Page 51 of Without Pride and Prejudice
“Uh, no.” I could only imagine the gossip at Lucas Lodge and in town. Mrs. Bennet was sure to add to it soon enough. “I was going for a walk in the ...” I scanned the area quickly and pointed across the lane. “In the orchards.” The leaves were just turning to shades of yellow and orange.
She approached me and strung her arm through mine. “I will join you. We have much to talk about.”
As much as I wished to clear my head, this was probably a good thing, seeing as I had no idea where I was going. Maybe this way I could covertly ask how to walk to town or, you know, Netherfield, for when Jane fell ill there. That would still happen, right? I wanted those days to spend with Mr. Darcy, getting to know him better, and okay, maybe to vex Caroline Bingley, just a little. That desire was more because she looked like Lady Winnifred than because of her rudeness toward me, which I knew didn’t make any sense—but then, none of this did.
“Mr. Darcy honored you last night. You are the only lady he danced with.” She didn’t sound jealous, merely curious. I was sure it was odd that I’d received the attention. Nowhere in thebook did it talk about Lizzy having any attachments prior to Mr. Darcy.
“It was unexpected.” Like the biggest shock of my life, right after who the mother turned out to be inHow I Met Your Mother.
“Mr. Bingley’s sisters seemed much surprised by it. I overheard them saying that he had not meant to dance at all except with those in his party. Just as you surmised,” she added, but thankfully didn’t ask me to explain how I had known. “Although he did not dance with either Miss Bingley or Mrs. Hurst. Curious, is it not?” She gave me a sly grin, obviously hoping for me to divulge my feelings on the matter.
I took a moment to respond, listening to the crunch of the rocks beneath our feet. The leather half boots I wore weren’t all that comfortable, and I had to walk with care. What I wouldn’t give for a little arch support. But how could I complain when I was at Longbourn? The picturesque countryside, with rolling hills dotted by a few cottages, was everything I’d imagined it would be. The gardens boasted roses and stems of hollyhocks that had probably bloomed with vibrant colors earlier in the year.
Hollyhocks covered Fitz’s estate every spring and summer. I loved how many hummingbird hawk-moths they attracted, and was probably overly giddy about it for Fitz’s taste, though he never complained about how often I extolled the magic of the graceful insects. I missed my best friend.
“That is odd. I wonder what changed his mind,” I responded, hoping to stave off the emotions swelling inside me regarding Fitz. It was weird to think that Charlotte would probably be my BFF here, emphasis on theforeverpart if I was D-E-A-D. Did that mean I should invite her over for tea and to embroider a pillow together?
“Oh, Lizzy, do not be so modest.”
“I assure you, it is not modesty.” The man was supposed to have snubbed me in a big, big way. “Although—” I grinned, feeling as if I should tell her the news of this morning before Lady Lucas did. “An invitation to dine at Netherfield tomorrow arrived at breakfast for Jane and me.”
Charlotte gasped. “Will the gentlemen be there?”
I nodded. “I believe so.”
“My advice to you, Lizzy, is to remember that in nine cases out of ten, a woman had better showmoreaffection than she feels.” Was that her catchphrase? She’d said the same thing to Elizabeth regarding Jane.
I wanted to tell her that was terrible advice, but she went on to say, “Women must always help men on in these matters.”
I giggled, even though I didn’t mean to. Not to say men couldn’t be dense in matters of the heart, but women could be too. Look at me. My best friend had supposedly been pining for me for years, and I hadn’t had a clue. Then again, he had hidden it well.
Thankfully, Charlotte didn’t take offense. “Lizzy, I am being practical. Mr. Darcy is a man of fashion and wealth.”
“But we know nothing of his character yet,” I said smartly, even though I knew darn well that he was a man of noble character.
Charlotte leaned into me. “True, but as far as I can tell, happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.”
It was no wonder that she ended up married to a man she obviously didn’t care for. I was familiar with her story, but to experience it all firsthand had me feeling very sorry for her, and for a moment I forgot to play along with the story. “Charlotte,” I said affectionately. “Happiness in marriage and life is a matter of choice.”
She blinked as if I were speaking a foreign language. “Our circumstances limit our choices, dear Lizzy,” she reminded me.
I could hear the heartbreak in her voice, which in turn broke my heart. I wanted to give her options, but how did I do that? There I went again, trying to fix things.
While we walked toward the orchard, I tried my best to avoid thinking of ways to find some single handsome men with excellent character whom I could introduce to Charlotte. But the fixer in me couldn’t help it. It was ridiculous, of course. Especially considering I didn’t really know anyone here. I wasn’t really Elizabeth Bennet, and Jane Austen would probably roll over in her grave if she could hear my thoughts.
“I do believe, though, that you will have a choice, Lizzy.” She pointed to a man trotting our way on a fine steed. And by man, I meanthe man. What was it about a man on a horse in a cravat and coat? Oh, baby, come to Mama.Do not say that out loud,I reminded myself, but smiled because I totally would have said it out loud to Fitz. You know, if he hadn’t been a jerk. But back to reality, I mean my dream, or fantasy, or ... my afterlife. What was Mr. Darcy doing here? We were way, way off script. I wanted to yell out that it wasn’t my fault this time.
Mr. Darcy edged his horse forward at a faster pace until he reached us. My heart leaped. Every time I was near him, it was like having a missing piece of myself returned to me.
Mr. Darcy lowered his head in a slight bow upon his arrival. “Miss Bennet, Miss Lucas.”
“Mr. Darcy,” I said so breathily, I sounded like a fangirl. Okay, I was a fangirl.
Charlotte nudged me in anI told you sosort of way.
“We are walking,” I said lamely, flustered by his presence. “I like to walk,” I added, because I liked to make things as awkward as humanly possible.
Mr. Darcy dismounted his horse in a swift, sexy move. “I wonder if I might join you.” He was all confidence—just like you-know-who.
