Chapter 27
“Miss Elizabeth!” Mr Darcy said. His shock at seeing them was apparent, as he placed her before her sister, Elizabeth thought.
He then added, “Miss Bennet,” and bowed correctly to them before noting their cousin Mr Collins, wherein the two men bowed to each other as Elizabeth and Jane curtsied to him.
Their cousin had taken the day away from their father and uncle to join them for an outing to Hyde Park.
Mr Collins admitted to Elizabeth that he was not a great walker, but the many hours of discussions of matters of business had given him an ache in the head.
Elizabeth was surprised to see Mr Darcy in town.
From discussions in Meryton, she knew that he had a house in town.
She also knew that his wealth meant that it would obviously have to be in the environs of Hyde Park, but she had supposed he would be at his estate in Derbyshire at this time of year, the season not due to start for many months.
The party appearing to have nothing to say to each other, Elizabeth chose to make this observation, merely to alleviate the embarrassing silence.
“You are correct,” he confirmed, “I would normally not be in town at this time of year, but I found I had business which had better be concluded before the season began,” he explained.
They seemed in danger of sinking into total silence again.
It was absolutely necessary, therefore, to think of something to say presently.
In this emergency, recollecting when she had seen him last in Hertfordshire, and feeling curious to know what he would say on the subject of his party’s hasty departure, she observed...
“How very suddenly you all quitted Netherfield last November, Mr Darcy.” It was only after she uttered the words that she glanced at Jane. She had not intended to wound her sister, and on spotting Jane’s blush, she realised how thoughtless she had been.
Mr Darcy did not immediately reply, but he too seemed to notice Jane’s discomfort, and after hesitating for some moments, he replied. “Indeed, business called us away urgently.”
Had Jane not been present, Elizabeth would have continued her questioning, no matter how impertinent it would have been.
But she could not bear to hurt a most beloved sister merely to vex Mr Darcy, and she was embarrassed to know she had considered it.
Instead, she took the conversation in a more conciliatory direction.
“Has your sister joined you in London?” she asked, recalling how he had spoken of her with such fondness.
“Georgiana is at home in Pemberley,” he said.
“It is such a short visit that it did not make sense to come here to town to merely turn around a few days later and return to Derbyshire.” Mr Darcy then seemed to realise that he was leaving the whole work of the conversation entirely to Elizabeth and finally made the polite enquiry as to Miss Bennet’s health, then Elizabeth’s, her cousins’, and finally all her family’s health.
At which point, Elizabeth informed him that their father had accompanied them to town.
During the whole of these questions as to the health of her family, Mr Darcy kept casting looks at Mr Collins, and finally, he seemed to decide to ask the question which had been on his mind.
“I am surprised to see you in town, Mr Collins,” he said, but the question in his statement was clear.
“I am anxious to spend time with my family when I may, and Lady Catherine was of a like mind and suggested that I take the opportunity to visit with my cousins while they were in town,” he said.
Mr Darcy frowned at this response but merely bowed his head in acknowledgement of it without raising any further enquiries.
He had to admit that Mr Collins did not fit with the type of parson he had expected his aunt to choose.
Lady Catherine most often surrounded herself with sycophants, who would toady to her merest whim.
Mr Collins was not such a man, of that there could be no doubt, and Mr Darcy wondered if that was why his aunt was always encouraging him to be away from Hunsford.
“May I join you for your walk?” he requested, and the party agreed, although Elizabeth could not help but notice their raised eyebrows at his suggestion. She was astonished that he wished to spend more time with them. He had certainly shown very little preference for their company in Hertfordshire.
The party walked on together, and it was not long before Mr Darcy and Elizabeth outstripped Mr Collins and Jane, although it was some time before Elizabeth became aware that they were some way ahead of them.
Mr Darcy made some general remarks about the park, the unseasonably fine weather, and his knowledge of Elizabeth’s love of walking.
She pointed out that he had not seemed to be so inclined in Hertfordshire, having ridden his horse rather than taking to his own feet.
He had smiled and spoken of his love of riding and his great fondness for his steed, but that, as he had left him in Pemberley, walking was his second choice of exercise.
And so it was that they strolled on together, quite forgetting the rest of their party, much to the amusement of Jane and Mr Collins.
Above an hour had passed before Elizabeth recalled them, and as she did, Jane said that it was above time that their father would be looking for them, and so, with farewells, bows, and curtsies, they bid Mr Darcy adieu.
Elizabeth left him, returning to the Gardiners in silence, with a confused frown on her face, and with no plan to see him again.
She was therefore surprised that he should arrive at Hyde Park at the same location on the following week, on a day that she had told him they would most likely be there