A Wife for Mr. Darcy

well to be a Tory, he remains a Whig. And speaking of wilderness, that is where the Whigs will be for years to come, and when the Prince of Wales ascends to the throne, Darcy will not profit, as he has made it known that he disapproves of the size of the prince’s allowance. He speaks his mind but, as I said, at a cost.”
    “Yes, he does speak his mind. I was on the receiving end of it when we first met at an assembly. He mentioned within my hearing that as far as my beauty was concerned he found me merely tolerable and not handsome enough to tempt him to dance.”
    “Good grief! Even for Darcy, that is a bit much.”
    “Yes, but the next day, he came to my home to apologize, and it has become something of a joke for us.”
    “I can assure you, Miss Bennet, that Mr. Darcy now finds you to be much more than tolerable.”
    “So he has said on occasion. How much farther is it to the path to the cave?”
    “The trail will narrow shortly, and then we will need to walk from there,” and he thought that Darcy had better move quickly. Time was running out, and he was in danger of losing the girl.

It was an easy ride to the trailhead, allowing Lizzy to take in the vista spread wide before her. She had visited many beautiful places in England, but there was something about the rugged beauty of the Peak District that enthralled her. Man’s hand was less evident here, and it was Nature stripped to its essentials that she found so compelling.
    Accompanying the foursome was a lad of little more than ten. “This young man is Ben Avery, Ellie’s brother,” Darcy said by way of introduction. “He has been given the important job of carrying the torch when we go into the cave.” After tousling the boy’s hair and sending him on his way, Darcy shared with Elizabeth that Pemberley was awash in Averys. “In addition to Ellie, there is a sister who is a maid, their cousin John was one of the footmen who played the fiddle last night, and you practically trip over Averys when you are in the stables or carriage house. However, I imagine having an unlimited supply of Averys will soon change as a flannel manufactory has opened nearby, and one groom has already resigned his position to go to work there. But I believe in progress, and the factory will provide much needed jobs for those in the Derwent Valley.” He then pointed in the direction of the path. “But please allow me to go ahead of you.”
    “Do you feel safe with me walking behind you, Mr. Darcy, on such a narrow path and on an incline?” After seeing how he had acted with Ben, her heart had warmed, and she felt the beginning of a thaw.
    “Perfectly safe, Miss Elizabeth, as there are too many witnesses about,” and he returned her smile.
    It was good to see Elizabeth smile because the whole idea of his coming to Pemberley had been a total disaster. Darcy could not even remember the reasoning behind it. It would have been better if he had remained in London, dealt with Miss Montford, and rode posthaste to Pemberley to be with Elizabeth. Instead, he found himself starring in a bad play with no third act.
    And why had he thought it was a good idea to go to a cave? Instead of slip-sliding his way through a wet cavern, his preference would have been to stroll a woodland path. Better yet, he would take Elizabeth’s hand, walk into the woods, make a bed of leaves, and make love to her. Of course, such a thing only occurred at night—every night—as he lay awake in his bed. In his imaginings, Elizabeth and he had made love in every room at Pemberley, and their lovemaking had now moved to the gardens.
    When they arrived at the mouth of the cave, Darcy handed each of the ladies their farmer’s hat, and Georgiana and Lizzy broke into giggles at the sight of the horrid things.
    “Georgiana, all I can say is that I hope the hat looks better on me than it does on you.”
    “Sorry, Lizzy, but you are no example of haute couture either.”
    While the ladies were laughing, Darcy and the colonel decided how best to proceed.
    “Fitzwilliam, you go first, followed by Miss Elizabeth, and then…”
    “I am not going first, Darcy. I am the tallest. The last time I went into that cave, I got a nasty scratch from one of those calcium icicles. I suggest you go first, and if you bump your head, I will know where to duck. Miss Bennet should follow you, then Georgie, and I will protect the rear.”
    “Protect the rear? From what? Wayward sheep? Never mind. Let us