Page 52 of He Taught Me to Hope (Darcy and the Young Knight’s Quest #1)
Ben diverted his eyes to Darcy, who placed a finger to his lips in a manner intended to encourage him not to give away their secret.
The fact is that Darcy had taken Ben out of doors just the evening before, and the two of them had made quite an adventure of dishevelling the pristine, newly fallen snow.
Darcy darted his eyes in the direction of the fruit of Ben and Georgiana’s earlier endeavours. “If I might hazard a guess, I would say the two of you were crafting a rather oddly shaped snow creature. Why did you abandon your efforts?”
Georgiana said, “We decided it was an arduous task for the two of us, but now that Elizabeth and you are here, what say we resume where we left off, Ben?”
Requiring only the slightest bit of encouragement, Ben raced over and started piling fistfuls of snow upon the rotund heap.
After a few moments, he looked back at the others, who seemed perfectly content merely to admire his hard work.
“Why are the three of you standing there? Mr. Peters is not going to build himself.”
Caught by surprise, Darcy and Elizabeth exchanged questioning glances before looking back at their son, and then spoke in harmony. “Mr. Peters?”
Elizabeth said, “Ben, dearest, wherever did you happen upon that name?”
Young Ben pointed at the bulging mound of snow with two tiny stick limbs poking from both its sides, a bulbous pine cone nose, and two brown eyes made of stones. “He told me!”
Chapter 2
The ensuing weeks did much to loosen the winter’s grip on the Derbyshire countryside, as well as bring about a warming in Elizabeth’s spirits.
She stood outside on the terrace and breathed in the fresh morning air.
This was the life she always dreamed she would have: a beautiful home, an adorable child and a wonderful man by her side to help raise him.
How she relished this sacred hour of each day before the sun rose to greet the morning sky.
This was her time—hers and hers alone. Soon enough, her day would be filled with the hustle and bustle of being the mother of a most precocious young boy, the wife of one of the most prominent men in the county, and the household manager of one of the finest estates in Derbyshire.
The addition of Darcy’s cousin Anne de Bourgh and his sister, Georgiana, to Elizabeth’s family circle increased her joy.
And while each day was met with her favourite wish of being with child, for a sister or a brother for Ben would satisfy her fondest wish for familial felicity, as Elizabeth was not designed for disappointment, she gave a grateful prayer for her many blessings.
As was her wont, Elizabeth quickly made her way down the stone stairs and set out upon the lane.
The path she chose that day would carry her past the stable grounds where she might glimpse the horses being attended.
Later, she planned to enjoy a brisk morning ride with her husband, but for now she kept walking. Soon, she came to a crossway.
Shall I take the path that leads to the chapel or the one that leads to the temple?
A hint of fresh earth in the air recommended she take the latter—that way she might admire all the work being done in the garden in preparation for spring.
She had not walked very far before espying another early riser.
“Georgiana, I am surprised to see you out and about so early in the morning,” Elizabeth said, as she joined her.
Her manners perfectly unassuming and gentle, Georgiana said, “I will confess that your seeing me is not a coincidence. I wanted to speak with you, away from the house. I surmised this would be the perfect time to garner your undivided attention.”
“My dear sister, I know that I have been regularly diverted what with such extensive household responsibilities and the like, but I should hate to suppose I have been neglecting you.”
“Oh, no—I do not feel that way at all. In fact, I am more than grateful for all you have done on my behalf.”
“Forgive me, but I do not know that I have done anything out of the ordinary.”
“I beg to differ. I can well imagine it was no easy feat reining in my brother’s grand expectations for me.”
“Does this have to do with his desire for you to enjoy your coming out Season this year?”
“Indeed. One would think he were anxious to rid himself of my presence.”
“Now, Georgiana, surely you speak in jest. I am certain that the last thing in the world he would want is to rid himself of your presence. You must admit he regards himself more as a parent than an older brother. There is nothing so bad as parting with one’s child.
” Elizabeth tried to remain true to her purposes and not be bothered by the fact that her own mother was eager to see all her daughters married, but Georgiana’s situation could hardly be compared to that of her three younger sisters who remained at home in Longbourn and whose prospects were not nearly so good.
Elizabeth’s own marriage to a very wealthy man had done nothing to enhance her younger sisters’ lots in life—at least not yet and likely not anytime soon, especially if Georgiana was determined to put off her own coming out for another season.
Elizabeth’s own situation told her that her father had done nothing to enhance her three unwed sisters’ dowries.
Although her own husband was so very rich, he had said nothing of amending her father’s lapse and she had certainly never ventured to ask.
Through her own economy, she had done what she could to increase her Longbourn family’s lot, but, as best she could tell, the funds were put towards more immediate gratifications, such as gowns and bonnets and frivolity and it was never ever enough.
The matter of Georgiana’s future was a bone of contention in the Darcy household.
True, Darcy was in no hurry to see his sister married and away from Pemberley, but he knew it was his responsibility to see that those very things took place.
Georgiana was already eighteen, for heaven’s sake.
Her thirty thousand pound dowry made her a highly sought after commodity, but it would do no good to delay her destiny just for the sake of his own familial harmony.
Elizabeth suspected that a factor in Darcy’s readiness to postpone Georgiana’s coming out had to do with his desire to see his sister settled with his friend Charles Bingley. This supposition she kept to herself.
Georgiana’s aristocratic uncle, Lord Edward Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Matlock, and his wife, Lady Ellen, had their own opinions on the matter, for they were not in favour of any match for their niece that did not have her paired with a young aristocrat or someone else of their own sphere.
The same could be said of her aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s sentiments.
By all appearances, Darcy did not put much stock in his uncle and aunts’ preferences.
Unfortunately, Georgiana did not seem to put much stock in her uncle’s, her aunts’, or her brother’s preferences.
“Elizabeth, I suppose a Season in town and being presented at court has its advantages, but they certainly are not the prerequisites for happiness as accomplished young women that all would have one believe. You enjoyed neither of those things, and I wager you and my brother are exceedingly happy.”
“While it is true that your brother and I find much joy in our marriage, your situation is not to be compared to mine. I was not reared to expect a Season in town, and I was certainly never given to expect a presentation. You, on the other hand, were. How many times have Lady Ellen and Lord Matlock spoken of it as being a favourite wish of your beloved mother, Lady Anne, that you should enjoy all the same benefits that she enjoyed as a young woman? They would view it as a failure to honour her memory to do any less than see you enjoy all the advantages that your family’s elevated rank and privilege afford. ”
“This I understand and it must be said that were I to consent to do so it would only be for the sake of appeasing them—and honouring my mother, of course.”
“I continue to have a difficult time comprehending your change in stance as regards your coming out.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“When we met last year, I recall you spoke with such ardent enthusiasm about wanting to come out. What has changed?”
“Truth be told, my eagerness was a mere pretence. Mind you, I had a good reason for speaking as I did. What I dared not say upon first making your acquaintance is I truly do not see that my coming out will help accomplish anyone’s purposes, for I am as good as promised to another.”
Her brow raised, Elizabeth said, “This is not the first time you have suggested as much, but I do wish you would be more forthcoming with me. Who is this young man to whom you feel you are pledged?”
“Elizabeth, I would love nothing more than to tell you all about him, but I fear that it would place you in an untenable position, for I do not wish to have my brother privy to any of this. You see, he does not approve of the gentleman. If he were aware of my feelings he would be angered, and I have no wish to injure my brother—especially when the entire matter is so tenuous.”
“Georgiana, it does not do for you to feel you cannot confide in me. Pray, have you spoken with anyone? Anne perhaps—does Anne know?”
“Heaven forbid!”
“You say that as if your cousin Anne is the last person in whom you would confide.”
“Anne and I may have made some progress since she came to live with us here at Pemberley, but I would not say she and I are as intimate as we would have to be before I told her my greatest secrets. Besides, when it comes to such matters, she and my brother are more alike than you would imagine. She surely would not approve of the gentleman either.”
“Then I take it that this gentleman, who shall remain unnamed, is known to your family.”