Mr. Darcy's Daughter

by Rebecca Ann Collins

  Mr Carr, who was visiting her at the time, offered to accompany them; indeed, he said, they could travel in his carriage, which would be far faster and more comfortable than the public coach. Having consulted her father and taking both Anthony's nurse and her own maid, Ellen, with them, Lizzie left for London in Mr Carr's carriage, not knowing how the journey would turn out. She had never travelled without a member of her family before and, as for Anthony, she prayed the child would not fall ill or become tired and fractious on the way.

  The journey was long and tedious, though the roads were far less crowded and hazardous than before, for more and more heavy goods were being carried on rail. It meant there were fewer over-laden vehicles on the road posing a potent threat to smaller carriages. It was also for the most part uneventful, except when they broke the journey for meals and to rest and water the horses. Staying overnight at Luton, before proceeding to London, they lodged at a local inn, where Mr Carr, conscious of the need for decorum to be observed, asked for two rooms for Lizzie and her maid, the child and his nurse. Having ascertained that they were comfortably and safely lodged, he proceeded a mile up the road to a hostelry, where the horses could be stabled and fed, and there took a room for the night.

  Lizzie was not unconscious of the motives behind his actions. It was, for her, an indication of the sincerity of his feelings for her and his determination to protect her from gossip. He had assured her father that he would take very good care of them and he was keeping his word meticulously. Lizzie was certain that, had it not been for the exigencies of the situation, brought about by the arrival of Susan that stormy night and the subsequent discovery of the parlous state of Josie's health, which events had thrown every other plan into confusion, Mr Carr would by now have spoken, giving her some indication of his intentions.

  Indeed, when she had returned from London with her father, her brother Darcy had indicated as much. He had, he said, given Mr Carr her note when he arrived on the Sunday and had watched, with some amusement, the disappointment that had swept over his countenance.

  "He was most anxious to know if you were in good health and, had you not given me a hint of it, Lizzie, I might have teased him about being so downcast. But, since you had taken me into your confidence, I did not. Instead, I gave him a few more details about Aunt Josie's unhappy situation. He was most sympathetic and asked, as usual, if there was anything he could do to help."

  Lizzie had smiled, even as she listened. She could well believe it.

  It was typical of Mr Carr that he would offer to help. There was never an emergency in which he would not offer his assistance, readily and without regard to the cost to himself. It was a character trait that had endeared him to her from the very start of their acquaintance. In an era of increasing selfishness, when men were urged to compete for every advantage over one another, a man who would put himself out for others, without seeking some return, was rare indeed.

  She recalled how a few days after she had returned home, he had called and was keen to discover how events had transpired in London.

  "Is Mrs Darcy recovering well? And has any action been taken against those who so callously took advantage of her?" he had asked, his face dark with anger, after she had told him of the desperate state in which they had found Josie. It was with great sadness that she had told him of their fears, based upon her father's diagnosis and its confirmation by his eminent colleague.

  "Sadly, it would seem that my aunt has contracted tuberculosis, Mr Carr, and it is not certain she has either the strength or the will to fight the disease," she had said, adding by way of explanation,"She has wasted away over the last six months; she was never very sturdy, but she is now a mere shadow of herself. One piece of good news, however, is that my Uncle Julian is come from France to be with her."

  At this Mr Carr had seemed very moved, especially when Lizzie had added,"and he has hardly left her side, since."

  "He must love her very dearly," he'd said, to which Lizzie could only reply, with genuine feeling,"Oh yes indeed, Mr Carr, he certainly does."

  One glance at his face had been sufficient to let her see how deeply he was moved and, for the first time, Lizzie believed he was about to say something more but, he did not.

  Clearly, it was neither the time nor the appropriate circumstance for a declaration of love, if that was what he had intended; the words that might have been said remained unspoken.

  Lizzie had, however, no doubt at all of her own feelings. During the seemingly interminable days and nights, when she had been in London with her mother, attending upon Josie, she'd had plenty of time to think about Mr Carr. The realisation that he, above any other man she knew, possessed the character and disposition that would suit her in a husband had come to her with a clarity she could no longer deny.

  Apart from a very early and juvenile infatuation for her handsome cousin Charles Bingley, who had barely noticed her existence, Lizzie had never experienced the youthful excitement of being in love.

  Unlike many young girls of her age, she was not overly interested in the pastimes that threw young women into the paths of eligible young men with the potential to become serious suitors. Lizzie disliked and assiduously avoided hunting and shooting parties, did not play cards, and took no pleasure at all in flirting; and while she enjoyed dancing and was very good at it, she was partnered most often by her brothers and their friends with whom she had grown up.

  None of them had she been able to take seriously for long enough to fall in love with. She had often marvelled at the capacity of heroines in books to fall in love at first sight with complete strangers, a practice she thought must be quite hazardous, even if they did turn out, in the final chapter, to be the sons of noblemen with large fortunes!

  With Mr Carr, however, things had always been different. He was older than most of the young men she knew. Her brother Darcy had said he was almost thirty, which, from the vantage point of nineteen, seemed an age of considerable maturity, presenting for Lizzie a remarkable contrast to the rather skittish young men she met at county functions. There was the fact that he always treated her seriously, talking to her as an equal, listening to her views, and sometimes debating them, without the patronising manner adopted by many of the young men she had met in London. He was handsome and tall, too, she had noticed, of course.

  As she considered her feelings, Lizzie had to admit that, if the truth were told, her partiality for him dated from her realisation that, of all the gentlemen she had met, Mr Carr was the only one who made her feel like a young woman rather than a schoolgirl. It was not uncommon for girls with elder brothers to find themselves treated like children still in the schoolroom. All her brother's friends, remembering her in a pinafore and braids, did just that, except Mr Carr.

  Although they had never engaged in flirtation, she had no doubt that her feelings were engaged and was beginning to believe that his were, too. When he had kissed her hand, she had felt her heart race and she had known, without a word being spoken, that deeper affections than friendliness were involved on both sides.

  She knew in her heart that he was aware of it, too; it was manifest in his manner towards her when they were alone and often, it had seemed, they had been on the verge of admitting it to one another. Yet, at other times, they would sit together and talk of ordinary things, of matters on the farm, the horses he had purchased, or a piece of music they had enjoyed, as though they were old friends, rather than new, as yet unacknowledged, lovers.

  On the afternoon that the news came from London of Josie's wish to see her son, they had been discussing the greenhouse he was building at the farm.

  "A greenhouse? What would you grow in it?" she had asked, and he'd replied that you could grow almost anything in it, proceeding to tell her of his father who grew tropical fruit and flowers in a greenhouse in America, throughout the year.

  Lizzie had been intrigued and wanted to know more, but he had something else to tell her, tactfully, gently, aware of her sensibility.

 
; "Miss Gardiner, I have some good news. I think you will be happy to hear that a certain person, whose presence in this neighbourhood was unwelcome to you, appears to have quit the district."

  As Lizzie listened with obvious relief, he continued."Your brother and I made some enquiries, while you were in London, intending to make it clear to him that his approaches to you were unwelcome and should cease forthwith. But, we were spared the trouble when we learnt he had moved to live in Derby. I understand he is involved in the printing trade. I trust you will not be troubled by him again," he declared and Lizzie, smiling, thanked him for the assurance and asked,"Does that mean it will be safe for me to go into the village or to Matlock?"

  "I certainly hope so, Miss Gardiner, but may I suggest that it may be wise at first to take a companion with you—your sister Laura or a maidservant or perhaps a friend."

  "A friend?" she had said, laughing a little at the suggestion, but he had been quite serious.

  "Indeed, and if you are in need of one and no one is to hand, may I offer myself? I should be very happy to accompany you," he had said, in a most gentlemanly show of gallantry that made her blush.

  Lizzie remarked that perhaps an escort might not be necessary, if Mr Jones was really gone from the district, but she thanked him for his kindness, all the same.

  That night, in Luton, Lizzie lay awake and turned all these things over in her mind. She wondered when she would know what his feelings were. She wanted to hear him speak of his affection for her. Then, she would know both his mind and her own, for certain.

  * * *

  The following morning, when they resumed their journey, Mr Carr seemed unaccountably quieter and Lizzie was concerned that she, either by omission or commission, had offended him in some way. Acutely conscious of the value of his assistance and fearing she may not have said as much to him, giving him an erroneous impression that she had taken his help for granted, she began to worry. It could not have been a particularly diverting journey for him, she thought, accompanying a young lady with two servants and a five-year-old boy.

  Lizzie knew how much she and her family owed to his generosity and kindness. She could not bear to think that he would feel they were not well appreciated and resolved to set things right.

  It was mid-morning when they stopped once more, for refreshment and to water the horses at Barnet, not far from London. It was a pleasant spot and little Anthony was keen to exercise his legs.

  Unable to suppress her concerns any longer, Lizzie, seeing Mr Carr standing at some distance from the carriage, as they waited for the others to return, seized the opportunity of their being alone to approach him.

  "Mr Carr," she said"forgive me for breaking in upon your thoughts, but I have not been able to thank you enough for your kindness, not only in putting your carriage at our disposal, but also accompanying us on this journey. Please let me say how very much we appreciate your generosity. This cannot be a very interesting journey for you, and I fear we may have taken you away from important work on the farm at this time of year…"

  But he would not let her continue; plainly moved by her words, he spoke quickly,"My dear Miss Gardiner, Lizzie, there is no need for you to thank me; it was the very least I could do at such a time as this, when you and your family have suffered so much anguish. I do not expect gratitude, my dear, dear Lizzie; you must know by now that nothing would be too much trouble, if I could be of assistance to you? You need only ask. Indeed," and at this point, he looked back at the inn to ascertain whether the rest of their party were in sight, but as they were not, continued,"my only regret, if I have one, is that I have not spoken earlier, before this sad news arrived; but there, I shall say no more, for I have resolved to speak first with your father, before I address you on this matter."

  Lizzie could hardly believe what she was hearing.

  She had imagined such a moment, thinking that when the time came, if indeed he did wish to propose to her, he would do so formally, probably standing in front of the fireplace in the drawing room of her parents' home. He was such a proper gentleman, she had never dreamed that she would be listening to what was clearly the prelude to a proposal of marriage, even if it was not couched in the customary language used on such occasions, in the courtyard of a coaching inn!

  When she felt confident enough to look up at him, he was regarding her with such a look of deep concern and apprehension that she wondered if she had heard aright.

  "Mr Carr, do you mean…" she began slowly, trying to think as she spoke how best to respond, but he put a finger upon her lips and said,"Please Lizzie, do not say anything in haste; I would prefer that you wait until we have had time to talk in private and I, having obtained your father's permission, am able to speak openly of my feelings for you."

  This time, Lizzie knew she had heard right and determined to speak, saying with a degree of confidence that quite surprised him,"Mr Carr, I am almost twenty years of age; you do not need Papa's permission to speak to me about anything. If there is something you wish to say…"

  Before she had finished her sentence, his words, released from restraint, tumbled out, as he reached for her hand."My dearest Lizzie, as if you did not know already, then let me say it, that I love you with all my heart and if you will marry me, I would be the happiest man alive."

  Lizzie looked at him and smiled, and it was unlikely that he could not have understood from her smile what her feelings were on hearing his words. The impression of pleasure may well have been confirmed by her words, had not Anthony appeared, at that very moment, running towards them, followed by Ellen and his nurse.

  Turning from Lizzie to the boy, Mr Carr stooped, picked him up and, to his delight, swung him high into the air, before placing him safely within the carriage. As he did so, Lizzie's smile widened, as she contemplated his exuberant response and reflected on what his reaction might have been, had she been able to give him a more complete answer.

  Once the others were in the carriage, he helped her into the seat beside his own and, as he took her hand to do so, she felt again the warmth and strength she had always found so reassuring.

  Throughout the rest of the journey, Lizzie tried not to meet his eyes too often, lest she should betray her feelings to the maid or the nurse, who sat at the opposite window with Anthony between them, and their love would become the subject of gossip, even before they had spoken of it themselves. However, whenever the condition of the road required it and the lurching of the carriage afforded him the opportunity, he would reach out to shield her from any discomfort. That she felt no inclination to withdraw her hand from him on these occasions, letting it lie in his, beneath the folds of her cape, was sufficient answer to his question, for the moment.

  Lizzie knew that with Josie gravely ill, there would be no opportunity for Mr Carr to approach her father. Nor was it appropriate, she thought, to trouble her mother at this time, knowing how busy she had been and was likely to remain for a while yet. No, she thought, with a small sigh, it would have to wait until they were all back in Derbyshire. She did wonder, though, how she would keep her tumultuous feelings a secret from everyone until then.

  As a consequence, though the warmth of Lizzie's smile and her agreeable manner may have indicated to Mr Carr that the sentiments he had expressed were in no way unwelcome and might well be requited, no opportune moment arose for them to speak of the matter again, save for a hasty farewell before he left London to return to Rushmore Farm. He felt rather like a man who, having received a rare gift, was forbidden to open and enjoy it. The waiting was agonising, but exquisitely so.

  * * *

  On reaching Portman Square, they had been met by Cassandra and Mrs Tate, who gave them the good news. Josie, they said, was stronger and, with Julian and now little Anthony here, they had great hopes of her continuing to improve. Anthony was taken immediately to see his mother, and later Julian came downstairs to confirm the tenderness and poignancy of their reunion.

  "It is a far more potent medicine in such cases as
these than anything prescribed by a doctor," he said. He then thanked both Lizzie and Mr Carr for bringing the child to London so promptly and declared that they were all more hopeful that Josie would be much improved by Christmas.

  "We are very much in your debt, Mr Carr. I know my wife will want me to thank you on her behalf. We expect her to improve considerably from now on and much of that will be owed to you," he said.

  Josie did improve and regain some of her strength and, while Cassandra and Lizzie returned to Derbyshire with Mr and Mrs Darcy, Josie's parents remained in London, staying on at Portman Square, at Mr Darcy's insistence, to be close to their daughter. With her faithful Susan attending upon her and the presence of all those who loved her around her, Josie's spirits had clearly improved and hopes were high for her recovery.

  Shortly before Christmas, Julian wrote to his parents, telling them how very hopeful they were. Thanking them for all they had done to help him and Josie, he proceeded to give them welcome news:

  My dear Josie seems stronger and happier, more content than I have known her to be in many years. She felt able to come downstairs and help little Anthony decorate his Christmas tree. Our best reward came that night, when she joined us at dinner, seeming to enjoy both the food and the warmth of the love of her family. It was a very moving occasion for us all. You will not be surprised to hear that we are looking forward very much to enjoying Christmas together as a family again.

  I am truly grateful for all that has been done to help her, by everyone, from yourselves, my dear parents, to Richard, Cassy, Lizzie, and Mr Carr; you have all been so wonderfully kind…

  The letter was both welcome and timely.

  In the wake of all this good news, Mr Carr sought a moment alone with Lizzie, arriving at their home with a hamper of Christmas fare from the farm. With both her parents away and her brother on an errand in Derby, it was left to Lizzie to thank him and offer him some refreshments in the parlour. The maid brought in tea and cake and Lizzie did the honours.