Chapter Six
“My goodness,” Colonel Fitzwilliam remarked, “your father’s cottagers were most helpful today. My head is spinning. Such meticulous methods, but well worth the effort.”
“It was not always so,” Elizabeth explained. “Many of the changes have occurred in the last five years. My father, unfortunately, is more of an academic than he is a gentleman farmer, but fate has placed him as Longbourn’s master. Thankfully, the former master of Netherfield Park, which is some three miles removed, approached Mr. Bennet, mayhap, a half dozen years back. Mr. Duckworth organized several of the larger land owners to place orders for equipment and seed and stock together. They could save substantially by placing orders for four estates rather than each one individually. So, if Papa required another pig and Mr. Duckworth a milk cow, and so forth, and so forth, they were ordered at one time for a better price.”
“A person must truly trust a neighbor to pay his share,” the colonel observed.
Elizabeth shrugged her response. “I suppose such is why they chose my father to handle the actual ‘business’ of putting the orders into action, while Mr. Duckworth initially sent men from Netherfield to assist my father’s tenants and the others with tilling the fields and raising a different line of sheep, one better suited for Hertfordshire’s climate. It was quite masterful how fluid was the use of hands and workers available for crops and even for repairs to tenant houses.”
“And is Mr. Duckworth available?” the colonel asked.
“Unfortunately, the gentleman passed away some two years removed,” Elizabeth explained. “Netherfield Park is closed for now and is available to let, but the other estate owners in the area fear if it is not let soon that they will no longer be able to maintain the standards agreed to when Netherfield was part of the equation. My father and the others absorbed some of the costs and hired a dozen or more of those formerly employed at Netherfield, but their charity may not be sustainable for much longer.”
“When I return to London, I will ask around to learn if someone is seeking an estate for a younger son. Is it only for let or could someone purchase it outright?” he asked.
“To the best of my knowledge it is either, but, if you like, we might ask Mr. Morris, who is the agent for the property, after church services tomorrow,” Elizabeth said with a smile. She looked down at her boots. “I should enter through the kitchen. Mrs. Bennet’s nerves could not tolerate my tracking in mud, especially with you and Mr. Darcy in the house.”
“You were magnificent in assisting Mr. Lawson in fencing up his hog,” the colonel said with a matching smile.
Elizabeth blushed in remembrance of her skidding in the hog’s leavings, but she had maintained her balance. “I shall see you later, sir. Thank you kindly. You were the most able of escorts.”
He held up his hand to forestall her leaving. “Pardon if I seem too forward, but I have noticed how you avoid Mr. Darcy, and you do not seem to wish for the match between my cousin and your sister. Is there something I should know regarding your dislike?”
Elizabeth did not wish for the colonel to carry tales to his cousin. “I am simply concerned with how quickly the match came about. No affection could have been established in such a short courtship. Moreover, your cousin is more worldly than Jane. I would not wish him to treat her poorly if she did not live up to his standards.”
“Surely you realize many society marriages occur in such a manner,” he argued.
“I do, but I had wished more for Jane. For each of my sisters,” she admitted.
No more could be said for Mr. Darcy exited the house to greet his cousin’s return. “Did you find Miss Elizabeth’s explanations of benefit?” Mr. Darcy asked his cousin.
“The lady and her father’s tenants made me believe I might know success as an estate landholder,” the colonel admitted.
“Then the lady has executed a miracle, for your family has had no such influence on you,” the gentleman declared.
“If you would pardon me, Mr. Darcy. Colonel. I should make my way to the kitchen. To the colonel she said, “Thank you for joining me today. Your company presented Mr. Bennet’s cottagers a sense of true pride. Very few have the opportunity to speak to a member of the aristocracy.”
“You seem quite taken with the woman,” Darcy said as he watched the gentle sway of Miss Elizabeth’s hips. He scowled when he realized he had not taken a similar notice of Miss Bennet’s backside.
“Miss Elizabeth is attractive and quite intelligent, and, from what I learned today, well-respected by her father’s tenants and neighbors, as well as the local vendors. A man could do worse in his choice of wives.”
“Her portion is not enough to sustain you,” Darcy warned.
“You will argue with me otherwise, but a woman has value beyond her dowry. I learned more of the land today than I have in the last five years at either father’s hands or yours. What the lady knows of farming and cattle is great, but what she knows of people is her most valuable trait. By God, if she were a man, Arthur Wellesley would have competition as the King’s favorite. If she demanded it, men of all sorts would follow her into Hell.” His cousin looked at him slyly. “I can honestly say, even after less than a day’s acquaintance, I know more of Miss Elizabeth’s nature than you do of Miss Bennet’s.” His cousin bowed. “Pardon me, but I have several letters to write for the general. I will see you later.”
With his cousin’s exit, Darcy walked in the direction of a little copse, holding a beautiful, though somewhat scattered, arrangement of flowers. He had never seen anything like it, but he found the area visually pleasing, nevertheless.
His session with Mr. Bennet had been eye opening. Darcy had assuredly not realized the paltry state of Miss Bennet’s dowry, but what could he do now? All of London likely recognized that he meant to marry the woman. “You have given your word,” he told himself as he sat heavily on a nearby bench. “It is not as if you require the lady’s dowry to sustain Pemberley,” he reasoned. “You simply require a wife who can produce an heir to save the estate from being broken apart. Miss Bennet is amiable. She will do her duty, and you must do yours.”
So saying, he decided to rehearse what he would say to his betrothed, viewing the scene in his head. “I will pledge my dedication and present her the ring that once belonged to my mother. Afterwards, I must make arrangements to bring Miss Bennet and Georgiana together, and we must set a date for the wedding—an early one—so I might have time to bring the lady to child.”
His decision made, Darcy stood to reenter the house. He stopped the housekeeper to ask, “Might you know where I could find Miss Bennet?”
“The small sitting room, sir, near the back entrance.”
Darcy nodded his gratitude and made his way along the hall to the room. The door was open, and so he stopped to observe his future wife. She was perfection in appearance, the way she held herself was absolutely majestic, though the gown she wore and the room in which she sat had both seen considerable wear.
With new determination, he entered and crossed to sit beside her on the settee. “I was hoping to find you alone,” he said as he reached for her hand. She had yet to look up at him, and her constant meekness was beginning to wear on his nerves. Was she frightened of him?
She permitted him to clasp her hand within his; yet, she still studied it.
“Perhaps this is what you require on your hand so you have something to admire.” He fished the ring from where he had tucked it in his watch pocket. “This was my mother’s.” He caught her hand again and slid the ring onto her finger. It sparkled as the sunlight danced across it.
She stared at her hand. No words of gratitude. No throwing her arms about his neck and telling him how wonderful she felt at this moment. No show of emotion, whatsoever. Just silence, except for their breathing.
She finally found her voice. “It is lovely, sir. I am honored to wear your mother’s ring.” She finally looked up to him, and he leaned in to seal their bargain with a kiss. Unfortunately, instead of lacing her arms about his neck, she shuddered, and not in a “good” manner.
Darcy sat back and frowned. Though he wished to pretend another emotion, it was not possible.
“I . . . I apologize, sir. I was . . . was not expecting . . .”
“Not expecting me to claim a kiss from my betrothed?” he asked before he could swallow the words. Darcy sucked in a steadying breath. “I rushed things. It is I who should apologize.”
“I do mean to be a dutiful wife,” Miss Bennet declared. Darcy did not want a wife simply to lie beneath him. “I shall not act in the same manner again,” she promised when he did not immediately respond.
His annoyance remained, but Darcy managed to say, “I simply wanted to please you and take the first steps to place our journey on solid ground. I did not mean to frighten you. Such was never my intention. Permit me to offer my apology. I should leave you as I found you.”
Miss Bennet placed her hand on his to stay his rising. She turned her face up to him and closed her eyes.
“ A martyr ,” his mind announced. Therefore, instead of kissing her as would a man in affection, as he originally intended, he brushed his lips across hers and stood. “I mean to join my cousin. We had previously discussed walking some of the fields together.” He knew Fitzwilliam had already done so with the assistance of Miss Elizabeth, but Darcy was too angry to come up with another excuse. “I will see you for the meal with your family.”
Elizabeth had not only changed out her boots by the kitchen door, she had also stopped to assist Clara with slicing the potatoes and then pulling and punching the dough so it might rise again. Free at last, she climbed the servants’ stairs which led to the main hall only to encounter the colonel again as he descended the stairs from the family wing.
“It assuredly did not take so long to clean your boots,” he said with a smile.
“No, I decided to assist . . .”
“Your cook,” he finished for her.
Elizabeth’s brow rose in question. “How might you be so confident, sir?”
“You have a bit of flour and a few drops of dough in your hair.” He used the back of his hand to brush a loose strand behind her ear. “I must say you will be quite as lovely when you are older as you appear now.”
“None of that,” she said as she reached to fix her hair. “You simply wish me to think you are my gallant.”
“You have found me out,” the colonel said with a chuckle.
“You are an open book, sir.” She began to climb the stairs. Without turning, she said, “I am very fond of reading, Colonel.”
Darcy had watched from the open door of Mr. Bennet’s library, where he had retreated to nurse his “wounds” after his encounter with Miss Bennet. How could Fitzwilliam go on so easily with a woman he had met only yesterday, while Darcy had not only stood attendance upon Miss Bennet for several weeks, but had also offered the lady his hand in marriage.
Unable to tolerate the scene, Darcy said, “There you are, Fitzwilliam.”
His cousin turned to face Darcy. “Was I to be someplace else, sir?”
“No. I had simply thought if you had finished with your correspondence that we might go into the village together. If so, I will order the horses to be brought around.” In truth, Darcy had no desire to travel into the village, but he needed to be away from Longbourn before he called an end to his engagement and permitted Bertram Darcy his “pound of flesh” in the form of prime land on Pemberley estate.
“We could walk,” the colonel said. “It is only a mile. Is that not correct, Miss Elizabeth?” his cousin said with confidence as he looked up to where the woman had waited to hear their discussion.
Darcy’s eyes followed the colonel’s to where Miss Elizabeth stood on the landing between the flights of stairs. “Yes, sir,” she said. “I believe Mr. Butler explained the way to the village and then on to the main roads leading west and those connecting to the one leading to London. Are you confident regarding the way or do you require me to repeat them?”
Although there was nothing in her tone to indicate the lady’s response was anything more than a clarification, Darcy felt her words to be some sort of chastisement.
“I believe I have the right of it,” the colonel responded as if he and the woman were already close companions. “Thank you for your kind offer.”
“Then let us be about it,” Darcy ordered. With a glance to where he left his betrothed a quarter hour earlier, he jerked open the door leading to the circle before the estate and led the way down the drive. Behind him, though Darcy had not looked back to view their interaction, the colonel grinned at Miss Elizabeth before following.
Elizabeth remained on the stairs until the gentleman closed the door behind him before she descended the steps again and turned in the direction Mr. Darcy had glared. Finding the door to the small sitting room open, she was not surprised to find her eldest sister lying back against the pillow of a settee, but she had not expected the muffled sobs.
“Jane, are you unwell?” she asked as she rushed forward. “Have you argued with Mr. Darcy?”
Jane sat up immediately. “Nothing of the sort,” her sister was quick to say. “I am simply a bit tired from the whirlwind I have known of late. Mr. Darcy has settled things with our father. And look . . .” Jane extended her hand in Elizabeth’s direction. “He has presented me with a ring belonging to his mother. I vow I could never have imagined to be so blessed.”
Elizabeth knew she frowned, but she could not disguise her concern. “I saw Mr. Darcy leave with the colonel to walk into Meryton. The gentleman appeared irritated and unhappy.”
“A man of Mr. Darcy’s importance has so many things to address, I am surprised he has time to woo me, but he does,” Jane declared.
“I should hope so. You should be the most important person in his life,” Elizabeth argued. She took Jane’s hand and stroked the back of it with her fingertip. “It would be acceptable if you chose . . .”
“No more complaints, Elizabeth. I am very happy with my choice,” Jane chastised.
“As you say,” Elizabeth promised. “Then I shall say no more.” She leaned forward to kiss her dear sister’s cheek. “I should remove the flour from my hair. I shall see you at the midday meal.” She turned to leave the room, but Elizabeth paused at the door to look back at her sister, who again had fallen back onto the settee and had predictably burst into tears.
By the time Darcy reached Meryton, he had convinced himself that there was nothing to be done but to make the best of the road upon which he currently traveled regarding his courtship, and there was no means to turn around or to abandon the course.
“There appears to be a militia quartered here,” Fitzwilliam remarked, one of the few sentences they had shared during their journey to the village.
Darcy looked up to the cluster of soldiers drilling with rifles. “I was not aware of one stationed here either. I wonder who their commander is.”
“I imagine we will discover the man tomorrow at church,” Fitzwilliam assured. “When did you mean to speak to the local clergyman?”
“I had hoped to arrange a meeting for Monday so Miss Bennet and I might marry on either Thursday or Friday next, but . . .”
“But what?” Fitzwilliam asked.
Darcy stepped from the way of others on the village street. “Have I made a terrible mistake, Fitzwilliam?”
“What type of mistake?” his cousin asked.
“In London, Miss Bennet was sweet and demure, and, though her family is not as wealthy as I had hoped, she is acceptable as the future Mrs. Darcy,” Darcy explained.
“Yet?”
“Yet, today, when I presented her my mother’s ring, she barely commented on it when I asked if it pleased her. Then when I meant to kiss her, she was as stiff as if she thought I raised my hand to strike her. I must produce an heir to save Pemberley. I do not wish a statue lying beneath me. What is worse is I will be expected to return to her bed time and time again. I never thought to entertain the idea of a mistress. Though their time together was not long enough, my parents adored each other. Your parents adore each other. I had always wished the same for my wife.”
His cousin appeared to be as perplexed as Darcy, but he said, “All you can do at this point is to be patient and gentle.” His cousin’s advice was what was expected of every honorable man, and something Darcy had already told himself.
Later, when they returned to Longbourn, Darcy was set on following his cousin’s advice, for it had aligned with his own thoughts; however, again, nothing had gone as he expected.
First, Miss Elizabeth Bennet had arrived in the room set aside for their meals looking more fetching than Darcy had thought possible. She wore a dark green day dress that not only set off the olive tones in her skin, but also brightened the green of her hazel eyes. Darcy noted how Fitzwilliam’s interest piqued higher, and, like it or not, Darcy was jealous, for the lady had obviously dressed to please his cousin. More ironically, he realized the emerald ring the lady’s elder sister wore would be set off by what Miss Elizabeth had chosen, while it lost some of its beauty against the pale blue gown Miss Bennet wore.
Over the meal, Darcy’s irritation grew. His cousin had been placed at Miss Elizabeth’s side, and they had conversed easily throughout the meal, while he listened to Mrs. Bennet’s exclamations of joy at having her eldest engaged to marry. Beside him, Miss Bennet maintained her quiet manner. His only saving grace had been when Miss Mary asked of Samuel Ericks’s new parish. Therefore, Darcy was permitted to speak of Lambton and the area about Pemberley.
At last, the meal ended, and the ladies withdrew to the large sitting room, while the gentlemen retreated to Mr. Bennet’s study, where they conversed and drank a bit more port, though, in truth, Darcy was ready for another walk to burn off some of his frustration. At length, he and Mr. Bennet debated over Francis Bacon’s influence on Shakespeare’s tales, and he listened carefully to the questions asked of the man by Fitzwilliam regarding the land in Hertfordshire, as well as Mr. Bennet’s responses, which were, in truth, quite different from what Darcy would have said based on his experiences in Derbyshire.
Finally, they rejoined the ladies. Darcy had purposely led the way, and instead of claiming a seat obviously left open for him next to Miss Bennet, he had crossed to sit beside Miss Elizabeth, who was reading a book Darcy was confident most gentlemen would not understand, though he did not challenge her on it. Instead, he sat and looked out upon the room, many of those in attendance were watching him.
Fitzwilliam had sat beside Miss Catherine and across from Miss Mary. Darcy could hear his cousin ask of Mr. Ericks, immediately engaging both sisters.
Darcy knew Mr. and Mrs. Bennet watched him carefully, but he meant to win Miss Bennet’s favor by winning the approval of her closest sister.
“I pray I have not offended you, Miss Elizabeth,” he said softly. He knew the others watched him, but Darcy had convinced himself until Miss Bennet had heard Miss Elizabeth praise him, he and his future wife would know a gulf between them. If he were to win Miss Bennet’s loyalty, he must first win over the lady’s family, beginning with Miss Elizabeth.
“Why would you think so, sir?” the woman asked as she slid a knotted thread between the pages to mark her place.
“You avoid me as much as possible,” he began. “You disagree with all my opinions. You show me little respect, though my marriage to Miss Bennet will open doors to society, closed until now,” he said in hushed tones.
“My other sisters may claim the association and benefit from it,” she said in equal quietness, “but I want nothing of your patronage. I shall remain at Longbourn to tend both of my parents in their later years.”
“Would you not accept my cousin if the colonel extended his hand to you?” he asked in complete bafflement.
“As a minor son, your cousin will require a woman with a sizable dowry, as well as social connections in order for him to know his aspirations to serve in the Commons after his service to the King. I could present him with nothing but my respect and my loyalty. I would refuse his offer if it should come.”
“You would refuse to marry into the earldom and society, choosing spinsterhood, in order to tend your father and mother?” he asked, completely flabbergasted by the idea.
“I love my parents,” she said simply.
They sat in silence for several minutes as Darcy studied the room, and Miss Elizabeth returned to her book. At length, he said, “Then you hold no objection to my marrying your sister?” He could tell he had disarmed her, for she stared straight ahead, obviously organizing her thoughts.
Finally, she looked upon him again, and Darcy found himself becoming lost in the most compelling eyes he had ever encountered. “ Fine eyes, indeed ,” his mind announced.
“Look to my sister and display your affection for her,” Miss Elizabeth stubbornly instructed.
“Miss Bennet and I do not hold each other in deep affection,” he admitted, “but I hope someday we will. We are quite fond of each other.”
“Are you?” she asked, anger lacing her tones.
“Why would I ask to spend my life with Miss Bennet if I did not hold her in affection?” he asked in a harsh whisper.
“I know Jane’s reason,” Miss Elizabeth said in poorly disguised anger. “She means to save her sisters and her mother. What I do not know is why you proposed so quickly. With a snap of your finger, you could name your bride from all of society. Yet, you chose a sweet, but insignificant, young woman who means to see her sisters and mother live in comfort after her father’s passing. I, therefore, ask myself what Jane might provide you, other than a comely countenance and mild manners.”
“I see,” Darcy said as he prepared to stand. “Thank you for your truth.” He sighed heavily. “I pray you will not attempt to influence Miss Bennet in this matter.”
“I have spoken my qualms to Jane and now also to you. Both of you are set upon this path. Eventually, we shall be brother and sister so we must find some harmony. I believe honesty is the best we might share at this point. I pray someday you will prove me in error. When that day comes, I shall celebrate with a sincere apology.”