“Lizzy, you have another letter from Miss de Bourgh. She has become quite a faithful correspondent.”
“I like her very much, but I am sure she has many correspondents. I know I would if I lived in that big house and with such a mother! She writes a good deal about Charlotte, and, of course, Mr. Collins. But let us read this latest missive and hear what Miss de Bourgh has to say.”
Dear Elizabeth,
Knowing of your love for walking in the grove near the gazebo, I am happy to tell you that the first flowers of spring are now in full bloom. There are crocuses and red and yellow tulips, and some of the flowering trees are budding. It will be only a matter of days before they will burst into color. There are robins hopping about everywhere on the lawn, and Mr. Greene is already complaining of the rabbits eating his shoots. I am of the opinion that there are few gardens in the south of England that are as lovely as Rosings, especially at this time of year.
There is another garden of equal beauty, but it is in Derbyshire at Pemberley, the Darcy estate. So when I read your letter that you are taking my advice and journeying to the Peak, I thought I should write immediately to insist upon your visiting Pemberley’s gardens as they were designed by Humphry Repton and executed under the direction of Mr. Darcy’s father. They will take your breath away as the many beautiful peaks and valleys can be seen in the distance, and each garden is situated perfectly for some of the best views in the whole of the county. All that is required is that you apply to the housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, who is a wonderful woman, who dearly loves to conduct visitors through the manor house, and Mr. Ferguson, the head gardener, provides the same service in the gardens. If you do not go, you will be depriving both of the opportunity to show off their knowledge of the history of the estate.
“Oh, Lizzy, you must go,” Jane said, interrupting her sister. “How could you not? If you had accepted Mr. Darcy, you would have been the mistress of Pemberley.”
“I most certainly shall not go,” Lizzy said emphatically. “What if Mr. Darcy is in residence? What would he think of me touring his estate?”
“But I should think it would be an easy thing to find out if the Darcys are at home. I am sure when they go to Pemberley they must go right through Lambton, and the villagers will know because they will have seen the carriages and wagons go by. Ask the innkeeper if the Darcys are in residence, and if they are not there, why on earth would you not go?”
“If you are so interested in Pemberley, then you should go with Aunt and Uncle Gardiner.”
“I do not have the love of the outdoors that you do, and I have promised Aunt that I shall look after the children. Lizzy, do you regret your refusal of his offer? Is that why you are so reluctant to visit?”
“I try not to think about it at all. I am not happy with my performance in Kent, so I choose not to dwell on it as it serves no purpose.”
Lizzy reread Anne’s letter. She loved touring gardens and had seen some of Repton’s work at Woburn Abbey, and she had heard that Derbyshire had some of the most dramatic landscapes in the whole of England. As she had never been to the Peak, it would be wonderful to see such scenery.
“All right. If the Darcys are not in residence and if Aunt and Uncle agree, I would very much like to see Pemberley. Just from an aesthetic point of view, of course.” And both sisters laughed.