Page 2 of Before She Knew Him

They continuedin this manner for perhaps another quarter of an hour, until she was called away by her relations. She excused herself, and he watched her depart with a reluctance he was not yet prepared to examine.

Fitzwilliam Darcy was unaccustomed to speaking so freely with young ladies. Indeed, he generally avoided them whenever courtesy permitted, yet he had conversed with this particular young woman with surprising ease.

It was evident that she had not passed through a Season. She was too unguarded—and not nearly practised enough in the calculated civility of fashionable society. Her dress suggested that she was a gentlewoman, though one accustomed to country society rather than the circles he encountered in Town.

Not that he ordinarily concerned himself with the quality of a lady’s gown. He was not entirely certain why he had noticed hers.

Whoever she was, she did not appear to belong to his usual sphere. Nevertheless, he had found their exchange remarkablyagreeable. Had he been pressed, he might even have admitted that he preferred it to the mindless conversations he endured in Town, amongst ladies and gentlemen alike.

Perhaps it was merely the novelty of speaking with someone who knew neither his name nor his consequence and who had addressed him as though he were simply a man.

The thought lingered as he left the gardens and made his way into the house.

He was met in the hall by Mr Reynolds, the butler and husband of Pemberley’s housekeeper, who informed him that visitors had arrived to view the house and grounds, and that Mrs Reynolds had undertaken to show them about once they returned indoors.

“It seems the young lady was particularly eager to walk out this morning, sir, and Mrs Reynolds thought it best to indulge her before bringing the party inside. The elder lady is the daughter of old Mr Robbins, formerly rector at Lambton.”

Darcy inclined his head slightly.

“Then we ought to invite them to take tea with us—or at least consider it. You may wish to consult my father. My mother would have done so, had she been here.”

Mr Reynolds bowed. “Very good, sir. I shall enquire of the master at once. You had best go upstairs and change; I am certain your valet is ready for you.”

Chapter Two

Elizabeth had been delighted with the grounds at Pemberley. Indeed, she could have happily foregone seeing the house entirely, so pleasantly had the last hour been spent wandering the various gardens that surrounded the estate.

During this trip with her aunt and uncle Gardiner, they had stopped at several great houses, but Pemberley was the first for which she had felt any true affinity, for it seemed to rise naturally from its surroundings, appearing to merely be a part of the scenery.

Regardless of her feelings in seeing yet another ‘grand house,’ her aunt and uncle did wish to see the interior, and Elizabeth had heard enough of the library to be curious. That alone rendered touring the inside appealing, even if she would not be permitted to peruse the shelves or take any volumes in hand, much less read from them. Elizabeth’s father had always encouraged her to read a great deal, and as a result, she positively adored books.

From the moment she met the housekeeper, Mrs Reynolds, she had been struck by the lady’s manner of speaking of thehouse and its grounds. It was almost as though the place were a character in a story, and Mrs Reynolds took evident pleasure in being the one entrusted to tell that story to those fortunate enough to visit.

They toured the lower rooms and were shown into several of the finer spaces reserved for guests. Pemberley was unquestionably a grand house—of that there could be no doubt—but unlike others they had visited, it felt not merely impressive, but inhabited.

“The Darcys have always been known as the best masters in the area,” Mrs Reynolds was saying, her tone warm with pride. “And they have done much to prove it, certainly in the two decades I have served here. The late mistress, Lady Anne Darcy, was everything lovely and kind, and she did much for the tenants. Her husband and son have done what they could since her death, but it is not the same as having a mistress in residence.”

Her voice was a little melancholy as it trailed off after this admission, and for a moment Elizabeth wondered how long it had been since she passed away. It was the second mention of that lady since she had been there, and it was obvious she had a lingering effect on everyone there.

The lady seemed to recall herself, for she returned to the topic at hand. “Still, there are rarely any vacancies in the tenant cottages here, and when one does become available, it is much sought after.”

Elizabeth listened with interest, noting the genuine affection in the housekeeper’s voice—not merely for the estate, but for its master and his family.

Her uncle asked a few questions, and at last they were shown into a long gallery on the upper floor. Many of the portraits depicted family members from decades—even centuries—past, but near the end of the gallery were several that were clearly of more recent date.

The first was a family portrait of the master and his late wife, painted, Elizabeth supposed, when they were newly married. There was something familiar in the gentleman’s countenance that struck her as odd, but she had no idea where she might have seen him before.

A moment later, another portrait drew her attention—and this time there was no uncertainty about its subject’s familiarity.

“He was not a gardener,” she whispered, the truth settling upon her all at once. A warm flush rose swiftly to her cheeks.

She had, in fact, spoken with Mr Darcy himself in the gardens—and he had answered her many questions without once correcting her.

He must have thought me exceedingly foolish.Mortified by the recollection, she was nevertheless unable to look away from the portrait for several moments.

Mrs Reynolds, observing her interest, came to stand beside her.

“Master Darcy is a fine gentleman, is he not?” she said kindly. “He is the very image of his father, and I have little doubt that, when the time comes, he will prove as good a master as any of those who came before him. Mr Darcy has raised him well, and both gentlemen are very fond of Miss Darcy—the young lady of the family.”