Chapter Text
“Miss Bennet?”
“Yes, Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth looked awkwardly over her shoulder to see her companion, whose horse was happily ambling several feet behind Nellie.
Due to the Bennet horse’s dratted love of sunshine, it was proving impossible to coax her onto the side of the road. Lizzie dug her heels in again and sighed and Nellie ignored her. The ride had been intended as a chance to allow Darcy and herself to speak in some privacy, but it seemed that he was doomed to spend all of it looking at the back of her bonnet.
Darcy said something else, but she could barely hear it. Twisting the reins in her hands, Lizzie grit her teeth and told herself that at least she was wearing a nice bonnet. It was so disheartening to be known for one’s conversation, and to be rendered mute!
“Thank you, Nellie.” she growled.
The horse whickered just as the road started to widen. In a rapid flurry of hoofbeats, Darcy was suddenly beside her. “I beg your pardon, Miss Bennet?”
“I did not say anything, sir.”
“I saw you speaking.”
“Yes, sir - to the horse! She will not heed me.”
Darcy smiled and quickly looked down to hide it. He did not want Miss Bennet to think he was mocking her. It was clear that she was already in a bad mood.
“Miss Bennet, we have sworn to be honest with each other, have we not?”
She looked suspiciously at him and slowed her horse. “We have.”
“And you understand that my opinions are not made with a desire to offend, but only to match that spirit of honesty?”
“I understand that your intention is sound, sir. But you often cause offence, regardless. Since you are speaking so formally of it, Mr. Darcy, then I imagine you have something to say which you are sure will cause a great deal of offence.”
“I am sure you will take offence. I…” he cleared his throat awkwardly, “I am preparing you for what I wish to say.”
“Apologising in advance, so to speak?”
“I do not need to apologise for anything.” Darcy drew himself up stiffly, and then saw the twinkle in her eye. He relaxed and gave her a rueful look.
“You are being rather too cautious, Mr. Darcy. Yes, I have a quick temper - but I know you better now than I did before, and will not fly at you without a large provocation. Is what you want to say likely to provoke me?”
“It may.” again, he hesitated, and then took the plunge: “It depends, madam, on how you feel about gifts.”
“Gifts! Why?” Elizabeth lowered her voice suspiciously, “Why do you think this will upset me, Mr. Darcy?”
“Because you have no skill at riding, Miss Bennet. I promised to be honest, and so there it is. You are not comfortable, and I do not think you have enjoyed a single second of this beautiful morning. It pains me to see it, for I know how you love to be outdoors.”
Elizabeth gaped at him, and then shook her head with a shocked laugh. “I do not think I understand you, Mr. Darcy. Is your assessment of my flaws meant as a gift?”
“No, but I intend to remedy them. I cannot do that without acknowledging the problem.”
“Remedy?”
“Yes. There is much enjoyment to be had in riding. I cannot allow you to plod miserably along on a horse that will not heed you. She would clearly prefer to be eating oats - and you, I suspect, would prefer to be on foot! No, madam, it shall not do. Tomorrow, when we ride, I shall bring Pearl with me.”
“Your sister’s horse?”
“No, madam. Your horse. I intend to give her to you.”
“I cannot accept her.” Elizabeth blurted out, her eyes huge with shock.
“I apologise, but I cannot allow you to refuse. The sight of you upon that nag is a dismal prospect. You made me promise to be honest, and this is the consequence: if I must wear a hat befitting my station, Miss Bennet, then you must ride a horse befitting yours.”
“No.” Lizzie struggled to find a reply. It was impossible to blush and politely demur, as a lady was supposed to. Not when Mr. Darcy turned generosity into an outright assault. “You know that she is too fine a gift. And may I remind you, sir, that Pearl is not yours to give away? She belongs to Miss Darcy!”
“I bought Pearl with my sister in mind, it’s true, but she suits you so well that I cannot part you. I can find other horses that Georgiana will love. You may help me look for one, if you like.”
Elizabeth was saved from having to invent a sensible reply by the chiming of the church bell. They had ridden nearly to the lych gate, and both jumped at the sudden shrill sound. Lizzie wondered how it was that so many miles had passed by unheeded, and why such a strong sound had been the only one to break them apart. When she was conversing with Mr. Darcy, it was as if the rest of the world faded into insignificance.
She blinked blearily at the church. As a child, she had loved coming here, looking at the old graves and imagining the people who had lived in Meryton centuries ago, trying to climb over the uneven stone wall to the town pond on the other side, hearing the sweet sound of the organ… yes, this had been a sanctuary. Now, when she looked at it, all she could think of was Mr. Collins.
He had already intruded upon her naivety, her hopes and her mother’s serenity. Must he now intrude upon her soul?
Seeing the darkening of Elizabeth’s eyes, Mr. Darcy clicked at his horse to move away. Nellie followed, docile and lazy, and they made their way out of the town in silence. It was only when the bells stopped ringing that he drew a breath.
“Miss Bennet, if you would rather I gave the horse to my sister, then I shall. I know that it is an imposition to…”
Lizzie laughed and shook her head, “An imposition? You have gone from being a poor man, Mr. Darcy, to being a rich man. Everyone believes you! You do not have to prove it by giving out expensive gifts.”
“It is no great expense.”
“The fact that you think that, Mr. Darcy, is precisely why your scheme was so utterly hopeless.” Elizabeth retorted, nudging Nellie into a faster pace. “If a man can cause outrage simply by concealing his fortune, what more do you think he can do by flaunting it?”
“I would not… that is to say, the expense does not matter. It is an appropriate gift, since we ride together.”
“The expense does matter! Either you know that, sir, and are ignoring it with your usual oblivious tact… or you have no idea what people will say. You are right back where you started, sir.”
“I am, however, rather better dressed.”
Elizabeth conceded his point with a wry laugh. Shaking her head, she finally surrendered: “I will accept, Mr. Darcy, on one condition: you must be the one to tell my mother about it. You can suffer her excitement, and convince her that you have no intentions towards anything other than my horsemanship. If that sounds like too alarming a prospect, sir, then you had better take Pearl to Pemberley tonight and forget the whole thing.”
“Your mother?” he asked, looking confused, “What does she have to do with it?”
“You must understand that your actions have consequences.” Elizabeth said tartly, “You will understand when you speak to her.”
“I do not understand, madam, why I am to receive instruction from you over something as simple as a gift.” he replied, irked. “Can I do nothing right? Is my every action to be scrutinised from now on?”
“Oh, yes.” Elizabeth said, smiling breezily at him, “That is what you asked for, after all.”