Chapter 18
“Darcy?” queried Colonel Fitzwilliam as his cousin stumbled up the steps towards the doors of Rosings, muttering an oath at his own clumsiness and then another at finding himself in company.
It had been an utterly wretched afternoon. Not only had Darcy failed to make any kind of offer to Miss Bennet, he had stuttered and started like a schoolboy, and the conclusion of their short conversation had been the worst of all possible outcomes: Elizabeth Bennet was going to leave.
Darcy had found himself unable to make the proposal that had fired him earlier, struggling to find the right words as soon as he set eyes on Miss Bennet in the spring sunlight, regardless of the wordy list of justifications in his breast pocket.
As their awkward exchange had progressed, he feared that declaring himself in any way might actually be seen as taking advantage of her position.
Darcy could not make himself one of the very men he warned her against.
Richard must have been standing outside the front door and smoking a pipe, as he was accustomed to do in the hours before supper when there were no womenfolk around.
If Darcy had seen him there, he would have better composed his features and controlled his words.
The thwarted passion and disappointment of the afternoon had distracted him, however.
“I hear far worse even from other officers, believe me, never mind from the ranks,” he said with a smile as Darcy reflexively excused his bad language. “Not usually from you, however, Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy. What is to do? Did you find Miss Bennet in the park?”
Darcy leaned back against one of the stone pillars at the top of the steps and raked his hands through his disordered hair, not even disputing his cousin’s correct guess at where he had been and the broad purpose of his outing.
“Miss Bennet has declared her intention to leave my household,” he confessed. “I do not know what to do.”
A lifelong companion and good friend, Colonel Fitzwilliam seemed immediately to understand and share Darcy’s unhappiness without probing too deeply or personally.
“Has she told you why?” he queried mildly, and Darcy took a deep breath.
“She seems to believe that my family and I judge her performance as companion poorly and wish her to go,” he admitted as his cousin frowned and tutted in sympathy. “Georgiana will be very upset to lose her, and disappointed in me, if she knows the fault is mine, at least in part.”
“I would guess that any fault lies more with Lady Catherine, given what we both heard this afternoon,” the colonel put in. “Miss Bennet is sensible and pragmatic, but no lady of good family and upbringing could hear such accusations and remain unaffected by them.”
“You are right, confound it!” Darcy exclaimed. “If only our aunt could keep her ill-informed opinions to herself rather than inflicting them on the world at large. But Lady Catherine cannot be my present concern. How can I dissuade Miss Bennet from her departure?”
His cousin puffed thoughtfully on his pipe for a few seconds and then nodded his head.
“You must correct Miss Bennet’s misapprehension, and then you must all leave Rosings quickly and return to your own home, where she will not be further insulted,” he suggested.
“These are the only two acceptable solutions that might work, given that there is no possibility of inducing our aunt to apologise.”
“Yes,” Darcy agreed, reflecting on these suggestions and then setting his jaw. “That is exactly what I must do.”
∞∞∞
“Miss Bennet has returned, sir,” said the maid quietly, putting her head around the library door. “You asked to be told straight away.”
Darcy sprang up from his seat and hurried to the hallway, where Elizabeth was handing off her coat to another of Rosings’ many maids.
“Mr Darcy,” she greeted him with cool civility before turning her head.
“Can I ask a few minutes of your time, Miss Bennet?” Darcy said quickly, before she could walk away from him.
“My time is yours, Mr Darcy,” Miss Bennet pointed out, unblinking.
“Only if you wish to give it,” he added, feeling the humility of recognising his aunt’s offence against this most unaffected and upright young woman.
How amusing it was that Darcy should be pursued so assiduously wherever he went by marriage-minded young ladies or their families, without any concern from his aunt.
Yet, with the one woman who paid him no special attention at all, Lady Catherine made outrageous and improper accusations. Why should that be?
As Miss Bennet nodded her assent, Darcy returned to the library, the pulse throbbing in his neck as he readied himself to say all that must be said.
“First of all, I must apologise for any insult I inadvertently gave you this afternoon. You have been assiduous in performing your duties as Georgiana’s companion, and my sister is most happy with you. As am I.”
He paused and took a breath, seeing nothing yet in Elizabeth’s face that indicated how his statements had been received.
“My speech is not always as I would wish it to be,” Darcy admitted.
“My words may be true and correct in themselves, and yet I still struggle to express what I am really thinking or wish to say. That is when misunderstandings like this arise. I hope my offence was not an unforgivable one and that you will not now leave my household.”
With a sigh and then a very slight nod, Elizabeth Bennet acknowledged this apology warily.
“It takes two people for a misunderstanding to arise, and perhaps I must own my part in how I heard and interpreted what you said,” she told him.
“Still, it was not only your disapproval that made me reconsider my position, Mr Darcy.”
To Darcy’s chagrin, Elizabeth’s hazel eyes showed hurt and indignation as well as reason and determination. Neither of them spoke Lady Catherine’s name, but still she loomed as large before both of them as if she had been in the room.
“We will not be staying long at Rosings, Miss Bennet,” Darcy assured her. “We shall leave as soon as I can arrange it. Away from…here, could you remain with Georgiana until the summer?”
“I will have to think about it,” Elizabeth told him. “There is a great deal to consider.”
Reluctantly, Darcy nodded his agreement to this. It was as much as he could expect for now, and at least she offered some hope.
From outside, the sound of carriage wheels approaching signalled the return of Lady Catherine and her party. With a bow and a curtsy, Darcy and Elizabeth parted politely to dress for supper.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth Bennet was slightly later than usual to breakfast the following morning. It was not late enough to rouse anyone else’s notice but Darcy’s, who was watching the clock and awaiting her arrival with silent impatience.
Finally, the door to the breakfast room opened and Elizabeth entered, looking fresh and sprightly in cream muslin with a pale green shawl. Bidding good morning to the other members of the household, she took her usual seat beside Colonel Fitzwilliam and opposite Georgiana.
“Miss Bennet,” Lady Catherine began querulously as the young woman was stirring milk into her morning tea.
“It occurred to me yesterday while I was with Lady Poynton that there is a family of our mutual acquaintance who might employ a young lady of your limited accomplishments and decided opinions. I have decided to write to them on your behalf.”
Seeing the hurt and anger on Elizabeth’s face raised Darcy’s blood.
“That will not be necessary, Aunt,” he said tersely. “I will be taking Georgiana up to Pemberley at the end of this week. Miss Bennet will accompany us, and I hope she will remain with us until Mrs Annesley returns.”
“Oh, lovely, lovely Pemberley!” exclaimed Georgiana. “It is so beautiful at this time of year, Miss Bennet. You will love it too, I am sure.”
“You have told me so much about Pemberley, and with such warmth, that I do not think I could help but love it,” Elizabeth replied to Georgiana kindly.
On hearing Darcy’s announcement, Colonel Fitzwilliam smiled approvingly across the table at his cousin, while Anne only coughed slightly and Mrs Jenkinson paid no heed to anyone but her charge. Their hostess, however, was far from thrilled at the news of her nephew’s departure.
“The day after tomorrow?” complained Lady Catherine. “That is most inconvenient, Fitzwilliam. I am very seriously put out.”
“I have been away from Pemberley too long, and there is business to attend to,” Darcy said implacably. “We leave at the end of the week.”
“I will visit you in the summer, Darcy, if my regimental duties allow,” spoke up Colonel Fitzwilliam with a smile. “I hope I find you still there when I arrive, Miss Bennet.”
At last, Elizabeth Bennet smiled, the tension in her face melting away. Her eyes, after meeting those of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana, settled on Darcy’s, and she gave a slight nod. “I shall look forward to it,” she said.
Not having realised that he was holding his breath, Darcy released it in a long exhale. Elizabeth was going to stay with them, at least for a few more months.