on her head and instead chose one that covered her ears. She tied the ribbon under her chin and then she was ready.
Darcy was waiting for her downstairs. The coach was already at the door and she could tell that he was impatient to leave.
Their hosts wished them God speed and then they were off.
Elizabeth was glad to be leaving the inn behind. She could tell that Darcy was on edge and she only hoped that things would improve once they reached the castle.
Chapter 5
At the start of their journey Elizabeth was content to look out of the window, where the smiling landscape was bathed in the warm glow of early morning, but by the time midday approached, it was replaced by a wilder view. The mountainside was becoming more craggy and they passed a number of waterfalls which dazzled with their spectacle, their waters flowing down in torrents and throwing clouds of rainbow spume into the air. Alpine plants flourished, clinging to the rocks, and chasms yawned beside the road.
As Elizabeth watched the scenery, Darcy watched her. He had seen the impressive sights many times before, but to Elizabeth they were all fresh and new. As he watched her ever-changing expressions, it revitalised his enjoyment of the scene and reawakened his lost sense of wonder.
There were very few people on the road, but here and there they saw a man carrying a pannier of logs on his back or a woman leading a donkey or occasionally a small child with a basketful of berries.
‘The people hereabouts seem very religious,’ said Elizabeth, as a man moved to the side of the road to avoid the coach and crossed himself; a common custom, it seemed.
‘Things are very different here,’ Darcy agreed. ‘The people have their own traditions and their own way of doing things.’
Elizabeth, growing tired of mountains and glaciers and waterfalls, let her eyes linger on the women’s rustic garb, admiring the colourful skirts with white aprons and their curious cloth head coverings.
‘Will your uncle mind us calling on him without any warning, do you think?’ she asked, as they found themselves on a lonely stretch of road once more. ‘Or have you written to him and told him we are coming?’
‘No,’ said Darcy. ‘There is no post in these outlying parts and a messenger travelling alone would be subject to attack. But my uncle won’t mind. He is always pleased to see me and the castle is so large that he can always accommodate more guests.’
‘Even with our large retinue?’
‘The castle will swallow the retinue,’ he said. ‘It could swallow ten such retinues. It is very old and very rambling, and it is large enough to house an entire village if the need arises.’
‘And does it arise?’ asked Elizabeth curiously.
‘It certainly has in the past. When the village was attacked by bandits, then everyone would crowd inside the castle, taking their livestock and possessions with them, and they would not come out until the danger had passed.’
‘What is he like, your uncle?’ she asked.
‘He is a learned man. Intelligent. Charming,’ Darcy said. ‘He is a great thinker and something of a philosopher. He has travelled widely and knows many things. He is amusing and lively on occasion, but more often he sits and listens, or draws out his companions with interesting questions and remarks. He has a fund of wisdom at his disposal but he never seeks to dictate. I think you will like him.’
But will he like me? Elizabeth wondered.
At home, such a thought would not have occurred to her but here it was different. She had no friends or family close by to fill her with confidence and no well-loved places to reassure her. To begin with, that had not mattered, but as she moved further and further away from her own world, she found that she was becoming less sure of herself, and she hoped that her welcome would be a warm one or, at least, not a cold one.
The road began to climb more steeply, and the coach slowed until it was almost at a halt. Elizabeth suggested they get out and walk in order to help the horses, but Darcy would not hear of it.
‘The horses are well conditioned. They have pulled heavier loads up steeper slopes than this,’ he said.
‘But there is no need for them to do so here. It will not hurt us to walk. Besides, I would like to take some exercise and feel the wind in my face,’ she