In any case, she cared nothing for his censure. He had already done his worst. Instead, she turned to greet Georgiana and her companion.
“Papa, allow me to make the introductions.”
While she did so, she felt Mr. Darcy watching her in an unsettling way, until finally, Mr. Bennet stepped forward and he was obliged to look elsewhere.
“Welcome to Longbourn.” Mr. Bennet was on his best behavior. “Please come in. Jane, my eldest, will see that refreshments are brought to us.”
Miss Darcy came up to Elizabeth. “I am so happy you are going to join me and Mrs. Annesley in London. I already have several activities planned. I hope you will like them.”
For Miss Darcy’s sake, Elizabeth hoped she would.
A few minutes later, as they settled into the parlor, Elizabeth felt the strangeness of the situation. She had last seen the Darcys in one of the grandest estates in the country, yet here they were, visiting them in Longbourn. Looking at it through Mr. Darcy’s eyes, she reflected that the Bennets’ parlor was not much smaller than the one where she had first met Darcy. It was the heart of Longbourn, and it had always been well kept up. It was bright and cheerful, with fashionable, much coveted peacock wallpaper from India, turquoise green upholstery that complimented the wall coverings perfectly, and modern furnishings that had been ordered from London a little more than a year ago. Mama had many faults, but she had a good eye in these things, and Elizabeth knew she had nothing to be ashamed of in this room.
Elizabeth noticed how closely her father was watching Mr. Darcy, whose manners – so far— were impeccable. While she and Jane spoke to Miss Darcy, Elizabeth sent some glances in Mr. Darcy’s direction. There was no evidence of the high-handed behavior he had exhibited the last time she saw him. He did not speak much, but he was attentive to Mr. Bennet’s polite questions about the journey, and while he did not answer them at great length, he made every attempt to provide an adequate reply.
She could also not help noticing how well-tailored his coat was, and how it hugged his shoulders. She might even have considered him handsome, except that his cravat was tied tootightly, his chin pushed upwards as if he was choking. It gave him an insufferable air of superiority.
With the initial polite civilities over, there was an awkward pause in the conversation as they waited for the tea tray to arrive. Miss Darcy seemed too bashful to speak. Papa settled into the corner of the room, watching with his usual wry expression, hoping for something entertaining to happen, and disinclined to rouse himself after the initial civilities. Jane made a few comments about the mildness of the weather, and the first signs of autumn, and Elizabeth remarked that it was a good day for a walk, but was then thrown into confusion when she remembered her miserable walk from Pemberley. Thankfully, Mrs. Annesley saved the situation by observing that she had never seen so many old oak trees in one place. Since Mr. Bennet prized the ancient trees, she was able to draw him out. He was soon happily narrating the story of his grandfather, who was so protective of the oak trees that he had set a large iron fence around them to make certain no one felled them.
Mr. Darcy then had a story about the time one of his favorite trees was hit by lightning when he was a child, and how unhappy he had been when they had been forced to cut it down.
Everyone then had a story about one of their favorite trees, and the time passed agreeably until Mr. Bennet put down his teacup with a loud clatter and stood up.
“Mr. Darcy, I wonder if I may show you the library? I would like to ask your opinion on some agricultural books I have recently acquired.”
Mr. Bennet closeted himself with Mr. Darcy for more than an hour while Jane and Elizabeth entertained the rest of their guests. Elizabeth struggled to focus her attention properly on theconversation. She was listening for the squeak of the library door as it opened, and for Mr. Bennet to emerge and issue his verdict. Fortunately, Jane did as she had promised and took on the role of hostess, telling them about the advantages of living within walking distance of Meryton, then offering to give Miss Darcy and Mrs. Annesley a tour of the rose garden. Elizabeth went out with them, but she left it to Jane to entertain their guests.
Finally, Mr. Bennet emerged from the house and gestured to Elizabeth to walk down the lane with him.
“Lizzy, I have spoken to Mr. Darcy and assured myself he is an honorable gentleman. I am satisfied with the arrangements he has set up to ensure that your reputation will be protected. You will be living in Miss Darcy’s new home, and you have been assigned a lady’s maid. And there is Mrs. Annesley, who will act as a chaperone to you both. She is a distant relative of the Earl of Matlock.”
Elizabeth drew a deep breath and shut her eyes, her heart beating faster. The two gentlemen had reached an agreement.
“Then my fate has been sealed.”
Mr. Bennet looked amused. “Lizzy, I did not think you so given to dramatics. It is only for three months.”
“Three months is a long time.”
“It will be over before you know it. In any case, you need not stay the three months if you are not happy with the arrangements. If the situation no longer suits either party, he has agreed he will provide the means to come back to Longbourn in style, and to complete all arrangements as befits your status as a young unmarried gentleman’s daughter.”
“I should hope so. It is the very least he can do.”
“I have also extracted a promise from Mr. Darcy that there will be no repetition of the ill treatment you received at his hands. He has apologized profoundly for causing you to walk alone all the way to Lambton. You need not fear anything like that willhappen again. He has related the details of the circumstances. In all fairness, it seems you departed hastily, and did not wait for a carriage to be called.” Elizabeth was outraged by this portrayal of the situation, but her father waved his hand to stop her from interrupting. “I am not excusing him, Lizzy. I have made my objections to his behavior very clear. Still, you cannot lay all the blame on him.”
“I would not have left in the first place, had I not been so insulted.”
Mr. Bennet sighed. “I know. It was an unfortunate set of circumstances.”
She opened her mouth to dispute this, but he interrupted.
“Never mind. It does not matter. It is all water under the bridge now. I am trying to do the right thing by giving you this opportunity.” He gave her a peck on the forehead. “I will miss you, Lizzy. How am I to have any sensible conversation while you are gone?”
“I will be back before you know it,” she said, echoing his earlier statement.
“Ha! Now you are using my words against me.” He gave her a little push. “Go! Stop dawdling! You need to leave quickly, before Mrs. Bennet and the younger girls show up and ruin everything.”
“Papa!” said Elizabeth with a laugh.
