Page 10 of Elizabeth in Scotland (Elizabeth and Darcy Abroad #2)
“I am thoroughly mortified at how I acted this morning, and I beg you to accept my apology.”
Elizabeth smiled at him more genuinely. She had not expected so ready an apology. “I accept your apology, Mr Darcy, and I thank you for making it.”
“It was a foolish error,” Mr Darcy continued earnestly. “You see, the simplicity of your dress caused me to believe you were the servant whose arrival I had been expecting for the last three quarters of an hour.”
The remark was so insulting that it almost surprised Elizabeth into a laugh.
Catching herself at the last moment, she resolved that Mr Darcy should have a little of his own back.
“Ah, I see,” she said sweetly. “Perhaps I ought to offer you an apology, Mr Darcy. For dressing so poorly that I misled you into mistaking a gentlewoman for a servant.”
Mr Darcy had at least the grace to look dismayed. “No! That is, I did not mean —” he let his words trail off before taking a deep breath and trying to start again. “I wanted to apologise for the way I spoke to you, that is all.”
“I suppose you have done so, Mr Darcy. Please excuse me,” Elizabeth said, too angry to speak to him another moment. She strode away to join her father at the hearth. “Mr Campbell, how pleasant to see you again. How was your tour of the estate this afternoon?”
“We could not go. Besides, now that Mr Darcy has arrived, we shall all go on a walkabout and discuss what is to be done next in the proceedings.” Her father gave a nod of acknowledgement to both gentlemen.
It seemed to Elizabeth that Mr Darcy slinked as he rejoined them, as well he should.
It was no wonder that Miss Darcy did not know how to behave in polite company.
Her shy, awkward manners were entirely unsurprising, considering that the only example she had been given since she was a girl of eight was the most pompous, insulting man Elizabeth had ever met.
“Yes, it is just as well that we cannot go until the morrow. One of the tenants had an accident and broke his leg this morning when his horse went lame and threw him.”
“Oh, how awful. I hope the break was not too severe. And the poor animal?” Elizabeth asked.
Mr Campbell gave a deft shake of his head.
“We could not save the horse. It also broke its leg. But we were able to get the doctor to Mr McGuire quickly, and he reset his leg. I’ve promised to go and help his wife and children with anything they might require while he is laid up.
They will need a little help with the farm work, of course. ”
His dedication and kindness were impressive. Few estate managers would have given up their time to work the farms of one of their tenants simply because he had had the misfortune to fall off his horse. “How very generous of you, Mr Campbell.”
“It is only what anyone else would do for me if I found myself in the same situation. I think you will find the Scottish people very giving. We are always taking care of each other.”
“It is what I’ve found in only a short time here.” Elizabeth said.
“Yes, we found that out as well when one of our carriage wheels broke on the way up here. We thought we were destined to spend the night on the side of the road, in the rain, until someone happened along and helped us with the spare wheel,” Mr Darcy chimed in.
Elizabeth was shocked that he had strung along so many words, and not one of them said in spite.
At that moment, Miss Darcy entered the drawing room, and Mr Campbell suggested that they all go through to the dining room.
Elizabeth and Miss Darcy were seated kitty-corner at supper, with Mr Campbell at her right and Mr Darcy at her left.
Her father was seated at the other side of the table, next to Miss Darcy.
To Elizabeth’s relief, her father took pity on the poor girl, and spoke to her if anything more gently than he would have to his own daughters.
But though Mr Bennet kindly overcame his own disinclination for conversation and did his best to draw her out, he had little luck.
Miss Darcy said nothing more than ‘yes, sir’ and ‘no, sir’ in response to his queries, and when Mr Bennet ventured a mild witticism, she became so frightened that she withdrew still farther, answering only in nods and shakes of her head.
Mr Darcy must not be entirely heartless, for Elizabeth could see him looking at his sister with concern.
Still more evidence, had any been needed, that her quietness was not the result of arrogance or the belief that she was above her company, but simply an inability to converse with ease.
Miss Darcy was painfully shy. It was truly a pity, for even in their brief acquaintance, she had already shown herself to be perceptive and intelligent.
Better still, Elizabeth suspected she had a good heart.
She only needed to be shown the way to engage in conversation.
Supper was simpler than she was used to, for Mrs Bennet prided herself on setting an elegant table, but by no means unpleasant.
Mr Campbell explained the meal as the dishes were brought out.
“This is called cullen skink,” he offered as bowls of a thick, creamy soup were set in front of each of them.
“It is made with smoked haddock, potatoes, and onions. I suggest you dip these oatcakes in the broth. Though perhaps a little rustic for English tastes, you will find it uncommonly delicious.” Mr Campbell took up an oatcake, smothered it in butter, and dipped it in the soup.
Everyone followed his lead, even though it would have been frowned upon in London’s high society, no doubt.
It was delicious. Elizabeth could not have been more pleased with the simple but delicious fare.
Indeed, she could not have thought of any place she would rather have been at that moment.
She looked across the table at Miss Darcy when there was a lull in conversation and tried to draw her out.
“Have you ever been to Scotland, Miss Darcy?” she asked.
“No, I have not,” Miss Darcy replied, her voice scarcely above a whisper.
She cast a wary glance at her brother, as if he might save her from having to speak.
Or was it that Mr Darcy disliked allowing his sister to speak in company?
Elizabeth did not like to think of Miss Darcy having such a controlling caretaker, but it would not be entirely inconsistent with the disregard for others that Mr Darcy had shown her that day.
“My sister has preferred to stay at our estate in Pemberley until recently.” Mr Darcy answered for her.
“When she comes out in a year or two, I am sure I will not be able to stay at home for any length of time.” He smiled at his sister, then looked at Elizabeth, his deep brown eyes piercing and yet strangely gentle. “Is this your first visit to Scotland?”
“It is. And I cannot say how thrilled I am to be here,” Elizabeth said, looking around the table and ending at Mr Campbell. “It is breathtaking.”
“I agree,” Miss Darcy said sheepishly. “I am very much looking forward to walking about the grounds tomorrow, if you will allow it.” She waited for Mr Campbell, seeming to shrink at having so many pairs of eyes on her.
“Of course. Please go anywhere you wish about the property, Miss Darcy. And you as well, Miss Bennet. It is perfectly safe, and we are glad to host all of you while we get the inheritance succession straightened out,” Mr Campbell said.
“But we need not discuss business over the supper table. I will have the gentleman come to the study tomorrow morning, and we can discuss all the details of the will then.”
There was a chorus of agreement around the table, all seeming to feel, like Mr Campbell, that business ought to wait.
The next course was a fillet of smoked salmon served alongside a side dish called Rumbledethumps, which Mrs Graham explained was a mixture of potatoes, cabbage, and onion.
Last was a portion of fruit slice, the same dessert she had enjoyed the day before.
Everyone around the table seemed to enjoy it as much as she had.
With supper over, they all retired to the drawing room, rather than having the ladies part with the men as was customary in England.
Thankfully, she had not been forced to speak with Mr Darcy again through the course of the evening, and as the new guests had arrived only that day, they soon made their excuses and retired to their rooms for the evening.
Once they were gone, Mr Campbell nodded toward the door where they had just departed. “He seemed a distinguished gentleman. What say you?” he asked, leaning over to Elizabeth’s father.
“I think whoever inherits will do right by the tenants and the neighbourhood,” Mr Bennet said. “Mr Darcy seems a fine enough fellow, even if a bit reserved.”
“Yes, I agree. We shall see what unfolds tomorrow, but I hope we can all come to an amicable solution.”
Elizabeth hoped it might be so, but she was not sanguine that a resolution could be achieved so easily. Surely a man as rude and demanding as Mr Darcy would not accept any outcome that did not end with Strathalt House in his possession.