Chapter 5 #2
Patting his cousin’s arm, Lord Bramwell said, “And your adherence to proper deportment is to be praised. Miss Bennet, you will not know it, naturally, but my mother despairs of me, and has always wished I would take Darcy as a role model of sorts. Alas, I have failed her. But let us speak of something more agreeable. I would guess you have been partaking of opportunities to exercise and amuse yourself in the open air.”
“Are the signs that obvious?” she asked. “Do you find me more tanned or, heaven forbid, freckled?”
Before Lord Bramwell could respond, Mr Darcy said, “It has been several days since we last met. May I enquire if you have had many diversions since then?”
So formal! Does he have to sound sombre, even when engaged in light-hearted conversation?
Since she was required to reply to his question, she said, “I have continued my explorations of the city, sometimes with Mrs Ryde and Lord Halsley, other times with acquaintances I have met since coming to Ireland. We have been fortunate in the weather.” By this time, she had been to most of the tourist sites in Dublin, some more than once.
The occasion Mr Darcy had referred to when they had last seen each other had been a night at the Theatre Royal.
“How I envy you,” Lord Bramwell said. “We have spent too much time engaged in dreary business. My cousin would object to my naming it that, but indeed, it has been tedious. After one particularly dull meeting, Darcy was forced to prop me up, so weakened was my spirit, and drag me to the nearest ale house, where we sampled the most delicious porter. I shall have to determine how I can secure a supply of it in England. If that is not possible, I might have to spend half the year here in the future, if not more.”
Elizabeth laughed. They spoke of their recent occupations for a short while, including several minutes exclaiming over the view of the city and bay from the top of Nelson’s Pillar—an exchange Mr Darcy took part in, agreeing, “It is quite lovely. Picturesque. I would recommend any visitor who is capable make the climb to see it. It made me wish I drew, so that I might capture it to remind me when my memory of it fades.”
This speech struck Elizabeth as nearly romantic, which surprised her, considering who had made it.
She had no opportunity to see whether he might be inspired to produce similar observations, however, because their hostess called for music, and they dutifully gave their attention to the performers.
Elizabeth herself was amongst them; she sat at the pianoforte and played and sang The Last Rose of Summer by Thomas More, a piece she had learnt while in Ireland.
Not long before she anticipated the party ending, she once again found herself standing with the two gentlemen, this time with Mrs Ryde present. The lady had gestured for Elizabeth to join them; she had been speaking with a group of other young people.
“Lizzy, my brother wishes to depart soon,” Mrs Ryde said. “Have you been well diverted?”
“Very much so,” Elizabeth said. “But I shall not be sorry to go. It is growing late, and you know I am always awake early, no matter when I retire.”
Mrs Ryde gave her a fond smile. “You always take advantage of the early hours.” To Lord Bramwell and Mr Darcy, she added, “Lizzy claims a stroll in the morning, as the world is awakening, is good for the soul and the body. I think she appreciates the quiet, even more so when she is in a city.”
“Because you prefer the country,” the viscount said. “I recall you speaking warmly of Hertfordshire. My cousin shares your opinion.”
“Of the country versus the city,” Mr Darcy interjected. “I have spent little time in Hertfordshire.”
The quickness with which he gave his explanation almost made it seem insulting. Hertfordshire is not interesting enough for him, I suppose. My part of it would not be, since there are few families of sufficient prominence to be worth his notice.
“Derbyshire is such a beautiful part of England,” Mrs Ryde said. “Lizzy, I shall insist you visit that county. With your appreciation for landscapes and trees and rocks, you will love it.”
It took Elizabeth a moment to understand why she had mentioned Derbyshire. It was where Mr Darcy’s estate was located, but also home to the Peaks, which she would like to see. The possibility of encountering him were she to travel to the county would not frighten her away.
Mrs Ryde and the gentlemen spoke briefly about the counties they were most familiar with, the viscount saying it was his, “obligation to extol the attractions of Warwickshire, since that is home to Romsley Hall.”
“Well, we shall soon be able to see the English countryside and—what does one call it, city-side?” Mrs Ryde said. “Our departure is fixed for the second week of June.”
“You leave before we do then,” Mr Darcy said. “I believe Bramwell and I will return at the end of the month.”
“Unless my father sends me instructions to complete several more tasks before I am once again permitted to be in his and my mother’s presence,” Lord Bramwell said. He grinned and gave every sign that he found his situation amusing rather than distressing.
Elizabeth did not fully understand why the viscount had been sent to Ireland by his father.
She was curious, but she did not have the right to pry into his personal affairs.
They were not even friends, after all; their connexion—such as it was—might end as soon as they left Ireland.
If she were a different sort of lady, she might worry that her heart would suffer for it, but she could never develop an infatuation, let alone fall in love, with a man such as the viscount.
Their characters were not dissimilar, in that they were both lively and sought company and activity, but she had long known that the man she fell in love with would need to be more serious, someone to balance her nature.
Glancing at Mr Darcy, she reflected that, despite his being a quieter, more sombre person, she was even less likely to develop a tendre for him than she was for his cousin.
“Have you seen enough of the country to be satisfied?” Mr Darcy asked Mrs Ryde. “I recall your wish to visit the places of your youth again.”
Mrs Ryde smiled and gave a happy sigh. “On the whole, I would say yes. I have been reminded of why part of me will always belong to Ireland, yet my home is in England now.”
“And you, Miss Bennet?” he said.
“Me?” She chuckled. “I am difficult to satisfy, and admit that I would like to see more of the country. I might have said as much before, but I shall not feel my experience of Ireland is complete until I have seen the west and, if at all possible, the north. That will have to be for a future journey. For this one, I own, I would like to visit the Botanic Gardens before we leave.”
Mrs Ryde shared this desire, and Lord Bramwell proclaimed, “Then we must go! I insist we plan an excursion. Darcy and I will look into the particulars—when we might visit, et cetera—and inform you. What a delightful time we shall have!”