Mrs. Bingley’s Sister (The Austen Novels)

Chapter 32

December 1819

Pemberley Estate

Derbyshire

Darcy rang for his valet, and Smith was there very soon, readying him for a cold, wintry walk. Darcy had few concerns about the temperature outside.

"Before you ask, I am going to escort Miss Bennet for a walk around the grounds, along the path my parents were so fond of," Darcy said when Smith arrived. The man looked quite pleased to hear this, and then he immediately insisted on changing all of Darcy's clothes completely, to which Darcy acquiesced, but only under the condition they do so quickly. He couldn't hide his own grin of excitement in the face of Smith's enthusiasm, however, and very soon Darcy was freshened up and dressed warmly for the bitter weather outside.

"It is cold outside, sir," the man said, "but perhaps this just means she will have an excuse to hold a little more tightly to your arm."

Darcy didn't answer this with less than a slight look, but he did shake his head and grin a little at the thought. It was true, he did hope the bitter coldness of the outdoors would encourage Elizabeth to hold onto him more tightly, and this is what he looked forward to as he made his way downstairs and found her waiting for him by the door.

She was gazing out a nearby window, herself dressed very warmly under a lovely red pelisse. She turned to look at him, and he was struck by how well she looked in the color—the crimson hues of her garment brought out the blush on her cheeks and the redness of her lips—how he could certainly stare at her for an endless amount of time, but he did not.

He acknowledged her with a nod and a slight smile, she curtsied and gave him a slightly flushed smile back.

"Mr. Darcy," she said as he descended the last few steps.

"Miss Bennet," he answered, "Shall we?"

He offered his arm, she took it, and very soon they stepped outside.

"Why, it is so very cold!" she exclaimed. He gave a chuckle as he felt her arm tighten ever so slightly around his.

"It is December in Derbyshire," he answered, "or have you forgotten?"

He glanced down at her and saw her smile and shake her head, though she didn't look at him for a moment. She looked up at him but then away again before saying, "My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me."

Darcy gave a laugh. "You have said that to me once before."

A teasing smile. "Have I?"

They began walking, embarking out into the cold, wintry weather. He answered her with a smiling anecdote.

"I recall coming over to watch you play the pianoforte at Rosings those many years ago, and you said I was meaning to frighten you." He paused and then added, "I had thought you were flirting with me."

He didn't hear a reply right away, and he dared look down at her to see her reaction. He saw she was looking downward, and her cheeks were flushed. He considered apologizing, but he decided against it. He wanted to see what she would say next.

"I do recall that," she finally said.

Darcy looked away from her, watching the grounds ahead of them. He glanced at her after she replied, and he saw that she was smiling at him. He smiled back, and she spoke further.

"You said I found enjoyment in professing opinions which were not my own," she said with a laugh, and then added, "You were right, I daresay."

He chuckled. Then she said:

"I didn't realize you thought I was flirting with you, though.”

He paused.

“Truly?”

“Yes, truly,” she answered, “I thought you disliked me and were, in fact, trying to make me feel inadequate."

Darcy let out a slightly pained laugh at himself, and he made a wincing sort of face for Elizabeth's amusement. He shook his head, though still smiling ruefully, and said, "When I reexamine how poorly I misunderstood you back then, I want to venture back in time and somehow shake some sense into myself."

She laughed. "Me, too."

"You want to shake sense into a past Darcy, also?"

Another laugh, then a look. "No, I meant I'd like to shake some sense into myself, as well. I am always pained when I consider how badly I misunderstood you then. We were both of us quite silly and vain in our assumptions about the other, I think—"

Suddenly there was a crack of thunder, the sound so loud it made Elizabeth jump and grip his arm more tightly. Before Darcy could even look up to the sky, he felt raindrops pattering on his person.

"We must turn back," he said quickly, turning around and bringing her with him, keeping her arm in his. She didn't answer; they just moved very hastily back to the house, rushing underneath the awning before the rain really began to fall. Now it was pouring, and it was loud, very loud, indeed. Thunder rumbled again, and he could barely hear himself over the downpour as he released her arm from his and said, "We did not pick a fortuitous time to take a walk!"

He saw her laughing, but he could barely hear her. He laughed too, and without thinking, he held out his hand for her to take. She took it without hesitation, and he pulled the large door open, leading her inside after him, where it was warm and dry. He could hear her laughter and his now, ringing out and echoing through the hall, before other, surprised voices caught them:

"Were you out there in the rain?"

"What on earth—"

"Brother, there you are!"

They looked around to see all the Fitzwilliams and Llewellyns looking at them in bewilderment, who must have been passing in the hall just then. Darcy felt Elizabeth drop his hand rather quickly.

Fitzwilliam raised a knowing eyebrow at Darcy but otherwise made no pointed notice as he told them, "Some of us were going to listen to Georgiana play for a little while; you two should change and then join us—I'd like to hear Miss Bennet play, as I do recall she played quite well for us at Rosings those many years ago."

The house guests then moved on slowly, Georgiana eyeing Darcy and Elizabeth with some curious look that he didn't bother to try and interpret. Miss Llewellyn paused before him and said quite playfully, putting her hand gently on his arm, "Why would you have ventured out into this weather at all? Do go get warm and dry, and we shall take a turn about the room if you're so inclined for a walk at this hour."

Darcy nodded his head in acknowledgment of the lady, biting back a laugh at her choice of words, too—how he wanted to exchange a look with Elizabeth just then, wondering if she would also remember Miss Bingley's wanting to “take a turn about the room,” but to his disappointment, when he turned to find her, he discovered Elizabeth had already curtsied and gone.