I Met Mr Darcy Via Luton

by Fredrica Edward

  Elizabeth turned quickly away as tears sprung unbidden to her eyes.

  Embarrassed, Dr Gregory stood. "Elizabeth, I believe I should check Lieutenant Entwistle. I lanced one of his wounds this morning. Shall we have tea when I return?"

  She nodded mutely.

  After Dr Gregory departed, Elizabeth returned to pacing up and down the library, trying to understand the implications of this new information.

  Shortly after Mrs Fletcher deposited the tea-tray and departed, Dr Gregory returned. A glance at Miss Bennet satisfied him that she had mastered her emotions.

  Lizzy handed him a cup of tea. "So he coerced you into taking me back?" she said quietly.

  Dr Gregory frowned, never having viewed the matter in that light.

  "No," he replied. "I never wanted you to leave in the first place. You must forgive my wife. I tried to explain that you and I had a strictly professional relationship; but she was quite insistent, and I did not want to cause problems between us so early in our marriage."

  He took a sip of tea before continuing: "It was quite a relief when Mr Darcy spelled out the terms of the arrangement. Things were never so well run at the infirmary after you left. I had to employ two people to do the work you managed to accomplish in the two hours you spent there each day. I knew the hospital would involve employing more staff, and I could only hope that you would accept my offer to return. There was no coercion required."

  "As for Amanda," he continued, "she accepted that she was being ridiculously possessive. Please, tell me this has not affected our association. I value your work so highly."

  "It is well, Douglas, but you must let me digest this."

  "Do you intend to tell Mr Darcy that I have divulged his secret to you?" he asked, with as little anxiety as he could muster.

  "Tell him? I do not know why I should. I am an acquaintance only. I can hardly write him a letter."

  "Thank you," Dr Gregory replied with genuine relief. "It would be devastating to lose the place. His patronage has been a godsend, but I felt in the light of today's occurrence that disclosure was necessary…"

  "I will not lie to him if he confronts me. We can only hope that he will understand that his aunt's interference forced your hand. But I still cannot understand why she visited me today. I can only imagine that she has heard some garbled rumor, either through my cousin or the Lucases."

  "Well, Sir William is on the hospital board, but the board members know that all the business of the board is confidential. Mr Darcy made it quite clear that he did not want his patronage made public."

  "What a strange, inscrutable man he is," replied Lizzy.

  "I have the highest regard for him," said Dr Gregory. "I cannot think of a better fellow."

  The enigma of Lady Catherine's visit was partly explained by a letter Lizzy received from Charlotte the next day. In it, Charlotte wrote that Mariah had recently confessed to overhearing their conversation during Elizabeth's visit at Easter; and her husband had in turn overheard this confession. Despite Charlotte's protests to her sister that she must have misconstrued what she heard, her husband had visited Rosings soon after, and Lady Catherine had set out later that day in her travelling carriage.

  Fortunately, nobody at Netherfield had been within earshot of the library when Lady Catherine had raised her voice, and Dr Gregory had let it be known that she was visiting as a potential patron.

  Elizabeth did wonder how her cousin had broached such a topic to Lady Catherine; and in her imagination, each reconstruction of this scene became increasingly comical. What a pity she could not share the story with her father!

  Dr Gregory was relieved to see a smile back on her face.

  Sitting at his desk in the study of his townhouse, Darcy gave a large sigh. He had just finished dealing with the Bow Street Runner regarding the debacle of Lady Catherine's steward. It was a bad business, but he believed the outcome achieved was the best he could hope for. In return for withdrawing the charges against him, the steward had offered to return one thousand pounds of the money stolen, all that he had left in his possession. By Darcy's reckoning, the total amount embezzled was roughly one and a half thousand pounds. The recovery of a good part of the money was more than he had hoped for, and Darcy was secretly glad to spare the fellow the noose. The Bow Street Runner was less sanguine, but having been paid well for his services, he was not about to carp. Darcy was contemplating the one thousand pounds sitting in front of him in a small strongbox when he was drawn from his reverie by the harsh sound of his aunt's voice from the vestibule.

  "Where is my nephew? I must see him at once!" he heard, followed by distinctive clack of his aunt's heels and cane approaching.

  Darcy quickly stood as Lady Catherine burst into his study with his butler trailing haplessly behind.

  "Aunt, what has you in such a pelter?" he asked, motioning the butler to leave.

  Good Lord, he thought, is she now going to tell me that the steward had also stolen the gold plate?

  "You should tell me, Nephew! You should tell me! You purchased that property in Hertfordshire to house your mistress!"

  Darcy froze. Although there were some uncomfortable near truths in his aunt's statement, he was not about to admit to them.

  "What on earth are you talking about?" he countered.

  "You cannot deny it! I have been to Hertfordshire and seen for myself!" declared his aunt.

  Darcy paled.

  "Aunt, what have you done?" he croaked.

  "I have been to your property, Neverland, and spoken to that shameless hussy you keep there! And now I have come here to demand you give her up!"

  "You have been to Netherfield in Hertfordshire?"

  "You heard me, Nephew."

  "And whom exactly did you speak to there?"

  "Why, to that Bennet girl, of course, lounging around in the library, ready to do your bidding!"

  "Miss Elizabeth Bennet?" asked Darcy in alarm. "What on earth did you say to her?"

  "I handled the situation with kid gloves, Nephew. I told her while I knew that the rumour that she is your mistress must be a scandalous falsehood, that I would be frank in demanding that she instantly cease and desist."

  "The devil you did!" said Darcy, growing even paler.

  "Language, Nephew! And do you know what she said in reply?" asked his aunt, without stopping to let her nephew get a word in edgeways; "that she did not pretend to possess equal frankness with myself; that she would be the last person to confess it; that your mistress must have such extraordinary sources of happiness necessarily attached to her situation, that she could, upon the whole, have no cause to repine."

  Darcy had begun to regain his countenance during this latter speech and even had to repress a smile when his aunt related the last clause of Elizabeth's saucy reply.

  He then stood to his full height and replied icily: "Aunt, I cannot believe you have done such a thing. I rent Netherfield to a physician, Dr Gregory, a stellar graduate of the Edinburgh Medical School. It is a hospital. Miss Bennet lives with her family at Longbourn, three miles away. She does charitable work there."

  Lady Catherine was a little taken a back. Granted, she thought, the butler was dressed a little casually even for a country seat.

  "What a perverse thing for a lady to do!" she countered, "If she wishes to engage in charitable work, why does she not embroider an altar cloth or knit clothes for orphans?"

  Darcy replied with his most repressive hauteur: "Because, Aunt, there was a war–the one with Napoleon. You may remember it… Raged in Europe for several years? Made it terribly difficult to get brandy."

  "You know I do not drink spiritous liquors, Nephew."

  Darcy was unsurprised his aunt was incapable of recognising irony.

  "Aunt, you are no doubt aware that over 15,000 British men were killed in the war, but there are also over 3,000 men who were discharged because of their wounds. These men are missing eyes, limbs… Some of those who are still whole will never walk again. Dr Gregory's
hospital provides respite and permanent care for these veterans; and Miss Bennet works there out of the goodness in her heart."

  "A hospital?" squeaked Lady Catherine.

  "Furthermore," stated Darcy emphatically, "I can assure you, Aunt, that Miss Bennet is not, and never will be, my mistress."

  Lady Catherine was, for once, at a loss for words. She had never known her nephew to be untruthful. Even that time, as a little boy, when he and Richard had painted her cat…

  Darcy quickly capitalised on his advantage. "You will, of course, apologize."

  "Out of the question, Nephew," his aunt breathed, making a recovery.

  "Then do not expect to ever see me at Rosings again, Aunt. You have embarrassed me in the eyes of Miss Bennet and, likely, also those of Dr Gregory. I cannot imagine this incident can have escaped his notice, occurring at his hospital as it did."

  Darcy placed a fresh sheet of paper upon the desk in front of his aunt, and pushed the writing implements towards her. "Your apology, Aunt, in writing, please."

  Taking the pen in her hand, Lady Catherine sat down upon a chair, seemingly deflated.

  "Wait," said Darcy, holding up his hand as a new idea struck him. "I have thought of a way by which you may save face… I will go to Hertfordshire to try to smooth things over. I will carry your note with me, Aunt. Please write the following:

  "Dear Dr Gregory

  I was greatly impressed by your work with the wounded from the war on the Continent during my recent visit with Miss Bennet. Please accept this small token of my esteem from my nephew

  Yours etc"

  Once his aunt had finished this missive, Darcy stated, "A donation of one thousand pounds should do the trick."

  "A sum of one thousand pounds will cripple the estate!" shrieked Lady Catherine.

  "That, Aunt," said Darcy, hefting the strongbox from the desk, "is the sum I managed to retrieve from your wayward steward. If you didn't notice it go missing earlier this year, you will hardly notice it now."

  "Very well, Nephew," said Lady Catherine in a small voice. "Please accept my apologies for the miscommunication."

  "Accepted, Aunt. Please feel free to make use of the green room tonight. I gather you will be returning to Kent in the morning?"

  "Yes, Nephew."

  She had stood to go when Darcy had an afterthought.

  "Aunt, this miscommunication, it did not perchance, come through the agency of your rector?"

  "He was involved, Nephew," admitted Lady Catherine.

  "Make sure it does not happen again."

  "What would you suggest, Nephew?"

  "Oh, I don't know; whatever is appropriate in Kent these days… Cut out his tongue, perhaps?"

  Chapter 49: Darcy reacts

  Darcy had sent off a short note to Dr Gregory in the afternoon–apprising him of his intention to visit the following day and indicating he was acting as a courier for his aunt, who was keen to extend her patronage to the hospital. He set off from Mayfair in his chaise and four at first light, carrying the strong box in one of the hidden compartments of his carriage.

  He had spent rather a sleepless night, rehearsing in his mind what he might say to Elizabeth when he met her. The rocking of the carriage finally sent him off to sleep, and he passed through Barnet and Hatfield oblivious to his surroundings.

  Darcy woke when they crossed the River Lea. The last seven miles were torture as he became more and more nervous as the gates of Netherfield approached.

  After arriving at Netherfield in her gig, Elizabeth had spent the morning rearranging the dispensary with Mr Jones after the installation of the new pigeonholes. Having labelled everything to her satisfaction, she had just returned to the library when she heard the chaise and four drive up. Being apprised of Mr Darcy's imminent visit, she felt a moment of panic. Suppressing the absurd notion to race upstairs and hide in the master's chambers or escape onto the terrace and hence into the rose garden, Elizabeth took a deep breath and stood her ground. Footsteps, which she instantly recognised as Mr Darcy's top-boots, accompanied Fletcher's softer tread to the door before the inevitable knock.

  Mr Darcy was duly announced. He entered, carrying a curly-brimmed beaver, which he was twisting in his hands.

  "Miss Bennet," he said, making a deep bow.

  Elizabeth curtsied in return, finding herself temporarily speechless.

  Silence ensued.

  Goodness, this is embarrassing! thought Elizabeth. Is he not going to speak?

  She broke down first. "Mr Darcy, I do believe you are going to ruin that beaver!"

  He looked down at his hands, seemingly unaware of what they were doing.

  "Or," she said, suddenly filled with mischief, "are you trying to curl the brim a little more?"

  "Miss Bennet," he finally blurted, "I believe my aunt visited here yesterday. I have come to apologise on her behalf."

  That was it? she thought. As an apology, it really didn't cut the mustard.

  "Mr Darcy, your aunt abused me vociferously yesterday, making allegations I dare not repeat."

  "I am aware of the nature of her allegations, Miss Bennet. She arrived at my townhouse in London after visiting Hertfordshire. Not having received what she deemed an appropriate response on her trip here, she decided to chastise me in London as well. She learned that I had purchased this property when I was recently in Kent and took me to task there for what she viewed as an injudicious acquisition. I told her I had bought it as an investment, which is true enough. Sometime after I left Rosings, she seems to have come across some other information and put two and two together to make five."

  "I received a letter from Charlotte yesterday, Mr Darcy. She was my only confidant after our contretemps at Hunsford, or so I thought. Apparently, her sister Mariah, overheard our exchange and unwittingly unleashed her secret within earshot of my cousin, Mr Collins. Charlotte's attempts to dampen the rumour were unsuccessful."

  "Ah!" said Mr Darcy, looking at the floor, "I feared it might have been something like that. I have managed to convince my aunt that there was no basis to the allegations and sent her back to Kent with a flea in her ear. Hopefully your cousin will bear the brunt of her anger, quashing the rumour at that end."

  He looked up again. "Besides the onslaught to your sensibilities, Miss Bennet, is there any damage to repair here?"

  "I believe Dr Gregory has made good, Mr Darcy. The Fletchers did hear Lady Catherine raise her voice, but not the content of her speech. Dr Gregory told them she was visiting as a potential patron, and that she is quite deaf."

  Darcy laughed. "How inventive of him. I suppose it is quite easy when you are a doctor. Fortunately I can confirm that rumour: my aunt has decided to gift a thousand pounds to the hospital."

  Elizabeth was astonished. "Truly? I beg your pardon, but I would not have thought her so generous."

  Darcy shifted his feet. "I had some part in convincing her. I thought it an appropriate penance."

  "I do not believe in penances, Mr Darcy, only atonement," replied Elizabeth.

  "I am afraid penance is the best you will get from my aunt, but," he said softly, "we both know that I am the real villain here, and I am most willing to atone."

  "You are probably thinking it was injudicious of me to confide in Charlotte."

  "I am in no position to criticise, Miss Bennet."

  "Still, I rue that I was not strong enough to hide it well. Charlotte guessed it."

  "She guessed it?" asked Mr Darcy in amazement.

  "At least, she guessed that you had proposed marriage, and I was not proof against her questions."

  Darcy closed his eyes briefly. "Your friend is very percipient."

  "Indeed, and how a person who is so percipient could have accepted my cousin as a husband is one of life's eternal mysteries."

  "I can only guess she is of a practical nature. But how do you suppose she guessed when you yourself were so ignorant of my entrapment?"

  "I believe the rose was the clincher."

>   "Did I injudiciously leave it lying around?"

  "Indeed you did, sir. 'Though your exit was so hasty, I suppose it was no wonder."

  "So, she found it on the parlour floor?"

  "No, no, sir, you must believe me stupid! She found it in the pig bucket, even though I thought I had cunningly hid it within."

  "The pig bucket! Oh, how you cut me down to size, Elizabeth! Put what the pig bringeth in the pig bucket!"

  She gave a small smile at his jest at his own expense.

  "But we were speaking of your atonement, sir. I did not get a chance to speak of it at Jane's wedding, but I thank you for rectifying that situation."

  "You are most welcome, Miss Bennet. Please forgive me for sticking my oar in."

  "Thank you, also, for your patronage to Dr Gregory. I only became aware that you are his patron yesterday after your aunt left. You do so much good by helping these poor soldiers who seem to be the forgotten ones from the war."

  "You give me too much credit for goodness, Elizabeth. What I did, I did for you alone. I made you unhappy with my selfish proposal. My only wish was of giving happiness to you, to wash away that sin. If you are happy now, then I have achieved my purpose."

  "Fitzwilliam," she said, and her use of that name brought a lump to his throat. "I fear I have been overly harsh to you when you have been trying to make reparations. I did not think I ever wanted to marry. The thought of becoming a man's chattel was repugnant to me. But after seeing Jane's happiness, I believe it would not be such a trial to be the wife of a good man, and I believe you to be a good man, Fitzwilliam Darcy."

  Darcy caught his breath at the implication of her words.

  "I fear I am not such a good man, Elizabeth; but I will try to be a better one, if you will consent to be my wife."

  Elizabeth did not reply to this, but instead moved closer to him and removed the curly-brimmed beaver from his hand.

  She had only just placed it on the table when he caught her in his arms and proceeded to kiss her passionately. He found her reaction even more gratifying than her response at Hunsford, for not only did she melt into his arms, she responded to his kiss in a way that made him quite dizzy. When they did come up for air, he held her away from him because he really did feel in some danger of losing his balance.