The Duke’s seat was—as expected for a Duke—very grand. The Darcys were cordially received by Their Graces, and given apartments overlooking the lake and deer-park. The Duchess was very tall, handsome, and slender (even after producing four children for His Grace), with an agile, decided walk that was the hallmark of someone who was much outside; her expression shared the same frankness and warmth of her husband. Elizabeth fancied that, should the Duke be marvellously transformed into a woman, he must necessarily be the twin of his wife. So strikingly similar were the pair, that Elizabeth could but imagine that their children, when younger, must have had trouble distinguishing one parent from another! Elizabeth was consequently not surprised to find that the Duke and Duchess were cousins on the mother’s side, and had spent much of their youth at one of the family seats or other in pursuit of winter sports, or summer amusements in the company of one another. This accounted, reflected Elizabeth, for the easy, harmonious intercourse between husband and wife, and the remarkable similarity in their tastes and pleasures.

During the mornings, Elizabeth, the Duchess, and the other ladies of the house would either walk or ride; the Duchess was a keen horsewoman and not only rode with her husband at the hunt, but shot as well. Elizabeth admired her graceful figure and the ease with which she traversed the park, jumping over stiles, riding through the coverts, laughing and conversing with the other riders. She could lean from the saddle and shake hands as easily (and often more gracefully) as could many of the gentlemen, and even in her skirts could mount and dismount in an instant with no assistance save the mounting-block. Elizabeth thought of Jane and her proficiency as an horsewoman, and wished she could be here to ride with Her Grace and give the Darcy family some credit on the female side—but with motherhood had come a decrease of outdoor exercise and a proportional increase of figure, so Elizabeth was required to be content with her own accomplishments and conversation as recompense for the kindness of their hosts.