“I would not wish to damage the books, sir, by bringing them outside.”
“Have no fear; they have smudges enough from my own handling of them. When we return, I shall procure them for you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said softly, pondering his attention.
He continued with a soft smile, “You may also have a slight advantage in the treasure hunt, Miss Bennet, if indeed you do know your birds, flowers, and trees well.”
“Then she is to be on my team!” exclaimed Hamilton. “It is fixed. Miss Bennet and I are a team!
“We shall see,” Mr. Darcy sternly replied.
“So, your friend Bingley is finally to be married is he?” asked Mr. Hamilton. “What say you, Darcy? In no short time, you and I shall be the only remaining eligible men around!”
“You know that is absurd,” he answered with a small smile. “As a sea captain, you shall be the most sought-out man around. You shall have a bride in no time.”
“Ah,” Elizabeth interjected, with a hint of laughter in her voice. “But surely he must find one soon, for if not, he certainly cannot expect to find a woman once out on the great ocean!”
“The lady speaks the truth!” exclaimed Mr. Hamilton. “I must find a suitable woman before I venture back out to sea.” A glance at Elizabeth and a smile did not go unnoticed by Darcy, who pursed his lips tightly together.
“The difficulty is that there are so many ladies of so varied temperaments and qualities!” Hamilton turned to Elizabeth. “What type of woman ought I be looking for?”
“You must find a most suitable wife; one who has a strength of disposition, for she shall either have to remain home raising her brood of children while you are out at sea, or when you have a ship of your own, she may be required to be at sea alongside you.” She then let out a soft chuckle. “And she must be exceptionally plain!”
Hamilton threw his head back in amusement. “Pray, tell me why!”
Elizabeth laughed softly. “She shall be the only woman onboard that ship full of men!”
Mr. Hamilton shook his head fervently as he continued to laugh. “Miss Bennet, you have truly done some thinking about the matter.” His face grew solemn as he said, “But I do not fear finding a wife; my greater fear is that I shall be turned down if I make her an offer. What have I to contribute to a marriage but a meagre fortune?” He cast a mocking glance at Darcy. “Now my good cousin here shall never have worries in that matter. He has no fear of ever being turned down.”
Hamilton’s words evoked a tightening in Elizabeth’s chest that made it difficult to even take a breath. She saw Darcy’s hands clench tightly together before she turned away in discomfiture, not wishing to look upon his face and see what was written on his expression.
Hamilton continued, completely oblivious to the reactions of the two with whom he conversed. He then turned to Miss Bennet. “You are not the type that breaks hearts are you, Miss Bennet? Have you ever broken the heart of a man and turned down his offer?”
Confusion swept over Elizabeth. She drew in a shaky breath and looked at Mr. Hamilton in despair. “I… I…” She could say no more and looked down as she felt her face hot with mortification.
“You have!” Hamilton teased. “Can we hear about the brute? Have you any regrets?”
Shaking her head, she mumbled, “It… I…”
“Hamilton!” Darcy said firmly. “It is not yours or anyone’s business!”
Elizabeth cautiously lifted her eyes up to Mr. Darcy and saw him glaring at his cousin, his face set with disgust. When he turned and looked at her, she gave a slight nod of her head in thanks.
Darcy stood up abruptly, making the claim that he was required to take care of some things before the treasure hunt began. As he stood before them, he admonished his cousin to join him with such a stern demeanour that it would brook no hesitation.
The two walked away, and Elizabeth’s heart beat wildly as she heard Mr. Darcy’s hushed, but intense voice directed at his cousin. She kept her eyes cast down as she was filled with regret that he had been subjected to a reminder of her refusal in such a callous manner. She closed her eyes and took in several deep breaths, willing her heart to be still.
Chapter 12
Elizabeth kept her eyes on Mr. Darcy and his cousin as they walked some distance away, engaged in a highly spirited discussion. Her heart still pounded from the incident, both from her discomfiture over Mr. Hamilton’s remarks and the proximity of Mr. Darcy’s presence. As she attempted to collect herself, she peeked at Rosalyn, who was speaking with Mrs. Goldsmith. She took in a deep, grateful breath that her friend had not been near enough to hear that prior conversation; she did not need to have Rosalyn pressing her for information about whose offer she had refused.
Later, Elizabeth sat and watched as kites were brought out for the young girls. With the help of some of the men, they all greatly enjoyed this diversion. The wind was such that the kites easily soared high above the trees. Elizabeth treasured the glimpses she caught of Mr. Darcy as he took the time with Emily and her friends to show them how to keep the kite aloft. She had to admit to herself that she found his attentiveness to them rather appealing.
When the wind died down and the girls tired of this activity, Mr. Darcy summoned everyone together. He called up Mr. Goldsmith, Mr. Willstone, and Mr. Hamilton, and then asked his sister to explain the rules of the treasure hunt.
Looking nervous, but fulfilling her duties as hostess, she began. “We have divided you all into three teams, headed by these fine gentlemen. Mr. Goldsmith’s team consists of me, Mrs. Willstone, and Miss Harriet. Mr. Willstone will have Miss Matthews, Miss Bartley, and Miss Emily on his team. On Mr. Hamilton’s team are Mrs. Goldsmith, Miss Bennet, and Miss Gladys.”
She continued to explain that each team was required to decipher ten clues and that each clue would tell where to find the next one. Her brother would be available if assistance was needed, and the winner would be the first team back with the least amount of help from him.
Georgiana smiled softly and looked with admiration at Mr. Darcy. “I want to assure you that my brother came up with all the clues and I have not seen one, so our team does not have an advantage!”
Mr. Darcy then stepped forward. “Are there any questions?”
When no one answered, Darcy held up some pieces of paper. “These are your teams’ first clues. They are all different, so you will likely be heading off in different directions. The men have been given information regarding the boundaries of the search, how a clue might or might not be hidden, and what you can and cannot do in searching for it. The more spirited ones can rush ahead of the others to retrieve the clues, and if anyone gets fatigued, you may return here and wait for the others. Your team may come ask for your help in deciphering the clues while you rest. Your team will not be penalized unless I am consulted. Are you all ready?”
Mr. Darcy could not have had a more captive audience, as everyone was excited to begin. He passed out each clue, admonishing everyone not to look at it until the hunt began. He then stepped back. Standing erect with his hands clasped behind him, he announced with all the dignity of the Master of a great estate, “Ladies and gentlemen, the treasure hunt has begun!”
The teams tore open their clues, gathering together to read and decipher them.
Mr. Hamilton looked at his team’s clue and then looked up, his mouth askew. “It is a verse from Cowper’s “The Poplar Field.” Is anyone here familiar with it?”
“I am, to some extent,” exclaimed Elizabeth. “What does it say?”
Everyone listened expectantly while Hamilton read the clue.
“Cowper’s ‘The Poplar Field’ will tell all;
If the third verse you can recall;
It begins with ‘Twelve years have elapsed since I first took a view’;