“Lizzy! Were you hurt?” Georgiana asked.
“No, I told you Henry was a good boy. Once I held him, he settled, though he did growl when my father approached again.”
“Then what happened?” Mr. Barlow asked.
“My father was impressed with Henry, but not enough to allow him in the house. He permitted me to keep him in the barn for the time being. Once he had explained that Henry was in facta fox and not a dog, he was able to convince me to help him back into the wild. In the fall, I brought him out into the woods, but I was so worried. I was not at all certain he could survive.”
“You snuck into the woods to check on him?” her Mr. Darcy asked, a brow quirked in a knowing challenge.
“I did,” she confirmed, ignoring the swirl of nerves conversing with him caused. “Particularly in the winter. I was worried about him being able to feed himself.”
“That makes sense. Wild animals that are domesticated do have trouble readapting to their natural habitat,” Mr. Darcy said.
“Well, not Henry,” Elizabeth told them, feeling a swell of pride and affection even after all these years. “I would see him once a month or so, even though I tried to find him more frequently. And then in early spring, he came running when I called, perhaps persuaded by the meat pie I had brought. After enjoying the treat, he seemed to want me to follow him, as instead of running off, he walked slowly and kept looking back at me.”
“Where on earth was he taking you?” Georgiana asked.
“To meet the family,” Elizabeth said. “We reached a small grassy knoll and Henry slipped inside. When I got close enough, I saw Henry—or should I say Henrietta—had placed herself in the middle of a brood of fox cubs. There were five of them!”
“Did you see her again after that visit?” Mr. Barlow asked.
“Once or twice over the next few years, but not since I was eight or nine.”
“You have gifted us with a lovely tale, Elizabeth.” Mr. Darcy said. “Now, shall we engage in some more active entertainment? I believe the staff have set up nine pins and bocce.”
The group began to rise, and the footman and maid came forwards to begin clearing the plates and food. As they moved towards the area where the games awaited, her Mr. Darcy fell into step beside Elizabeth.
“You must have been quite smart as a young girl to get a fox to trust you and to take care of it on your own for so long.”
“Not really . . . I think when I want something, I don’t always see the obstacles. That is likely more to do with my stubbornness than my intelligence.”
“Although I see the wisdom in that self-assessment, I choose to see it as a testament to your intelligence as well.”
Elizabeth’sthank youwas embarrassingly breathy, but as they had arrived at the field of play, he seemed not to notice.
Their play was halted only by the coming darkness several hours after they had begun. Lanterns were lit and placed on the front of the carriages. As exhaustion overtook Elizabeth, she almost missed the opportunity to ride with her Mr. Darcy.
“I would be obliged, young Darcy, if you would consent to drive the ladies this time,” Mr. Barlow said. “I am not too proud to admit my eyes are not what they once were, and I should be quite blind navigating the twists and turns back to Pemberley in this light.”
“Perhaps Lizzy and Miss Darcy should come in the carriage as they both look dead on their feet,” Mrs. Gardiner suggested.
Mr. Gardiner seemed poised to agree when Lizzy spoke up. “If you do not object, I should like to ride in the phaeton. It would be lovely to see the woods and paths in the moonlight.”
Darcy nodded his acquiescence and Mrs. Gardiner her agreement. The parties separated to their respective conveyances. Before Elizabeth could worry over where she would sit and decide whether she preferred the potential terror and exhilaration of being beside her Mr. Darcy for a full half hour, her friend took the decision mostly out of her hands.
“Lizzy, if you do not mind, might I sit on the outside?” Georgiana asked with a smile. “I am afraid I might feel nauseous sitting in the middle in the dark.”
“I do not mind,” Elizabeth answered quickly and quite truthfully. Having only been in a carriage together a few times, Elizabeth could not be certain of her friend’s tendencies. However, the only observation she would have made was that Georgiana was likely to fall asleep, even on short rides, regardless of the seat. Elizabeth had never seen her get sick.
Her mind was occupied enough by this slight quandary to avoid the near existential crisis of earlier when her Mr. Darcy had offered his hand to help her up and onto her seat. Thus, it was with little anxiety that Elizabeth found herself seated in between the Darcy siblings, embarking on a moonlit carriage ride.
The ride to the picnic had been filled with talk of what was to come and of the beautiful sights that they passed. Theride back consisted, initially at least, of remembering the past few hours and discussing all of the wonderful things that had happened. After ten minutes, Georgiana’s excitement seemed to wane, and a minute later, Elizabeth felt the plop of her friend’s head on her shoulder. Darcy’s low chuckle sounded close to her ear.
“She can never withstand a lolling carriage after dark,” he said.
“Even in daylight hours, I have observed her doze off or nearly so,” Elizabeth agreed. She shifted slightly so that Georgiana’s head was more secure. “I was surprised when she mentioned the possibility of being made ill, having not thought that was a problem for her.”
“It is not,” Darcy answered.
