Chapter Nineteen
Lizzy stomped through the paddock gate. Inwardly, and outwardly, she seethed.
Who does he think he is to shout at me? No one.
Barely a friend, in truth. We have not known each other long enough for him to berate me for careless behavior.
Her boots squelched through the damp spots in the path past the sheep and goat paddock.
She spied Gerty standing on the wall again and jabbed a finger at her.
“Back inside, if you please, Gerty,” she ordered in a tight voice.
The goat bleated and jumped down on the paddock side of the wall.
Lizzy paused at the bird-of-prey enclosure.
She picked up a box, placed it next to the fence, climbed on top of it, and began to roll back the roof.
It was composed of wire mesh stapled to a slat frame.
The more she unrolled it, the harder it became to roll.
Even so, she climbed down, moved the box, and climbed back up again to continue rolling the roof.
At one point a groom offered to help, but she said she could do it herself.
When half the roof had been rolled away, she stopped, and tied it down so it could not roll again.
The birds huddled in the far corner, wary of the activity above them.
By this time, the groom, a gardener, and several stable lads had gathered nearby to watch her.
“Will they fly off, now, miss?” one of the lads asked.
Lizzy came down off the box and turned to face the questioner.
Her stomach still clenched and unclenched with anger, but she gained control of herself and calmly said, “They will. But not necessarily right away. The owls, Daryl and Spunky, will likely wait until dark. I expect Oliver will fly off by this afternoon.”
“Will they come back at all, miss?” Jamie, the groom asked. “Like the others have?”
“I hope so,” Lizzy said, turning back to watch the birds. “But I also hope they make their way in the wild, too.”
She continued calming her outraged breathing and ordering her mind.
The effort took some time, however, since her emotions kept clambering to be recognized.
Her disappointment in Mr. Darcy’s angry reaction threatened to suffocate her.
Breathing seemed nearly impossible. Now that her own fury was subsiding, all she wanted to do was weep.
But I will not permit a single tear to fall.
Lizzy took a long, shuddering breath. Then another. And another. Each breath vibrated less. When she finally felt sufficiently in control of herself, she turned toward the orangery and saw that the servants had returned to their work. Only Harry stood nearby, wagging his tail.
“What a wonderful dog you are,” Lizzy said, crouching a little and reaching for him. He hurried over to her, his rump wriggling and his mouth open in a grin. “Let us go for a walk in the home wood.”
Harry barked once.
“We will get my walking cup first,” Lizzy said, walking swiftly to the orangery door.
She opened it, took her cup down off the shelf over her desk, and turned to leave.
Glancing down, she saw that Jeffry stood on his hind legs, his forepaws on his enclosure wall, gazing up at her in such a beseeching way, that she asked, “Do you want to join us on our walk?”
Jeffry wheeked.
“Very well,” she said, scooping him up. “You can sit in the crook of my arm.”
The three set off without any interruption to her plan. Conversationally, she said to the guinea pig, “I am going to walk off the disruption of the orderly working of my spleen.”
Jeffry wheeked.
“What is that you say?” They entered the path into the home wood.
Harry ranged ahead, and to both sides as she swiftly walked along the path.
After a deep sigh, she said, “Yes, it is Mr. Darcy’s fault.
I was having a perfectly lovely day until he scolded me for going into Clover’s paddock.
” Lizzy felt Jeffry purr. “It is not fair, you know, for him to say what he did to me. How could he think me so ignorant as to enter a bull’s paddock without knowing the bull extremely well? ”
Lizzy could tell her improved tone of mind was unravelling. She sighed. “Never mind, Jeffry. Let us enjoy our walk without thinking about him for one more second.”
*
Darcy kicked himself for giving in to the fear he had felt because of Miss Elizabeth’s foolhardy behavior.
I spoke too strongly. What was I thinking?
Darcy sat on the stone bench in the Longbourn front garden, shaded by a beech tree, waiting for Georgiana to return, his hands clasped together and held between his knees.
He stared at the grass, not really seeing it.
I was so angry. It is some time since I have reacted in such a way.
Shouting! Good Lord, I acted like an addlebrained pillock.
It would serve me right if she never speaks to me again.
I should abandon all hope of dancing with her at the assembly.
I meant to ask her for the supper dance, too.
He snorted and shook his head. Unlikely.
“You appear to be a man confounded by a woman,” a male voice commented.
Darcy looked up, saw Mr. Bennet standing before him, and swiftly rose to his feet to bow. “Sir.”
Mr. Bennet nodded absently. He held his spectacles in one hand, and he used them to point at the bench.
“May I join you? I felt the need to feel the sun on my face. However, the sun has proven to be too hot, and you are sitting in the only shade to be found in our front garden.” They sat.
“What is our weather coming to that it is this hot in October?”
After thinking for a moment, Darcy offered, “The comet?”
Mr. Bennet tapped one arm of his spectacles against his bottom lip as he considered Darcy’s suggestion. He slowly wagged his head from side-to-side.
“I do not know how that might work,” he finally said. “Can something so faint and far away affect the weather patterns on Earth? It is an interesting question. Perhaps Lord Wulfrun could give us the answer. Hmm…I wish I had asked him last night. You know, I shall write him a letter.”
“A fine idea.” Darcy found mental and emotional relief in being forced by politeness to converse with the older gentleman.
“Hm. Why are you sitting in our front garden without one of my daughters or my wife here to keep you company?” Mr. Bennet asked, a twinkle in his eye.
“I brought my sister here to ask Miss Mary if she will accompany us later to visit the puppy Miss Elizabeth found for us,” Darcy replied. “Miss Mary had an errand and Georgiana attended her. I am waiting.”
Mr. Bennet lifted his eyebrows. “Did Mary not think to let you wait in our breakfast room?”
Darcy sighed before he could stop himself. He smoothed his hands over his knees and stared down at the grass once more. “I said I would go in search of Miss Elizabeth. Miss Mary thought I might find her to the rear of the house.”
“And you did not find her?” Mr. Bennet chuckled, adding, “You should have checked the barn.”
“I did find her, sir,” Darcy said, forming his hands into fists.
Mr. Bennet pointed at his hands with his spectacles. “Oh, ho. And she annoyed you?”
“I beg your pardon, but she did,” Darcy confessed. He clenched his jaw. “I found her in Clover’s paddock.”
“I understand you, I think.” Mr. Bennet shook his head. “I cannot watch her when she is with Clover. He will let no one else near him—not even Turney. I suspect when Lizzy marries, she will need to take the bull away with her. Elsewise, he will mope about until he languishes away.”
“Good Lord,” Darcy said, appalled at the thought. “How old is Clover?”
“Eight, I think,” Mr. Bennet said, smiling a little. “He may live another six or seven years, particularly under Lizzy’s care. I suppose he is more of a pet, now.”
Darcy lifted his hands up in incredulity, saying, “A two-thousand-pound pet?”
“Indeed. However, in spite of his age, Clover is still very popular as a stud, you know,” Mr. Bennet informed him, chuckling again. “Or so Turney tells me. Stud fees pay for Clover’s keep.”
They fell silent in contemplation. Perhaps the weight of the silence preyed on Darcy’s mind, for he found himself admitting his grave error to the father of the woman who had found her way into his heart.
“I shouted at her.”
“Ahh. Tell me, did Lizzy shout back?” Mr. Bennet asked.
Darcy gave a sharp nod.
“Good. That pleases me. I would hate to think a daughter of mine could not stand up for herself.” Mr. Bennet rose. “Come inside and join me for something cool. I am too warm for tea or coffee. I hope there is lemonade.”
Standing obediently, Darcy walked with Mr. Bennet into the house and on into his exceedingly comfortable bookroom.
*
Mary and Georgiana, with Elliot trailing behind them, strolled up the short walkway to the black front door of Doctor and Mrs. Gregg’s two-and-a-half-storey, red brick house. Mary met Georgiana’s excited gaze, and wondered how her new friend could be so pleased about meeting Oscar’s parents.
Georgiana looked over her shoulder at her brother’s valet. “Please, wait here.”
“Aye, miss,” he said in his rough voice.
Mary reached for the brass knocker. To one side of the door, a brass plaque held the doctor’s name and style. She lifted the ring and struck it against the door plate three times. Soon, the door opened, revealing a young maid wearing a white apron and mobcap.
“Oh, hello, miss,” the maid said, smiling and curtsying.
“Good morning, Hannah,” Mary said, returning her smile. “Is Mrs. Gregg at home to visitors today?”
“I will check, miss,” Hannah said, opening the door wider and stepping back out of the way. Mary and Georgiana entered the comfortable entrance hall. “Will you wait here, miss?”
“Of course,” Mary said. She watched Georgiana gaze admiringly around the attractively furnished hall where floral watercolors adorned the papered walls.
“This is an extremely pleasant entrance,” Georgiana murmured. “There is plenty of daylight to brighten the space. I find it cozy.”