Mr. Darcy's Daughter by Rebecca Ann Collins Page A

indeed."
    Now
it was Elizabeth who was beginning to feel uneasy, for all his gratitude was
based upon a belief that she had not contrived this entire episode. Cassy was
watching her mother with some anxiety, wondering what she would do, when Mr.
Carr had a very particular request: "Mrs. Darcy, I wonder if may have your
permission to have a copy made for my father? It would give him and my mother
so much pleasure to see it. Unfortunately, there is not a single likeness of my
grandfather in the family, save for a small pencil sketch done by an itinerant
artist. A copy of this painting would be a wonderful gift. Would you permit
it?" he asked, and Cassy could see how keen he was for her answer.
    Elizabeth
said she would need to ask her husband, but she was confident he would have no
objection. Mr. Carr was overjoyed.
    As
they went downstairs together, those gathered in the saloon, oblivious of what
had happened in the gallery, were enjoying the excellent afternoon tea that Mrs.
Grantham had provided. They greeted Mr. Carr and proceeded to congratulate him
all over again on his fine performance as a scorer or his acquisition of
Rushmore Farm or both. It was plain he had made his mark in the community on
both counts.
    Cassy
went directly to tell her husband of Mr. Carr's response to the portrait of the
young man in the green coat, while Elizabeth took Mr. Darcy aside to pass on Mr.
Carr's request. As she did so, she revealed to him the rest of Michael Carr's
story. Mr. Darcy smiled. "So it is as I said: he is the grandson of Robert
Carr the stable boy," he said.
    "Indeed,
so it seems, and he is exceedingly pleased to have discovered the portrait
here, for it seems the family has no likeness of his grandfather at all, save
for a pencil sketch. You would not mind if he had it copied, would you
dearest?" Elizabeth asked, confident of his reply.
    Mr.
Darcy had no objection at all. "Of course not," he replied. "It
is a pretty piece of work, but not one of any great value--he can have as many
copies made as he likes."
    Pleased,
Elizabeth told their guest of her husband's consent and earned his undying
gratitude. "I cannot thank you enough, Mrs. Darcy. I shall proceed to
Derby at the earliest opportunity and engage a suitable artist for the
work," he said.
    Mr.
Carr was plainly delighted and could scarcely wait to get back to Matlock with
the Gardiners, before revealing his "discovery" to the entire family.
He had no suspicions at all of the elaborate scheme that had been hatched to
bring him and his ancestor's portrait together.
    *
    Much
later, when all their visitors had left and they were alone in their private
sitting room, Elizabeth asked her husband a question she had been turning over
in her mind all evening. "Do you not mind, my dear, that Mr. Carr has
decided to purchase the Rushmore property?"
    Darcy,
who had been contemplating the fire and a particularly enjoyable afternoon,
seemed surprised by her question.
    "Mind?
Why should I mind, Lizzie?" he replied. "I have never had any
interest in the place, though I confess, I was concerned that it may go to some
crass developer from Birmingham. I have made it plain to Will Camden that I
would rather not have one of them as a neighbour."
    "You
do not mind, then, that Mr. Carr, who is the grandson of your Uncle
Fitzwilliam's stable boy, will buy a valuable property in the
neighbourhood?" she asked, seeming to press him further. Mr. Darcy
appeared affronted and hurt by this suggestion.
    "Lizzie,
how could you ask such a question? Surely, you cannot be serious?
    Mr.
Carr appears to be a young man of substance and good sense. Why would his
grandfather's occupation have any bearing on his suitability to own and manage
Rushmore? Indeed, might one not argue that an interest in horses appears to run
in the family and that may well be a good thing, if he is to make a success of
the stud?"
    He
was clearly outraged, as he went on.
    "Besides,
I believe my uncle treated young Robert Carr very