Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Darcy did not wait long in the garden in the morning before Elizabeth found him.
Perhaps she had missed him as much as he missed her, although it had only been hours.
He was now engaged and had every expectation of earthly happiness.
But he also felt relieved to see her safe after last night’s disaster.
He could not greet her as he wanted to, for they were still in sight of the house, and from the bright-eyed look and smile she gave him, she felt the same.
“You are here earlier than I thought you would be,” she said. “Any particular reason?”
“If you want me to admit I was eager to see you, I was. And partly afraid Miss Metcalfe would lurk outside my door and waylay me if I lingered.”
“She might,” she said with a laugh, “but not before breakfast. She claims to be too tired to appear before ten. I think she is simply lazy. She is never up early, although her mother is. I understand she will now ride with Mr Travers every fine morning.”
Darcy thought he likely dragged Lady Metcalfe to Epsom to see the horses exercising before the Derby Stakes and the Gold Cup.
Maybe he wanted his old friend to fund his race week since Darcy had refused.
Although they had known one another for years, Lady Metcalfe appeared to be the one to keep up the connexion.
Mr Travers seemed only to care for wagering.
“I understand the ladies are attending in a more fashionable method than you chose yesterday.”
“We are taking Mrs Tessier’s coach and standing next to the course to watch. I will be properly attired this time. I do not even think we will leave the carriages.”
“No plans to spend your coin on ale at a publican’s booth?
” At least if she stayed with the carriages, no one would encourage her to solicit a prostitute once she had enough practice with the other sex.
Sir John may have thought he was talking to a young man, but it was still in dreadfully poor taste.
It was mortifying to listen to such talk in front of Elizabeth.
“No, but I will give you a half-crown to put toward paying my racing debts.”
She was resolute, so he took the coin but thought of a better use for it. He had seen a silversmith and engraver in Epsom. “I wrote a letter to your father this morning.”
“So did I.” She drew out a letter of her own.
“Will you post mine? We want them to be prepared for a future son-in-law. I am confident they will sanction it and let us travel to Longbourn together on Monday. I wrote at length of our reciprocal attachment. Besides, how could they have any objection to your escorting me home when they had no objection to sending me to Woodcote with a stranger?”
“I wonder if you ought to leave Woodcote now, Elizabeth,” he said carefully. “I can send you home in my carriage with a servant and—”
“What?” she cried. “Why would I leave now, and alone?”
“I am afraid that vase did not fall by accident. I think it was thrown at you on purpose.”
She gave a disbelieving laugh. “It was just a frightening accident. It must have been unstable and would have fallen at any time. Or someone walking to bed or the billiard room bumped it and was too embarrassed to confess it was their fault when they learnt someone below was nearly hit.”
Darcy shook his head. He could not shake the feeling that someone, perhaps jealous Julia Metcalfe, had thrown it. “It did not fall beneath the table, but some distance from it, right where you were standing.”
“Where we were standing,” she corrected. “How do you know it was aimed at me and not you?” When he had no answer, she added with an impudent grin, “Any number of ladies might want to throw furnishings at you.”
He laughed in spite of himself. “Were you tempted at Hunsford to throw a book or an inkstand at me?”
“I can honestly say I never once thought of physically harming you.”
“That bodes well for our future marriage.”
Elizabeth put an arm through his and leant into him. “You cannot think someone tried to injure me? Did Julia Metcalfe see me kiss you and become so enraged she wanted to kill me with a vase? I did not even see her in the corridor when I came up the stairs.”
“She might have pushed it over and then returned to the drawing room. Several people were coming and going, on their way to bed or billiards, or moving about the room. It is possible she did it and remained unnoticed in all the activity.”
“Julia would more likely try to seduce you to engage your affections herself rather than attack me.”
That was pretty near to the case. “My passion for you is too strong to be weakened by the pitiful expedients of Miss Metcalfe.” He wished he could kiss Elizabeth right now. “But are you sure you will not consider going home? After all, you came to secure a husband, and now you have.”
“I came because Lady Catherine sent me, if you remember, and one does not refuse Lady Catherine. But there is no proof someone tried to harm me. It was an accident, my dear.”
He supposed there had been a bustle of people walking to and from the drawing room last night as some walked the passageway to find their entertainment or to go to bed.
He could not be sure who was where and when—and accusing Julia without proof was unpardonable.
It could have been anyone, even a servant.
But it was also possible the vase was always a breath away from falling and it was an unfortunate coincidence that anyone was below.
She was right. Shards of pottery not where he thought they should be was not proof. It did seem rather ridiculous to imagine something nefarious happened now that the sun was up and the heart-racing anxiety of her being hurt was gone.
Elizabeth looked at him as though waiting for him to realise what she already knew. Darcy clasped his free hand over hers where it rested on his arm. “Is it so wrong for me to want you away from danger?”
“There is no danger,” she insisted. “There is no reason for me to leave. I am just starting to enjoy being at Woodcote. I have very fond feelings for one of the guests, in case you did not know.”
“Maybe I also want you away from Sir John Whitney and his vulgar manner.”
“Do you fear I will fall in love with him?” she teased.
“My attachment may be newer, but it is as firm and fixed as yours, and no one here will shake it. However,” she drawled, “I would leave now if you went with me. We can apologise for not securing my parents’ permission when we get to Longbourn. ”
Unless he was convinced there was a threat to Elizabeth or himself, he could not forsake his friend. He sighed. “I promised Tessier I would keep Henry out of mischief.”
She gave him a mock resigned look. “I suppose I must admire you for being a man who keeps his promises. Then we will go to Longbourn on Monday as planned, presumably with my parents’ knowledge and consent.”
“Your father may refuse his consent.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “He won’t. Once he reads my letter, he will have no grounds to object.”
Darcy smiled at the complete change in her feelings. “Did you compliment me? Say that you could not be happy without me?”
“I first had to assure him that although I may have disliked you for a few inconsequential reasons a few months ago, I love you now.”
He felt a few stirrings of uncertainty. “And you are confident your feelings are what they ought to be? Even with my letter at Hunsford and all the rest, we have only been three days together at Woodcote.”
Elizabeth leant into his arm, holding him tight.
“I was a fool before. And I have a thorough conviction of my attachment to you now.” Raising her head to grin at him, she added, “We must walk for longer so I can remind you of all of your good qualities. You seem to have forgotten why any sensible woman like myself should fall instantly in love with you. Feel free to add a few of the reasons you admire me as we go along. I know my beauty you early withstood.”
“I did not resist it for as long as you think I did. In fact, by the time we met at Lucas Lodge, I had admitted that you were a pretty woman with fine eyes. And the mixture of sweetness and archness in your manner was a great attraction.”
There was not much of a garden near the house and no gravel walks, and their stroll took them near to the stables and by a cart behind it.
As they came around the other side, two riders approached.
Lady Metcalfe and Mr Travers rode up with energy.
Mr Travers dismounted and tossed his reins to a stableboy, and continued toward the house without helping Lady Metcalfe down.
He briskly walked away without a backward glance, but Darcy could not be sure if he was indifferent to his companion or indifferent to anything that was not a racehorse.
One of the grooms lifted Lady Metcalfe down, and she passed a critical eye over both of them. “Mr Darcy. Miss Bennet.”
There was no warmth in her tone, and her gaze dropped to where their arms were intertwined.
It could appear that two friends were enjoying a walk, or it might appear as though there was much more between them.
It would not be wise to announce their new understanding, but he would not drop Elizabeth’s arm as though he had done something wrong.
Lady Metcalfe would tell her daughter he walked with Elizabeth and encourage her to redouble her efforts to entice him into matrimony.
Or encourage an evening in his bed to tempt him to offer her a more respectable connexion.
Julia would be insufferable, so it was a good thing he and Elizabeth had agreed to keep their engagement private until Monday.
She would likely not let up even if he was engaged, or maybe throw herself into a tantrum like a child.
He noticed Elizabeth watch Lady Metcalfe stride past them and enter the house. “Are you worried she will tell Julia we walked together?”