“My love,” he whispered, “what happened? Dear Lord, are you ill? Please, come and sit. You cannot walk in such a state!”
She resisted, but he was stronger; he forced her to enter the room and sit together on a sofa, his hand still holding her arm.
“I must talk to my uncle and aunt. We must return to London at this moment. I have not an instant to lose.”
“Return to London? Now? Good, God! What is the matter, Elizabeth, you are scaring me, is someone ill?”
She struggled to fight her tears and his worry increased. “Elizabeth, I shall send a servant to Mr Gardiner. But please stay here. I will bring you something to drink! Georgiana will come to you…”
“No!” she cried, grabbing his hand unconsciously. His fingers immediately closed upon hers. He sat back, looking at her. Their hands were still entwined.
“What happened?” he asked hoarsely, with a power admitting no opposition.
“Please do not tell Georgiana. We cannot disturb her so… I only want to talk to my uncle…”
“What happened?” he repeated, warmer and gentler. “There is nothing we cannot fix…”
“This cannot be fixed,” she replied weakly. She spoke with great difficulty, as the pain gripping her chest left her breathless.
“Lydia... she has left all her friends in Brighton and she threw herself into the arms of Mr Wickham… She eloped with him…”
The words died on her lips, while Darcy stared at her, in disbelief and utter astonishment. He released her hands and she remained helpless and powerless. He already had distanced himself from her, she could feel it.
“My sister Jane asked for my uncle. My father and Mr Bingley are already in Town. But what is to be done? I fear he has deceived her. She is so young and unwise… She must be certain she is in love with him.”
Darcy was as pale as she was; he said nothing, while words seemed to escape from her throat.
“It is all my fault… I knew who he was… my eyes had been opened to him… If I had said something… If I had warned my father…”
“It is my fault,” Darcy suddenly interrupted her. “My fault alone. If not for my mistaken pride, I would have exposed him long ago, as he deserved. So he would not have been in the position of misleading young girls…”
“Darcy, please do not say that… Nobody would consider this is your fault in any way…”
He dismissed any attempt of conciliation and spoke severely.
“I will send for your uncle. Please explain the situation and prepare your luggage. As you said, we have not an instant to lose. I must speak to my sister.”
Then he gave some orders and left the chamber in haste, leaving Elizabeth in the grip of grief and pain. He said just what she expected and dreaded. He was gone and she would likely not see him again except perhaps for saying goodbye. Her beautiful plans and her life were shattered; she felt she could not ever live again. And he was gone without saying a kind word. He could not take on such a burden in a marriage that already was in danger.
Elizabeth attempted to regain some reasoning. A maid brought her tea, but she refused it; instead, she accepted a glass of water.
Mr and Mrs Gardiner arrived shortly, astonished and deeply tormented to find their niece crying in despair. It was not the view they expected to see that day when Elizabeth announced her engagement. The lady embraced Elizabeth while she handed Mr Gardiner the letter. She spoke as in a dream, unable to tell the whole outrageous story. Mr Gardiner tried to look confident at least on the surface while his mind was in distress.
“Lizzy dear, please calm down. I know the situation sounds terrible, but it cannot be as tragic as you believe now. After all, Lydia is not alone in the world. He would not dare play with her and then abandon her. Lydia is a gentleman’s daughter and he is a man with good education and an officer! I am sure we will find a solution that now cannot be seen.”
“He is a man with a good education and a horrible, selfish character!” Elizabeth said bitterly. “No, there is no acceptable solution to all this. Even if she marries him – which I doubt – she will be exposed to a life of unhappiness.”
“I will go to speak to Mr Darcy and let him know we must leave. You should fetch your luggage,” Mr Gardiner addressed them.
Elizabeth turned pale. “Darcy knows… he was here earlier and he found me crying… I had to tell him… He went to speak to his sister…”
She could see the question on her relatives’ faces, as it was her own. Would her marriage still take place despite this awful situation?
∞∞∞
“Mr Gardiner, Mrs Gardiner!” Darcy’s voice startled them. He was standing in the doorway, tall, severe, his countenance dark and cold. Elizabeth’s heart was gripped with fear. Only hours earlier, they were walking along Pemberley Lake happily planning their future. In those moments, it was he to ask her a favour; he needed to get married in haste to escape Lady Catherine’s scheme. But the disgrace that fell on her family was a circumstance he could not ignore or accept. She looked at him with all her love as she was probably facing the last moments in his company.
“Mr Darcy. We deeply apologise for this situation. We cannot thank you enough for your hospitality…Please explain to Miss Darcy whatever you find appropriate…”
“I already told her. You will have to excuse my sister – she retired to her room, as she does not feel well. She sends you her best regards and wishes you a safe journey.”
Elizabeth lowered her eyes to the ground; yes, she had expected that. Georgiana’s friendship had ended too.
“Mr Gardiner, I am coming to London with you,” Darcy added, making Elizabeth drop her glass of water. She quickly kneeled to gather the broken pieces and Darcy hurried to help her to her feet. He called for a servant and two appeared immediately. He checked her hands to see she was not hurt, then said with an almost demanding voice:
“Mr Gardiner and Mrs Gardiner, please prepare for the trip. You will take my carriage. We will talk more when you are ready; now, if you will permit us, I want to talk to Elizabeth.”
He bowed, as did Mr Gardiner and Mrs Gardiner who departed in haste, whispering their astonishment.
“Mr Darcy is coming with us; what about the wedding?”
“I do not know. Who could even imagine such a disaster now that both Lizzy and Jane were about to marry!” Mrs Gardiner felt dumbfounded and dizzy, her temples aching, her mind tormented by disbelief, those girls were like her own, so intelligent and well-bred; they truly deserved a good future and here she was, that foolish Lydia, destroying their chance for happiness.
∞∞∞
Darcy still wished to join them! How could that be, since she thought he would distance himself from them. She had grossly misjudged him again and indeed the very moment the door shut, he took her into his arms and held her so tightly she could hardly breathe. In truth, she did not want to breathe; she was happy to be in his arms; her hopes still floating around them.
“You still want me!” she whispered.
Darcy looked at her so severely she almost cried. “You… little mistrustful woman, I shall punish you someday for all the horrible thoughts you proffer on my account!”
It was his first time seeing her cry and her sobs made his heart melt in pain. “Now, Elizabeth, do not cry anymore; I promise the punishment will be rather acceptable and all will take place in our bedroom!” He wanted to make her understand he was not going anywhere; he had made a promise and no circumstance could stop him from his plans with her.
He wiped her tears and looked at her, “Come, let us discuss what we have to do. In the next ten minutes we depart for the Vicarage to meet our Vicar; my butler is already there asking him to meet us on the spot. We shall inform Mr Harper about our intention to marry. I instructed the maids to prepare your luggage and be ready by the time we return.”
In the chaise that took them to the Vicarage, Darcy had all the time needed to continue their conversation.
“As soon as we are back, we will depar
t for Longbourn and there decide what to do next but only after we visit your Vicar. So our marriage will be decided and announced in both parishes.”
He took her hand and kissed her, leaving her so relieved she could hardly believe it was true.
“So many obstacles in the way of our marriage!” she said, but Darcy did not let her be sad again.
“I will find that scoundrel and this time he will pay for his doings. Do not worry! When we finish with him, I assure you he will not hurt another woman as he will marry Lydia, by force if it is necessary!”
Darcy spoke in a tone Elizabeth did not know. It was full of resentment, even a shadow of hate. It was dark like the sky above preparing for a storm.
She wanted to forget for an instant about that horrible man who was so close to ruining her happiness; she only hoped Mr Bingley would be as open-minded as her Darcy and continue wooing Jane.
“What about Georgiana? Will her reputation not suffer in one way or another from being associated with me… I suppose she does not want to see me anymore!”
“What are you talking about, Elizabeth? Georgiana suffers because Wickham has wrecked the life of your sister.”
There was a long silence between them when he finally spoke, “Wickham imposed on Georgiana…”
It was difficult for him to talk about that subject, yet Elizabeth had to know the truth; she was the only one to know the whole truth.”
“No!” Elizabeth cried in anguish. “Poor, poor thing!”
“I succeeded in chasing him away in time, as he intended to elope with her! Georgiana is so troubled by her incident repeating now with your sister, not about anything else! She was so close to losing her own reputation that she does not care about a scandal around mine. She is extremely troubled, nothing else!”
They entered the Chapel with the single wish to leave the world outside. If it was possible both of them would agree to marry at that very moment, only the two of them and the Vicar. He was a young man – with a solid education from Oxford, Darcy told Elizabeth – who was obviously grateful to Darcy, making Elizabeth suspect that Darcy had sustained him, during his studies.
They had a short but hopeful discussion about marriage that made Elizabeth forget her problems. They were going to marry and the Vicar in front of them was proof.
As soon as they approached Pemberley, all her troubles came back in a wave that engulfed her in despair and desolation. She would finally be married but poor Jane was not certain to have the same luck. Elizabeth remembered Mr Bingley’s sisters and she shivered in distress, as those women would do anything to separate their brother from Jane.
Chapter 10
Two hours later, they were all in Darcy’s large carriage, the gentlemen facing the ladies from the opposite bench. Everything was so distressing that Elizabeth clasped her hands together in her lap to stop them from trembling.
“Forgive me if I assumed too much without asking your permission,” Darcy addressed the Gardiners. “But there is nobody who knows Wickham better than I do. In these delicate circumstances, you will need all the help you can find.”
“Sir, we are grateful for your help… It was unexpected, but most welcome, nevertheless. We never expected such an event… such behaviour from Mr Wickham,” Mr Gardiner replied.
“Sadly, I did. And I should have warned the honourable people around him. It is my fault that he could make such nefarious plans.”
Darcy looked equally distressed; he kept glancing at Elizabeth, but, for the moment, she avoided his eyes. He wanted to be near her, to hold her and wipe away her tears. But instead, he only hoped she saw those intentions in his eyes.
“We should travel as fast as possible. I know all the inns from Derbyshire to London. We will stop to change horses or eat something; as for the night, only if the ladies wish to do so. Urgency is an important matter.”
They all nodded in agreement, feeling that Darcy was now in charge of everything. He seemed to have solutions to all their problems. To Elizabeth, his involvement was just another reason to love him. Being seen with them might be a compromising situation, once the scandal was publicly acknowledged.
The first hours passed like a bad dream to Elizabeth. On their first stop, they changed the horses and Darcy asked the innkeeper to provide them three rooms – to refresh themselves. The Gardiners retired to change, but Elizabeth left the group, walking absently around the Inn.
She needed to stretch her legs and to clear her mind. Mrs Gardiner attempted to go to her, but she noticed Darcy stepping in her direction.
To the Gardiners, their decision to marry was not much of a surprise, but Darcy’s firm intention to persist in marrying her after such a scandal erupted certainly was. He was a marvellous man of solid character and they could entrust Elizabeth into his hands without any fear.
“Let them be alone, as much as possible!” Mrs Gardiner said to her husband, who nodded in approval.
“They have to settle so many things between them!”
∞∞∞
Elizabeth allowed her feet to take her forward absently. There were people around, voices, sounds of the carriages, and then his voice.
“My love?”
She turned to face him and finally met his eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“What for?” he asked, puzzled.
“You know too well… Did you see Georgiana before our departure?”
“Yes. I wanted to discuss the matter with her one more time, to be sure she is calmer.”
“I hope she does not despise me,” Elizabeth murmured.
“Despise you? Why would she?”
Tears threatened her eyes again. “Darcy, I am not sure you should come with us to London… Your help is invaluable in finding Wickham, but maybe you should have stayed behind. Travelling with us will expose your own name and family to this scandal at this time when Lady Catherine is also ready to attack you… us! And then Georgiana is alone…”
“My sister is safe. She suffers, but it has nothing to do with you. She is only ashamed to see that Wickham had used her and other girls in the same way, treating her like a step in his pursuit of a comfortable life. And she is worried that your sister could not be happy with him, even if they marry.”
His voice was warm and loving, making her eyes even more tearful.
“Georgiana is a courageous young lady; I am so proud of her and I hope she will not suffer from this scandal in any way other than her memories.”
“My love… I must ask you… Would you prefer for me to stay away? Are you displeased with my presence? Please think only of yourself when you answer.”
“You know how grateful I am for your presence… And this is precisely why I cannot think only of myself…”
He smiled and his features softened again. “Please do so and allow me to think of the rest. Now let us return – you need to rest for a little while before we leave again.”
∞∞∞
As they arrived in front of the Inn’s entrance, a voice called them repeatedly. Startled, they saw Colonel Fitzwilliam and the Viscount staring at them.
“Darcy? Miss Bennet? What are you two doing here?” the Viscount asked meaningfully.
Elizabeth curtseyed to them, her distress growing.
“Miss Bennet is travelling back to London with Mr and Mrs Gardiner. I accompanied them, as I had some urgent matters to solve in Town too.”
“Oh…” the explanation seemed to relieve the two. “So your uncle and aunt are here too… Nobody is ill, I hope?” the Colonel asked.
“Everyone is in good health,” she tried to reply lightly. “I beg your forgiveness, but I must leave you now. We will continue our journey shortly and I need to prepare,” she said, then left.
Elizabeth ran, hardly containing her tears. The Colonel and the Viscount had been clearly surprised and displeased to see them. They even asked if the Gardiners were there too.
What did they assume? Did they imagine some sordid affair between her and
Darcy? That was the last complication she needed – more vicious rumours to affect her family. Once in her room, she decided not to cry anymore; she had to face all the misadventures that appeared in her life with every step she took. A day before she was ready to begin her new life with Darcy, believing they had to face only one obstacle while that horrible day brought so many problems that could shatter her life and their plans.
Elizabeth found her uncle and aunt speaking with the Colonel and the Viscount in the main hall of the Inn. They were returning to the North, after a two-day trip to complete some business. She did not hear more and was not interested to know anything else.
As they resumed the journey, Elizabeth fell into silence again; while her companions continued to talk about the unexpected meeting. Of Lydia and Wickham, none of them spoke. Until they were able to find out more, there was little to be said.
The second night they were welcomed by a distant relative of Mrs Gardiner who had an estate at only three miles from the main road; they decided to sleep well and then the third night not to stop for sleep.
It was common for the Gardiners to stop there when travelling to Derbyshire and they were always received with joy.
“Mr Costner is my associate,” Mr Gardiner explained to Darcy, “we have some business together while Mrs Gardiner and Mrs Costner shared a common great-grandmother.”
“You do not have to worry,” Mrs Gardiner continued her husband’s story as they did so many times. “We often return their favour as we host them when they are in London. When we departed Pemberley, we sent a message to let them know we were coming with this company!”
Indeed their host made the warmest possible reception. Darcy was not a man who much enjoyed new acquaintances, but near Elizabeth, he could enjoy any circumstances. To Elizabeth’s huge surprise during dinner, when asked why he was travelling to London − a very formal question that did not need a specific answer − Darcy smiled and turning to Elizabeth he said, “In fact my interest is in Hertfordshire, where Miss Bennet lives; I may have a certain question to ask Mr Bennet!”
There was a surprised silence around the table; it was not customary to confide such an event to an almost unknown gathering. It showed confidence in the hosts and the pleasure to be in their home, so Mr Costner brought out a sparkling wine and a little joy took over the atmosphere at the table.
Wedding at Pemberley Page 9
