Mrs. Gardiner bustled in, her good humor a relief in the dark study. “Mr. Darcy, I just learned of your arrival. I hope your journey was unremarkable. No, do not answer that now. Please come to the sitting room where we may all sit down and share what we have learned.”
Darcy followed her gratefully, aware of Mr. Bennet stalking on his heels. Instead of selecting the sofa he had used on his previous visits to the Gardiner home, he chose to sit beside Mrs. Gardiner, who inquired about Georgiana’s whereabouts. By the time he had finished his reply, the others had joined them.
Mr. Bennet continued to glower. “I am desolated to be obliged to interrupt this charming reunion, but I find myself in need of an explanation of how Darcy comes to be acquainted with both this matter and with you.”
Mrs. Gardiner looked delighted at the opportunity. “You are no doubt already aware that we had travelled no further than Lambton, where we had planned to spend several days visiting friends from my childhood, when Jane’s letters reached us, informing us of Lydia’s plight. But I am getting ahead of my story! I had longed to visit the grounds at Pemberley again, and as chance would have it, despite reassurances we had received that the family was away, it turned out that Mr. Darcy had arrived ahead of schedule. When he discovered our presence, he naturally wished to speak to Lizzy, and my husband and I decided it was an excellent opportunity to see what sort of man he was. He introduced us to his sister, a charming young lady, and we met on several occasions. The matter of Lydia, when it arose, could not be hidden from him.”
Darcy leaned back in his chair, impressed at her ability to create a misleading tale without once telling an untruth. “Miss Bennet was quite distraught, and naturally I could not rest until I knew the cause.”
Mr. Bennet’s narrowed eyes focused on Mr. Gardiner. “How very interesting that you should choose to disregard my wishes.”
“Thomas, this is neither the time nor the place,” said Mrs. Gardiner sharply. “Mr. Darcy has offered us his assistance, and I for one am grateful for it.”
Darcy decided that the better part of valor was to say his piece before Mr. Bennet had the chance to go on the attack again. “As I have already told the gentlemen, I have located Wickham and Miss Lydia. If all goes well, I will speak with them tomorrow. Wickham, of course, is well known to me, but I hoped you might have some suggestions as to how I should approach the matter to Miss Lydia, since I have no significant acquaintance with her.”
Mrs. Gardiner passed a tray of pastries to her husband. “Perhaps I should go with you. Lydia might be more inclined to attend to my suggestions.”
Mr. Bennet snorted again. “As if she listens to anyone.”
Darcy accepted a pastry to be polite, then set his plate aside. The prospect of food had no appeal at the moment. “I will need to negotiate a settlement with Wickham. He is likely to be more reasonable if he believes I am working on my own, since he would expect me to be more disinterested than her immediate family. His demands might well escalate if he knows you are involved.”
“His demands?” said Mr. Bennet sharply. “You seem to be assuming he will need to be bribed.”
Darcy inclined his head. “Wickham never misses a chance to improve his own situation at the expense of others. I wish I could say otherwise, but the fact that he has located himself in a part of town unsuitable for a gentleman’s daughter strongly suggests that he has no honorable intentions toward her. If so, he will not change his mind without a significant incentive.”
Mr. Bennet leaned forward. “All the more reason I should be the one to negotiate with him. Any payment will come from me.”
Darcy opened his mouth to reply, but Mr. Gardiner spoke first. “There is no point in discussing who will foot the bill when we do not yet know if there will be one. There will be plenty of time for that later.” He shot Darcy a warning glance. “I hope you will keep us informed of your progress.”
“Naturally.” He rose to his feet. “Thank you for your kind hospitality.”
Mrs. Gardiner pointed back to his chair. “Oh, please do not go yet, Mr. Darcy. We had so little time to get to know one another in Lambton.”
Mr. Bennet shifted in his chair, looking as annoyed at this blatant manipulation as Darcy felt. Nevertheless, he followed her instructions. “It would be my pleasure, madam.”
“I hope your journey to town was not unpleasant.”
“Not at all. I arrived before the rain began, so I made excellent time.”
“I just arrived yesterday, since I travelled with Lizzy to Longbourn. I fear that the children were not at all happy to see me; they had hoped for an extended holiday with their dearest Aunt Jane!”
“I hope you found Miss Bennet in good health.”
“Apart from a natural concern for the situation and for her family’s distress, yes, she was quite well. Is any of your family in town at present, Mr. Darcy?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mr. Bennet sit up straighter. “I cannot say. I have kept to myself since my return, but I imagine that any of them who have the ability have moved to the countryside for the summer. London loses much of its appeal in the warm weather.”
Mr. Bennet laughed shortly. “Is that why I have seen so much of your various relatives at Longbourn? It certainly was not for the charm of my company.”
Darcy regarded him quizzically. If the visitor had been Lord Matlock, he doubted Mr. Bennet would make a joke about it. “My relatives do not keep me informed of their whereabouts, but I have heard nothing about travels to Longbourn.”
“Am I to believe that your charming cousin in the red coat has not been carrying messages to you from Lizzy? I am not quite so gullible, young man, as to believe that he is suddenly so enamored of my eldest daughter that he cannot stay away above a fortnight.”
“Your eldest? No, it is Elizabeth that Richard… well, no matter.” Darcy was going to have some choice words for his cousin about his visits to Elizabeth behind his back.
“And then there was the call that Lady Matlock paid to my daughters,” Mr. Bennet said icily.
“Yes, Elizabeth mentioned that to me, but I cannot believe you found my aunt anything but charming.”
At Mr. Bennet’s snort, Mrs. Gardiner stepped in. “Is Lord Matlock still firmly set against your marriage to Lizzy?”
This hardly seemed a safe topic for conversation, but perhaps it was best to get it out into the open. He hoped Mrs. Gardiner knew what she was doing. “To the best of my knowledge, he has not changed his mind, but his opinion would make little difference to me, were it not for his extraordinary talent for convincing other people to do his dirty work for him.” He looked directly at Mr. Bennet. “He was quite pleased when he heard you had refused your consent and planned to keep us apart – especially as he had no power to stop me himself.”
Mr. Bennet raised an eyebrow, radiating dubiousness. “So your family’s opinion means nothing to you, then?”
“I see no reason to consider my uncle’s opinion, since he never considers the opinions of others himself. The members of my family whose opinions do matter to me are more likely to assume that I am the best judge of whom I should marry. Once they were reassured that Elizabeth was not a fortune hunter, they rallied behind me. It is only Lord Matlock, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and you who persist in opposition.” Darcy hoped the Gardiners at least appreciated what it cost him to say this in a calm manner that belied his inner turmoil.
Mr. Bennet clearly had no appreciation of it. “Matlock may not be the only clever manipulator in your family. Tell me, did Wickham run off with Lydia on your orders?”
“Good God, no.” Darcy’s reaction was automatic, even before he realized the depth of the insult he had been paid. He steadied himself by gripping the armrest of his chair until his fingers hurt. “Either you have no idea what you are saying, or you have far more in common with my uncle Matlock than I had realized. Mrs. Gardiner, Mr. Gardiner, I hope you will understand that I must be on my way. I will be certain to inform you
when I know more of the situation.” He bowed stiffly and left the room before anyone could respond.
He heard Mrs. Gardiner’s light footsteps following him down the passageway, but he did not stop, unable to trust his own temper. He had already yanked open the front door when her hand descended on his arm. “Please, Mrs. Gardiner, it is best for me to be alone right now.”
She tightened her grip reassuringly, then released him. “I understand. But please remember that I know both of you, and I believe this can be resolved, however little it might appear that way at the moment.”
He nodded jerkily, fearing he could not answer in a civil manner, then left.
***
Mr. Gardiner poured himself a glass of brandy and another for Mr. Bennet. “Thomas, I am glad you will be returning Longbourn tomorrow. I will, of course, keep you informed about every development.”
“You prefer yon pup’s assistance to mine?” Mr. Bennet’s tone was cool and distant.
“At the moment, yes. I understand that you are angry, but it is foolish to risk the only lead we have toward finding Lydia. Also, anything you say now is likely to rebound against you later when Lizzy is married to Darcy.”
Mr. Bennet’s lips thinned. “Not if she comes to her senses first.”
“She is not going to change her mind. I have seen the two of them together, and frankly, I have not seen any reason why she should not marry him. Whatever you may think, he is not like Matlock. No one at Pemberley had a word to say against him. He has a temper – who among us does not? – but as you saw today, he does his best to keep it in check, even when provoked quite outrageously.”
“Did he not provoke me equally outrageously by suggesting I was serving as Matlock’s pawn?”
Mr. Gardiner did not reply immediately, instead gazing into his brandy as if it held the answer. “The question is whether he said it to provoke you or because it is true.”
The silence in the room was complete for several minutes, then Mr. Bennet set down his brandy snifter with unusual delicacy. “There is still time for me to catch the last post coach to Hertfordshire. Excuse me.”
“Don’t be a fool, Thomas! Look at it rationally. You were angry with Darcy when you sought him out at Rosings, but when have you ever refused to hear a man out, much less virtually imprisoned one of your daughters? Was that what you had in mind when you went there, or was it only after Matlock’s insults that you chose that course? Is it reasonable that you have restricted Elizabeth so greatly when she has done nothing beyond accepting the proposal of a man she believed you would have every reason to approve of, while at the same time you allowed thoughtless Lydia to run wild with the soldiers in Brighton? Explain to me, if you will, how you have come to behave so uncharacteristically if it was not for Matlock’s taunts. Do not forget, I know him of old as well, and I know what he can do. How many times did we see him set one boy against another in the same manner, even though they had been the best of friends the previous day?”
“Do you expect me to rejoice in Lizzy’s new connection to Matlock?” Mr. Bennet spoke through gritted teeth.
Mr. Gardiner shook his head, looking suddenly older than his years. “No, I do not. But I also did not expect you to sacrifice Lizzy’s happiness to your desire to avoid him. I would have thought that if Matlock were dead set against the marriage, you would have rushed them to the altar to show him he has no power over you. That would be taking revenge against him. This is playing into his hands.”
“And why are you suddenly on their side?”
“Thomas, I am on your side as well. I never took against Darcy as badly as you did, since I had never met him previously or dealt with Matlock at Rosings, and I give Lizzy some credit for good judgment. Still, I assumed he was likely a disagreeable sort until I met him. He is nothing like Matlock, and if anything he dislikes him as much as we do. Believe me, I did my share of snooping in Lambton asking about Darcy’s typical behavior, talking to people who owed nothing to him, and I heard very little to object to. His mother was not well liked, but Darcy himself seems to be respected.”
“I still do not like it.”
“Just give it some thought. How can it hurt you to actually speak to the boy for a few minutes?”
Mr. Bennet was relieved of the necessity of a response by the entrance of a maid announcing that dinner was ready.
***
The following day, Elizabeth was making her very best effort not to listen to Mary’s moralizing about the loss of Lydia’s reputation. Kitty had already stalked off in disgust. It was with some relief that she saw Jane enter the sitting room and ask Mary to take her place at their mother’s bedside, as Mrs. Bennet, unable to boast about the future Mrs. Darcy, had returned to bewailing her lost Lydia. Mary agreed reluctantly, and Jane waited for her to leave the room before indicating to Hill that she could show their guest in.
“A guest? I thought there was no one left who would be seen in our company,” Elizabeth said, but this puzzle was explained when it was not one of their neighbors but Colonel Fitzwilliam who entered the room.
“This is an unexpected pleasure,” she said, wondering if Darcy had sent him.
“For me as well,” replied the colonel. “I had thought you were still on your journey to the Lakes.”
So he had not spoken to Darcy, and Mary had been correct in thinking Colonel Fitzwilliam planned to continue his visits in her absence. Elizabeth glanced at Jane, whose cheeks were delicately flushed. If the colonel had thought her absent, then he must have called to see Jane. Just as a happy new suspicion began to fill her mind, she remembered their circumstances and the likely effect on her unmarried sisters. “That was the plan, but circumstances necessitated an earlier return.”
Jane gestured to a chair. “Please sit down, Colonel. I am afraid you do not find us at our best today. Our mother is unwell, and our father is in London, so I am grateful that Elizabeth is back sooner than expected.”
“I am sorry to hear it. I hope your mother’s illness is nothing serious.”
Jane glanced down at the floor. “We do not believe her to be in any danger, thank you. I am sure she will be sorry to have missed the opportunity to meet you. Did you travel from London today?”
Elizabeth realized with dismay that Jane intended to avoid the subject of Lydia entirely. Perhaps she hoped to keep it a secret from him, but that was highly unlikely, given Darcy’s awareness of the situation. “Colonel Fitzwilliam, my sister is being very tactful, no doubt in hope of avoiding any distress to you. I believe you are acquainted with Mr. Wickham?”
“To my sorrow.”
“A fortnight ago, he convinced my youngest sister, who is but 16 years old, to elope with him. They have been traced to London, but no further. She has no dowry to speak of, nothing to tempt him.”
“Does Darcy know?” The colonel’s amiable mien showed an unusual harshness around the lips.
“I believe he has joined the search for them in London.”
The colonel frowned. “I had thought him still at Pemberley. Regardless, you may be certain that I will be offering my assistance as well. I have some resources that may be of use in locating your sister.”
“I thank you, though I did not tell you in hopes of receiving help, but rather because I thought you would wish to know the truth of the matter.”
“You are quite correct.” He drummed his fingers rapidly on his thigh, clearly already lost in thought about what steps to take.
Jane was blinking rapidly, her eyes unusually shiny. Elizabeth moved to her side and took her sister’s hand in both of hers. “Dearest Jane, I am so sorry! I did not mean to distress you!”
“It is nothing.” Jane’s voice trembled slightly. “I am sorry, Colonel. What you must think of us!”
“Hush, Jane. He knows what Wickham is. Others may think ill of us, but he will not.”
To Elizabeth’s astonishment, Colonel Fitzwilliam knelt at Jane’s feet. “Miss Bennet, your sister is correct. This does not change my respect
for you in any way. I am not at liberty to disclose the details, but Wickham has caused difficulties for my own family. He is a force of nature, spreading destruction wherever he goes, but it is no reflection on your own goodness.” Not taking his eyes from Jane’s face, he hunted in his pocket, then handed her a handkerchief.
Elizabeth was beginning to feel distinctly de trop. It was bad enough to find herself in the middle of such a scene, but when it included a man who had proposed marriage to her a mere four months previously looking tenderly on her dearest sister, it was even more embarrassing. Had the situation with Lydia been less dire, she would have been tempted to laugh.
As it was, Elizabeth was trying to invent a reason why she might need to withdraw herself to the other side of the room when Hill returned holding an envelope. “A letter for you, Miss Elizabeth.”
“Is there mail from London?” Elizabeth asked. Personal letters were well and good, but it was news from Gracechurch Street that she hoped for.
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