Page 27

“Good morning, sir,” she said, not wanting to prolong the conversation with a stranger.

As she began to walk, he called out to her.

“Are you from the village?”

“Why do you ask?”

“It seems a long walk from the village. I do not know where, but I recognize you from somewhere.”

“I am not from the village, sir. Good day to you,” she said, walking back towards Ashton Park.

She reached the house and readied herself for the day. Elizabeth was happy to continue lessons with the children. She entered the breakfast parlor and was surprised to see Lady Martha there.

She held Elizabeth’s hand and greeted her.

“I am glad you are well, my dear. The children have been most anxious without your company. Are you certain you feel well?” she asked.

“I am well, madam. I went for a short walk and feel a lot better.”

Just then, someone entered the parlor, and Elizabeth was surprised to identify him as the same rider she had encountered that morning.

“Well! Well! We meet again,” he exclaimed upon seeing Elizabeth.

Lady Martha was confused.

“Miss Smith, allow me to introduce you to my brother, Mr. Francis Anderson.” Lady Martha continued, “This is Miss Smith. You may not need a further introduction. She is the wonderful governess I have written to you about in the past month.”

Oh! He is her brother.

Elizabeth curtsied.

“It is good to meet you, sir,” she said.

“It is good to meet you again, Miss Smith.”

He quickly explained that they had met earlier that morning on the trail, and the rest of the family joined them for breakfast. Lady Martha explained to Elizabeth that her brother’s visit surprised her.

“I thought he would not be here till Christmas, and I am glad he came.”

“Will his family join us? I understand he has a daughter. You mentioned your niece many times.”

“Oh! That is my eldest brother, Mark, and he has a daughter. Francis is the second in the family; I am the youngest. Francis is not married, and I don’t know why, but he never did. He lives in Scotland as well.”

Mr. Anderson had a happy demeanor, and she wondered why he did not marry.

He was to stay for some weeks, and Lady Martha seemed to be very happy about the arrival of her brother.

The next day, the Darcys were invited to dine with them, and Elizabeth tried to compose herself and wanted to be unaffected when she saw Darcy.

However, Elizabeth was happy to see Georgiana and was touched by the young girl’s affection and regard for her well-being. The men were to join them after their outdoor engagements.

Lady Isabella said very little, and Elizabeth noticed that she looked less confident than before in the company of her mother-in-law.

She was always restless and often lost track of the conversation.

“Did you not hear what I just said?” Lady Martha asked in one such situation.

“Forgive me; I seem to have missed it,” Lady Isabella replied.

“I asked if you were planning on attending the supper party at Mrs. Hamptons this weekend.”

“Yes, of course."

“Very well then. Miss Smith, Mrs. Hampton has invited you to the party, and you must accompany us.”

Elizabeth was hesitant, even though it was not the first time she had accompanied the Ashtons to social engagements. Most of Lady Martha's acquaintances included her in all their invites, and they were cordial and respectful towards her. She neither enjoyed nor detested these engagements.

When the men joined them for dinner, Elizabeth found it hard to look Darcy in the eye. As for Darcy, he had spent a restless time fishing with the others, anticipating when he would get to meet her.

He was seated right across Elizabeth at the table. She was vexed to see that his eyes were fixed on her whenever she looked in his direction.

What does he want? Why does he stare at me so?

She sat next to Georgiana, and Mr. Anderson sat to her left. Darcy wanted to talk to her but did not dare initiate conversation, fearing his own words. He took the opportunity to walk her and Georgiana to the drawing room after dinner. When Elizabeth locked arms with him, she felt him stiffen.

“I hope you are feeling better, Miss Smith,” he asked.

"Yes, I do. I thank you,” she replied formally.

He could not say anything else but relished the moments he had her close to him. The moment he let go of her, Darcy felt the same pain he had felt when he handed her into the carriage some days ago. The party settled in the drawing room, and Mr. Anderson requested music.

Lady Isabella played first, and she did justice to the song.

“That was excellent, my dear,” Lord Ashton said, appreciating his wife and the rest joined in their praises. Darcy said nothing, and his heart longed to hear Elizabeth play.

“Georgiana, why don’t you and Miss Smith play a duet?” Lady Martha asked.

“Of course, we did try one last week,” Georgiana exclaimed, feeling more comfortable playing along with Elizabeth, and Elizabeth had no choice but to comply.

They played together, and there was perfect harmony between them. There was thunderous applause after the performance ended.

“That was truly delightful,” Mr. Anderson exclaimed.

“I agree. It was a beautiful performance,” Darcy said in agreement. Georgiana and Elizabeth smiled at each other.

When they got up from the pianoforte, Elizabeth was forced to take a seat next to Darcy, as Georgiana took her spot next to Lady Martha.

“You play remarkably well, Miss Smith. I have never seen my sister enjoy playing duets before,” Darcy said with genuine admiration.

“Thank you, sir. I assure you the credit goes to Miss Darcy. She pressed me to practice this piece along with her.”

“You do not like compliments, do you?”

Elizabeth was puzzled by his question and noticed his smile. She did not know how to reply.

“That is not entirely true, I assure you. Sometimes, I am reluctant to accept compliments when I am aware that I do not deserve them.”

“So, you say you don’t deserve any praise for your skills at the pianoforte.”

“Yes, indeed. I have never dedicated time to practice like your sister or other women who want to excel in it. So, I do not think I deserve the praise.”

“I disagree.”

She raised her eyebrow.

“Nobody who has had the pleasure of listening to you would find anything wanting. I think you have employed your time in much better ways. Whether you accept or not, I have hardly listened to anything that gives me more pleasure than your music,” he said with a gaze fixed on her.

Elizabeth stared at him in shock, and their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the children.

When Darcy left that day, he knew one thing for certain.

He had to act on his feelings. In a short period, he had understood that his feelings could not be changed, nor did he want them to.

He loved her and could not imagine himself finding a way to disregard the strongest admiration and regard he felt for her.

He only had one question in his mind.

What would people think if the master of Pemberley married a governess?