His Uncle's Favorite (13 page)

“My sweet Jane, the problem with a sleigh ride is that its success depends precisely on snow.” Elizabeth laughed while pouring herself a cup of tea. “Do not worry; I am sure we will be perfectly safe in Mr. Darcy’s sleigh. And, of course, any of you are more than welcome to join us. I am sure Miss Darcy would like that.”

“Thank you for your kind invitation, my dear,” smiled Mrs. Gardiner. “We will save our strength for tomorrow’s ball.”

“I fail to understand how a sleigh ride would drain your strength, Aunt. However, I shall not insist further, but I am sure you will come to regret your refusal.”

“I would rather take that risk, dear,” Mrs. Gardiner concluded.

Half an hour after they finished breakfast, Miss Darcy arrived. Elizabeth prepared herself in a few minutes while Eleanor and Edward ran from their mother to Elizabeth, begging to ride with them. Elizabeth kissed her cousins and renewed her promise that she would take them to the park the next day; even Miss Darcy promised to join them. The children were not happy about the result but had no other choice than to accept the offer.

Elizabeth and Miss Darcy left the house and bravely confronted the snow and wind while holding each other’s arms. The servants—Mrs. Gardiner’s doorman and the groom—helped them into the sleigh. They sat near each other and wrapped themselves in warm blankets. With a tinkle of bells, the horses started to move, and soon there was no sight of them. Mrs. Gardiner and Jane reluctantly retired from the window.

“This is a beautiful sleigh, Miss Darcy! And such wonderful snow!”

“My brother said he cannot believe I have found someone to agree to do this with me.” Miss Darcy smiled. “I thank you; the sleigh is beautiful indeed. My brother gave it to me five years ago. And the horses are splendid, would you not agree? We brought them from Pemberley when we came to town.”

“They are splendid, indeed, but I confess I am not fond of horses. I have always been a little…scared of them since I was a child.”

“You do not like horses?” Miss Darcy asked, disconcerted. “How can that be?”

“I am sorry to disappoint you; unfortunately, there is little I can to do remedy this fault.” Elizabeth laughed at this, but Miss Darcy changed her countenance immediately.

“Oh, forgive me, I did not mean to… It is just that… I am sorry if—”

“Miss Darcy, if we are to spend time together in this sleigh, we should make an agreement: we must not use the words ‘I am sorry’
or ‘forgive me’ unless it is absolutely necessary and no more than once per hour.”

Miss Darcy smiled shyly. “That sounds a convenient agreement, Miss Elizabeth.”

“Also, if it is not inappropriate for me to suggest it, please be so kind as to call me by my given name.”

Again, Miss Darcy seemed surprised by the request. “That would be lovely—Elizabeth.”

“Thank you, Miss…Georgiana.” This time the girl laughed.

“Elizabeth, this is our house,” she said suddenly, and Elizabeth turned to look at the place in front of them. Through the dense snow, she could see little, but the building seemed impressive as she would expect for Mr. Darcy. For a moment, she wondered whether the gentleman was at home and looked with much attention at the house.

“Oliver, please stop a moment,” Georgiana said, and Elizabeth looked at her, puzzled.

“I would like to see whether William is home. He mentioned his affairs would not take long. Would you come inside for a moment, please?”

Elizabeth had little time to answer as Georgiana had already left the sleigh; she followed her, and the next moment a servant came from the house and retrieved the blankets.

“My child, it is so good to see you home. I am glad you finally took my advice.” A lady in her late fifties came to greet them and remained silent when she saw Elizabeth.

“Mrs. Spencer, this is my friend Miss Elizabeth Bennet. We will only stay a moment; the sleigh is waiting for us.”

“I am so pleased to meet you, Miss Bennet! Please come in! Would you like some tea? Are you not hungry? I will order some refreshments immediately and—”

“An admirable, though unsuccessful, attempt, Mrs. Spencer, but I doubt you will keep them inside by offering tea and food.”

“William, I am so happy you are home. We just stopped for a moment to check on you.”

“Miss Bennet…”

“Mr. Darcy… I hope we did not interrupt you with our impromptu visit. We will leave in a moment.” She felt her cheeks burning, but she was certain it was due to the heat from the fireplace.

“No interruption at all… I am pleased to see you. Yes, I understand you are in a hurry. Georgiana, you will need some dry, warm blankets. Where do you plan to go? I would suggest the direction of ------.”

“That would be a lovely idea. But how are you, Brother? Did you finish your appointments? Would you not like to join us? It is snowing beautifully. That is—if you have time…”

The request obviously took him by surprise; Elizabeth could see that clearly. Their eyes met for a moment, and she had a strange feeling that he was awaiting her approval, which was a ridiculous notion. Why would he need her approval in his house—and in his sleigh? She smiled at her own folly, and to her surprise, he smiled back.

“I would not want to impose on you with my presence. Are you certain I will not ruin your plans? Perhaps you and Miss Bennet have private things to talk about.”

“Oh, forgive me, Elizabeth; I should have asked your opinion first. Would you mind?”

“My dear Georgiana, you have been so kind to invite me on a lovely ride in a beautiful sleigh. Do you think I could possibly mind that the master of the sleigh joins us?” Elizabeth smiled, slightly flustered.

“Well, Miss Bennet, the master of the sleigh is actually Georgiana. And being a guest, you are entitled to refuse any presence that might disturb you.”

Though Mr. Darcy’s intervention was surprising, his light, teasing tone and the mirth in his eyes left Elizabeth speechless. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Thank you, sir. I would surely refuse any presence that might
disturb
me, but I would be glad for you to join us as I understand you are familiar with the places we might visit.”

He did not answer as he seemed preoccupied in staring at her; Georgiana chuckled and asked her brother to prepare himself as quickly as possible while she and Elizabeth took their seats in the sleigh. A few minutes later, Mr. Darcy appeared and, after giving the driver brief instructions, took a seat in front of them.

The snowflakes were falling gently, and everything around was white and frozen. They passed near Hyde Park when Georgiana suddenly addressed her brother.

“Elizabeth seems to be similar in passions to me except that she does not like horses, which I can hardly understand. Do you remember when father gave me Duke?” She turned to Elizabeth to offer more explanation. “I was about three years old, I think, and Duke was of the same age. He is sixteen now, you see. I loved him so much from the first moment I saw him! I shall introduce you to him when you come to Pemberley. I am sure you will love him. How can you not like horses?”

Mr. Darcy looked at her with increased attention, and Elizabeth felt as though she had been caught doing something wrong by not liking horses. She would have been amused if she were not growing increasingly uncomfortable with Georgiana’s genuine excitement. She could sense that Mr. Darcy did not entirely approve of the familiarity between them. She clearly discerned a frown when Georgiana suggested as a certainty that sometime soon she, Elizabeth Bennet, would visit Pemberley.

She hoped her voice was light enough when she answered, forcing a smile.

“Well, perhaps if I had a horse of my own, my opinion on the matter would be different now. We only had two horses that, when they were not in the fields, were usually ridden by my father or Jane; and to be perfectly honest, I have to say the horses did not seem to like me any more than I liked them.”

Georgiana laughed, and her brother smiled. Elizabeth breathed deeply, allowing the cold air to assault her. She felt Mr. Darcy’s gaze upon her still, but this time she was not certain whether he was looking at her to find fault.

***

They had been in the sleigh for more than an hour, and Fitzwilliam Darcy still could not believe he was there—nor understand why.

When Georgiana informed him of their plan, he approved it without hesitation, but he never considered he might join them. And yet, there he was! Perhaps he was still tired after the previous night’s party and could not think properly. It was true that he had barely slept; as soon as he arrived home, he enjoyed a couple of glasses of brandy to put his thoughts in order. The only result had been an increased disorder of his mind and a restless night.

He had enjoyed the party exceedingly—more so than he could remember in a long time. But he knew—and was afraid—that he enjoyed the party because of
her
presence. And, even more dangerous—she had enjoyed his company, too; he was certain of that.

He had left Netherfield after the disastrous ball and after a most enchanting dance with her. He had left—first of all—in Bingley’s best interest, but he had been content and relieved to do so. He had wisely put many miles between himself and those sparkling eyes.

And there she was—right in his face—cuddled under blankets, laughing and chatting with Georgiana, her cheeks red from cold, her hair partially escaped from her bonnet, wet and frozen from the snow, her eyes sparkling and laughing—at him.

When he first heard her voice in his house, he thought he imagined it. He exited his office to find her in the middle of the room, and then he barely remembered what happened. Georgiana invited him to join them, and Miss Elizabeth had asked him at the party whether he would accompany them. What more clear indication could he expect? How could he refuse them both? He accepted because he had to.

She had been in town for only a week, and Georgiana was charmed by her. They were already calling each by their given names. And, without much consideration, Georgiana had invited Miss Elizabeth Bennet to Pemberley! What should he do?

He must have the strength to make a decision; he knew he would be in real danger if he continued to see her so often. But could it be avoided? Her aunt was a close friend of his uncle’s family, and his sister seemed eager to gain her friendship. What should he do?

“Oliver, stop, please,” Georgiana said suddenly, and he startled, looking around. “Oh, this is beautiful!”They were near a small forest on a hill. Everything around them was completely white; it was no longer snowing, and no breeze disturbed the trees. Everything seemed frozen. The horses stopped, and both girls freed themselves from the blankets and stepped out into the snow, which was higher than their ankles. Darcy knew he should demand they return, but their joy was so infectious that it enticed him, too.

Eventually, he stepped out of the sleigh and instantly felt the snow invading his boots. He could imagine how frozen their feet must be in their thin shoes. There was still a long ride home, so he asked them to re-enter the sleigh.

***

Georgiana and Elizabeth returned and resumed their seats in the sleigh, but their appearance was distressing. Their shoes were heavy with snow, and their dresses looked positively frozen. They tried to shake the snow from their shoes and gowns but with little success, as their hands were chilled. This failure made Darcy cast them a disapproving look, and they fought to hide their laughter under obedient glances.

At Darcy’s request, the sleigh resumed its ride. “If you remain like that until we arrive home, you will both catch a dangerous cold, ladies.”

“Oh, let us hope not, sir. I would be deeply saddened if Georgiana should suffer because of her generosity. It was my fault; I unwisely suggested that—”

“Miss Bennet, I have seen Georgiana many times in similar situations, and I doubt it was your fault. But neither of you can remain like this.”

To Elizabeth’s shock, he bent to his knees and, with his gloved hands, brushed the snow from Georgiana’s bonnet, her gown and shoes; then, without hesitation, he did the same for Elizabeth. She forgot to breathe for some moments.
This cannot be happening!

He finally resumed his seat, removed his gloves and reached towards them, demanding, “Now your gloves, please, ladies!” Elizabeth did not move, incredulous at the meaning of his words. Georgiana, however, stretched her hands to him, and he pulled her gloves then rubbed her hands to warm them and covered her with the blankets.

“William, I cannot believe you still treat me like a child.” Georgiana laughed, but he raised his eyebrow in reproach.

“My dear, apparently not much has changed since you were a child, and I still wish you to avoid catching a cold. So the treatment must be similar.”

Then he turned to Elizabeth, waiting. She stared at him, her eyes and mouth wide open.
Surely, he would not presume to—
Without warning, he took her hands, removed her gloves, then covered them in his warm palms. Her hands were still, not daring to move; he looked at her, and their gazes held for a moment. He continued to hold her hands then clasped and pressed them together—her cold hands wrapped in his, taking warmth from them. She could not say how much time passed, but she was certain it was improperly long. Eventually he released her hands, and as he did with Georgiana, he covered her in a blanket.