Page 25 of Hidden Desires
Mary laughed and nodded at her confused father. “She sometimes forgets, but so far, she has not fallen back into her former habits. I am not saying she is reformed, but for the present she is, if not a perfect gentlewoman, at least somewhat well-behaved when she is with me.”
Her father shook his head and rose. Offering his hand to Mary, he helped her to her feet. “The only advice I have is to watch yourself with her. Please don’t let your sister lead you astray.”
“I promise,” Mary said, her guilty heart beating a furious rhythm against her chest.
* * *
The next day’s breakfast was barely over when Lydia burst into the dining room, excitement causing her tongue to trip over the words as she attempted to give them voice.
“A visitor,” she said and paused, struggling to recapture the breath she had lost in her haste to announce this unexpected development.
“That would be Mr. Darcy and his sister,” Elizabeth said, rising from the table and following Bennet to the manor’s entrance. “He promised to return today.”
“Mr. Darcy?” Lydia said looking from her to Bennet, brows furrowed in apparent confusion. “Why has he come to visit?”
“That is not something you need to know,” he replied, “and the circumstances are none of your business.”
“I will not bother you then,” she called over her shoulder as she left them. “You can find me in my room.”
“She is upset,” Elizabeth said at the sound of her door closing. “She meant no harm; you know how excitable she is when something surprises her.”
“I would rather keep her away from Miss Darcy for the time being,” Bennet said. “From his description of the young lady, I decided it was best not to subject her to Lydia’s ill-mannered behavior as soon as she arrived. Her not being here achieves that, though I did not mean to upset her.”
“They have to meet, in spite of your efforts to protect Miss Darcy.”
“And I will encourage it, at the proper time,” Bennet promised as they left the manor. “My plan this morning is to introduce her to a Bennet who will offer a polite greeting, not frighten the poor girl. Now then, let us do our best to give her a proper welcome.”
Bennet took Elizabeth to the carriage that stood at the entrance. As they approached, the door opened, and Darcy stepped from the cabin. Moving to the side, he reached back to help a young woman from the conveyance who stood beside him, her eyes cast down as if inspecting the ground at her feet.
The girl was young, no more than a year past Lydia’s fifteen.
Considerably shorter than Darcy in height, she was barely five feet from the soles of her shoes to the tip of her burnished hair, which was the color of ripened wheat.
Elizabeth watched her wide green eyes lift to study her with curiosity, as if contemplating the welcome she might receive, then return to her previous study.
She was fond of her brother, Elizabeth thought, as she stayed near him when he moved from the side of the carriage.
Mr. Darcy whispered a few sentences in her ear, which caused a smile, albeit small, to dance across her lips before disappearing.
Upon seeing her reaction, he again said something to her, whereupon her gaze lifted once more to focus upon Elizabeth, who displayed her most welcoming smile to calm the apprehension she saw on the girl’s countenance.
“Bennet, Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy said, “with your permission, I would like to introduce my sister, Georgiana. She wanted to meet you yesterday, but when I told her of the hospitable treatment I received, insisted that I bring her with me today.”
“Welcome, Miss Darcy.” Bennet greeted her with an exaggerated bow that brought a smile and a quick giggle as a blush colored her cheeks. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“He has been a great help to Bingley. With his guidance, the stable has been repaired, and I have a good idea of what to do with that neglected orchard. Miss Elizabeth is a younger sister to Miss Bennet, who is helping Miss Bingley care for her brother.”
“I am pleased to meet you, Miss Darcy.” Elizabeth took a step toward the young woman. “Welcome to Longbourn. If you like, I can show you around the estate. Although it is not the largest in Hertfordshire, in my opinion our orchards and trails make it the most beautiful in the county.”
Miss Darcy’s smile, although tentative, was warm as she listened to Elizabeth’s greeting. At the invitation, she looked at her brother, her brows raised in a silent question.
“Yes, you may go with her,” Darcy said with a quick chuckle. “Bennet and I can occupy ourselves for a few hours. Enjoy yourself, but be careful. One invalid at Netherfield is more than enough.”
Elizabeth held out her hand to Miss Darcy who, although hesitant, took hold of it and followed her away from the two men, who by this time were talking, everything else seemingly forgotten.
“I am happy that Mr. Darcy brought you with him,” Elizabeth said as they passed the corner of the manor. “I hoped that he would, rather than leaving you at Netherfield.”
Miss Darcy nodded but remained silent, as though content to let Elizabeth control the conversation.
“I adore this estate,” she said as they strolled through the garden. “Its beauty never fails to captivate me.”
At the far end of the garden, they entered the orchard bordering the stables.
She stopped at an apple tree and pointed to the fruit hanging from the branches; beautiful deep red apples ripe and ready for picking, which would commence within the next week.
Reaching up, she picked two of the best and held one out for her companion.
“I promise these are the finest in Hertfordshire,” she said, taking a bite of the fruit. Miss Darcy lifted the apple she held and bit into it, taking a bit into her mouth.
“I often stop and pick one to eat on my morning walk,” she said after swallowing her bite. “It settles my hunger until I return to the manor. What do you think, is it not delicious?”
Elizabeth saw Miss Darcy’s surprise as she savored her bite. “It is,” the girl murmured before biting again, this time taking a much larger portion.
“Do you like to walk?” Elizabeth asked. “Walking sets the tone of my day, and I love the exercise, so I try to go out every morning.”
She spoke in a casual tone, observing Miss Darcy’s reactions to what she said.
More than once the girl seemed ready to venture an opinion or ask a question but stopped herself before saying anything.
Elizabeth talked about everything and nothing, hoping to encourage the girl to join the conversation.
“Would you like to see the paths I follow?” she asked, worried at this girl’s hesitance to speak. “If you are tired, we can return to the house, or I can show you something else if you would rather.”
Miss Darcy appeared uncertain of the proper response, and hesitant about venturing an opinion.
Three times her mouth opened, and three times it closed, as though the chance of offending her was too dangerous to risk.
Elizabeth, concerned she had upset her new acquaintance, twisted to face the house.
“Maybe we should go back to the manor,” she said in the hope of settling the girl’s unease.
“I would rather see the paths,” Miss Darcy said, her voice soft and timid, as though fearful of rebuke.
“Of course,” Elizabeth agreed, happy with any response from the girl. “We can start with my favorite.”
They spent the next hour following trails over the hills and through the trees that bordered the property. Elizabeth loved her home, and enjoyed showing Miss Darcy the beauty of the foliage so abundant on the property.
“I like to listen to the birds sing,” she said, stopping in a meadow alive with bird calls. “Their songs are so happy that they lift my mood. The melody sounds happier when the eggs hatch and young birds join in, and it is not unusual for me to enjoy it so much that I forget to move.”
“They are vocal,” Miss Darcy said with a shy smile. “May we listen for a while?”
“Yes,” Elizabeth whispered, “but we need to remain still, or they will see us and stop.”
The two were quiet, listening to the birds going about their activities. Soon they heard additional voices blending with the choir, until the air hummed with their harmonies, each contributing its melody to the performance.
“Look,” Elizabeth said, touching Miss Darcy’s arm and pointing to the side of the path, where a rabbit’s head emerged from a burrow. Cautiously, the animal hopped from its tunnel and paused as if looking for predators.
They stood without moving, content to observe the creature until it moved to the field bordering the path and disappeared from their sight.
“Searching for food, I guess,” Elizabeth said. “I see a lot on my walks. Papa is not fond of them; he says there are too many, and I don’t want to upset him, so I say nothing.”
“They look so adorable,” Miss Darcy said.
“Be that as it may,” Elizabeth replied, “it is best not to mention the creatures in Papa’s presence.”
Miss Darcy stopped as the trail crested a hill, revealing Longbourn spread out before them. “This is a beautiful estate,” she said, gazing over the expanse, “different from Pemberley, and yet similar in many ways.”
“Living here is a blessing,” Elizabeth said and smiled. “I cannot imagine a better place to call home.”
“Thank you, Miss Bennet, for spending your day with me,” Miss Darcy said, her voice again soft. “I am sorry for disrupting your plans and apologize for the inconvenience.”
“You are not an inconvenience,” she declared “I am enjoying your company. Please don’t hesitate to call whenever you wish. You can find me here most days.”
“I will, Miss Bennet,” Miss Darcy said, her face turning a light shade of pink, “and I would like to consider you a friend, if you don’t mind.”
“Please do,” she responded, “and call me Elizabeth. I prefer to dispense with formalities when possible.”