Imperative: Volume 2, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (18 page)

“Well for heaven’s sake, tell me one!”  She poked his side and he laughed.

“I thought of bringing my boys here, like Father did with me, and taking them fishing in the sea.”  Elizabeth kissed his cheek and he smiled.  “It will be many years from now, I know, but I am in no hurry.”

“Truly?”  She looked down.

“Truly.  Waiting for them only gives me more time alone with you.”  He kissed her gently.  “Do you know what else I thought about?”

“I cannot imagine.”  Elizabeth saw the twinkle in his eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Ah, now that is where you are wrong, this is just the sort of thing you can imagine.”  He nodded out to the ships on the horizon.  “I thought of being a ship’s captain.”  The peals of laughter only grew louder with his stare.  “What exactly is so amusing about that?”

“Fitzwilliam!  You have already admitted to me that you grew ill on the passage to Ireland!  How could you possibly be a captain?”  When disappointment crossed his brow she traced the crease that appeared, “You are two much of a visionary to be set adrift at sea.”

“I was going to be on a ship, not clinging to a raft.”  He kissed her smiling lips.  “Visionary?” 

“mmmhmm.”  Elizabeth bit her lip as his shyness reappeared.  “We have not talked of it for so long, we have not really had the opportunity, but I remember everything that you told me about your hopes and dreams for our future, and for our children, and the changing world.” 

“You were listening.” 

“You were willing to tell me, of course I listened.  Your respect breeds mine.”  They looked down at their hands clasped together, “We lost our way for a little while.” 

“I think that we are better for it, though.”  Darcy looked up to her and their eyes met.  “I love you.” 

“I love you, Will.”  Elizabeth blushed under his warm gaze and shook her head.  “Oh, why are we in such an inconvenient spot?  Why can we not be lost in a field of heather on a warm day?”

Letting go, he jumped down from the curricle and grabbing her waist, swung her down to the ground with a beaming smile.  “You need to experience the beach.” 

“I do not believe that is quite the setting I was imagining . . . for the activity I was imagining.”

Chuckling, he took her hand firmly in his.  “I did not think so; however . . . you need to experience this as well.”  Following a well-worn path they stepped out onto the soft sand.  “Careful, it is easy to lose your footing here.” 

They made their way down to the hard sand on the edge of the water.  Elizabeth gathered up her skirts and the waves lapped against her boots.  “Just listen.”  He whispered, standing behind her and holding her waist.  They looked out at the waves while sea birds careened and shrieked overhead.  She leaned back against the solid warmth of his body, and closed her eyes, concentrating on the sound of the waves.  It was hypnotic, the rush of the water moving forward, and then rushing back out.  She felt a steady rhythm to it; sometimes it came gently, sometimes in a great thrust as the water penetrated deeply over the beach, then with a great groan withdrew, only to flow forward again, over and over. 

Darcy felt her body melting into him and tenderly kissed her throat.  “Do you feel what I do, love?”  His warm breath caressed her ear as his hips moved against her bottom in time with the water. 

“Yes.”  Elizabeth whispered.

“You feel so very relaxed.” 

“Thank you for bringing me here.”  She looked up to his warm and darkened eyes. 

He smiled, and letting go, he clasped her hand in his.  Darcy looked at their entwined fingers and back up to her.  “I cannot imagine bringing another.”  He raised their hands to his lips and kissed her fingers.  “Walk with me, love.” 

Chapter 7

D
arcy sat up on his horse and watched Ferguson direct his men.  They were tying ropes onto the tree that had swept down the raging torrent and attaching them to the harnesses on the enormous plough horses.  As soon as the animals felt the weight, they began straining forward, and the men barely jumped out of the way before they took off.  “Whoa!”  The ploughman cried, bringing the horses to an abrupt stop.  He spat and said something softly to them before addressing Ferguson, “Should have used the donkeys, sir.” 

“No, they are too soft, they haven’t done anything all winter.”  He looked to Darcy who nodded without taking his eyes off the men working the tree loose with long poles. 

“Keep a hold of those reins; I do not want to see anyone injured for this.” 

Hearing Darcy’s command, the ploughman looked backwards and spoke again to his stamping and snorting horses.  Behind him the men managed to move the tree a fraction from the rock where it was wedged and jumped out of the way as the ploughman whistled and the horses strained forward.  With a crack, the tree was pulled from the river, instantly removing the dam that had formed as more debris piled up against it.  The men cheered and the team came to a stop some fifty yards away.

“There you go, sir.”  Ferguson nodded and watched the men jumping back down the bank, pulling out the rest of the bushes, branches and mess that had impeded the river’s flow.  “This will make the mill owners happy downstream.”

Darcy’s gaze went up and down the now placid river, and turning back to the spot where the tree had come to a rest, thought of Elizabeth’s teary reaction to seeing where she may have landed.  “This is surely not the only problem area.  That stone bridge going in towards the village must have caught its share.” 

“Aye, but this is the only spot on Sommerwald’s land.”  Ferguson turned to his master and seeing his eyes closed looked back to the working men.  “I was going to tell them they could take the wood for their own use?”

“That is fine, Ferguson.”  Darcy said quietly and cleared his throat.  “Would you like to take on a larger estate?  One with far more importance?”

“I know you cannot be speaking of Pemberley, sir.”  Ferguson laughed.  “Barnes is firmly entrenched there.”

“I think that a duel would have to be fought for you to take him away, and then you would have his assistants taking you on for the job if you won.”  Darcy smiled when Ferguson grinned.  “No . . . would you like the challenge of reviving two estates in deep trouble?”

“Two?”  He stroked his jaw.

“The first is a small place, about half the size of Sommerwald; the second belongs to an earl, both in Derbyshire, both within thirty miles of Pemberley.”  Darcy watched him thinking.  “Colonel Fitzwilliam’s father is the earl in question.” 

“Matlock.”  Ferguson nodded.  “I like the colonel, sir, but . . . I would be working for his father, and then his brother.”

“Naturally.”  Darcy rubbed his horse’s neck.  “Interesting how you put the blame on the earl rather than your fellow steward.”  He saw Ferguson’s mouth open.  “Of course, ultimately that is correct. The steward can only do as the master allows, and I will not lie, you would be working for the man who allowed his properties to decline to such a state that his current staff cannot help.  They need to move on and some new authority must be put in place.” 

“But would they respect me?  I am not yet thirty.” 

“Neither am I, and look at me.”  Smiling, Darcy looked around the property.  “Well, I promised the colonel that I would ask, and I did.  I am pleased that you prefer to stay here.”

“Is that what I said, Mr. Darcy?”  Ferguson laughed and climbed upon his horse.  “I suppose that it was.”

“Perhaps when there is someone new in charge of the estates you would consider the position?” 

“And who would take on Sommerwald?”  Ferguson’s gaze took the same sweeping path that Darcy’s had.  “It cannot go to just anybody, sir.”  The men exchanged glances.  “I cannot say enough what a pleasure it has been to have the master here on site.  You are invested in the land, you care about every tree and every tuft of wool being gathered in that shed.”  He pointed to the busy area where the sheep shearing had begun.  “No man leasing the property will ever do that.  He just wants to go after the game manager and ask why the coveys are empty.” 

“Is Walker so bad?”  Darcy’s brow creased.  “Perhaps I should not renew his lease?”

“I’m just venting a little steam, Mr. Darcy.  You have a good tenant who pays on time; I have no business complaining of him, even if they do walk around town as if this was their birthright.”  Darcy’s eyes narrowed and Ferguson nodded off in the distance.  “There’s Mrs. Darcy coming back from her stroll.”

They watched Elizabeth climbing over a stile and jumping from the last step, then looking down at her skirt and shaking her head.  “My wife does not stroll, Mr. Ferguson.”  He said with a chuckle as she lifted her feet to look at her boots.   Nodding his head to the steward, he nudged his horse forward.  “Carry on.” 

The horse broke into a full run and Ferguson watched as Darcy expertly leapt over a stone wall and rode up to his wife.  “Where are you two off to now?”  He smiled and hearing the sound of his men at work, returned to the job at hand. 

“Look before you leap, love.”  Darcy called when he walked up to her.

“Oh, hush.”  Elizabeth admonished and sat down on the stile.  “It is just a little . . . more mud.”

“Judy must curse you under her breath whenever you come in.”  He glanced at the muddy boot peeking out from under her equally muddy petticoat.

Elizabeth stuck out her foot and twisted it around.  “It is hardly my fault that your ancestors chose to build a home in a bog.” 

“It is a fen.”

“I am not arguing semantics with you, Fitzwilliam.” 

“What shall you argue with me?”  He saw her eyes dance and smiled, then turning in his saddle, looked around the empty field.  “What did you do with Daisy?” 

She stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Why are you not asking what did Daisy do with me?”

“Very well, then?”  Crossing his arms he looked down at her.  “What did that docile mare do to you?  I left you walking her in circles when I went to speak to Ferguson.  Now you are without your mount and muddy.”  His eyes widened.  “She did not throw you!”

“No.”  Elizabeth sighed.  “I urged her to jump over a little hedge over there.” 

He stared.  “
JUMP
!  Elizabeth Darcy!  You barely know how to canter!” 

“It was just a little hedge, only a foot high!   It is your fault, you put me on a horse and now I want to . . .” Darcy’s unrelenting stare did not waver for a second.  “I know that you want me to join you on a hunt, and obviously I will not be joining you today, but I thought about ways that I could become comfortable with the skills involved . . .” Darcy still did not say a word and she drew a breath, “I thought that it would be good practice to beat you in a race.”  His mouth dropped open and then a snort was followed by a full-out guffaw.  “What is so funny?”  Elizabeth demanded.

“You.  Beat
me
?”  He beamed.  “That is rich.”

Her eyes narrowed, “oooooh that just inspires me to do it!”

“By jumping over a hedge?”  He looked to the spot where she had pointed.  “A little hedge?  That is a barely a bush.  Daisy could have tripped over that.”

Elizabeth ignored her amused husband.  “I thought that it could be a steeplechase . . .”

“An obstacle course?  Did I mention that you cannot canter?  And by the way, WHERE is your mount?”

“I saw her running to the stables.”   Elizabeth picked at her skirt and started smoothing it.  Darcy read the signal of her discomfort and tilted his head. 

“And how precisely did you come to be off Daisy?”

“I . . . You will think this is silly.”

“Of that I have no doubt, but please, enlighten me.”  His eyes were twinkling as her cheeks flushed brighter. 

“I dismounted to show Daisy how easy the jump is . . .”

“Dare I ask how?” 

“I jumped over it for her.” 

“Lord, help me.”  Darcy determinedly bit the inside of his mouth to stop from grinning too widely.  “And . . .”

“She ran away.”  Elizabeth raised her eyes only to find his lips pressed tightly together and his eyes squeezed shut.  “Will?”  Finally a great snort exploded from him and he laughed, long and hard. Elizabeth punched him in the thigh. “I did not think it was
that
amusing!”

“It is, love, it is.”  Chuckling, he rubbed his leg and then held out his hand.  “Come on.” 

“Where?”

“With me.”  Their eyes met.   Elizabeth stepped up on the stile and with his help, easily swung on to sit behind him.  The horse moved about unhappily as she centred her weight.  He looked back and she smiled ruefully.  “I was hoping to impress you, not make you laugh.”

“I love a laugh.”  His lips twitched.

“Ha!”  She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed.

“Richard convinced Daisy to jump . . .”

“Of course he did.”  Elizabeth sighed and rested her cheek against his back.  “I can only convince her to run off.”    

“That is not true; you did very well riding into Castle Douglas last week.  Little steps dear, preferably with you
on
the horse.” Darcy looked over his disappointed wife and his gaze rested upon her bonnet.   “You know, we never did buy you that new hat.  And you need some new shoes to replace the ones that the river swallowed.”

She looked up to him, “Are you seriously speaking of shopping, Mr. Darcy?  I hope that it is not in some misguided attempt to appease me.”

“I will not even address that question.  Tomorrow we will go, and
that
will give you proper practice for your riding.” 

“Oh,” Biting her lip, she saw one blue eye watching her.  She smiled a little and gently turned his head so that he was facing forward.  “The horse goes where you are looking.”    Darcy smiled and gave the hand resting on his waist a squeeze.

They made their way across the field, going around the wall instead of over it, and arrived in front of the house.  The boy from the stables came running up to take a hold of the bridle.  “I assume that you want to change before we leave for the Kellys’?”  He threw one long leg over the horse and jumped down, and held out his arms for her.  “Although, I must say that your cheeks are most becoming . . .”