A Wife for Mr. Darcy

that their early arrival was due to the fact that they had not come from London.
    “After Mercer heard a noise he did not like, we stopped in Derby so that he could have a look at the undercarriage. We stayed with the Hulstons, and they send their regards. And where are our guests?”
    “Mr. Gardiner is still in his room. He has been out fishing every day, and I think he finally exhausted himself. He certainly exhausted Cubbins. Mrs. Gardiner and Mr. Ferguson have become the best of friends, and it is so very touching to see the two of them talking about plants and flowers. Since Mrs. Ferguson died, he has barely put two sentences together, but now the words are flowing.”
    “And Miss Elizabeth?”
    “I believe she is walking near the gazebo. I did not go out with her today because I was preparing for your arrival, but you have caught me unprepared.”
    “No worries, Georgie. We are here for the shooting. Continue to see to your guests as you have done all week, and Richard and I will take care of ourselves. Please excuse me, as I want to spend a few minutes with Mr. Aiken before I meet with Mr. Littlejohn.”
    Will was barely out the door when Georgiana turned to the colonel. “What news from London?” and Richard brought his cousin up to date on the unhappy Miss Montford, Georgiana’s equally miserable brother, and the plan he had put into action with Lord Fitzwilliam.
    “Oh dear! Are we seriously relying on Antony to solve our problems? He is usually the source.”
    “Georgie, you know he is an incurable gossip, and we are relying on him to do just that.”
    “And Will is agreeable to this plan?” When the colonel nodded, she said, “He must be desperate to be free of Miss Montford if he is deliberately involving Antony. Your brother gets under his skin like no other. When we were at the Clermont ball, Antony had a wager with Sir Edgar about the color of Lady Eleanor’s eyes and asked Will to settle the bet. Antony lost!”
    “Well, it has been awhile since they have been together—years in fact. But never mind that. If Antony performs as expected, your brother will be in his debt.”
    “He will not like that.”
    “But he is willing to do what he must to be rid of Letitia Montford in a manner that will not embarrass her.”
    “Which will free him to be with Elizabeth,” Georgiana said with a smile.
    “Exactly.”

After Darcy had finished meeting with his steward, he went to the stables with David and Goliath in lockstep behind him. While he waited for the gamekeeper, he asked Belling to bring out Macbeth, his favorite horse, but one who was starting to show his age. When he had left for town, the black stallion had been favoring his back leg.
    “He’s been treated royally, sir, and he’s got used to it. If he give you any trouble about being ridden, it’s because he don’t think he has to earn his keep no more.”
    Darcy smiled and then ran his fingers along the white blaze marking on his forehead, and after looking into his eyes, he saw that there was still a fire in them. He knew Macbeth had a lot more to give before being put out to pasture. Darcy had always been attracted to animals with spirit, and he had a good eye for it. David and Goliath had been the runts of the litter, but you would never know it from the way they ran at the bigger dogs, including his father’s Great Dane. The horses he loved the most were those who wanted to show him what they could do.
    As Belling took Macbeth’s tether from him, a splash of color at the top of the hill caught his eye, and he immediately recognized Elizabeth Bennet’s blue coat. It was the same one she had worn when she had walked to Netherfield to visit her ailing sister.
    “Sir, that lady is Miss Darcy’s friend, Miss Bennet,” Belling said, following his master’s gaze. “She walks up there every morning and usually runs down the hill going at a right good gait. She probably ain’t doing it today because of last night’s rain making the grass as slippery as ice. She’ll be coming this way because she gives Sugar a few carrots before going up to the house.” Before taking Macbeth back to his stall, Belling asked Mr. Darcy if he should send Cubbins to see what was keeping Mr. Littlejohn.
    “No, that is not necessary. I am in no hurry.”

    As much as Lizzy liked riding Sugar, walking remained her greatest pleasure, and she enjoyed walking to the top of the hill where a gazebo provided a vista of the surrounding countryside.