Falling at Pemberley Chapter 2

Two weeks ago I began posting my current WIP, which is only tentatively being called Falling at Pemberley. I’ve pretty much decided I’m not going to use that, but for the purposes of these posts, that’s what we’ll call it. If you have not read Chapter 1, click here. I will post Chapter 3 in 2 weeks, and then I will post every Monday. Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 2

Elizabeth’s frustration and annoyance with herself increased as they made their way to the infirmary room. Why did I have to look back at that portrait? Why was I so moved by it, as well as by Mrs. Reynolds’ words of approbation about him – about Mr. Darcy, of all men?

She dreaded what might happen if they could not return to the Lambton Inn and were still in Mr. Darcy’s home when he returned on the morrow. She shook her head and admonished herself to think of what was best for her uncle and not her unease.

Mrs. Reynolds joined them again as they continued towards the room. “We have sent for the doctor. Your driver has been apprised of the situation, and he will wait until we give him a report. I have asked the kitchen to prepare some food for you as I am certain you would like some refreshment at this hour.”

“Thank you, so much, Mrs. Reynolds,” Mrs. Gardiner said. “That is very kind of you. Perhaps you can dismiss the driver so he can return to the Lambton Inn. We can always summon him when we have need.”

Mrs. Reynolds nodded. “I shall send him back, but when you are ready to return to the inn, Pemberley’s carriage and driver will convey you there.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Gardiner said appreciatively.

After walking down a long hallway, Mrs. Reynolds stepped into one of the rooms and pulled back the coverlet of the bed. She stepped aside so Mr. Gardiner could be set down. Upon doing so, he let out another groan.

Mrs. Gardiner immediately went to his side. ”Just rest, dear. Now that you are in bed, try not to move until the doctor comes and determines what injuries you sustained and what can be done.”

“I do not think I am going anywhere for a while, as much as I would have enjoyed touring the grounds,” Mr. Gardiner said with a soft chuckle. “But I truly do not think anything is broken.”

Mrs. Gardiner went to the end of the bed and removed his shoes. “Only the doctor will be able to tell us that for a certainty, dear.”

Mrs. Reynolds extended her hand towards the west wall of the room. “I have readied the adjacent room for you and your niece if you wish to rest or if you are required to stay…”

“I am certain we shall be able to return to the inn,” Elizabeth interjected.

Mrs. Gardiner walked over to Elizabeth and took her hand. She then looked at the housekeeper. “Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds. I will let you know if we will have need of it.”

Mrs. Reynolds looked back at the door when a maid appeared. “Ah, here is Harriet with your food. I shall return shortly to see if there is anything else you need.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds. We appreciate everything you have done.” Mrs. Gardiner glanced at her husband who had closed his eyes and appeared to be resting.

The young maid, whose small round face was framed in beautiful copper curls, smiled nervously as she placed the tray on a table.

“Thank you,” Mrs. Gardiner said.

The young girl curtseyed and quickly backed out of the room.

Once she had stepped out, Elizabeth turned to her aunt. “I cannot believe what happened – that I did such a thing!” She looked at her in desperation. “What are we to do?”

“We are not going to do anything until the doctor sees Edmund,” her aunt replied. “I would not have you feeling uneasy about either the condition of your uncle or the possibility of encountering Mr. Darcy. I am certain that if he knew you were here, his thoughts would be on your uncle’s recovery more than any surprise or misgivings at finding you here.” She paused and then added with a smile, “Let us hold off our worrying until the doctor comes and tells us what is wrong and what is to be done for his recovery.”

“Pray, forgive me for my foolishness, Aunt. I truly am more worried about my uncle than encountering Mr. Darcy.” She only wished she could convince herself of that.

“And Lizzy, if we are required to stay, consider how much better care Edmund will receive here than if we were at the inn.” She let out a soft laugh. “Of my few friends still in Lambton, I doubt any of them would be able to provide the care we will receive here.”

“I am certain he will. I can readily see from what Mrs. Reynolds has said and done so far that she will do everything possible to aid in his recovery.” She did not add the lingering and distressing thought that the housekeeper would also certainly inform Mr. Darcy of the matter once he arrived!

“Why do you not go to the room next door and lie down, Lizzy. You look tired.”

“No, I am feeling well. What about you? If you are tired, I can certainly remain with my uncle while we wait for the doctor.”

“No, no. I plan to remain in the room with him. Even through the night I shall remain by his side.”

Elizabeth looked around. “But Aunt, the only other place to sleep in here is in the chair.”

Mrs. Gardiner chuckled. “Do not fret, my dearest. I have spent many a night in a chair when one of our children was ill. I shall sleep soundly – as long as he does.”

Elizabeth shook her head and looked down at her uncle’s sleeping face. “I am so sorry. I was not paying attention to where I was going back there.”

A knowing smile lit her aunt’s face. “If I am not mistaken, my dear, you seemed captivated by the portrait of Mr. Darcy.”

Elizabeth let out a forced laugh. “Hardly. He…” She drew in a rather shaky breath. “I was merely comparing the portrait to the man with whom I had become acquainted in Hertfordshire.”

“And what is your conclusion? Do you still find him insufferable?”

Elizabeth pursed her lips together as she considered her response. “He is… he is a complicated man, and I hardly know what to make of him anymore, especially after the housekeeper’s endless praise of him.”

“Mrs. Reynolds certainly gave us a very different report of him than I expected. Were you as surprised as I was?” Mrs Gardiner chuckled. “Or do you suppose she feels that she always has to speak respectfully of him? I imagine he would likely be displeased if he heard she had spoken ill of him.”

Elizabeth thought for a moment. “I believe there was truth in what she said, as she knows him better than any of us in Hertfordshire did.” She smiled weakly. “But I am also certain she is completely loyal to him and would not wish to sketch him in a bad light.”

“That is indeed possible.”  Her aunt paused and looked about her. “But tell me, Lizzy, do you not think it is a beautiful home? Every room we saw today was beautifully, yet tastefully, done. Perhaps living in such a place endears one to even the most disagreeable master.”

Elizabeth laughed softly. “Perhaps, but only because in living in such an immense home there would be a high probability of seldom encountering that disagreeable master in the course of the day.”

Mrs. Gardiner tilted her head at her niece and smiled.

The two ladies quietly ate some of the food that had been brought to them, but after a few bites, Elizabeth shook her head. “I fear I have no appetite. While everything is delicious, I am just not hungry.” She placed a small biscuit back on her plate and picked up her tea, bringing it with her to the window to look out. “The grounds are beautiful. I wish we could have seen them.”

“Perhaps we will still get the opportunity to do so.”

As Elizabeth continued to gaze out, Mrs. Reynolds returned and inquired how they were faring and whether they had need of anything else.

“We are doing well,” Mrs. Gardiner said. “Everything was delicious. Thank you.”

“Shall we remove the tray?” she asked.

“No, my husband has been asleep this whole time. He might like something to eat when he wakens.”

“Of course. I shall return once the doctor has come.” Mrs. Reynolds turned to leave, but Elizabeth stopped her.

“Mrs. Reynolds, would it be possible for me to take a turn about the grounds?” Looking to her aunt, she asked, “Aunt, would you mind? There is nothing I can do here.” She knew if they were to remain and Mr. Darcy returned on the morrow, she would not feel free to stroll about the grounds. This might prove to be her only opportunity to do it without a sense of trepidation.

“Oh, by all means!” Mrs. Reynolds waved for her to follow her. “Come. I shall show you the most direct way out through the courtyard.”

“I thank you.” Elizabeth turned to her aunt. “You do not mind, do you?”

“Not at all, Lizzy, You go on and enjoy yourself.”

Elizabeth picked up her bonnet and put it on as she followed Mrs. Reynolds down the hall and along a small passage, leading to a door.

“This door leads out to the courtyard. Walk out towards the right, and you will see the lake before you. There are some small gardens in front of the manor, and there is a rose garden beyond those. But in the other direction, you will see a path that follows the stream leading into the woods. I would not stray too far, for it is easy to become lost if you are unfamiliar with the grounds.”

“Thank you. I shall take care.” Elizabeth stepped out and took in a deep breath of the fresh air as she looked about. She wished she could become more familiar with the place – both the house and the grounds, but that could never be. That would mean becoming more familiar with the Master of Pemberley, and she had great doubts that would ever happen.

She walked out of the courtyard and saw the pristine blue lake ahead, just as Mrs. Reynolds had said. When she had first seen it from the road, the majesty of Pemberley – both the manor itself and the towering trees – had been reflected in its waters. That had been all she had been able to see. Now, however, she noticed the sparkling colours of turquoise, blue, and silver rippling across the surface, stirred by a gentle breeze. It looked very inviting on this warm summer day, and she hurried down to it.

A bench was situated directly in front of her at the lake’s edge, and she briefly considered sitting down to enjoy the view when she spied the path that Mrs. Reynolds had mentioned. A small bench was on the other side of the stream, which Elizabeth realized would give a lovely view of the house and grounds.

The stream was not wide and did not look very deep, but Elizabeth determined it would be best not to attempt to cross it. While there were several rocks that she could use to hop across, the last thing she needed was to fall in.

As she debated what to do, she looked down the stream and saw a small stone bridge that arched across it. “That looks like a less treacherous way to get to the other side,” she said with a laugh.

She set off for the bridge and when she reached it, she quickly walked to its centre, stopping to look down from either side of the bridge into the stream. The bridge was shaded by mature oak trees, and a mild cooling breeze ruffled both the leaves on the trees and the ribbon ties beneath her chin.

She reached up to untie and remove her bonnet, holding onto it as she braced her hands on the wall of the bridge. She took in a deep breath and looked about her. It was beautiful.

“It is too bad its owner would never approve of my being here!” She let out a nervous laugh but felt a surprising sense of regret.

An unexpectedly strong gust of wind almost snatched the bonnet from her hand, and she quickly reached out to secure it, catching it on the edge of her fingers. As she did, however, the sight of movement drew her attention, and she looked up to see a gentleman cross the stream as he jumped from rock to rock, the very same thing she had earlier pondered doing.

She stiffened and gasped when she realized it was Mr. Darcy! The only thing she could think to do was to duck behind the wall of the bridge, but as she did, the wind pulled the bonnet out from her fingers. She felt around the rocky crevices for it, but to no avail. It was gone!

She slowly lifted her head to cautiously peer over. She watched Mr. Darcy agilely continue across the stream, as if it was something he had done all his life. Fortunately he was facing away from her, obviously headed towards his home.

But just as that reassuring thought crossed her mind, he turned to brush something off the bottom of his boots. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw her bonnet floating in the current of the stream towards him, and just as suddenly, he hopped back across two rocks to pick it up. When he lifted his head and looked in her direction, she ducked beneath the wall again.

Elizabeth felt a surge of anxiety course through her, even down to the tips of her fingers. She held her breath and closed her eyes, much as a child would, thinking it would prevent her from being seen if he approached. Her heart pounded as she feared he would seek out the source of the errant bonnet; it was possible he had already seen her. As she waited, crouched in hiding, she wondered how long she ought to remain out of sight and contemplated how she was going to return to the house without his seeing her.

She gave her head a shake, her loose curls tickling her face. Now that he had returned a day earlier, the odds of his seeing her were much greater. She sat with her back against the stone wall and brought up her hand and began to nervously twist a curl around her finger. If only she could summon up the nerve to face him, yet she could not even imagine what she would say to him now.

She slowly rose and looked for him. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he had set out towards the front of the manor. Having lost her bonnet and the ability to shield her face, she began to walk quickly with her head bowed. She was grateful when he was finally out of sight, and even more so when she entered the protecting walls of the courtyard. She would not rest easily, however, until she was secluded in the room.

“Or back safely ensconced at the Lambton Inn!” she whispered in a trembling voice.

Once inside, she went directly to her uncle’s room. She stepped in, dishevelled, out of breath, and her pulse racing.

“You have returned,” her uncle said.

“And you have awakened,” she said as she leaned over and kissed him. “How do you feel?”

“I have certainly felt better,” he said with a small smile.

“I am so sorry,” she said.

He waved his hand weakly. “I am certain a large part is due to my getting older.” He shook his head with a smile. “There is no denying it.”

“You are not old, Uncle.” Elizabeth drew in a breath, wiping her brow with the back of her hand.

“Lizzy, it appears as though you did not have a restful walk.”

“No, Aunt, I did not. The most dreadful thing…”

“What is it?” Mrs. Gardiner’s eyes widened, and she abruptly stood up.

“Mr. Darcy has returned! He has arrived a day earlier than expected!”

“So you have seen him? Was he understanding? I am certain he was, and now you know you had no reason to worry about his seeing you.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “He did not see me.” She walked to the chair on the far side of her uncle’s bed, sat down, and briefly told them what had happened.

When she had finished reciting the events, they again reassured her that she had no need to worry about what he would think if he found her at Pemberley.

Elizabeth gave them both a forced smile and eagerly changed the subject. “Has the doctor arrived?”

“Not yet,” Mrs. Gardiner replied. “I expect he will be here soon.” She clasped her hands and smiled weakly. “At least I hope so. Despite your uncle’s levity, his pain is unrelenting.”

Mr. Gardiner let out a moan of protest, and Elizabeth reached for his hand. She leaned over to kiss her uncle’s cheek, and when they heard the sound of footsteps drawing near, Elizabeth looked up at her aunt with a smile. She was about to express her gratitude for the prompt arrival of the doctor, when she heard a voice more clearly.

“Mrs. Reynolds, can you tell me how it happened?”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened, and she sent her aunt a helpless glance. “Oh, no! This is dreadful!”

“What is it, Lizzy?”

“It is Mr. Darcy!” she exclaimed in a hushed tone.

“Mr. Darcy?” Mrs. Gardiner whispered back. “Are you certain?”

“Yes!” she answered softly.

Mrs. Gardiner turned towards the door, and when she looked back, her niece was no longer there.

Without thinking, Elizabeth dropped to the floor on the other side of the bed. She could see just enough under the bed to have a view of the floor by the doorway. Her heart beat thunderously as she saw the small shoes of Mrs. Reynolds appear, followed by a pair of gentleman’s boots. She closed her eyes to say a prayer that she would not be discovered.

“He is in here, Mr. Darcy,” Mrs. Reynolds said softly.

Elizabeth’s every muscle tensed as she watched and listened.

“Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, do you mind if we come in? Mr. Darcy arrived a day early, and when I told him what had happened, he wished to come immediately to be introduced and see how you were doing.”

“Certainly,” Mrs. Gardiner replied. “Please, do come in.” Her voice wavered a little. “My husband has been resting.”

Mrs. Reynolds performed the obligatory introductions.

Mrs. Gardiner curtseyed while her husband gave a nod of his head. He added with a smile, “Pray forgive me for not bowing, sir, but I fear I would not be able to bring myself back up if I did.”

“I certainly understand. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances, although…” Darcy paused. “I regret the circumstances. I am very sorry about the accident today.”

“An unfortunate tumble, but I hope my husband will improve soon,” Mrs. Gardiner replied.

“Mr. Darcy, it is a pleasure to meet you, as well.” Mr. Gardiner’s tone was very sincere, and Elizabeth surmised he was making every attempt not to display the pain he was experiencing. “We thought you were not to arrive until the morrow.”

“I had planned to arrive tomorrow, but I received word of a rather urgent matter that brought me home a day early.”

“I see,” he said. “We are sorry for any inconvenience we have been to the staff, sir, but they have been most attentive and helpful.”

“Trust me, it is no inconvenience.”

Mrs. Gardiner smiled. “Mr. Darcy, I grew up in Lambton and heard much praise for your parents when I was younger. We appreciate everything Mrs. Reynolds and your staff have done.” She smiled. “We have now experienced first-hand that same goodness that I had often heard spoken about.”

“I am glad to hear that. We will do all we can for your husband. If there is anything you require, please feel free to ask.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I understand your niece is also here. Does Miss Gardiner have need of anything?” Darcy asked.

There was a slight pause, and Elizabeth drew in a breath and held it as she waited for her aunt’s response, fearing her aunt would wish to correct him.

“Hm? Oh, my niece. She is…” Mrs. Gardiner abruptly stopped. “Thank you, sir, for your generosity, but I believe we have everything we need for the moment.”

“Good. I can assure you my housekeeper will continue to look after you. I can recollect times when I was ill as a boy that Mrs. Reynolds did everything in her power to care for me. There is none like her.”

“I only try to do what is necessary and what will help,” Mrs. Reynolds said warmly. “Back then, it also helped that he was such a good patient. He never complained and was always cooperative and very appreciative.”

Everyone laughed, except Elizabeth. She had her eyes fixed on their feet. Mr. Darcy appeared to step forward slightly, and she hugged herself to the floor and closer to the bed, hoping he could not see her. She felt rather silly and could not imagine the further mortification she would feel if he found her hiding from him on the floor.

“Just ring for one of the servants if you have need of anything, and someone will come directly.” Mrs. Reynolds nodded her head towards the door. “Harriet will be available to be at your beck and call.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Gardiner said.

“I shall leave you now. I have guests arriving on the morrow and need to meet with my steward.” He turned to Mr. Gardiner. “I hope you get a good report from the doctor and have a swift recovery.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Elizabeth waited until she was certain Mr. Darcy and his housekeeper were gone, and she slowly peeked over the side of the bed. “Oh, Aunt! This is dreadful! How will I rest knowing he is here? I have almost encountered him two times in less than an hour. How shall I ever keep him from seeing me here?”

Mrs. Gardiner walked over and took her niece’s hand, helping her up. “Lizzy, I doubt that he will feel a need to pay another visit to the sick room, especially as he is readying for his guests. He has left your uncle in the capable hands of Mrs. Reynolds, and he fully trusts her good judgement. There is no need to fret.”

Elizabeth drew in a breath and let it out through her teeth. “Thank you for not revealing my real name.”

“Oh, I almost did, did I not?” Mrs. Gardiner chuckled. “I could have sworn I heard you gasp, and it brought me to my senses.”

“Hopefully he did not hear me or see me!” She sat in the chair and shook her head. “What a predicament I have caused.”

Mr. Gardiner watched the interaction between his wife and his niece, and at length he said with a laugh, “If I had been thinking more clearly, I might have given the man who insulted my niece a piece of my mind!” He looked at her and smiled. “What did he say? You were not handsome enough to tempt him?”

Elizabeth felt her face warm. “Something to that effect.”

“Would you not have taken great delight in watching me give him what he is due regarding that slight?”

“I would take no delight in such a thing, Uncle, and you had better not say anything of the sort to him!”

Her uncle laughed, and then stiffened with pain. “You are serious about this, are you not, Lizzy?”

“Yes, I am,” she said softly as she watched her aunt and uncle eye each other. “And while we are here, do not forget that my name is Miss Gardiner.”

“As you wish, Miss Gardiner,” her uncle said with a smile.

Chapter 3