Chapter 5 Lily’s New Owner #3
“That is correct.” Miss Bennet pointed to an intersecting track ahead.
“Here is the path.” She directed Lily into a right turn.
The overgrown brush on either side of us made the route narrow, and I fell in behind her.
She gave me a backwards glance. “My uncle does not take me to London because he is wary of my encountering my late mother’s brother, who resides there.
My uncle Gardiner has an import business in Cheapside, and Uncle Barton has a low opinion of him. ”
The walk widened, and I moved alongside Miss Bennet again. “Mr. Barton must believe your uncle Gardiner presents a danger to you.”
“Yes, he does.”
“That is a shame.” A frown overtook my face. She had confirmed the most damaging aspect of her situation. “Have you ever met Mr. Gardiner?”
“Yes, when I was four years old, he spent Christmastide with us. My aunt Barton still lived then, and she had invited him. After all these years, my recollection of him is fuzzy, but from my childish perception, he seemed to be interested in what I had to say. I recall him teasing me in a good-natured way and making me laugh. I still have a charming doll he gave me as a Christmas gift.”
Her chest rose and fell as she sighed. “Later, though, after my aunt’s death, Uncle Barton discovered his true proclivities. He is a cunning and ruthless man who convinced my guileless aunt Barton of his honourable nature. Uncle Barton has protected me from him ever since.”
“I see.”
Her lips pursed. “In any event, Mr. Gardiner has not attempted to communicate with me over the years. He has been content to forget he ever had a niece. It is a sad circumstance since he is the last living member of my mother’s family.
The illness that killed my parents and elder sister also took my mother’s sister, Mrs. Phillips.
My uncle Phillips moved to America soon after his wife’s death.
Uncle Barton had a distant association with my parents and has only been able to describe them in general terms.”
“Where did you, your parents, and your sister live?”
“My father had an estate in Hertfordshire, Longbourn, but in accordance with the entail, a distant cousin of his inherited the property at the age of eight. He and his widowed mother took possession of the estate.”
Longbourn, why did the name sound familiar? “Where in Hertfordshire is the estate located?”
“The nearest town is Meryton.”
Of course, Longbourn bordered Bingley’s rented estate! “Coincidently, I visited the area just over a week ago. I stayed with a friend at Netherfield Park estate, which adjoins your family’s property.”
“My goodness, that is remarkable!” She peered at me, stealing my focus yet again.
It took me a few moments to regain a measure of composure. “Furthermore, I met your cousin Mr. Collins and his wife in Meryton.”
“Pray, what did you think of him?”
A likeness came to me of the ungainly, plump, and tedious man. My conversation with him, in which he droned through insufferable expositions of Bible passages, had seemed interminable. “Well, I…um…” How could I describe the tiresome man in a positive light?
She tilted her head, keeping me in her view. “You need not be concerned that I shall be offended if you did not like him. First of all, he and I have never met. Secondly, my aunt Barton once remarked that my late father did not favour his Collins relations.”
“In that case, I shall admit that I found him to be one of the most obtuse and long-winded people of my acquaintance. According to another neighbour, Mr. Goulding, Mr. Collins is ill-suited to run an estate.”
Miss Bennet’s upper body stiffened. “Oh dear. I hate to think of my family’s property being mismanaged.”
“I do not believe that is the case. Your cousin, to his good fortune, married a sensible lady, the former Miss Lucas, the eldest daughter of a local knight. My friend’s steward spoke highly of her.
He maintained that she is the one who runs the estate while Mr. Collins, who hopes to be a published author one day, spends his days working on religious treatises. ”
“I see. Did you go to Longbourn?”
“No, I did not.”
“Oh.” She fixed her gaze ahead. “One day I should like to see the place.”
In the silence that followed, my thoughts tarried over our conversation.
Her frank and impolitic admissions elevated my already substantial esteem for her even as they delivered an unwelcome reminder: Miss Bennet, though a gentlewoman, would not make a suitable mistress of Pemberley, for my parents would never have approved of her as a future Mrs. Darcy.
As detestable as that fact may be, I could neither alter nor dismiss it.
Thus, whatever time I spent with her could be nothing more than a sweet but temporary interlude.
Still, with that understanding, why should I not extend the refreshing hiatus for as long as possible?
Lily provided an obvious avenue for me to achieve this.
My stomach fluttered as I strove to contrive the best wording for my request. “Miss Bennet, I should like to ask a favour of you.”
Her head swung towards me. “What did you have in mind?” Her hazel eyes flared, eroding my equanimity.
“I want Lily to be as content in her new situation as possible.” My hand swept towards the mare.
“Since her arrival at Springvale, she has never been happier than she is now, with you. If you are willing, I should like us to ride together on a regular basis during my sojourn here.” I paused to regulate my tone; I must not sound too eager.
“This way, I hope Lily will form a positive impression of me over time through my association with you.”
“How frequent do you anticipate these rides will be?”
“They may be as often as is agreeable to you, subject to any other obligations either of us may have.”
“I appreciate your suggestion, and I accept.”
She agreed. At her captivating smile, an eddy of warmth streamed through me, and the muscles in my chest relaxed. I suppressed a ridiculous impulse to hum a merry tune.
Miss Bennet redirected her sight forwards, and her wide-brimmed bonnet obscured the upper portion of her profile. “I have not travelled beyond the towns surrounding Salisbury. How does the terrain in Derbyshire differ from Wiltshire?”
With a temperate amount of enthusiasm, I described the hills, rivers, and moors that made up my estate and the nearby Peak.
Throughout my discourse, a succession of images consumed me: Miss Bennet riding along Pemberley’s east meadow, walking in the rose garden, and perusing the shelves in my library.
In defiance of the inexplicably powerful allure of her at my home, I dispelled the thoughts.
For all concerned, my association with Miss Bennet must be limited to this stay in Wiltshire.
Once I left here, I should banish every trace of her from my mind.
All too soon, we returned to the stables via a winding path, as directed by Miss Bennet. I dismounted and moved towards her with the intention of helping her down from Lily, but she thwarted me: she slipped to the ground in an agile, graceful movement.
I held my mouth immobile to hide my disappointment as Tim came to take the reins from us both.
Miss Bennet greeted him with a cheery expression. “Thank you, Tim. I should like you to bring Thea out for me.”
“Yes, miss.” Tim took the horses to the stables.
I faced her, scrambling for a way to delay her departure. “Will you come to the house for breakfast? I know the Haywards would be glad to receive you.”
“No, thank you. I must go home.”
“Of course. Perhaps another time. Will you be back to ride tomorrow morning?”
“Yes, that would be convenient.” She held my gaze, and my breath grew shallow. “I appreciate your indulgence with Lily. It means a great deal to me to spend this time with her.”
“This is to my benefit as well. I want…” You—I stopped myself from uttering the word. “…Lily to be content.”
With a nod, Miss Bennet favoured me with a dazzling grin, then turned to Tim, who approached with a handsome grey mare.
He helped her into the saddle while I stood frozen like a dullard.
If I had acted with alacrity, I could have stepped in to assist her instead.
Tim walked off as I silently cursed my lack of initiative.
“Good day, Mr. Darcy.”
I snapped to attention. “Good day, Miss Bennet.”
She rode away, and I kept her in my sight until she disappeared at the bend in the path.
Upon my life, what explained the extraordinary magnetism Miss Bennet held for me?
Her physical charms did not surpass those of Miss Barton or many of the others who had taken pains to gain my attention in the past; yet she alone commanded it with no apparent effort.
If I did not employ a substantial degree of self-control, I should be in real danger of falling in love with her.
As I ambled towards the house, I drew an inescapable conclusion: I could not, would not, take Lily away from Miss Bennet. Yet how should I solve this quandary?
By the time I reached my chamber, I formed a possible solution.
If Georgiana came to Springvale, she could befriend Miss Bennet—and give Lily back to her.
Yes, that plan might work. My pace accelerated.
Once in my chamber, I sat at the escritoire and penned a letter to Georgiana in which I explained the situation and asked her to join me at Springvale.