He had spoken too bluntly, and now everyone gave him a horrifiedlook. Georgiana was crying, Balfour and Utterson appeared mortified, and Bingley had a hand over his mouth. The ladies avoided his eye, except for Elizabeth, who had risen and taken steps towards him but stopped, looking at him with concern. He stood silent, still looking at her, with the fleeting thought of throwing his arms around her.
Darcy blinked and sighed, and ran his hands across his face again. He could not stand here and talk of general subjects after what he had seen, and would see more of in the week ahead.And neither can I burden my company with my travails.
“Mr Darcy,” Miss Bingley said slowly, and he dropped his hands to look at her. “I am sure that none of us intended to distress you.” She glanced at her sister, who was seated by her at the instrument. Mrs Hurst shrugged, not knowing what to say.
What can any of them say?Darcy solemnly protested that they had done anything to offend him, and left.
He rose earlythe next morning to survey the home farm and the gardens, and to organise the cleaning up of the grounds nearest to the house: to have the felled trees sawn and chopped if they were not too wet and to salvage what lumber they could, to repair the orchard tree limbs, to replace the glass in the greenhouse. The gardeners were at work before he joined them, but Darcy knew it would take days to clear away the remains of what had been the garden. The fences would have to be fixed before any more sheep were lost; even some stone walls had not been spared.
Now I must join my company for breakfast, and be a better host than I was last evening.
As soon as Darcy entered, he knew by the sudden silence he had been the subject of conversation. “You must allow me to apologise for my manner last evening. There was no reason to speak so bluntly. I had?—”
“Darcy, say nothing about it,” Balfour interrupted him. All the rest were nodding their heads.
“In fact, we have been talking about how best to help you,” added Bingley.
“You need do nothing but enjoy yourselves as?—”
“No, no, none of that,” Bingley said. He sat beside him and added in a quiet tone, “Utterson, Balfour, and I have it all arranged. Hurst and I shall take Jane, Louisa, Caroline, and Lizzy to Doncaster today and stay in a convenient inn.”
Bingley lowered his voice. “We thought you might not want guests at such a time. No,” he said as Darcy shook his head, “you won’t say we are not welcome, but you cannot want houseguests now. I intend to take my party towards Scarborough from Doncaster. Enfield will welcome us a few days earlier.”
“So long as you write to tell him first,” Darcy said. Bingley laughed. “I jest, but you need not leave.”
“I know, but we were to leave on the fifteenth in any event. Besides, not all of your friends shall leave you. Balfour’s party intends to remain as planned, and then we shall all meet at Scarborough later. We know you shall not wish to make pleasant conversation in the evening, but we do not want to leave you entirely alone.”
Having three guests rather than nine might be easier in the days ahead.That Bingley was still so good a friend after what he had done to keep him from a woman who loved him struck Darcy with a fresh wave of guilt. “I fear you are right. I shall have much to occupy me in the coming days.”
“You must promise that you will take alittlerespite from business. Balfour and even Utterson will ensure you do not run yourself ragged.”
Darcy promised, and Bingley smiled. “Then it is settled. If you choose not to go to Scarborough in September, then we shall meet again on our return to Hertfordshire in October. And today, Mrs Lanyon is content to draw whilst Balfour and Utterson will go to Lambton with you to start clearing the damage.”
Lambton was an estate village of Pemberley’s. It was wholly within the estate, and every residence and shop, the school, the public house were his responsibility. He and his steward had decided yesterday to begin recovery efforts there, and to meet there with his tenants today.
“I cannot have my guests recovering property or chopping wood.”Or recovering bodies.
Balfour called from his seat, “Darcy, it is decided. Utterson may not be a genius with an axe, but he shall do his best so long as he does not get a callus.”
“And what about you, Balfour?” Utterson said from his side of the table, not lowering his letter. “Have you ever exerted yourself beyond buying a shiny new bauble?”
“Aye, that is a proper, gentlemanly exertion, I grant you, but I think rather that sounds more like you?” Balfour turned back to Darcy. “We went yesterday to Buxton where Utterson found nothing to his liking in what they call a jewellery shop—it is nothing to London, let me say—but we found there a pawnshop better than the one in Bakewell. This is what happens when we can find no dice game or horserace to bet on. Do not think less of him for buying some poor fool’s pledge. Show the ladies your sleeve buttons, Utterson!”
“You are one to talk. You have often been so hard-pressed for money that your fine clothes might be on your back in the evening, and at the pawnshop in the morning.”
Balfour’s eyes darkened, but it did not last. “But not today! You are only jealous, I say.”
Darcy turned to Bingley and gave him a long-suffering stare. “Must they ‘help’?”
Bingley laughed. “Utterson will leave his new sleeve buttons, and Balfour will at the least do what you ask him to.” He lowered his voice. “We all want to help you.”
Darcy nodded his thanks, then looked down the table. He saw Elizabeth absently staring into her teacup.If Bingley’s party leaves, Elizabeth shall leave also.He did not want to part from her with a mistaken understanding of his feelings, but everything was in too sorry a state for him to settle anything on that count.
A servant announced the Hurst and Bingley carriages. They all set aside their napkins and rose to part. Utterson and Balfour announced they would change their clothes and meet him at the stables as Georgiana came to his side.
“Shall I come to Lambton today?”
Darcy felt his chest tighten in pride and gratitude. He did not want her to see the early effects of the destruction, but he was cheered byhow she wished to help Pemberley’s people. “In the coming days, there will be a great deal to do in regard to charity, but not today. Reynolds and I will put you to work before long.”
