“So, there is no one.” It weighed upon him just to say it.
Mr. Philips shook his head. “You see my quandary then? There is also the possibility of him discovering her location. By law, Gardiner and I are both her guardians, and he has every right to remove her from her situation. The only solution I have been able to divine is for her to marry.” He chuckled ruefully. “But to accomplish it before my brother returns this evening is impossible.”
An unexpected idea shot through his brain: she was the answer to his dilemma! But it was preposterous—he had not even been introduced. The motivation for his next idea escaped him: meeting her might provide some insight into a possible solution.
“I regret to say I am unsure of what else we could do. I do think it is necessary to alert Miss…”
“Bennet.”
“Miss Bennet of the situation. You cannot allow her to be taken unawares this evening.” He was surprised to find her uncle nodding in agreement. “I believe I heard Gardiner say she has some intelligence. She may have some notion of what to do.”
Mr. Philips stood and came around to the side of his desk. “I suppose it should be done sooner rather than later. If we were to require your assistance, you might be on your way to London by then.”
“I am certain you wish to have a private conversation with your niece, so I will return…”
He was standing to leave when Philips interrupted. “Under more normal circumstances, I would agree with you, but I would appreciate your presence as a witness. I do not see why she should doubt me, but the entire situation seems so unreal to me that I cannot fathom her accepting it from one source.
“Of course,” responded Darcy.
The proposal had merit, but to witness this young lady having her world unsettled disturbed him. He prayed there was some way to save her from what appeared to be a distressing fate.
He followed Mr. Philips out of his office and through a small garden to a small, well-kept home to the side of his business. As they entered, a servant bustled up to take their hats.
“Mrs. Philips is off visiting with Lady Lucas, sir. She mentioned calling on Mrs. Goulding and Mrs. Long as well. Miss Bennet decided to remain behind. She sits in the parlour.”
“Thank you, Lucy.”
Philips was attempting to smile but the gesture was just not right. The weary looking uncle stopped for a moment and wrung his hands together as if he were being forced to do something distasteful. How uncomfortable this conversation will be! What a thing to have to impart to your niece! It was no wonder he was at sixes and sevens.
He placed a hand on the man’s shoulder to impart some kind of consolation, and Philips’ expression offered his apology. “Shall we go in?” he appeared to ask. Darcy could never remember feeling as much pity for a man as he did at that moment.
Mr. Philips reached forth a shaky hand and turned the knob, opening it to reveal a comfortable room. A young woman was perched in the window seat, her head cocked slightly to the side as she read from a book that rested in her hand. Darcy paused and stared, speechless. In profile, her figure was light and pleasing. Her hair was the darkest of dark browns, piled in an arrangement of curls upon her head, and she had a slight crease between her eyebrows as she concentrated. She was the lady Gardiner wished to trade for his debts?
Fury welled up within him at the idea of her being handed over to some reprobate. God only knew what would happen to her! She would most certainly disappear from all good society.
She startled and placed a hand to her chest. “Uncle, I did not hear you come in.”
“It is no bother, Lizzy. I apologise if we have interrupted you at an inopportune moment.”
She laughed and raised an eyebrow, giving her a mischievous air. “No, I was not reading anything that will not wait.”
Her face now in full view; he was able to study her in more detail. She had a creamy complexion with a slight tint of pink on her cheeks. Brown doe eyes sparkled with amusement, although they seemed a bit peaked. She must have been having problems sleeping since the accident.
“Lizzy, allow me to introduce Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy to you,” said Mr. Philips, shifting to the side. “Mr. Darcy, this is my niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
Miss Bennet stood and gave a curtsy as he bowed. “I am pleased to meet you,” they both said, almost in tandem.
Mr. Philips gestured to a chair, which Darcy took as the young lady seated herself on a small sofa across from him, smoothing the lap of her grey muslin gown. Mr. Philips was the last to sit, taking the seat to Darcy’s left.
“You seem so grave, Uncle. Is there something amiss?”
Mr. Philips sneaked a glance at him before taking a deep breath and exhaling. “I am not sure how to explain this to you. I…”
Darcy’s attention moved to Miss Bennet as her expression fell.
“Please just tell me,” she said, her voice shaky. “I can see by your demeanour that what you have to say is not good.”
“I am sorry, Lizzy. I have tried, but I do not know how to hold him off anymore.”
Miss Bennet was becoming more alarmed, so Darcy leaned forward to catch Mr. Philips eye. “Perhaps you should start from the beginning. The business endeavour?”
Mr. Philips bobbed his head in agreement. “Your Uncle Gardiner, against my advice, began a smuggling operation last year.” Miss Bennet’s eyes widened, but she remained silent, allowing her uncle to continue his recitation. “Besides it being illegal, the money he invested in the ship and crew was excessive. The ship was old and not very fast, and I felt he was overpaying the men. He brought in a partner hoping to ease the burden on himself financially, but he did not research the investor before taking his money. Now, as a result, he has found himself in quite the predicament.”
“I do not understand. What has happened that has him at odds with this man?”
She was regarding Darcy with wary eyes, as if she thought he was a representative of Grayson.
“The ship they were using was captured by the navy as it brought its load back from France. They lost all of their cargo and even the ship itself was confiscated. The business has not been traced back to your uncle, but his partner has demanded Gardiner compensate him for his loss.
“Your uncle had already taken his profits from his one successful run to put a down payment on another ship, so he had very little funds to give the man.”
Miss Bennet’s brow furrowed. “This man did not understand there were risks in such a venture?”
“I am certain he did, but he claims your uncle should have purchased a better ship. Grayson places your uncle at fault and has threatened him with bodily injury should he not reimburse his investment.
“Surely Uncle Gardiner does not expect you to pay for his mistake?” she questioned incredulously.
“I have aided him as much as I am able,” her uncle answered, “but I do not have the funds to help him pay back the entirety. Gardiner has come up with a plan to rid himself of the debt to Grayson, but I have refused to help him with it.”
Miss Bennet appeared worried as she shifted in her seat. “Is it really so bad, uncle?”
Mr. Philips rubbed his hands up and down his thighs, as if he were attempting to ease his nerves. “He intends to hand you over to Grayson in exchange for the alleviation of part of his debt. Then he wishes to withdraw the five thousand pounds of your mother’s settlement, left to you, to pay the remainder.”
She gasped. “But that is impossible. Uncle Gardiner would never…”
As it seemed the time to attest to the veracity of Mr. Philips statements, Darcy sat forward in his seat. “I am afraid Mr. Philips is telling the absolute truth, Miss Bennet.” Her attention snapped to his face. Could she see he was in earnest? “I happened to be in the Bird in Hand a short time ago and quite unintentionally overheard all of Mr. Gardiner’s plans.”
Her hands reached up to cradle her face as she let out a sob. He was intruding now, and made to rise and remove himself from the ro
om. But a hand on his arm stayed him.
“Please do not leave, Mr. Darcy. We may still require your aid yet today.” Philips’ eyes pleaded with him to remain.
“I had not planned to leave, only to give Miss Bennet time to collect herself.” Something garbled came from across the room, where the lady was drying her face with her handkerchief.
“Please, Mr. Darcy,” she said, as she attempted to control her emotions. “If there is some manner in which you can render us aid, then please stay. I apologise…”
He shook his head. “Your response is perfectly natural—and warranted. I see no reason for you to apologise.”
“Thank you.” She faced her uncle with a heartrending expression of fear. “Do you have a plan for me to avoid this?”
“I am afraid I do not. Mr. Darcy and I have both considered various solutions, yet there are problems with every idea thus far. We decided to include you, in the hopes you might have some thought as to what we could do.”
“There is no possible way for me to remain with you and Aunt Philips?” she asked with a tremor in her voice.
“Miss Bennet, Mr. Gardiner has threatened your aunt and uncle with physical harm should they attempt to prevent him removing you from this house.” Her eyes bulged, almost making him regret mentioning it.
She rose and walked to the window, staring out for a few minutes before turning back to them. “Would it be possible for me to access my mother’s settlement without marrying?”
Mr. Philips gave her a puzzled look. “Not really. The legal requirements are either proof of marriage and one signature, or both my and your Uncle Gardiner’s signatures.”
“Could we not forge his signature?” A desperate gleam appeared in her eye.
“Lizzy, what are you thinking, child?” her uncle implored.
She crossed her arms over her chest in a manner that resembled insecurity, as though she was not comfortable with what she was preparing to say. “With the money, I could travel to London and arrange passage to one of the Canadas.”
Phillips shot out of his chair and stepped towards her. “Alone! That is madness!”
“Not necessarily alone,” she countered. “Hattie Smith has no means of support since Mr. Collins did not require her services at Longbourn. She could accompany me as my maid.”
“I do not think this is the wisest choice,” Darcy interceded. “I admit you would be outside of your uncle’s reach, but even traveling with a maid, it would be a dangerous journey. If you were robbed, you would be at the mercy of anyone for a bed or food. You and this Hattie both would.”
“I do not see any other alternative.” Tears were once again streaming down her face, while she gazed at her uncle and pleaded, “You must let me go.”
Mr. Philips appeared weary and ready to agree, but Darcy was roiling. This was not a journey that should be undertaken by a young gentlewoman—not at all. There had to be another solution. He just had to think! What could he do to prevent her ruination?
“I could marry you,” Darcy said out loud to himself before he really thought about it. Miss Bennet was so visibly shocked her tears abated. Mr. Philips turned to him as wide-eyed as his niece.
“I beg your pardon.”
Somewhere beyond where he stared unfocused, Miss Bennet walked forward and dropped back in to her seat. “Mr. Darcy, I am flattered, but…”
“No!” He snapped back from his thoughts. The proposal had been said for all to hear, whether it was unintentional or not, so he was obligated to continue. “It would solve a dilemma for both of us. You would not have to risk your life sailing for Canada, and I would not be forced to marry my cousin.”
Mr. Philips cleared his throat and stood in a position where he could view Darcy. “Perhaps you should explain your predicament before we consider this as a possible avenue to explore.” He stepped over to his niece and took the seat beside her, taking her hand in a comforting manner.
“I…” he stuttered, trying to decide where to begin. “My aunt decided when I was very young that she wished to have me wed her daughter, Anne. She often mentioned it to my mother, who always thought it was a lovely idea, if we were both so inclined. Anne was never a healthy child, frequently suffering from fevers and influenzas. A few years ago, I was visiting my aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh at her estate when I had the opportunity to speak to my cousin without my aunt’s interference. Anne has no desire to marry, let alone marry me. I think of her as a sister, and her sentiments towards me are likewise.”
“Then why are you speaking of having to wed her regardless?” asked Mr. Philips. “Was there a contract signed?”
“No, there was never a contract. In fact, my mother told me on her deathbed that she did not wish me to marry Anne unless it was my choice. She wanted me to find someone who would make me happy.” Darcy stood and walked around the chair, propping his forearms on the back.
“My father has his own reasons to wish for our alliance, not that he has shared those with me. I believe that Anne would likely die in childbirth, and he has, apparently, already factored in that eventuality.”
Miss Bennet gasped and placed her free hand over her mouth.
“I cannot knowingly bring about my cousin’s demise. My sister has begged me not to give in to my father’s demands, insisting I find someone to marry within the fortnight—the time my father gave me to travel to Rosings and propose. I realise this may not be a realistic goal with the ladies of London society.”
He paused and looked down between his arms at his feet for a moment, taking a deep breath. “I have not the talent, which some people possess, of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.”
“You seem to have had no difficulty today, Mr. Darcy.” Miss Bennet arched her eyebrow; the gesture and her challenge made him smile.
“I assure you today has been quite unprecedented.”
Her cheeks pinked, and they both gave a chuckle.
“But sir,” Mr. Philips interjected, “you do not even know if you are compatible!”
Miss Bennet smiled with mischief in her eyes. “I might actually be a very excitable creature, complaining of my nerves and calling for my salts.”
“Really, Lizzy!” Mr. Philips turned and looked at her with admonishment. “You should not tease Mr. Darcy in such a way. You also should not make sport of your mother.”
Her grin fell, and he was sad to see its departure.
“I believe a bit of levity would be beneficial with the stress of the situation.”
A glimpse of a grateful expression was his reward as one corner of her lips quirked upward. “Thank you, Mr. Darcy.” She tilted her head. “You mentioned a sister?”
“Yes,” he answered. “Georgiana turns fourteen in June. There are no other siblings, so we are very close.”
“Do you not worry that an alliance with someone who is not your father’s choice would cause a separation between the two of you?”
Her face reflected true concern, and he appreciated her all the more for it. “It most certainly would, but she has still encouraged me to seek a wife elsewhere. One day we shall see one another again. I am certain of it.”
“So, you marry your cousin, or you lose your sister and father. You sound like Odysseus attempting to steer between Scylla and Charybdis.1”
He could not prevent the hint of a grin upon his lips. “Eventually, I will have to face one monster or the other? Of course, I am referring to the circumstances, and not you, Miss Bennet.
She let out a bit of a giggle before she managed to restrain herself. “I understood, sir. Please do not make yourself uneasy.”
“Perhaps not quite so dramatic a choice, though, Lizzy,” Mr. Philips interjected. She shrugged with a slight lift to her lips.
“I heard you mention your aunt as Lady Catherine,” said her uncle, returning to the topic at hand. “I would have you know that whilst Lizzy is a gentlemen’
s daughter, Longbourn is a modest estate, and she does not have any grand connections to boast of.”
“Sir, I am a gentleman, she is a gentleman’s daughter, so far we are equal.”
Mr. Philips raised his eyebrows in surprise at Darcy’s liberal statement. “I would imagine you are heir to your father’s estate? How will you support yourself if you are cut off irrevocably?”
“I became master of my uncle’s estate upon his death a few years ago. It is called Sagemore and lies in northern Oxfordshire.”
“Is it a prosperous estate?” asked Mr. Philips.
“Uncle!” Miss Bennet was appalled by the question, and he smiled at her.
“The question is reasonable. Should you agree to this scheme, I would be responsible for providing you a settlement as well as supporting you for the remainder of our lives.” She relaxed and nodded in acceptance.
“To answer your question, the estate profits approximately six thousand pounds per annum. There is also a house in town, but since I frequently stay with my father or grandmother whilst in London, I have it leased. I have never been a spendthrift or a gambler and often have funds left over from the allowance my father has continued to provide, which I invest. Since becoming master of Sagemore, I have saved all of the yearly profits from the estate as well.” He motioned as if pointing outside.
“My carriage with my trunk and valet should be here by now. I can furnish my account book if you feel it necessary.”
Philips responded with a nod. “Should we reach an agreement, then I would care to see it—simply to verify what you say is true.”
An Unwavering Trust Page 3
