Page 17 of Searching for Elizabeth
Darcy was used to not explaining himself, but he did notice some curious looks from people. He decided that the next round of purchases should be made by Smithson; wealthy gentlemen often purchased clothing, jewelry, and in his case books, but they most decidedly did not purchase groceries and household goods.
He encountered Lady Lucas at the butcher’s shop, and she gave him a most inquisitive look. Stammering, he mentioned that there was a Netherfield Park tenant in need.
She gushed, “Oh, that is very good of you, sir, especially since you have not purchased or even leased the estate.”
Darcy knew that Lady Lucas had a reputation as a gossip, and he hoped that she would spread the story that he was helping a tenant. Which, he supposed, he would now have to do. He sighed and bought twice as much bacon as he had originally meant to purchase.
On the way back to Netherfield, Darcy made a quick delivery of some bacon to the smallest farm he had seen while riding the estate; at the manor, he asked Smithson to discreetly unload the other purchases.The food, candles, coals, axe, and tarp were all packed into a large bag that could be carried on one’s shoulders, and the other purchases were stored in Darcy’s dressing room.
Darcy set off for the cottage on horseback, but heworriedit would be noticeable if he left his horse in the same place every day.Insteadhe rode to a meadow farther from Longbournhouse, tied off his mount, and looked around carefully for the landmarks that would help him findthemeadow again.
He worried that it would be challenging to find the cottage from a different direction, but he remembered a particular Scots pine tree, and, oriented on that tree, he quickly discovered Blackthorn Cottage. There was only a whisper of smoke rising from the chimney, and the house was quiet; he hoped Elizabeth would be inside. He knocked and almost immediately was admitted.
Both Mary and Elizabeth stood there grinning at him. “I thought you would come this morning!” Elizabeth said.
At the same time, Mary said, “I hoped you would arrive before I left, Mr. Darcy.”
“Good morning, ladies,” Darcy said. He bowed deeply over Elizabeth’s hand, and then he bowed to Mary as well.
As he swung the bag off of his shoulders, Elizabeth asked, “What have you brought me today?”
Her enthusiasm was so artless, Darcy laughed with joy. He unpacked everything, making a quick explanation of the axe and tarp, and Elizabeth flung her arms around him for a quick hug.
His body responded to her friendly gesture as if they were alone in the marriage bed. Just as he had the night before, Darcy blushed and shifted, angling his hips away from Elizabeth’s bodyandsight. He gave Elizabeth’s shoulders a squeeze and then quickly released them, and he made sure that his smile did not slip.
“I will go chop some wood, Miss Elizabeth. I promise to be right back.” He took off his morning coat and, as he walked to the large fallen branch he’d spotted near the cottage, he rolledup his sleeves. He made short work of chopping the branch up, stacking the firewood on top of the pile, and covering the pile with the heavy, waterproof tarp.
Darcy returned to the cottage, wipingthe sweat from his forehead with one forearm before washing his hands. Turning back to the ladies, he saw that Mary was blushing and Elizabeth was working to contain laughter. He smiled, ready to join in with the joke, whatever it was. “Did I miss a joke?” he asked. A bit of laughter escaped his beloved’s mouth, and Darcy treasured the sound. “AmIthe joke?” he asked further.
“You arenotthe joke, Mr. Darcy.” Her voice was like a soothing assurance, but it changed to a delightful teasing lilt as she continued: “You are the show.”
“Oh!” Mary gulped out, blushing even more.
The younger woman looked mortified, and Darcy regarded her with kind sympathy as he guessed that she had been staring at his current informal state of dress. He quickly pushed down his sleeves again and thrust his arms into his coat. “Better?” he asked.
“Well,” Elizabeth drawled, “you are every bit as handsome fully dressed, but I am not sure I do not prefer the sweat and mess.”
Darcy laughed again in delight. He remembered thinking weeks ago that Elizabeth’s arch speeches and penchant for stating opinions other than her own were a subtle form of flirting, but she was now blatantly flirting, and he absolutely loved it. He noticed thatElizabethwas now blushing at her own boldness, and he deliberately walked close to her as he crossed to the little table, whispering, “Indeed, Elizabeth, I quite agree that dishevelment can be enchanting.”
Seeing that a third chair had been moved to the table, and that three plates and a small array of foods were set out, he said to both of the ladies, “Are we going to eat our luncheon now?"
It was not long before the three were comfortably chatting and eating, and Darcy reflected that he had never before so enjoyed such a delicious meal nor such delightful companions.
Chapter 16: Elizabeth
—early afternoon—
Mary soon left, worried that her absence from Longbourn had been too long. Mr. Darcy asked her, “Should I check in at Longbourn a few hours from now, to make sure that you are fine?” However, she assured him that she had a very good exit strategy, by way of a handy tree, should she ever be locked into her bedroom in punishment.
“And if I am banished, I know where to go!” she declared.
“She is a strong young woman,” Mr. Darcy said as they watched her disappear into the shrubs and trees.
Lizzy nodded. “She has had to be strong. My mother has always been…a bit derogatory towards the two of us, but I used to be my father’s favorite, and he dismissed Mary along with the other younger girls. She had no parental advocate.”
Mr. Darcy said quietly, “Bingley has said many times that you and Miss Bennet are the very closest of sisters, but I always thought I saw a greater bond between you and Miss Mary.”
Lizzy thought about that and said, “I have always been close to both of them, but in different ways.” Suddenly her serious expression gave way to a tremulous smile as she said, “For one thing, Jane and I do not have a secret handshake, as Mary and I do.”
