Darcy and Elizabeth What If? Collection 1 (11 page)

Elizabeth reached out and caught it as it flew past.

‘Oh, thank you!’ said the young lady, as she approached with a blush. ‘I thought I had lost it and I would be very sorry to do that. It was a present from my brother. May I do anything to help you in return?’

Elizabeth said, ‘Yes, I believe you may. I am looking for the haberdasher’s. I have to buy some needles and thread for my aunt. I am new here and so I do not yet know my way about.’

The young lady retrieved her bonnet from Elizabeth, but when she examined it she let out an exclamation of dismay.

‘Oh!’ she said, ‘The ribbon has blown away.’

It was true, the ribbon was missing. Elizabeth looked up and saw it spiralling ever higher in the sky as the wind took it and blew it out to sea.

‘I will have to buy some more,’ said the young lady. ‘We could walk to the haberdasher’s together, if you wish. It will be easier for me to show you the way than to explain.’

Elizabeth thanked her and they set off together.

‘Have you been here long?’ asked Elizabeth.

‘I have been here for several weeks,’ the young lady said. ‘It was very hot in London and my brother felt I should be happier by the sea.’

‘He seems very attentive. You are lucky to have someone who cares for you so dearly.’

‘Yes, I am. Do you have any brothers?’

‘No,’ said Elizabeth.

‘Oh, I am sorry,’ said the young lady. ‘I do not know what I would do without mine. He has looked after me ever since our parents died.’

Elizabeth said how sorry she was to hear the young lady was an orphan, but the young lady disclaimed it, saying she was very fortunate in so many ways that she was not to be pitied.

‘I do have four sisters, though,’ said Elizabeth.

‘Four! I am sure I envy you. I have always wanted a sister, someone to talk to and share things with. My brother is very dear to me but I do not want to bore him too much with talk of bonnets!’

Elizabeth said, ‘I have a sister of about your age who never thinks of anything else!’

The young lady smiled. ‘I am sure I hope I think of other things besides, but it is very pleasant to talk of clothes, all the same. But forgive me, I have not introduced myself. I am not yet out, you see, and I do not always know the right way of doing things, so I hope you will excuse me if I make a mistake and do not do everything just as I should. I am Miss Darcy, and this is my companion, Mrs Younge.’

‘And I am Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I am staying in Ramsgate with my aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Gardiner.’

‘I hope we might see something of each other while you are here,’ ventured Miss Darcy. ‘Would you care to come to tea tomorrow afternoon?’

‘I should like it very much,’ said Elizabeth.

Miss Darcy gave her the address and the two ladies went into the haberdasher’s, feeling very pleased with each other. Although Miss Darcy was four or five years younger than Elizabeth, she was still old enough to be a friend and companion. Elizabeth was glad to have made a friend in Ramsgate and she knew that Miss Darcy felt the same.

Elizabeth bought the needles and thread for her aunt while Miss Darcy examined a selection of ribbon.

‘I cannot decide,’ said Miss Darcy.

‘This one is very nice,’ said Mrs Younge.

Elizabeth was surprised at the companion. The ribbon was scarlet and totally unsuitable for such a young lady. It would also not match her complexion.

‘I think this one would be better,’ said Elizabeth, picking up a pale green ribbon which would be more suitable for Miss Darcy’s tender years. It would also match her eyes.

‘Oh, yes, it’s very pretty,’ said Miss Darcy. She said to the shopkeeper, ‘I will have a yard and a half of that one, please.’

Elizabeth was just about to bid her new friend goodbye when the door opened and a very handsome gentleman entered the shop. He was of medium height with fair hair and a good figure. He was dressed in a blue tailcoat and cream breeches with black shoes. He took off his hat and tucked it under his arm. Then, ignoring Elizabeth completely, he went over to her new friend, smiling all the while.

‘Why, if it isn’t Miss Darcy again! What a pleasant surprise!’ he said, his eyes twinkling attractively.

He bowed and kissed Miss Darcy’s hand.

Miss Darcy blushed.

‘We do seem to keep meeting, Mr Wickham,’ she said.

‘We do indeed! But in such a small town, it is difficult not to,’ he said. ‘I cannot be sorry for it, in fact I am very glad of it. We are such old friends that it is always a pleasure to see you and I welcome this chance to renew our acquaintance.’

Miss Darcy turned to Elizabeth and said, ‘This is Mr Wickham. He is —’

‘A family friend,’ interrupted Mr Wickham smoothly. ‘We grew up together on the same estate. Miss Darcy’s brother and I are friends.’

‘Oh! I am so pleased you are friends again,’ said Miss Darcy, turning to him with a smile. ‘I did not like it when he was angry with you. It is so much pleasanter when everyone gets along together.’

‘Our disagreement was nothing. It was just the usual falling out between friends, the sort of thing that blows over in a few weeks,’ said Mr Wickham with a charming smile. ‘We are now even better friends than ever. I see you have been buying ribbon. A very pretty choice, if I may say so. And now, if you have finished here, perhaps you would allow me to escort you home?’

Miss Darcy looked at her companion, who said, ‘There can be no objection to it I am sure.’

The shopkeeper wrapped her ribbon, then she picked up her parcel and took Mr Wickham’s arm. She bid Elizabeth goodbye and the two of them left the shop, followed by the companion.

Elizabeth was left looking after them, feeling uneasy. Mr Wickham was handsome and charming but he reminded her of the fox in the fairy story about the gingerbread man. The fox was wily and cunning and told the gingerbread man he would carry him across the river on his nose. But when the gingerbread man trusted him, and the fox carried him far out over the water, the fox gobbled him up.

Elizabeth could not help feeling that Mr Wickham intended to gobble Miss Darcy up. He had quickly smoothed over any suggestion that Miss Darcy’s brother did not like him, and he had cut Miss Darcy off when she was about to tell Elizabeth about him. He had been altogether too glib and she found she did not trust George Wickham.

Even worse, she did not trust Miss Darcy’s companion.

A look had passed between these two when Mr Wickham had first entered the shop, and Elizabeth found herself with grave misgivings. Miss Darcy was evidently an heiress. She was in Ramsgate alone apart from servants. And although her brother was obviously very caring, he was not here to watch over her.

As Elizabeth walked back along the seafront, she wondered what she should do.

She decided she must talk it over with her Aunt Gardiner and see if she was justified in saying something to Miss Darcy. The two young ladies were only slightly acquainted after all, and Miss Darcy might view it as an impertinence.

Elizabeth put it out of her mind for the rest of her walk. The fresh breeze was enlivening. The sight of the fishing boats bobbing on the water, together with the fishermen mending their nets on the beach, had all the interest of novelty and she took a keen interest in everything she saw.

When she returned to the house she recognised it easily, despite its being the same style as all the others in the row, because of its cheerful pink colour.

As she went inside she saw there were boxes everywhere, but most of them were now empty. The servants had been busy unpacking and the house was taking on a more homely air.

Elizabeth removed her outdoor clothes and then went into the drawing-room. She found her aunt there, alone.

‘How is my uncle?’ asked Elizabeth.

‘Tired,’ said Mrs Gardiner. ‘I have sent him to bed.’

‘And the children?’

‘They are in the garden. It is not very large, but their governess felt they needed some fresh air and I agreed. It was a long journey but they behaved very well. Tomorrow I have promised we will take them down to the beach.’

‘Oh, yes, that will be fun,’ said Elizabeth. ‘Will we be going in the morning? I only ask because I have been invited out to tea tomorrow afternoon.’

‘Oh? Really? Well in that case, yes, we will go to the beach in the morning. But where are you going? Who has invited you? How did it come about?’

Mrs Gardiner was very interested in everything Elizabeth had to tell her. She smiled when Elizabeth spoke of Miss Darcy but then frowned when Elizabeth told her about Mr Wickham.

‘What do you think I should do?’ asked Elizabeth, when she had told her aunt everything. ‘Do you think I am justified in saying anything to Miss Darcy?’

Mrs Gardiner thought for a few minutes.

‘Yes, I think you are,’ she said at last. ‘You cannot say too much to begin with, but I think you should certainly give her a hint – just enough to put her on her guard. And then, when you come to know her better, you will be able to say more.’

Elizabeth agreed.

Her aunt was very quiet.

‘What is it?’ asked Elizabeth.

‘Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if your new friend could have a connection to the Pemberley Darcys. I used to live in Derbyshire, as you know, and the greatest family in the neighbourhood was named Darcy. I believe they had a daughter and I have been trying to recall her name. I left the neighbourhood before she was born, and I have only heard of her through friends. But I think – yes, I think her name was Georgiana. If it is the same family, then she is a very great heiress indeed. I knew her father a little. He was very wealthy, but above that, he was a very good man and he was well liked in the neighbourhood.’

‘I will ask her tomorrow if it is the same family,’ said Elizabeth.

‘Yes, do. And, once your uncle is feeling better, we must invite her to tea. And now, I had better go and see the housekeeper. She has done very well but there are one or two things I want changing.’

Her aunt left the room.

Elizabeth took the opportunity of writing to Jane. She went over to the small rosewood writing table in the corner, where she sat down on the matching rosewood chair, sweeping the skirt of her muslin gown beneath her. She took up a quill and dipped it in the ink. She took a few minutes to order her thoughts and then she began. There was already a lot to tell her sister, and she filled three pages with news before she was done.

The following day, Elizabeth spent an invigorating morning on the beach with her family. Her aunt and uncle sat on a bench in the warm sunshine, while Elizabeth played with the children. They all had kites and she helped the children to fly them, running along the beach until the kites were caught by the wind and flew into the air.

There were a few tears as some of the kites refused to fly, or became tangled, but at last every kite was made to soar aloft and the children’s laughter could be heard mingling with the swoosh of the waves and the cry of the gulls.

It was a happy party that returned to the house for luncheon. The sea air had given Mr Gardiner an appetite and he ate more than usual, which encouraged Mrs Gardiner. The wind and the sun had put some colour in his cheeks, and although he retired to his room after lunch, Elizabeth and her aunt were pleased to see the holiday appeared to be doing him some good.

Elizabeth’s aunt took out her sewing basket.

‘Thank you for these needles, they are just what I need,’ said her aunt.

Elizabeth joined her aunt in her sewing until it was time for her to leave.

‘Now, Lizzy, you must be off,’ said Mrs Gardiner. ‘It will not do to keep Miss Darcy waiting. You must take the maid. I will not let anyone say that we do not look after you!’

Elizabeth kissed her aunt on the cheek. Then, putting on her pelisse, gloves and bonnet, she picked up her reticule and set out, accompanied by the maid. After a brisk walk along the seafront she arrived at an imposing residence which was twice the size of that taken by her aunt and uncle. She was admitted by a footman, who led her through to the drawing-room, where he announced her.

Miss Darcy was sitting at the pianoforte. She jumped up as soon as Elizabeth was announced.

‘How glad I am to see you!’ she said, coming forward with hands outstretched.

Elizabeth took her hands and the two women exchanged greetings.

Mrs Younge did not look so pleased to see Elizabeth.

‘Let me help you with your bonnet,’ said Miss Darcy.

It was evident she was enjoying her chance to be a hostess.

Elizabeth thanked her and she was soon sitting on the sofa as one of the servants whisked her bonnet and pelisse away.

Then Miss Darcy turned to her companion.

‘Mrs Younge, would you fetch my book of engravings. I left it in my room and I would like to show it to Miss Bennet.’

Mrs Younge did not look as though she liked to leave the two of them alone together, but she could not refuse and so she left the room.

‘My aunt was very interested to hear your name,’ said Elizabeth. ‘She used to live in Derbyshire and wondered if you could be related to the Darcys of Pemberley?’