Page 58 of An Accidental Meeting
Elizabeth gazed out over the landscape as they rolled along a well-maintained road. Mr. Darcy had remembered her interest in the glossy barouche, and they were all now reclining against the luxuriously cushioned benches on their trip around the park. Aunt Gardiner was demonstrating her keen memory for everything Lambton and Pemberley. She was settling back against her seat now that they were approaching the Kympton side of the estate, and Elizabeth enjoyed the long rolling meadows and forested hills stretching out before them.
The ride had been extraordinarily pleasant, though she felt her uncle watching her and Mr. Darcy with a keen eye. Miss Darcy had once again declined so that she might practise her music, but Aunt Nora and Judge Darcy had decided to join them after all. They were in a second carriage with Mr. and Miss Bingley.
“The weather is perfect today,” she said, storing up the memory for the dark winter days ahead. “And despite my penchant for long walks, I do believe this is the best way to travel Pemberley’s park if one means to see it all.”
“The company is also excellent,” Mr. Darcy said genially.
“It certainly is,” Aunt Gardiner said, her enthusiasm barely contained. Uncle Gardiner smiled lovingly at his wife, and Elizabeth wondered whether she could look forward to such a convivial relationship with her husband one day, whoever he might be. Her gaze stole back to Mr. Darcy.
“There is the church,” he told them, pointing out the building. “And to the east is Mr. Hammond’s house.”
It was a fine brick home with a large garden behind. “Is that a physick garden?” she inquired.
“Part of it. When I offered Mr. Hammond the house, I recommended that he and the apothecary work together as he has more land upon which to build out the garden. This way there is rarely a shortage of anything his patients might require.”
“Is the garden large enough to serve those at Pemberley?” Uncle Gardiner asked.
“No, we have our own garden and stillroom. Mr. Hammond leaves a receipt, and most often we have everything required to make whatever he prescribes.”
They spent several hours out in the sun, and it was a relief to return to the saloon once again for lemonade and a light meal.
“Did you enjoy yourself, Miss Bingley?” Aunt Gardiner asked as they all sat at the table.
“I did,” Miss Bingley said. “Mrs. Darcy was informing me about the physick garden that Mr. Darcy’s physician keeps and explained they have one here as well.”
“I did not know you were so versed in medicinal herbs,” Aunt Nora said. “It was illuminating.”
Miss Bingley blushed. “I would not say I am well-versed in such things, Mrs. Darcy. Merely interested.”
“My son has an interest in all plants, most especially those which, when eaten, produce the most vapours from cattle.”Judge Darcy shook his head. “We weathered our fair share of malodorous explosions in his youth.”
Aunt Nora shook her head with fond exasperation. “Not only in his youth. I find it is better to leave the house before his friends arrive and return after the servants have cleaned up. It always means extra wages, so they do not seem to mind overmuch, and I am able to pretend that nothing has occurred.”
“Does your son live in London, then?” Aunt Gardiner asked.
“He is most often in town.”
Mr. Bingley shook his head. “As a member of the Royal Society, he would be too erudite for me, but I suppose we all rely upon our thinking men to help society move forward.” His smile wavered.
Unlike Mr. Darcy, who seemed largely recovered from his malaise this morning, Mr. Bingley was still struggling with whatever had sent his relations away early.
“I daresay Mr. Alexander Darcy is too erudite for most of us,” Elizabeth replied, “but we all have our strengths, do we not? Some move society forward and others keep society afloat while they do.”
“Do you not mean the men, Miss Bennet?” Judge Darcy asked pointedly. “For I do not know of any women who are members of the Royal Society.”
Elizabeth felt her lips tug up into a smile. “You goad me into stating that the members of the Royal Society might make more progress if there were women allowed among them. For while it is not a passion of mine, I cannot accept that there are no women at all who would be of benefit to their work.”
“Women are not university educated,” the judge replied challengingly.
“Because they are not allowed to be,” Elizabeth responded with a sweet smile. “I think perhaps men are worried they might be forced to better behaviour if they were.”
Mr. Darcy chuckled. “I can attest to the truth of that. A university education does a great deal of good for one’s understanding of the world. But the student must attend the lectures more often than the pubs and speak with his tutors more often than the men who offer him odds on the races. I think women might have a beneficial effect.”
“But then men would not wish to attend,” Judge Darcy insisted, his eyes sparkling.
Uncle Gardiner grunted. “Many are not attending even though they are present.”
“I would not have gone to half the lectures I did, had my father not admonished me on my duty,” Mr. Bingley admitted. “His words are always with me.”
