“Indeed, it was. Too close,” Mr. Quimby replied.
“Did the house fare well? Is the roof intact?” Darcy asked, still looking at the roofline in comparison with where the tree fell. He was amazed at how narrowly the tree missed the roof.
“Nothing appears to be amiss. My son climbed up there to confirm it.”
“That is good to hear. I will have some men come take care of the tree,” Miss Elizabeth said.
“We would be much obliged. But only after the more serious work has been done. I know there may be others who did not fare as well as we did. This tree can wait.”
“We will see what we can do. In the meantime, dinner is being prepared for you and your son. We will return with it this evening,” Miss Elizabeth assured him.
“That is very kind of you, Miss Elizabeth.”
“We are happy to do it, and we are so glad you both made it through safely.”
“Thank you, Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Quimby said.
“And, fair warning, Mr. Quimby, Mrs. Glendale has ordered me to bring you their portion as well, so I hope you and your son will be prepared to take on extra,” Miss Elizabeth teased.
He gave a short laugh. “I believe we can manage it!”
Miss Elizabeth laughed and said goodbye to Mr. Quimby.
Darcy and Matthew said goodbye as well.
As they walked to the horses, they suddenly came across the son. He seemed to materialize right in front of them. Darcy looked around, trying to determine where he had come from.
“Miss Elizabeth, please forgive me for missing your visit.” The man, who was similar in age to Miss Elizabeth, looked down at the ground as he spoke to her, his face beet-red.
“Not at all, Mr. Quimby,” she said.
The man nodded once and went away directly.
Miss Elizabeth watched him go, then met Darcy’s gaze and whispered, “He is very bashful.”
Darcy lifted his brows at that. “I see.”
Darcy could indeed see. He could see that every young man they had met with so far was enamored of Miss Elizabeth. He shook his head.
She smirked at him, and they continued walking to the horses.
When they arrived at the Camden’s, the flooded, low-lying part of the property came into view. Fortunately, the house, the grain barn, and the stables were on higher ground. They stopped their horses at a fence and tied them up there.
As they walked toward the house, they could see men on the roof working.
“Hello, Miss Elizabeth!” one man called.
“Miss Elizabeth?” another asked the first man in surprise. He then looked up, saw her for himself, and waved.
Darcy reckoned these two were also admirers.
She waved back. “Hello!”
Then, a third man sat back and called down to her. “Good day to you, Miss Elizabeth.”
“Good day, Mr. Camden. Did everyone fare well last night?” she asked.
The other two men got back to work as Mr. Camden turned to face them. “Yes, we did. And, your family?” he asked.
