Chapter 16
Elizabeth inhaled a deep breath of sea air and tilted her head back as she wiggled her bare feet in the damp sand.
It had been three days since the dinner party at Government House and she had been trapped indoors at the parsonage all of that time.
Helena Kendall was quite definitely improving and had been able to assist with some of the morning household tasks, but every time Elizabeth had an hour or two of comparative leisure, the skies had opened up and poured down rain. It was terribly frustrating.
Today there had been rain off and on during the morning and early afternoon, but finally the clouds had cleared.
Sarah’s husband Jacob, who seemed to have a sixth sense about such things, told Elizabeth that there would be at least a couple dry hours.
A few minutes later, Darcy had appeared at the front door and asked Elizabeth to go for a walk, which she had accepted with nearly panting enthusiasm.
Now they were standing on the beach some two hundred feet from the Christiansted pier, and Elizabeth reveled in the fresh sea air and the cooler temperatures brought on by days of rain.
“It is quite a relief to be outside after being trapped indoors, is it not?” Darcy asked her, his eyes on her vibrant countenance.
“It is glorious,” she agreed, turning and beginning to wander farther down the beach. “So Mr. Darcy, I know a little bit about Pemberley from earlier conversations, but can you please tell me more?”
Darcy gazed at her with surprise and dawning hope. Did this mean Elizabeth was truly considering marrying him?
“What would you like to know?” he asked hesitantly.
Her rosy lips quirked up a little, “Whatever you think is most important, Mr. Darcy.”
He considered this as they strolled down the beach. What was most important to him about Pemberley?
“I must tell you about the land and its people,” he asserted after a minute.
“Pemberley is a truly great estate with many tenant farms, significant forests and even a small coal mine. The mansion is magnificent, certainly, and its library even more so, but the people, land, crops and industries are the true foundation of Pemberley.”
“What kinds of crops?”
“We follow the Norfolk four course system, so we have a four year rotation through wheat, turnips, barley and clover. Of course, not all of the fields grow the same thing each year.”
Elizabeth chuckled at this, “Yes, I dare say I would not look forward to turnip year.”
Fitzwilliam continued, “There is also the need for vegetables such as marrows and potatoes, and salad greens for the warmer months. We have an extensive home farm and storage facilities. We also grow fodder and forage for the horses and cattle.”
“Are you very fond of horses, sir?”
“I am,” Darcy returned with enthusiasm. “We have an extensive stable, since horses are not used just for hunting and traveling, but for pulling carts and the like. My father gave me a black foal when I was eighteen years of age, Phoenix, and he is still my favorite steed.”
He gazed around, feeling rather like he was in a dream. It was bizarre to speak of Pemberley while walking the shores of a tropical island. Many would think he had run mad to pursue Elizabeth across the ocean, but if she accepted him, it would all be worth it.
“Do you have closed or open field systems, Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth asked curiously.
“We are in a state of transition to a closed field system. The open field system has, in my view, resulted in strife as the various tenants do not always use the common lands fairly.”
“My ... my father thought the same thing. Longbourn too transitioned to a closed field system under his direction.”
“That was wise of your father,” Darcy replied compassionately. “He was obviously an intelligent man and a well-read one. I saw his library once and was profoundly impressed at the depth and breadth of his interests.”
Elizabeth managed a watery chuckle, “Yes, I fear he spent far too much of Longbourn’s income on books but I cannot complain; I too love books.”
“You would love the library at Pemberley then,” Darcy replied, his eyes faraway. “Generations of Darcys have devoted themselves to filling the shelves. I fear this will sound arrogant, but I believe our library to be one of the finest in the nation.”
“It sounds amazing, sir.”
“It is,” Darcy agreed warmly. “You would enjoy the land surrounding the manse itself too; we have a very large park, a fishing stream, fountains, stables, and even a small mountain. It is rougher terrain than in Hertfordshire, but lovely.”
“Are the winters very cold?”
“Colder than Hertfordshire, certainly. We often have snow at Christmas and the pond usually freezes enough by mid-January that we can go ice skating. Georgiana and I have a tradition of ice skating on January 15th if we can ...”
Elizabeth turned fully to face him and stopped, her eyes smiling, “It sounds delightful, Mr. Darcy. And while we spoke of this before, I will say it again; it is a great responsibility. It is to your credit that you have toiled so successfully to keep Pemberley in good order.”
Darcy looked down at his bare feet self-consciously, “I knew my duty, Miss Bennet. By the grace of God, I am gifted with intelligence, and my father did prepare me well. I am grateful that I am capable of doing what needs to be done.”
Elizabeth nodded and began walking again with Darcy at her side. This section of beach was less rocky than closer to the pier, and the two enjoyed wading through the shallow waters, relishing the tepid liquid which cooled their weary feet.
“What would occur if something happened to you, sir?” she asked hesitantly. “I dislike even raising such a specter, but is Pemberley entailed to the male line as was Longbourn?”
“It is not. If I were to pass on before marriage and children, the estate would devolve to Georgiana, with my cousin Richard Fitzwilliam as her guardian until she is of age.”
“That is sensible, at any rate. I do not understand why my great-grandfather entailed the estate away from us. It has caused such anxiety, especially for my mother, and now hardship for us all.”
“I suspect that your ancestor wished to keep Longbourn within the Bennet family. In most situations, your father would have a brother or near cousin who, one would hope, could be trusted to care for female relatives in need of support. Alas, your family apparently was a small one and the heir, Mr. Collins, a lout.”
This provoked a gurgle of laughter from Elizabeth, “A lout! A most apt description, sir. Yes, he is. And yes, the Bennet family has been a small one for several generations. My parents were by far the most prolific, but alas, bore only daughters.”
“Every one of you is precious,” Darcy asserted stoutly.
“Yes, I cannot imagine life without my sisters, even the two youngest who can be quite exasperating. Though that is truly more my parents …”
She stopped as Darcy abruptly came to a halt, his hand tightening on her arm.
“What is it?” she demanded in confusion.
“I am not certain. I see something. Do you ... what do you suppose those are?”
Elizabeth shaded her eyes with her hand and gazed ahead at the small, black creatures which were making their way from the land to the water.
“Crabs, perhaps?” she inquired, taking a few steps closer.
“I think not. They seem rounder in shape.”
“Oh! Mr. Darcy, they are turtles! Baby turtles!”
She scampered forward enthusiastically with Darcy lengthening his stride to keep up with her.
When she had reached the closest creature, she bent down to carefully lift up the tiny turtle.
The reptile was all of two inches across, and its shell and head were mostly black, though its carapace was pleasingly decorated with geometrical brown markings.
Its underside was tan and soft to the touch.
She laughed as the small beast flapped its flippers, spraying sand onto her face.
“Look at him!” she cried. “Look at them all!”
Darcy surveyed the scene in awe. There were dozens of the tiny turtles originating from a nest some forty feet from the ocean waves. Some of the hatchlings were just reaching the ocean waves, while others were still struggling out of their sandy abode.
Elizabeth carefully returned her turtle to the sand and stepped back. For a full fifteen minutes, man and woman watched with reverence as the small reptiles made their way into the ocean that would be their home.
“I wonder how they know where to go?” Darcy mused finally.
“It is incredible,” Elizabeth agreed. “They have such marvelous instincts.”
Darcy glanced up and frowned, “The clouds on the horizon are looking black and threatening. Perhaps we should begin walking back?”
His companion nodded reluctantly and turned around, still smiling from their happy discovery, “Yes, we must, but oh, what a gift to have seen that! I will never forget the sight of all those charming babies making their way into the water.”
“Neither will I,” Darcy agreed whole-heartedly.
Their eyes caught one another, their hearts beat faster, and Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears.
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy, for sailing after me, for telling me about Jane, for supporting me and encouraging me, for escorting me to see sea turtles. I could not ask for a better … a better friend.”
“I would follow you to the ends of the Earth to make you my bride, Miss Bennet,” he stated passionately.
Elizabeth hesitated for a brief moment and then lifted her chin with determination, “I accept your offer of marriage, Mr. Darcy.”
He stared at her, his face glowing with the most delighted smile she had ever beheld.
“Truly, Miss Bennet? Truly?”
“Truly, Mr. Darcy. I love you, respect you, and wish to be your wife.”
He leaned forward and there, in the midst of the soft wind and the waves and the trails left by the scrabbling of baby turtles as they crawled over the sands, they kissed for the first time.
“My darling Elizabeth,” he murmured.