12. Chapter 12 #2
“We are all well, thank you.” Miss Elizabeth looked at Darcy. “Mr. Darcy, this is Mr. Camden. Mr. Camden, Mr. Darcy and his sister are staying with us at Longbourn.”
“Mr. Camden,” Darcy gave a brief nod.
“Mr. Darcy.”
“Did you suffer damage to the roof from the storm?” Darcy inquired.
“Yes, a bit. Could have been worse, though, as bad as that storm was.”
“Indeed,” Darcy said.
“May I say a brief word to Mrs. Camden and Margaret?” Miss Elizabeth asked.
“Of course! They are inside the house,” Mr. Camden said.
“Thank you!” Miss Elizabeth flashed a smile and waved.
She moved to the door and knocked. Darcy followed her while Matthew walked down the hill to, apparently, take a closer look at the flooding.
A woman opened the door and greeted them with a warm smile. She had red, curly hair and hazel eyes. She was also with child.
“Miss Elizabeth! How do you do? Please come in.” She stood aside to let them pass, then closed the door.
Miss Elizabeth made the introductions.
"How is your family?" Mrs. Camden asked. "That storm was terrible."
"Oh, it was! I shall be glad to never see another one like it," Miss Elizabeth said. "But to answer your question, everyone is fine at Longbourn. Your husband mentioned the wind damage to the roof, and I saw the flooding at the bottom of the hill.”
“Yes, he does not think it will take very many days for the water to recede as long as it does not rain for a while,” Mrs. Camden said.
“Are you feeling well? I hope the events of last night did not distress you,” Miss Elizabeth said with a look of concern.
“Yes, I am well.” Mrs. Camden replied.
“Is there anything we can do?” Miss Elizabeth asked.
“Well, Margaret is feeling sad today. I know seeing you will cheer her up.”
“Why is Margaret sad?”
“I shall let her tell you,” Mrs. Camden gave her a meaningful look.
Miss Elizabeth stood there with a bemused expression while Mrs. Camden went to fetch Margaret.
She returned to the room with a miniature version of herself. Her daughter had the same curly red hair and hazel eyes. The little girl could not be more than four or five years of age.
When she saw Miss Elizabeth, she ran to her and hugged her.
“Miss Elizabeth!” Margaret squealed.
“Margaret! I am so happy to see you!” Elizabeth smiled at her.
“You will not be happy when I tell you what has happened.”
“Will I not?” Miss Elizabeth asked.
Margaret shook her head. “No, you will not.”
“Hmm . . . I think we had all better sit down. Will that be fine with you, Mrs. Camden?”
“Of course, that is a very good idea,” Mrs. Camden replied, taking a seat.
Miss Elizabeth took a seat as well, and Margaret climbed into her lap.
“Margaret, I would like you to meet Mr. Darcy.”
“I am very pleased to meet you, Miss Margaret,” Darcy said.
Margaret looked at him for a moment, then said, “Thank you.”
Miss Elizabeth and Mrs. Camden both giggled silently.
Darcy valiantly hid his mirth in the face of such seriousness from this little girl.
“Now, Margaret, what has happened?” Miss Elizabeth asked.
“I have a new kitten named Jack, and he is missing.” Margaret replied.
“Well, when did you last see him?”
“Before the storm came. I was outside playing with Jack. The wind was blowing so hard, Papa told me to go inside. I tried to grab Jack, but he ran away, and he has not come back.”
“Miss Margaret, where were you when Jack ran away?” Darcy asked.
“We were near the stables.”
“In what direction did Jack run?” Darcy asked.
“He ran into the woods. You do not think he drowned in the creek or the river, do you?” Margaret asked with a worried expression.
“No, I do not think so. Cats are extremely intelligent. Jack is probably somewhere high and dry, just biding his time,” Darcy assured her.
“I wish I could go out and look for him.”
“She twisted her ankle yesterday trying to chase after Jack. I told her she must rest in the house for the next couple of days so we can keep an eye on her ankle,” Mrs. Camden said.
“It has been my experience that Mamas usually know the best thing to do in these situations,” Darcy told Margaret.
Margaret thought about his words and said, “Yes, Mama knows quite a bit.”
Darcy nodded solemnly and could see Miss Elizabeth was barely able to keep her laughter inside.
“I cut my arm on a sharp rock when I fell yesterday, too,” Margaret added, rubbing her arm.
“I am sorry to hear that. You had a difficult time yesterday,” Miss Elizabeth said. “I think I know what can help. Something sweet and tasty.”
“Like what?” Margaret asked.
“I am not exactly sure, but I will find something and bring it back to you this evening.”
Margaret reached her arms around Miss Elizabeth’s neck and hugged her. Miss Elizabeth hugged her back and said, “You just keep being a good girl and listen to your mama.”
Margaret nodded.
“Do you have a tincture and a salve for her arm?” Miss Elizabeth asked Mrs. Camden.
“No, I have not had any here for some time,” Mrs. Camden replied.
“I will bring some back with me this evening.”
“Miss Elizabeth, it is too much trouble,” Mrs. Camden said.
“It is no trouble at all. Cook is preparing dinner for a few of our tenants who were affected by the storm. I will bring dinner this evening for your family, so it will be nothing for me to bring the tincture and salve as well.”
“Miss Elizabeth, you are too good,” Miss Camden said, smiling.
“Not at all. Are you expecting the men helping your husband to stay for dinner?” Elizabeth asked.
Mrs. Camden laughed. “No. Maybe if I were not expecting a child, David would ask them to stay for dinner. My husband is very careful with me. He does not let me do too much.”
“He sounds like an excellent husband,” Miss Elizabeth said with a grin.
“He absolutely is.”
“Well, I just wanted to make sure if I needed to ask Cook to prepare extra because you might have guests.”
“Thank you for checking, but there will be no guests here,” Mrs. Camden said.
Miss Elizabeth nodded, then turned to Margaret. “I must put you down, sweet girl.” She helped Margaret slide off her lap, then she stood up. “We shall leave you and be back in a couple of hours.”
“We will see you then,” Mrs. Camden said.
“Mrs. Camden,” Darcy said with a nod.
“Mr. Darcy,” she replied with a smile.
After Mrs. Camden saw them out, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy began walking back to the horses. Did he think she was showing her country ways and lack of class by taking such an interest in the tenants?
“Mr. Darcy, I hope I have not offended you by taking so much time with the tenants. I understand it is not the done thing among ladies in the first circles to have such an informal relationship with their tenants. I also know that most gentlemen leave the running of their estates to their stewards,” she said.
Mr. Darcy stopped walking and looked at her. She stopped as well. Her eyes met his.
“On the contrary. I am moved by the care and concern you show your tenants,” he said.
“You are correct that most women of the first circles keep to a very formal and limited relationship with tenants. And, although my mother was the daughter of an earl and therefore of the first circles, I grew up watching her see to our tenants the way you see to yours.”
“Really?” Elizabeth asked, shocked.
He nodded.
She smiled. “I guess there is an exception to every rule.”
“I will give you another. Again, you are correct that most gentlemen leave the running of their estate to their steward. However, this was not the case with my father. Though he was also from a prominent family, he took a very hands-on approach to running our estate, and he taught me to do the same. I do have a steward, Miss Elizabeth, but I run Pemberley.”
A grin slowly spread across her face. “I see.”
He gave her a brief nod and a small grin. “I think you do.”
They began walking again.
Still grinning, Elizabeth said, “I have learned some interesting tidbits about you, Mr. Darcy.”
“And I have watched you handle every consequence of the storm admirably.”
Her head snapped up to him. Elizabeth felt the compliment deeply. Looking back at the path in front of her, she could not stop the smile that formed on her lips.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“You are welcome,” Mr. Darcy said as they both came to stand beside her mare. He then raised his brows in question.
She gave him a nod, so he lifted her onto the horse. Once again, he did not let go of her waist until he was sure she was steady. She could feel herself blushing slightly and was glad he had turned away to see to his own horse. Matthew joined them, and soon they were on their way back to Longbourn.
When they returned, Elizabeth acquainted Cook with everything she needed to know to pack food for the tenants. She also made sure Cook sent plenty of ginger cake for Margaret and her parents. Jane and Mary gathered the tincture and salve from the stillroom and put them with the Camden’s things.
Mr. Anderson assured Elizabeth that he had men free to take food to all the tenants so she could stay home and rest from going all day.
She agreed to letting one of the men deliver to the Quimbys, but she insisted on going to the Camdens personally.
Less than an hour later, Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, and Matthew were on their way again.
When they arrived back at the Camden farm, they were about to ride past the grain barn when Mr. Darcy asked them to wait a moment.
He dismounted and went inside. After several minutes had gone by and Elizabeth had begun to wonder what in the world he was doing, he finally walked out holding a gray and white kitten.
Elizabeth burst out laughing.
“You found him!” she exclaimed.
Mr. Darcy gave her a lop-sided grin. “He seemed eager to be found.”
“Aww, poor thing! I am sure he was. Margaret will be ecstatic to see him.”
Mr. Darcy grinned in response, then mounted his horse.
He had spoken about being moved by her care of the tenants, but Elizabeth was most definitely moved by Mr. Darcy’s thoughtful gesture of looking for the kitten.
As they neared the house, she eyed him as closely as she could without being noticed.
Yes, she was very moved indeed. Elizabeth had also been impressed with his confidence and his willingness to assist her.
Throughout this whole day, his intellect and his expertise in estate management had been extremely helpful.
The kindness he showed to Longbourn’s tenants, people so far beneath him .
. . it was a side of him Elizabeth might never have seen if not for these circumstances.
Mr. Darcy’s respectful treatment of them raised him exceedingly in her esteem.
They rode up closer to the house and secured the horses. Mrs. Camden met them at the door. When she saw that Mr. Darcy was holding Margaret’s kitten, she gasped in surprise. Elizabeth raised a finger to her lips, and Mrs. Camden nodded in understanding. She beckoned them all inside.
“Where would you like me to put the food, Mrs. Camden?” Matthew asked.
“Just here on the table is fine. Thank you, Matthew,” Mrs. Camden said.
“Miss Elizabeth, did you bring me something sweet and tasty?” Margaret asked. She was sitting on the floor, playing with her doll.
“Yes, I did, but Mr. Darcy brought you something even better,” Elizabeth said with a grin.
“He did?” Margaret asked, looking at Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy, who had been hiding Jack from view, got down on one knee before Margaret and presented the kitten.
“Jack!” Margaret cried, reaching for him. “Oh, Jack! Where have you been?”
“He was in the barn. He had gotten himself up on such a high place, he was afraid and did not know how to come down,” Mr. Darcy explained.
“Thank you for saving him and bringing him back,” Margaret said as she hugged Jack tightly to her.
“It was my pleasure, Miss Margaret,” Mr. Darcy said with a smile.
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy, for taking the trouble to look for the kitten,” Mrs. Camden said.
“It was no trouble at all,” he said, rising to his feet.
“Mrs. Camden, here is the tincture and salve for Margaret's arm," Elizabeth said, handing her a small bundle.
“Thank you so much for everything,” Mrs. Camden said.
Elizabeth gave her a smile and a nod. She then turned to Margaret and said, “You and Jack have a good time now.”
Margaret looked up at her, beaming. “We will, Miss Elizabeth!”