Page 27 of Moments Frozen in Time (Pride and Prejudice Variation)
DARCY
E arly the next morning, I left my room, intending to go for a ride to clear my head. At dinner the previous evening, Miss Bingley had been particularly attentive to me, clinging to my side and scarcely allowing me a moment to speak to Miss Elizabeth.
In truth, since yesterday afternoon, I could hardly think of her as anything but Elizabeth in my own mind, and I rather despised the obligation to use the honorific in company. It felt like a barrier between us, one I earnestly wished to remove when I offered her my hand.
Miss Bingley’s performance the evening before had me even less inclined to wait before asking Elizabeth to marry me.
Should she try something, I would have my promise to Elizabeth to prevent Miss Bingley from claiming any deeper connexion to her.
I would need to speak to Mr. Bennet soon, but I was uncertain how and when to approach him.
Thanks to Miss Bingley’s refusal to accept any invitations to Longbourn, I did not know Mr. Bennet well. He had not been at the dinner with the officers a few nights ago, and in truth, the man rarely attended any social events .
From our conversations, I knew it was likely that Elizabeth would prefer to wait to tell her mother of our understanding.
It would not surprise me if she wished to wait until the engagement was official for us to tell her, and although I no longer seemed to mind a little speculation, at least about this, I would do whatever Miss Elizabeth wished.
Instead, I needed a reason to visit Longbourn and wondered if there was an issue at Netherfield that I could seek his advice on.
I was still turning this over in my mind as I walked down the passageway, and to my surprise, I encountered Elizabeth just as she stepped out of her sister’s room.
“Good morning, Elizabeth,” I greeted her softly, not wishing to rouse the servants with our encounter or disturb Miss Bennet, should she still be asleep.
“Good morning, Mr Darcy,” she replied, a warm flush rising to her cheeks. It occurred to me then that I had addressed her by name, and I wondered if that accounted for the charming colour now painting her face.
“Does it trouble you when I call you by your name?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
“Not as much as it ought,” she admitted, a touch of amusement in her tone.
“But you must not do so in front of the others. I have not spoken to anyone of… of our courtship—not even Jane. And Miss Bingley would be most unpleasant if she were to find out. It would entirely ruin her plans for you.” A sly smile curved her lips as she spoke the last, and I could not help but return it.
Despite her teasing, it was her admission that she had not yet told her sister which lingered in my mind. I offered her my arm as we walked together down the corridor. She accepted it without hesitation, and my smile broadened as I realised how naturally we already moved in step with one another.
“May I ask why you have not spoken to Miss Bennet?” I enquired as we began our descent of the staircase .
Elizabeth faltered, her steps slowing slightly.
“Jane is improving,” she began, her voice quiet.
“A-and we have made plans for her to come downstairs for a short time after dinner tonight.” She glanced over at me, then looked ahead again before continuing.
“She—she would not understand why, if we are… if we are courting, we have said nothing to your hosts. Even if…” She trailed off for a moment, then gave a soft, resigned sigh.
“Even if a large part of that is because you have not yet spoken to my father.”
Another pause followed before she added softly, “Jane always tries to see the best in people, and I—I would not wish to subject her to Miss Bingley’s cutting remarks if…
if our courtship were to become the focus of conversation.
My sister genuinely seems to like Mr Bingley, and I would rather not influence her opinion of him—or of his sister—by bringing unnecessary tension into their acquaintance, at least, not yet.
It will be easier for all of us to manage if we are not sharing a roof. ”
I nodded in understanding of her reasoning. “To be fair, I have said nothing to Bingley for a similar reason.”
We had reached the foot of the stairs, and I was uncertain of where to go from there. I would have supposed that Elizabeth was coming downstairs in search of breakfast, but I briefly wondered about asking her to join me for a walk.
“I forgot to ask where you were headed when you left your room,” I said after a moment’s hesitation. “I had originally planned to ride out on Mithras—perhaps you would care to walk with me to the stables for a few minutes unless you preferred to walk somewhere else?”
“I had meant to spend a bit of time outdoors,” she replied, offering a small smile. “Our walk yesterday did me a great deal of good, and I thought to take the air again this morning. Jane slept much better last night, and I believe she is truly on the mend now.”
“Then you were able to rest as well?” I asked as I turned us towards the rear exit I normally used in the early morning hours .
She hesitated, her eyes lowering slightly before she answered, “I was.” A faint flush coloured her cheeks, and I sensed the intimacy of the question had caught her off guard.
“I am glad,” I replied, my voice quieter than intended.
I felt a matching heat rise in my own face and was suddenly eager to shift the subject.
“It is a shame you have no riding habit with you, or I would have offered another lesson this morning. You managed quite well on Mithras the other day. Even just sitting atop him whilst I lead about would help build your confidence on horseback.”
She did not answer right away, and I momentarily wondered if I had offended her.
“As much as I might like another lesson, I am uncertain that we have enough time this morning,” she said finally, allowing me to take a deep breath when she did not reject me outright.
“But I would like to visit Mithras, and perhaps you could give me a lesson another time?”
“Of course,” I replied quickly as we stepped outside. I began to move in that direction and soon we were at the stables.
Mithras was pleased to see us; I had not ridden him at all since Elizabeth arrived at Netherfield. Instead, I had remained close to the house, not wanting to stray too far in case she needed me.
Taking an apple from my pocket, I offered it to Elizabeth with a small smile. “Have you ever fed a horse before?”
She shook her head, her eyes widening slightly at my question.
“Here,” I said, placing the fruit gently into her hand. “Hold it out on your open palm—keep your hand flat—and bring it up to his mouth. His lips might brush your skin, but he will not bite so long as you keep your fingers away from his teeth.”
She glanced from me to the apple, then to Mithras, who waited with quiet interest. For a brief moment, hesitation flickered across her face, but she took a steadying breath and did as I had instructed, holding her palm flat and moving it cautiously towards his mouth .
Mithras did not wait for her to close the distance. He dipped his head and took the apple with gentle swiftness, his velvety lips brushing her skin.
Elizabeth gave a startled giggle at the sensation, her eyes lighting up with delight. “That tickled far more than I expected,” she said, glancing at me with a smile that made something warm settle in my chest.
“He has a soft mouth,” I said, reaching up to stroke Mithras' neck, using the motion to steady myself after the way her laugh had unsettled me.
Just being near her awakened feelings I had rarely experienced before her—her laughter tugged at my heart and, admittedly, stirred less gentlemanly impulses as well.
“It means he was trained well and that he likes you, which is fortunate, as his master happens to be rather fond of you, too.”
She turned to me with a smile—gentle, warm, and unlike any I had seen from her before. “Then I suppose it is a very good thing that I like him in return,” she said, her voice soft. “Both the horse and his master.”
My heart stuttered at her words, and for a moment, I could not speak.
“It is good,” I replied. It was not, perhaps, the most fluent of replies, but it was the best I could manage under the circumstances.
For several moments, neither of us spoke, our attention fully occupied by Mithras. I reached for a curry comb and began brushing his coat in long, steady strokes whilst Elizabeth continued to gently stroke his neck and head, her touch light and affectionate, a touch I hoped one day to feel myself.
At length, I ventured to break the silence.
“I know a date has not yet been set for the ball,” I began, keeping my tone casual despite the nervous anticipation behind my words, “but would it be too presumptuous of me to request your first dance that evening? I hope to have spoken to your father by then, and—if it would not be too bold—I would ask for your supper set as well. ”
She ducked her head, using Mithras' neck as a shield, and I watched her shoulders rise with a quiet laugh before she spoke, her voice soft and touched with a shyness I had not seen in her before.
“I would be delighted to dance both sets with you. But—are you certain? Mama has thus far ignored our frequent conversations, and there has been no gossip about the two of us. I know you asked to court me, but still…” Her voice trailed off, revealing again the lingering uncertainty she felt—about me, about us, and perhaps about how fragile the promise between us still seemed.
I replied without hesitation. “Entirely certain.” Perhaps once I had spoken to her father she would begin to trust in the certainty of my intentions, though I suspected her hesitancy might remain until I had formally proposed, maybe even until we were finally wed.