Mr. Darcy's Daughter

by Rebecca Ann Collins

  When they were seated, Mr Carr took the opportunity to remind her, as though such a reminder was necessary, of his words at the inn at Barnet, before asking if she had given them any thought. Lizzie had been preparing a proper little speech, knowing full well he would surely ask this very question at the first opportunity, but when he did, she became flustered and seemed to suffer a complete lapse of memory. After some moments of silence, which almost caused him to panic, she said, hastily,"Oh yes, yes I have, of course, Mr Carr."

  In years to come, this quaint response would cause her to be greatly teased by Mr Carr and other members of the family, but, at that moment, Mr Carr was rather disconcerted by the matter-of-fact little phrase, which had become something of a habit with her. He asked again, gently, but determined to know her meaning,"My dear Lizzie, by that do you mean you have considered my proposal? And, may I conclude then, that having considered, you accept?"

  Once again, embarrassed by a rush of unexpected pleasure, which left her temporarily tongue-tied, she hesitated before saying softly,"Yes, yes, Mr Carr, of course," and smiled as though she was surprised that he should have to ask.

  At this, with a great explosion of joy, he gathered her into his arms and kissed her, before saying,"Lizzie, my darling, do you know how very happy you have made me with that funny little answer?" and this time, before she could even begin to respond, he said,"Why yes, Mr Carr, of course!" causing her to burst into laughter, breaking down the shyness that had trammelled up her speech, letting them enjoy to the full the delight of acknowledging openly their love for one another.

  Lizzie had never known such happiness and had neither the inclination nor the sophistication to hide the extent of her pleasure from the man she loved, when he told her ardently and sincerely how deeply he loved her. Later, he promised to go away and compose a letter to her father, which he would present to him on Boxing Day, when he had been invited to join the family for dinner.

  Dr Gardiner would want to speak with him, they supposed, and both agreed that it was best to keep their engagement a secret until then, out of courtesy to her parents. It would not be fair, Lizzie said, to have everyone else knowing and talking about it until her parents had given them their blessing. That they would, she had not a shadow of a doubt.

  Mr Carr had some business in London, which needed urgent attention, he said, and assured her he would return very soon. A fond and reluctant leave-taking ensued, each promising the other what couples in such situations usually promise."It is, after all, only for a very few days, my darling; I shall be back with you within three days," he promised and she agreed, although in her heart, she wished he would not go at all.

  Neither anticipated a change in the weather, which delayed Mr Carr's return from London by several days, so that when he arrived to dine with the family on Boxing Day, the all-important letter had not, as yet, been written. Indeed, between dinner and coffee and the opening of gifts, there was hardly any time to explain and poor Lizzie wondered, at the end of the day, how much longer she could keep her precious secret.

  Finally, on New Year's Eve, the deed was duly done. Every year, family and friends of the Darcys would gather at Pemberley on New Year's Eve. This year was no different, though the Tates and Julian's family were sadly missed. There was, however, the good news of Josie's recovery, for which they could all be grateful. Mr Carr, now regarded as a good neighbour and a friend of the family, had been invited, too, to the delight of Lizzie and the obvious pleasure of her brother Darcy, in whom his friend had already confided.

  Calling at the Gardiners' place en route to Pemberley, Mr Carr had handed the vital letter, which he had taken all afternoon to compose, to Dr Gardiner, who, being rather busy at the time or perhaps distracted by other concerns, chose not to open it immediately. Instead, he placed it prominently upon his desk, proposing to open it on the morrow. Lizzie, visiting her father's study, had noticed it sitting unopened on his desk; which fact she conveyed to Mr Carr in a whispered remark, as they went in to supper at Pemberley.

  The Pemberley supper parties were justly famous for the excellence of the food and wine and the generous hospitality of the hosts. This year, in spite of the somewhat dreary prognostications for the general state of business in the country, the estate and related enterprises had done well and the New Year's celebrations were proof of this. Never ostentatious, the Darcys had a well-earned reputation for sharing their prosperity with the community in which they lived.

  On this day, Mr Darcy announced the extension of the Pemberley Parish School buildings, so they could accommodate older pupils from the area. In an arrangement with his friend and neighbour Sir Thomas Camden, land and funds were to be made available from both estates and the building named after Lady Mary Camden, who had died earlier that year.

  The school was to be administered by Miss Jessica Courtney, daughter of the Darcys' dear friend and cousin Emily. Jessica, like her parents, had devoted much time to the education and care of the children of the district. Both Mr and Mrs Darcy held her in very high regard, upon which subject, Mr Darcy expanded in his speech.

  While the speech held the attention of most of the party, Lizzie, who was seated to one side of the room, away from the general company, took the opportunity to ask Mr Carr an unrelated question.

  "Why do you suppose Papa did not open your letter? Is it likely that he has correctly guessed what it contains?" to which he replied,"Now, if I were the father of a charming young daughter approaching her twentieth year and a gentleman handed me such a letter, I think I might have guessed what its contents might be and hastened to open it. But I cannot speak for your father, my dear Lizzie. Is it possible he thinks that you are still too young to be spoken for? In which case, he probably believes my letter pertains to matters of sewerage and sanitation in the tenants' cottages, of which he and I have spoken on another occasion."

  He was teasing her, and Lizzie knew it.

  Still adamant that it was neither of these things, she caught her brother Darcy's attention and called him over to join them, as the musicians were preparing to play the fanfare that always heralded the fireworks on the terrace.

  "Let us see if my brother has a better notion," she said and together the three of them moved towards an alcove that afforded them an excellent view of the fireworks, while maintaining considerable privacy from the rest of the company.

  Darcy Gardiner was of a mind to tease them both, since he was the only person in the room with the advantage of knowledge obtained from his friend as well as his sister. It placed him in a unique position.

  Consequently, he entertained himself and the couple with a series of propositions that canvassed several improbable possibilities."It could be any one of many reasons," he declared."I understand a plague of mice has been troubling some of the farmers in the dales; several children have been bitten, it is a serious matter, and my father may well have thought the letter concerned a mouse problem at Rushmore.

  "Or perhaps, he thinks the letter contains a request for a medical opinion and, as you well know, Lizzie, Papa treats such matters in confidence and probably will not open the letter until he can take it into the privacy of his rooms at the hospital."

  This was all too much for Lizzie who put on a show of being exceedingly vexed with her brother and his friend, which immediately brought Mr Carr to tender an abject apology and reprimand Darcy for teasing her.

  While all this harmless fun was going on and the rest of the party were moving to take tea or coffee, the three participants were unaware that they were being observed, quite closely, though not in any censorious fashion, by Mrs Darcy and her sister Mrs Bingley. While they could not hear what was being said, it was plain to Jane and Elizabeth that the three enjoyed a close and friendly relationship. Their obvious rapport and affectionate raillery was a clear sign to the two ladies, who had much experience in observing and picking out the true lovers from the flirts, that there was more to this group than met the unpracticed eye.

  As they
observed, with some amusement, it was plain all three shared some information, of which the rest of the company was, as yet, ignorant. Whatever Dr Gardiner and his wife may or may not have noticed about the situation, to Elizabeth and Jane, it was quite plain that Mr Carr was in love with Lizzie Gardiner and that she probably returned his affection. As for her brother, they were in no doubt at all that he was in the confidence of both parties.

  Supper over, Cassandra joined her mother and aunt, hoping for some quiet conversation. To her surprise, she found herself being quizzed about her daughter.

  "And when do you expect that your little Lizzie will be engaged?" asked her mother, to which Cassy's astonished response was,"My Lizzie engaged? Not very soon, I do not think, Mama. She is not yet twenty and does not appear to be in any hurry to be married."

  Her Aunt Jane then asked if there was no particular gentleman in whom Lizzie had shown an interest.

  Cassy shook her head."No, Aunt Jane, not above any of the others. There have been one or two of Darcy's friends who seemed interested, but Lizzie would have none of it. Of course, there was a time, some years ago, when we were in London, and it looked as if Charles Bingley may have taken her fancy, but no one seriously believed it would come to anything. She was not quite fifteen! My Lizzie is very sensible, you know, Aunt; she will not give her heart easily to any man," she said, quite decisively.

  Elizabeth, growing a little impatient with her daughter's apparent complacency, said rather sharply,"Not any man, certainly, but Mr Carr looks to be a very likely candidate. Cassy, my love, where have you been? Have you not noticed that Lizzie and Mr Carr are plainly in love?" she asked.

  Cassandra was incredulous."Mama! You cannot be serious; Lizzie and Mr Carr?"

  "Indeed and I am absolutely serious, Cassy. Unless I am very much mistaken, Mr Carr seems to be quite serious, too. Your aunt and I have been observing them all evening, not that there is any lack of decorum on their part or any silliness, certainly not; but there is between them a certain closeness, almost an intimacy, that is unmistakable. My dear Cassy, I will wager anything you care to name that your daughter is either already secretly engaged to Mr Carr or very soon will be, and your Aunt Jane agrees with me."

  Her sister nodded, smiling as she said,"If you do not trust our observation, I suggest you ask her brother Darcy about his friend's intentions. I am sure he knows more about it than all the rest of us put together."

  Their words were lightly spoken, but Cassandra was both amazed and disconcerted by them. It was a possibility she had not contemplated since the earliest weeks of their acquaintance with their new friend and neighbour. Mr Carr had proved helpful, good neighbourly, and generous with his time, especially in the last few months. But she had long since ceased to regard him as a possible suitor for her daughter. He was much older than Lizzie. She had heard Darcy mention that his friend was thirty, and he was an American. Cassy knew few other Americans, but it was generally believed, especially in London society, that Americans, both men and women, were mostly in England to do business, acquire valuable properties and, if possible, spouses who were wealthy and titled.

  Young Lizzie was neither.

  Cassy was confused. If her mother and aunt were right, then she must have been completely deceived—not deliberately, but as a consequence of her own inability to see what was right before her eyes. Determined, however, not to leap to conclusions, she decided to leave well alone, until they were back at home. She would speak to Richard first and acquaint him with the observations of her mother and aunt and, perhaps then, their son Darcy may be applied to for information on his friend's intentions, she thought. For the moment, she was not going to be stampeded into upsetting Lizzie or anyone else by asking awkward questions.

  With her mother and aunt, she changed the subject, with characteristic equanimity, telling them of a letter she had received from her brother, which she had brought with her to share with them.

  Cassandra knew well, it was one certain way of distracting her mother from any further speculation about Lizzie and Mr Carr.

  Julian wrote hopefully:

  I know, my dear Cassy, that you will be happy to hear that Josie is so much better now. When I proposed that she should come with me to Italy in the Spring, she agreed readily. I am convinced the warmer climate will improve her chances of recovery, even though I have to say to you, with a heavy heart, that the doctors have warned me not to expect too much. I am so grateful to have her back, nothing else matters.

  My dear sister, I have to thank you and Richard for all you have done for Josie. Yet, I must now ask a further favour of you—that you have Anthony to stay with you, whilst I take Josie to Italy in the New Year.

  When Josie has recovered her strength and we return to England, I hope to ask Mama to let us stay a while at her farm in Sussex. I used to enjoy it immensely, when I was a boy, and I know the freshness of the country air will benefit Josie very much and help restore her to health.

  I do not believe she wishes to return to the house in Cambridge.

  I myself have had some reservations about continuing to work there…

  So pleased had Cassandra been to receive this letter, she told her mother and aunt she had written immediately, to assure her brother that looking after Anthony would be a matter of no consequence."He is not a difficult child and is good company for our James; they are almost like brothers, so I have written to say they should not trouble themselves at all on that score," she said.

  Her mother and aunt were not surprised. Jane and Elizabeth knew that Cassy's selfless love of her brother and his family would have prevailed over any reservations she may have had on the matter. Elizabeth remarked upon Josie's extraordinary recovery, whilst Jane hoped that the miracle that had restored Josie to her family would also help in her recovery. Neither had fully comprehended either the virulence of her disease or the strange path it had hitherto taken. Dr Gardiner had not deemed it necessary or wise to trouble them with the details, with which he was only too familiar.

  That night, returning home after the party at Pemberley, Lizzie Gardiner, unaware of the confusion that had invaded her mother's mind, went to bed with her head and heart filled with the exquisite happiness that comes only with the certainty of being deeply and devotedly loved.

  It eclipsed all other concerns in her mind.

  That Mr Carr loved her as fondly as she loved him, she was now assured. For some weeks, she had been aware that a new and exhilarating emotion was directing her life, but even she had not imagined it would make one person, whom she had known for not much longer than a year, more important to her immediate happiness than anyone else on earth. Yet, it was not with any trepidation, but with some wonderment and not a little delight, that she contemplated her present situation.

  That her brother regarded the man she loved as a good friend and approved of their affection for one another increased her joy. On learning of their secret engagement from Mr Carr, Darcy had sought her out and embraced her."My dear little sister, he is a fine man; I know you will be very happy together," he had said and, for Lizzie, there was but one more step to heaven: her parents' blessing. Her father would open Mr Carr's letter tomorrow morning, he would send for her, and Lizzie already knew exactly what she would say. This time, she promised herself, she would not be tongue-tied. She had practised it carefully and was word perfect.

  However, as on many occasions in life, when plans are made only to be confounded, destiny decided otherwise.

  Even as the party at Pemberley ended and the Gardiners returned home in good spirits, events were unfolding that were to inflict unimagined change upon their lives.

  Sometime during that night, Josie suffered a relapse. By mid-morning on New Year's Day, while flakes of snow were falling in the quiet city, she passed into a feverish delirium and, despite the efforts of the best doctors her husband could summon, never regained consciousness. Shortly before nightfall, with Julian, her parents, and her faithful Susan beside her, she slipped away. />
  News of Josie's death came less than a fortnight after the family had celebrated the birth of Jonathan Charles, the first child of Anne-Marie and Colin Elliott. A letter from Jonathan Bingley had reached them shortly before Christmas with the news of the birth of his grandson. It had brought hope and happiness to end a year that had been fraught with problems.

  When Julian's urgent message arrived, Mr Carr was with them, having arrived to see Dr Gardiner. He had been taking tea in the parlour with Cassandra and her daughters, when the express was brought in. On opening it, Cassy cried out and, having broken the news to her daughters, had rushed upstairs to her husband. Weeping copiously, Laura Ann followed her mother, leaving Lizzie in tears.

  It was to Mr Carr she turned for consolation and it seemed quite natural and entirely right that he should take her in his arms and comfort her as she wept, unable to understand why, after all these weeks of hope, it had come to this. She had not known what her father had expected for some time; that a patient with tuberculosis would often rally strongly and seem to recover just before a fatal relapse.

  Cassy, coming downstairs later and seeing them together, sensed the intimacy and tenderness between them and was reminded of her mother's words. Clearly she had, amidst all her other undertakings, missed something important that had been happening in her daughter's life. She determined that she would speak with her husband, at the earliest opportunity, but quite obviously, that was not today.

  Cassy could not help wondering at the way a coincidence of joy and sorrow had often marked their lives. Recalling, with a deep sigh, the day of her engagement, forever bound up with the death of her beloved brother William, she wondered if life was always like this. Would Lizzie, like her mother, retain memories of Josie's death, linked to her own love? Was happiness too rich a draught to be drunk without some bitter trace of sorrow in the cup?