Free B00BKPAH8O EBOK by Shannon Winslow Page A

tales of all
kinds of horrors.”
    “Horrors, Miss
Bennet?” he said, turning to face her again and laughing good-humoredly. “Let
me guess. You are envisioning something very primitive indeed – dense jungles
inhabited only by wild animals, barbarians, and godless savages. Am I correct?”
    “I cannot
precisely say, sir. I prefer to depend on facts rather than imaginings. And, as
I never before spoke to anybody who set foot in the new world, I have had very
little opportunity to form an educated opinion.”
    “Quite right,
Miss Bennet. I am pleased to hear that you place your confidence in what can be
known by observation instead of on rumor and wild speculation. We could use a
deal more of that philosophy, according to my view. I shall be happy to satisfy
your intellectual curiosity on the subject of America. It is far too seldom
that I find myself a singular expert on any topic.” He peered once more out the
window. “Can I persuade you to take our discussion into the garden? It is a
fine day and, if you will not think it in bad taste for me to mention it, I
should like to be made a little familiar with the grounds. In that field, you are the expert.”
    Assenting to
his proposal, Mary accompanied her cousin on a walking tour of the small park
belonging to Longbourn. She began by showing him the outbuildings at the rear:
the poultry house; the stables, which shared a common roof with the dairy and
cheese house; and the other barn, where the pigs and farm implements were kept.
Then, from the top of a little knoll, she pointed out the orchard, the kitchen
garden, and the approximate extent of the property. Along the way, she took
care to draw attention to anything interesting or otherwise worthy of special
note.
    Mr. Collins
observed all these, as well as the cultivated fields round about, with the
strictest composure; nothing more animated than a mild compliment to their
upkeep or a general nod of approval did he offer for any of the things he was
shown.
    Mary’s natural
pride in her lifelong home initially felt slighted by such cool restraint,
thinking he was displeased by what he saw. Soon, however, she began to
appreciate her cousin’s forbearance in the proper light. Too much praise for
Longbourn must have been more offensive to her than too little. Then it would
seem as if Mr. Collins were congratulating himself over so fine an inheritance
and counting the days until he could have it to himself.
    They next
passed through the little wilderness at the side of the lawn. Then the
hermitage and the front flower patch were explored, followed by the walled
garden. Mary had deliberately saved it for the last stop on their tour, as it
was a particular favorite with her.
    “I often come
here to read,” she said, taking a seat on one of the benches there. As her eyes
revisited each familiar prospect – the moss-covered stone of the high walls;
the canopy of quaking oak leaves overhead, waving at the bright sky; the gravel
path underfoot and the slightly unkempt lawn; the sight of the house framed by
the open gateway – she could not help thinking how very much she should regret
not being able to come there ever again.
    Netherfield had
many beauties, and yet she had not allowed herself to become attached to them
as she had her childhood home. She knew from the start that Netherfield was
temporary, whereas it had seemed as if Longbourn would always be there waiting
for her. It would not be, of course. In future, she would be admitted only at
Mr. Collins’s good pleasure.
    “I can see why
you do, Miss Bennet,” he said, likewise sitting down. “It is a very pleasant
spot. You are a great reader, I collect.”
    “I believe I
am. I do not say it as an idle boast, but because books have been my constant companions
from a tender age until this day. It is well that I like it, I suppose, for
extensive reading is a necessity in my current vocation.”
    “Do your little
charges share your thirst for knowledge? Are they