Miss Darcy drew her hand to her mouth. Her eyes grew wide and she fixed them on Mrs. Gardiner. "Oh, so you have met my mother?" Miss Darcy inquired.
"I had that honor, yes, dear. Several times, in fact," Mrs. Gardiner replied.
"Several times," Miss Darcy repeated, obviously pleased by the idea that someone had memories so precious to her. Her sweet sincerity shone through her face, and Elizabeth decided that she was not prideful at all, like her brother, but was, instead, simply shy and reserved, like Jane.
"Your mother was an admirable woman," Mrs. Gardiner continued, sensing the desire from this young woman to hear more. "In fact, both your mother and father were very much revered and adored throughout Lambton. They were kind and generous people. Your late father had a reputation of the best kind. He was known for being a fair and just master, and the best landlord."
Elizabeth watched Mr. Darcy's face as Mrs. Gardiner spoke. He looked uncomfortable. He cleared his throat twice during Mrs. Gardiner's kind recollections of the Darcy family.
Georgiana took Mrs. Gardiner's hand when she had finished. "Thank you for telling me all this, Mrs. Gardiner. It is such a fortunate day for me to find someone who knew my parents. Of my mother, I do not remember much, except what I have been told. But of my father, yes, I know it was just as you mentioned. My brother is very much like him."
Elizabeth looked at him with an incredulous frown and covered her mouth quickly with her hand. Surely this lovely young woman was partial to her brother and failed to see his faults. Elizabeth could think of a plethora of words to describe Mr. Darcy, but 'kind' was not one of them. Furthermore, if what Mrs. Gardiner said was true, if the Darcys had in fact been kind and generous people, then what had happened to Mr. Darcy? His sister seemed to have inherited all of the good traits, as Elizabeth could think of very little that she could admire in Mr. Darcy.
Miss Darcy looked quizzically at Elizabeth, who quickly realized that she had allowed her feelings to be seen on her face.
"My sister is too kind," Mr. Darcy said. "I can hardly be compared to my father."
Mr. Darcy looked clearly uneasy with the entire conversation and Elizabeth noticed his eagerness to put it to an end.
"What a fortunate coincidence to find someone who knew the family so well. Indeed - it is a pleasant surprise that we met you, Mrs. Gardiner. And Miss Bennet, too," the Colonel said. "I hope to meet you again soon."
"Likewise, Colonel," Elizabeth replied, with a tiny nod of her head. And she meant it, although she hoped that the next time they met, Mr. Darcy would not be present.
Chapter 2
"Mr. Darcy!" Jane exclaimed, her eyes wide as she collapsed into the chaise lounge. Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner had just returned home from their shopping and the unexpected encounter, and now they were regaling Jane with the details.
"Yes. Of all places to see him. Right outside of the book shop. And he was as disagreeable as I can remember. The nerve of that man is unrelenting!" Elizabeth declared.
Mrs. Gardiner shook her head as the maid placed refreshments on the table. "Is it not possible that you are being unreasonable, Elizabeth? It is entirely likely that he was out shopping, much in the same way as we were. I hardly think he was there solely to annoy you."
Elizabeth looked to her aunt, who reached for a cookie and then looked reproachfully at Elizabeth.
"Yes, yes, I see your point. He was not there 'on purpose.' But he is insufferable, and I would not put it past him to purposely try to irritate any one of us," Elizabeth stated.
"And he was with his sister?" Jane asked, desiring desperately to know whether or not Mr. Bingley's name had come up in the conversation, but unable to ask outright. Jane struggled so with expressing her feelings that doing so was very difficult for her at times.
"Indeed," Mrs. Gardiner replied. "She was quite lovely. Quiet and composed. Would you not agree, Elizabeth?"
"I would," Elizabeth agreed. "She was, in all regards, the complete opposite of her brother."
The three women were enjoying their food and tea, when Elizabeth suddenly blurted out. "We almost forgot to mention. Mr. Darcy was with his cousin, also. Colonel Fitzwilliam. Surprisingly, he was also very agreeable."
"Strange then, is it not?" Mrs. Gardiner asked.
"What is strange?" Elizabeth asked her aunt.
"That a man as awful as you claim Mr. Darcy to be surrounds himself with only kind and amicable people."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her aunt. Mrs. Gardiner had made her opinions of Mr. Darcy very clear during the ride home from the shops. She took kindly to Mr. Darcy. She had no real objections to that man, and claimed that he seemed both well-mannered and sincere. Elizabeth had secretly seethed at her aunt's words. Well-mannered and sincere? She had debated whether or not she should reveal her suspicions to her aunt and tell her that she believed that Mr. Darcy had intentionally separated Mr. Bingley from Jane. However, she had no proof as of yet, and felt that such accusations without affirmation might only make her seem silly or trite in her aunt's eyes.
"Mr. Bingley, too," Jane offered, seeing her chance to ascertain whether or not Mr. Bingley's name had, in fact, come up in the conversation. "Mr. Bingley is kind and sincere, much like the way you describe the Colonel and Mr. Darcy's sister. And, seeing as Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley are the closest of friends, I'm only suggesting that perhaps Mr. Darcy is not entirely awful."
Elizabeth whipped her head towards her sister. If only her sister knew of her suspicions! If only her sister knew of the possibility that Mr. Darcy was a judgmental and interfering person, and that he had, perhaps, meddled in her own affairs. But Jane's face wore the anticipation of hope, as it often did. Sweet Jane, who believed so fiercely in the good in people. Elizabeth could not possibly crush her so cruelly. Not yet. Not without substantial evidence.
"Yes, then, I suppose there could be some good in him," Elizabeth said, placing her sandwich back on the table. "It's just that I have yet to see it."
"What if Mr. Bingley has not called because Miss Bingley did not inform him of your presence here?" Mrs. Gardiner asked, and Jane looked at her as hopeful as ever.
"I would not put that past her. She has made her opinions of us passively known, if not overtly. That could very well be the reason," Elizabeth assured her sister.
"Indeed," Mrs. Gardiner agreed. "But if he did not know of your presence before now, he is certain to know of it moving forward. I have no doubt that the Colonel and Mr. Darcy will tell him of our encounter today."
Elizabeth did not respond to this last comment of her aunt's, as she had all the doubt in the world that Mr. Darcy would do anything of the sort. However, the Colonel, seeming by all intents and purposes to be a kind and genuine man, would likely let Mr. Bingley know that Jane was here.
"And what shall we do in the meantime?" Jane asked, looking for advice.
"We can only wait, my dear," Mrs. Gardiner replied, reaching for Jane's hand.
"And if Mr. Bingley does not call?" Jane asked, the worry spilling from her eyes.
"Then you will have an answer either way," Mrs. Gardiner replied gently.
&&&
In another part of town, in the Darcy house, Mr. Darcy, Georgiana and the Colonel were making their way home.
"I very much liked Elizabeth," Georgiana gushed to her brother and the colonel. "I found her refreshing. And her aunt, too. Such a lovely woman! "
"I feel that I must agree with Georgiana," the Colonel said. He had been quite charmed by Elizabeth. He appreciated her direct manner, and, like Georgiana, he found her somewhat abrupt nature to be a welcome respite from the often rehearsed pleasantries of polite conversation.
Darcy was not listening to his sister, nor the Colonel's kind words, though. He was tormented by his conflicting emotions. He had not expected to see Elizabeth, and it had left him a little rattled. In fact, she was the reason he had run from Hertfordshire. He could not help but feel overwhelming affection for her, and he had left to escape his attracti
on to Elizabeth. And yet, she had somehow shown up here, and he had been confronted, once again, with his powerful emotions towards her.
Try as he might, he could not rid himself of her. Her eyes, and the way they seemed to see right into his soul - as though he could not hide any part of himself. He was a confident man, yes, but in Elizabeth's presence, well, he felt uncertain of everything. How was it that she was able to reduce him to such uncertainty in his very self? Not a day had gone by since he left Hertfordshire that he had not thought of Elizabeth, despite his very best efforts.
And now, to add injury to insult, Elizabeth had met his sister and they seemed to get along quite well. His sister was a good judge of character, if not a little naive at times, and she seemed to like Elizabeth very much. And, if he were not mistaken, Elizabeth seemed to like her as well. Also, the colonel appeared to admire her and Elizabeth looked at ease in his company. And he intended to call on them. How was he to rid himself of her and purge himself of his affection for her if Elizabeth and his cousin or his sister formed a friendship?
A friendship between Elizabeth and anyone in his family would mean that he would surely see her again. He was surprised by how happy this thought made him. Yes, he had left so as to avoid her, but now that he knew she was in such close proximity, and that his sister might call on her...seeing her again was all he could think of.
Eventually, Georgiana retired to the music room, eager to return to her piano, inspired by the pleasant meeting. Once she had left, Mr. Darcy and the Colonel retired to the library to speak in private.
“I am pleased to see Georgiana recovered,” the colonel declared.
“So am I. She is stronger than we believed.”
"True. That scoundrel did not harm her heart and her spirit as much as we feared. Do you happen to know where Mr. Wickham is?" the colonel asked.
"I do. And sadly, he is too close to me again,” Darcy uttered. He did not want to hear of his former friend, and he wondered why the colonel would bring up his name.
“What could you possibly mean? Where is he?”
“In Meryton. He joined the Militia. I saw him several times before I left Netherfield.”
“In Meryton? How on earth? And what did you do?”
“Do? What do you mean, cousin?” Darcy asked coldly.
“Did you say something to anyone?”
“What could I have said that would not put Georgiana in danger of being compromised?”
"But Darcy, what about the others who might be compromised by associating with that liar? Should you not perhaps make the people around him aware of his unsavory nature?" the colonel suggested, knowing all too well, Darcy's ill feelings. He also knew that they were fully justified. However, Darcy had the power and the duty to warn those who might connect with Wickham of his deceiving nature, to prevent them from befalling the same fate.
Mr. Darcy shrugged. "It is no business of mine."
"But he is a swindler, and he preys upon the innocent and the naive. Should you not enlighten his acquaintances so that they are no longer innocent or naive to his ways?" the colonel pleaded. He was very fond of his cousin, but sometimes Mr. Darcy's seeming indifference was both frustrating and irritating.
Darcy thought on this for a moment.
“I do not believe it was my place to speak to others of Mr. Wickham and his dishonesty. People will surely find out for themselves. Besides, I do not want to be implicated with that poor excuse of man ever again.”
The two men drank in silence for some time. Darcy opened the window. The day was ending and the air was turning cool and thick. The colonel decided that this time was as good as any to address the troubles that had been on his mind since that afternoon.
"Darcy, what is the trouble with Miss Bennet and Bingley?”
“In what way?”
“In any way… she seemed distressed every time Bingley’s name was mentioned.”
“There is no trouble … I believe the Bennet family had some expectations regarding Bingley, which were not fulfilled.”
“Miss Bennet seemed upset with you, not with Bingley,” the colonel insisted.
Darcy glanced at his cousin. He also had the feeling Elizabeth was angry and reproachful toward him. That much he could feel, but the fact that her disdain for him was so obvious that the colonel had seen it annoyed him.
Colonel Fitzwilliam was an astute man, with a gift for sensing the truth. Besides, once he wanted something, his mind was hard to deter. He would harp upon the subject until he had his explanation. So Darcy decided he best be honest with his cousin.
"Bingley had affections for Jane Bennet. This much you know. He seemed to admire her more than any other woman before. However, I believe that Miss Bennet would not be an appropriate wife for him. And Bingley’s sisters agree with me."
“Oh, do they? How astonishing.” The colonel shook his head then and looked towards the ceiling. He took in a long breath, and parsed his words carefully.
"And what led you to this conclusion? Besides the Bingley sisters’ opinion?”
"They are annoying! And insupportable! The Bennet family! You should have seen Mrs. Bennet at the ball. She paraded around the room, telling anyone who would listen that her 'family would be saved!' She exposed Bingley to ridicule! Bingley is a good friend. He is a kind and honest man. He is sincere and genuine, and they were going to take advantage of him," Darcy explained in a rushed tone.
"The same way Wickham took advantage of you?" the colonel pointedly asked.
"Much in the same way," Darcy burst out. "He wanted nothing but my money. And that is exactly what the Bennets want, too. Charles' money."
The colonel sighed deeply and placed a hand on his cousin’s shoulder. Darcy could have a sharp temper at times, and he had no intention of igniting it now.
"Perhaps it is unwise to paint different people with the same brush," Colonel Fitzwilliam calmly said.
Darcy shook free from the colonel's hand. The audacity!
"It is nothing of the sort!" Darcy loudly replied, turning to anger very quickly. "In fact, it is wise to do so. People who use people for money should all be labeled the same. I do not believe that Jane was sincere in her affection. I watched them together very closely. Her family is in a desperate situation. She need a wealthy husband, both for herself and for her family. I did nothing wrong."
Darcy was breathing heavily now. How dare his cousin accost him in such an accusatory manner? Jane Bennet was a beautiful girl, yes, but she was only using her beauty as a means to an end. How could the colonel not understand that? Bingley's feelings had been genuine. He was entirely in love with Jane! And Jane Bennet surely did not indicate that she felt anything in return. What kind of friend would he be if he let his friend marry a woman who only wanted marriage for all the wrong reasons?
If Jane Bennet had truly loved Bingley, Darcy would have had no objections. He would not have stood in the way. But after many long conversations with Miss Bingley, Caroline was in agreement as well. There were so many things to consider. And what of their societal status? Should that be overlooked completely? The Bennets, and their miss-mannered girls! They are of no consequence, with no proper connections, nor proper decorum! Mrs. Bennet flaunting her new-found status when her daughter was not even engaged! It would have been devastating to the Bingley family. Mr. Bingley would be marrying far below his situation and stature in society. Which is acceptable, as long as it is for the right reasons. He would have been doing it all under false pretenses.
Who would not have done the same? Who would not have convinced a friend of the error of his ways? Jane had bewitched him, plain and simple, and a marriage between the two would have proven to be nothing but disastrous and unhappy.
The colonel was looking at him with such disapproval, that Darcy felt the need to defend himself further.
"You are placing judgment on me then? For helping a friend? For saving a friend?" Darcy asked his cousin.
"I do not think that you should have interf
ered," the colonel answered plainly.
Darcy turned away. "And who said I did?" Mr. Darcy asked.
"You did, just now. Not in so many words, but you have admitted your guilt. You just admitted that you had a part to play in their separation. If Mr. Bingley was truly in love with Jane, then you have interfered in your friend's potential happiness. And you should not have done that, my dear cousin."
"And why is that?" Mr. Darcy asked, angry as ever.
"Because you know nothing of love," the colonel yelled. He had not meant to yell, but Mr. Darcy's actions were incomprehensible. It made the colonel very angry to think that his friend, his cousin, was capable of such meddling.
Darcy turned on his heels to face the challenge. "Nothing of love? I know nothing of love?" he inquired, his voice rising in volume. The colonel did not respond. "And did I not love my friend Wickham? Did I not love him like a brother before he used me and threw my affections from the second-story window? And now? Do I not love…" Darcy stopped himself before he continued, troubled by his own dangerous admission.
"Do you not love what, Darcy? Or should I say whom?"
Darcy shook his head. He took a deep breath, and let it out with a long sigh. The air had turned chilly, and he could see his breath. He could not profess his love for her. Not now, not to him. Not when Elizabeth had just made it so obvious earlier that day that she felt nothing for him but contempt. To admit his feelings now would be nothing short of a blow to his pride. "Nothing. No one. I just meant that - I did what I did FOR love. Because I LOVE my friend and I could not let him marry a woman who does not love him."
"You had no right to do what you did," the colonel repeated.
"You have no right to accuse me of being insolent and arrogant," Darcy replied.
"I called you neither," the colonel pointed out.
"You called me both," Darcy said. "Maybe not in so many words. But you did."
In a More Amiable Light Page 2
