and ends with the place where you’ll find the next clue.”
As Hamilton finished reading, all heads turned toward Elizabeth, hope radiating from their eyes.
“Oh, my!” she said, as she began to recall how that verse went. “Let me see… ‘Twelve years have elapsed since I first took a view… of my favourite field… and the bank where they grew/And now in the grass behold they are laid/And the tree is my seat that once lent me a shade.’”
“A field?” asked Mrs. Goldsmith.
“No, the bank of the lake… or the stream,” interjected Hamilton.
Elizabeth shook her head firmly. “No, no! The very last line talks about the tree that is now my seat but once gave me shade.” She looked at Mr. Hamilton. “Do you know if there is a tree that has fallen, leaving only a stump?”
He thought for a moment, and then his eyes lit up in recollection.
“Yes! The old elm, down by the stables! Come, this way!”
He pointed the way, and Gladys skipped hurriedly ahead of the others, wishing to be the first one there to begin looking for the next clue. Mrs. Goldsmith walked briskly behind her.
Mr. Hamilton put his hand on Elizabeth’s arm to slow her. Her thoughts immediately went to this morning and how warm Mr. Darcy’s hand felt on her arm. Mr. Hamilton’s hand left no similar effect.
“Please, allow me to ask for your forgiveness, Miss Bennet. I was unforgivably disrespectful earlier, and I am deeply sorry for causing you unease. I exhibited immature insolence, and I can only hope you will forgive me.” He rubbed his hands together nervously and let out a slow breath.
“Thank you, Mr. Hamilton. I accept your apology and you are very much forgiven.”
“I am wholly relieved!” he said, a broad smile appearing. “Darcy gave me quite the tongue lashing that I thoroughly deserved. Initially, he was adamant that you not even be on my team, believing you to be so visibly distressed by my words, but I insisted. I needed to have an opportunity to express my deepest regrets.”
They walked a little farther and he continued, “One of my greatest faults, Miss Bennet, is teasing and not knowing when to stop. You must think me completely devoid of civility.”
“Mr. Hamilton, I have often found myself in trouble as well because of my own teasing. Let us forgive and forget.”
“Gladly!” he said, just as they reached Mrs. Goldsmith, who had slowed down.
“I lost sight of Gladys,” she said. “But I see the stables. She must be looking for the next clue.”
They turned to look up the path when they heard Gladys’s excited squeal. “I have it!” She came running toward them holding the clue up over her head as if she were flying one of the kites again.
The treasure hunt was entertaining; the clues being diverse enough so that each member of the team could work at least one. On more than one occasion in the midst of the hunt, Elizabeth’s thoughts went to the gentleman who would put so much effort into providing this type of diversion for his guests. She would have never imagined the man she knew in Hertfordshire to be capable of something like this.
There were puzzles, clues from literature and poems, as their first one was, and a few simple ones for the children that merely had a word written that was missing several letters. Gladys was easily able to decipher “sandbox” and “carriage house.”
When they found their last clue, they quickly made their way back to the canopy, hoping to be the first team back. They had only sought out Mr. Darcy’s help on one clue. They affirmed each other with confident expectation that they may, indeed, be the winning team.
Rosalyn sat underneath the canopy next to Mr. Darcy, having returned early due to fatigue. Elizabeth watched her friend laugh gaily at something he said, yet she noticed a look of anxiety etched upon her features. She was certain that Rosalyn may have returned to allow Mr. Darcy the opportunity to express his intentions toward her. It was apparent by her expression that he had not.
As the other teams returned, refreshing drinks and tea cakes were offered. Everyone laughed amongst themselves as they recollected their different adventures and how they either did or did not decipher the clues readily. Mr. Darcy seemed satisfied that everyone enjoyed themselves.
He drew their attention to announce the winners. As it turned out, Mr. Hamilton’s team came in first, Mr. Goldsmith’s team came in second, and Mr. Willstone’s team came in third.
Georgiana handed out the prizes. All the men received fishing rods, the ladies received beautiful lace handkerchiefs, and the young girls each received a kite of their own, which pleased them immensely. Georgiana explained that while the treasure hunt did indeed have winners, the hope was that everyone enjoyed it, and so she and her brother decided all would receive a prize of equal worth.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent playing games. Elizabeth remained with the girls, and later, when they wanted a bit more activity, she walked with them over to the children’s play area, where they had earlier found several amusements. It was in a slightly sheltered area in the back courtyard of the house.
Elizabeth sat on a bench that faced an open area to the west, a view of the woods beyond. She could relax here, away from Mr. Hamilton’s curious looks and Mr. Darcy’s unsettling presence. She no longer felt awkward in his presence. Instead, it was his accommodating behaviour toward her, the way in which he ensured her comfort, the very nearness of him, and seeing the good in him that prompted within her a discomfiture of a very different kind.
Despite the warm afternoon, she shivered as a chill coursed through her. She twirled a ringlet of hair around a finger as she pondered what had brought about such thoughts and feelings. She slowly shook her head as the realization came unbidden to her. Could she have fallen in love with him?
Her head leant back abruptly against the wall of the house behind her, and she dropped the ringlet of hair, slowly bringing her hand down and placing it over her heart. She could feel its steady, but very strong and erratic pulsing. Perhaps this was what he had intended all along—for her to fall in love with him and to experience what he suffered at her hands. She was now a governess! He could never love her again, would never make her another offer. What man of his standing in society would?
She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, staving off the tears that threatened to spill down her face. With her eyes closed, she could feel the slight breeze tease her face just as it whipped around the building; she could hear the leaves rustling in the great trees and smell the fragrance of the flowers that grew in the gardens. She could not escape the fact that she was at Pemberley. While all this could have been hers, it was more the realization that its Master was a good, honourable, and respectable man who would now have been her husband if she had only accepted his proposal.
The Goldsmith girls soon grew tired and departed. Emily no longer found it to be as diverting without them, so she and Elizabeth also returned indoors. As they walked past the library, Emily remembered Mr. Darcy’s words about the books.
“Miss Bennet, may we go in and find those books Mr. Darcy told us about?”
“Perhaps it would be best to wait for him. He has far too many books in there, and I would have no idea where to find them.”
“We can at least look.” Emily looked up with pleading eyes.
“Very well,” laughed Elizabeth. “We can try.”
They walked in and Elizabeth closed her eyes as she breathed in the scent of the leather-bound books. Again, memories of her father’s library swept over her, and she steeled herself for the grief that often and unexpectedly consumed her.
Tears began to pool in her eyes, and she chided herself for her sentimentality. She reached into her pocket for the handkerchief she had just been given. Before dabbing it on her eyes, she fingered the silky material and perused the intricate lace. She had never owned something so beautiful.