looked his normal self again.
“Forgive me,” he said.
She shook her head hard, so her locks bobbed up. “No... I should not...”
“No, Elizabeth, I am the experienced one here, and I should be responsible so things will not go too far too soon.”
He took her hand in his, gave it a squeeze, and leaned forward to kiss her cheek.
“Do not stress over what happened, love.” He smiled at her, his eyes warm. “It was perfectly natural and bodes well for the future, only, as I said, it happened too soon.”
She smiled, still unsure, and shy about what had just transpired.
Holding her hand in his, he led her out of the stall. “I want to give you something. That is why I brought you here.”
They walked to the next stall, where what seemed was Mr. Darcy's horse was kept.
Elizabeth gave him an unsure look. He did not want to give her a horse? Surely not.
He walked inside the stall and opened the satchel at the saddle, taking a parcel wrapped in elegant paper out of it.
“For me?” Elizabeth asked.
“I stopped in London for a few days to see Georgiana and bought it for you.”
“You should not have...,” she tried to protest, but he pushed the parcel into her hands.
“Of course, I should. I wanted to.”
She weighed the parcel in her hands. “I am not certain whether I should accept it.”
She looked at him and saw that she would give him a great deal of disappointment if she refused the gift. Slowly, she unwrapped the paper, and a silk material fell into her hands. It was a beautiful shawl, in a stunning, rich deep colour of red wine.
“How beautiful,” she gasped.
With the tips of her fingers she touched the material. The silk was of the highest quality. She assumed it had cost a small fortune, certainly more than any piece of clothing she had ever owned, including her very best yellow ball gown. She was not sure how she felt about him giving her such an expensive gift.
“Do you like it?” he asked, as excited as a child.
“Yes,” she admitted reluctantly.
“May I?” he draped the shawl around her shoulders. “The colour suits you very well.”
“I did not know you were an expert in women's fashions, sir.” she teased.
He grinned. “I am not. I went to the shop where my sister usually makes her purchases. I told the owner I was looking for something for a young lady. I described your looks, and she assured me that this colour would match well with your chocolate curls, dark eyes and pale skin. I am very pleased to see that she was right.”
“Thank you.” She lifted on her toes and kissed his cheek. “I will wear it with pleasure.”
***
“Oh, Jane I think that he wants to buy me.” Elizabeth complained later when she was alone with Jane in their room upstairs. Mr. Darcy bade her goodbye in front of the house, saying he had to deal with some matters in Meryton before dark.
“Lizzy, I think he just wanted to buy you something nice. You read too much into it. Imagine the situation when you are in London with all the wonderful shops around you and with unlimited resources. Would you not want buy something for me, Mama, Papa, Mary, Kitty and Lydia?”
“Of course, I would.”
“He has a much younger sister, am I right?”
“Yes.”
“We can safely assume then that he likes to spoil her, buy her nice things. He sees nothing wrong with doing the same when it comes to you. I know your independent spirit, Lizzy, and your pride, but think about all the time and thought which he had to devote to the idea of buying you this. He chose it by himself, thinking only of you.”
“It must have been frightfully expensive. It will stand out against my plainer gowns.”
“I am sure he did not want to embarrass you. He is simply used to buying the very best.”
Elizabeth wrapped the shawl around herself and touched the soft material to her face. Then she took it off, spread it on her bed and folded it neatly. There was a knock on the door and Mrs. Bennet appeared.
“Lizzy, I
“Forgive me,” he said.
She shook her head hard, so her locks bobbed up. “No... I should not...”
“No, Elizabeth, I am the experienced one here, and I should be responsible so things will not go too far too soon.”
He took her hand in his, gave it a squeeze, and leaned forward to kiss her cheek.
“Do not stress over what happened, love.” He smiled at her, his eyes warm. “It was perfectly natural and bodes well for the future, only, as I said, it happened too soon.”
She smiled, still unsure, and shy about what had just transpired.
Holding her hand in his, he led her out of the stall. “I want to give you something. That is why I brought you here.”
They walked to the next stall, where what seemed was Mr. Darcy's horse was kept.
Elizabeth gave him an unsure look. He did not want to give her a horse? Surely not.
He walked inside the stall and opened the satchel at the saddle, taking a parcel wrapped in elegant paper out of it.
“For me?” Elizabeth asked.
“I stopped in London for a few days to see Georgiana and bought it for you.”
“You should not have...,” she tried to protest, but he pushed the parcel into her hands.
“Of course, I should. I wanted to.”
She weighed the parcel in her hands. “I am not certain whether I should accept it.”
She looked at him and saw that she would give him a great deal of disappointment if she refused the gift. Slowly, she unwrapped the paper, and a silk material fell into her hands. It was a beautiful shawl, in a stunning, rich deep colour of red wine.
“How beautiful,” she gasped.
With the tips of her fingers she touched the material. The silk was of the highest quality. She assumed it had cost a small fortune, certainly more than any piece of clothing she had ever owned, including her very best yellow ball gown. She was not sure how she felt about him giving her such an expensive gift.
“Do you like it?” he asked, as excited as a child.
“Yes,” she admitted reluctantly.
“May I?” he draped the shawl around her shoulders. “The colour suits you very well.”
“I did not know you were an expert in women's fashions, sir.” she teased.
He grinned. “I am not. I went to the shop where my sister usually makes her purchases. I told the owner I was looking for something for a young lady. I described your looks, and she assured me that this colour would match well with your chocolate curls, dark eyes and pale skin. I am very pleased to see that she was right.”
“Thank you.” She lifted on her toes and kissed his cheek. “I will wear it with pleasure.”
***
“Oh, Jane I think that he wants to buy me.” Elizabeth complained later when she was alone with Jane in their room upstairs. Mr. Darcy bade her goodbye in front of the house, saying he had to deal with some matters in Meryton before dark.
“Lizzy, I think he just wanted to buy you something nice. You read too much into it. Imagine the situation when you are in London with all the wonderful shops around you and with unlimited resources. Would you not want buy something for me, Mama, Papa, Mary, Kitty and Lydia?”
“Of course, I would.”
“He has a much younger sister, am I right?”
“Yes.”
“We can safely assume then that he likes to spoil her, buy her nice things. He sees nothing wrong with doing the same when it comes to you. I know your independent spirit, Lizzy, and your pride, but think about all the time and thought which he had to devote to the idea of buying you this. He chose it by himself, thinking only of you.”
“It must have been frightfully expensive. It will stand out against my plainer gowns.”
“I am sure he did not want to embarrass you. He is simply used to buying the very best.”
Elizabeth wrapped the shawl around herself and touched the soft material to her face. Then she took it off, spread it on her bed and folded it neatly. There was a knock on the door and Mrs. Bennet appeared.
“Lizzy, I
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