“Perhaps we might have been deceived with regard to Mr. Wickham.”

“That is not likely, unless new information has become available that has altered your opinion of the gentleman.”

“It is as you say, Aunt. Since we last spoke of Mr. Wickham, I have learned that the injured party was not Wickham, but Mr. Darcy. Wickham gives the appearance of being all goodness, but I can now say with absolute certainty that he is not a gentleman. I am not at liberty to share what I know as it was told to me in confidence by Mr. Darcy.”

“This is very serious indeed. May I ask where you were when Mr. Darcy shared this information?”

“It was when I was in Kent. Mr. Darcy’s aunt is Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Mr. Collins is Lady Catherine’s pastor. While I was visiting Charlotte at Hunsford Lodge, Mr. Darcy and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, came for a visit with their aunt and cousin and called on Charlotte at the parsonage.”

Lizzy’s discomfort with the next part of her story was evident by the change in her voice. “In the past, I have spoken to you of Mr. Darcy’s behavior while he was in Hertfordshire. Because he showed such disdain for his company, I felt justified in my dislike. When Wickham took me into his confidence for the purpose of impugning Mr. Darcy’s character, I was quite willing to believe the very worst about him. As a result, Mr. Darcy and I had a heated exchange, and being ignorant of Wickham’s wickedness, I defended him. Needless to say, Mr. Darcy was greatly offended because he knew him to be a scoundrel. When we parted company, we were both angry, and I have not seen him again until today.”

“Well, that explains your reluctance to come to Pemberley, but why did you not tell us all of this?”

“I was embarrassed because I had misjudged both men, thinking well of Wickham and ill of Mr. Darcy, and being wrong in both cases.”

“Elizabeth, I can offer no explanation for Mr. Darcy’s rude behavior in Hertfordshire,” Mrs. Gardiner said, “but these great men are known to be mercurial in temperament. However, I believe we can safely say he has put aside any ill feelings as he has been all politeness, and I believe his desire for us to see Pemberley is sincere.”

Before Lizzy could further confide in her aunt, she heard the crunch of the gravel as Mr. Darcy returned to his visitors. When they joined Mr. Gardiner in the Chinese garden, he was dipping his hand in a pool containing dozens of brilliantly colored carp.

“This garden was a particular favorite of my mother. There was many an afternoon when she would bring my sister and me here, and we would feed the koi, as they are known in Japan. She would sit on the stones by the pool and dip her hand into the water, just as you are doing, Mr. Gardiner.”

Standing up, Mr. Gardiner responded, “As much as I enjoy the beauty of these fish, I cannot help but picture others of its species at the end of a fishing line.”

“Please forgive my husband, Mr. Darcy,” Mrs. Gardiner said, laughing. “On our holiday, he has not had one opportunity to engage in his favorite sport, and that comment reveals his frustration.”

“Then you must not leave Lambton before you have gone fishing on the estate. Sportsmen come from quite a distance to fish in Pemberley’s streams, and how would you explain to your fellow anglers that you had an opportunity to test your skills in fishing sites mentioned in Mr. Walton’s The Compleat Angler, which I am sure you are acquainted with?”

“Yes, indeed, sir. I revere it along with my Book of Common Prayer because when I hold a rod in my hand, I am often praying.”

Everyone was laughing when Lizzy interrupted to say that they had already made plans to go on to Matlock in the morning. “Perhaps another time, Mr. Darcy.”

Mr. Gardiner could hardly believe his ears. “Lizzy, dear, we are speaking of one of the finest fishing spots in England. Surely, we can delay our departure for Matlock for a few days.”

“Miss Elizabeth, I would ask that you stay,” Mr. Darcy said. “Tomorrow, Miss Anne de Bourgh is coming to Pemberley, and I know how much she would enjoy seeing you again, as she speaks of you with great affection. Also in our party are Mr. Bingley, his sisters, and Mr. Hurst. Recently, your family has been a favorite topic of conversation for Mr. Bingley as he has very fond memories of his time in Hertfordshire. And there is another in the party to whom I would wish to introduce you, and that is my sister, Georgiana.”

Feeling that escape was no longer possible and being curious about his sister, Lizzy agreed. “I would be honored to meet Miss Darcy.”

“I should warn you that my sister is suffering from an acute case of overactive imagination, but I have been assured by knowledgeable people that this is an affliction that passes with age.”

“You are a wise man, Mr. Darcy,” said Mrs. Gardiner. “I believe you will look back at this time with great affection.”

Darcy smiled at the comment and then continued. “My party is coming from Derby and is expected by mid-afternoon, so I would like to extend an invitation for you to dine at Pemberley in the evening.” And after all three had agreed, Mr. Darcy said, “Now that we have settled the matter, shall we tour the gardens?”

They had been walking for about ten minutes when Mrs. Gardiner said that she and her husband were going to start walking back toward the manor as she was not a great walker. But she encouraged her niece and Mr. Darcy to continue on, which they did, until they had reached a gazebo located on the highest point on the property. From this height, the entire valley lay before them. Gentle slopes gave way to rolling hills before yielding to the wild beauty of the Peak. It was the most beautiful scene Lizzy had ever beheld.

Mr. Darcy’s thoughts were not of peaks and valleys but of the lady before him. He could sense the heartache he had felt since leaving Kent begin to ease. He believed that the tension of their first meeting since his proposal had passed, and they could now move forward. To where he did not know.

Lizzy was enjoying the prospect, but she was also thinking of Mr. Darcy. She had said so many awful things to him, and yet, he was being so nice to her. Although she knew there would not be a second offer of marriage, she hoped they could part as friends. When she turned around, she realized that he had not been looking at the view, but at her.

“Miss Elizabeth, you do realize that it is no accident that you are here at this particular time.”

“I do not understand, sir.”

“This is the work of my cousin, Anne. It seems that once she learned of your intention to come to Derbyshire she put a plan in motion, and it has been brilliantly executed. I did not understand why she was so adamant that we leave London for Pemberley by a certain date, especially since it required Bingley and me to rearrange our schedules and for my sister to finish her studies early. But her purpose has been revealed, and as she had hoped, you and I are here together.”

Lizzy now understood why Anne was so insistent on knowing every detail of the proposed route the Gardiners and she would travel on their journey to the Peak, and why she was most particularly interested in the date when they would arrive at the inn at Lambton. Lizzy felt the heat rise in her face. No matter how well intentioned, Anne had placed her cousin in an awkward position. Lizzy did not think it was possible to feel more humiliated than when Mr. Darcy had come upon her earlier, but now she knew that it was indeed possible.

“Mr. Darcy, you have been very gracious, but you are under no obligation to invite us to dine with you at Pemberley. In light of what we now know of Miss de Bourgh’s scheme, it would be best if I continued on to Matlock.”

“Best for whom? Certainly not for Anne nor Charles Bingley and most definitely not for me. I have been presented with an opportunity to make amends for the inexcusable things I said to you at the parsonage, and I mean to make the most of it.”

“It would be best if nothing more was said about that particular day,” Lizzy responded, embarrassed at the memory of it. “Considering what I know now, it is I who should ask for your forgiveness for the unkind things I said to you.”

“I cannot agree to that plan, Miss Elizabeth. Although I regret much of what was said, there are other things that I would leave unchanged.”

Unsure of what to say, she turned away from Mr. Darcy. Could he truly forgive her for her blind prejudices, and could she remove from her memory the hurtful things he had said or written because of his wounded pride? After thinking on the matter for a few minutes, she decided that she could forget what had happened in Kent because a good memory at such a time was unpardonable.

When she turned back towards him, she was smiling, and then he extended his arm. While walking back towards the house, Lizzy commented that she was in agreement with her aunt. “In all of our travels, we have not seen a more beautiful estate than Pemberley.”

“But there is so much that you have not seen, including great expanses of the Peak that can only be reached on horseback.”

“On horseback, Mr. Darcy?”

“Yes, Miss Elizabeth, on horseback.”

Chapter 27

As soon as the Gardiners and Lizzy departed, Darcy returned to the manor house to bathe. While Mercer dumped bucket after bucket of warm water over his head, he tried to analyze what had just happened. When Elizabeth first saw him in the gardens, her first inclination was to flee. Why? Was it because she was embarrassed? Or was she still angry with him for his remarkable performance at Hunsford Lodge? What was the last thing he had said to her? Oh, yes. “I perfectly comprehend your feelings and only have to be ashamed at what mine have been.” Good grief! What an arrogant bastard he could be.

Darcy tried to recall what had happened in the minutes after he had rejoined the Gardiner party in the garden. Miss Elizabeth and he had walked to the gazebo, and he could see her face light up at the panorama before her, which had given him the courage to speak of their confrontation at the parsonage. He perfectly understood why she would want to forget that awful scene. Surely, he was equally clear that he was ashamed of what had been said, but that his feelings for her remained unchanged. After he had said that, she smiled, and that meant what? It must be a good sign, or she would not have accepted his invitation to dine at Pemberley. But she had been forced into that decision by her aunt and uncle. On the other hand, would she have accepted his extended arm if she was still angry with him? But it would have been rude not to. Damn it! What did it all mean? Would she be receptive to another offer or not?

“Mercer, have you ever been in love?” Darcy asked while soaking in his bath.

“Yes, sir, many times.” When Darcy looked up in amusement, Mercer reminded his master that he had driven a mail coach for many years before going into service.

“I had forgotten. So you had a lady friend at all of the coaching inns.”

“No, sir. Not at all of them.”

“And none of them ran you to ground?” Darcy asked, laughing.

“No, sir, because I had enough lady friends to know that I didn’t understand women and that was not likely to change. So I have been a bachelor for all of my forty-seven years.”

“Then you are as perplexed as I am. Does anyone truly understand females? The more I am in their company the less I know. Their behavior is the opposite of everything in the natural order and flies in the face of logic.”

“Sir, if you have any hope of understanding them, I’d suggest that you not put logic and ladies in the same sentence.”

Darcy finished his bath and went and sat in a chair near the fire and motioned for Mercer to sit down. As much as he loved Pemberley, he found it a lonely place when his sister was not with him. It would not be lonely if Elizabeth had accepted him. She would be here by his side.

Mercer understood that a good manservant was there mostly to listen, but he also knew there were times when the well-being of the master required some intervention.

“I seen that you had guests today, sir. I was unpacking your clothes when they come into the garden. I was watching the young lady with the dark hair and very entertaining she was. She took off her bonnet and threw it in the air and then started spinning ’round in circles. She put me in mind of that pretty young friend of the reverend’s wife who came to Rosings for dinner.”