Page 6

“Oh, Miss Elizabeth! Oh my! I promise to take such good care of it!” The awe on his face made it all worthwhile for Elizabeth.

“As long as you enjoy it, I will be happy!” They walked away in companionable silence before Elizabeth continued their previous conversation. “Last time we were talking about a ruler named Julius Caesar.”

“He lived in Rome, right?” Kiernan enjoyed talking about history.

Their conversation was quite captivating, and they continued for a while in such a manner, until Kiernan spotted someone on their path.

“It is that gent. I think he is looking for something.” Mr. Darcy was standing in the path, his steed following behind him placidly while he paced.

“It appears so. Let us see if we can help him.” Elizabeth silently wished that this exchange would be more successful than their prior meetings.

“Are you looking for something, sir?” Kiernan asked, all while staying true to his word and moving slightly in front of Miss Elizabeth.

Darcy’s eyes widened when he saw the two figures coming down the path.

It was a little boy and one of the Bennet sisters he had accidentally insulted.

The one with the smile from the other day.

“I was on the lookout for one of the Miss Bennets, but I am only now realizing that no one has introduced us. Not to worry, I will handle this muddle which is entirely of my making.” He took off his hat and played with the brim while he tried to decide what to do.

“Hello sir, I am Kiernan Anderson. And who may you be?” Kiernan had seen many introductions and figured it could not be so very hard.

“Thank you, good sir. I am Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire. It is a pleasure to meet you.” Darcy was relieved that the pint-sized gentleman at the lady’s side was a quick thinker.

He wondered who the little boy might be.

His clothing implied that they were from different stations, but they seemed quite close.

He felt himself wanting to know more about both of them.

“Miss Elizabeth, may I present Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy? Mr. Darcy, may I present Miss Elizabeth Bennet, of Longbourn of Hertfordshire.” Having completed his task, Kiernan grinned widely and bounced on his toes.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Darcy.” Elizabeth gave a graceful curtsy. She was proud of the wonderful job Kiernan had done, both in the introduction and in helping Mr. Darcy find his way out of the hole he had dug for himself.

“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Elizabeth, truly. Ever since I saw you on the path, I wanted to know your name.” With those words, Darcy wondered why he ever opened his mouth.

Would he be able to have a civil conversation if he kept saying the wrong things?

His hand made its way back up to his hair, fidgeting with a curl at his nape.

“Well, um, thank you.” Elizabeth bit her lip. It would not do to laugh at his struggles.

“I must thank you, Kiernan, for helping me amend my oversight.” Mr. Darcy turned from the exuberant boy to the delightful lady beside him.

“Miss Elizabeth, I have come before you to apologize for my abysmal behavior at the assembly. No matter my distress, I never should have spoken in the manner I did.” Darcy found it entirely impossible to look Miss Bennet in the eye.

“I wholeheartedly accept your apology, Mr. Darcy. It is not everyone that would put forth the effort to apologize in the manner that you have. I doubt most people would continue to go to assemblies if they struggled as mightily as you do.” The sincerity of his actions was palpable, and it affected Elizabeth.

“So you noticed?” He whispered the words, almost inaudibly. Darcy knew his idiosyncrasies would eventually come to light. Her cheerful acceptance of his apology warmed his heart, yet the fear of rejection was ever-present.

Kiernan recognized the fear in the man before him.

“You don’t need to worry, Mr. Darcy. I’ll not think any less of you, nor will Miss Elizabeth.

I say the wrong things sometimes an’ my hands shake when I try to talk to people sometimes, but Miss Elizabeth still helps me with reading an’ my sums. She’s never made me feel less than any of the other kids.

She is not that kind of person. You’re safe with her.

” Maybe everyone had fears, even adults.

Kiernan would have to think about it later.

“Mr. Kiernan is quite right. I appreciate those who strive to transcend the hardships they face. Is it the crowds that are difficult?” Elizabeth had always felt the need to champion people who could not do so for themselves. Maybe she could help protect him from himself?

Darcy paused before responding. He would not normally reveal so much to a veritable stranger, but something told him it might be safe to do so.

“Yes, it is the crowds and being outnumbered by people who I do not know. It becomes a sea of faces that I cannot read and there seems to be no safe island of friendship to shelter me.” It was a novel experience for him to confide in someone else.

Maybe not being able to keep his mouth shut would help him this once.

“Maybe knowing that someone in the crowd is friendly and not judging you will help? Also, my mother has a tea that has proven helpful when she has what she calls ‘attacks of her nerves.’ She claims it is quite soothing. I could get you some if you would like to try it.” Elizabeth thought she recognized the look on his face as hope.

“I will try almost anything. This is a malady that has haunted me since I was a child.” Could a new tea possibly help him?

It would not be so hard to gather a small amount for him to try. “I will get some to you. What are you doing today?”

“I would be very grateful. I am on my way to town to mail a letter to my sister back in London.” Darcy tried to remember where it was in town that he could post his mail.

“If you come back this way, I could have some tea ready for you to take back to Netherfield with you. Kiernan, do you think that your mother could do without you for a while longer? Maybe you could get a bite to eat while I gather the tea and then pass it on to Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth pondered out loud.

“My Mam would be fine with it. An’ your Mrs. Allen makes the best scones. I would love to have some.” Kiernan’s mouth watered at the thought. He was so enthralled with thoughts of breakfast that he completely missed when Mr. Darcy said goodbye and rode off towards Meryton.