Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The Man of Derbyshire
As much Lizzy wanted to rejoice the brownies crowded into the field, she could not.
Butterbell pulled on the skirt of her gown asking, “Miss, what matter?”
“Butterbell, I know everyone believes the Eliminator is gone forever, but remember, his family, like mine, is always training a replacement.”
“Alistair had no children,” Darcy pointed out.
“With his family line it might not have required a direct descendant. In my family, there was always a direct line through the daughters, but Grandmother lost her only daughter. She was unsure if a granddaughter could take her place one day. When Jane was born, she thought Jane would be the one. By the age of two, Jane did not prove capable of replacing her, so Grandmother waited. As I shared with you before, she discovered I would be the one she would train. In the de Bourgh family, it might be different.”
“Maybe many years pass a’fore new Eliminator come,” Butterbell observed hopefully.
“Possibly,” Lizzy agreed. “For now, let the others continue to celebrate. In time, you can begin to inform them of the possibility of another in the years to come.”
“Rowan help,” Rowan declared. Lizzy had only just noticed he stood at Butterbell’s side.
Lizzy just smiled at him and nodded.
“I think we should take young Robbie home. Your parents might be worried about his disappearance,” Darcy suggested.
Lizzy looked down at her younger brother, smiled, and agreed.
As they were walking home, Robbie asked, “Lizzy, will I be able to turn someone into a tree?”
Lizzy looked startled at her brother’s question. “Why would you want to do such a thing, Robbie?”
“If someone bad tried to hurt you or our family, then I could turn him into a tree,” Robbie casually observed.
Her brother’s matter-of-fact comment nearly made Lizzy chuckle, but the seriousness of what had happened stopped her.
Taking a moment to consider her words, Lizzy finally replied, “I do not know if you will be able to even if you have better control over the power around you. I did not know I could do such a thing to a person. Also, you must consider what you would do if you did begin turning someone into a tree only to discover you were wrong about them. How would you begin to undo what you started?”
“You gave that bad man a choice,” Robbie replied.
“Yes, I did, but I am unsure if I could have stopped him from becoming a tree,” Lizzy replied.
“What about the other bad man. Could you have stopped from making him disappear?”
Darcy had not, until that moment, considered entering the conversation. He, however, understood what had really happened to Alistair.
“Robbie,” Darcy began, “that other man caused himself to disappear.”
“How?”
Lizzy wondered how Mr. Darcy would answer her brother’s question, and if her brother would fully understand what happened.
“I am sure you know that your sister can weave wards around places for the purpose of protection.”
“Of course. That is why Lizzy has to leave on long journeys around England,” Robbie replied.
“It seems she can also weave those wards around people.”
“How?”
Lizzy covered her mouth as she chuckled. She could not wait to hear Mr. Darcy’s reply.
“I am not sure how she does it, but I know she can do it. Your sister has been practice putting a ward around me. They do not last very long, but while I am enclosed in her ward, I cannot use my power to do anything accept inside the ward created around me.”
“Lizzy put a ward around the bad man?” Robbie asked but looked thoughtful. “Does that mean when the bad man tried to use the power for evil it remained inside and hit him?”
“Yes,” Darcy replied with a smile.
“I believe I understand,” Robbie replied. Then, he looked questioningly at his sister, and asked, “Can you teach me to do that?”
“No, Robbie. Weaving wards seems to be an ability shared with only the ladies in Grandmother Bennet’s line, and then only one lady in each generation.”
“That does not seem fair,” Robbie declared.
As November turned into December, the weather turned cold ushering in the winter weather, but Lizzy would not allow the chill of this particular day to stop her from meeting Mr. Darcy atop Oakham Mount.
Lizzy realized during their time together she had developed special feelings for the gentleman.
After the confrontation with the Eliminator, Lizzy had time to reflect on her feelings and to ask herself if she had fallen in love with Mr. Darcy.
Of course, she also wondered about his feelings for her.
Had Mr. Darcy only helped her practice out of kindness or was there more on his side than just friendship?
At one point, Lizzy thought about raising the subject with Butterbell, but refrained because she did not want him to discuss her private feelings with Rowan, and she knew he would. Besides, Butterbell and Rowan still spent time with the nearby brownies celebrating the demise of the Eliminator.
Mr. Darcy’s request for this meeting did give Lizzy a small amount of hope. Either he would declare his feelings, or he would be telling her goodbye. She knew he wanted to be with his sister for the upcoming holiday season.
As Lizzy finished her dressing for the cold weather, she silently admonished herself to be brave if this was goodbye. She could not force him to feel more for her than she did for him.
After donning her warmest cloak, Lizzy stopped in the kitchen to wrap four warm buns in a napkin and then departed for the Oakham Mount. Her only companion on this walk was Butterbell who kept up a running monologue about the final encounter with the Eliminator.
Although the walk was chilly, Lizzy spent the time in silent reflection.
The closer she came to her destination the more her feelings became known.
Without realizing it, Lizzy had fallen in love with the man.
She could easily envision a future with Mr. Darcy in it.
She could only hope he felt the same about her.
As Lizzy reached the bottom of the hill, she paused, took a deep breath, and silently said a prayer that this would not be the end of her relationship with Mr. Darcy.
If he returned to London without sharing his feelings, then she knew she would not see him again until it was time to strengthen the wards around Pemberley.
Butterbell was halfway up the hill before he realized Miss Lizzy was not beside him, so he stopped to look backwards.
“Be you not coming, Miss?” He asked.
“Yes” was her only replied before Lizzy took another deep breath and promised to face her future without showing any signs of loss if he did not choose her.
Darcy had spent his walk facing the same conundrum. Did she share the same feeling for him that he felt for her. If she did not, then he would return to London a sadder man, for he knew in his heart she was the only one who he could share a future life with.
Unfortunately, Darcy was also unsure if Miss Elizabeth felt anything for him beyond friendship.
He felt like a man walking into the unknown, but he was determined to face his future with whatever calmness he could gather within himself.
He would smile even if he discovered they would only remain friends, but he would silently grieve for the future he lost.
At the bottom of the hill, Darcy looked up to see if anyone else was present, but noticed the top was empty of any figures.
“We be here first,” Rowan gladly declared. “I be before Butterbell,” he boasted as he began the climb up the hill.
Darcy silently followed.
Elizabeth, as she began the climb, noticed the figure of someone pacing back and forth. She knew instantly who awaited her from his profile.
Darcy saw Miss Elizabeth coming up the hill, so he stopped walking and awaited her arrival. When she reached him, he was unsure how to proceed. He felt as if the desired words would not come naturally.
After a long pause of staring, Darcy falteringly asked, “How is Robbie?” He knew, of course, the boy was fine, but he had heard nothing about him since his return home.
“Robbie is elated to have a fine tale to tell. He refers to it as ‘his adventure,’ and is sharing it with anyone who will listen,” Lizzy replied.
“Your mother and father were . . .” Darcy paused to find the appropriate word, but before he could continue, Elizabeth answered.
“Mama demanded Papa confine Robbie and Tommy to the house for the foreseeable future. Robbie argued he was never in any danger because he knew I would come to rescue him. Mama was not happy about that situation either, especially since Joseph and Ben are both away.”
“When will they return?”
“Joseph will not return until after the new year, but Ben should arrive back sometime next week,” Lizzy replied.
“What was your father’s reaction?”
“Papa was not happy but not as discomposed as Mama. He did not order my brothers to remain in the house. He did, however, instruct the boys not to leave the house unless they were accompanied by two footmen,” Lizzy explained.
Then she covered a laugh, and Darcy waited to hear what she found funny.
“Tommy declares he will go out looking for his own adventure, but Mama forbade him to do any such thing. To calm his sadness, I promised Tommy I would take him to look for pirates on the river later this afternoon.”
“Are there pirates on the river?” Darcy chuckled.
“No, but Butterbell is planning on recruiting some of the brownies in the area to pretend to be pirates.”
“I am to understand Tommy sees the brownies.”
“Yes, Lydia is the only one in the family who sometimes has troubles seeing them, and of course, Mama cannot see them at all. Her father was a solicitor, and she had no landed relations on either her father’s or mother’s side.
Mama does, however, often praise the brownies for how well they maintain the house, and she has, on occasion, sewn clothing for them. ”
“My mother did the same for our brownies at Pemberley,” Darcy observed.
“Did you ever sew clothes for Rowan?” Lizzy playfully asked.
Darcy gave a hearty laugh, which Lizzy found extremely pleasurable.
Rowan retorted, “He not. Fall apart they would,” which cause Lizzy to laugh. Rowan continued, “Miss Georgie, she sew fine cloths like Miss Anne. We all wear them.”
Having stopped laughing and seeing Elizabeth’s confused look at Rowan’s last comment, Darcy explained, “After my sister was named, all the brownies complained about how long her name was.”
“Too long,” Rowan muttered.
Despite the interruption, Darcy continued, “My mother’s brownie, Aspen, shortened it to Georgie making all the other brownies happy. Mistress Anne was my mother, Lady Anne Darcy.”
Lizzy nodded her head in understanding.
“Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy began hesitatingly, but after taking a deep breath, he continued. “These last weeks I have come to know you better and find I admire you extremely. I am hoping you have some feelings for me, as well. If you can find it in your heart, would you consent to a courtship?”
Lizzy found her heart lightening at his words for she knew she more than admired him.
Being a little more forthright then might be considered proper, she replied, “Have we not been courting these last weeks? I know you were helping me practice, but I also felt we were becoming more familiar with each other, which is what a courtship is all about. Is it not?”
“Yes, and we did share a picnic together with proper chaperones. Also, during our time together, we have been properly accompanied by both our brownies and much of it by your bodyguards, so we could consider it a courtship.”
“Do you then still wish to ask me for a courtship?” Lizzy ventured.
“No. If you agree we have been courting, then I wish to ask another question.” Darcy saw Elizabeth nod, giving him permission to continue.
“Miss Elizabeth, not only do I admire you, but I find I am developing even deeper feelings for you. I believe I love you. I have never felt like this for any other lady, and I cannot foresee any future without you in it. If you feel likewise, then Elizabeth I find I greatly wish to marry you. If you do not . . .”
Lizzy put her finger on his lips. “Mr. Darcy, I too see no future unless you are by my side. I too have grown to admire and, yes, love you over these past weeks. If you are proposing to me, then the answer is yes.”
Darcy’s smile grew and he reached out, took Elizabeth’s hands, and drew her closer to him. He then leaned down and, with great care, placed a chaste kiss upon her lips. As he drew away, he saw a longing look in her eyes, so he leaned down and kissed her again, this time with more passion.
Neither noticed that vines sprang up out the ground and began to wrap around both their legs. When the vines reached their knees, flowers began to bloom along the vines.
“Nature approve,” Rowan declared with a laugh.
“They be marrying,” Butterbell cheered with a beaming smile.
“You be right. You come Pemberley. Come to stables. Like horses. They friends.”
“I like horses,” Butterbell assured Rowan.
“Master William need learn ‘bout warding. Miss Lizzy no stop creating them,” Butterbell informed Rowan.
“She be gone when warding?”
“Yes.”
“Master William go to,” Rowan declared.
“No,” Butterbell retorted emphatically. “Miss go alone. No one know who she be.”
“Eliminator gone. No worries,” Rowan assured Butterbell.
“Gone for now. Might be another,” Butterbell whispered softly not wanting to disturb the couple who were still kissing.
Rowan looked thoughtful for a time, but then said, “Time go home.” He then tugged on Darcy’s pant leg while Butterbell did the same on Lizzy gown.
The tugs were enough to break the couple apart, and as they did so the vines dropped to the ground.
“Rowan said, time go home,” Butterbell informed them.
“Yes,” Darcy replied. “I must speak to your father.”
With a cheerful smile, Lizzy agreed, “It is only proper for you to ask his permission and blessing.”
With hands clasped together, Lizzy and Darcy walked down the hill with Butterbell and Rowan scampering ahead of them, the four buns long forgotten.