Page 118 of Mr. Darcy Comes to Town

“Will they come back at all, miss?” Jamie, the groom asked. “Like the others have?”

“I hope so,” Lizzy said, turning back to watch the birds. “But I also hope they make their way in the wild, too.”

She continued calming her outraged breathing and ordering her mind. The effort took some time, however, since her emotions kept clambering to be recognized. Her disappointment in Mr. Darcy’s angry reaction threatened to suffocate her. Breathing seemed nearly impossible. Now that her own fury was subsiding, all she wanted to do was weep. But I will not permit a single tear to fall.

Lizzy took a long, shuddering breath. Then another. And another. Each breath vibrated less. When she finally felt sufficiently in control of herself, she turned toward the orangery and saw that the servants had returned to their work. Only Harry stood nearby, wagging his tail.

“What a wonderful dog you are,” Lizzy said, crouching a little and reaching for him. He hurried over to her, his rump wriggling and his mouth open in a grin. “Let us go for a walk in the home wood.”

Harry barked once.

“We will get my walking cup first,” Lizzy said, walking swiftly to the orangery door. She opened it, took her cup down off the shelf over her desk, and turned to leave. Glancing down, she saw that Jeffry stood on his hind legs, his forepaws on his enclosure wall, gazing up at her in such a beseeching way, that she asked, “Do you want to join us on our walk?”

Jeffry wheeked.

“Very well,” she said, scooping him up. “You can sit in the crook of my arm.”

The three set off without any interruption to her plan. Conversationally, she said to the guinea pig, “I am going to walk off the disruption of the orderly working of my spleen.”

Jeffry wheeked.

“What is that you say?” They entered the path into the home wood. Harry ranged ahead, and to both sides as she swiftly walked along the path. After a deep sigh, she said, “Yes, it is Mr. Darcy’s fault. I was having a perfectly lovely day until he scolded me for going into Clover’s paddock.” Lizzy felt Jeffry purr. “It is not fair, you know, for him to say what he did to me. How could he think me so ignorant as to enter a bull’s paddock without knowing the bull extremely well?”

Lizzy could tell her improved tone of mind was unravelling. She sighed. “Never mind, Jeffry. Let us enjoy our walk without thinking about him for one more second.”

*

Darcy kicked himself for giving in to the fear he had felt because of Miss Elizabeth’s foolhardy behavior. I spoke too strongly. What was I thinking? Darcy sat on the stone bench in the Longbourn front garden, shaded by a beech tree, waiting for Georgiana to return, his hands clasped together and held between his knees. He stared at the grass, not really seeing it. I was so angry. It is some time since I have reacted in such a way. Shouting! Good Lord, I acted like an addlebrained pillock. It would serve me right if she never speaks to me again. I should abandon all hope of dancing with her at the assembly. I meant to ask her for the supper dance, too. He snorted and shook his head. Unlikely.

“You appear to be a man confounded by a woman,” a male voice commented.

Darcy looked up, saw Mr. Bennet standing before him, and swiftly rose to his feet to bow. “Sir.”

Mr. Bennet nodded absently. He held his spectacles in one hand, and he used them to point at the bench. “May I join you? I felt the need to feel the sun on my face. However, the sun has proven to be too hot, and you are sitting in the only shade to be found in our front garden.” They sat. “What is our weather coming to that it is this hot in October?”

After thinking for a moment, Darcy offered, “The comet?”

Mr. Bennet tapped one arm of his spectacles against his bottom lip as he considered Darcy’s suggestion. He slowly wagged his head from side-to-side.

“I do not know how that might work,” he finally said. “Can something so faint and far away affect the weather patterns on Earth? It is an interesting question. Perhaps Lord Wulfrun could give us the answer. Hmm…I wish I had asked him last night. You know, I shall write him a letter.”

“A fine idea.” Darcy found mental and emotional relief in being forced by politeness to converse with the older gentleman.

“Hm. Why are you sitting in our front garden without one of my daughters or my wife here to keep you company?” Mr. Bennet asked, a twinkle in his eye.

“I brought my sister here to ask Miss Mary if she will accompany us later to visit the puppy Miss Elizabeth found for us,” Darcy replied. “Miss Mary had an errand and Georgiana attended her. I am waiting.”

Mr. Bennet lifted his eyebrows. “Did Mary not think to let you wait in our breakfast room?”

Darcy sighed before he could stop himself. He smoothed his hands over his knees and stared down at the grass once more. “I said I would go in search of Miss Elizabeth. Miss Mary thought I might find her to the rear of the house.”

“And you did not find her?” Mr. Bennet chuckled, adding, “You should have checked the barn.”

“I did find her, sir,” Darcy said, forming his hands into fists.

Mr. Bennet pointed at his hands with his spectacles. “Oh, ho. And she annoyed you?”

“I beg your pardon, but she did,” Darcy confessed. He clenched his jaw. “I found her in Clover’s paddock.”