Chapter 21
The maid at their Inn in Lambton had confirmed that the Darcys were not at home for the summer.
Elizabeth felt both disappointed and elated at the same time.
She wanted to see him again. She wanted to deepen a friendship and trust between them, but she was also aware that he had always been head-hunted by all the young women of his circle.
.. Miss Bingley was the classic example and Elizabeth was resolved not to be compared with such a woman.
Despite all her disappointment and reservations, to Pemberley therefore they were to go on the second day of their stay in Lambton.
As they drove along Elizabeth watched for the first appearance of Pemberley's woods with some perturbation and when at length they turned in at the lodge her spirits were in a high flutter.
The park was large and contained a great variety of grounds. They entered it in its lowest point and drove for some time through a beautiful wood stretching over a wide expanse.
Elizabeth admired everything she saw; the image of its master followed her; he seemed to resemble his estate in character, beauty and strength. She smiled at her own foolishness in comparing Mr Darcy with lands and trees.
While Elizabeth admired every aspect of the grounds the carriage slowly climbed for half a mile and then turned a bend on the road at the top of the incline. There was a gap between the trees and the house was first spied clearly from this vantage point.
Elizabeth’s breath caught and held as her eyes were arrested by the magnificent structure, which was situated on the other side of the valley below.
She had never seen a place more happily situated and she had to admit that the natural beauty of it was further enhanced by the lack of any awkward taste.
Nature ruled at Pemberley... not the master!
It was a large, handsome stone building, standing well on rising ground and backed by a ridge of woody hills; and in front a beautiful stream meandered its way down and into a shining lake that reflected the building behind it.
They applied to see inside the house and Mrs Reynolds the housekeeper attended them on the tour.
The inside of the house was equally beautiful and elegant as the exterior.
They followed her into the formal dining parlour.
It was a large, well proportioned room able to accommodate over thirty guests.
Every room bespoke of the dignity and good taste of its master.
The faithful servant could not have been more ebullient in her praise of her employer. Every room gave her an excuse to commend him in one way or another.
Elizabeth smiled to herself to see such devotion, yet she had to conclude that an intelligent and long standing servant who had known him since he was four years old could not have been wrong in her estimation of the man.
They stopped to admire a few miniatures and Mrs Reynolds proceeded to tell them about the people portrayed in them. One of them was Mr Wickham and the lady was equally out spoken about the Militia man but in the opposite way. She had nothing good to say about him.
Elizabeth gave silent thanks to the Heavens that she had already appraised her aunt about the man; otherwise this revelation might have become disconcerting for her aunt.
Mrs Reynolds then led them to the gallery upstairs where there were generations of Darcy portraits. Elizabeth ignored the great majority of them and unconsciously hurried down the gallery looking for the only one that mattered to her.
When she found it she could not help herself, her eyes filled with tears as she gazed upon his handsome face. She felt an emptiness in her chest that bespoke of a loneliness and a need that until now she had never experienced.
Her uncle and aunt moved down the hall and continued with their tour.
Elizabeth did not know how long she had been staring at his portrait, but eventually the silence around her made her blink and walk away from it, even if it was only his picture looking back at her.
She felt depressed. She had known he wanted to be close friends with her in Kent, making an effort to show her every cordiality. But she had thrown his olive branch back on his face, only changing her stance when there was no possibility of denial.
If he had fully forgiven her foolishness, the folly of her approving of Mr Wickham at his expense, he would have returned to Netherfield and resumed their tentative friendship.
But he had not!
Elizabeth, as much as she liked his house, started to feel overwhelmed with the discovery that she was, in fact, deeply in love with him... and to her despair, she realised that it was a lost cause.
She felt like crying and to avoid her aunt’s inquisitive stare she fled to the gardens.
She made her way towards the lake which, for some odd reason, conveyed a measure of peace to her troubled heart.
As she was walking around lost in thought she heard the neighing of a horse and then she turned and nearly lost her balance at the figure that appeared before her, so suddenly, from behind the trees.
Mr Darcy was walking slowly towards her holding his horse's reins loosely. He had his eyes cast down and did not see her immediately.
The day was of such oppressive heat and humidity that the very air seemed to press upon one’s spirits, rendering every movement an exertion.
He appeared to have but that moment exited the depths of the lake, for he was entirely soaked from crown to heel.
His dark hair hung in damp disarray, clustering in unruly curls, as though he had made some ineffectual attempt to shake off the water, much in the manner of a spirited bloodhound.
His shirt, once of a respectable white, clung most indecorously to his person, being open at the throat and wholly abandoned by its cravat.
The linen, rendered nearly transparent by its wet condition, adhered so faithfully to his frame that it betrayed the strength and symmetry beneath with alarming clarity.
Yet it was his breeches that occasioned Elizabeth the deepest mortification.
Darkened by the water and moulded too precisely to the form they encased, they left scarcely anything to conjecture.
The outline of a vigorous and well-proportioned gentleman was rendered in such bold explicitness as to defy every principle of modesty.
Elizabeth, though resolutely determined to avert her gaze, found that the effort came a moment too late; the impression, once formed, was not so easily dismissed.
When Darcy finally lifted his eyes, he was only a few feet away from her. He blushed crimson and opened his mouth in disbelief before he could compose himself, “Miss Bennet!” He said both surprised and embarrassed.
“Mr Darcy,” she whispered his name in deep mortification.
“What a surprise.” He exclaimed, “I did not know you were in this part of the country.”
“No.” She responded feeling equally inadequate for the occasion.
“How long have you been in Derbyshire?”
“About two days, sir.”
“And where are you staying?”
“At the Pemberley Arms Inn in Lambton.”
“Ah!” He looked to the distance trying to find something intelligent to say, to ease the very awkward situation, knowing he was less than decent, “and your parents are in good health... and all your sisters?”
“Yes sir they are all in very good health thank you.”
He nodded. At length every idea seemed to fail him and after standing a few moments without saying a word, he bowed and excused himself, leaving her behind feeling utter mortification.
What must he think of me? She thought dejectedly. As she turned to go and find her uncle and aunt she saw them coming hurriedly towards her.
“Was that the man himself? What a specimen!” Mrs Gardiner said mischievously.
“Madeleine... behave.” Mr Gardiner said teasing his wife.
“We must leave immediately.” Elizabeth blurted out.
“Yes of course if you wish.” Mrs Gardiner said looking alarmed.
“Was he displeased? What did he say?” Mr Gardiner asked equally worried.
“No, he enquired about my parents and... he did not seem displeased just surprised to find me here.”
“Well I would be surprised if he was not surprised.” Mr Gardiner chuckled, “did he know we had plans to visit his county?
“No I do not believe so.”
“In that case Elizabeth there is no reason to worry. We visited an estate that is opened for tours, and so we did nothing reprehensible.”
Elizabeth sped her way towards their carriage parked in the driveway as fast as her legs could carry her.
She had been day-dreaming about Mr Darcy and quite forgot to consider that the man himself might descend upon his own house and find her there, uninvited and roaming his grounds as if she quite belonged there.
What must he think of me? She repeated it in her head like a mantra.
As she reached the carriage and was about to board it, the manor's front door a few yards away burst open and Mr Darcy bounded down, hastily adjusting his coat.
“Miss Bennet.” He called her decidedly, “I beg your pardon for not receiving you properly just before.”
“No, not at all, sir.”
“You were not leaving?”
“Yes we were. I think we must.”
“I hope you are not displeased with Pemberley.”
“No, of course not.”
“So you approve of it?” He said with a half smile.
“Most heartedly,” She said enthusiastically, until she remembered that he might misinterpret her warm praises of his estate. “I dare anyone not to approve it.”
“But you opinion is rarely bestowed, therefore more worth the earning.” And this time his full smile was on display, showcasing the dimples that made Elizabeth blush.
“Thank you sir.” She said confused.
He then turned and spied what he believed were her relatives from London, standing a few feet behind them waiting patiently. “Miss Bennet, could you please introduce me to your friends?”
“Certainly,” She moved towards them, “Mr Darcy, allow me to present my uncle and aunt Mr and Mrs Gardiner from Cheapside.” She could not help but stress the last word to gather his reaction.
“Mr Gardiner, Mrs Gardiner how delighted I am to make your acquaintance.”
He then launched into a conversation about fishing with her uncle and they both moved towards the stream to check locations.
After a few minutes Mrs Gardiner claimed her husband's arm again and Darcy moved to Elizabeth’s side.
“Mr Darcy, allow me to say how mortified I am that you should find me roaming the grounds of your estate uninvited sir.”
He looked at her surprised, “Miss Bennet, please forgive me if I gave you the impression that I was vexed in finding you, of all people, visiting my estate.”
“The housekeeper informed us that you were not due back until tomorrow. Had we known that you were coming earlier we would not dare to intrude upon your privacy, sir.”
“Say no more about it Miss Bennet, I cannot tell you how delighted I am to find you here, in my home.” He stared at her with such a heated gaze that she had to avert her gaze, blushing prettily.
He noticed her reaction and smiled in jubilation.
“My sister Georgiana and an old acquaintance of yours are coming tomorrow.”
“Oh,” She said and waited for him to elaborate.
“My uncle Lord Matlock, who was so impressed with you in Kent, is bringing my sister and his wife from the Matlock estate tomorrow where we have spent the last three weeks with our relatives.”
She simply smiled but had nothing to add.
“Would it be impertinent on my part if I asked to introduce my sister to you, Miss Bennet?”
“No sir not at all, in fact it would be delightful.”
They walked for a few more moments and then he cleared his throat and said nervously, “Miss Bennet I would like to offer Pemberley as your base while you and your relatives are travelling around this region. Would you accept my offer?”
She turned to him abruptly and her mouth hung open, “Pardon me?”
He chuckled, “Yes I see you are surprised, but I would like to be of service to you.”
She blushed again, “Mr Darcy you have been more helpful to me already than you can ever imagine.”
“I want more.” He blurted out.
Again she stared at him but her mind went blank, “I... I... I mean... we...” She looked away irritated with her lack of coherence when she needed it the most. She forced her brain to focus, “I beg your pardon sir. I thank you for your offer. I am ready to accept it but I have to consult my uncle and aunt first, I would not do them the disservice of ignoring their wishes when they are the ones paying for my pleasure.”
“But of course. Please consult them and gain their approval, for I do not think I can let you go Miss Bennet... without showing you the estate properly.”
His words caused her heart to flutter. Her insides warmed and spilled out through her face which she felt, once more, burning.
The Gardiners were consulted and their agreement given with alacrity. After taking tea with Mr Darcy they returned to the Inn to collect their belongings and relocate to Pemberley for the rest of the Derbyshire tour.
Elizabeth knew not how to behave or even what to expect while she lived under his roof. His words were warm and a bit ambiguous but she suspected that he may not be as indifferent to her as she had previously believed.
They arrived at Pemberley and were shown to their bedchambers to rest and prepare for dinner. Elizabeth was in awe with the splendour around her, while she thought with good humour that the beauty of the house contributed to increase her love towards the man.
Tomorrow she would meet his sister and the rest of his very exalted family, while she and her trade connections were his guests of honour.