Janet Aylmer - Darcy’s Story

Uppermost in his mind were Miss Bennet’s comments at their last meeting in Kent about his behaviour. He remembered so well what she had said:

“your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others . . .”

He was only too well aware that he might only have this one opportunity to redeem himself in her eyes. He had long since ceased to deceive himself that any other course would secure his own happiness.

When they met, he greeted her with all the civility he could muster.

She responded in equal politeness by beginning to admire the beauty of the place, saying how delightful and charming it was. He was puzzled that she then stopped speaking abruptly, as though in confusion. In this pause, he asked her if she would do him the honour of introducing her two companions, who were standing a little behind her.

He was not quite sure of her expression. She almost smiled, and then said that they were her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, from Cheapside in London.

Darcy had taken them for people of fashion. But he was quick to greet them. With Miss Bennet and her aunt in front, Darcy turned to walk back towards the way he had come.

He soon found in conversation with Mr. Gardiner that he was a cultivated and intelligent man with pleasant manners and a wide range of interests. He expressed a lively curiosity about country pursuits and, for someone who lived in the city, was unexpectedly well informed about them.

The conversation turning to fishing, Darcy invited Mr. Gardiner to fish there as often as he chose, while he continued in the neighbourhood, and offered to supply him with tackle. As they passed alongside the water, he asked the gardener to point out those parts of the stream where there was usually most sport.

After some time, they reached a part of the path close to the brink of the river, and drew close to the water to inspect a plant. At this moment, Mrs. Gardiner sought her husband’s arm, confessing some fatigue from the exercise of the morning.

Darcy was secretly delighted by this alteration, since it enabled him to take his place by her niece, and they walked on ahead of the others together.

After a short silence, she spoke, wishing him to know that she had been assured of his absence before she came to the place.

“I understand that your arrival had been very unexpected,” she said quickly, “for your housekeeper informed us that you would certainly not be here till to-morrow; and indeed, before we left Bakewell, we understood that you were not immediately expected in the country.”

“You are quite right,” he said, half turning to steal a glance at her as he spoke, “for business with my steward had occasioned me coming forward a few hours before the rest of the party.”

“They will join me early tomorrow,” he continued, “and among them are some who will claim an acquaintance with you. They are Mr. Bingley and his sisters.”

Miss Bennet answered only by a slight bow.

At that moment, Darcy knew that he himself coloured, his mind instantly driven back to when Bingley’s name had been last mentioned between them. He dared not look, but surmised that hers might be similarly engaged. They walked on a little in silence, their minds thus occupied. Darcy was anxiously considering whether she might agree to an application from him concerning Georgiana.

“There is also one other person in the party,” he continued after this pause, “who more particularly wishes to be known to you. Will you allow me,...or do I ask too much . . . to introduce my sister to your acquaintance during your stay at Lambton?”

She replied to this with what appeared to him to be pleasure, if not ease, and he engaged to bring Georgiana to the inn at Lambton where they were staying as soon as he could, after his sister’s arrival at Pemberley.

They then walked on in silence, soon outstripping the slower pace of her uncle and aunt. When they reached the carriage at the side of the house, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were some way behind.

After another pause, Darcy ventured to ask Miss Bennet whether she would take some refreshment inside the house, for he most dearly wished to show her some aspects that might commend Pemberley to her.

 However, she declared herself not tired, and preferring to admire the view.

Again there was silence between them, and so many subjects that he thought to pursue were linked with unhappy memories from the past. At last, Miss Bennet began, rather tentatively, to talk of travelling. Her uncle’s need to return soon to his business had required them to reduce the extent of their journey, which had been intended to take them to the Lakes. But they had seen Blenheim and Chatsworth, as well as Matlock and Dove Dale.

Her aunt, who had lived some years ago in Lambton, had wished to revisit the village, and had then suggested that they should visit Pemberley.

Miss Bennet again repeated that their understanding had been that the family was not at home, or they would not have planned to call at the house. He in turn expressed his pleasure at having the opportunity of renewing their acquaintance, and of meeting her uncle and aunt. This conversation occupied the time well enough until Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner came across the lawn to join them.

Darcy again pressed his visitors to go into the house and take some refreshment; but this was declined, although with the greatest civility.

He then handed the ladies into the carriage and, as it drove off, walked slowly towards the house.

On his way across the hall, he encountered the housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds.

“I understand that you have had visitors to see Pemberley today?” he said.

“Yes, Sir. I would not have admitted them if I had known that you were to be at home. But I understood from the young lady that you had met her before. Her aunt told me that she had heard much of you from her niece.”

This was welcome news to Darcy. For Elizabeth Bennet to have spoken of himself, and to have seen something of Pemberley, was what he had wanted to hear.

“There is nothing to regret; indeed, I am very glad that they were able to see the house. The young lady lives near Netherfield, the place that Mr. Bingley took last Michaelmas, in Hertfordshire. As they are staying at Lambton, they may be able to visit us again, once Miss Georgiana has arrived tomorrow.”

In the past, Darcy had prided himself in being able to com-pose his mind in any situation, if only by avoiding those occasions which could disturb him.

It was as well that he had urgent business to discuss with his steward, for otherwise he would have found himself making very little use of the rest of that day.

In particular, he needed to decide how he could detach Georgiana from Bingley’s sisters as soon as might be, so that he could introduce his sister to Miss Bennet.

How much he now wished that he had heeded Georgiana’s reluctance to invite the ladies and Mr. Hurst to accompany Bingley to Derbyshire, even though that had been his practice in the past.

The sooner he could introduce Georgiana to Miss Bennet, the more opportunity he would have to see her during the remainder of her stay in Lambton. He so dearly wished to see her again at Pemberley. How he longed to know whether she might have seen some improvement and softening in his speech and conversation, and an absence of that arrogance, and ability to offend and insult, which she had discerned previously in Kent.

When Darcy recalled his severity in addressing the habits of her family, what irony there now was in discovering the intelligence, manners and good humour of those very relatives from Cheapside that Miss Bingley had ridiculed last winter at Netherfield.

Despite the distractions which he found to occupy him, the rest of the day seemed to take so long to pass, and the night the more so, that on the morrow, it seemed impossible that less than a few hours had elapsed since his sudden encounter with Miss Bennet.

However, he was in a very much more cheerful frame of mind than he had been for several months. It should be possible during Miss Bennet’s stay at Lambton for them to meet on more than one occasion.

Darcy had left Georgiana to travel with Bingley and Mrs. Annesley, with Mr. and Mrs. Hurst and Caroline Bingley to follow in Mr. Hurst’s equipage.

It was therefore with some surprise that he saw only his own chaise make its way up the drive towards the house in good time the following morning.

It transpired that the Hursts’ carriage had been delayed by another problem with one of the wheel bearings. The innkeeper at the town where they had spent the night hoped it could be repaired within half a day.

Darcy’s other guests were therefore likely to be coming some hours later.

He wasted no time in taking advantage of this unexpected opportunity. When Bingley went to his room to change soon after their arrival, he went to seek out his sister. He found her examining with delight the new piano-forte that he had purchased, as a surprise present for her arrival at Pemberley.

“Georgiana, I have most welcome news. Miss Elizabeth Bennet, the young lady we last spoke of in town, is staying at Lambton with her uncle and aunt. I have said that we will call on them together, once you arrived. Would you be willing to go with me today, once you have had a late breakfast? I should prefer that, rather than wait until tomorrow.”

His sister very readily agreed to this plan, and Darcy then went in search of his friend.

“So you see, Bingley,” he ended in explaining the news about the unexpected visitors from Hertfordshire, “I shall have ample time to make the journey to Lambton with Georgiana and then return before your sisters arrive with Mr. Hurst. Will you excuse us both for a short while?”

“Why, yes, if you insist,” said his friend, “but I would prefer to accompany you, if I may. I should be very happy to see Miss Elizabeth again. It is so long since we last met in Hertfordshire.”

This was not the reply that Darcy had expected, and he deliberated briefly as to what Miss Bennet’s reaction to seeing Bingley might be. He was, after all, the man whom she thought had been too easily persuaded to forget her elder sister.

However, it might be a benefit to the good impression that Darcy sought to create in the lady’s mind for his friend to be eager to see her. Thus it was settled that Bingley should accompany Georgiana and her brother, and they were soon together in the chaise and travelling across the park towards the Lambton gate.

On their arrival at the Inn, Bingley waited below, and Darcy and his sister were taken into the parlour to see the visitors.

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were as affable and pleasant as they had been the previous day. Miss Bennet was much quieter than he recalled when they had met in Rosings, but he was glad to see the trouble she took to make conversation with his sister, who shyly endeavoured to play her role. Darcy wondered if the visitor was thinking of the contrast between Georgiana’s unassuming and gentle manner and what she had thought of his own in Kent.

Darcy asked if his friend might join them, and was glad to see nothing but pleasure in Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s expression as Bingley came in. He greeted her warmly, and was quickly introduced to her uncle and aunt. Bingley was soon making conversation with them as if he had known them from a much longer acquaintance. How Darcy envied his facility in light conversation. Again, he regretted his own greater difficulty in such matters.

Bingley enquired in a friendly, though general way, after the Bennet family. Darcy did note that, once, his friend asked particularly whether all Miss Bennet’s sisters were at home, and the tone of his voice was such that it denoted rather more than just pleasant interest on that point.

He heard his friend then say, “It was a very long time since I have had the pleasure of seeing you,” and, before Miss Bennet could reply, he added, “It is above eight months. We have not met since the 26th of November, when we were all dancing together at Netherfield.”

She acknowledged this warmly, and Darcy thought that he caught her looking at himself for a moment as she did so.

After some prompting from her brother, Georgiana extended an invitation to the travellers from Hertfordshire to dine with them at Pemberley on the following day. There was a short hesitation, which to Darcy seemed awkward, and perhaps to presage an excuse for refusal, before the answer came. However, Mrs. Gardiner, having glanced at her niece, said that they would all be delighted to accept. Bingley then expressed great pleasure in the certainty of having the opportunity to see Miss Elizabeth again.