With Just a Little Guidance Chapters 47 and 48

AN: Thank you for comments and encouragement. ODC is finally making progress.
______________________
Chapter 47

As Darcy arose the next morning, he espied Mrs. Raynor strolling in the gardens. He had his valet help him dress quickly and, within a few moments, exited a nearby door.

“Good morning, Mrs. Raynor. Do I interrupt or would you enjoy having a companion as you stroll this lovely morning?”

“The interruption is not unwelcome. I was missing my son. He so enjoys walking with me in the morning.”

He fell in step beside her, offering his arm. “Do you walk together every day?”

“As often as I can. When Allen joins me, I do not walk as far, of course. However, he loves to look into each flower and tell me what he sees. Of course, what he says is not entirely comprehensible, but it is very pleasant to spend the time together. He seems to have a story for each flower. You have so many lovely blooms that I was just considering what he would say should he see them all.”

“It must be hard to leave him behind as you did this time.”

“Yes, it is. We generally have this short time in the morning and then again in the afternoon before Allen has his tea. Sometimes we spend a rainy or snowy afternoon reading together. He is a good little boy, and I enjoy his company.”

“You are lucky that you and Mrs. Bingley have children of an age to play together. Georgiana had no one in our family near her in age. Richard is only two years older than I, so he became my closest family playmate. Andrew is a bit younger and often joined us when he got a little older. Their sister is another year younger. It was many years before Georgiana was born, and by then, there was no one to play with. We all considered ourselves too old to play her games. I think she is truly enjoying having your sisters to share with. Thank you for bringing them to visit.”

“As they are the youngest, in some ways, I think they felt the loss of our mother the most. We older ones missed our mother in a different way. I do not think Father really knows how to communicate with us well, in spite of their being five of us. It might have been different if our brothers had lived. We have had our aunts, and lately the cousins from the Gardners; but as we were growing up, it was just the five of us. The Gardner’s oldest is but eight, and so, far too young for us to play with. I think Kitty and Lydia are enjoying this as much as Miss Darcy. They have always had to compete for attention with their older sisters, and that is not the case here. I think we will all enjoy this visit. Since we know that Kitty will be visiting here in the future, it is a shame that it is so far from the rest of us that we cannot visit often.”

"It really is an easy a distance from some of her family and friends."

"An easy distance, do you call it? It is nearly one hundred fifty miles."

"And what is one hundred fifty miles of good road? Little more than a couple of days journey. Yes, I call it an easy distance."

"Well, my journey from Raynor Hall is about half a day, and I do feel far from family. I do not mean to say that a woman may not be settled too near her family. The far and the near must be relative, and depend on many varying circumstances. Where there is fortune to make the expenses of travelling unimportant, distance becomes no evil. However, we seldom get together as a family because of the distance for all of us.”

“I can see how that would be.”

They continued on in silence for a moment, then Elizabeth asked a question about estate management and an issue at Raynor Hall. They discussed her concerns and options for quite a time. As that conversation drew to an end, Darcy asked, “Do you ride?”

“We all do. I cannot say I truly enjoy it, though. I prefer walking.”

“Georgie and I ride almost daily when we are here. There are some truly beautiful sights that are rather far for a walk. I would like to take you all on a picnic to one of them this afternoon, but it requires that we all ride.”

“We ride well enough for that, as long as you do not supply us with a mount that is truly feisty. Well, Lydia might like feisty. She seems to like riding more than any of the rest of us.”

“We have some excellent mounts for ladies, so that should be fine.”

By this point, they had turned and were almost at the side entrance to the house. “I will make the arrangements then. Would you object if I joined you again? This was a very pleasant way to start my day.”

This raised a slight blush on Elizabeth’s cheek. “I would be delighted.” As they headed to their rooms to wash, Elizabeth considered the effort Mr. Darcy had made to join her on the walk and his request to join her again. In contrast to how reserved he had been in the past, he was quite talkative. He had seemed interested in her walks with Allen and had made her feel very at ease. As she washed and descended to the breakfast room, she determined that she might actually welcome his attention. In his own home, he was quite genial and interesting.

All enjoyed the picnic that afternoon. It was repeated again at least three times each week. Each time, they visited a different portion of Pemberley. All prospects were lovely, and Elizabeth often lamented that these were too far away for an easy walk. She found herself riding far more than she preferred in order to revisit these beautiful locations. Sometimes it was with the entire group, sometimes just the ladies.

At the end of the first week, Lord and Lady Matlock arrived. They wanted to spend time with both the Darcys and Kitty where there was not the pressure of society always looking on. While everyone was partaking of tea shortly after their arrival, Kitty sat with Lady Matlock for a quiet chat.

“My dear, it is so nice to see you again. Are you enjoying your visit to Pemberley?”

“Yes, very much. Pemberley is lovely. Mr. Darcy is a very thoughtful host. We have visited some lovely areas on horseback and enjoyed some picnics. He even has Lizzy riding, and she much prefers walking when given a choice. Perhaps he will succeed in showing her that sometimes, four legs are better than two.”

“Do you enjoy riding?”

“Well enough. Lydia is the one who really has a passion for riding. There is so much to do and see here, it is easy to take long rides. Have you heard from Captain Fitzwilliam? I have written but not yet received a reply. I have had only the letter he posted just as he left port.”

“No, I have not heard from him either. That is often the way when he is at sea. Do not be surprised to receive three or four letters at the same time. He will post them when he can, but arrival seems to be highly erratic.”

“It is kind of you and Lord Matlock to visit where I have a chance to get to know you better. I truly appreciate it. I suspect I am not exactly of the rank you had hoped for him to choose, but believe me when I say I dearly esteem him.”

“My dear, we had no expectations at all. He is his own man. It is true that your rank is somewhat lower, but you have some excellent connections, and all of your family seems to be highly respectable. I have no regrets at all at his choice.”

“Thank you. Since Matlock is not far from here, is it possible we could go see it one day? I would like to have it in my mind for his various tales of his youth. Imagining him there will help me, I think.”

“Yes, of course, we had planned to spirit you away one of these days to visit.”

“I think my sisters might enjoy it too. Perhaps we could make a day of it?”

To the room at large, Lady Matlock said, “Excuse me, I have a question for all of you. Since Kitty will be joining the family once Andrew returns, Lord Matlock and I had thought to invite Miss Bennet to come see it. She thinks we should all go together, that it will be fun for her sisters as well. What do the rest of you say?”

Both Elizabeth and Lydia agreed it would be fun to go as a group. They determined to spend the day after the dinner party viewing Matlock. Lydia was quieter than usual as she tried to behave appropriately around an Earl and Countess. She did not want to make the family look bad, and she realized that she did not yet have the experience or poise to know how to behave. When she had a moment, she moved over to sit next to Elizabeth and quietly said, “Lizzy, I have just realized that I do not really know how to behave properly in the presence of an earl and countess. This is why Aunt Stanford helps us, isn’t it? So we will have the confidence to know what to do?”

“Yes, it is. You are doing fine so far.”

“I am afraid of looking like a fool.”

“Well, we will try to help you out, but I do not think you need to worry too much. Lady Matlock seems very nice.”

“Yes, she does. But he seems to frown a lot. I do not want to upset Lord Matlock.”

“Perhaps you might ask him to tell you about Matlock? Most men like to talk of their estates.”

“Thanks Lizzy.”

Lydia tentatively approached Lord Matlock and said, “Since we will be coming to visit, could you tell me about Matlock? Longbourn is quite small, but I understand Matlock is much larger.”

She was pleased to see a smile appear on Lord Matlock’s face. “Do you really want to hear?”

“Of course. I would like to be prepared for our visit.”

They spent the next half hour in discussion of his estate. Over the course of the conversation, Lord Matlock smiled many times and seemed to relax. This helped Lydia to also relax and they found themselves enjoying the conversation. Lady Matlock, Kitty, and Elizabeth all watched in approval.

After dinner, all the girls took a turn at the piano. Lydia was quite nervous as she approached the instrument until Lord Matlock said, “Miss Lydia, would you like some help with page turning? We would not want you uncomfortable performing for us.”

Lydia smiled and replied, “Thank you very much. That would be most helpful.” As he approached the piano, she said quietly, “I am not accustomed to playing in company yet. I have done it only a handful of times.”

“I am sure you will be just fine.” When she had finished, he motioned to Georgiana and said, “Please let me turn them for you as well. It reminds me of days long ago when I turned them for Lady Matlock.” This helped Georgiana also relax as she played for them.

Once everyone had exhibited, they settled into quiet conversation. By the time they had retired, Kitty and Lady Matlock were fast friends, and Lydia was far more comfortable in higher ranked company. As they mounted the stairs, she said to Elizabeth, “Lizzy, I had not expected to have this sort of practice so early. They are very nice people. Kitty will be lucky in her new family.”

“Yes, she will. I am very happy for her.”

“Me too. But I still don’t want to find someone as fast as she did. I would like to have at least two seasons in town. Think of all the balls and parties. With no one left at home, surely Aunt Stanford would help me with that.”

Elizabeth laughed and replied, “She may. However, I think it more likely that Father and Lurinda will ship you off to visit each of your sisters instead. You would have to visit Jane when they are in town to get anything different from Meryton society with her and Mr. Bingley though. And I don’t know what kind of society you would get in Cornwall with Mary.”

“I will have to talk to Aunt Stanford and see what she says, then.”

Elizabeth considered her day as she prepared for sleep. She was pleased to get to know Kitty’s new family better and liked what she saw of them. She was amused at Lydia’s ideas for having two seasons and not choosing quickly. Finally, she thought of Mr. Darcy. They had talked of estate matters on their walk that morning. She had raised a concern about Raynor Hall. He has listened carefully and helped her to form her own conclusion. He had not been either condescending or commanding. He had been thoughtful and quite gallant. The more time they spent together, the more she found herself admiring him. This led to her thinking about him even more often.

All the girls spent a good part of the day assisting Mrs. Reynolds in the set up for the dinner party. Lady Matlock watched from the sidelines, very pleased at the efforts that her shy niece was expending on their behalf. Late in the morning, Kitty and Georgiana spent an hour cutting flowers in the extensive gardens. Lizzy and Lydia spent the next hour arranging the flowers in the dining room and entryway.

They all retired to dress for dinner about an hour before the guests were expected to arrive. Darcy and Georgiana met the arriving neighbors in the foyer and introduced them to their aunt and uncle and friends before a footman showed them into the parlor. Only about a dozen neighbors had been invited, but since Darcy rarely hosted any entertainment, all were pleased to attend.

Said Mr. Carruthers, “Son, I hope this means that you will be socializing with the rest of us a little bit more.”

Darcy smiled, “Yes, I think it means that. My sister makes her debut in the spring, and I can no longer ignore the social obligations. We thought our friends would enjoy meeting our neighbors, and here you all are. It was hard to host with no hostess available, but now Georgiana is ready to take on that task.”

Mr. Carruthers replied, “Well, we all hope to see more of both of you in the near future.”

Once they were all seated at the table, it was apparent that they had planned an excellent seating arrangement as all seemed to enjoy their partners and conversations. As Georgiana scanned the table, she was pleased to see the smiles and enjoyment all took in the food and company. Lord Matlock sat to one side of her and Lydia sat to the other side. The three of them talked once again of Matlock, and Lydia discovered that he was truly an amiable gentleman.

At the other end of the table, Elizabeth sat at one side of Darcy and Lady Matlock the other. They talked of the challenges of the Season for young women. Elizabeth and Lady Matlock were in agreement about the difficulties, but Darcy thought it was almost as bad for young men. Lady Matlock was quick to disagree.

“You cannot be serious, young man. Certainly you are the target of pursuers, but at least you can choose whether or not you wish to be caught. You do not have to hide your intelligence, your opinions, or your thoughts as women do. I know you do not particularly like social activities, but you can choose to avoid them, for the most part. If she wants any kind of choice at all, a young woman cannot do these things.”

Elizabeth added, “There are any number of men who find it terrible that I actually have opinions and voice them. Before my marriage, this was a way to eliminate those who would be the least compatible. All I had to do was say what I was actually thinking, and they were so affronted they never called again. I do not like that Allen became so much of a risk taker, but at least he always respected my abilities and thoughts.”

Lady Matlock added, “Your own cousins used a similar device to eliminate some suitors. They simply spoke their own minds, and those frail suitors wafted away on the nearest breeze. Many men’s opinions of themselves are too fragile to stand up to much opposition or scrutiny from a woman. Most of us do not want such a spouse, but others actually look for such men to dominate them.”

Darcy said, “You know, I believe I have seen some of that. It is something to consider as Georgie comes out. She tends not to want to share her thoughts if she thinks I might disagree. I know it is unfashionable, but I think I would like her to be more comfortable with her own opinions and less ready to cede to someone more powerful. I will have to ponder that.”

After the separation of the sexes, Elizabeth saw Darcy as the pursued as she had never seen it before. While Miss Bingley had been blatant in her fawning and attention, a Miss Atherton, daughter of a local landowner, was even more obvious in her desire for his attention and land. She had frequent comments about the beauty of Pemberley, how sad it was that Pemberley had been so long without a mistress, the need for updates in the décor, the need for assistance in Georgiana’s coming out and season, and her general suitability for all such tasks. Darcy’s response was the development of a stony visage and a refusal to engage her in conversation. Finally, her mother took her in hand and removed her from Darcy’s vicinity.

Elizabeth drifted by and commented as she passed, “Well, that was a good object lesson after our discussion at dinner. I am sorry for your difficulty.”

He smiled and quietly replied, “It is one reason we so seldom have guests from the neighborhood. She has been this way for at least five years.”

Finally, the locals all drove off in their carriages, and those in residence at Pemberley enjoyed a cold collation while relaxing for the remainder of the evening. As he sipped his tea, Darcy said, “Georgie, I know our neighbors truly appreciated this. With you becoming an adult, we will have to do more entertaining. Perhaps we can revive some of the traditions from when Mother was still alive. We could host another as an al fresco picnic next week.”

Georgiana replied, “I think that would be wonderful. You must have some memories of them, but I do not. Perhaps we can invite a different set of neighbors to that one.”

“We’ll do that. I believe there are some journals to reference as well as Mrs. Reynolds’ memories to help us.”

Lydia and Georgie began a quiet conversation in a corner of the parlor. Georgiana said, “Did you notice how most of the wives were the ones that kept the conversations flowing at the table? When things got quiet, or it looked like a dispute might arise, they asked a question that changed the direction.”

“I did. I think that is part of what my aunt taught my sisters as they prepared for their seasons. I remember her talking to Kitty about conversations and small talk last fall. I listened occasionally, but didn’t pay too much attention as I knew my turn would be coming. However, as I listened tonight, what I realized is that here is a good reason to read books other than novels. You cannot discuss novels with the men. But you can discuss other ideas. They seem to really enjoy that.”

“I guess those other books would also give you something to change a subject to when a dispute is in the offing.”

“Lizzy has always liked meaty tomes as has Mary. Mary will talk theology and literature to anyone who would listen. Lizzy now reads books about estate management. Did you hear her talking to Mr. Thomas about drainage?”

“It was amusing, wasn’t it? But he seemed to love to have someone share his interests. He isn’t much for hunting which was what most of the men wanted to talk of.”

“We will have to talk of this to Aunt Stanford. Do you think this means there are more things to study now that we are out of the schoolroom?”

“I am afraid it does. However, no one will be testing us. We just have to know enough to encourage conversations. At least I already learned how to listen to determine what follow up questions to ask. It is the changing of subjects that is more challenging.”

The next morning as they walked, Elizabeth said to Darcy, “I think your sister handled yesterday quite well. I heard some of her conversation with
Lydia about how to manage conversations at table. I think they will both enjoy my aunt’s advice on that subject. “

“What does she suggest?”

“You can never be too well read when trying to direct conversation at the table. You should have a large reserve of topics that will interest your guests so you can be sure that all enjoy themselves. The girls saw the rest of us trying to help the various conversations and realized that they don’t yet know how to do that.”

“That isn’t even something I ever considered. I am glad Georgiana can draw on your aunt’s assistance for these little things women do that we men never even notice. You all make our world a much smoother place.”

“Well, it is definitely something we try to do. There are women who are not as successful. I am not sure if it is considered an accomplishment, but these are the sorts of things that make life a little more pleasant.”

“Well, it certainly was not on my list, but I think it truly is an accomplishment.”

 
Chapter 48

After an early morning breakfast, they mounted up to ride over to Matlock. Elizabeth was grateful that they had done so much riding that this ride did not seem either too long or uncomfortable. They stopped after an hour to stretch out a little before the final leg of the ride.

Matlock was more impressive and imposing than Pemberley. From the entryway, it was apparent that it was quite modern. The formal gardens in the front were lovely, but Elizabeth thought that she preferred the less artificial-looking gardens at Pemberley.

Lady Matlock conducted a tour for the three sisters and Georgiana. Darcy and Lord Matlock chose to read quietly in the library while the ladies looked over the house. They toured the principal rooms with a side trip to see Andrew’s room. Kitty particularly appreciated seeing the nursery and hearing tales of Andrew and his siblings. Lady Matlock and Kitty selected a suite of rooms that Kitty and Andrew would use in the future. Kitty demurred making any changes to them, but Lady Matlock determined to make them over more to Kitty’s taste.

After the tour inside the manor house, they had an intimate luncheon in the gazebo in the garden. Lord Matlock conducted the tour of the gardens after the luncheon. Kitty managed to coax a number of stories from both the Earl and Countess. After one such story about Andrew and Darcy and a cherry tree in the garden, Georgie exclaimed, “I never heard that before. This explains why Fitzwilliam always chuckles when Mrs. Reynolds serves a cherry pie.”

Lord Matlock chuckled and said, “It does, indeed. Miss Bennet, you must be sure to serve Andrew cherry pie at least once each summer. It is quite the family joke.”

Kitty smiled, “Thank you for sharing that with me. I will be sure to remember it.”

Georgie added, “As will I. It might be fun to preserve cherries to serve to Fitzwilliam at others times of the year since he tends not to smile too often.”

Darcy said, “Now, there is no need for that. However, I still do love cherries, so I will not complain if we have them more often.”

The visit to Matlock was a success. Kitty finally convinced Lord Matlock to call her Kitty instead of Miss Bennet. Lady Matlock had succumbed after the first day of the visit to Pemberley. However, she insisted that until the wedding, she would be much more formal in addressing them. She would not presume upon the relationship until she had married into the family. Lady Matlock agreed to that if Kitty would call them Mother and Father after the wedding.

After the tour of the gardens, they all mounted up again for the return trip to Pemberley. As they rode side by side, Lydia said to Georgiana, “It is strange to think of Kitty married and possibly living in a place like that. Longbourn is so much smaller, and she was my closest playmate. At least Captain Fitzwilliam’s estate is more the size of Longbourn than Matlock. It is hard to see my sisters marry and leave me behind. I can imagine Kitty visiting here. I have never visited Raynor Hall or the Nelson’s estate in Surrey or Mary’s home in Cornwall. I do not like that we simply scatter and cannot be together anymore.”

“My cousins had already started that process before I was old enough to say their names. However, we do manage to see most of them on occasion. I think it is harder for Anne since she never leaves Rosings. Since everyone else comes to town, I have been able to catch up while I am there studying. I cannot image what it will be like when I move out on my own.”

Darcy took advantage of the ride back to Pemberley to engage Elizabeth in a conversation about horseback riding. Since she had averred that she rode only reluctantly, he asked if all the riding they had done had changed her mind any.

“Well, I am easier on horseback than I was. When at home, I would ride to visit a couple of the tenants, perhaps once a week or so. Since we’ve been riding daily, I will admit it is now more comfortable than it was.”

He said, “I have not seen any evidence that you are a poor rider.”

“It was more that horses frightened me when I was younger. Father made all of us learn to ride, but it was so much trouble to get one of the horses, that it was just easier to walk everywhere. I stopped being afraid by the time I was ten, but the preference was already established by then. Of course, Longbourn is not so large as Pemberley, and it is easy to go wherever I needed on foot. Raynor Hall is larger, so I was forced to ride. However, my horse there and I just do not suit each other.”

“Do you like the mare we’ve given you here? If not, there are others to choose from.”

“Oh yes, I do. That is probably why I am becoming more comfortable. Perhaps I should consider replacing my mount at home.”

“Would your current mount be a good choice for Allen when he gets a little older or is she too old?”

“Perhaps she would be for after he graduates from a pony. I will have to consider that carefully. I do not think she will be too old by then. We still have a number of years to go. Perhaps I should sell her and find one more suited for me, and when Allen is old enough, we will just get another. Until I rode your mare, I hadn’t realized how much I disliked riding my own.”

For the rest of the visit to Pemberley, Lady Matlock did what she could to learn what Kitty’s tastes were. She also spent some time with both Lydia and Elizabeth to further learn about Kitty. The more she learned, the happier she was with her son’s intended. She thought Kitty would be a good companion to Andrew. Lord Matlock came to appreciate her more as well as he came to know her better. Perhaps she would entice his son to finally return permanently to shore.

The al fresco picnic was smaller than the dinner party. Darcy included a few of his older neighbors, ones that were friends of his father and did not have eligible young women at home. They set up a large tent near the gazebo to offer some respite from the afternoon sun. Chairs were scattered across the lawn, in the gazebo, and in the tent so that people could find different places for conversation. The food was in a second tent between the gazebo and larger tent.

Once again, Georgiana functioned as hostess, helping her brother greet their neighbors. After the greetings, they introduced each visitor to Lord and Lady Matlock and their friends before turning to greet the next arrivals. Kitty, Lydia, Georgiana, and Elizabeth were the only single young women present. As a result, Darcy was much more comfortable and at ease.

As guests circulated through the large tent and lawn greeting their neighbors, Elizabeth found a quiet moment to watch the movement. It was something like the movement at a ball although there was no quiet music playing. The interplay was not as choreographed as a dance, but it had a dance-like quality. She was brought out of her thoughts as Kitty reached her side and said, “Lizzy, you know, I do not think Father has ever had an al fresco such as this where he invited the neighbors. I really like it. It is far less formal than a normal get-together.”

Elizabeth smiled at her sister. “I believe you are correct. Father rarely hosts anything-he waits for one of us-and none of us ever considered an al fresco since we only started being a hostess during the autumn. Perhaps when you get back home after the wedding, you can convince him to hold one for our friends.”

“I think it would be fun. Perhaps we can do it while Father and Lurinda are away. That way, he would not have to attend.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “Yes, he would probably appreciate it we did so.”

Both sisters moved into the swirl of colorful garments to talk with some of the local matrons. Elizabeth found that Darcy’s neighbors were somewhat better-read than those in Meryton, much on a par with those near Raynor Hall. Since she enjoyed clever repartee, she was grateful to make the acquaintance of people of true wit and understanding. One of her favorites was the matriarch of a nearby family, a widow nearing seventy who lived with her son and daughter-in-law, a Mrs. Arbuthnot.

When Mrs. Arbuthnot heard that Kitty was to marry Captain Fitzwilliam, she had a great deal to say about marrying a sailor. Most of it was positive, but she also advised Kitty that if at all possible, she should travel with her husband. It might cause a bit of hardship, but it would be best for their relationship if she could manage it. Those that married for convenience would not want to do so, but those that married for affection would find it grew the more time they spent together. She spent at least a half an hour lecturing Kitty about the attributes of a good wife. When she wrapped it up, Kitty said, “I cannot thank you enough for your advice. I will be sure to follow as much of it as I can.”

Mrs. Arbuthnot smiled and replied, “Well, you are certainly a diplomat. You just got a large dose of unasked-for advice from someone wholly unknown to you and you have accepted it quite gracefully. You should be a good match for Andrew. He was always one of my favorites.”

This brought a true smile to Kitty’s face. “Does that mean you might have stories to share with me about him as a child.”

“As a matter of fact, I do.” They continued to talk for another thirty minutes.

For his party, Darcy encouraged friends to share stories of similar picnics hosted by his parents so that Georgiana could hear. He remembered a few of them but also enjoyed the tales. Lord and Lady Matlock also contributed a few of their memories. Elizabeth found these stories really brought Mr. and Mrs. Darcy to life. They must have been a very happy couple. Hearing of how Mr. Darcy turned away for socializing after her death, she recognized how she could have done the same. She was grateful that obligations to her family forced her to participate in at least some social activity. Now that she was past the worst of her grief, she was grateful the obligations had forced her to come. She was more than ready to resume her life in its new situation.

As dusk was approaching, carriages arrived to return the neighbors to their homes. As the rest saw off the last of them and turned into the house, Georgiana said to Darcy, “Fitzwilliam, I am so grateful you decided to have this gathering. Besides being a beautiful day, it was so wonderful to hear the stories of past picnics here at Pemberley. How I wish I could remember some of those events.”

“I enjoyed the stories too. Some of them I knew. For a few, I was present. Many of them were new to me too. I must say, I feel closer to Mother and Father than I have for a long time.”

Elizabeth added, “I feel as if I knew them.”

Both of her sisters agreed. Lady Matlock said, “That is probably the best outcome of all. George and Anne were wonderful people and shared that freely. Fitzwilliam, I am very glad we could be here for this party. It truly does bring back old times.”

After their two weeks, the Matlocks returned home, and the three younger girls found themselves spending most of their time together. They often spent a morning sketching in the garden or practicing piano together. The shade of the woods near the house was a favorite retreat in the heat of the afternoon. Elizabeth spent much of her time reading quietly in the parlor with Mrs. Annesley. She thought Georgiana was lucky to have such a companion.

“Mrs. Annesley, I certainly enjoy our time together. Miss Darcy is certainly blessed to have you as companion.”

“Thank you. I truly enjoy our time together. However, I believe that she will find a partner her first season, and I will likely retire to my daughter’s home to help with her children. She lives in a small estate in Scotland. I have enjoyed not imposing, but I am not sure I want to begin again with someone new. Since she now has three little ones, my daughter has said she would appreciate the help.”

“That is wonderful. You must tell me all about them.” They spoke of Mrs. Annesley’s grandchildren for quite some time. It was apparent how much she missed being able to spend time with them.

When he was not busy about estate business, Darcy was able to spend his time with Mrs. Raynor in an unspoken courtship. They often spoke of estate matters for either Raynor Hall or Pemberley. Occasionally, they spoke of family. Frequently, they spoke of books and philosophy. Most of this conversation took place during her frequent walks through the gardens or the woods near the house. If they went further afield, it was always in a group where serious conversation was more difficult.

Finally, as the time was nearing when the Bennets would return to Longbourn for their father’s marriage, he asked during their morning walk, “Mrs. Raynor, it cannot have escaped your attention how much I enjoy your company.”

“I had noticed that you seem to join me nearly every day on my walks and seem to enjoy them.”

“It is far more than that. Would you allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you? I have never met anyone like you. My feelings will not be repressed. I do not know if you are ready to be courted again, but I would love to make you feel appreciated and loved again. I hope you would make me the happiest man alive and consent to become Mrs. Darcy.”

Elizabeth was astonished, not that she had his affection, but that he expressed it so fully. That his feeling was far greater than esteem was the astonishment.

“I am greatly honored by your asking. I will admit that I find the feeling to be mutual. Becoming better acquainted here in Pemberley, where you are so much more comfortable, has helped me to better establish your character. Although you were quite reserved, I knew as you visited us with Mr. Bingley that there was more to you than the reserved mien you show the world. Yes, I would become Mrs. Darcy.”

Both broke into laughter at her response. He then asked, “I wonder if we could manage a short engagement? I find myself impatient to begin that new life together.”

“What about October in Meryton? It must be after the first assembly since we need to support Lydia and Georgiana. We can begin the planning after you arrive at Netherfield.”

“I would like to visit your father for his blessing before we announce it, if that is all right with you.”

“I am sure Father would appreciate that.”

“Then yes, October, in Meryton. I will talk to your minister after I talk to your father.”

“You would not object to spending part of the year at Raynor Hall, would you?”

“Of course not. You still have that responsibility for Allen, and now I would help you with it. When he is of age, it will be ready for his stewardship, and together we can train him to it. I have other estates we will regularly visit as well. Do you object to Pemberley as our main home, though?”

“Not at all. I will love calling it home. We will have to visit Raynor Hall often enough that Allen’s grandmother sees him regularly.”

“That should not be an issue. We can also invite her to visit here.”

“Now, that you might regret once you come to know her. She does not travel well and is often subject to nerves and vapors. She takes a fair bit of management to keep even tempered at the best of times. ”

“There is no need to decide on that until later. But, as she is an important part of your family, she will be of mine as well.”

“Thank you for that. She thinks the world of Allen and misses him dreadfully when we are away. My leaving with him will be very difficult for her.”

For the remaining days of the visit, the two of them found it hard not to smile all the time. However, they managed just enough reserve that they did not much raise the curiosity of their sisters. Finally, the three Bennets said their farewells and headed back to Longbourn. They would see their friends again in a month, when Georgiana would join them in Longbourn and Darcy in Netherfield. He would visit Mr. Bennet for his blessing then.