She was right; whatever the motive, it could never be justified. He cued the horses, setting his shoulders and forcing himself to stop clenching his jaw. “Then I shall have to settle for finding whoever is guilty and doing all that I can to see him punished as richly as he deserves.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
On account of the riders being hungry after their long excursion, they sat to dinner at five, but it was a dull affair. Elizabeth thought that Miss Darcy had already exerted her social energies for the day, Hester looked often at the empty seat that Colonel Fitzwilliam had previously occupied, and that gentleman was still in search of a coral ring in a pawnshop somewhere in the Peak.
And Darcy is looking between Mr Utterson and Mr Balfour, as though trying to guess by their outward appearance which one might be a murderer.
Elizabeth was not surprised when the men did not linger at the table after dinner, Miss Darcy pleaded to be excused, and Mrs Annesley went with her.
“It shall be a quiet evening,” Hester said as she made the tea. “I can make myself scarce as well... unless Mr Darcy put his time to good use after I left the library?”
Elizabeth could not keep the secret from her any longer, even if it was not time to make it a general concern. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Darcy made me an offer when we were at Dovedale. We wanted to wait to tell everyone, until we both wrote to my father, but I cannot keep it from you.”
To her pleasant surprise, Hester pulled her into her arms and saideverything about her happiness for them both and wishing them all the joy they deserved. Elizabeth looked over her shoulder and caught Darcy’s eye. He gave a little smile—the first she had seen this evening.
“I will keep the news to myself,” Hester said into Elizabeth’s ear, “but you must know how happy Miss Darcy and Fitzwilliam will be. And Lewis is always one to enjoy another’s good fortune.” She laughed. “Even Mr Utterson might force out a smile on your behalf.”
Elizabeth politely agreed, and Hester gave her another congratulations before the gentlemen joined them at the tea table.
“Well, upon the whole we have had a very good frisk at Pemberley,” Mr Balfour said to Darcy as they settled themselves with their coffee. “But a few more days shall see your guests go on to Scarborough. I hope you and Miss Darcy decide to come for at least part of September.”
This was an obvious invitation to conversation about travelling, about having guests, about friendship and visiting, about nearly anything, but Darcy only bowed.
When the silence stretched too long, Hester said, “Lewis, I am returning to town and will join you in Haddingtonshire this winter instead.”
“Hester!” Mr Balfour cried. “What about our friends in Scarborough?”
She shook her head. “Most of them areyourfriends. My friends are in town, near St James’s Street, you know.”
“Aye, you have liked the wives of the army men since you were on the Married Roll.” He gave a fond smile. “If you marry again, I daresay it would be to a military man, and you would hope to travel with him. Unless,” he said slowly, “he was in a fashionable regiment and likely to remain in London.”
Mr Balfour gave her a wink and turned to Darcy. Elizabeth and Hester shared an amazed look at his comprehending more about Hester and her wishes than they realised.
“I heard in the stable yard that whilst we were riding,” Mr Balfour said to Darcy, “you raised a new house today. Did your tenants applaud you?”
Darcy gave a wry smile. “They are happy with the progress, but in fact they had criticisms on where the new building will stand.”
“Why do you tolerate any criticism?” Mr Utterson asked him. “You are the master.”
“A man who wishes to stand well in the opinion of others must accept fair criticism, because he is thereby able to correct his faults or remove the prejudices against him.”
Darcy had answered his friend, but he gave Elizabeth a serious look as he did so. She immediately wished them all away so she could show him how proud she was of him, for what improvements he had made since Hunsford and for what he had accomplished in Pemberley’s recovery so far.
“I do not believe there was a single criticism,” Mr Balfour teased, clapping Darcy on the shoulder. “The dignity of Darcy’s presence produces reverence in his grateful tenants.”
“If they did revere Darcy, it is because of his great fortune,” Mr Utterson quipped as he rose to return his coffee cup.
“No, it is because he is a complete gentleman: sensible, amiable, virtuous, generous,” Elizabeth said.
Darcy’s cheeks actually turned pink. Elizabeth knew she had spoken too warmly, but the truth about their engagement would come out soon. She added in a calmer tone, “It is because they trust Mr Darcy to help them.”
Mr Utterson shrugged. “Darcy was left a great fortune to start his life with, and his tenants can at least trust in that.”
The desire to defend Darcy rose before she could sensibly silence it. “Do you not feel that your father gave you enough to start with in life? Your education and career have been well-provided for.”
“And in return I promised my father to become an impressive lawyer, to do him credit. Whilst my foolish brother inherits everything and earns nothing.”
His resentful tone made her angry. “Unfortunately for your father, you appear to prefer a lively evening in town, being seen, and spending to excess to making him proud.”
