Chapter 19
Darcy hummed a little tune to himself as he sat in the foyer, waiting for the rest of the party to come down.
Though he had not himself been particularly in favour of the day’s chosen activity, a shopping trip to Lambton, he had no wish to oppose it.
Fitzwilliam had suggested it and Georgiana had looked shyly interested, while Elizabeth had eagerly seconded the idea.
Any of the three would have been sufficient, but all together made Darcy eager as husband, brother, cousin, and host to see it done.
He was not kept waiting alone for long. Lady Catherine and Anne came out from the parlour to see the party off, though they had declined to join them.
“It’s a fool’s errand, if you ask me,” Lady Catherine remarked with a censorious sniff.
“To venture about in the cold like this, for a little shopping? You will be chilled to the bone, and I shall think it a wonder if you do not catch cold.”
“There are warm wraps in the coach, and I shall see to it that no one stays out in the cold too long,” Darcy assured her.
Lady Catherine drew in a deep breath, doubtless to more fully express her disagreement, but she was forestalled by the arrival of the others.
Fitzwilliam, Georgiana, and Wickham came down in a party.
Darcy stifled a grimace looking at them.
Georgiana and Wickham were walking arm-in-arm rather ostentatiously, a display that Colonel Fitzwilliam seemed to find as nauseating as he did himself.
Darcy looked away, willing himself to find calm rationality.
It was far better for Wickham to feel affection for Georgiana than not, even if such affection seemed a little pointed.
What had been done could not now be undone.
He ought to hope for everything that could promote Georgiana’s future happiness; Wickham being fond of her, even if rather performatively so, was certainly a first object.
Still, it was difficult to view his little sister so clearly in the role of Wickham’s wife.
Then Elizabeth came down the stairs after them, and Darcy felt his hard-won control smooth out into real ease simply on seeing her.
As Elizabeth’s only new gown thus far was her riding habit, she was dressed rather less elegantly than he would wish to see his wife.
Looking at her face, he could not pretend it was the equal of the diamonds he had once so casually avoided in London ballrooms.
And yet the sight of her was precious to him, without doubt or reservation.
Elizabeth’s brilliant smile was first directed towards himself, but her first words were for his aunt and cousin. “You are not dressed to go out, Lady Catherine, Cousin Anne. Do you not wish to come with us?”
Anne looked as if she wanted to say yes, but his aunt forestalled her. “Of course not! Do you really think we are in any condition to go gallivanting across the countryside? Really, the idea.”
Too wise to argue with Lady Catherine in one of her moods, Elizabeth merely smiled. “Well then, may I bring anything back for you, or do anything for you?”
“You are very kind,” Anne said gratefully. “The ribbon on my grey bonnet has become rather streaked. Perhaps you might buy me a new one, if it is not too much trouble.”
“It shall be no trouble at all,” Elizabeth declared.
“I have no need of anything from Lambton,” Lady Catherine sniffed. “And if I did, I should send a servant for it.”
“Likely you have the right of it,” Elizabeth replied with a laugh.
“I am sure any of Pemberley’s servants would prove a more reliable messenger than myself.
But, having grown up with four sisters, I am in the habit of picking up little things for my family, and I do not expect I shall ever get out of it. ”
The carriage then being brought to the front, they said their farewells and set out.
Though he must have taken the road to Lambton thousands of times over the years, Darcy had not yet grown tired of it.
It was lovely in every season — in spring, when bulbs pushed up from the ground and everything felt fresh and new, in the height of summer greenery, in autumn when the leaves turned to a riot of gold, orange, and scarlet, and even now, when the hard ground and bare limbs of the trees showed a more melancholy but no less beautiful aspect.
Or so he thought, Darcy reflected wryly. But then, he could hardly be called an impartial observer.
“How lovely it is today!” Elizabeth remarked. “I do not think I could ever tire of the countryside here.”
“Even in winter, Mrs Darcy?” Wickham said with a chuckle. “I must confess, I always found this season rather gloomy as a boy.”
“As did I,” Georgiana piped up a little shyly. “I have always liked summer best.”
Darcy looked at his sister in surprise, but Elizabeth turned to her with easy openness. “There is something wonderful about summer, to be sure. I shall look forward to getting to know Pemberley in every season.”
“You already seem quite a part of it,” Wickham remarked with a grin that was no doubt intended to be charming, though Darcy could not say he found it so.
He gritted his teeth as Wickham went on, as oily as ever.
“May I compliment you on your keeping of Pemberley, Mrs Darcy? Everything we could ever dream of wanting was already provided the moment we stepped into the house. Was it not, Georgie?”
Darcy frowned to hear Wickham refer to her by such a pet name. Georgie? Could he not at least call her by her given name?
“I quite agree. Thank you both for making our visit so comfortable so far,” Georgiana exclaimed.
“I am glad everything is to your satisfaction,” Elizabeth replied. Though her words were merely polite, her voice and smile made them warm.
The conversation turned to the shops they intended to visit, and Darcy glanced out the window, unpleasantly occupied by disturbing thoughts.
He ought to have known that Wickham would try to charm Elizabeth.
He could hardly have done otherwise, both for the chance of swaying her to his cause and for the opportunity to hurt Darcy himself.
Worse still, the stratagem was likely to succeed. Wickham was an excellent conversationalist and had never had trouble making friends. Whether he was capable of keeping them was another matter entirely. Darcy knew his true nature, and did not want Elizabeth to fall for his duplicity.
There was no use in trying to warn her off.
She would not believe him, any more than his father had believed any of the dozens of warnings Darcy had given against his protégé over the years.
How could Elizabeth be otherwise? She would not think that Wickham might have ulterior motives in gaining her friendship.
He had known this visit would be difficult. Seeing Georgiana as Wickham’s wife, and seeing Wickham under any circumstances at all, could hardly have been otherwise. But this was a complication Darcy had not anticipated, though he now felt a fool for overlooking it.
As the day was clear, though cold, and the shops of Lambton clustered closely together, the carriage was to wait for them by Lambton church.
Though the Darcys had attended services there each week, Elizabeth had not yet been given the tour of its various beauties and of the stories and mishaps that the others had stored up over the years, and it was decided that this must be accomplished before their shopping could begin.
Feeling less inclined to talk than the others, Darcy walked by his wife’s side and said little.
Though he might reasonably be accused of brooding, he could not seem to make himself do otherwise.
“I did not think how difficult this outing would be,” Elizabeth sighed.
Darcy’s brow furrowed. “Oh? Why should it be difficult?”
“How can I purchase supplies for your Christmas present? You are bound to see,” Elizabeth said. “I shall have to sneak away from the group when you are not looking,” she teased.
Darcy smiled at her, his heart lifting. Only a few words, and she had changed everything.
He chuckled. “Ah, I see. Well, even if you do try to run away, I am sure I could find you. I grew up playing hide and seek in this village, you know. I’m afraid there is not a place you could hide that I would not discover you. ”
She looked up at him with an intensity that bordered on longing.
Or was that just his imagination playing tricks on him?
He pressed her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm, as he had grown increasingly fond of doing since their disastrous riding lesson.
He was beginning to see that fateful riding lesson as a blessing and a curse.
A blessing, because it had brought him so near to her.
A curse, because he could think of nothing else but being so close to her again.
But this time, there must be no Lady Catherine to interrupt them…
He quickly tore his thoughts away from such distractions and cleared his throat. “You know you do not have to buy anything for me. You should spend your allowance on a new wardrobe for yourself.”
“No, certainly not, for I have ordered three new gowns already. I am hoping they will be finished by the Christmas festivities,” she said.
“I would much rather spend it on little trinkets for you and the rest of the family. And the servants, of course. Mama always made sure to have something for them, even in the lean years.”
“An excellent practice,” Darcy agreed. “My mother always chose something for the servants. I have fallen into simply giving money, but I believe that from this year on, we shall do both.” And as the mistress of Pemberley, he thought but did not say, she would never need to consider lean years again.