A Ride with Mr. Darcy Page 2

  “This is Tiberius,” he said, pulling an apple from a barrel near the stall. He swiftly cut it in half and gave the golden horse a piece. The horse ate it delightedly and bumped his head against his shoulder. “He’s six years old, fourteen hands, and quite mischievous.”

  “He is beautiful,” Elizabeth said, offering an apple. “And he does have that glint in his eye, the one that says ‘I am smarter than you.’” She laughed.

  “He does,” Darcy agreed. “And, in many cases, he is most correct. I am not sure I have met a more intelligent creature.” He patted the horse fondly. “But he is kinder and more gentle than you would think. Now this one,” he turned to a dark horse in the next stall. “This is Persephone. She is just as intelligent as her brother, but shares none of his gentleness. In fact, I allow none but the head groom and myself to ride her. But she moves like the wind.”

  Despite the ill-nature of the dark mare, she was by far Darcy’s favourite mount. She presented a challenge, to be sure, but the payoff was remarkable.

  “They are both wonderful,” Elizabeth agreed, watching Persephone out of the corner of her eye. “But I am afraid I must find my aunt and uncle. It is on their request that we came today.” She blushed again. “Not that I did not want to come. But their interest was…” She paused her speech but continued to pet Tiberius. “My aunt grew up in the village. She wished to see how the grounds had changed in the years since leaving for London.”

  Darcy nodded, hiding his disappointment. He had not realised that he hoped Elizabeth had come to see his under her own curiosity until she had denied that reality. But he noticed that he was very glad she was here now.

  All of the anger of the last weeks had fled as soon as he had locked eyes upon her. He did not understand this development. In his mind, it would have made far more sense to become enraged upon seeing her. But no, he was instead filled with an intense desire to impress her. Not with the grandeur and wealth of his house, Darcy knew her well enough to realise she would not be impressed by such things, but with himself. She had yet to see who he truly was, and this was an unexpected opportunity.

  “I hope the grounds have met her approval,” he replied, wiping the apple juice and horse saliva onto the back of his breeches. “May I offer to accompany you on your search?”

  Elizabeth glanced at him, her eyes moving up and down, and Darcy could see a spark of amusement in her eye. Belatedly, he realised that his dress was not conducive to public consumption. He blushed deeply. However, his pride kept him from rescinding his offer.

  “Are you certain?” She asked, amusement in her voice as well.

  “Quite,” he said stiffly, fighting down the urge to accept the escape her words offered.

  “Then I gladly accept,” she said, a smile playing over her lips.

  Darcy smiled back, but he knew it did not reach his eyes. He bowed and motioned for Elizabeth to move towards the door and to the outside.

  In silence, they moved through the open field that surrounded the stables and began to climb the hill towards the garden once more. Darcy, once again, found himself feeling quite foolish and at a loss for words. Elizabeth, it seemed, was not content with allowing the silence to stand.

  “Is it usual for the gentleman of the house to spend his time mucking out the stables?” She asked in mock curiosity.

  Darcy felt a mild annoyance rise within him. She knew perfectly well that his behaviour was abnormal and he bit back a sharp reply. He knew she expected rudeness from him, but this was his chance to show her that he knew how to react well amid an embarrassing situation.

  “It is not unusual for this gentleman,” he said evenly, and she nodded politely in response. Emboldened, Darcy decided to share a bit more. “It is a long-standing habit,” he explained. “I find that the labour helps clear the mind far more efficiently than the sort of work that typically envelopes my days.”

  Darcy turned his head and found that she was watching him. He gave her a genuine smile. “Correspondence, figures, books, business meetings—they are poor solutions when one has too much going on in his mind.”

  “I suppose that makes sense,” Elizabeth agreed. “I believe I have much the same habit, except I take a strenuous walk. I doubt my mother would be pleased to find me in the stable.”

  “No, I expect she would find that quite disturbing,” he agreed. They continued to walk, their effort increasing as they walk up the steep rise.

  “And what has your mind so occupied that the stables are required?” She asked curiously.

  The question took him by surprise and he did not know how to answer. In truth, the answer was Elizabeth herself. But he felt too awkward and embarrassed to be so honest. The situation of the day was uncomfortable enough as it was without adding yet another layer. And he did not wish to make Elizabeth uncomfortable—he suspected she knew the reasons for his displeasure with life, and the true answer would come to her as soon as she took the time to think it over. No, instead he decided to give a vague response.

  “Nothing of too much importance,” he replied after giving her question as much space and silence as was possible. Glancing up, he saw a man and woman standing at the iron gate of the garden. “Is that your aunt and uncle there by the gate?”

  Even if it was not, he was grateful for the distraction. Elizabeth looked up and smiled.

  “Yes, it is,” she said, increasing her pace. They reached the top of the hill and drew near the gate, Elizabeth giving a small wave to her relatives.

  “Lizzy!” The man called, waving back. “There you are, we were beginning to worry.” He cast a questioning glance at Darcy.

  “Yes, I do apologise, uncle,” Elizabeth said, stopping before the closed gate. “I’m afraid my curiosity got the better of me and I ventured away from the gardens. I found my way to the stables where I met Mr. Darcy.”

  Darcy pretended not to notice the woman’s mouth drop open and her disbelieving gaze as her eyes raked over his appearance. He desperately hoped they would not be offended by his clothing.

  “Indeed,” Elizabeth said, not quite concealing a laugh. “Aunt, Uncle, may I present Mr. Darcy? Mr. Darcy, this is my Aunt and Uncle Gardiner of Gracechurch Street in London.”

  Darcy bowed stiffly, feeling foolish once more. His annoyance was growing. He hated looking foolish and he could not help but think that the situation was forcing him into a ridiculous picture.

  “What an honour, Mr. Darcy,” Mrs. Gardiner said, and Darcy could not miss the kindness in her voice. It began to sooth the anger that had rekindled. “We cannot thank you enough for allowing us to spend this wonderful day enjoying your home. It has been marvellous!”

  “It is my pleasure, Mrs. Gardiner,” he tried to inject the same kindness into his voice, but was not sure he succeeded. “It is a joy that others can enjoy the majesty of Pemberley.” He could hear that his voice was flat: he did not think it sounded angry, but he was equally certain he did not sound warm or kind.

  It was clear that no one knew what else to say. The silence began to stretch out until it made Darcy quite as uncomfortable as his attire. This was his home and he was the host, and he knew he must say something. Grasping onto the grounds of Pemberley, he began to speak again of his home.

  “Yes, Pemberley can only be truly appreciated when one leaves the gardens,” he said. “The wilds of the moors are truly breathtaking. One has not truly seen Pemberley until one sees it from horseback.” A sudden idea seized him and he blurted it out before he could stop himself. “In fact, I would be pleased to take you all riding so you could truly see what I am talking about.”

  The startled looks on their faces told Darcy that his offer was quite unexpected. He felt embarrassment begin to rise once more. He felt like burying his face in his hands to hide. He was certain the last hour had held more humiliation than he had ever experienced in his life. Elizabeth, for some reason, made him lose all sense of propriety and self-protection. And now he stood waiting for an answer to his ridiculous invitatio
n. He had no idea what answer he truly wanted to hear.

  Chapter 3

  Elizabeth

  Elizabeth was shocked to hear Darcy’s invitation. In fact, his entire behaviour since she had found him in the stables had been mystifying.

  Several times over their time together, she had inadvertently teased the man—it was difficult to control her tongue sometimes and she often regretted her words later. Each time, she had silently berated herself and waited for his rude or angry response, or for him to throw her out of his property.

  And yet, each time, he might have blushed deeper, but he had not been rude or unkind. Indeed, to her embarrassment, she realised he had behaved far better than she.

  Now, here he was, behaving quite to the contrary of what she might have expected. Instead of behaving extra-imperiously to make up for his clothing, he was inviting them to see more of his home. His unexpected behaviour was confusing for her and, despite her desire to see more of Pemberley and to ride one of his wonderful horses, she hoped her aunt and uncle would decline the invitation.

  Aunt and Uncle Gardiner had not yet said anything, and Elizabeth gave them a forceful, wide-eyed look. She resisted the temptation to shake her head—there was no need for Mr. Darcy to know she did not wish to go. But to her horror, she realised that both her aunt and uncle looked delighted at the invitation and before either of them had even looked at her, Uncle Gardiner was responding.

  “We’d be delighted, sir,” he said jovially.

  Mr. Darcy smiled widely in response and he looked genuinely happy they had accepted.

  “Uncle,” Elizabeth said, unable to control herself. “Are you certain we have the time, I thought that Aunt Gardiner wished to spend time in the village and we are leaving tomorrow.”

  “Why, Lizzy,” her uncle laughed. “I had no idea you were so keen to stick to a schedule. No, no, I have no objections to delaying our departure by a day or two. Not for a kind opportunity such as this. Surely you have no objections?”

  Elizabeth looked nervously between her aunt and uncle. Her uncle seemed not to realise that she was hesitant. Her aunt, however, seemed to notice that there was some distress in her eyes. But Elizabeth knew that there was no time to explain, and her aunt would not ask.

  “Of course I have no objections,” she said hurriedly. “I simply did not wish to inconvenience anyone.”

  She held her breath, waiting to see if her explanation was accepted. She kept a particular eye upon Mr. Darcy. She had no wish to hurt his feelings, especially not after his kind invitation. Mr. Darcy’s face did not change, and it seemed that he did not notice her attempt to wriggle out of the invitation. Quite to the contrary, his face broke into a wide smile.

  “Excellent,” he said, his delight sounding quite genuine. “There is still plenty of daylight, we could go now. And I would be honoured if you would join me afterwards for dinner. If that is convenient?”

  Elizabeth felt panic rising once more: riding and dinner? What was happening? However, her aunt and uncle continued to look pleased and excited.

  “This afternoon is quite convenient,” Mrs. Gardiner said. “However, we will have to decline dinner this evening as we already have plans with a friend from my childhood.”

  “Ah,” Mr. Darcy said, looking slightly disappointed at the declined meal invitation. “Dinner shall have to wait for another time then. However, if you shall follow me to the stables, we will begin our ride.”

  Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief—she had forgotten they had dinner plans. She could not remember the name of Mrs. Gardiner’s friend, only that she was the wife of the local vicar. Before this moment, she had not been eager to spend the evening with people she did not know. But now she was quite excited to meet the woman.

  They began to walk towards the stables, and Mr. Darcy continued to speak with Aunt Gardiner.

  “Miss Elizabeth had mentioned you grew up in Lambton,” he said with a smile.

  Elizabeth did not pay attention to her aunt’s response, choosing instead to walk behind the three others. The thoughts that had plagued her in the garden where surfacing once more. This time, however, she had more information with which to ponder.

  The visit to Pemberley had brought up so much: The selfish part of her examined the house and grounds with a measure of regret. She might have been the mistress of this gorgeous place. That thought had led her to the man and his proposal, to her refusal, and what had happened after.

  She still did not know how to feel about what Mr. Darcy had told her about Wickham. Before, she had been thoroughly convinced that Wickham had been treated in a most villainous manner. Elizabeth had easily believed that the arrogant Mr. Darcy had ruined the charming Mr. Wickham’s future. Mr. Darcy’s explanation of the situation was almost unbelievable. Indeed, she hardly wished to believe that Wickham could be capable of the cruelty Mr. Darcy laid at his feet.

  And yet, she had begun to believe the story of Wickham’s trifling with Mr. Darcy’s sister, Georgiana. For no man as proud and arrogant as Mr. Darcy would admit to such a story if it had not been true.

  But even though Elizabeth believed Mr. Darcy’s story, and her opinion of Mr. Wickham was forever changed, her feelings about Mr. Darcy and towards him remained resolutely unchanged. Her accusations against him in regards to Wickham might have proved to be false, but his involvement in Jane’s unhappiness was much more difficult to forgive. In that, she thought, his arrogance still showed strong.

  Her confusion now, as they walked back down the hill, came at the picture Mr. Darcy presented today. He showed no arrogance today, indeed he showed a distinct inclination towards equality and hospitality. He knew her aunt and uncle were not of the same social class as he, yet his treatment and behaviour toward them was as if they were long-time friends. She knew he must feel foolish for his attire, yet he had not allowed it to show.

  At that moment, Elizabeth realised that Mr. Darcy was addressing his clothing.

  “Yes, I do apologise for my appearance,” he said to Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. “I was working in the stables when Miss Elizabeth surprised me. When she mentioned her relatives were here as well, I was eager to make your acquaintance and completely forgot my appearance.”

  “Not at all, Mr. Darcy,” Mrs. Gardiner said with a laugh. “‘Tis merely a mark of a man who cares deeply for his home.”

  Elizabeth had been certain her aunt and uncle would think this way—they were kind people for whom social niceties only mattered in certain situations, and they both had excellent instincts to know when it mattered.

  “I am glad,” Mr. Darcy replied, glancing over his shoulder at Elizabeth. “For I have no wish to offend Miss Elizabeth in any way.”

  Elizabeth blushed at his words—what did that mean? She wished they were at the stables. She might not have been looking forward to their ride, but she was eager for the distraction the horses would provide. She resolutely stared ahead and did not allow herself to think of Mr. Darcy again until they walked into the shade of the stables.

  A stableboy hurried to them and waited for instructions.

  “My guests and I are going riding,” Mr. Darcy announced. “Please saddle Persephone for myself, Tiberius for Miss Elizabeth, and two others for Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner.”

  The stableboy began to move off, but Mr. Darcy called him back. “Also, please send word to the house for a change of clothes.” He looked apologetically at Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. “I apologise for not seeing to this sooner.” He held his arms away from his body. “This is not quite the impression one wants to give of Pemberley House.”

  Elizabeth smiled at the joke and heard her aunt and uncle chuckle as well. “On the contrary, Mr. Darcy,” Aunt Gardiner said. “How could one possibly think poorly of a house whose master loves and cares for it so?”

  “You are quite kind,” Mr. Darcy said with a bow. Elizabeth heard him say something else, but she found herself distracted by the groom leading the golden horse from his stall.

  “I assumed that y
ou might have wanted an opportunity to ride him,” Mr. Darcy said, following Elizabeth’s gaze. “He is gentle enough for most riders. You will have to pay attention to him, but he likes you well enough to want to please you.” He smiled at Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, “I keep calm horses in general.”

  “No need to worry, Mr. Darcy,” Mr. Gardiner said with a laugh. “We may live in the city now, but we were both raised in the country. My wife, in fact, is an excellent rider.” Mrs. Gardiner blushed at the compliment.

  “We thank you for your considerations, Mr. Darcy,” she said. “But I can see from here that all of your mounts will be a delight to ride.”

  The stableboy was approaching again, guiding a piebald mare and a brown gelding for Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner.

  “Excuse me, sir, ma’am,” the stableboy said politely. “If you will follow me into the yard, I will assist you in mounting up.”

  Elizabeth smiled at the effort such a speech cost the boy. He looked terrified he might do or say the wrong thing next. But Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner only followed him out the door, leaving Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth to wait for their mounts. They only had to wait a few seconds before the dark and golden horses came dancing forward. Tiberius, seeing Elizabeth once more, affectionately pushed his head against her shoulder.

  “He likes you very much,” Mr. Darcy said with a wide grin.

  “He is a handsome lad,” she replied. “I’m sure he has many admirers among your friends and visitors.”

  “He surely does,” Mr. Darcy agreed. “But he does not share their affections. He is always nice, but never so evidently pleased to see someone.” Elizabeth ran her hand over the golden flanks, feeling quite satisfied that she had made such a quick friend.

  “Please excuse me, Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Darcy said, glancing towards the house. “If you will join your aunt and uncle in the yard, I will be with you in a moment, just as soon as I have dressed.”

  “Of course, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth answered, giving a slight curtsey.