Page 90 of To Love And To Cherish
He chuckled. "You are a siren, Mrs. Darcy. I do not know how I shall ever get anything done, with your beauty and charms calling me as they do."
She covered her face. "I cannot eat. This is mortifying."
Still laughing, he rose. "Do not trouble yourself, Mrs. Darcy. I have finished my breakfast and will leave you to yours. The maid will bring your bathwater shortly. I’ve already sent James and the coach ahead; luncheon should be waiting for us when we arrive in Tom Aitinn. Don’t mind me, love. I am hopeless, and I know it. I’ll run along and give you peace and privacy."
The sun shone brightly, and the skies were clear and blue, a lovely day in Scotland. She wore a bright red riding habit and sat atop Kelpie like an indulgent Venus. The mare’s black coat gleamed in the Highland sun. Between that noble creature and her striking rider, Darcy found it difficult to look away.
Why had he resisted her for so many months? Had he understood the joy she would bring, he might have proposed the moment he saw her again in Hertfordshire.
He grimaced. If he had done so, he would not have needed to apologize for the many foolish things he had said and done, particularly humiliating her in public. That memory was still embarrassing. He shook his head. He had resisted her because of her low station and connections to trade, but when had he ever truly cared for the opinion of society? He had never enjoyed balls, nor card parties, nor the tiresome theatrics of the London season. At such gatherings, he had refused to dance and spoke to almost no one. He had never courted their good opinion. Fortunately, Elizabeth would not miss the crowded drawing rooms or the endless hours of trivial conversation, not having been brought up to value a busy social calendar or the good opinion of the ton.
Still, she must be introduced. There was Aunt Helen and Uncle Henry to face, and the sooner it was done, the better. He would take Elizabeth directly to London after they visited Longbourn. There, they would shop for new gowns, and she would be dressed as befitted the wife of Mr. Darcy. Then to Aunt Helen, who would know how best to navigate the introductions.
Perhaps a dinner party with his married friends from Cambridge? Or a quiet supper with a few former colleagues; men from the Service who had since left their work in espionage? Aunt Helen would guide them.
He glanced at Elizabeth again. She would do well anywhere. With her grace, wit, and goodness, she would charm every person of sense and disarm the rest. Still, the cats of society, those who had long imagined themselves as future Mrs. Darcys, would not take kindly to her. They would seek to hold her down.Let them try. His Elizabeth had strength and wit enough for any drawing room.
He smiled at the thought. They would not stay long in town. This first year would belong to them. Long days, long nights, just the two of them at Pemberley. The rest of the world could wait.
Chapter 46: Traveling South
That evening at the boarding house in Tom Aitinn, a warm supper was laid before them. Bearnas Andarsan, their good-humored hostess, placed a roasted Cornish hen on the table as Mr. Darcy inquired after their next day’s lodging.
"Mrs. Andarsan, we plan to travel to Alvie tomorrow. Might you suggest lodging?"
The plump woman beamed. "Indeed, yes. My family is from Alvie. It’s a small crofting hamlet, but the Alvie estate brings prosperity to it. You’ll be well looked after. My Aunt Hildy keeps rooms for travelers. There’s space for your servants and your horses, too. You might even want to stay a day or two longer; there’s fine fishing on the south shore of Loch Alvie. My cousin can take you out with a rod."
Darcy turned to Elizabeth with a glint of amusement. "What say you, darling? Alvie is only eighteen miles. We could rest there for a day. I might fish."
She raised a brow. "You might fish, sir? And what of me? Am I not allowed to fish, too?"
He laughed. "You know how to fish, Mrs. Darcy?"
"I do, sir," she said, eyes sparkling. "When I was a girl, I spent many a pleasant hour with Papa and the Lucas boys. I look forward to fishing probably quite as much as you do."
Mrs. Andarsan looked delighted. "I’ll send my youngest to hold the room for two nights, then."
Darcy thanked her, and she bustled off. After supper, Darcy invited Elizabeth on a walk.
"There is still a little light left," he said, fetching her cloak. "Shall we take a stroll by the river?"
He carried a blanket folded over his arm as they made their way to the River Findhorn. The air was brisk, but the sky was clear, and the waning light turned the hills to burnished gold. They walked in companionable silence until they reached a quiet bend in the river, where a low sandstone cliff overhung the water.
There, they paused and watched the sky grow dark.
Elizabeth drew in a breath. "What a marvelous sky. I’ve never seen so many stars. I wish I had studied astronomy."
Darcy smiled. "Well, Mrs. Darcy, it so happens that I did." He unfolded the blanket and laid it on a dry patch of grass sheltered by the cliff. "After my mother passed, my father bought a telescope. We studied the constellations together for years."
He lay back and gestured upward. "There’s Orion. And Betelgeuse is there."
Elizabeth lay beside him, watching as he pointed out several constellations.
Finally, he said, “I wish I had my telescope. I wonder if it still survives. It has been many years."
He turned to her then, and the stargazing ceased. His lips found hers, and she soon found herself beneath him, his body warm against hers as the stars wheeled silently overhead.
Afterward, they lay tangled together, whispering.
