“As long as she is able to pen a letter and express herself effectively, surely that is all that matters, Aunt Catherine.” Darcy could not help himself from pointing it out, especially since Elizabeth was rolling her eyes in the corner.
Lady Catherine gave him a dour look, but he was in too good a mood to let that bother him.
“Now, if you will excuse us, we would like to take advantage of the sunshine while it lasts. We are going to discover the castle gardens. We have heard so much about Lady Hester’s improvements, I for one would like to see them. Please send someone for us once work on the Wards begins, Mr. Bennet.”
“Certainly.”
Darcy put out his arm to Elizabeth. “Shall we go and explore Lady Hester’s gardens, Mrs. Darcy?”
“I would be delighted.”
Darcy tucked her arm under his and they set out to enjoy the open air.
It was, indeed, exactly what Elizabeth said: delightful. The grounds were extensive. Lady Hester had made use of a chalk pit to create meandering paths and steps through evergreens. The trees and hedges glistened with rain. It afforded them a sense of privacy in a castle full of mages and soldiers.
Walking outdoors with hope gave him a renewed feeling of vitality. He felt a renewed sense of hope. They had been given a chance to be together, away from the stifling demands of the Hall. On such a peaceful day, with the sun shining out of a pure sky, it seemed impossible that Napoleon was planning anything.
“I still think it is all a false alarm. Until then, we can think of it as a holiday. Then, before we know it, we will be back in Founders’ Hall, and we can set out for Pemberley.”
Elizabeth did not have quite as much faith in the idea as Darcy did. She had spoken to Riquer, and it was obvious he was not his usual self. His manner of speaking was urgent. She did not, however, mention anything to Darcy, who would very likely dismiss anything Riquer said on principle.
When it happened, they would deal with it. For now, what was the harm in pretending to themselves that all was well? Going to Pemberley might seem like an unreachable aspiration, but they could still daydream about it. She needed to imagine a differentlife. It distracted her from thinking about what was going to happen in the next few days.
As for being alone with Darcy...
She cast him a sidelong glance. She could not wait to discover the joys of marriage with him.
“When we go to Pemberley. What will we do with ourselves all day?” she asked with a smile. “We are accustomed to having our days full of activity. How will we occupy ourselves?”
Darcy wagged his eyebrows. “I can think of some ways.”
She blushed. “Surely not the whole day?”
“Not thewholeday. We will need to eat sometimes.”
She did not know where to look. She felt both hot and cold as she tried to imagine what it would be like to spend most of the day in Darcy’s arms.
Darcy chuckled. “It is rare to see you so abashed. I will not tease you further. You will find out what I mean soon enough.”
At that moment, a gardener with a wheelbarrow came around the corner and Darcy quickly changed the conversation.
“You need not worry about how you will fill your days, Elizabeth. Pemberley is very extensive. Believe me, running an estate of that size will occupy much of our time. There are tenants to take care of, repairs to oversee and crops to harvest. And we will, of course, be hosting events and visiting our neighbors.”
“But how is it that all these years you have been away, someone else has managed the estate?”
“My steward consults me often,” said Darcy. “And don’t forget, the house has been closed, so of course, things have been very quiet there. It will be different when the house is inhabited. There will be many decisions to be made.”
Beyond organizing dinners and deciding on the menu, Elizabeth found it hard to see how her input would be needed.
“I will probably leave most of the household tasks to the housekeeper, since she has been doing them for years without me,” said Elizabeth. “But I would like to discover more about the estate and the tenants.”
“If that is truly where your interests lie, the first thing you will need to do is learn how to ride. Pemberley is too big for you to go around on foot, and, away from the main roads, it will be difficult to move around in a carriage.”
“Is it bigger than Rosings?”
“Definitely bigger. Sheep are a part of the estate, and they need room to graze. Some of the land is moorland. Some of it is untamed, full of crags and rocks and caves. You will love the peaks around Pemberley, and the bluebell woods in the spring. We will walk together to Lambton to buy you lace and ribbons. And we will dip our feet in the river Derwent when it is hot.”
At this moment in time, it sounded idyllic, and she felt an intense longing to be there. “I think I would like that very much.”
