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weather worsened. When it was decided to break journey in Oxford, Elizabeth was delighted. It would give Jane a chance to meet Dr Grantley. Jane, who had heard so much about him from her sister, was in complete agreement with her after they met and dined with him that night. His distinguished appearance, cultured conversation, and remarkable reputation quite overawed her, until his unassuming manner and friendliness drew her out.
When they retired after a most pleasant and stimulating evening, Jane expressed her surprise that he was unmarried. Lizzie laughed and warned her against matchmaking--which had been the bane of their lives at home. Jane protested that she had no intention of doing so but added, "Lizzie, he is such a charming and educated gentleman, that I find it impossible to believe, that had he wished to marry, he could not have found a suitable partner. Surely, he does not intend to remain a bachelor?" Lizzie laughed and begged her to remember that Dr Grantley was but a few years older than Mr Darcy, so there was hope for him yet!
And so, on to Pemberley . . .
    C HAPTER T WO
    . . . To make a celebration
    T
    HE DRIVE TO P EMBERLEY took them through wooded country stripped partially bare by the Winter winds. Though Elizabeth had been to the house both before and after her engagement to Darcy, she was, on this
    occasion, assailed by a tumult of emotions, which kept her unusually silent. Beside her, her husband was also quiet and thoughtful, but this was not particularly unusual for Darcy. It was left to Charles Bingley to keep up a commentary for the benefit of his wife, pointing out every item of interest, every lovely aspect, quite unashamedly showing off his familiarity with his friend's fine estate. There was no snow on the ground; in fact, the sky was clear and blue. But the clouds gathering up ahead suggested that there might be snow on the way.
    Elizabeth's mind kept harking back to the first time she had come here driving from Lambton with her aunt and uncle, hoping merely to get a visitor's view of Pemberley, never suspecting that they would meet the owner himself, returning unexpectedly early. She recalled her confusion and embarrassment on seeing him standing there not twenty yards from her, his face suffused in a deep blush. She smiled to herself as she remembered their encounter and all that had flowed from it.
    Had it really been only last Summer? She sighed and turned slowly from contemplating the cold wintry woods to look at her husband. She was rewarded with a warm smile that confirmed her suspicions that he was remembering too. Unwilling to break the spell of the moment, she said nothing, knowing there was no need for words. The magic moment was gone, however, as Bingley asked, "Not much longer now, is it, Darcy?" to which he replied, "No, just half a mile down the road, and we shall be into the park." Lapsing into a reverie again, Lizzie recalled how it had looked last Summer as they descended into the valley and drove towards Pemberley House. The handsome, stone building had made her catch her breath as her aunt and uncle admired its elegant lines and noble proportions, set as it was in a beautifully landscaped park, against a background of wooded hills.
    When they had been here again in Autumn, after her engagement to Mr Darcy, she'd had more time to appreciate the myriad of colours in the woods above the house as well as the streams and valleys below it. Darcy had taken special pleasure in showing her his favourite views, and they had walked along the stream till it reached its confluence with the river, which meandered along a lovely winding valley as far as the eye could see. When she had pointed out that it was an ideal spot for a picnic, Darcy had immediately promised they would have one there next Summer, to commemorate her first visit to Pemberley. She had teased him gently then, asking if he really wanted to perpetuate the memory of that day, which had been so embarrassing to both of