Chapter 22
Elizabeth had a most marvellous time at Lady Kavanagh’s Ball.
She particularly enjoyed dancing with a very playful and surprisingly amiable Mr Darcy, who ingeniously chose to dance the waltz with her. She never realised what pleasant company he could be when he chose to be agreeable.
As for her other partners, they all had been most gentlemanly and very complimentary. She particularly enjoyed Mr Cavendish, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lord Holton, in that order.
She realised that both Mr Cavendish and the colonel had no designs on her, since they were both second sons.
One had chosen the law and the other the army.
They both mentioned the need to marry a lady of fortune and therefore were free to flirt; knowing as well as she did that she would check herself before falling in love with either one.
As for Lord Holton, Elizabeth was confused. She liked him very much. He was the epitome of gentlemanly behaviour, with a good dose of wit and flirtation, but he also seemed still much-attached to his late wife.
Lady Anne had mentioned that the late Mary Maitland and the young lord had married after being engaged all their lives.
They had known each other from infancy and the marriage had been arranged and settled between their parents who were very close friends as well as allies in the Scottish Parliament.
After a couple of years following the senior Lord Holton’s death the two young people finally married, a match that brought together two of the most prominent families in Scotland, as well as uniting two marvellous fortunes.
After their union the lady had struggled to carry her pregnancies full term, but when she finally managed to last the requisite time, the difficult birth had taken her life as well as the child’s. It was a girl and they both expired after four and twenty hours of labour and heavy bleeding.
However, at the ball his conversation was light and pleasant and he seemed very interested in knowing Elizabeth better. But the name of Mary was never absent from his lips for long and at one point he even compared Elizabeth’s colouring with that of his late wife.
It would be understandable if the Earl was still heartbroken, but it also made sense if he sought the company of another woman to help him rebuild his life and future.
Nonetheless, Elizabeth was not certain if she wanted to be that lady.
Conversely, if Mrs Bennet had been at the ball and seen how the young Earl smiled at her daughter, she would undoubtedly have started ordering the trousseau and planning the wedding breakfast.
On the day following the ball at the correct time for morning calls the Earl appeared at Darcy House and invited Elizabeth and Georgiana for a walk in the park.
Georgiana started to produce an excuse to avoid it but Elizabeth looped her arm with the girl and smiled sweetly, “surely you could delay your pianoforte practice for a little later today, Georgiana. The day is beautiful and we must get our exercise while we can.” She looked at Georgiana pleadingly, “There will be days of rain and snow when we will want to go outside and will not be able to.”
Lord Holton looked a little miffed with Elizabeth’s insistence on Georgiana to accompany them, but he was too well bred to show real displeasure.
Darcy felt like accompanying them as well, only God understood why, but he thought better of it and encouraged Georgiana to do as Miss Bennet asked, cheerfully agreeing with her regarding getting exercise while they could.
So the three of them made their way to Hyde Park; the Earl offered his arm to both young ladies and started a light conversation about the ball the previous night.
Since Georgiana had not been part of it Elizabeth steered the conversation to another subject to include her, as a sign of good breeding.
“Tell us about Scotland, my lord.”
“Do you like Scotland?”
“I cannot tell you if I like Scotland or not, having never been there.”
“Would you like the opportunity to see Scotland for yourself one day?”
“Absolutely, I enjoy travelling very much although I have very little experience of it.”
“What parts of the world have you seen so far, Miss Bennet?”
Elizabeth laughed, “My world has been very small so far, sir. I have barely seen my own country let alone the rest of the world.”
“Well I would love the opportunity to show you Scotland.” He said with a charming smile. “Mary and I had an extensive wedding tour through the Kingdom and I remember some very exciting parts that I would love nothing more than to share with you.”
Elizabeth flattened her lips in annoyance with such forward and inappropriate talk. What right had this man to hope to travel with her?
“I wish one day to be able to see Scotland; also other parts of the Kingdom as well as the rest of the continent. But I think my Aunt and Uncle Gardiner will be the ones to show me exotic places for we travel very well together.”
Unfortunately the Earl did not understand Elizabeth’s subtle prompts, “I think you would enjoy seeing the world with your husband more, would you not?”
Elizabeth frowned at him while he still smiled obliviously, “I have no husband, sir, and at present I have no intention of acquiring one. But I certainly wish to travel, hence my desire to travel with my relatives.”
“Duncan,” Georgiana interrupted innocently.
“Yes, my dear.”
“Scotland is indeed beautiful, but before travelling there I really hope Miss Bennet will visit Derbyshire. I think Derbyshire is the most beautiful county in England. And knowing Elizabeth’s penchant for wandering about the countryside, I believe she will never want to leave the Peak District once she has seen it. ”
Elizabeth smiled and blessed Georgiana.
Unlike the Earl, Georgiana was more than happy to focus the conversation on her part of the Kingdom and started a lengthy, detailed account of Derbyshire and its beauties.
Elizabeth encouraged her by asking relevant questions, despite the Earl’s attempts to bring the conversation back to Elizabeth’s tastes and wishes.
After a good two hours the ladies showed signs of fatigue so Lord Holton brought them back to Grosvenor Square, promising to see them at church the following day.
***
After luncheon on Sunday Darcy invited Elizabeth to join him in the library.
When she arrived she left the door ajar for propriety’s sake. She went in and smiled at him, “did you wish to talk to me, Mr Darcy?”
He nodded and extended to her a parcel wrapped in brown paper and twine.
“What is this, sir?” She asked, intrigued but not reaching for it.
“Open it and you will find out.”
“I can tell it is a book.” She laughed.
“Then why did you ask?” He chuckled placing it on the desk in front of her.
“I suppose I wish to know what book is this and why are you giving me presents. It is not my birthday and Christmas is behind us.”
“It may not be a present for you.”
“Then why are you giving it to me?”
“I may be just using you as a courier.”
She laughed, “I beg your pardon?”
“Miss Bennet, would you please desist and open the parcel,” he said feigning impatience.
She reached for it and very deliberately opened the parcel, making an exaggerated show of it.
He smiled, greatly entertained.
She gasped when she held the beautifully illustrated and bound edition of The Canterbury Tales in her hand. “Mr Darcy, I cannot accept this.”
He frowned, “why not? I know you wanted to buy it for your father. But I agree that the price was too expensive for most people.”
She smirked, “but not for you, sir…”
“No, it is not and I really believe that Mr Bennet will greatly appreciate this tome.”
“Of course, is there anybody who would not?”
“I assure you, madam there are many people who would not. But not Mr Bennet and I think he deserves to have it in his library.”
She passed the book from one hand to the other as if weighing it while she considered it.
Darcy noticed she was uncomfortable with accepting it, “Miss Bennet, this is not a gift for you. Therefore you need not be apprehensive that you are breaking propriety by accepting it, for you are doing it on behalf of your father.”
She lifted her eyes to him and their gaze held. There was warmth in Darcy’s eyes that Elizabeth had not noticed before. It seemed to burn her… but eventually she dragged her eyes down to look at the book in her hands again and said,
“Very well, I do accept it on behalf of my father, with warm gratitude for your generosity.”
His ready smile - with those blasted dimples - touched her heart.
“I am the one who is grateful, as I have been blessed to offer this token to your father, Miss Bennet. After all it is better to give than to receive.”
“I think my father would disagree with that Bible verse in this instance, sir, for he will feel very blessed in receiving this special gift.”
“Let us agree then, that we are both blessed.”
She nodded, smiled warmly and dropped a curtsy as she left the room, with the precious book for her father clutched to her pounding bosom.