The duke turned towards Darcy. Sticking his chest out, he said, “Oh, yes, Saint Darcy! As always, you are entirely noble and completely perfect. You have been posing as a saint in front of my people as well as yours, these days, and I hear the most ridiculous things about you now everywhere I go.”
Gardiner said, “Excuse us, my wife and I will see to our niece.” They led Elizabeth away, and when his back was turned to the duke, Gardiner mouthed, “Do not engage.”
Darcy saw that Connors was hurrying towards him again, and he supposed that whatever his butler would say may be a deliberate attempt to stop the interaction with the duke. After all, as disrespected as he was, the man still was a duke!
Connors said, “Sir, should we stall the preparations, or are you still on schedule for leaving?”
“Excuse me,” Darcy said to the duke, glad to leave the man’s presence, and he hurried to confer with Connors and Reynolds, once they reached a spot far away from the duke. He said, “We were planning to leave tomorrow, as you know; can things actually be readied in time for a departure today?”
“It might be the best thing to do, sir,” Connors said.
Mrs Reynolds nodded her agreement. “Georgiana has reported that she and Mrs Annesley are ready. And as long as all of you leave safely, we could always send anything that was forgotten later.”
“You are correct,” Darcy said. “I thank you both, as always, for your loyalty and flexibility.”
After consulting Elizabeth and the Gardiners, Darcy updated a few orders, issued a few more—such as ensuring that the duke left the estate—and then changed for the first leg of the journey to Hertfordshire.
The elevated heart rate he had felt when dealing with the duke was beginning to diminish, but Darcy was tremendously excited to so soon be on his way—withElizabeth—to meet with her father and arrange a wedding date. At last….
Eleven
The three carriages,including one for luggage and servants, travelled close to one another, with armed guards again leading, following, and flanking the carriages. Darcy rode Orion while still on his own land and during the first five miles south of the estate; he kept a sharp eye on the surroundings. He did not like to change travel plans as rapidly as they had that day, and the duke’s possible actions remained unknowable; so remaining alert to anything was the best plan.
Of course, Darcy was well known in all of Derbyshire, especially in the area close to Pemberley; and his carriages had the easily identifiable Darcy crest. He was used to having people make way for his carriages and demonstrate respect as he passed, but he had never before seen so much regard demonstrated as he did that day. Every person ceased work, doffed their hat, and lowered their head—even those working in fields far from the road.
Was this unusual level of respect something to do with whatever had caused the duke to complain about “Saint Darcy”?
Darcy tipped his hat and smiled in response to each and every person he saw. If his recent actions truly were inspiringwider or deeper regard for himself, even among strangers, it would be thanks to Elizabeth, because certainly the simulacrum he had watched before she had resurrected him could not have caused such devotion!
He wondered, if he was better known and regarded now, would there be a way of channeling those positive feelings in order to help northern Derbyshire generally? Could he use his newfound popularity to garner support for the founding of the companies and school that he had considered?
When there was a change of horses, Darcy joined Elizabeth and the Gardiners in their carriage, and the first words out of Elizabeth’s mouth were, “I was very impressed with how far your influence reaches, sir. I have never witnessed a royal procession, but I cannot imagine anyone other than the prince gaining as much notice as I have seen today.”
“It has never been that way before now. Perhaps word has spread that I am engaged, and people want to catch sight of you?”
“And so they bow their heads and look down?” She laughed at his suggestion.
As often happened, her pleasing laugh called forth his own chuckle. He shook his head ruefully. “I do not know what else could have caused this. I have thought about ways I might help the people in the area, but I have barely begun to take action on my plans.”
Mrs Gardiner suggested, “Perhaps it is news of your intentions that has spread? Or news that the duke views you as an enemy? Perhaps your investigators’ newest reports will include rumours that have explanatory power.”
At the next change of horses, Darcy joined Georgiana and Mrs Annesley. His sister did not comment on the display of respect until they were less than a mile from Melbourne; then nobody could miss the unique situation. People must have comein from the fields or out from their houses, since men, women, and children lined both sides of the road leading to the Crown, the inn to which Darcy had sent an express rider in order to engage enough rooms to put up the entire party.
Georgiana’s eyes could not have been wider as she witnessed the men bow and remove their hats as they passed, and the women curtsey. “Do they have our carriage confused with someone grander, Brother?” she asked.
“I imagine not; however, I am wondering why our sudden change of plans has been anticipated!”
“It feels both positive and also worrisome, to be honest,” Mrs Annesley opined.
“I doubt that there is any reason for anxiety, madam. I hope you can rest assured that you are safe.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The bustle of unloading occupied the servants, and the other travellers were shown to their rooms; however, Darcy asked for any messages that had arrived. There were two. The first was a very reassuring note that informed him that the Duke of Lymebourne had left Pemberley lands promptly—with no needed intervention—and that he had made directly for Lymeston Hall.
The second was a message from Lodge, by way of Morris. It outlined the gossip that had spread about the duke, Darcy, and Elizabeth. The gossip sounded like a story from a novel, with a foolish but evil antagonist and two brave and clever heroes. Those characterisations were overly simplified and exaggerated, but the plot points stuck to what he knew to be true: the duke’s attempt to destroy a village for his own petty reasons, and the hero’s attempts to safeguard the lives of the victims of the duke’s scheming; the duke’s threat of kidnapping the heroine, and his minion’s actual kidnapping of someone in the hero’s employ;the duke’s determination to meddle with the heroine, and her successful battle against him with both actions and words.
Apparently news spread quickly. According to Lodge, most folks in Lambton already knew that the soon-to-be mistress of Pemberley had managed to free herself from the duke—and had given him a verbal set down to boot!
