A Ride with Mr. Darcy Read online

  “I am not,” Elizabeth said stubbornly. “I have rejected him already, why on earth would he subject himself to more disappointment?”

  “Why on earth would he spend all these hours in your company?” Jane rejoined. “You cannot believe it is simply his way of being a friend to Mr. Bingley?”

  “He is a very good friend,” Elizabeth replied weakly, Jane’s logic puncturing Elizabeth’s picture of the situation.

  “Mr. Darcy has come because he is smitten with you,” Jane said steadily. “Anyone can see it, though Mr. Bingley all but confirmed it to me yesterday.”

  “Mr. Bingley said… Mr. Darcy loves me?” Elizabeth asked slowly, trying to take in the new information.

  “Not in so many words,” Jane admitted. “But I know what I see. As often as you have assured me of Mr. Bingley’s regard, I must assure you of Mr. Darcy’s.”

  “But you never rejected Mr. Bingley,” Elizabeth groaned. “You never stepped on his pride! And Mr. Darcy is such a proud man…”

  “You love him,” Jane said firmly. “He loves you. And I suspect that you will both be the better for it. But we shall not have long to wait, for I believe I see them both coming.”

  Elizabeth turned quickly to the window and saw that Jane was correct.

  Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy were riding slowly up the lane, each leading a second horse on a long lead. Elizabeth was surprised to see that Mr. Bennet was also accompanying them, his old mare looking distinctly out-of-place alongside the fine mounts the other two gentlemen rode.

  “What is Papa doing with them?” Jane asked, giving Elizabeth a surprised look.

  “I don’t know, but I believe I shall ask,” Elizabeth said with a smile, standing up and laying her book on the seat.

  Jane stood as well, and both women hurried toward the front door. They paused just long enough to grab their bonnets, and each was tying hers on as they made their way outside.

  “Good morning, Papa,” Elizabeth said, smiling at her father as he dismounted. “I had no idea you had gone out this morning. And with Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy? Whatever for?”

  “Good morning, Lizzy, Jane,” Mr. Bennet put one arm around each of his daughters in greeting, but most suspiciously did not answer Elizabeth’s question. “Is your mother inside?”

  “Yes,” Jane answered. “But why are you with Mr. Bingley?” She tried asking again.

  “I need to ask your mother a question about her sister,” Mr. Bennet said absently, still ignoring the questions of his daughters. “I believe you two have plans this morning? Go on, have a good time. I shall see you when you return.” He kissed them each on the cheek and gave them a small push towards the waiting men and horses.

  Elizabeth turned from her father and began to walk shyly towards Mr. Darcy. After her conversation with Jane, she felt more shy toward him than she ever had before. It was strange how an admission of true affection could cause one to lose the ability to speak.

  Mr. Darcy, for his part, was watching her with captive eyes. While he did not smile, Elizabeth had come to recognize the expression he now wore as one of great contentment. She felt her heart strangely warm at the realization.

  She drew near enough to reach out and touch the brown mare that bore a sidesaddle. She seemed quite calm and kind—she most certainly did not have the spirit of the beautiful Tiberius at Pemberley.

  “What is this?” She asked shyly, smiling at the horse but not looking at Mr. Darcy.

  “We saw my home from horseback,” he answered warmly. “I thought, perhaps, you might want to show us yours in the same manner.”

  Now, Elizabeth did look at him, but only to give him a puzzled smile.

  “You do recall, don’t you, how that particular ride ended? I assure you, I have not forgotten,” she laughed lightly.

  “I do,” Darcy admitted. He smiled at her in a challenging manner. “However, I did not think that you were the type to be so easily frightened away.”

  Elizabeth felt her competitive nature spark within her.

  “In that, you are most correct,” she said, her words full of bite. She grabbed the offered reins. “I would be delighted to show you Longbourn.” It was Darcy’s turn to laugh. She reddened, realising how silly she sounded.

  “I thought, perhaps, a more languid pace would suit us today.” He nodded toward Mr. Bingley and Jane. “I do not think they would much enjoy the sort of ride we had at Pemberley.”

  Elizabeth remembered Jane’s aversion to riding in general, and knew that today’s outing would be taxing at even the most gentle pace for her sister.

  “You are most correct,” Elizabeth said, relaxing. “Anyway, I doubt this girl could do more than a brisk trot.” She rubbed the horse’s head affectionately.

  “Again,” Mr. Darcy said with amusement. “Correct. Bingley’s groom assured us that neither one of these horses is able to be frightened. They are as steady a mount as they come.”

  Elizabeth turned pink once again, this time in belated embarrassment for her previous accident.

  “I would not want you to think that I cannot handle a mount,” Elizabeth said, turning to face Mr. Darcy once more. “For what happened in Derbyshire was nothing more than a freak accident.”

  Mr. Darcy looked startled at the accusation.

  “I cannot imagine someone more able than yourself to handle any mount,” he assured her. He ran a hand through his hair in a nervous fashion. “This is not the way it was supposed to go,” he muttered so quietly Elizabeth was unsure she truly heard him. But when he looked up, his smile was genuine. “Please, let us mount up and begin our ride?”

  Elizabeth smiled and gave a nod of her head.

  A few moments later, she and Jane had both settled onto their mounts and waited for Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy to join them.

  “Are you going to be alright?” Elizabeth asked Jane. “I know you do not care for riding.”

  “I shall be fine,” Jane laughed. “For, until you mentioned it, I had quite forgotten my distaste for the activity. Mr. Bingley has chosen out the sweetest horse I have ever met, and I am certain I am in good hands.”

  Elizabeth gave Jane’s mount a quick glance and knew Mr. Bingley had chosen well. The black and white gelding seemed patient and gentle, and the way he moved told Elizabeth that he liked his rider.

  “I have to admit,” Elizabeth said, as Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy mounted and rode toward them. “This is not the surprise I had anticipated.”

  “Then we have done a good job in hiding our intentions,” Mr. Bingley said with a laugh and a smile. “But we still have the whole afternoon ahead of us. What would you say to starting out?” Mr. Bingley heeled his horse into motion and Jane’s mount began to walk beside his. Mr. Darcy allowed them to have several horse lengths lead before he nudged his horse into motion as well. Elizabeth followed his lead and soon they were leaving Longbourn behind.

  Elizabeth caught snatches of Mr. Bingley and Jane’s conversation and laughs, but mostly she could not hear what they said.

  “Have you ever considered, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said as they began to walk through a lightly wooded area. The sun peaked through the tree branches, creating a semidarkness that shaded Mr. Darcy’s face. “How well suited your friend and my sister are for one another?”

  “I sense they are well-suited in a number of ways,” Mr. Darcy replied lightly. “But I believe you have something particular in mind?”

  “Indeed, I do,” Elizabeth chuckled. “No, today, I am observing that their temperaments in regard to conversation are particularly well matched. For Jane loves nothing more than to listen, and it seems as if Mr. Bingley loves nothing more than to be listened to!” Mr. Darcy laughed.

  “It is true enough,” he said. “Although, I do not want you to think that Bingley is incapable of listening as well.”

  “Not at all,” Elizabeth assured Mr. Darcy. “I have seen him demonstrate his skills with other dominating conversationalists such as my mother.”

  “She is
gifted in that area,” Mr. Darcy said levelly.

  “You are kind to phrase it that way, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth laughed.

  They continued to ride, coming out into the sunshine once again. Up ahead, Elizabeth saw that Mr. Bingley and Jane had stopped by a small creek to allow the horses some water.

  “Shall we water the horses as well?” Elizabeth asked Mr. Darcy. She was surprised that they had stopped so soon, for they had only been riding a quarter of an hour.

  “Let us sit in the shade of that tree,” Mr. Darcy answered, pointing to a solid oak a little ways apart from Mr. Bingley and Jane.

  Elizabeth, suddenly suspecting why Mr. Bingley might require some privacy at the moment, felt her heart start to race on Jane’s behalf. She tried not to stare, but even as her horse followed Mr. Darcy’s, she could not stop her gaze from flitting back towards the other couple every few seconds.

  Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy dismounted and sat in the soft grass beneath the tree, Elizabeth’s eyes still wandering towards Jane every so often. Mr. Darcy said something, but Elizabeth did not hear him, her attention was so focused on her sister.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Darcy,” she said, wrenching her attention back to him. She was being rude and she was determined to fix that. “Would you mind repeating what you said?”

  Mr. Darcy smiled, seemingly not offended by her inattention.

  “I simply asked if you had noticed in what ways we are well suited for each other?” He was leaning back on one elbow, twirling a small white flower between his fingers, pretending he had asked a simple question, instead of one that took Elizabeth’s breath away.

  “We, Mr. Darcy?” She asked, her voice sounding strained. Jane and Mr. Bingley were all but forgotten.

  “Yes,” Mr. Darcy said, clearing his throat and suddenly looking most uncomfortable. He did not look her in the eye as he elaborated. “For we are well-suited for one another. I have noticed many ways: our passions are well matched, we spar intellectually in an exciting but respectful manner, where I am afraid to speak, you are not and where I am prone to misread people, you read them with startling accuracy. Yes, I would say we are well matched.”

  Elizabeth listened to him list off their complementary qualities. The things he said were things that stuck out in her mind as well, and she could not ignore the warmth growing inside her.

  “We both think of the welfare of others, before our own,” Darcy continued quietly. “Which sometimes leads us to forget ourselves.” He sat up and faced her, and she noted how close he was. She felt her breath begin to speed up. “You are kind when I am not. You are complimentary where I can forget to be, but most of all you are courageous. Never once have you sacrificed who you are for the sake of anyone else. For that, I am in awe of you.”

  “Mr. Darcy…” she stammered, unsure what was happening. She sat with her legs folded beneath her, her hands in her lap, not knowing what to say or how to react to the flood of emotions flowing through her. She couldn’t look at him and instead kept her eyes rooted to the grass in front of her. To hear him say such things filled her with joy, but he had not yet said the thing she longed for him to say.

  “Elizabeth,” he said softly. Elizabeth heard the gentleness in his voice, and she felt her heart would break with longing. She slowly brought her eyes up to his face: his handsome, clear, face. His dark brown eyes were pools in which she felt herself drowning, but she was caught and she waited for him to continue speaking, willing him to say the words.

  “Elizabeth, I love you.” She closed her eyes, allowing his words to wash over her. She had not realised how much she wanted to hear him say it until it had been said. Her relief was so great she almost missed what he said next. “I love you most passionately. However, if your feelings remain what they were at Rosings, I will not say another word…”

  Elizabeth placed her fingers gently on his lips, stopping him from speaking. She was shocked with her bold move, but he stopped talking and smiled against her fingers instead.

  “Hush,” she said, her voice husky with emotion. “My feelings have changed since Kent. They are as opposite as it is possible to be. I love you too, most ardently.” She dropped her hand, but he caught it up in his own, his smile no longer trapped by her touch.

  “You will marry me?” He asked, holding her hand tightly.

  Elizabeth smiled, tears of happiness filling her eyes. Her heart felt as if it would burst with joy, and she nodded. Words escaped her, all she could do was nod—yes, she would marry him.

  Chapter 15

  Darcy

  Darcy threw his head back and laughed with a deep sense of joy. She said yes! Filled with the thrill of her acceptance, he quickly kissed her hand. As soon as his lips touched her skin, he felt a jolt go through his body and he forced himself to gently replace her hand in her own lap. It would not do for him to act with anything other than exacting propriety in the moments following such a happy occasion.

  A sudden whoop of laughter from his left told Darcy that Bingley had also been successful in his question. Darcy quickly stood and offered his hand to Elizabeth to help her to her feet as well.

  “Am I to understand that my sister is also engaged at this time?” She asked, a broad smile on her face.

  “I believe that we can safely make that assumption,” Darcy said with a smile.

  He and Elizabeth both looked at Jane and Bingley, and saw that the two of them were already on their feet and walking towards them. Darcy could see a happy grin on Bingley’s face and tears of joy shining on Jane's cheeks. Elizabeth started walking towards her sister, and Darcy quickened his pace to match.

  Upon reaching one another, Jane and Elizabeth threw their arms around each other.

  “Lizzy,” Jane cried, her voice muffled by Elizabeth’s embrace. “Are you engaged?”

  “Oh, Jane,” Elizabeth laughed. “I have the same question for you!”

  Darcy laughed and exchanged a look with Bingley. The other man shared a wide grin and Darcy silently patted his friend on the back in congratulations. They had made the correct decision in asking their brides together, for anyone could see that they were overjoyed for one another.

  “To answer your question, Jane,” Darcy said over the din. “Yes, Elizabeth and I are engaged.”

  “And to answer your question, Elizabeth,” Bingley added. “We too are to be married.”

  The sisters broke apart and began to congratulate the men in turn.

  “I am so glad that you are to marry Elizabeth,” Jane said softly. “For it will take someone of uncommon strength to make my sister happy, and I have the feeling you are up to the task.”

  “I will endeavour to make you proud,” Darcy promised Jane, touched by her good opinion of him. He wondered if he would ever have the courage to ask if Jane had any impact on Elizabeth’s change of heart towards him. Glancing about their party of four, Darcy could hardly imagine a more jovial group.

  “Well, Jane,” Elizabeth said, giving Darcy and Bingley measured glances. “Do you think they planned it this way?”

  “Darcy,” Bingley said in mock disbelief. “Can you imagine us planning this? Why, it would have to have been that we invited Mr. Bennet to breakfast to ask his permission!”

  “And then plan an afternoon’s outing that would allow for certain questions to be asked,” Darcy continued.

  “And to top it all off, having it all occur against the backdrop of the beauty of Hertfordshire! Miss Elizabeth, you give us too much credit to think that we could have arranged it all.” He bowed deeply to his future sister. Elizabeth and Jane laughed.

  “Well, we cannot give you credit for the scenery, that I will grant you,” she said, giving Darcy a glance that warmed his heart. He hardly knew what to do with the emotions that flooded his veins.

  “Shall we continue our ride?” He asked, needing some activity. “Bingley and I discussed visiting Meryton to perhaps purchase a gift to mark this auspicious occasion?”

  Elizabeth smiled at him. “I do not
think I shall ever need anything to remind me of this occasion,” she said softly.

  She moved closer towards him, so only a few inches separated them. The wind rose and blew her scent into his nose, an intoxicating mixture of rosewater, the fresh wind, and her own smell. He breathed it in deeply.

  “Actually,” he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I have something chosen out. I would be most grateful if you would give me your opinion.”

  “Very well,” she whispered back, sliding away from him. She turned and smiled at him again before running back toward the horses.

  Watching her fly across the grass, Darcy could hardly believe his luck. Though the details had not yet been settled upon, one truth stood above all: in a very short time, Elizabeth would be his wife! He let the joy of that knowledge fill him as he followed her back to the horses.

  Three quarters of an hour later, the two blissfully happy couples rode into Meryton. Darcy called for them to halt just outside the town’s only bookshop. Helping Elizabeth down from her mount, he saw her examining the outside of the shop with familiarity.

  “You bought me a book?” She asked, delight in her voice.

  “You’ll see,” he said, holding the door open for her, Bingley, and Jane.

  “Jane, you see how he teases me,” Elizabeth said to her sister. “Here we are in the bookshop and all he can say is ‘you’ll see’?”

  “Oh yes, Lizzy, how terribly cruel of him to not immediately satiate your burning curiosity,” Jane said with a laugh. “Mr. Darcy, I fear a quality you will have to learn to live with is my sister’s great impatience.”

  “Such a sister you are!” Elizabeth said, laughing. “Giving away my secrets! What things I could tell Mr. Bingley!”

  “Oh, but you must be mistaken, Miss Elizabeth, for I do not believe there is a single quality that I would not find absolutely wonderful about Jane,” Bingley said.

  Darcy bit back a laugh at this statement. For as much as he believed that Jane was a fine woman, she could hardly be perfect. But Jane herself stepped in to clear up this note for Bingley.