The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy (13 page)

While walking around the gardens, Elizabeth was very glad her aunt had insisted that they tour Pemberley. She loved everything about the manor house: its magnificent wrought-iron staircase, the marble fireplaces with their classical themes, the rooms filled with elegantly carved French furniture, the ballroom with its French windows opening onto a Repton terrace, and the sweeping view of the valley from the first-floor gallery.

When the party went into the music room, Lizzy admired the brand-new pianoforte with its inlays of ivory and precious woods that Mr. Darcy had presented to his sister on the occasion of her eighteenth birthday. When Aunt Gardiner informed Mrs. Reynolds that Lizzy was proficient on the instrument, she had allowed her to play a tune because, after all, she was a friend of Miss de Bourgh’s.

After they had finished the tour of the gardens, Mr. Ferguson returned to his work, but Lizzy was free to wander about the estate. In the lower gardens, there was a maze that had been designed for Lady Anne Darcy, and it was she who had been responsible for the animal topiary that popped up in the most unexpected places. Even though it had been ten years since her passing, Mr. Ferguson spoke affectionately of his mistress and shared with the visitors that unlike her neighbor, the Duchess of Devonshire, Lady Anne did not like moving from one country estate to another after the London season had ended. She often said she would rather be at Pemberley with her husband and children than anywhere else in England.

As explained on the tour, the gardens had been laid out by Humphry Repton, who had introduced the concept of themed gardens, but it was the elder Mr. Darcy who oversaw the preparations for the Chinese garden with its miniature temple and cascading waters at its heart. As much as Lizzy admired the quiet solitude afforded by such a refuge, if she had to choose only one place in which to spend an afternoon, it would be in the estate’s wide expanses of lush lawn with its ancient chestnut and oak trees paralleling the different paths leading to the lake.

It was a glorious day, and Lizzy took off her bonnet, and with the sun on her face, she thrust her arms outwards and up towards the heavens and spun around in the pure joy of the moment. That was what she was doing when she heard someone walking down the garden path.

Mr. Darcy had been watching Miss Elizabeth Bennet for several minutes. At first he thought he was seeing a mirage, but mirages did not spin and laugh. He started towards her several times but stopped each time. Although he had been hoping for just such a meeting, now that she was before him, he had no idea how to proceed. Still without a clue as to what he would say, he walked down the gravel path towards her, and when she turned and faced him, she went from being a beautiful and animated creature to one who stood as still as any of the sculptures in the garden.

“Mr. Darcy, what are you doing here?” she asked with her voice cracking.

“Miss Elizabeth,” he said, bowing, “this is my home,” and he looked back at the manor as if to confirm he was in fact at Pemberley.

“Of course it is your home. What I meant to say is, why are you here today? My aunt, uncle, and I were told that the family was away. We would never have intruded on your privacy if we had known that you were to be here.”

How had this happened? She had been assured by the chambermaid, the innkeeper, the carriage driver, and the housekeeper that the family was not at home. If that was the case, then why was Mr. Darcy standing in front of her?

“Please do not trouble yourself. I came ahead because I had business with my steward.”

But Lizzy
was
troubled. She could not recall a time in her entire life where she had been more embarrassed. What must he be thinking? He had just witnessed the same woman who had insulted him doing pirouettes in his garden. By way of explanation, she informed Mr. Darcy that she had been in correspondence with Miss de Bourgh regarding her holiday, and it was Anne who had suggested that the Gardiners and she visit the Peak rather than go farther north to the Lake District.

“Miss de Bourgh was quite insistent that we visit Pemberley, but she must not have known you would be coming to Pemberley at this particular time. She certainly did not know when your house was open to visitors.”

Mr. Darcy smiled and then started to laugh. Lizzy had never seen him laugh, and she thought what an incredibly handsome man he was when he did not have a furrowed brow. But those were thoughts for another time. For now, she could only wonder why he was laughing.

“You are mistaken, Miss Elizabeth. My cousin knew exactly when I would be coming, and I daresay she knew exactly when you would be arriving in Lambton.”

At that moment, Aunt and Uncle Gardiner joined Lizzy. She introduced her relations to Mr. Darcy and emphasized that the Gardiners lived in Gracechurch Street because, if she had accepted his proposal, these good people would have been lost to her because of their want of connections.

“I am familiar with that area as my business associate, Mr. George Bingley, has his office in Cheapside within the sounds of the bells of St. Mary-le-Bow. But let us not speak of London while we are in Derbyshire. I consider that to be a sacrilege.”

“We have visited many gardens on our holiday, Mr. Darcy, but I can say that there are few that are the equal of Pemberley,” Aunt Gardiner responded.

“You will get no argument from me on that point, Mrs. Gardiner, as I am excessively fond of them myself.” Looking down at his soiled clothes, he continued, “As you can see from my attire, I have just arrived by horseback, and if you will give me sufficient time to remove the uppermost layer of dirt, I would be very pleased to show you some of my favorite areas of the garden. But while you are waiting, may I order tea for you?”

“That will not be necessary as we dined at the inn at Lambton before coming to Pemberley, but we would be honored if you would lead us on a tour,” Mrs. Gardiner answered. “Shall we wait for you in the Chinese garden?”

When Mr. Darcy was out of sight, Mrs. Gardiner suggested to her husband that he continue on and that Lizzy and she would shortly follow.

Turning to her niece, she asked, “What are we to make of Mr. Darcy? We hear such conflicting accounts. His housekeeper, who has known him since he was child, sings his praises, but from what you tell me, he offended many when he was in Meryton and grievously injured Mr. Wickham.”

“Perhaps we might have been deceived with regard to Mr. Wickham.”

“That is not likely, unless new information has become available that has altered your opinion of the gentleman.”

“It is as you say, Aunt. Since we last spoke of Mr. Wickham, I have learned that the injured party was not Wickham, but Mr. Darcy. Wickham gives the appearance of being all goodness, but I can now say with absolute certainty that he is not a gentleman. I am not at liberty to share what I know as it was told to me in confidence by Mr. Darcy.”

“This is very serious indeed. May I ask where you were when Mr. Darcy shared this information?”

“It was when I was in Kent. Mr. Darcy’s aunt is Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Mr. Collins is Lady Catherine’s pastor. While I was visiting Charlotte at Hunsford Lodge, Mr. Darcy and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, came for a visit with their aunt and cousin and called on Charlotte at the parsonage.”

Lizzy’s discomfort with the next part of her story was evident by the change in her voice. “In the past, I have spoken to you of Mr. Darcy’s behavior while he was in Hertfordshire. Because he showed such disdain for his company, I felt justified in my dislike. When Wickham took me into his confidence for the purpose of impugning Mr. Darcy’s character, I was quite willing to believe the very worst about him. As a result, Mr. Darcy and I had a heated exchange, and being ignorant of Wickham’s wickedness, I defended him. Needless to say, Mr. Darcy was greatly offended because he knew him to be a scoundrel. When we parted company, we were both angry, and I have not seen him again until today.”

“Well, that explains your reluctance to come to Pemberley, but why did you not tell us all of this?”

“I was embarrassed because I had misjudged both men, thinking well of Wickham and ill of Mr. Darcy, and being wrong in both cases.”

“Elizabeth, I can offer no explanation for Mr. Darcy’s rude behavior in Hertfordshire,” Mrs. Gardiner said, “but these great men are known to be mercurial in temperament. However, I believe we can safely say he has put aside any ill feelings as he has been all politeness, and I believe his desire for us to see Pemberley is sincere.”

Before Lizzy could further confide in her aunt, she heard the crunch of the gravel as Mr. Darcy returned to his visitors. When they joined Mr. Gardiner in the Chinese garden, he was dipping his hand in a pool containing dozens of brilliantly colored carp.

“This garden was a particular favorite of my mother. There was many an afternoon when she would bring my sister and me here, and we would feed the koi, as they are known in Japan. She would sit on the stones by the pool and dip her hand into the water, just as you are doing, Mr. Gardiner.”

Standing up, Mr. Gardiner responded, “As much as I enjoy the beauty of these fish, I cannot help but picture others of its species at the end of a fishing line.”

“Please forgive my husband, Mr. Darcy,” Mrs. Gardiner said, laughing. “On our holiday, he has not had one opportunity to engage in his favorite sport, and that comment reveals his frustration.”

“Then you must not leave Lambton before you have gone fishing on the estate. Sportsmen come from quite a distance to fish in Pemberley’s streams, and how would you explain to your fellow anglers that you had an opportunity to test your skills in fishing sites mentioned in Mr. Walton’s
The Compleat Angler
, which I am sure you are acquainted with?”

“Yes, indeed, sir. I revere it along with my Book of Common Prayer because when I hold a rod in my hand, I am often praying.”

Everyone was laughing when Lizzy interrupted to say that they had already made plans to go on to Matlock in the morning. “Perhaps another time, Mr. Darcy.”

Mr. Gardiner could hardly believe his ears. “Lizzy, dear, we are speaking of one of the finest fishing spots in England. Surely, we can delay our departure for Matlock for a few days.”

“Miss Elizabeth, I would ask that you stay,” Mr. Darcy said. “Tomorrow, Miss Anne de Bourgh is coming to Pemberley, and I know how much she would enjoy seeing you again, as she speaks of you with great affection. Also in our party are Mr. Bingley, his sisters, and Mr. Hurst. Recently, your family has been a favorite topic of conversation for Mr. Bingley as he has very fond memories of his time in Hertfordshire. And there is another in the party to whom I would wish to introduce you, and that is my sister, Georgiana.”

Feeling that escape was no longer possible and being curious about his sister, Lizzy agreed. “I would be honored to meet Miss Darcy.”

“I should warn you that my sister is suffering from an acute case of overactive imagination, but I have been assured by knowledgeable people that this is an affliction that passes with age.”

“You are a wise man, Mr. Darcy,” said Mrs. Gardiner. “I believe you will look back at this time with great affection.”

Darcy smiled at the comment and then continued. “My party is coming from Derby and is expected by mid-afternoon, so I would like to extend an invitation for you to dine at Pemberley in the evening.” And after all three had agreed, Mr. Darcy said, “Now that we have settled the matter, shall we tour the gardens?”

They had been walking for about ten minutes when Mrs. Gardiner said that she and her husband were going to start walking back toward the manor as she was not a great walker. But she encouraged her niece and Mr. Darcy to continue on, which they did, until they had reached a gazebo located on the highest point on the property. From this height, the entire valley lay before them. Gentle slopes gave way to rolling hills before yielding to the wild beauty of the Peak. It was the most beautiful scene Lizzy had ever beheld.

Mr. Darcy’s thoughts were not of peaks and valleys but of the lady before him. He could sense the heartache he had felt since leaving Kent begin to ease. He believed that the tension of their first meeting since his proposal had passed, and they could now move forward. To where he did not know.

Lizzy was enjoying the prospect, but she was also thinking of Mr. Darcy. She had said so many awful things to him, and yet, he was being so nice to her. Although she knew there would not be a second offer of marriage, she hoped they could part as friends. When she turned around, she realized that he had not been looking at the view, but at her.

“Miss Elizabeth, you do realize that it is no accident that you are here at this particular time.”

“I do not understand, sir.”

“This is the work of my cousin, Anne. It seems that once she learned of your intention to come to Derbyshire she put a plan in motion, and it has been brilliantly executed. I did not understand why she was so adamant that we leave London for Pemberley by a certain date, especially since it required Bingley and me to rearrange our schedules and for my sister to finish her studies early. But her purpose has been revealed, and as she had hoped, you and I are here together.”

Lizzy now understood why Anne was so insistent on knowing every detail of the proposed route the Gardiners and she would travel on their journey to the Peak, and why she was most particularly interested in the date when they would arrive at the inn at Lambton. Lizzy felt the heat rise in her face. No matter how well intentioned, Anne had placed her cousin in an awkward position. Lizzy did not think it was possible to feel more humiliated than when Mr. Darcy had come upon her earlier, but now she knew that it was indeed possible.

“Mr. Darcy, you have been very gracious, but you are under no obligation to invite us to dine with you at Pemberley. In light of what we now know of Miss de Bourgh’s scheme, it would be best if I continued on to Matlock.”

“Best for whom? Certainly not for Anne nor Charles Bingley and most definitely not for me. I have been presented with an opportunity to make amends for the inexcusable things I said to you at the parsonage, and I mean to make the most of it.”