortless motion, and he was just about to enter her when the damn cock had started crowing. “I’ll have that bird for breakfast,” he had shouted, bringing a startled Mercer running into the room. Darcy smiled at the memory, but at the time, he had found little humor in his situation.

When they arrived at the inn, he was almost hoping Elizabeth would not be there. His preference would have been to meet her again at Pemberley where he was always at his best. The gardens, the views, the clean air, and the scents of spring were a tonic for him and never failed to restore his spirits. But while he was in Lambton, he was the lord of the manor, and as such, he must visit and greet and acknowledge and listen, but with privilege came responsibility, and he always did his duty.

Bingley rode on ahead, and when Georgiana and he got out of the carriage, Charles had already made inquiries and learned that the party had just returned from an excursion arranged by the inn.

“Darcy, they are definitely in their rooms, so I have sent word that we are here.”

Georgiana rested her hand on her brother’s arm. “I am finally to meet Miss Sonnet. I might possibly be more nervous than you.”

Good grief! Was it that obvious?

When they went into the anteroom, the first person Darcy saw was Elizabeth with her hair hanging loosely about her bare shoulders, and he quickly crossed the room, took her in his arms, and began kissing her and was lifting her onto the table when, alas, reality returned. He had heard Bingley telling Elizabeth how wonderful it was to see her again and had mentioned the exact date on which they were last together. When Bingley finally stopped talking, he asked Elizabeth if he might introduce his sister.

“Miss Elizabeth, I am very glad to make your acquaintance as I have heard so much about you,” Georgiana said. “Well, actually, I did not even know of your existence until today. But you are exactly as I imagined you to be,” and looking at her brother said, “Oh, don’t mind me.”

“I am pleased to meet you, Miss Darcy,” Lizzy said, smiling at the engaging young woman before her. “Your brother speaks of you with great affection and marvels at your talent on the pianoforte. I hope this evening you will favor us with a performance.”

“Oh, gladly, as I truly enjoy playing, but I cannot sing a note. My brother tells me you have a very fine voice.”

“Well, I am very flattered by his praise because Mr. Darcy is my harshest critic,” and when she turned to gauge his response, she found him looking at her in such a way that made her want to touch his face.

“I might say the same about you, Miss Elizabeth. I believe I fell particularly short of the mark at an assembly in Meryton.”

“It is as you say. But none of us is perfect, Mr. Darcy, and you definitely improve upon further acquaintance.” She would have said more, but Charles Bingley was craving her attention.