An Engagement at Pemberley Page 4

  Her mother was not here to see her now, but even she could not disapprove. The gown she wore was her new favourite; she had picked up the fabric in Derby and had it made into a pretty, pale gown. Her hair was up but loose curls framed her face. Her skin was clear and bright and her eyes sparkled from the exercise she had enjoyed that day. Elizabeth placed a pendent around her neck and gave her reflection a pleased smile. She looked as far from a grubby urchin as she could get. She was almost sorry Mr Darcy could not see her now. But then she recalled how humiliated she had been by him and shuddered. No. Even if she looked as beautiful as her older sister, Jane, Elizabeth would still have no desire to see the man who took such delight in making a fool of her.

  Aunt and Uncle Gardiner were already in the common room when Elizabeth came downstairs. They stood by the fire, near their usual table, engrossed in conversation with someone. Elizabeth supposed it to be one of Aunt Gardiner’s many friends. She smiled and moved towards them when someone moved and Elizabeth got a better view of the stranger.

  That tall figure and those broad shoulders. The dark curls that just brushed the collar of his jacket. No, it could not be. Could it? No, he would certainly not come to an inn to speak with people he were unacquainted with. It was merely a different man. One who, from this angle at least, happened to look extremely like him. But once Elizabeth joined them, the man would turn and she would see his face and know he was nothing like Mr Darcy.

  “Ah, Lizzy,” called Uncle Gardiner. He raised a hand. “There you are, my dear.”

  The man turned and stared directly at Elizabeth. Elizabeth stopped in her tracks, frozen to the spot.

  It was him. It was Mr Darcy. What on earth was he doing here?

  A crowd milled around the room, forcing her to walk towards her family. She could barely raise her eyes to look at him.

  “Mr Darcy wishes to invite us to dine at Pemberley tomorrow to thank you for finding his dog,” said Uncle Gardiner. However annoyed he had been about Mr Darcy’s accusations earlier, it seemed he was happy now to put them to one side. “Is that not generous of him?”

  “There is no need for that,” said Elizabeth. “I did not even return Shadow. I just found him.”

  “And that is precisely why I wish to thank you,” said Darcy. “It occurs to me that I was rather ungracious about your assistance and was harsher to you than you deserved, considering the service you rendered me. I would like to make it up to you if I can.”

  Elizabeth forced herself to look at him. He stared down at her. His expression was grave. He had none of the levity and amusement that had been about him earlier. He was more like the man Aunt Gardiner said he was; reserved, quiet and far more serious than a young man ought to be.

  “I do not wish you to feel indebted to me, sir,” she said quietly. “I accept your apology. There is no need for anything further.”

  “Oh, Lizzy,” said Aunt Gardiner. “We have no reservations for tomorrow so I am afraid we already accepted the invitation.”

  “I do not like to make you feel obliged to accept it,” said Darcy. His eyes were dark. He seemed a world apart from the young man she had bantered with earlier. Elizabeth noticed how many people in the room turned to stare at him as they passed then turned to one another with whispers. More than one young lady eyed him up and down appraisingly but Darcy seemed oblivious to all of them. His hands were behind his back and his expression was almost cold. Since it gave him such little pleasure to be there, Elizabeth was not sure why he had exerted himself. He might have stayed at home and not given himself the bother.

  Elizabeth tore her eyes from him to look at her aunt. Her aunt’s face was flushed with excitement but there was a disappointment in her eyes. Elizabeth knew she had been excited to visit Pemberley and finally visit the grand place she had peeked at as a girl. She must have been thrilled to receive the invitation. And the Gardiners had always been so kind to her. Could she really deny them this pleasure out of nothing but petulance?

  “If my aunt and uncle have already accepted it, then I must thank you for it and accept it with gratitude,” she said. Her aunt’s face lit up.

  Mr Darcy bowed. “Thank you for the honour.”

  “We are about to dine, sir,” said Uncle Gardiner. “Will you not join us? You have a long road ahead of you back to Pemberley. Sit down with us before you leave.”

  Elizabeth winced inwardly but kept her face was bland as possible, willing Mr Darcy to decline.

  “I understood you have friends joining you,” said Darcy with a doubtful look. “The Parishes?”

  “They — er — they could not join us after all,” said Elizabeth quickly. Darcy turned those cool eyes on her to look at her again. She could not even begin to guess what he was thinking.

  “Then I will join you, with thanks.”

  Elizabeth tried not to look too disappointed.

  The meal was a long one. Mr and Mrs Gardiner were their usual engaging selves and carried a lively conversation. Open and gregarious, they conversed easily with Darcy until they saw he desired to speak little. It mattered little to them as they easily conversed with other travellers, leaving Elizabeth and Darcy to sit beside one another in silence. Elizabeth was determined not to be the one to break it.

  “You look very different this evening to how you did today,” said Darcy after they had sat without exchanging a word for several minutes.

  “That should not surprise you, sir. I am not in the habit of running about in stained and torn clothes on a regular basis.” She paused. “Besides, I might say the same of you. You look like a gentleman now. I am sure no one could mistake you for a servant. Especially when you look so severe.”

  Darcy made no reply. Elizabeth sipped her wine.

  “Why did you not tell me who you were?” she blurted out a moment later. “You should have told me. Why did you allow me to carry on making a fool of myself?”

  For a moment, she thought either Darcy had not heard her or was choosing not to respond. She looked up to repeat herself but he answered.

  “I did not mean to make you feel foolish. That was never my intention.”

  “Then what was your intention? Because I cannot see a benign reason to allow someone to mistake you for someone else and allow them to continue in their error. It was ungallant of you.”

  “I confess, I do not know why I did it.” Darcy paused and looked about the room. “I am usually known wherever I go. It was refreshing to meet someone who had no idea who I am. I took advantage of your ignorance to enjoy that feeling a little while longer.”

  “My ignorance!”

  “A poor choice of words, perhaps.”

  “More than perhaps.”

  Darcy sighed and crumbled the remains of his bread on his plate. “I am sorry I did not tell you. I should not have done it. But remember, I thought you were a thief. I did not think it important that you knew who I was.”

  “And yet you chose not to give me the benefit of the doubt.”

  “Is that not what you are doing now?”

  Darcy turned to look at her. Elizabeth swelled with indignation but bit back a sharp response. No, she would not give him the satisfaction of thinking he affected her. She tossed her head and turned to her neighbour.

  “Mr Langton,” she said. “I hope your day exploring Bakewell has been as rewarding as you hoped?”

  She could feel Darcy’s eyes on her but he did not attempt to engage her again for the evening.

  9

  Mr and Mrs Gardiner were already at breakfast in the common room when Elizabeth joined them the following morning.

  “Do you have any particular desires for where you would like to go today?” Aunt Gardiner asked.

  Elizabeth shrugged. “None in particular. I would still like to take a walk in the woods around Lambton. It is very cool and sweet today.” A thought struck her. “Unless those woods are also owned by Mr Darcy.”

  Uncle Gardiner laughed. “Everything around here is owned by Mr Darcy. But I am sure he w
ill not object to you taking a walk.”

  Elizabeth made a face as she pulled a piece of bread towards her. “I can only hope he does not accost me and accuse me of being a petty criminal this time.”

  “You are severe, my dear. I found Mr Darcy far more pleasant and open than I expected. There is something a little stately about him, to be sure, but it is confined to his air and is not unbecoming. And it was very generous of him to invite us to Pemberley tonight.”

  Elizabeth concentrated on her bread. “Do you particularly wish to dine at Pemberley, Aunt?”

  “I would have thought you would. You have been eager to see everything and every place we passed since we set out from Longbourn. Mr Darcy rarely invites people to dine with him unless he knows them very well. I am quite pleased to be asked.”

  Elizabeth glanced up at her aunt. Aunt Gardiner’s face was glowing with excitement. Elizabeth recalled all her tales about playing near Pemberley when she was a child. To dine there was an experience she had never expected. Elizabeth could not be so mean as to deprive her of it just because she was feeling missish about the strange owner. She forced herself to smile.

  “Then I am sure I am looking forward to it. Mr Darcy mentioned a sister, I think?”

  “Yes, Miss Georgiana Darcy. She was born after my time here so I know little about her. But from all accounts, she is a pleasant girl. Very fond of music. She does not mix much with the neighbourhood so I suspect she is a little reserved, like her brother. Mr Darcy mentioned she will be there tonight.”

  “How old is she?”

  “I believe she is about fourteen or fifteen years of age.”

  Elizabeth nodded though she kept her smile to herself.

  So, that was probably it. If Miss Darcy was as reserved as her aunt said, she would not find it easy to take on the role of hostess or mistress to a house like Pemberley. More than likely, Mr Darcy was easing her in to her duties by having guests who were below them both and so, not intimidating. Because she could see no other reason why he would invite them. It was certainly not because he felt remorse for his behaviour yesterday. He made that very clear when he defended his actions.

  Still, the dinner would make Aunt Gardiner happy, and her aunt and uncle had been good to her on the trip. She could show her gratitude by being as pleasant as possible and allowing her aunt to have an experience that would bring her great excitement.

  Elizabeth rather resented her graciousness when she was obliged to cut her walk short to change. She had a pleasant day tramping over the woods and hills around the town. A book borrowed from the small collection at the inn furnished her with entertainment whenever she stopped to rest. It was rather gripping. Elizabeth would have welcome the chance to curl up with it and enjoy it for the rest of the evening, but it was not to be. She would have to pull out her finest gown to deflect any of Darcy’s odd remarks and she would have to spend the evening enduring his company. Elizabeth felt rather ill-used as she walked into the inn.

  Aunt Gardiner ran to meet her, her face lit up with excitement.

  “I am not late?” asked Elizabeth. She glanced at the clock.

  “No, no, not at all. Right on time, my dear. Do you know who was here to see us? Mr Darcy.”

  “Oh.” Elizabeth looked around in confusion. “Where is he?”

  “Gone. He left to prepare to receive us. But he had some business in the town and he stopped to see how we did. I told him he missed you and he sat with us for a while before saying he had to leave. He offered his carriage to take us to Pemberley.”

  “You did not accept it? We can manage just as well with the hired coach.”

  “Your uncle tried to refuse but Darcy would not hear of it. He insisted and said it would be here for us within the hour. So, make haste, my dear. Your mother would never forgive me if I took you to dine at a wealthy man’s house and you were not wearing your finest clothing.”

  Elizabeth gave her aunt a sharp look then laughed when she saw the twinkle in her aunt’s eye.

  “I think it best if Mama does not hear anything about this situation. She will rail and weep if she thought I came home unmarried with such a prize before me. And as there is no chance of my marrying Mr Darcy, I really do not think I could hear her lamentations about a hopeless situation.”

  “I would not know about that, my dear. Mr Darcy is young and handsome and quite unattached. He has also been very thoughtful and attentive.”

  “He is also the sort of man who makes baseless accusations and deceives people as to his identity,” said Elizabeth with a grim smile. “I do not think I will be calling for the banns to be read where he is concerned.”

  “Stranger things have happened.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Then I just absolutely implore you not to write to Mama. If you are willing to even entertain the idea, she will be quite unbearable.”

  Aunt Gardiner laughed and kissed her niece on the cheek. “Run along and change. I confess, I am quite excited about the evening.”

  Despite her reservations about Darcy, Elizabeth could not help smiling as she walked to the stairs. Dear Aunt Gardiner! If Elizabeth disliked Darcy, she could at least be grateful he had brought such excitement to her aunt.

  But she could not decide what he meant by calling in on them. Was he afraid they might change their mind about attending that evening? No, it could not be that. A man as arrogant as Mr Darcy was sure to be keenly aware of what an honour it was for them to be invited. He would have no doubt of their attendance.

  But it was most strange that he should call on them twice in such a short space of time. She did not believe she would ever understand him.

  10

  The clock struck six. Darcy checked himself in the mirror one last time as his valet dusted down his coat. A strange thrill ran through him as he thought of the evening ahead. Why he should be so excited, or even why he had invited them in the first place, was a mystery to him. He was not prone to seek out friendships. He rarely needed to. People were all too happy to ally themselves with Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley and they were happy to hang about him no matter how little he desired it. It meant he was, even at eight and twenty, quite unfamiliar with the dynamics of seeking to know someone better. He was even less familiar with experiencing the sensation of suspecting his overtures of friendship were unwelcome.

  Yet Miss Elizabeth Bennet was not overly-warm to him. It was a strange sensation. Usually, young ladies threw themselves at him and smiled and flounced before him, desperate to win his attention. Caroline Bingley was precisely such a lady. But Elizabeth was unmoved by his presence. Was she really so offended by his behaviour yesterday? He could see why she might be. But his real problem was; why did he care so much? Why did he need her to look at him and smile? She should be nothing to him. Her relatives, while excellent people, were in trade. He could not ally himself to a woman with such low connections.

  Yet that did not prevent him from wanting to be around her and to learn more about her. His time with her in the woods was some of the most enjoyable he ever passed with another person. Something about her not knowing who he was gave him a freedom to converse with her with a looseness he usually never experienced. It was as well her connections were so humble or he should be in great danger of wanting to make her an offer.

  He met Georgiana coming from her room. She brushed her white muslim gown with pale hands and raised her eyes to see her brother. She gave him a small smile.

  “Are you ready for our guests?” he asked.

  “I do not know,” she said in a small voice. “I know nothing of these people. Must I be the hostess? Could you not do it?”

  Darcy took his sister’s hand and tucked it under his arm to lead her down the stairs.

  “I am doing it. I only ask that you assist me. Come, it is good practice for you. And that they are strangers makes it better. If you feel embarrassed, just remember they are here for a short time and then you will never have to see them again. They are the perfect party for you to make y
our mistakes with. I do not think you would like to do so in front of Miss Bingley or Mrs Hurst, would you?”

  Georgiana’s face blanched. “Not at all. I should never be able to look at them again. But I am worried. I hope I do not disgrace you…”

  Darcy stopped walking and turned her to face him. He kept her hand in his.

  “You could never disgrace me. Never. No matter what, I am proud of you. They are only three people. It is a very small party. And I am here to help you.”

  Georgiana gave him a small smile and nodded. As they walked on, she hesitantly spoke again.

  “I do wonder why you invited them. It is not like you.”

  Darcy paused. “I find them pleasant, sensible people. Well-bred and easy to speak with. And I felt I owed them an apology after yesterday.” He glanced down at his sister. “I accused their niece of stealing Shadow.”

  “You did not.” Georgiana was so shocked she forgot her usual deference to her brother. “Oh, Fitzwilliam, how could you have made such an error?”

  “I cannot excuse myself, but in my defence, Miss Bennet had fallen in mud and did not look like a gentlewoman. She looked wild and untidy and she had my missing dog in her possession. It was hard not to come to the conclusion.”

  Georgiana still stared at him. “And is Miss Bennet very angry with you? Will she be cold to us?”

  Darcy winced. He had not considered that. If Elizabeth was still cold to him, Georgiana was likely to feel as though she had done something wrong.

  “I am sure she will not. But if she is, I hope you remember she is angry with me. It has nothing to do with you.”

  Georgiana nodded though she still looked apprehensive. “Very well. What sort of person is she? What are your impressions of her?”

  Darcy recalled Elizabeth entering the room the night before in a white gown, her hair curled around her face. How had he ever mistaken her for a thief? Her eyes had sparkled though they had not sparkled for him once she saw him there.