Page 26 of Sketching Mr. Darcy

T he carriage was the largest she had ever seen, but it still felt close inside as she was inches from—and alone with—a man. Elizabeth sat face to face with Mr Darcy, glancing out the window and watching the Hertfordshire estates disappearing one by one.

“Would you like another blanket? It is quite cold,” he said gently.

“No, thank you, I am fine.” She forced a smile.

“I was in a hurry to leave while the roads are still passable. If it continues snowing this way, it might become difficult to reach London.”

“I understand that. I think it a wise decision.”

“We shall stop in the middle of our journey to change horses and have some tea. We should be home by late afternoon.”

Her “home” was miles away at Longbourn. “Very well,” she answered.

Lucky attempted to find a place to rest, but the carriage floor was cold and hard. Darcy called him, and the dog hesitated a moment then jumped up and settled down on the warm, soft blanket. Darcy petted him briefly then met Elizabeth’s gaze.

“Thank you,” she said. “If he bothers you, I can have him by me.”

“Not at all. This is the gentlemen’s bench,” he said, and she smiled openly .

Another period of silent staring out the window followed. Elizabeth’s eyes were drawn to him from time to time, but he seemed preoccupied with admiring the passing scene.

“I believe we should speak a little, you know. It would look odd to be entirely silent for half a day together,” she said suddenly, and he smiled, remembering her words from the ball.

“Very well—as I told you before, everything you wish me to say will be said.”

“Oh, come, sir. That is not fair. We cannot possibly have the same conversation again. I would hope by now that you have discovered an interesting subject.”

He laughed openly. “Very well, let me try. I know you are fond of books but not so fond of talking about them. So, shall I attempt the theatre? Or the opera? The season is open, and we shall have many opportunities to enjoy the performances if you like.”

“Oh, yes, I would like that very much. Jane and I…” She paused and looked at him in earnest. “My Aunt Gardner has invited Jane to stay with her in London.”

“Then you should consult with Miss Bennet and Georgiana about what plays you would like to see. I shall happily keep you company.”

Elizabeth stared at him in disbelief. He held her gaze for a moment, and his countenance softened when her eyes sparkled with joy and her lips opened in a warm, heartfelt smile.

“Thank you. You are very kind. As for the subject of our conversation, anything would do.”

“Then we may start by your not calling me ‘sir’ or ‘Mr Darcy’ and my not calling you ‘Miss Bennet.’ It sounds awkward since we just married. Would you not approve, Elizabeth?”

Strangely, she felt a cold tingle down her spine when he spoke her name, and she tried to sound light and easy as she replied, but her voice was more a hesitant whisper .

“I do approve it, William—very much indeed.”

“Good… Before going any further, there is a very serious matter we need to clarify at the beginning of our marriage. When we first met at the Meryton Assembly, my behaviour was highly improper. I cannot apologise enough for it. I recently discovered that you heard me speak to Bingley, decline to dance with you—and call you ‘tolerable.’ I am sorely ashamed of that, and I deeply regret my words. In fact, I regretted them almost immediately.”

Elizabeth scarcely believed her eyes and ears. She could not decide whether she should answer seriously or impertinently. He seemed resolute, so she replied in the same manner.

“I cannot deny that I heard you and was a little offended…and yes, your manners were not the best that evening. I accept your apology, and please believe that I forgave you long ago.”

“I thank you—you are most generous.”

“Not at all—I confess I said many severe words about you in the days after that assembly.”

“I am sure all of them were well deserved. But then, I did invite you to dance three more times, and you accepted only once.”

“Three times? When do you mean? Surely, you were not serious on the first two occasions.”

“Quite serious, truth to tell. But I took the rejections graciously. You must grant me that.”

“Indeed.” She felt warmer and more at ease with each word they shared.

As the time passed, she inquired further about his family and about looking forward to meeting them.

He spoke warmly of his sister and of the Matlocks.

Then, in a more grave tone, he told her about his Aunt Catherine, her desire for a marriage between him and his cousin Anne, and the expected opposition from his aunt.

He had sent a detailed letter informing her about the marriage, but he entertained no hope that Lady Catherine would be sanguine about the news.

“Unfortunately, I expect her to be disagreeable when we first meet, but you must not worry. I will protect you from her anger. She can be very…unkind.”

“You are very thoughtful, but there is no need to worry about me. I am quite able to protect myself when necessary. What truly worries me is your cousin Anne. Did she also hope for a marriage with you?”

“You are as considerate as I imagined you to be, Elizabeth. No, Anne and I discussed it long ago, and she did not wish such a marriage any more than I, so there is no need for concern. And I know you can protect yourself. I have seen you answer Caroline Bingley’s mischief.”

His tone turned lighter, and when she responded with a smile, he continued.

“I am afraid I am the one to blame for Caroline’s rudeness too.

The day you refused my first invitation to dance at Sir William’s, I confessed to her that I admired your fine eyes, and I believe she was not happy about that. ”

“You told her you admired my eyes at Lucas Lodge? But that was almost at the beginning of our acquaintance—before we came to stay at Netherfield!”

“Yes indeed…” he admitted, and their eyes locked again.

“Oh…” she said, feeling suddenly warm and not understanding why. She forced a laugh as she continued, “But do not blame yourself. I am sure Miss Bingley would have been rude even without your confession. She seemed quite proficient.”

They openly smiled at each other with a meaningful gaze, and as the snow increased, she suddenly turned the subject to the weather.

He asked her again whether she was warm enough; she was.

Eventually, the carriage stopped as they had reached their resting place.

Darcy helped her out, and she leant on his arm, stretching her legs and enjoying the fresh, chilled air.

They walked together into the inn with Lucky closely following.

The reunion with the Matlocks was pleasant.

Elizabeth had several cups of warm tea while the gentlemen preferred spirits to fight the cold.

They ordered food, and Elizabeth, more at ease than before, enjoyed conversing openly with the earl and his sons.

An hour later, they resumed the journey.

Inside the carriage, Lucky immediately jumped on the seat beside Darcy and curled up. Elizabeth laughed.

“I am amazed to see how quickly he has attached himself to you. He has never done that before, not even with my parents and sisters. I cannot imagine what has happened to him. I am grateful that you allowed me to bring him.”

“I could not possibly refuse such a lovely requirement,” he said then smiled again.

“I have a confession to make: when you told me you had a special requirement, I thought you wished to ask me about something quite different—your pin money, the jewels not stipulated in the settlement, or something similar.”

She looked at him with wide eyes, and he continued. “As your father said, I still do not know you well enough, but I will be delighted to discover more of your true character every day, Elizabeth.”

“As will I, William,” she replied through a small, gentle smile.

There was silence again for some time, and then she suddenly said, “I, too, have something extraordinary to tell you. My Aunt Gardiner reminded me that I met Lady Anne and Georgiana ten years ago. Is that not astonishing?”

“When did that happen? Have you been in Derbyshire?”

“No, not in Derbyshire. The year my aunt and uncle married, they invited Jane and me to travel with them to Brighton. We were there almost a month. Jane and I used to go to the beach with a chaperone—Mrs Johnson—every day, and apparently we became quite friendly with your mother and sister. My aunt was well acquainted with Lady Anne, and she was amazed one day when we all met. Unfortunately, I do not remember any details as I was very young. But my aunt knew Lady Anne, and she spoke with the warmest affection and admiration of her. She said she was truly the most beautiful, kind, and generous lady who ever existed. I am so sad that I do not remember her more vividly.”

“Yes, she was. That is quite an astonishing story,” he said briefly then suddenly leant back in his seat and turned his head to stare out the window.

It was not difficult for Elizabeth to understand the sadness on his face.

To lose a wonderful mother at such a young age was surely heartbreaking—and to have your father follow her several years later must have been a burden almost too difficult to bear for a young man with a younger sister in his care.

“I am sorry that my story saddened you,” she said gently, and he turned to her.

“It is not your fault. I should apologise for being such poor company on our wedding journey. I was quite touched by the strange coincidence, and I believe Georgiana will be surprised and happy, too.”

They returned to watching the road, and Darcy absently petted the dog. Elizabeth smiled, pleased that she finally found something to say to lift their spirits.