Miss Darcy stuck her head out and called for Darcy to come into the carriage, getting some of her ringlets wet in the process. Darcy came trotting towards them.
“Come in, brother. You will catch your death out there.”
Darcy looked past Miss Darcy towards Elizabeth, his expression wary, then finally nodded.
Elizabeth stifled a disbelieving huff. What did he think? That she was going to find a way to compromise him in the presence of his sister and Mrs. Annesley? It was beyond ridiculous.
Darcy tethered his horse and joined them, taking off his great coat and shaking it out before closing the door. He took the seat furthest from Elizabeth, squeezing as close to the window as he could. His behavior made her aware of the narrowness of the carriage, and she moved down subtly to create more distance between them.
A long silence fell over the carriage. The rain drummed loudly on the roof and on the windows.
Elizabeth was accustomed to a household of sisters who would not stop talking. She had to say something. “Well, that was unexpected,” she said. “The sky was perfectly blue.”
“It was,” said Mr. Darcy. It was unclear whether he was responding to her first remark or the second.
“Perhaps it will clear soon,” she said.
“Perhaps.”
Elizabeth gritted her teeth. She was trying her best to be pleasant, but she could not keep up a conversation with so little encouragement. She was tempted to say something shocking, just to see how he responded, but for once, she could not think of anything that would fit in that category. Annoyed, she decided she would not make the effort. Let him take on the burden. He was the one who had wanted her in London, after all. Surely it was up to him to put her at ease and make her feel welcome. After all, it was the first time they had faced each other sincehe had so carelessly assumed the worst of her and banned her from his house. She waited expectantly, but he remained taciturn. There was no small talk. No sign of warmth, no attempt at gallantry, no attempt to show he was truly sorry for his past behavior.
Well, then. He had made his position abundantly clear. She shifted her position to sit facing away from him and stared out at the leaden skies and the muddy ditches and the trees swaying under the weight of the wind. She felt a lump rise in her throat and felt angry that she had allowed herself to be persuaded that Mr. Darcy was not a villain. It was all too obvious now that his letter had been nothing more than a ploy to make sure Elizabeth did as he demanded. He had been civil in front of Mr. Bennet because it helped him achieve his goal of indulging his sister. Now that she had given in, he had nothing further to say to her.
She felt cheated. This was all a mistake. She wanted to ask him to stop the carriage and let her down. She would walk home rather than be forced to be under his roof.
If she walked away, she would just confirm his poor opinion of her. No, she would not let his poor manners intimidate her. She would show him she was a woman of her word. Besides, it was not fair to Miss Darcy, who would be hurt if she left so abruptly. She was going to London for Miss Darcy, after all, not for him.
It was going to be the longest three months of her life.
Chapter 11
As Miss Elizabeth Bennet climbed into the carriage and the door closed behind her, the tension eased from Darcy’s shoulders. He congratulated himself for handling the situation well. Mr. Bennet had raised several objections to sending his daughter with him making Darcy wonder whether he had come all the way to Longbourn, only to be turned away.
Thanks to Georgiana’s reminder, Darcy was able to retain his patience as Mr. Bennet asked him in detail about the arrangements in place to ensure there would be no questions asked about Miss Bennet’s reputation. It was galling to answer all those questions, but he had managed to provide the reassurances Mr. Bennet needed. He had explained that Miss Bennet would be living with Georgiana, chaperoned by Mrs.Annesley, and that Miss Bennet would be provided with a maid who would be present whenever the occasion required it. In the end, Mr. Bennet relented.
All in all, he had been impressed with Longbourn and its master. It was not a large property, but it was well maintained, and the tenants well cared for. Nothing he had seen suggested that the young ladies had to skimp on anything. The house was well-presented, without the ostentatious and vulgar displays of objects he expected to find.
He had also been pleasantly impressed by Miss Jane Bennet, who seemed like a quiet, reserved type of young lady who did not give herself airs, despite being exceptionally pretty. As far as he could tell, the family was perfectly respectable. Overall, he felt better than he had before coming here. There were still many question marks, however. Darcy still had to discover how Miss Bennet was involved with George Wickham. Until he knew more about Miss Bennet, Darcy resolved to remain skeptical. He did not want to risk another Mrs. Younge.
As the group set out, Darcy was glad to be riding. It was a warm day, and he preferred it to the discomfort of being confined inside the carriage. Besides, he was in no mood to indulge Miss Bennet by giving her too much attention.
For a long part of the journey, the sound of light-hearted chatter floated towards him from the open window. He could make out Miss Bennet’s voice, with Georgiana answering. He could not hear the words, but Georgiana was talking in an animated manner. He was relieved that Georgiana had shaken off her shyness and was engaging in conversation. How was Miss Bennet able to connect to his sister so easily? What was her secret, he wondered?
Then Miss Bennet’s voice rang out with laughter – a light easy sound – so unlike the artificial giggles he was accustomed to in social gatherings. Georgiana laughed in response. How long hadit been since he had last heard that laugh? His heart swelled at the sound.
No matter what came of it, Darcy decided, he was grateful to Miss Bennet for bringing his little sister out of her melancholy, even for a little while.
After their third stop to change horses, the weather began to shift. At first it was subtle, then giant gray clouds came racing across the sky, obscuring the sun and looking ominous. Not long after, the rain came down in unrelenting torrents, turning the road into a muddy swamp. Water washed down Darcy’s face from the brim of his hat. So far, his great coat had held out, thanks to the numerous capes that provided enough layers to keep out the rain.
He held out as long as he could, not wanting to go into the carriage if he could help it. Then Georgiana called him, and he came up to her. Still, he hesitated, thinking of Miss Bingley and the long journey to Pemberley. Did he really want to be trapped in a carriage with a garrulous female again? A flash of lightning in the distance made up his mind for him. He would rather weather the storm inside than risk being struck by lightning.
Almost immediately, Darcy regretted coming into the carriage. The conversation that was flowing so smoothly came to an end, replaced by uncomfortable silence that dominated the small space. He felt like an intruder who had walked into a ball and brought the music to a standstill. Normally, he could count on Miss Annesley saying something to cover Georgiana’s silence, but after a solicitous enquiry about the state of his clothes, she did not say anything further.
He had not planned to be in the carriage with the ladies. It had seemed such a fine day, with rain unlikely. The weather hadbetrayed him. Now he was put on the spot without prior notice, and he was at a loss.
He wanted to speak to Miss Bennet, but with the unpleasant encounter at Pemberley on his mind, he did not know how to start. Should he refer to it and apologize? Here in the carriage, in front of the others? Or should he assume that the letter had conveyed the message adequately – he was often told he was a skilled letter writer – and speak to her as if nothing had happened?
He could not decide. The silence grew longer and more insistent, and the pressure to break it grew heavier.
