4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Darcy ran a comforting hand along Agilis's neck, feeling the warmth of their morning run still coursing through his veins, and acknowledged that it was time to return to Netherfield. He pulled on the reins to turn Agilis back the way they had come with a sigh. Darcy took a deep breath, feeling the crisp air fill his lungs before slowly exhaling through pursed lips.
On the one hand, he was happy that Caroline had backed off from her pursuit of him. The confrontation from two days ago had shattered any illusions she had about a possible future with him, or at least he hoped it did. At least she was no longer hounding him as he went about his day.
His biggest concern was the fact that Miss Bennet seemed to be recovering. Normally he would be happy to learn something of the like, but if she was better, it meant that she and Miss Elizabeth would soon return home. There was something about their impending departure that he resisted, as he enjoyed the opportunity to talk with Miss Elizabeth and didn't want it to come to an end so quickly.
For some reason, this unnerved him. Darcy had never had a desire to spend more time with a woman before and yet here he was wishing for more time with Miss Elizabeth Bennet. There was just something about the way she held her own in a debate that entranced him. It was just so unsettling, and he was not exactly sure what he wanted to do about it.
In no time at all, Darcy had arrived at Netherfield, his ruminations having gotten him nowhere. Dismounting, he handed the reins off to the stable hand with a “Thank you.” Then, spotting Pax dozing in the hay near the tack room, he asked, “How has Pax been settling in?”
The young man grinned as he looked over at the large dog, his voice filled with cheer as he said, “Oh, just fine. You could almost mistake him for a foal the way he interacts with the horses. I had heard Miss Elizabeth rarely went anywhere without him, but I had yet to see her enormous shadow as the townspeople sometimes refer to him.”
Curiosity stirred in Darcy. So, the town knew of her giant shadow. He supposed that was good. “It sounds like Pax is well known in the area.”
Nodding, the groom brushed a lock of sandy brown hair out of his eyes. “Oh yes. Miss Elizabeth is the active sort, always out and about on walks, seeing to various aspects of the Longbourn estate and its tenants. She may not always have a groom available to walk with her, but she almost always has her shadow there to see to her safety. I do not think there is anything he would not do for his lady.”
Thanking the stable hand again, Darcy went to go sit in the nearby garden. The weight of confusion burdened his mind, causing him to avoid the main house and any potential conversations. Darcy found a spot on a stone bench to settle, his eyes staring blankly into the distance as he pondered, until he felt a wet nose nudge his hand.
Darcy looked at Pax with a smile and asked, “Did you come find me, Pax?” He couldn't help but notice the dull thud of Pax's tail against the leaf-strewn ground. It seemed the dog was happy to see him.
Figuring that Pax would be a good confidant, he said, “What do you think, Pax? I am just not used to wanting to spend more time with a lady. Should I go against my instinct and try to spend more time with Miss Elizabeth?”
Confusion flickered across Pax's face as he tilted his head, as if trying to make sense of the question. Darcy couldn't help but chuckle, amused by the dog's reaction. It was clear that Pax had no qualms about being around the opposite sex, and he was quite eager to spend time with Miss Elizabeth. It seemed that Pax wasn't the most reliable source for advice on staying away from Miss Elizabeth.
“But what about the fact that she will be leaving soon? Just last night, she said that Miss Bennet was greatly improved. Should I try to draw closer to her when I know that she must leave?” Darcy questioned.
In response, Pax huffed and then, getting up, moved a few feet away, only to huff again before looking up at one of the windows. Curiously, Darcy followed the large dog, his eyes scanning the windows to see what had caught his attention. There on the second floor, Miss Elizabeth was standing by one of the windows. Instead of looking out the window, she appeared preoccupied with taking care of Miss Bennet.
Darcy's attention was completely consumed by watching Miss Elizabeth until Pax nudged him towards the building. Catching his balance before he fell off the bench, Darcy complained, “It is not that easy, Pax. She will be leaving soon, and I have never before found myself in the position of wanting to pursue a woman. Besides, as much as I like her, our contrasting social circles are hard to ignore.” Pax’s only response was to nudge him again.
In response to Darcy's inaction, Pax sighed, suggesting that he doubted the validity of Darcy's reasoning. While Darcy knew that he was imbuing the animal with more reasoning than was possible, he couldn't shake the sensation of being silently judged by the lanky beast. Pax had diligently followed Miss Elizabeth's scent for three miles, indicating that he believed she was worth every ounce of effort.
Darcy was confronted with the uncertainty of whether or not he shared the same sentiments as Pax and, if he did, what steps he would take once she bid farewell to Netherfield.
Once Elizabeth had the extra help provided by Molly, it had seemed as if Jane had recovered at a swift pace. The meals that she spent in company with Mr. Bingley, his family, and Mr. Darcy had improved as well. Once Mr. Bingley realized his sister had failed to fulfill her responsibility of providing a maid, a noticeable shift occurred in the Bingley and Hurst family dynamic. This, in turn, caused the previous atmosphere of petty cruelty and backhanded compliments from the sisters to stop altogether. It was a near miracle.
If Miss Bingley did not at all look happy with her current position in the family, Elizabeth did not mind at all. With the more conducive environment to care for her sister, time seemed to fly and not crawl. Thus, Elizabeth found herself enjoying a pleasant breakfast with Mr. Darcy the morning that she would return to Longbourn. Further down the table, Jane's cheerful laughter mingled with the clatter of dishes, creating a joyful atmosphere.
“I am glad that your sister has recovered so well,” Mr. Darcy said, his tone sincere as he spoke from across the table.
Smiling at him over the rim of her teacup, Elizabeth responded, “Me too. Whenever she or Kitty catches a cold, I always worry. They seem more fragile than my other sisters. Once we get back home, she will still need to take care of herself.” Taking a sip of her tea, she watched her sister smiling at Mr. Bingley for a moment. “Despite everything, Jane is grateful for the chance to spend time with Mr. Bingley.”
Mr. Darcy picked up a piece of toast, its warm, buttery aroma filling the air as he spread a generous layer of marmalade on it. Taking a bite, he observed Jane and Mr. Bingley engaged in animated conversation before saying, “I have never seen my friend so captivated by a young lady before—he hangs on her every word. I wonder what they are discussing.”
Grinning, Elizabeth said, “My sister may not be as interested in intellectual pursuits as I am, but she is quite versed in many topics. They could be talking about anything from the concerns of the tenants to the last opera she saw in London. I am just glad he seems to return her feeling with equal measure.” Elizabeth paused to savor another bite of her food before bringing up another topic. “Speaking of conversation topics, have you heard about the proposed corn tax?”
“Actually, I have,” Mr. Darcy replied with a smile. “While I understand that many gentlemen farmers and landowners are in favor of implementing the tax, I disagree with the notion that it will benefit the general population. What is your opinion?”
Happy that she had hit upon a topic that they could both enjoy discussing, Elizabeth finished chewing her bite of eggs so that she could respond. She knew that she would not be able to enjoy such intelligent conversation once she returned home. “Considering the possibility of a few consecutive poor harvests, the corn tax could easily turn into a significant problem.”
Darcy, his mind still full of indecision, followed the ladies out to the carriage as they said their farewells. It wasn't lost on him how Pax's eyes kept flickering between him and Miss Elizabeth, making him wonder just how intelligent the dog really was. Was Pax able to perceive his uncertainty through his body language?
Despite his distraction, Darcy felt a surge of tingling sensations in his hand as he reached out to aid Miss Elizabeth into the carriage. In that moment, he was consumed by a wave of sensations, and his gaze locked on the intriguing woman who sparked a strong desire to know her better. Nudging him in a happy manner, Pax seemed to say goodbye before jumping up into the carriage unaided and settled in next to his mistress. The carriage started rolling away before he could even prepare himself for the reality of it, leaving him behind without a clue on how to proceed.
Elizabeth sighed and rubbed at her aching forehead as her mother continued another one of her rants after what had almost been a pleasant dinner. Of course, their mother thought that they should have stayed longer, and Jane should have come back engaged. Elizabeth’s arguments that Jane was seriously ill and not socializing with Mr. Bingley had done nothing for her mother’s nerves. She had vented her frustration to Elizabeth, blaming her for ruining all her carefully crafted plans of making Jane arrive at Netherfield soaking wet. In her mind, Elizabeth had somehow prevented Jane from ensnaring the wealthy Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth, for her part, tried not to be angry with her mother’s callous disregard for Jane’s health.
After all, she knew below the surface of her mother’s fretting that she loved her girls and knew of no better way to see them provided for. Her father had never found the focus to reassure his wife of little understanding that they would not, in fact, be thrown into the hedgerows.
She had only recently come to realize that both of her parents had their flaws. For the longest time, she was so close to her father that she could not see what he was not doing. He was not saving for his daughter’s dowries or actively working towards building better futures for them. They did not get to have a London season, practically their only chance at marriage, because he did not like London and could not be bothered to arrange something there. He had no interest in seeing them well married. In effect, he had left his family to their own devices. When she was a child, she had fun doing and learning what she wished and had not seen the error in his ways, but now she saw the danger.
Jane, for all her beauty, was still unmarried. Her problems were twofold. First off, the war with the little tyrant left them with a dearth of eligible young gentlemen. Then too, the need to find someone to provide for all of her sisters and mother in the event of their father’s demise had left her waiting for a type of man that rarely came to their sleepy little hamlet. As much as their mother talked of Jane’s beauty saving them from the hedgerows, this Mr. Bingley was the first man to have the amount of money that would satisfy her. Her mother had discouraged several men whom she had not deemed good enough for her beautiful daughter.
If their mother spoke of Jane’s beauty catching a husband twice a day, she mentioned Lydia’s liveliness just as much. It was that exact liveliness that worried Elizabeth the most. What her mother might see as liveliness, Elizabeth saw as unchecked foolishness. She knew that Lydia saw no reason to allow guidelines and rules for behavior to stem her fun. She foolishly expected the men she heedlessly flirted with to follow the rules of gentlemanly behavior, even if she didn’t follow the rules set up for gentlewomen. If something did not change soon, Lydia’s brash ways would ruin them all.
In the week since she had come home with Jane from Netherfield, things had become more complicated with the visit of their cousin Mr. Collins and the arrival of the militia in Meryton. In an effort to escape from the current chaos and her mother’s latest rounds of complaints, Elizabeth had taken Pax on a long walk to check on some of the tenants on the outskirts of Longbourn land. As much as she loved her family, sometimes she needed a break and the opportunity to sort out her thoughts while all on her own. She certainly had plenty of things to think of after having spent time at Netherfield.
She still had not completely sorted out how she wanted to view Mr. Darcy. Though she had not come to any definitive conclusions, she had stopped viewing him in such a negative light. She had decided that any man who had brushed paw prints off his shoulders in such a carefree way could not be horrible.
Ignoring her mother’s strident voice, Elizabeth decided that she would have to sneak out early the next morning and go for a walk. She needed the clear air and space to sort through her thoughts away from her family’s craziness. Surely a nice walk would help her settle her mind.
It was impossible for Darcy to tell whether the situation had improved. While Miss Bingley, in her spite, had stopped her foolish pursuit of him, she was now sulking and complaining, which was almost worse in its annoyance. Mrs. Hurst, who had taken over as hostess, really was not much better than her sister. While the food served was just as thought out and fancy for a country estate menu, it seemed to be the only skill the sisters possessed. There was no hint that she was doing any of the other tasks that needed doing.
This led to the fact that Bingley was entirely overwhelmed and downcast. Having decided that he would do the work of an estate owner properly, he had thrown himself into the effort. He was meeting with all the tenants and seeing if they had what they needed for winter as well as seeing to the repairs and the like that were necessary in the usual course of time. This meant that he was doing the master and mistress jobs and growing ever more exhausted.
At least he had taken the suggestion that he should lean more fully on the housekeeper. She was a capable woman who knew what she was about and reminded Darcy of his own housekeeper back at Pemberley, Mrs. Renyolds. It had helped to take some of the strain off his friend's face, but it was evident that the vibrant zest for life he once had was slowly fading away. This worried Darcy, but he had yet to discern how exactly to help him. Darcy decided to go search out Bingley, who had disappeared after dinner had finished. Hopefully, he could help solve Bingley’s problem.
He entered the room with only a precursory knock before saying, “I have an idea. What if I invite my sister and Mrs. Ansley to come to Netherfield. Mrs. Ansley is well versed in running household and can, if you are interested, take over running things so you can focus on just the master’s responsibilities?” Seeing that Bingley did not look convinced, he added, “We could say that it is because she is teaching Georgianna how to manage things on an estate smaller than Pemberley.”
With a quick gesture, Bingley ruffled his hair, causing it to stand on end and giving him a slightly disheveled and wild look. Dark circles under his eyes hinted at his exhaustion. Sighing, Bingley said, “Caroline and Louisa may complain, but as they are refusing to do what they should, they really can have no say in the matter. I feel compelled to urge them to return to London, where Caroline can take part in the season and, with any luck, find a suitable match, thereby resolving my predicament.”
Darcy nodded in agreement before saying, “Also, if I may add, you really need to get a good night's sleep. You look absolutely exhausted.”
Bingley lay his head on the desk before him with a groan, mumbling, “I know I am not getting enough sleep, but I have been trying to read up on the books you gave me after I head up to my room. I feel like I am failing in my attempt to manage Netherfield properly.”
“Bingley, you are just starting out, of course you do not know everything. Despite learning from my father for years before his death, I still made mistakes when I took over running Pemberley. It is a learning process,” consoled Darcy.
Picking his head up from the desk, Bingley said, “I suppose you are right.”
Chuckling, Darcy said, “Whether I am right or wrong, you are too sleep deprived to tell the difference right now. Why don’t you get to bed early, and we can come up with a more thorough plan tomorrow?”
Pushing himself up from his seat behind his desk, Bingley nodded. “You are right, I should get to bed, and we can come up with a plan tomorrow. The only plan that I could come up at the moment would be to ship my sisters off to Scotland if they refuse to go to London.”
“Don't underestimate that idea,” Darcy laughed. “I believe it will remain valid come morning.”