In the Wilds of Derbyshire Read online

  When they were both standing on the ground, he offered her his arm and stepped forward, intending to go around the house to the drive at the front. Before they could reach that objective, however, Mr. Drummond emerged from that direction and hurried around the corner, concern evident in the way he searched Elizabeth’s eyes.

  “Elizabeth!” exclaimed he. “We were beginning to become worried for you.”

  “I have much to tell you, Uncle.”

  “I believe it would be best if I was to make this communication, Miss Bennet,” interjected Darcy. “Will you allow me the honor of speaking for you in this matter?”

  With slow deliberation Miss Bennet nodded, and he knew that she had quickly understood his meaning. Though he knew he could not claim to be her protector until they married, in allowing her to speak for him, she was allowing him to make a statement of intent. Darcy did not think that Mr. Drummond missed the inference, given the searching looks he was directing at both of them.

  “You were both riding on Mr. Darcy’s horse,” said he. It was a statement of fact, and contained no overtones of accusation, though Darcy detected substantial curiosity.

  “That is, in part, why I need to speak to you, sir. There are reasons why I felt it necessary to travel in such a way. We encountered no one on our journey, so there should be no repercussions.”

  Not that the thought of being forced to marry Miss Bennet much sooner would be onerous to me!

  “Then let us retire to my study,” said Mr. Drummond.

  They made their way inside the house, Darcy declining an offer to stable his mount, preferring instead to tie him up for what he intended to be an imminent departure. Miss Bennet took her leave of him, retreating to her room, while Darcy followed Mr. Drummond to his library.

  “Has your daughter returned yet?” asked Darcy as they entered the room.

  “We received a message not long ago that your sister had invited her to stay the night at Pemberley. It was the lack of any mention of Elizabeth that concerned me. I cannot imagine how she came to be with you, on horse, of all things, rather than at Pemberley with her cousin.”

  “I could not have imagined it myself, Mr. Drummond,” said Darcy, the memory of the rage he had felt when he had found her once again welling up in his breast. There was no reason, however, to surrender to such passions, and every reason to stay calm, not the least of which was the need to prevent Mr. Drummond from jumping up and riding to Teasdale Manor to confront Lady Emily himself.

  Thus, Darcy related what had happened that afternoon, describing in full what Miss Bennet had told him regarding Lady Emily’s actions, how she had come to be in the lady’s carriage in the first place, and how he had found her and returned her home. He kept any mention of an engagement to himself for the moment, knowing there would be ample time after the fact to acquaint the man with the new state of affairs. By the time he had finished, Mr. Drummond’s ire had matched that which Darcy had felt when he had first found Miss Bennet on the side of that road.

  “What could she have been thinking?” demanded Drummond after Darcy had finished his explanation. The man jumped to his feet and began pacing, his agitation visible in his curt hand gestures and quick pace. “How could I have faced Elizabeth’s father had some harm befallen her?”

  “I hardly think Mr. Bennet would have held you responsible, Mr. Drummond. But it is fortunate I happened along and no damage has been done.”

  “No damage has been done, but there must be a response to this. I care not if Lady Emily were the queen herself—this betrayal is beyond comprehension!”

  “I do not disagree,” replied Darcy, thinking this was an excellent opportunity to move to the other topic of his interest. “But I would ask you to cede the right of response to me.”

  That stopped Drummond up short, and he turned to peer at Darcy. “Why would I do so? I am her guardian while she is in Derbyshire. Despite how grateful I am you intervened, the right of response is mine.”

  “Because there has been a development of which you are not aware.”

  “There has?” asked Drummond in a tone which suggested that Darcy had best explain himself.”

  “Yes, sir. You see, I had spoken with Miss Bennet during our outing today, asking to be allowed to call on her.”

  “You have been calling on her for weeks.”

  “I have. But today I wished to call for a specific purpose.”

  Drummond released a bark of laughter. “So, having her alone for ten miles on your horse, you took the opportunity which presented itself.”

  “You have the right of it, sir.”

  “And now you wish for my approval?”

  “I do. As you stated, I have been calling on your niece for some time, and I have developed an affection for her which cannot be denied. Today, she confirmed the strength of her returning feelings by accepting my offer of marriage. I request that you give her consent in her father’s stead until I am able to journey thither to ask for his permission in person.”

  “An engagement? I had thought it likely you would ask for a formal courtship.”

  “That was my first thought, sir. But as we were riding and speaking together, I realized that a courtship is not required. It is nothing more than an opportunity to come to know a woman better, to determine if she is compatible, and allow her the same opportunity. In my situation, I have always wished to find a true meeting of minds and hearts, and I have no doubt that I have found that with Miss Bennet. She is kind, thoughtful, intelligent, happy, loves life, she loves my sister, and will be a wonderful mistress of Pemberley. I do not need the additional period of a courtship to know my feelings. I know them now.”

  By the time Darcy finished speaking, Drummond was favoring him with a true smile of delight. He approached Darcy, his hand extended, which Darcy took gratefully. “I cannot tell you how pleased I am. I was hoping Lizzy would find a man to love her while she was here, as I consider her to be a jewel of the first order. But I never would have imagined it would be you.”

  “I cannot but agree with you, sir,” said Darcy. “She is a jewel, and I will do my utmost to ensure she is happy all the days of her life.”

  “I know you will.” Drummond sat behind his desk and frowned. “But I am not certain that I agree with your request to leave the response in your hands. Yes, you are engaged, dependent on my brother Bennet’s consent, but I am still her guardian while she is here. I believe I should take an active hand in the coming unpleasantness.”

  “I understand your feelings, sir, and will not gainsay you if you decide to join me at Teasdale Manor. But I will still advise you to allow me to take the first steps. I believe that Lady Emily’s actions were the result of a sudden anger and, moreover, that they were as much directed at me as at Miss Bennet. The earl will not be pleased and am certain he will insist she come to Kingsdown and deliver an apology in person.”

  Drummond paused to think, and when he spoke his words were slow and hesitant. “Though every feeling revolts against it, perhaps you are correct. There is nothing I would like better than to storm the walls of Teasdale Manor and demand satisfaction, but it would be better if this matter were not known to society in general. And as I have little reason to visit the earl . . . .”

  “Exactly.”

  “And may I suppose that you will not be announcing your engagement at present?”

  “Your niece does not wish it,” replied Darcy, feeling a little rueful at his agreement to conceal their understanding. “As her father is more than two days distant and she will return home at the end of summer, she prefers that I travel to Hertfordshire then and approach him, at which time the engagement may be announced.”

  “Though I am certain you would wish to proclaim it from the rooftops long before then,” replied Drummond with a laugh.

  “I will not say you do not have the right of it,” replied Darcy. “I understand she also wishes to keep it from her sister when she comes.”

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p; Drummond sobered immediately. “I am not surprised. The girl I knew would be nothing more than happy for a most beloved sister, but given what Elizabeth and her father have told me of Jane’s behavior, I am not certain what to think. If she has become proud because of her marriage, it may be that she will wish to restore her relationship with her sister due to Elizabeth’s rise in status upon becoming your wife.”

  The same though had occurred to Darcy, and he was hard-pressed to refrain from reacting with disdain. “I will, of course, never prevent Miss Bennet from maintaining any relationships she wishes. But if that be the case, I do not think she will wish to keep up the connection—at least not a close connection like that they previously shared.”

  “I agree,” replied Drummond. “Will that affect your friendship with Mr. Bingley?”

  “I do not know,” replied Darcy. “I cannot imagine Bingley would appreciate his wife’s behavior any more than Miss Bennet does. He is about the least pretentious man I have ever met. I suspect he is as baffled by his wife’s behavior as Miss Bennet is.”

  “Very well,” said Drummond, rising and extending his hand. “I will wait to hear the results of your conversation with Lady Emily. Please do not leave me in suspense.”

  “I will not,” replied Darcy, gripping the other man’s hand in his own. “Tomorrow, I will return Miss Drummond to your house, and I believe my sister and cousin will accompany me for a visit. We can speak at that time.”

  “Then you had best be on your way if you wish to confront Lady Emily today.”

  Darcy was, indeed, on his way soon after, and as Pemberley was not far out of his way to Teasdale Manor, he decided to stop there and change from his dusty clothes first before proceeding to the coming confrontation. He quickly confirmed that Miss Drummond was present and, as subtly as he could, pulled the story of Miss Bennet’s departure from the Darcy carriage early that afternoon from his sister. Fortunately, neither young lady seemed to have any suspicion of the reason for his questions.

  “I assume Lizzy returned to Kingsdown?” asked his sister after she told him what had happened.

  “Yes, she did,” replied Darcy. “I saw her earlier.”

  “It is unfortunate that she was invited by Lady Emily to ride with her. I had intended to invite her along with Olivia to stay.”

  Darcy smiled at this evidence of his sister’s approval, though she did not yet know of his proposal. He would inform her later and allow Miss Drummond to be informed by Miss Bennet herself.

  “I am certain she would have accepted with pleasure. But she is at Kingsdown now, and I think it is best that she stays there tonight. There will be other opportunities for her to stay with us.”

  A lifetime¸ said Darcy in the confines of his own mind.

  Soon he excused himself, saying he had a matter of business, leaving the two young ladies behind. But he was not able to make his escape without first coming across his cousin. Fitzwilliam, who had been able to read his moods since they were children, was not long in realizing that Darcy was out of sorts.

  “What is wrong?” demanded Darcy, the anger at the way his fiancée was most infamously treated bubbling up from where he had kept it locked up. “I shall tell you.” He leaned in close, mindful of any servants nearby, and said: “After we left this morning, Lady Emily invited Miss Bennet to ride with her in her carriage, and she left Miss Bennet by the side of the road to make her own way home.”

  “What?” There was no mistaking Fitzwilliam’s surprise or his quickly rising ire. “Are you certain?”

  “Of course, I am certain,” replied Darcy. He beckoned Fitzwilliam to follow him and began to walk down the corridor toward the entrance. “If you recall, you and I parted when we came to Lambton. I had a small matter of business to attend to, after which I returned along that same road to visit with one of my tenants, when I came upon Miss Bennet quite alone. You can imagine my surprise. She informed me of what had happened, though she was more than a little reluctant. I do not know what prompted it, but Lady Emily became angry at something Miss Bennet said and stopped the coach, forcing her to disembark, and then driving off, leaving her behind.”

  “So, you intend to go to Teasdale Manor?” guessed Fitzwilliam. It was one of the things Darcy liked most about his cousin—Fitzwilliam was not prone to obvious exclamations or drawn out clarifications. He moved to the crux of the matter with the unerring aim of an arrow pointed at the center of a target.

  “This cannot go unanswered,” replied Darcy. “If the earl does not know, I will inform him of what has happened.”

  “I agree. I am astonished, Darcy. I could not have imagined her capable of this.”

  Darcy stopped abruptly and turned to his cousin. “Miss Bennet has informed me of Lady Emily’s behavior of late, and she’s of the opinion that the lady is not a friend of my attentions to her.”

  “She is a discerning lady,” replied Fitzwilliam. “In fact, I am surprised that you did not recognize it yourself, given how adept you are at avoiding such women. I, myself have had to interfere with her machinations, as I knew you were not cognizant of them.”

  Darcy felt as if his head had been encased in stone these last weeks. It seemed he had been blind on many occasions.

  “Do not distress yourself, Darcy. She has been very subtle in her actions. Your attention was fixed on your young lady, as it ought to be.”

  “I should have seen it,” said Darcy, disgusted with himself for his lack of comprehension. “Had I recognized it, I might have informed her of my feelings and avoided this situation altogether.” Darcy shook his head. “When I think of what might have happened . . . .”

  “Nothing happened and Miss Bennet is well.” Fitzwilliam turned a shrewd eye on his cousin. “And, I suspect, you are further along on your road of courtship than you were previously.”

  His mind was so full of righteous indignation that Darcy had no time to be embarrassed by his cousin’s teasing. “You would be correct. I have asked for, and received, Miss Bennet’s hand in marriage. You see before you an engaged man.”

  “Excellent!” Fitzwilliam beamed and slapped Darcy on the back. “I am happy for you, Darcy. I knew you had an interest in her, but I thought it would take you longer to come to the point.”

  “It almost did,” replied Darcy. They reached the entrance and stepped through into the mid-afternoon sunlight. “I will tell you as we ride.”

  Darcy’s horse was already waiting for him, and it was only the work of a moment to have Fitzwilliam’s brought out. Soon they were mounted, cantering toward Teasdale Manor. For all his qualities as a campaigner and his growing expertise as a land owner, Fitzwilliam was one of the worst gossips Darcy had ever met. He promised to keep the news of Darcy’s engagement in confidence, but he was thorough in extracting every piece of information from Darcy concerning what had happened, the proposal, and the discussion with Mr. Drummond after. He was only content as Teasdale Manor rose before them in the distance.

  It seemed, however, that there was already some uproar in the house. The earl’s voice, usually so moderate and kind, was raised such that they could hear him as soon as the butler opened the door. They asked to see the master of the house, and contrary to what Darcy might have expected, they were admitted immediately. The earl’s voice became louder, the closer they came to the sitting-room, and it was clear that he was not happy about something. Darcy hoped that his ire was raised toward his daughter, though he soon felt shamed by such an uncharitable thought, regardless of how deserved it might be.

  “Mr. Darcy,” said the butler as he led them to the earl, “might I assume your presence means the young miss has been recovered?”

  “Yes, she has,” replied Darcy, not surprised he had knowledge of the matter. “She was returned to her uncle’s home more than an hour ago.”

  “Very good, sir.”

  When they entered the room, they were greeted by the sight of the earl standing, his face red with anger, while Lady
Emily sat in a chair, clearly the target of her father’s ire. The lady’s countenance was distressed, though Darcy was not certain if that was due to remorse or simply her father’s censure. When they were announced, the earl stopped his pacing and drew himself up to his full height, greeting them in a perfunctory manner.

  “Darcy, Fitzwilliam,” said he. “I suppose I should not be surprised to see you here, though I will own I had expected to receive Mr. Drummond.”

  “I have come from Kingsdown myself, your lordship,” replied Darcy. “We decided that it would be best if Mr. Drummond did not visit you, though he sorely wished to do so.”

  The earl grunted. “I must thank him for that. The events of the day would not reflect well on my daughter, were they ever to become known to the neighborhood.”

  Lady Emily had the grace to blush at his words. Darcy, who had been watching her, was loath to give the woman any credit, but was able to acknowledge that she at least appeared to regret her actions.

  “So, you are aware of what occurred today?” asked Darcy, wishing to come directly to the point and then leave.

  “I am,” replied the earl, “though I will own to some surprise that you are aware.”

  “I came across Miss Bennet as she was walking along that road toward Lambton,” replied Darcy.

  “There is the answer to your riddle, Emily,” said the earl. “By the time you returned to look for her, Miss Bennet had already been rescued.”

  Lady Emily appeared relieved, but there was a tightness around her eyes which suggested displeasure. Though Darcy thought to call her on it, Fitzwilliam, apparently seeing the same thing, spoke first, likely to prevent any unpleasantness.

  “You returned to look for her?”

  “She realized what a foolish thing she had done,” replied the earl for his daughter, prompting an annoyed glance from Lady Emily. “But when she returned, Miss Bennet was nowhere to be found. Though she has an imprecise notion of how long Miss Bennet was left alone, my driver suggests that it was at least twenty minutes, perhaps thirty. When Miss Bennet could not be found, Emily returned here and informed me of the matter, and I mounted a search with every man I could find. I was just about to join them myself.”