Page 74

Mr. Nathaniel Stanton stepped into the large conservatory at Pemberley and gazed around with avid curiosity. He had never been in the Darcy hothouse before, and it was spectacular. The building faced south and the largely glass walls allowed the warmth of the sun to heat myriad tender plants through the harsh winters of Derbyshire.

Since it was summer now, the greenhouse was not densely populated though there were still dozens of plants, some exotic, some common, all cared for enthusiastically by Mr. Darcy’s army of gardeners.

Nathaniel’s gaze sharpened as he focused on the far end of the glassed-in building. A section of the conservatory had been cleared of plants and was home to several simple tables upon which pieces of the damaged steam engine had been carefully placed. The morning sun poured in the large windows, illuminating the engine parts and the two beautiful young women present.

Given that the workshop had exploded only yesterday, the steam engine parts still exuded the glorious smell of smoke and engine oil, which combined with the floral scents to produce an odd fragrance. Stanton’s eyes were drawn magnetically to Miss Lydia Bennet. She was standing with a metal gear in her hand, and her forehead was scrunched pensively. As was usual when she was working on scientific endeavors, Miss Lydia was garbed in a simple brown muslin dress which did not show dirt easily.

Nathaniel’s breath caught in his throat. She was so beautiful, intelligent, gifted, committed to scientific research ... and well connected.

The latter reality sent a throb of anguish through the man’s soul. Lydia Bennet was very well connected indeed through her elder sister’s marriage to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Given that the girl was a gentleman’s daughter and Nathaniel but a merchant’s son, a match was unlikely. The addition of her Matlock/Darcy ties made it all quite impossible. No, he could not hope to win Miss Lydia Bennet as his wife. He would have to suppress his hopeless love for her; he would not wish for her to be uncomfortable in his presence, after all, and far better to enjoy her bright light as a fellow scientist even if he could not have her as a beloved bride.

“Mr. Stanton!” Lydia cried out, her sparkling gaze fixed on him now. “How wonderful to see you! Did you inspect the damaged workshop this morning?”

“Erm, not yet, Miss ... Miss Lydia,” Nathaniel stuttered back. “Mr. Collins asked me to wait on returning to the workshop until he is able to come to Pemberley. He sent a letter indicating that when we begin additional work on the steam engines, we will need to focus more on safety. He wishes to study the walls and ceiling to analyze the blast.”

“I hope he was not hurt by yesterday’s accident?” the other lady, Miss Kitty Bennet, inquired worriedly.

“Not at all, Miss Bennet,” Nathaniel assured Kitty. “He merely is aware that one or more of us could have been injured, and he does not wish for a repeat of such an experience. In the meantime, I hoped perhaps I could study the parts that have been extracted from the workshop thus far.”

“Before you do that,” Lydia exclaimed, “I do beg you to look at this picture that Kitty drew of this intact safety valve. This is not one from the steam engine from yesterday’s incident, you understand; it is a spare. But did Kitty not do a marvelous job of rendering its dimensions and form on paper?”

Nathaniel stared at the drawing with startled respect, “Indeed, Miss Bennet, it is a remarkable likeness. You are very gifted.”

“Thank you,” Miss Kitty Bennet responded, blushing. “It is quite enjoyable, actually.”

“May I speak to you, Mr. Stanton?” Lydia asked, walking over to a section where two small pineapple plants were bravely attempting to grow in the English climate. Based on their rather anemic leaves, they were finding survival rather challenging.

“Certainly, Miss Lydia,” Nathaniel answered nervously, following her to a spot next to a small but healthy orange tree.

Lydia glanced at her sister, who was again focused on drawing a steam engine part, and lowered her voice.

“Mr. Stanton, there is going to be a dinner party in about two weeks here at Pemberley. My parents are coming from Longbourn, along with Mr. Darcy’s cousins, the Earl of Matlock and his wife, the Countess of Matlock, plus Anne de Bourgh, who is very pleasant, and also, sadly enough, four or five eligible gentlemen from London. I was hoping ...”

He stared at her in bewilderment, “Yes?”

To his surprise, Miss Lydia blushed openly. This was a rarity, for Miss Lydia was a very confident young lady.

“I ... oh, I am sorry, Mr. Stanton. This is not remotely appropriate. I should not have spoken.”

Nathaniel took an impulsive step forward, “No, I beg of you, say whatever you wish, Miss Lydia. Are we not friends?”

His eyes drifted to Lydia’s rosy lips, which were parted slightly, and he struggled to maintain some semblance of equanimity. She was enchanting!

“I ... I wondered if there is any hope for ... for me ... for me and you,” the girl finally managed to blurt out, her eyes downcast.

“For me and you?” the man replied blankly.

Lydia blushed even more fiercely, “I do apologize. I should not have said anything, but I spoke to Mr. Collins of my ... my fondness for you, and he said that all these societal rules are unnecessarily complicated and sometimes people do not understand one another because they do not speak openly ... but now I fear I have made you uncomfortable!”

Blood rushed into Stanton’s head and he felt himself sway slightly.

“You are ... you are fond of me?” he inquired softly.

“Very,” Lydia admitted, “but truly, do not feel that you must respond ...”

“I love you, Miss Lydia,” he interrupted her. “I love you to the ends of the Earth and the moon and the distant stars.”

Her eyes widened in amazement and her lips curved, “How very poetic, Mr. Stanton.”

“Is it not?” the man replied with a rueful chuckle. “But truly, I thought I had no chance at all in winning your hand, Miss Lydia. You are a gentlemen’s daughter and connected to the Earl of Matlock, whereas I am but a merchant’s son.”

Lydia tossed her head indignantly, “My own mother is the daughter of a solicitor, and Mr. Bingley, my sister Jane’s husband, is the son of a man of trade. My own beloved uncle owns warehouses in London. I do love you, Mr. Stanton, and would far rather be your wife than any of these tiresome gentlemen whose only thought is of shooting pheasants or chasing down foxes. The only aspect of hunting I find interesting is the firearms. Gunpowder is a fascinating material ...”

Seeing that his love’s mind was wandering onto glittering roads of scientific curiosity, Nathaniel put bold hands out and grasped Lydia’s gloved hands in his own.

“Do you truly believe your father will accept my offer?” he asked softly. “He has every reason to expect more in your husband.”

Her husband. To even say those words lit fires of excitement and awe in his mind and heart.

Lydia smiled, “You need not be concerned about that. Elizabeth and Kitty and Mr. Darcy and, most importantly, Mr. Collins, approve of you, and thus my father will as well.”

“Is Mr. Collins the family matchmaker then?” Nathaniel queried in surprise.

Lydia frowned thoughtfully at this, “Not the matchmaker, precisely, but everyone turns to him for guidance in matters of marriage and compatibility. He says that emotional connection is of import in a marriage, but that one must also look to the mind and intellect, not merely depend on fickle feelings or fleeting appearance when choosing a mate.”

“That is wise.”

“It is very wise,” Lydia agreed, looking suddenly uncomfortable. “Mr. Stanton, I feel I must tell you something.”

“Yes?”

“A few years ago, when I was fourteen and fifteen and sixteen, I was a very foolish young lady.”

“I cannot believe that!” Nathaniel replied warmly.

Lydia sighed, “It is true enough. My father is very intelligent, but science is not his passion, and thus we did not connect on any kind of cerebral plane. Indeed, he thought me quite stupid. My mother was terrified by the entail on Longbourn and pushed us all to seek a husband as quickly as possible. I was a vacuous, coquettish, obnoxious young woman. I used to chase officers and flirt outrageously with men, both eligible and ineligible.”

“That seems entirely impossible!” her love stated firmly.

She laughed and shook her head, “You did not know me at that time and I am thankful. I merely wished to warn you that in Meryton, at any rate, I have something of a reputation as an inelegant woman. Of course, now that I am living at Pemberley and have Mr. Collins as my scientific mentor and you as my ...”

She trailed off and Nathaniel replied fervently, “I thank God every day that Mr. and Mrs. Darcy invited me to the dinner party where we met. I never could have believed that I would find such a beautiful, intelligent woman to be my wife.”

Lydia smiled shyly, “I am most thankful as well.”