Chapter 16

Elizabeth was awakened in the night by the sound of a hard, driving rain lashing against the window pane. With a sigh of resignation, she realized her hopes for a sunny, rain-freshened morning were doubtful. She curled up underneath the blankets, pulling them up over her shoulders, grateful for the warm and dry sanctuary that Pemberley offered.

A flash of lightning lit the room, followed a few seconds later by a deep rumbling. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, reaching for her robe. She knew that Emily would likely be awakened by the thunder, and she would be ready to go to her if her parents did not.

She walked over to her window and peered out, unable to distinguish anything, even when the flashes of light lit the sky. The rain was so fierce; it ran down the window in torrents. Another boom, this time louder, shook the room. Elizabeth knew immediately that she would soon hear Emily call for her, so she walked across the hall to her room, taking a quilted coverlet with her.

She opened Emily’s door quietly and stepped in. She did not hear the girl stirring, so she tiptoed over to a chair and sat down, draping the coverlet over her. She leant her head back and closed her eyes. With the next flash of light and deafening thunder, Emily awakened and let out a whimper.

Elizabeth immediately rose from the chair and walked over to the bed. She stroked the little girl’s head. “I am here, Emily. There is nothing to fear.”

“Why does it have to be so loud?” she asked as she buried her head against Elizabeth.

“It must be fairly close,” Elizabeth said soothingly. “But remember, the thunder cannot hurt you.”

“Gladys told me it is so loud because God is angry,” she said fretfully.

Elizabeth chuckled. “Perhaps not angry,” she assured her. “He is just reminding us how powerful He is. If the thunder were only a whimpering rumble, we would not think Him powerful at all.”

“Is it good that He is powerful?” Emily asked.

“Oh, yes,” answered Elizabeth. “For then we know He can answer our prayers.”

“Does He answer all our prayers?”

Elizabeth thought back to Rosalyn asking Elizabeth to pray for success in her scheme to attract Mr. Darcy’s attention. Shaking her head, she said, “If He does not think it best for us, He will not. We have to trust Him for His answer, whether it is what we want or not.” She knew that perhaps any prayer she prayed seeking Mr. Darcy’s affection may not be answered as she desired as well.

She stayed with the young girl for the remainder the night, falling asleep on the edge of her bed as the thunder and lightning gradually diminished. The rain, however, kept up its steady deluge.

At dawn, as a muted light crept into Emily’s room, Elizabeth awakened. She sat up on the edge of the bed and rubbed her shoulder, which ached due to the awkward position in which she had slept.

She walked over to the window and looked out. Just looking down at the flooded courtyard sent a shiver through her, and she pulled her robe tightly about her. She doubted there would be any outdoor amusements today.

Later that morning, as they gathered for breakfast, Miss Darcy informed the party that due to all the rain, Mr. Darcy, along with his cousin, had gone out early with his steward to survey the land. She hoped they would return shortly. Her demeanour reflected a slight reticence at having the responsibility of everyone’s comfort without her brother by her side and a storm outside.

Rosalyn’s face displayed her great disappointment for the same reason. In watching her, Elizabeth wondered about their excursion the previous day. There had been no Rosalyn coming to her room last night or this morning to confide in her whether her hopes and expectations had been met—or dashed.

Elizabeth listened with a curious ear for talk about their tour the previous day; however, everyone was more apt to express concern about the rain and their hopes that it would end soon.

Elizabeth decided to spend the day with Emily going over her studies. Their time in the country had allowed for their lessons to be sporadic, at best.

Emily had enjoyed the recent respite from memorizing the dates and reigns of the kings of England and identifying the countries and their capitals on a map. She had hoped today would be another day of leisure without those lessons, and was disappointed when Elizabeth remained firm.

As somewhat of an enticement to Emily, it was proposed that she and the Goldsmith girls would have some of their lessons together. This produced much excitement amongst the three young girls, and they happily endured their lessons for most of the morning.

Later, Emily had her lessons in the music room. It was apparent to Elizabeth that Emily needed a great deal more practice, and she was grateful for the opportunity to refresh her skills. With the stay at Pemberley being two weeks long, she felt strongly that there might be an evening of music that would afford Emily the occasion to perform. She wanted to ensure her young ward would perform adeptly.

They sat at the pianoforte practicing a duet, Elizabeth playing the more difficult lower part, and Emily the easier higher part. As they played, Miss Darcy walked in quietly and sat down.

When Elizabeth noticed her, she abruptly stopped. “Miss Darcy, you must wish to play. Emily is looking for any excuse to begin reciting her kings.” She looked at Emily with a teasing smile.

“No, I heard you play and thought I would come in and listen. It sounded very nice.”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, and then turned to Emily. “What do you say, Emily?”

“Thank you, Miss Darcy,” she dutifully replied.

“I shall sit here quietly and read, if it is no bother.” She sat down in a chair and opened her book.

Elizabeth turned her attention back to Emily, but wondered why Miss Darcy would have come in here, knowing how much she enjoyed the other sitting room. She had suspected that she felt overwhelmed by the unexpected departure of her brother with all the guests looking to her for some sort of diversion. She must have given everyone leave to spend the morning at their own leisure.

At one point, Elizabeth looked up and noticed Miss Darcy watching. “Miss Darcy,” she said. “I understand that you are quite proficient at the pianoforte. Would you have some advice for Emily?”

Georgiana’s face brightened. “I would be honoured to give her advice.” She arose swiftly and walked over. Sitting down on the bench on the other side of Emily, she quietly watched her play, and then gave her a few helpful suggestions on finger placement, touch, and rhythm.

Georgiana worked with Emily for close to an hour. At length, Emily began to practice on her own while Elizabeth and Georgiana walked over to some chairs and sat down. “Miss Darcy, you have a natural gift not only of playing, but of teaching,” smiled Elizabeth.

Georgiana’s face lit up. “Do you really think so?”

“I do. Have you taught anyone to play before?”

A slight blush crept across Georgiana’s face. “No, I merely taught Miss Willstone in the manner in which I remember learning.”

Elizabeth smiled at her. “You not only give very helpful instruction, but your manner is very gentle and patient.”

“Thank you,” Georgiana appeared to greatly appreciate this compliment. “I think I would enjoy imparting my love for music to someone else, although it is truly something I have never really considered doing. I believe I am expected to perform, not teach. Perhaps someday, however, I will teach my own children.”

Elizabeth let out an appreciative laugh. “Yes, perhaps you shall.”

“You must feel a great sense of fulfilment in teaching Emily.”

“It is something I never really considered, either, until about a year ago.”

“Was that when your father died?”

Elizabeth nodded, fighting back the threat of tears. She let out a soft laugh, “But to answer your question, Miss Darcy, I do enjoy teaching Emily. I am not proficient at all things—such as drawing and painting—she will, therefore, receive instructions from masters as she gets older. I confess that I enjoy reading and learning on my own, and I can only hope that Emily will see that she, too, can take opportunities to read and learn, even when her studies are completed.”

“There you are!” The voice pierced through the room, causing Georgiana to flinch. Both ladies looked up to see Rosalyn standing in the doorway. “I have been in the sitting room waiting for you, Miss Darcy.” Her eyebrows pinched in confusion. “I was hoping to talk with you.”

“I am sorry,” Georgiana offered. “I heard the music coming from in here and wandered in. I was not aware you were expecting me in the sitting room.”

“I understood you to say you were going to spend some time in there.”

Georgiana let out a very soft sigh. “I shall be there shortly.” She stood and turned to Elizabeth, saying, “I enjoyed our time, Miss Bennet.” She then joined Rosalyn, and the two walked out.

Elizabeth brought a finger up to her lips and tapped them thoughtfully as she watched them leave. She was not altogether certain, but it seemed to her that Miss Darcy did not wish to spend time with Rosalyn. If she knew Rosalyn as well as she had come to know her, her fervent aspirations for Mr. Darcy were such that they were causing Miss Darcy more than a little disquiet. Emily, who had stopped playing, confirmed her suspicions.

“I do not think Miss Darcy likes Rosalyn.”

“Emily!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Why would you say such a thing?”

“Because of yesterday. I could see it on her face while we were out looking at the peaks. Whenever Rosalyn came up to her, I noticed her eyebrows pinch.” Emily mimicked on her own face the appearance of pinched eyebrows. She then turned back to her playing.

Elizabeth had to laugh at her imitation. “Did you see her make that face very often?”

Emily nodded. “Whenever Rosalyn was with her or with her brother. I noticed a definite frown when Rosalyn was out walking with Mr. Darcy.”

Elizabeth smiled and patted the young girl’s head as she considered how discerning little Emily was. “Was Rosalyn often with Mr. Darcy… or Miss Darcy?”

“The only time she was not with Mr. Darcy or his sister, she was with Mr. Hamilton. He frequently joined them.” She stopped and looked at Elizabeth. “I think Mr. Darcy was most pleased whenever he came by.”

Elizabeth shook her head as she contemplated Rosalyn’s scheme. From Emily’s description of the events, Rosalyn had succeeded in achieving the exact opposite of that which she so greatly desired.

***

Elizabeth returned to the music room after getting Emily settled in her room to take her afternoon nap. She brought a book to read and hoped she could remain there undetected by Rosalyn. Elizabeth let out a long sigh. She had so enjoyed Rosalyn’s company when she first came to the Willstones’ home in London. Yet now she had come to dread her very presence. Had Rosalyn changed? Or had Elizabeth changed due to her now having similar feelings for Mr. Darcy?

The sound of footsteps coming down the hall caused Elizabeth to tense. She looked up to see Mrs. Goldsmith enter. She had not really spent much time with the lady and now actually welcomed the opportunity to get to know her a little better.

“Hello, Mrs. Goldsmith,” Elizabeth said softly.

“Oh!” Mrs. Goldsmith said as she turned. “I did not see you.”

“Do you play the piano?” Elizabeth asked her.

“I play a little. When Gladys and Harriet began learning, it helped me recall what little I learned when I was younger. I must confess that I had been rather neglectful of practicing through the years. I actually find now that I enjoy it more than I did when I was younger.”

“You can play if you like,” Elizabeth offered. “It will not disturb me. I am only reading.”

Mrs. Goldsmith waved her hand in the air. “Oh, I am quite sure it will disturb you. I said I can play a little,” she laughed. “But not well, at all!”

She came in and sat down next to Elizabeth. “I have always enjoyed this room,” she said softly. “I often thought that by just sitting in here, my music skills would improve.”

Elizabeth laughed. “How nice that would be if improvement came without all the practice!”

“Yes.” Mrs. Goldsmith leaned back in the chair. Elizabeth could see in the manner she was resting that she was quite comfortable.

“How long have you been acquainted with Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth asked.

“My husband, Benjamin, and Mr. Darcy went to Oxford together. From the moment they met, they became the closest of friends.”

“Hmmm,” Elizabeth replied with a nod.

“I used to be quite intimidated by him,” Mrs. Goldsmith continued. “And quite resentful.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “Truly? Of Mr. Darcy?”

Mrs. Goldsmith nodded her head. “I feared he would not think well of me. I had neither the connections nor the fortune that Benjamin’s family expected, and I believed he felt the same. I resented him because my husband always sought his advice. I felt as though he had some sort of control over Benjamin.”

“And now?” Elizabeth’s curiosity was piqued.

Mrs. Goldsmith smiled. “Now I am indebted to him.”

“Indebted?” Elizabeth’s surprise was evident.

She went on to explain, “Benjamin’s family did indeed consider that an alliance between us would be disgraceful, foolish, and dishonourable. They could not… would not… consider that the love we had for each other was sufficient grounds for marriage.”

“And Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth asked softly.

“Believe it or not, he is a man who believes strongly in a marriage based on love. He not only encouraged my Benjamin to make me an offer of marriage, but he also helped smooth things over with his family.” Her eyes lit up as she said, “Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to discover Mr. Darcy was a very honourable man, who liberally gave very wise advice, and who also happens to believe in love.” She looked at Elizabeth and laughed. “You cannot find fault with a man like that.”

“No, no.” Elizabeth laughed nervously, her rapidly beating heart signifying its agreement.

The two talked for a length of time, eventually moving on to the subject of Mr. Bingley.

“Did you know him?” Elizabeth inquired.

“Barely. He studied quite a few years after my husband, and he and Mr. Darcy became good friends after my husband graduated.”

Elizabeth then told her that he was now engaged to her sister.

“I am very happy for him,” Mrs. Goldsmith said. “I know Benjamin always hoped for the opportunity to get to know him better, but our paths have simply not crossed all that often.” She took Elizabeth’s hand and said tenderly, “Perhaps with his upcoming marriage, we will find ourselves frequenting the same circles.”

Just as quickly, though, her face shaded. “I only wish we could find someone suitable for Mr. Darcy. He has spent so much time making sure his friends marry for love that he has had little time to find it himself.” She let out a downhearted sigh. “I do not think…” She stopped suddenly. “We can only hope he is waiting for just the right person!”

Elizabeth enjoyed her talk with Mrs. Goldsmith; she very much enjoyed her company. But she was eager to be left alone, because of a nagging thought. There was something she needed to think more on, and she required solitude to do it. Mrs. Goldsmith finally left, and once she had the music room to herself, she thought back over their conversation. Mrs. Goldsmith had said much, but what was it that had her so unsettled?

She sat at the pianoforte and played aimlessly until it suddenly came to her. Mrs. Goldsmith said that Mr. Darcy made sure his friends married for love, and that he seemed to have had little time to find it himself. Elizabeth knew he loved her when he first proposed. He was a man violently in love! He admitted it to her himself! But did he actually believe her to be in love with him? Would he have asked for her hand if he did not believe that?

She rubbed her hands nervously together as she thought about his comment to her as they had played chess the other evening. He said he once made a move without considering all the possibilities.

She took in a deep breath. He had to have believed she loved him! He not only believed she would accept him, he believed she would have accepted him because she loved him in return!

***

Elizabeth heard later in the day that Mr. Darcy had finally returned to the house. The rain had swollen some creeks and the roads were quite muddied and difficult to manoeuvre, but other than that, there was nothing of immediate concern. She heard the news from Rosalyn, who came up and found Elizabeth still in the music room waiting for Emily to wake up from her nap. She had been downstairs when the men returned.

She sat down next to Elizabeth, quite perturbed. “I do not see why he has to go out in such dreadful conditions,” she lamented. “He has others who can do that. Why must he go?”

Elizabeth raised her eyes at Rosalyn’s passionate complaint. “Perhaps it is something he has always done, and his father before him.”

Rosalyn shook her head. “He is master here, Elizabeth, and can send servants to do that sort of thing. He has been gone all day!”

I know, Elizabeth thought to herself. “How was the outing yesterday?” she asked, eager to change the subject, although bracing herself for what she might hear.

A smile suddenly appeared. “It was wonderful. It is truly unfortunate you were not able to go. The peaks were magnificent, and we had the most delightful tour. Our picnic was in a beautifully situated spot overlooking the valley. As we walked around after our meal, Mr. Darcy took my arm as we had to climb a little incline.” She paused to let out a breathy sigh. “I truly felt as though I were in heaven. We had such a pleasant conversation.”

Elizabeth tilted her head. “What did you talk about?”

Rosalyn shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. “Oh, all kinds of things.”

Elizabeth turned to her, waiting for Rosalyn to elaborate. When she did not, she said quietly, “Sounds interesting.”

Rosalyn relayed to her that she had at first been disappointed that Mr. Darcy had not ridden in the carriage with her. Apparently he had something to tend to and rode his horse out to meet them. But it gave Rosalyn much pleasure as she informed Elizabeth just how fine he looked on a horse and what an excellent rider he was.

Elizabeth thought back to the one time she remembered seeing Mr. Darcy on his horse—at least up close. He and Mr. Bingley had ridden into Meryton and encountered her and her sisters just after they had met Mr. Wickham. The only thing she remembered from that incident was noticing the scowl on Mr. Darcy’s face as he rudely and unexpectedly rode off, leaving Mr. Bingley behind. She had no recollection of thinking to herself how fine he looked. She had been too prejudiced against him to notice anything good about him!

It caused a sharp pain deep within as she realized what her misjudgement—of his character and behaviour—had cost her.

As her thoughts took her one direction and Rosalyn’s discourse continued unabated, the master himself stepped in, very nicely cleaned up after being out all day in the mud and rain.

They exchanged greetings, and then Darcy addressed Elizabeth. “Did you go out walking today, Miss Bennet?”

She had to laugh as he had the most earnest look on his face save for a slight twinkle in his eyes. “No, sir. Unfortunately I neglected to pack a pair of mud boots, so I was quite confined to the house.”

He chuckled. “It is unfortunately quite muddy out there. Did you enjoy your visit yesterday? How did you find the Ketterlings?”

“They are quite amiable and I enjoyed myself immensely.” She told him of her tour of Lambton, seeing her aunt’s home, and meeting some of her friends. She conveniently left out all the stories she had heard about the Darcy family.

“I am glad you found them to your liking. Will you join us this evening and allow me another opportunity to redeem myself at chess?”

Elizabeth laughed. “If you wish.”

He departed with a soft, “Good. I shall see you both later.” Rosalyn looked at Elizabeth oddly, but said nothing. Elizabeth excused herself, telling Rosalyn she needed to go see if Emily had awakened from her nap.

Rosalyn only replied that she needed to speak with her sister.