8. Chapter 8
D arcy rode in the direction of Oakham Mount.
When he reached it, he dismounted and walked to the lookout point that had the best views of the valley.
Darcy took his hat off and ruffled his curls.
His eyes searched for Longbourn and found it.
He stared at it for a moment, then looked back to see Brutus chewing on some clover.
Darcy had trouble falling asleep the previous night.
He tossed and turned until finally he got out of bed, determined to work through the problem in his head.
Darcy had Elizabeth Bennet on his mind. It bothered him that she disliked him.
He wanted to know why. He wanted to fix it.
It was unlike Darcy to care so much about what a young woman thought of him, but he could not seem to help it.
He had to get to the bottom of it, or else it would continue to eat at him.
After he made the decision to speak with her, he was able to get some sleep.
Darcy looked back and scanned the grounds around Longbourn again.
He knew that meeting her on her morning walk would give him the best chance to have a private conversation with her, so he set out with that intention.
He had planned to ride in the direction of Oakham Mount and then lie in wait somewhere along the route.
However, he realized she could decide to walk elsewhere that morning, in which case his plan would not work.
So, he decided to ride to Oakham Mount and use its vantage point to hopefully catch a glimpse of her and ascertain where she was walking.
As Darcy stood looking out over the valley with the wind blowing through his hair, he considered his options.
Should he greet her and immediately state his reasons for seeking her out?
Or, would it be better to have some polite conversation first and then bring the matter up eventually?
Before he could decide one way or the other, he saw a flash of yellow heading in the direction of the border fence.
So, she is coming to Oakham Mount after all.
Darcy quickly mounted Brutus and rode towards Miss Elizabeth.
He decided not to ride all the way to the stile.
If Miss Elizabeth saw him before she crossed over the fence, she might turn around and go back the way she came.
So, he waited for her where the path bends toward Oakham Mount.
He did not want to startle her, so he positioned Brutus and himself where she could see them before she came upon them.
Darcy heard Miss Elizabeth approaching. He busied himself with checking his saddle so that he would not look as if he were waiting for her. When he was certain she had seen him, he looked up and smiled. Darcy removed his hat and ran a hand through his curls.
“Miss Elizabeth.”
“Mr. Darcy,” she replied with a polite smile.
“How are you this morning?”
“I am well, thank you. And yourself?”
“I am very well, thank you. Are you on your way to Oakham Mount?” he asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“May I walk with you?” Darcy asked.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Of course.”
They walked in silence for several minutes, with Brutus trailing behind. All the while, Darcy was desperately trying to think of something to say. Suddenly, he remembered her trip to town.
“You mentioned that you and Miss Bennet are very close with your aunt and uncle in London.”
“Yes, we are. We have spent a great deal of time with them over the years. Jane and I usually go to stay with them for extended visits a few times a year. We have done so since we were very young, and we always look forward to those occasions. They also come to Longbourn twice a year.”
“It sounds like they are your favorite aunt and uncle,” Darcy said, smiling at her.
“Yes, they are.” She smiled, her eyes on the path beneath her feet.
“What do you enjoy most about visiting them?”
When she hesitated to respond, Darcy looked at her and noticed she seemed unsure how to answer.
“Forgive me. I do not mean to pry,” he said.
“It is not that I feel you are prying, but that I feel my answer will probably shock you,” she said, meeting his eyes.
Darcy raised a brow at that. Then, he saw a little smile form on her lips.
“I am comfortable hearing your answer if you are comfortable sharing it,” Darcy said with a smirk.
She gave a quiet chuckle. “Very well. What I enjoy most about visiting them is the atmosphere of their home and what I learn from them.”
Darcy was sure she could see the question in his eyes. He hoped she would elaborate because he was quite curious as to her meaning.
“Allow me to explain. As you may know, my father married below his station. My mother is the daughter of a solicitor. She was taught how to read, arithmetic, how to manage a household, but not much beyond. Even though she married a gentleman, she did not feel it necessary to provide us with an education befitting daughters of a gentleman. There was no governess, and we did not go to finishing school.”
“I assure you, there are even mothers of the peerage who fail to provide their daughters with an adequate education. My aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is one. My cousin Anne should be much more accomplished than she is. In fact, she has no accomplishments at all. But then neither does my aunt,” Darcy said.
“Well, fortunately, we have our aunt and uncle. Uncle Edward, who lives in London, is my mother’s brother.
Though he is in trade, he is an educated man, and he always made sure we had access to masters while we visited.
His wife, Aunt Madeleine, is a gentleman’s daughter.
Her father was the third son of a viscount.
She taught us propriety and comportment and so many other things.
Her advice is always excellent, and she manages her household in a calm and orderly way.
Another way we have benefitted is by observing their relationship.
I am sure you would agree that most marriages in society are not founded on affection. ”
Darcy nodded. “That is definitely true.”
“Well, theirs is a true love match, and there is mutual respect. Having the opportunity to observe such an ideal marriage and compare it with other marriages has been most instructive. With all of that said, I do not mean to imply that my mother has taught us nothing, because that is not true.”
“No, of course, I understand you. And I see why you are so attached to your aunt and uncle.”
“Yes,” Miss Elizabeth said, smiling down at the path.
“Your father said he gave you quite an unconventional education.” Darcy said, looking at her.
She stiffened. “Did he?”
Darcy watched her warily, confused by her reaction. “Yes, he did.”
“Let me guess—you do not approve of a lady receiving such an education,” she said testily, looking straight ahead.
Darcy was flabbergasted. What just happened?! He stopped in his tracks and called to her as she kept walking. “Miss Elizabeth!”
She stopped and turned at the sound of her name, looking as if she had not realized he was no longer walking beside her. They walked toward each other, meeting in the middle.
Darcy looked at her for a moment, then asked, “Why do you assume I do not approve? I think your father was brilliant to give you such an education. No, young women are not normally instructed in such things as estate management, but having knowledge and understanding of it can only benefit you.”
Miss Elizabeth stared at him, then lowered her eyes with a nod. “I apologize. I should not have assumed. There are many . . . men as well as women who do not think it is proper, and . . . I thought you likely one of them.”
“Likely . . . ?” he mumbled as he turned away from her and began walking again.
“I am sorry,” she said, then fell into step beside him.
“Miss Elizabeth, forgive me, but . . . have I offended you?” Darcy asked, then turned his gaze to her.
Her eyes met his briefly before turning back to the path. She obviously was not expecting such a question. “Why do you ask?”
“I beg your pardon, but if I have not already offended you, I will more than likely do so by way of explanation . . . if I am to answer that question truthfully.”
Miss Elizabeth stopped walking, so Darcy did as well. She turned to look at him with a wrinkled brow and a slight smile on her face. She was clearly puzzled. “Very well, I am duly warned, Mr. Darcy.”
“I ask if I have offended you because you seem more open and at ease with others than you are with me. There is even a marked difference between my first interaction with you in the bookshop and every other interaction we have had thereafter.”
Darcy watched her closely as he waited for her reply. Miss Elizabeth seemed to watch him closely as well, as if she were trying to gauge his sincerity.
“Mr. Darcy, I believe I will likely offend you as well if I am to answer your question truthfully. Really, I ought to dissemble for the sake of propriety . . . but . . . you have given me honesty, and I want to be honest with you as well.”
He nodded encouragingly.
“I am amazed you feel there is a difference between our first interaction and those subsequent. I am not saying that you are wrong. I am merely surprised that you noticed.”
“Why would I not?” Darcy asked.
“Because you were so dismissive of me, dismissive of everyone. I suppose I cannot say you were impolite that day we first made your acquaintance, but your manner was most definitely not welcoming. Efforts were made to draw you into conversation, but you said as little as possible. I thought, perhaps he is out of sorts for some reason or other. However, when your sister or Mr. Bingley addressed you, you would exude warmth and actually speak more than two words in response. After that, a mask of indifference would slide back into place over you. So, I concluded it must not be you. It must be us,” she said, with both hands aimed towards herself.
“It must be that you felt we were beneath you.”