Mr. Darcy's Daughter (10 page)

He
sounded furious and Richard hastened to reassure his father-in-law that Mr.
Carr had given both Camden and himself an assurance that he had no intention of
ever subdividing the land.

"He
assures me that he wants only to enjoy what the county has to offer.

He
is not investing in a commercial venture," said Richard.

Lizzie,
who had been listening to her grandfather, spoke up softly at this point,
"I think Papa is right. Mr. Carr says he would like very much to settle
here, because he feels at home in these parts. His grandmother was born here,
he said."

"Really?"
said Elizabeth, interested again, "Did he say where?"

"Rowsley,
I think," said Lizzie, trying to recall what she had heard him say, as
they sat eating toasted muffins in front of the fire.

Cassy
was very alert again. "That must be the girl who married Robert Carr, the
stable boy. Oh, I wish I knew more of his story."

"Well,
you are all going to have to be very patient and very polite and say
nothing--until we can ask Mr. Carr to Pemberley and let him see the
portrait," said her mother, with a conspiratorial smile that had even Mr.
Darcy laughing at her.

"I
think you can depend upon your mother, Cassy," he said, as they rose to
leave the table. "She will not rest until the mystery of the stable boy
has been fully resolved."

*

Preparations
for the cricket match and the picnic seemed to take up most of everyone's time
during the next few days. It was also the day of the Kympton Parish Church Fair
and that kept Cassandra and her sister-in-law, Emily Courtney, who was married
to the Rector, very busy indeed.

The
weather, which could occasionally turn nasty at this time of year, seemed to be
perfect, and much effort was being put into organising everything so it would
all be just right.

Lizzie
and Laura had decided that Mr. Carr, since he could not play, would be the
scorer. He, therefore, had to be initiated into all the complexities of scoring
a game of cricket, of which he remembered very little. "Oh, don't worry
too much; the umpire will make the right signals and we will tell you what you
are to write down on the score sheets," said Lizzie.

"But
you must not get it wrong," warned her sister, "or there will be a
dreadful fuss, should one team lose by a couple of runs as a result of a
scoring error!"

"This
sounds more terrifying than the stock market! Darcy, your sisters have me petrified;
do you really think I can do this?" he asked.

Young
Darcy, who was captain of one of the teams, tried to reassure him.

"There's
nothing to it. Just do as they say; they know all about it." The girls
laughed, but Mr. Carr was feeling as nervous as ever.

Dr
Gardiner was even less sympathetic. "You will be perfectly fine if you
just watch the umpire and follow his signals," he said, and poor Mr. Carr
seemed even more confused.

This
was beginning to sound more like hard work than play, he thought, but Cassandra
was very kind and promised to help him if things became too difficult. "It
is not as bad it sounds," she said. "There's usually lots of time
between wickets falling unless there's a rout! I shall see you aren't left to cope
alone. I shall find someone to help you."

"That
is very good of you, Mrs. Gardiner. I feel more confident now," he said,
and they laughed as they watched the servants bringing in the baskets that were
being unloaded from a cart in the yard. They were all to be packed with food
for the match.

Mr.
Carr was astounded--it looked as if they were preparing to feed a regiment, he
said, and Cassandra laughed and assured him that the food would all be gone
very soon.

"Everyone
works up an excellent appetite at the cricket, you'll see," she said,
predicting that the young men in the teams would probably eat most of it.

"They
do get very hungry after a game," she warned.

Mr.
Carr could well believe it. Meanwhile, Darcy had set out for the cricket
ground, where the teams were to meet before the match. It was his first year as
captain of the village team and he was very keen they should win. His mother,
wishing him luck at the door, watched him go with a lump in her throat.

Though
she never would admit it, he was her favourite and she prayed he would do well.
Cassy was devoted to her children and paid the price. Love like this was so
intense, it hurt.

The
day had turned out crisp, mild, and bright, perfect for cricket. After an early
but hearty breakfast, the family scurried to be dressed in time for the
carriages, which were due to leave in an hour.

Michael
Carr, who stood watching all the bustle, wondered at the effort the English
would put into organising a friendly game of cricket. He had never seen
anything like it.

When
they reached the spot, a picturesque meadow adjacent to the Kympton churchyard,
there was already a small crowd of spectators sitting around in the shade of
the ancient trees, which ringed the ground. Some members of the teams, Darcy
among them, were practising their skills on the green. Lizzie and Laura took
charge of the scoreboard, which had been mounted on an easel, and proceeded to
instruct Mr. Carr in the intricate business of keeping cricket scores while
attempting to enjoy the game.

Meanwhile,
Cassy and her helpers were busy organising the refreshments.

To
all intents and purposes, their attentions appeared to be concentrated upon the
picnic rather than the match. Some of the spectators had already begun to open
up their hampers and baskets. The match had not even started; when Mr. Carr
pointed this out, Lizzie laughed, "Oh Mr. Carr, you really do not know
very much about cricket, do you? No match would be a success unless the
spectators went home with lots of food and ale inside them. That's part of the
tradition in the country." Mr. Carr nodded, realising that he had much to
learn if he was going to become part of this fascinating community.

On
the stroke of ten, the game began, with the umpires coming out onto the field
and the visiting players following, led by their captain. A hearty cheer went
up; the home team was going to bat first.

From
then on, Mr. Carr had not a moment's rest; as each ball was bowled and either
stroked back to the bowler or hit into the field for runs, his young assistants
would either cheer or jeer and then urge him to record the score, which he duly
did upon a score sheet.

Tim,
a young apprentice assigned by Cassy to help them, would then race off to
inscribe the score with white chalk on the scoreboard, to the applause of at
least half the spectators.

The
players, young men and old, ran, bowled, flung themselves on the grass to save
a run, or leapt to catch a ball in the air to end a batsman's life at the
crease, all performing seemingly impossible feats, while for the most part
standing around the field in what might be mistaken for relaxed and
lack-adaisical postures. Some even appeared to be asleep. This was a mere
facade, for they would suddenly jerk into life and race after a ball or leap in
the air to take a catch. As they did so, the "umpires" would turn
around, face the spectators, and make strange, stiff gestures, which Mr. Carr
would not have comprehended at all, but Lizzie and Laura swiftly interpreted
the signs and converted them into numbers of runs, fours, sixes, and so on,
which he then wrote down on the score sheet.

Every
so often, the umpire's signal meant that someone was "out" and there
would be cheers or groans from all around the ground. One never knew whether
the groans would be louder than the cheers, or whether some anonymous voice
would call out encouragement or abuse as the wicket fell or the runs were
taken.

As
the day wore on, these voices became increasingly vociferous.

When
the "innings" came to an end, with the last of the home-team batsmen
given out on a catch behind the wicket, the girls cheered loyally as Darcy
Gardiner, who had carried his bat through the entire innings, walked off the
field undefeated, to tremendous applause.

Mr.
Carr noticed that Darcy's mother was cheering even louder than the others as he
came in and disappeared into the tent that served as a dressing room for the
players.

"Time
for lunch," Laura Ann announced, packing up the score sheets and other
impedimenta on the table. It was explained to Mr. Carr that lunch was always
taken between the innings, when the first team batting was "out,"
which in fact meant they were in and not out on the field at all, because they
had lost all their wickets.

"Unless
of course, they have declared," said Lizzie.

"Declared?
Declared what?" he asked.

His
question brought gales of giggles and it was left to young Tim to explain that
occasionally a team, which had made a large number of runs, would declare their
innings closed before every wicket had fallen. Despite the fact that his head
was spinning with all the esoteric information he had tried to remember through
the morning, Michael Carr could not deny that he was enjoying himself.

*

At
lunchtime, Dr and Mrs. Gardiner came to take him across to the very elegant
tent on the other side of the ground, which housed the parties from Pemberley
and Camden Hall.

"You
must meet my parents," said Cassandra, and as they entered the tent,
Richard made the introductions to the very tall and distinguished Mr. Darcy, his
lovely, amiable wife Elizabeth, and their guest, Sir Thomas Camden.

Mr.
Carr could see immediately to whom Cassandra Gardiner owed her looks. Striking,
though not conventionally pretty, she was quite the most charming woman he had
met in many years. Both her parents still retained their handsome features,
softened by the years, no doubt, but remarkable nonetheless.

Michael
Carr had expected to be treated with some reserve and courtesy by the Darcys,
but he was overwhelmed by their genial hospitality, as they congratulated him
both on his scoring of the match and his purchase of Rushmore Farm, in that
order. Quite obviously, his success at one counted almost as much as his
accomplishment of the other. Mr. Carr could not help but be amused as he
explained that the young Misses Gardiner had done most of the hard work.

He
did not have to say anything more; people just nodded and shook his hand,
saying, "Well done, excellent! Can't do a thing without a good
scorer..."

Elizabeth
Darcy caught him smiling after Sir Thomas had congratulated him heartily on his
scoring, while acknowledging his purchase of the Rushmore property with a mere
nod and a gruff, "Very glad to hear it."

"Mr.
Carr, are not your American friends as keen on their sport as we in England
are?" she asked, with a barely concealed jest in her voice. He realised
she was teasing and said, "Indeed, Mrs. Darcy, they are, but never to the
extent of enthusiasm I have seen here today at a little village cricket
match!"

Elizabeth
had to assure him that she had taken quite a long time to become accustomed to
it herself.

"My
brother-in-law, Mr. Bingley, still coaches his team at Ashford Park; unhappily
he is not able to join us, having suffered an injury to his knee at their last
outing! I am grateful Mr. Darcy is only the patron of our team--if he were as
involved, we would hardly see him at home," she said, with a light laugh,
as their grandson, Darcy Gardiner, arrived to the applause of his admirers. He
was quite clearly the hero of the day. Sir Thomas and Mr. Darcy were both
lavish in their praise of his excellent innings and urged him on to win when
the opposing team went in to bat.

Darcy
promised he would do his best. "I can hardly wait, sir; I think we have
their measure," he said, pretending to bowl an orange he had picked up
from the table, before rushing away to join his team, their advice ringing in
his ears.

Mr.
Carr commented on Darcy's popularity and Elizabeth asked, "Have you known
my grandson long, Mr. Carr?"

"Long
enough to recognise him for one of the finest young men of my acquaintance, Mrs.
Darcy," he replied, adding, "We met in London at the home of a mutual
friend some eighteen months ago. I was only briefly in England on business, but
we got on so well together, I sought him out when I returned last year and we
have been good friends ever since. He is an exceptionally intelligent young
man, and charming with it; since I have been in Derbyshire meeting his family,
I can see where he gets it."

Elizabeth
looked quickly across at him and it was not just the way he said
"Der-by-shire"; she hoped he was not flattering her with good reports
of her family. Seeing his expression and judging from the sincerity of his
voice, she decided he was not.

It
was almost time for the teams to go out on the field again, when a loud clap of
thunder exploded across the grounds and Elizabeth, startled, covered her ears
with her hands. Several people went outside to take a look at the sky, which
was a brilliant blue with hardly a cloud in sight.

Laura
Ann came to get Mr. Carr. "Do hurry; we have to start keeping scores
again," she urged. Yet, even as the players took the field and the batsmen
took their places, there was a further rumble in the distance. This time the
entire crowd groaned as one, seeing, far away over the peaks, a Summer storm
brewing.