Janet Aylmer - Darcy’s Story

When he was with his sister, he succeeded in putting Elizabeth Bennet out of his mind for much of the time. But elsewhere, and particularly through the long sleepless nights, she was never far from his thoughts.

He often had in his mind what Miss Bennet had said to Fitzwilliam at Rosings,

“Shall we ask your cousin... shall we ask him why a man of sense and education, and who has lived in the world, is ill qualified to recommend himself to strangers?”

And he recalled Fitzwilliam’s reply,

“It is because he will not give himself the trouble.”

How much he would give now to have the opportunity to take all the trouble in the world, if it would gain him the affections of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. 

In due time, his sister travelled with Fitzwilliam to see their cousin, the Earl’s elder son, and his young family in Essex, leaving Darcy in town to await the arrival of Bingley and his sisters. One afternoon soon after, when Darcy was just re-turned from visiting his attorney, an unexpected visitor called, carrying a message from Lady Catherine. It was Mrs. Collins, who explained that she was in town to execute some commissions for herself and for his aunt.

She told him that Lady Catherine had recently travelled to Bath in the hope of bringing some improvement in the health of her daughter by taking the waters at the Cross Bath. His aunt had written to Mrs. Collins to say that their arrival to stay off Laura Place had, as was only right and proper, been included prominently in the list of new visitors for that week in the Bath Chronicle. Anne’s condition would not permit them to attend a gathering in the Assembly Rooms, but they had been to a concert in the Pump Room. They had walked in the Sydney Gardens, where they had seen the canal recently built as part of the link between the rivers Kennet and Avon, and they hoped to be able to make an excursion in their carriage into the country round about the city.

Rather than take her daughter home thereafter, his aunt was planning to visit town for a few days before travelling on to Rosings, and had asked Mrs. Collins to tell her nephew of her intention. Darcy was surprised to learn of this, as Lady Catherine usually considered that the polluting air and exposure to too much society in London were injurious to Anne’s health. He recollected suddenly his aunt’s comments just before he had left Rosings, and asked his visitor whether she knew of any reason why his cousin would be making such a rare visit to town.

Mrs. Collins, looking rather embarrassed, said something had been mentioned, only in passing of course, about the possibility of a marriage for Anne. He did not reply directly, but changed the subject, to talk for a time of the commissions that she had to carry out in town.

He dared not ask after the one person he wished to hear of by name directly, but said “Do you have good news of your friends in Meryton?”

Mrs. Collins acknowledged that she had.

“Mr. Collins is not with you?” he tried next.

“No, Sir, his duties would not permit that. However, before she left for Bath, Lady Catherine had most graciously said that, since I agreed to carry this letter for you, I might use the second chaise as far as the turnpike.”

Darcy said that he was glad of that, as some recompense for her trouble.

Hoping to prompt her to some recollection of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, he went on to recall the last time they had met in Hertfordshire, at her father’s house, and then at the ball at Netherfield. Happily for him, this had the desired effect.

“Yes, Sir, I recall us speaking together at the ball, and your dancing with my friend Elizabeth. She has such a facility for that pastime.”

After a pause, she added more thoughtfully, “I myself have few opportunities now to dance in Kent. But I acknowledge that there are many other consolations.”

Darcy recalled what a young lady of his acquaintance from Hertfordshire had said about the marriage between Mr. Collins and the former Miss Charlotte Lucas,

“his friends may well rejoice in his having met with one of the very few sensible women who would have accepted him, or have made him happy if they had. My friend has an excellent understanding though I am not certain that I consider her marrying Mr. Collins as the wisest thing she ever did. She seems perfectly happy, however, and in a prudential light, it is certainly a very good match for her.”

Darcy again thanked her for her trouble in calling, and asked his coachman to take Mrs. Collins to Bond Street, where she could purchase some of the commissions for his aunt.

When she had gone, he reflected that, in his present state of mind, he could not think of anyone he wished to see less than Lady Catherine, and the more so if she wished to pursue her plans for an alliance with his cousin Anne. But he needed an excuse to be absent from London for a few days.

Thus it was that he surprised both his sister and his cousin Fitzwilliam in finding a sudden delight in joining them and renewing his acquaintance with the landscape in Essex, as well as in congratulating his cousin the Viscount and his young wife personally on the recent addition to their family.

By the time Darcy was back in town, a week in advance of his sister, Lady Catherine had travelled on to Kent, leaving behind her a note that left little doubt of her displeasure at not seeing him during her stay in London.

Bingley now also returned to stay in town.

It did not take Darcy long to realise that his friend was still not in the best of spirits. Although he dare not ask him why, it was not difficult to guess. He knew full well that Bingley’s separation from Miss Jane Bennet might be the cause of his distress.

He had much more sympathy with Bingley on this occasion than previously, when his friend had bestowed his affections on other young ladies. There can, Darcy admitted to himself, be no better way of appreciating the sufferings of those whose hearts have really been touched by love than having the same affliction yourself.

The arrival of Bingley’s sisters at Grosvenor Street with Mr. Hurst two days later did little to cheer Darcy.

He was already regretting the invitation that he had extended to them earlier in the year to join his party at Pemberley for a few weeks. He had little patience now for Miss Bingley’s pretensions and, as far as possible, he avoided seeing both sisters, encouraging Bingley to visit them at Mr. Hurst’s house. However, he could not now go back on his invitation. At least they would only be at Pemberley for a few weeks before travelling on to Scarborough.

He was suddenly wild to get back to Derbyshire and the familiar pleasures there. However, since Georgiana was to travel with him, he had to wait a few more days before she returned from Essex and they could set off with Bingley, his sisters and Mr. Hurst.

On the second day of their journey, the party reached the town where he and Georgiana usually stayed overnight, and which was only a few hours’ journey from Pemberley. The Hursts’ carriage had been troublesome, with one of the wheels being far from secure, and it was agreed that it would be better for the carriage to take the last part of the journey very slowly.

He knew that there would be business to attend to at Pemberley with his steward. At the Inn, there was an urgent message sent by the post waiting for him.

Accordingly, Darcy decided to ride on alone with his groom the next day, leaving his sister to travel with Bingley and Mrs. Annesley in his own chaise, and the rest of the party with Mr. Hurst.

“You may need,” said Darcy to his friend the following morning before he left, “to go more slowly and stay another night on the way, if that will enable the other carriage to reach my estate without further mishap.”

A few hours later, Darcy rode across the fields and entered the park around Pemberley.

He turned his mount towards the valley leading down the side of the woods, where he knew that he would catch his first sight of the house.

It was one of his favourite rides within the grounds, with the trees as a backcloth to the vista across the lake. Now, in July, the green of the woods was at its best against the colour of the sky.

In those few days at Rosings when he had hoped to bring Elizabeth Bennet to Derbyshire as his bride, he had dreamt of them walking together across that same grass. How briefly that happy reverie had lasted. How much pain and distress had tortured him since April.

Darcy rode down the slope, along the drive and into the stable yard at the back of the house. The stableboy looked surprised as his master came into view, and explained why he had arrived in advance of the rest of the party. Leaving his horse to be unsaddled, Darcy walked slowly through the arch into the garden at the side, and went to turn towards the house.

As he came out into the sunlight from the shade of the buildings, he saw a lady walking slowly towards him. There was something familiar about the figure . . .

Then he stopped suddenly, immobile, totally startled.

There in front of him, and from her expression equally surprised, was Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

They were within twenty yards of each other, and their eyes instantly met, the cheeks of each being overspread with the deepest blush.

To begin with, Darcy could not move, could not speak, he was so taken by surprise. Then he forced himself to recover sufficiently to draw closer. Walking forward until he was a few feet from her, he tried to speak calmly as he enquired about her health, and then that of her family.

Before he began, she took a step as though to move away but, as he addressed her, she turned back and answered him.

In contrast to their last meeting in the parsonage at Hunsford, Miss Bennet hardly looked at him, and her replies to Darcy’s pleasantries were as confused as were his questions to her. Despite his state of mind, he was aware that his enquiries, as to the time of her having left Longbourn, and about her stay in Derbyshire, were so frequent and put in so hurried a manner, as must plainly speak the distraction of his thoughts.

As he spoke, he was conscious of his gardener close by. He was also aware, although less clearly, of a lady and gentleman of fashion a short distance back, as though they might be in company with Miss Bennet.

Eventually, every idea failed him and, after standing a few moments without saying a word, he finally recollected himself. Very conscious that his manner of speaking had none of its usual sedateness, Darcy took his leave of her, bowed, and walked swiftly away.

By the time that he had entered the house, Darcy’s agitation of mind had resolved on only two matters.

First, Miss Elizabeth Bennet was at that moment still within the grounds of Pemberley.

Second, his overwhelming desire was to encounter her again before she left.

As he took the stairs towards his dressing room at a rapid pace, he sent one of his servants to see how far the visitors had gone in walking towards their carriage.

When he had changed from his travel stained clothes a few minutes later, the message had come back that the carriage awaited them still, as the gentleman accompanying the young lady had told the coachman that they were to take the walk by the side of the water. Darcy’s gardener had been asked to act as their guide along the way.

That route led further along the stream towards a fine reach of the woods and onto some of the higher grounds. There, the opening of the trees gave charming views of the valley and the hills opposite with the woods enclosing both sides of the stream. If they had taken the circuit around the lake, that would bring the visitors after some time in a descent back towards the house, past the edge of the water.

Darcy almost ran from the house and took the route in the opposite direction from that the visitors had taken. After a few minutes, he came to the steep walk amidst the rough coppicewood in one of its narrowest parts beyond a bridge. At this point, the twists and turns of the path revealed from time to time the path further along the stream. He walked swiftly on.

Eventually, at one of these glimpses of the route ahead, he caught sight of Miss Bennet and her companions coming slowly along that part of the path towards him. He slowed his pace a little and, as they came nearer, Darcy tried hard to compose himself.