“Do you know of Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy?” Elizabeth enquired.
“I do,” Hillman replied noncommittedly.
Elizabeth told of how she thought they were arguing while he was, in fact, debating with her. “In the end, once I realised I was wrong in my estimation of him, I owned that he had debated with me as an equal and respected my opinions. He never dismissed them as silly because of my sex.”
After dinner the card table was taken out, and theyplayed some whist before Hillman took his leave. He could not remember ever having such an enjoyable time in the company of marriageable-aged single women.
Chapter 21
Unfortunately, the hours they had spent in Grasmere, and even walking past Dove Cottage, did not lead to a meeting with Mr or Mrs Wordsworth.
That did not mean the day spent in the town and walking around Grasmere Lake or taking the path along the lake’s western shore, which led to Rydal Water, was not enjoyable. It was, and the fact both were much smaller lakes than Windermere did not detract from the beauty of the area around them.
For the midday meal, the group of five ate at the Swan Inn. The dining parlour had large windows which offered a good view of Grasmere Lake and the mountains in the distance.
After the very enjoyable meal, Elizabeth mentioned to the landlord that she had hoped to meet Mr Wordsworth. He told her that the Wordsworths and their children were away from Grasmere for the summer and were being hosted at the estate of some friends. Although she was disappointed to learn that even returning to the town before they departed for Lambton would not gain her a meeting with the poet, Elizabeth stoically accepted that it was not to be.
As they had planned, after the meal, they explored the town. At first, they were together as a group, but when Elizabeth spied a bookseller, she was soon lost within. Maddie followed her into the store so her niece would not be alone, while Gardiner followed his eldest niece and Hillman at adistance, allowing them to speak if they chose.
Hillman stopped on the little green in the centre of the town. He had never imagined he would meet a lady like the one whose hand was resting on his forearm. It had not taken long to see that all the things without which the ladies of theTonwould not marry, meant nothing to either of the Misses Bennet. For the first time in interactions with any woman, he felt like he was appreciated for who he was and not what he could provide in the way of rank, wealth, or connections. He noticed Miss Bennet had stopped and was patiently waiting for him. She had her head cocked to one side in question.
“Please pardon me; I was lost in thought for a few moments when I should have been giving you my attention,” Hillman stated contritely.
“Think nothing of it, Mr Hillman. I am in no hurry,” Jane responded.
Her answer could be interpreted in more than one way, and it caused Hillman to grin. He decided that this was not the time to be timid. “Miss Bennet, as the morrow is the sabbath, may I call on you on Monday? There is something I would like to ask of you, but before I do, there are some things I must tell you about myself,” he stated as he looked into her cerulean blue eyes. “If you are still willing to hear me after I tell you what I need to, then I will ask a particular question.”
Jane was sure this man had too much good sense to propose after only knowing each other for less than a sennight. However, if the question was regarding calling on her or even a courtship, she would welcome either. She had discovered enough about Mr Hillman’s character to know that he was a man she respected and who respected her. She could not imagine what he wanted to tell her, but she was sure that unless he had some dark stain on his character, it would not change her opinion of him. As such, she gave her answer, “Yes, Mr Hillman, I will be happy toreceive a call from you on Monday. I assume we will see you at church on the morrow?”
“I am not in the habit of missing services on the Sabbath. As there is only one church in the town, I think it is a safe assumption,” Hillman smiled as he replied.
“It is certain that Aunt Maddie will invite you to join us for the meal after church,” Jane said boldly. She blushed a little at her forwardness, but she could not repine having said what she did. She was sure Aunt Maddie would issue the invitation on her own accord, but Jane was ready to make the suggestion if need be.
“If Mrs Gardiner is so gracious as to have me join you after the service, I would not demur.” Hillman loved the becoming way Miss Bennet’s cheeks pinked up.
Gardiner approached the two on the green and cleared his throat, causing them to look at him and break the way their eyes were locked on one another’s. “I think Lizzy has had enough time with the books, and it is approaching the time for us to depart this town,” he informed them.
Hillman offered Miss Bennet his arm again. He led her back up the street towards the shop where her aunt and sister would be found, while Gardiner trailed behind them.
“I will go in and extract Lizzy,” Jane volunteered. She smiled and disappeared into the store.
“On Monday, I have Miss Bennet’s permission to call on her. I intend to ask for a courtship if you will permit me, but as I promised, before I offer that, I will tell her the truth of who I am and why I felt the need to hide my rank and identity while I was here,” Hillman informed the older man.
“Jane is of age, so you do not need my permission, but you do have my blessing to proceed. As one who used to hide her true feelings behind a mask, I am sure she will understand your need to take on another persona,” Gardiner responded. “Before you proceed, though, you should know that Jane has a negligible dowry and no connections of note. Aside from me, she has one more uncle, who is the local solicitor in Meryton.”
“Just like I want to be appreciated for who I am, I would be some sort of hypocrite if I judged Miss Bennet by anything other than her character. She is the daughter of a gentleman; that is enough for me, as it will be for my parents,” Hillman stated emphatically.
“You will do for our Jane.” Gardiner clapped Hillman on the back just before his wife and nieces exited the bookshop.
Soon enough the five of them were in the Gardiner carriage and had commenced the two-hour journey back to Bowness-on-Windermere. For the first ten minutes, there was no conversation between them. The three ladies were seated on the forward-facing bench while the men sat opposite them.
“I purchased two books,” Elizabeth related proudly. She held up her copy ofA Guide to the Lakesby Father Thomas West, before displaying the second tome,A Fortnight’s Ramble to the Lakes in Westmoreland, Lancashire, and Cumberlandby Joseph Budworth. “I know my father does not have either in his collection, so after I have studied them, they will make the ideal gift for Papa.” She turned to Jane, who was seated on the other side of their aunt. “One will be from you; that way Papa will receive a gift from each of us.”
“Lizzy, as much as I appreciate your generosity of spirit, I will find Papa a gift of my own. He would be able to guess that I would not be the one spending time in a bookshop ferreting out tomes for him,” Jane responded gratefully.
“That is true,” Elizabeth owned.
Hillman watched the interactions between the two Misses Bennet. They only confirmed his opinion that these were the closest of sisters. If things worked out for all involved, they would not live a greatdistance from one another.
