A Father's Sins: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (22 page)

As
Darcy pondered over a future with Elizabeth, he set aside the letter and
started reading the sample marriage settlement agreement.

Down
the hallway, in Mr. Haggerston’s office, the lawyer asked his client if she had
any questions.

“Yes,
sir, just one.” Mr. Haggerston had explained to Miss Elizabeth Bennet how the
stocks for the Honorable East India Company came to be in her possession. He
explained that the clerk had mailed it to Longbourn in error. It was to go to
her Uncle Gardiner. They had also thoroughly discussed the issue of
guardianship. To say that she was surprised at the findings was an
understatement.  “What are my options, Mr. Haggerston?”

“Miss
Bennet,” he wondered how much information he should share. He had been
impressed with her quick grasp of the legal ramifications of her situation. “I
currently have a young man down the hall who is deeply concerned with these
very same issues. Oh, not the issue of the stocks, as he has an abundance of
wealth and is not looking to add to his own coffers. He has the same question
about guardianship, yours in fact.”

“Mine?”
Elizabeth was puzzled. “However could that be?”

“He
is a gentleman whose father made plans for him to marry a woman that is
unacceptable to him. Does his father still have authority over him even though
he is now almost eight and twenty?”

“I
am sorry that this young man is having such difficulty, but I fail to
understand how his quest for information should include my guardianship issue.”

“Miss
Bennet, I will be straightforward. The man in question is Fitzwilliam Darcy, of
whom I believe you are well acquainted. His interest in the answer is the same
as yours. Do you have the right to marry……. each other.”

“Each
other?” Elizabeth wondered at the coincidence; both being in the same office at
the same time for the same reason.

“If
I might beg of you, Miss Bennet, to come down the hallway with me, please? I
believe that your time, Mr. Darcy’s time, and certainly my time would be better
spent with some open discussion between the two of you.” He stood from his
chair and assisted her to rise. “Please follow me.” She did.

Darcy
looked up from his reading when he heard the door open. Expecting Mr.
Haggerston, he was unprepared to see the woman he had just been thinking of. He
jumped up and bowed as she curtsied before him. “Elizabeth,” he said in a
whisper. His heart was filled with joy and a broad smile stretched across his face.
“I have been so worried about you. How did you come to find yourself here?” By
then, he had reached her and took both of her hands in his. Neither of them
noticed when Mr. Haggerston backed out of the office, leaving them alone.

“Mr.
Darcy,” Elizabeth began. She looked up into his face. He was a handsome man,
but his smile made him more so. She had no idea that her own face mirrored his
own.

“Please,”
he released one hand and led her to the table with the other. “Please, be
seated. I believe that we have much to discuss.”

“Yes,
I believe we do.” She could not help but notice the papers scattered across the
table as she sat down. “I would like to begin by asking you a question, sir.”

“Please
do.”

“Mr.
Darcy, if you would remember back to the last time we were in each other’s
company at Netherfield Park, please? You stated in front of your family and
mine that you would marry me. Did I hear you correctly, sir?”

Without
hesitation he replied, “You did.” The smile was still on his face.

“Why?
Why would you want to marry me? Was it because of the stock certificates?” She
had already decided in her heart that this was not his motive; yet, she needed
to hear him speak the words.

“The
stock certificates are of no concern to me.” That was it. No embellishments. No
explanations.

“Then,
why, Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth had hoped in her heart that he loved her. It was the
reason she came to London rather than going to Dover. She had to know the truth
and whether there was any basis for a future with this man. “Why do you want to
marry me?”

Darcy
knew that she would not have pressed the issue unless she cared. He loved her
more than he thought possible. “Because….. I love you, Elizabeth. I want you to
be my wife. I want us to grow old together, to have children together, to care
for and cherish each other for the rest of our lives. There is no other woman I
would rather have as Mistress of Pemberley. I only want you in my home, my
life, and my bed. Is that reason enough for you, Elizabeth?” Darcy looked
longingly at the blush creeping across her cheeks. Her eyes were radiant and
sparkled with the joy of life that appealed to his deepest emotions.

“Then,
I will marry you.” He stood and, taking her hand, brought her to her feet.
“For, I love you as well, Mr. Darcy.”

“William.”

“Yes,
William,” she then repeated, “I love you as well.”

He
lowered his head and gently touched his mouth to hers. It was the sweetest of
kisses. As they pulled apart, they heard Mr. Haggerston’s soft tap on the door.

Mr. Haggerston’s Office, Broad Street, London

“Enter,”
Mr. Darcy called, stepping back as he did so, face flushed, as was Elizabeth’s.

Mr.
Haggerston cleared his throat as he came into the room and closed the door
behind him. “Ah-hem, pardon my interruption.” The attorney had been happily
married for over thirty years and well knew what he had interrupted. “If we
could all, please, be seated?”

Darcy
helped Elizabeth to her seat, treating her like the finest, most delicate piece
of glass. As he seated himself next to her, he gazed at those sparkling eyes
that were filled with mirth and joy and knew that he would move heaven and
earth for Elizabeth to be his wife.

“Mr.
Darcy, Miss Bennet, are you settled on marrying then?” He knew the answer
before it was spoken aloud. When both the young people answered to the
affirmative, he pushed the application for special license in front of Darcy
and handed him a pen.The document was signed and witnessed. Mr. Haggerston got
up from the table, opened the door, and handed the application to a clerk who
had been waiting by for that purpose. Re-entering the room, the attorney again
sat across from the couple.

“The
clerk has been instructed to wait for the Archbishop to sign the application
and a marriage license to be prepared. It will be ready for use early tomorrow
morning, if that will meet with your satisfaction? I foresee no obstacles as
you are a resident of London, Mr. Darcy. However, I will need permission from
Mr. Gardiner, as your guardian, Miss Bennet, before the deed can take place. In
my absence, while you were settling this matter, I sent a messenger to Mr.
Gardiner’s home requesting his presence and expect him shortly.”

Both
Darcy and Elizabeth were pleased to have Mr. Gardiner involved with the
arrangements.

Mr.
Haggerston continued, “Because you are both people of wealth and property, the
marriage settlement will not be completed by the time you marry. It should be
available for signatures shortly after. I am assuming that the wedding will
take place quickly?”

Darcy
looked to Elizabeth, who took his hand in hers, squeezing gently. “As soon as
we may, Mr. Haggerston.” That was as the attorney had expected.

While
they waited for Elizabeth’s uncle to arrive, the three discussed inconsequential
matters, knowing that when Mr. Gardiner was in their presence, important
decisions would be made.

Gracechurch Street, London

“Oh,
Edward,” Mrs. Bennet gushed to her brother, Edward Gardiner, pulling on his arm
to get his immediate attention. “We shall need to quickly leave for the shops
and warehouses. Surely, you know where the most exalted ladies of the ton
purchase the finest fabrics, buttons, and lace. Jane and I need to go to the
furriers for a new lined cape, to the shoemakers for satin dance slippers and
new boots, and to the best French seamstress in London. She will need new
gloves, morning dresses, evening gowns, day dresses, traveling clothes…. Oh, my
brother, there is so much to purchase and it must be done right away. Mr. Bingley,
or some other fashionable gentleman, will fall in love with my beautiful Jane
when they first see her in her new silks.”

Before
she could continue her tirade, her younger brother pulled his arm away from
hers and stepped back, stepping closer to the fireplace in his study. He
briefly looked to his brother-in-law, Thomas Bennet, who was seated with a
stack of books at his elbow, to see that he was ignoring his wife, as usual.
Mr. Bennet was so absorbed in thinking of all he needed to do at the attorney’s
office that he failed to respond at all to his wife’s demands. “Sister, you are
spending money that you do not yet have. You need to control yourself, Fanny.”
His voice was stern. Edward Gardiner had long wished that his brother-in-law
would take his wife under control and curtail her silliness. She was an
embarrassment to the family and likely would repel more suitors than she would
attract them. His niece, Jane, was beautiful, with a passive, serene manner.
All four of the Gardiners preferred the liveliness of their niece and cousin,
Elizabeth. How could his children not love a cousin who thought up and told
wonderful stories of make-believe adventures that could grasp a child’s
imagination and set it alight? With their cousin, Jane, the children were not
stimulated to step outside themselves and learn the wonders that the world had
to offer them, as Jane, herself, would never do such.

“Fanny,”
Her brother continued. “I need to return to my offices. While I am gone, you
need to calm yourself. My household is a place of peace and refuge, not a place
for upset and nerves.” He looked at his sister closely and realized that she
was not listening to a word he spoke. Too polite to interrupt, she waited until
he took a breath.

“Mr.
Bennet. Mr. Bennet. You need to call the carriage. Jane and I have much
shopping to do and you need to find Lizzy to get those shares.” When she
realized that her husband had not been listening to her in the same manner that
she had ignored her brother, it caused no guilt or shame. She would have her
way.

Mr.
Harrison, the butler, stood at the entry to the room with a folded, sealed
missive in his hands. “Excuse me, Mr. Gardiner. A messenger has just arrived
and is waiting for a reply.” The servants of the household had heard Mrs.
Bennet’s shrill demands, both in person and as they moved throughout the home.
It was grating to the ears and the maid assigned to care for the woman had
already retired to the kitchen for a restorative cup of tea. The staff at the
Gardiner’s was always respectful and not prone to gossip, but when the staff at
Longbourn was mentioned, it was with deep appreciation for what they must put
up with daily.

“Excuse
me, please, Bennet, Fanny.” Mr. Gardiner hurried to accept the letter. As he
suspected, it was from Haggerston. “I will take this upstairs to Madeline. She
is currently tending the children and this business relates to her as well as
me.” He bowed and rapidly left the room.

Fanny
Bennet was not an intellectual woman. However, from almost five and twenty
years of marriage to Mr. Bennet, she knew much about scheming and manipulation,
ever diligent about striving to get her way. “Mr. Bennet,” She had never in all
of those married years called him by his Christian name. It was unthinkable for
her to presume such in a relationship such as theirs. “I believe that message
is from Lizzy. It would not surprise me if my brother decides to keep those shares
for himself and his family.” When her husband failed to give any response, in
desperation, she reached over and pulled the tome right out of his hands. “Mr.
Bennet!” He looked up at her then, as if seeing her for the first time.

“Mrs.
Bennet,” he demanded. “Why ever would you so rudely remove my book from me?
What has you in such a flutter?”

“Oh,
if only you lived in the real world and did not always have your nose buried in
some silly book.” She paced in front of him. “My brother just received a message
from Lizzy. I know he is going after those shares. You need to follow him,
now!”

Mr.
Bennet’s ire was instantly raised. Without acknowledging his wife’s presence or
comments, he left to have his carriage readied and gathered his coat and hat.
Not a moment later, when his brother-in-law, Mr. Gardiner came downstairs
requesting the same, Mr. Bennet followed him out the door as if he had an
errand of his own. He waited until Mr. Gardiner’s carriage left Gracechurch
Street and then followed with his own.

Mr.
Gardiner was aware of his brother-in-law’s presence behind him so first had his
driver take him to his warehouse. After climbing out of the carriage, he
dismissed the driver and sauntered inside, even pausing so that Bennet could
catch up to him. Walking through the front door, he hurried through the
building and exited through a different door, hailing a hackney cab and heading
to Mr. Haggerston’s office. He looked back as they turned the corner and saw
his brother-in-law still waiting at the sidewalk in front of his office. He
would have a long wait, indeed. Only Edward and his wife, Madeline, knew that
the message was not from Lizzy, but about Lizzy.

Mr. Haggerston’s Office, B
roa
d Street, London

“Come
in, come in,” Mr. Haggerston welcomed Mr. Edward Gardiner into the meeting
room. When he entered, he saw his niece sitting alongside Mr. Darcy. They both
rose and Elizabeth hurried around the table to her uncle, hugging him tightly.
“Uncle Gardiner, how pleased we are to see you. Are Aunt and the children well?”

After
greetings were dispensed with, they all sat and got down to the business at
hand. Mr. Haggerston spoke first. “Mr. Gardiner, were you able to bring the letter
with you from Mr. Bennet’s hand, dated the 11
^th
day of November in
the year 1806?”

Elizabeth’s
uncle placed the letter on the table. Finding it extremely offensive and
hurtful, Elizabeth kept her gaze on her uncle, not even looking at the letter.
Mr. Darcy pulled it to him, opened it, and read. It was just as Elizabeth had
stated while at Netherfield Park. Mr. Bennet had clearly disowned and cast off
his second daughter.

Mr.
Gardiner addressed Mr. Haggerston. “This letter, though not signed by a
witness, can clearly be identified as the handwriting of Mr. Thomas Bennet. I
have other correspondence of his that can easily verify this as his hand. He
has had no contact with my niece for five years and only contacted her just
under three weeks ago with a demand that she return to Longbourn, his estate, to
marry his heir, Mr. William Collins. It was because of this demand that I approached
you about the issue of legal guardianship, as Elizabeth is not yet one and
twenty.”

“Thank
you, Mr. Gardiner.” Mr. Haggerston now focused his attention on Elizabeth. “Miss
Bennet, I was able to speak with the Honorable Judge Pierce about this matter.
He has had many years of handing down decisions concerning guardianship. It was
his expert opinion that Mr. Bennet conceded any rights to you, not only by his
letter, but by his actions over the prior five years. For all intents and
purposes, Mr. Edward Gardiner is your legal guardian. Therefore, in the matter
of your intentions to marry Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, you will need the consent
and blessing of that man prior to any official engagement being entered into or
marriage taking place.”

To
say that Mr. Gardiner was pleased would have been grossly understated. He was
delighted as he watched Mr. Darcy take his niece’s hand in his. The look that
they gave each other showed tender affection. It was Mr. Gardiner’s greatest
desire to see his Lizzy settled in a marriage of love and respect and it
appeared that his desire would be met.

“Elizabeth,”
Mr. Gardiner felt that the matter of his niece’s betrothal was of serious
concern, so endeavored to make his voice sound as serious as possible. “Are you
to marry Mr. Darcy?”

Before
she could answer, Darcy responded. “Mr. Gardiner, I have asked her to be my
wife and she has accepted. Now, I ask your permission to allow me to have your
niece’s hand in matrimony.” He held his breath until Elizabeth’s uncle answered
in the affirmative. Exhaling, he squeezed Elizabeth’s hand again. Now that the
betrothal was official, he could call her Elizabeth when in company. He was
even more delighted than her uncle appeared to be.

Mr.
Haggerston cleared his throat again to gain everyone’s attention. “Now that
that is taken care of, there are a few more matters that we need to see to. The
first is when and where this marriage should take place.” He looked to the
others. “It is my opinion, and it coincides with Mr. Darcy’s, that the marriage
take place early on the morrow. My reason for hurrying this blessed occasion is
that Mr. Bennet will, apparently, not approve. In fact, he will try to stop
this wedding from taking place. This holds true for Mr. Darcy’s aunt, Lady
Catherine de Bourgh, as well. The sooner that they are united and can have Miss
Bennet’s assets transferred to Mr. Darcy, the better. Until then, she and her
property are endangered. For that reason, I also do not believe that it would
be wise for Miss Bennet to return to her home at your residence, Mr. Gardiner.
What say you to this?”

“I
concur, Mr. Haggerston.” Mr. Gardiner was deeply concerned for his niece. “At
what time will the license be available in the morning for them to wed?”

“I
will have the license in hand no later than nine o’clock in the morning. My
clerk has already gone to the Archbishop’s office to procure the required
paperwork.” To Mr. Darcy he inquired, “Is it possible to have a small wedding
at your home in Grosvenor Square at half past nine in the morning?”