Page 66 of The Governess of My Heart
She promised herself never to read the letter again.
“How are the children, Lucy?”
“Oh! They have asked for you many times. But Lady Martha has asked them to give you rest. Their nanny is trying to keep them entertained, and Mr. Darcy played with them for a while in the garden. He is very good with children,” the maid said.
Elizabeth looked at her with curiosity.
“I was employed in Pemberley before,” she said with a smile.
“Oh! Yes!”
“Six months ago, I married Mr. Ronald, who works here at the stable. Mr. Darcy allowed me to transfer here after that.”
Elizabeth was puzzled as she had met her maid’s son many times. The boy was two years old.
“I understand why you are puzzled, Miss. You want to know about my boy.”
“No! I do not mean to intrude.”
“My boy was born before I got married. I was ruined by a man in the past as he promised to marry me and left me with a child.”
“Good god! Was it someone in Pemberley?” Elizabeth asked in horror.
“Not at all! He was a distant relative who visited my parents in Lambton. He absconded after he became aware of my condition.”
Elizabeth felt sad for the poor girl.
“I was engulfed with shame and guilt as my parents were enraged. I was more scared to face Mr. Darcy, as I had worked in Pemberley for three years as the housekeeper’s maid.”
“Was he …was he angry?”
“Yes, but not in the way you think. He was angry that someone cheated me so. He tried his best to find that man and make him marry me, but it was of no use. My parents forced me to leave the village and have the baby elsewhere. But Mr. Darcy took full responsibility for my well-being. Can you believe if I say I had my child in Pemberley?”
“Oh!”
“I did. They took good care of me, and I continued working there. Then I met Mr. Ronald; we fell in love and got married.”
“I am glad you found happiness. He must be a remarkable man.”
“He is. I am really grateful to my husband for accepting me with my son. But I also owe my current life and happiness to Mr. Darcy. He did not allow anyone to belittle me for my mistake. Mrs. Reynolds helped me overcome my shame and guilt, and I owe everything to them.”
Hearing the maid’s story made Elizabeth reflect on her assumptions about Darcy’s character. She could not make anything of him to date, and his behavior at Pemberley puzzled her.
Elizabeth felt well the next day and left for her morning walk. She contemplated whether to take her usual trail, but she had met Darcy a couple of times on that trail and decided to walk in the opposite direction.
She enjoyed the warmth of the beautiful morning, and within ten minutes, she saw a small stream near the trail. Elizabeth took a moment to rest and sat on one of the rocks, the sound of the gurgling stream comforting. When she got up to leave, she heard the sound of a rider. She turned around with worry to see if it was Darcy and was glad it was someone else.
The rider stopped upon seeing her, and he was an older gentleman. Elizabeth failed to recognize him.
“Good morning, Miss. I seldom encounter anyone here at such an early hour,” he said with a smile.
“Good morning, sir,” she said, not wanting to prolong the conversation with a stranger.
As she began to walk, he called out to her.
“Are you from the village?”
“Why do you ask?”
