Page 10

Elizabeth understood how difficult it was to discuss painful subjects, so she took the change of subject with grace.

It intrigued her to think that Mr. Darcy might want to do something similar on his estate.

“It took me a while to gather what I needed and coordinate things to use the parish church on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I think it would have not taken so long had my father been willing to help. Would your family be willing to help you set something up?”

“I have neither impediment nor support from family. It is only myself and my much younger sister at Pemberley. Both of my parents passed on some time ago: my mother passed some ten years ago, and then my father passed shortly after I reached my majority,” Darcy explained, his words coated with distant sorrow.

“I think it was harder on my younger sister. She was only four when we lost our mother.”

“Taking control of your estate and a young sister must have been very difficult at such a young age,” Elizabeth commiserated.

Darcy swallowed. Talking about it was painful, but he was grateful to have someone he felt comfortable opening up to.

“The first few years were extremely hard. The daunting size of my newfound responsibilities seemed like an impossible burden to bear. To learn the intricacies took quite some time. Now that I have, I am struggling to bring about changes, like making sure the children get an education.” He had a few people he could talk to, but none of them truly understood the matters of assisting his estate’s families and children.

His aunt and uncle had not taught his cousin Theodore estate management because they didn’t believe his position in the regulars required such knowledge.

Bingley, to whom he was almost as close, was from a family in trade and was himself asking for guidance on estate management.

Elizabeth had enjoyed learning how to help the seven tenant families on Longbourn land.

Mr. Darcy, however, worked alone, and she guessed he might have a great deal more tenants.

“I can only imagine how hard that was and continues to be.” Elizabeth noticed Jane’s gesture and nodded.

They had run out of time for this lovely conversation.

She turned onto the path that circled back home.

Darcy noticed they were heading back to the house and realized how long they had been outside talking.

He realized that, for one of the first times that he could remember, he did not want his call on someone to end.

“What time do you teach the children, Miss Elizabeth?” Darcy hoped she would not mind if he walked with her and her sister in the morning.

He told himself that he still had quite a few questions to ask her. Yes, that was the only reason.

The tedious journey back to Netherfield made Mr. Darcy promise himself that he would ride Cadmus to Longbourn next time. Perhaps then he could avoid Miss Bingley and her rudeness altogether. How she thought he would ever be interested in a screeching termagant was beyond him.

“The self-serving country chit! Who does she think she is, insulting me?” Caroline was so exceptionally upset, but confined in a carriage, she had no other option to channel her rage except to shout.

Whenever Bingley was in company, he felt the shame of his sister’s behavior weighing on him.

He was done waiting for her to take initiative and improve on her own.

“Caroline, this pattern of misbehavior must stop. You cannot go into people’s homes and insult them.

If Miss Elizabeth was curt with you, she was only responding in kind.

I am surprised Mrs. Bennet did not have you removed from her home.

Your behavior today was not acceptable.”

Caroline narrowed her eyes at her brother and inhaled deeply, readying to unleash her wrath.

“Not acceptable? I went to a prestigious ladies’ seminary in London.

I would know better than you what is acceptable!

” Caroline tried to regulate herself, but it was not working and now she felt her face flushing.

She hated when that happened, for it clashed with her hair.

Bingley was tired of giving way to his sister’s wrath to keep the peace.

It was going to end. “Hornswoggle! I could not care less about the artificial manners you learned at that waste of money of a school. I will not tolerate such behavior from someone who lives under my roof.” His parents and brother had been gone for a year now and he was gaining his bearings.

They may have allowed his sister to put on airs, but this would not be how the rest of his life went.

Charles would demonstrate to his sister that he wanted her to stop her cruelty.

“That girl was rude to me. How can you defend her?” Caroline had long gotten her way and was determined not to let anything change now.

Wilting under her sister’s glare that demanded her support, Louisa spoke up.

“You must agree, Charles, that it sounded discourteous.” Louisa never felt comfortable being cruel like Caroline did, but she also did not want to be the target of her spite.

She often would take her side just to protect herself.

Louisa sent an apologetic look to Charles, and he grimaced in response.

He recognized the challenge of overcoming Caroline’s tremendous force of will.

Caroline changed tactics. “Are you not angry that she treated me with disrespect, Mr. Darcy?” Her lips curved into a pout she had perfected as she glanced at the man she was pursuing.

Darcy’s eyes narrowed in disgust at the sight of Caroline’s rehearsed expression.

Pointedly ignoring her, he looked out the window.

How did her personality diverge so dramatically from that of her kindhearted brother?

Maybe it was that school she always talked about?

At least the carriage ride was going to be brief.