Chapter Eleven
REUNITED
Longbourn
The Manor House
The Same Day
All of the Bennet women were in the parlour awaiting William’s arrival.
Mrs. Bennet had insisted that her daughters sit quietly with their needlework or a book while she kept track of the time.
In anticipation, she had sent one of the young grooms into the village to watch for the Darcy carriage.
William’s large vehicle was spotted when it stopped in front of the Meryton Inn, allowing the master to disembark and go inside.
This delay made it possible for the Bennets’ groom to get back to the manor house with enough time to alert the family of William’s arrival in the village.
That same groom was now standing porter at the end of the drive, and as soon as the Darcy carriage turned off of the main road, he was to report back to the house.
“Gracious, what is taking the man so long?” Mrs. Bennet nervously twittered. “It would have been so much easier if Mr. Darcy had simply stopped in the village for directions and came directly to the house. He should have realised that we would be delighted to house him in one of our guest rooms.”
“Mama, I am sure Mr. Darcy did not want to take too much for granted,” Elizabeth said in his defence.
“We should allow him his privacy. After all, the last time we saw Mr. Darcy, things were strained. Aside from the letter he sent to Uncle Gardiner, thus far our only direct communication from him has been to Papa.”
“That may be, but nevertheless, I shall offer him our accommodations. Certainly staying here will be preferable to the Meryton Inn. Not to mention it will give you another chance to see him in the morning before he returns to Town. As for what happened at the ball, well, that is in the past and we all must put it aside, for we have your wedding to look forward to. Your father said Mr. Darcy is coming here today to formally ask for your hand, and that is all that matters.”
“Yes, Mama.”
Elizabeth nervously looked to Jane for support. Until William walked through the door and into the parlour where she could assess his regard, she was not sure of anything.
At that moment the young groom was shown into the parlour where he announced, “Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Darcy’s carriage be pulling into the drive this very minute. The footman has gone out to assist, ma’am.”
“Thank you, thank you,” Mrs. Bennet fluttered. “Jane, quickly, my salts. I must appear as though nothing is amiss when he enters.”
“Here you are, Mama.”
“Thank you, my dear.” She took a calming breath. “Lydia and Kitty, come away from the window and be seated with your sisters. We shall have no gawking. Now, all of you do sit up straight and put on a pleasant face for the gentleman.”
“Yes, Mama,” the sisters answered.
“And Lizzy, I know you have had your feelings hurt with all that has happened, but please do your best to be civil. A welcoming smile will do much for the young man. After pleasantries are exchanged and we have partaken in some refreshments, I shall suggest that the two of you go out into the garden so you may speak more privately.”
“Thank you, Mama, but if you do not mind, I thought Mr. Darcy and I could walk to Oakham Mount or at least to the bottom of the rise. My ankle is better, and we have much to discuss.”
“Yes, yes, you are perfectly right, my dear; a nice long walk would be preferable to sitting in the garden. I will be quite occupied between now and dinner, and it will be difficult for me to attend to your young man while I am so busy. I shall need Jane to assist, of course, but you may take any of your other sisters as chaperone.”
In another five minutes Mr. Hill was at the parlour door announcing William. All of the Bennet women stood at his admittance. “Mr. Darcy to see Mr. Bennet and the ladies of the house.”
“Oh, Mr. Darcy,” Mrs. Bennet gushed, though she tried to restrain herself as best she could. “We are so pleased to see you this afternoon, are we not, girls?”
“Yes, Mama.”
Elizabeth curtseyed, acknowledging him along with her sisters, but found she could not turn away, for as soon as he looked in her direction, he locked eyes with hers and gifted her with a slight smile.
It saddened her to see the dark circles beneath his eyes and she knew at once the strain of the past week had taken its toll.
Nevertheless, to her he was the most handsome man of her acquaintance and she could not help but feel a flush rising in her cheeks being the object of his intense gaze.
Trying to remain calm she offered, “Mr. Darcy, I trust your travels have gone smoothly.”
“I thank you, yes, relatively so,” his deep baritone voice was rich and commanding when he spoke.
“Fortunately, the roads were all passable, even with the excessive amount of rain we have lately had.” Again William smiled at her, this time a bit more relaxed.
Stepping forward, he continued, “These flowers are for you, Miss Elizabeth, and the parcel is from Mrs. Gardiner. I had the pleasure of dining with the Gardiners just yesterday.”
“How lovely. Thank you.” She beamed, inhaling the scent. “I trust the Gardiners were all well when you saw them?”
“Very much so. They send their best regards and are looking forward to joining your family on Monday. I believe there is a letter enclosed from Mrs. Gardiner with her gift.”
Elizabeth smiled warmly, handing the parcel to Jane, who placed it on the table.
“I shall look at it later.” Again she brought the flowers to her nose.
“The gardenia smell is heavenly. Aunt Gardiner has a small jasmine bush growing in her garden which has a similar scent, but I am not aware of anyone in our neighbourhood who grows the gardenia bush on their property.”
Pleased, his smile became broader, showing her his captivating dimples. “The gardenia was a favourite of my mother’s. We have quite a few bushes growing at Pemberley and these flowers are from the solarium at Darcy House in Town.”
“Lizzy,” Jane interjected, “allow me to place your flowers in water for you. They will look quite lovely here on the table.”
“Thank you.” In all of Elizabeth’s twenty years, a gentleman had never given her flowers, not even as was often the custom when calls were made following a ball or assembly. “Sir, they are perfect.”
“Mrs. Bennet,” William reservedly addressed the matron while keeping Elizabeth in his peripheral vision.
“My housekeeper has prepared a basket for your family. I asked my footman to give it to one of your servants before coming in. Some of the jams and chutneys are from our home farm in the north and there is a bottle of Madeira Wine which my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, lately acquired when he was in Portugal.”
“Why, thank you,” Mrs. Bennet gushed in response.
“You are too kind, and your generosity is greatly appreciated.” Mrs. Bennet fanned herself for a moment, attempting to remain calm.
“Mr. Darcy, I believe you previously met all of my daughters while in Town, save one. May I introduce my third eldest?”
“Certainly.”
Gratified to make the introduction, Mrs. Bennet began, “Mr. Darcy, allow me to introduce my daughter Miss Mary Bennet. Mary, this is Mr. Darcy.”
Mary curtseyed while William acknowledged her with a slight nod of his head, saying, “Miss Mary, I am pleased to meet you.”
“My Mary is lately engaged to Mr. Edmund Barton,” Mrs. Bennet proudly stated. “You will meet him this evening at dinner. Mr. Barton is a clerk for my brother-in-law, Mr. Philips, in the village.”
“Mr. Gardiner recently made me aware of their betrothal.” Turning to Mary, he continued, “Miss Mary, please accept my congratulations.”
She blushed. “Thank you. I look forward to introducing you to my intended.”
“Miss Mary,” he continued, “Miss Elizabeth mentioned that you have spent a good deal of time assisting with Mr. Bennet since his illness began. I should like to commend your efforts and hope that your father has made progress.”
“Thank you kindly,” she said, still blushing with the attention. “My father is yet very weak, but he has been no burden, and I am happy to help.”
“Please, everyone, do be seated,” Mrs. Bennet asserted.
“Mr. Darcy, would you care for some refreshments? Perhaps you would like some tea or a glass of cool lemonade following your journey from Town. We also have some freshly made ginger biscuits. You will not be disappointed, as our cook is known to be one of the best in our neighbourhood, even if I do say so.”
“A cool drink would be refreshing, thank you,” William answered as he purposely took a seat next to Elizabeth, momentarily glancing at her before turning his attention back to Mrs. Bennet.
“Very good,” she answered. “Kitty, please tell one of the servants to have the trays sent in now.”
“Yes, Mama.”
Having noted that Mr. Bennet was not in the parlour, William asked, “Mrs. Bennet, may I inquire after your husband? If he is up to it, I should like to speak with him this afternoon. I have a gift for him as well. It is a book from my personal library in Town.”
“Mr. Bennet is resting, though you need not worry, since he usually takes a nap at this time of day. I am sure he will be pleased with your gift. Even before his illness, he rarely left his book room since reading is one of his favourite pastimes.”
“So I understood from Miss Elizabeth.”
“After our refreshments, may I suggest that you and Lizzy take a nice long walk while you are waiting for him? The environs here are rather pretty this time of year, and I am sure after having sat for so many hours in the carriage, a bit of exercise would be welcome.”
“Thank you. I would enjoy escorting Miss Elizabeth, providing it would be of no discomfort to her recent injury. Miss Elizabeth?”