“My goodness, that is remarkable!” She peered at me, stealing my focus yet again.
It took me a few moments to regain a measure of composure. “Furthermore, I met your cousin Mr. Collins and his wife in Meryton.”
“Pray, what did you think of him?”
A likeness came to me of the ungainly, plump, and tedious man. My conversation with him, in which he droned through insufferable expositions of Bible passages, had seemed interminable. “Well, I…um…” How could I describe the tiresome man in a positive light?
She tilted her head, keeping me in her view. “You need not be concerned that I shall be offended if you did not like him. First of all, he and I have never met. Secondly, my aunt Barton once remarked that my late father did not favour his Collins relations.”
“In that case, I shall admit that I found him to be one of the most obtuse and long-winded people of my acquaintance. According to another neighbour, Mr. Goulding, Mr. Collins is ill-suited to run an estate.”
Miss Bennet’s upper body stiffened. “Oh dear. I hate to think of my family’s property being mismanaged.”
“I do not believe that is the case. Your cousin, to his good fortune, married a sensible lady, the former Miss Lucas, the eldest daughter of a local knight. My friend’s steward spoke highly of her. He maintained that she is the one who runs the estate while Mr. Collins, who hopes to be a published author one day, spends his days working on religious treatises.”
“I see. Did you go to Longbourn?”
“No, I did not.”
“Oh.” She fixed her gaze ahead. “One day I should like to see the place.”
In the silence that followed, my thoughts tarried over our conversation. Her frank and impolitic admissions elevated my already substantial esteemfor her even as they delivered an unwelcome reminder: Miss Bennet, though a gentlewoman, wouldnotmake a suitable mistress of Pemberley, for my parents would never have approved of her as a future Mrs. Darcy. As detestable as that fact may be, I could neither alter nor dismiss it.
Thus, whatever time I spent with her could be nothing more than a sweet but temporary interlude. Still, with that understanding, why should I not extend the refreshing hiatus for as long as possible? Lily provided an obvious avenue for me to achieve this. My stomach fluttered as I strove to contrive the best wording for my request. “Miss Bennet, I should like to ask a favour of you.”
Her head swung towards me. “What did you have in mind?” Her hazel eyes flared, eroding my equanimity.
“I want Lily to be as content in her new situation as possible.” My hand swept towards the mare. “Since her arrival at Springvale, she has never been happier than she is now, with you. If you are willing, I should like us to ride together on a regular basis during my sojourn here.” I paused to regulate my tone; I must not sound too eager. “This way, I hope Lily will form a positive impression of me over time through my association with you.”
“How frequent do you anticipate these rides will be?”
“They may be as often as is agreeable to you, subject to any other obligations either of us may have.”
“I appreciate your suggestion, and I accept.”
She agreed. At her captivating smile, an eddy of warmth streamed through me, and the muscles in my chest relaxed. I suppressed a ridiculous impulse to hum a merry tune.
Miss Bennet redirected her sight forwards, and her wide-brimmed bonnet obscured the upper portion of her profile. “I have not travelled beyond the towns surrounding Salisbury. How does the terrain in Derbyshire differ from Wiltshire?”
With a temperate amount of enthusiasm, I described the hills, rivers, and moors that made up my estate and the nearby Peak. Throughout mydiscourse, a succession of images consumed me: Miss Bennet riding along Pemberley’s east meadow, walking in the rose garden, and perusing the shelves in my library. In defiance of the inexplicably powerful allure ofherat my home, I dispelled the thoughts. For all concerned, my association with Miss Bennet must be limited to this stay in Wiltshire. Once I left here, I should banish every trace of her from my mind.
All too soon, we returned to the stables via a winding path, as directed by Miss Bennet. I dismounted and moved towards her with the intention of helping her down from Lily, but she thwarted me: she slipped to the ground in an agile, graceful movement.
I held my mouth immobile to hide my disappointment as Tim came to take the reins from us both.
Miss Bennet greeted him with a cheery expression. “Thank you, Tim. I should like you to bring Thea out for me.”
“Yes, miss.” Tim took the horses to the stables.
I faced her, scrambling for a way to delay her departure. “Will you come to the house for breakfast? I know the Haywards would be glad to receive you.”
“No, thank you. I must go home.”
“Of course. Perhaps another time. Will you be back to ride tomorrow morning?”
“Yes, that would be convenient.” She held my gaze, and my breath grew shallow. “I appreciate your indulgence with Lily. It means a great deal to me to spend this time with her.”
“This is to my benefit as well. I want…”You—I stopped myself from uttering the word. “…Lily to be content.”
