Posted on 2008-12-26

Not long after his dining at Longbourn, Darcy was riding his stallion along one of the many paths that lay betwixt the two estates. Guiding his horse around the numerous tree roots now jutting in the way due to the drought, he had never seen the like even during previous years when rain was scarce.

So intent on keeping his mount from stumbling, Darcy was surprised to suddenly come upon one of Elizabeth's younger sisters lingering on a branch frequently used for a bench. Miss Mary was deep in thought, her nose in a book, quite oblivious to his presence.

Pulling the reins of his horse, he greeted her. "Good day, Miss Mary."

Startled, her head snapped up and her book fell to the ground as she stood. Dismounting, he wiped the grains of dirt from the cover, glancing at the title before handing it back to her with a bow along with an apology. "I had not meant to frighten you."

Shyly smiling, Mary accepted her Bible and curtseyed. "It was my own fault for being so engrossed that I had not noticed your approach, sir."

Intrigued, he asked, "What drew such rapt attention that you were unaware of all around you?"

A blush overspread her cheek as she admitted, "When Lizzy spoke of writing a sermon I told her of my disapproval of her attempting such. After she left, however, I was reading of the Savior's birth, wondering if I could glean similar insight into that time as she had."

Having already benefited from Elizabeth's reflections, Darcy mused on what her younger sister could add,impelling him to ask, "And did you?"

Silently motioning for permission to sit beside her and having her nod her approval, Mary explained, "I was trying to envision what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph in a strange town, not knowing a soul there and unable to find lodging."

"What were your reflections at such an occurrence?"

Mary frowned in self-righteous indignation. "At first I was quite put out at Joseph's inability to provide for his wife, especially when she was so great with child. One's husband should be able to give his wife more comfort than to be housed in a stable."

Refusing to believe that to be her only impression, Darcy wisely remained silent as Mary continued, "But then, I thought, if such a small town as Meryton were overrun with travelers as to have every room taken, should a poor couple arrive late in the evening, they might think even a soft bed of hay would be preferable to sleeping on the cold ground. Perhaps the innkeeper promised Joseph the first vacancy over others because of Mary's condition."

"Perhaps," Darcy replied, still keeping his own counsel to encourage this young lady's further thoughts as to the Lord's arrival into the world.

"I am not one to always be out of doors as is Lizzy, but when I do draw near enough a cow or horse, I notice that their breath is rather warm. When visiting Lady Lucas, she sometimes allows her little dogs upon the couch to cuddle beside us to give off a comfortable heat. Perhaps Joseph knew that being with the animals he and his wife would be comfortably nuzzled through the night."

"You might be correct there," Darcy acknowledged.

"When her baby was born," Miss Mary reflected, "with all the noise coming from an overcrowded town, perhaps the doves came down from the rafters to coo the babe asleep."

Darcy's mouth twitched at the thought of the usually moralizing Miss Mary thinking on a scene of such quiet simplicity in light of so momentous a birth as the Son of God, and he merely replied, "That very well could have happened."

Then she asked the unanswerable, "I do not understand His arriving in such an unremarkable way. Why?"

"He wished to experience all that was of men," Darcy offered, "which meant to be born of woman, to grow and live among us until His time for teaching began."

She insisted, "But to be born in a stable among animals was not what He deserved. He was the King of kings!"

"To become man meant to be born a defenseless babe, is that not so?"

"Yes," Mary readily admitted.

"As such, would He not need to be tended to and nurtured until adulthood?"

Mary nodded, reflecting to the common sense of it, "So, if His birth were made too public, perhaps His enemies would find Him out before His time came to redeem us?"

"Yes, perhaps so," Darcy smiled at her wit. "However, there were some who knew of His birth as announced by the angels, and there were the three wise men who studied the sky to follow the star to where He lay."

"But the shepherds were a lowly lot," Mary contended. "Who would believe some fantastical tale they told of angels in the sky?"

Darcy chuckled, both of them thinking that many who heard such a story would wonder if the shepherds had imbibed too heady a quaff.

"As to those wise men, they had inadvertently given Herod news of Jesus' birth to force Joseph to flee with his family into Egypt. I wonder just how wise they were!"

His eyebrows rising, Darcy stifled another chuckle. "They did seemed naïve that His birth would not be perceived as a threat to the current Jewish king."

Mary concluded, "Since they were sent to be witness to the Savior's birth, giving Him such important gifts as symbols for what was to come, the Almighty must have planned all along to keep His Son safe from the evil king, Do you think that so?"

Darcy merely nodded allowing her to continue with her next thought.

"Just as He also planned for our safe return to Him through the sacrifice of the Savior for our sins," she said shaking her head. "Do we need to worry as much as some pastor's say, Mr. Darcy?"

"Not overly so when the Almighty has us in His hands."

Mary then spoke with conviction, "But we do need to retell the story of the Savior's birth that those who come after us will know of Him."

"Yes, as we are able," Darcy concluded. After a companionable silence he rose. Taking up the reins of his mount, he asked, "Do you wish me to escort you back to Longbourn?"

Shaking her head, Mary demurred, "I thank you, no." Caressing the cover of her Bible, she added, "I think I will reflect on several other passages to prepare for other such discussions. Perhaps in future Lizzy may join us."

At the thought of debating with that particular Miss Bennet, Darcy dazzled Mary with a rare dimpled smile, owning, "I look forward to it." Touching the brim of his hat and bowing, Darcy stepped into the stirrup to gain his seat on the stallion, leaving her with, "Until then, I bid you good day, Miss Mary."

Nearly overwhelmed by such a sight as Mr. Darcy beaming, Mary quite forgot her manners to rise and curtsey. Instead, remaining on the log bench, she managed only, "I thank you, sir."

She watched him disappear around a bend before closing her surprised mouth to swallow, actually anticipated when next they would meet.