The Houseguest A Pride and Prejudice Vagary (19 page)

Chapter
15

Saturday morning began foggy and cold. Darcy had spent half the night in the
library, alternately pacing and sitting in Elizabeth’s chair, trying to
understand her actions and know her thoughts. He finally retired but slept
restlessly. 
He had had another dream about her: She was in the library, reading, and when
she saw him she smiled, as was usual, but when he advanced towards her, a great
distance seemed to come between them and the harder he tried to reach her, the
farther away she became until she faded away completely. He had awoken calling
her name and reaching into the air, his hair soaked in sweat. 
As soon as propriety allowed, he was on his way to Gracechurch Street to call
on the Gardiners. He had thought about bringing Georgiana along, but he didn’t
want to take her into a completely unknown situation with total strangers.
Plus, he didn’t want her to be upset if Elizabeth was already gone.
The carriage pulled up in front of the Gardiner’s townhouse and he noticed it
was neat and well kept, with a small but pleasant garden. The remainder of the
street seemed to be much the same, and he thought Cheapside wasn’t as bad as he
had feared. That bode well for his future plans. 
The maid entered the drawing room and handed a card to Mrs. Gardiner. “To see
Miss Bennet. Shall I show him in, ma’am?” 
“Yes, show him in. Thank you, Sarah.”
“Who is it?” Jane asked.
“It is Mr. Darcy.” She couldn’t say more before the man himself appeared in the
doorway.
“Mr. Darcy, what a pleasant surprise.” Jane curtseyed and he bowed, quickly
searching the room for Elizabeth.
“Miss Bennet. It is a pleasure to see you again.”
“May I present my aunt, Mrs. Gardiner?”
“A pleasure to meet you, madam.” He bowed, noticing her clothing was modern and
looked expensive, and that she was quite attractive and not much older than
him. He would have guessed she wasn’t more than thirty-five.
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Darcy.” 
He was invited to sit and Mrs. Gardiner ordered tea. Jane, being the only one
known to both parties, put her serenity and pleasant manners to good use and
struck up a conversation. At first they asked after their respective families’
health and commented on how cold it was. The pleasantries behind them, Jane
mentioned that Mrs. Gardiner had spent her youth in Derbyshire.
“I do miss the Peaks sometimes. London is very diverting and has much to
entertain, but beautiful countryside cannot be replaced.”
“I could not agree with you more, Mrs. Gardiner. I would spend all my time at
Pemberley if I could.”
“Are you often there, Mr. Darcy?” 
“Usually every summer, and the rest of the year is divided between Derbyshire
and town.” 
They spoke of places they both knew, Mrs. Gardiner’s skills at hosting and
directing a conversation being shown to full advantage. 
“My aunt and uncle will be taking a tour to the lakes this summer and will pass
through the Peaks,” Jane said. “I know she is looking forward to seeing her
home county again.”
Darcy thought this was an excellent time to bring up Elizabeth. “Miss Elizabeth
mentioned it. She was to visit Pemberley this summer and hoped to somehow
combine the two.”
Mrs. Gardiner had been watching Mr. Darcy closely, wondering when he was going
to bring up Elizabeth. She did not want to push him, but from everything Lizzy
had told her, she suspected he had some tender feelings toward her, though how
strong she did not know. “Yes, I believe with a little finesse we will be able
to arrange it.” She did not miss that he had said ‘was’ instead of ‘is’.
He looked slightly relieved. “That is good to hear. My sister Georgiana has
become quite attached to Miss Elizabeth.”
“Elizabeth has become equally attached to your sister. She speaks very highly
of her.”
Darcy nodded, not knowing how to ask if Elizabeth was there. It would appear
that she was not, but what if she was only in another part of the house and he
left without seeing her? 
“Did Miss Elizabeth make it safely to you yesterday?” he asked, carefully
controlling his voice.
“Yes, she arrived quite early. I did not see her before she left, but my
husband informed me that she made it onto the coach safely and as the weather
was fine, I imagine she was at Longbourn by three o’clock.”
Darcy tried to control his emotions, but he could feel his temples throbbing.
He knew he should say something, but he did not trust his voice. Mrs. Gardiner
noticed his distress and tried to assuage him.
“We usually hear from her within a few days of her arrival. Elizabeth is very
good about letting us know when she has arrived safely. I imagine we will have
a letter by Tuesday, and Miss Darcy will likely have one as well. I’m sure
Elizabeth will give her all the details of her trip.” She looked at him pointedly
at the last statement.
“I am sure you are right, Mrs. Gardiner.” He knew she had told him what she had
to alleviate his concern and he silently thanked her for it. Perhaps it would
be alright to have the Gardiners as family. Mrs. Gardiner, at least, seemed
very genteel and pleasant.
“I wish you could have met my husband, Mr. Darcy. We have heard so much about
you from Elizabeth, I am sure he would like to put a face with the name.”
Darcy smiled a little at hearing Elizabeth had spoken of him, and felt a slight
ache in his chest from the lack of her presence. “I am sure Miss Elizabeth’s
uncle could be nothing but agreeable.”
“Indeed Mr. Darcy, we would be honored to have you for dinner, if you could
join us Tuesday?”
Normally he would never have dinner with a man in trade, but he was desperate
for news of Elizabeth; it did not escape him that Tuesday was the day she had
said she was expecting a letter. He was sure she would find some way of
informing him of its contents, as she had informed him of her niece’s travel
arrangements earlier. “I would be happy to accept, Mrs. Gardiner.”
“We shall look forward to it, then.” She gave him a warm, open smile.
“Yes, it will be good to see you again, Mr. Darcy. It has been a long time.” He
looked into Jane’s face as she spoke; she was serene and graceful as ever, but
he thought he could see something in her eyes. It reminded him of what he saw
in Bingley’s eyes ever since they had left Hertfordshire. But she had not
mentioned him the entire visit. He knew from Caroline Bingley that she had
finally returned Jane’s call and made it clear that she was not anxious to
continue the acquaintance; he had felt the duplicity of it and did not like
deceiving Bingley, but he had told himself it was for the best, and that the
ends justified the means.
“It has been too long, Miss Bennet.” He stood and bowed and headed towards the
door. “Until Tuesday, Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Bennet.”
“Good day, Mr. Darcy.”

~

Elizabeth had been able to dodge her sisters’ questions easily enough, saying
she was just homesick and could not wait to return, and that Saturday’s coach
was fuller, and she thought she’d be more comfortable on Friday’s. Luckily, she
had never told them about Mr. Darcy’s offer of his carriage. Her mother
believed it readily, as well as allowing Elizabeth to remain in bed for the
evening, taking her dinner on a tray to hide her eyes from her father. She
would have to face him eventually, but she thought a little sleep beforehand
wouldn’t hurt. 
Saturday morning she took a long, solitary walk, and then joined the family for
breakfast. Her father looked at her skeptically over his paper, but she smiled
slightly and took her usual place. 
I
will not think about Mr. Darcy
, she told herself. She joined in
conversations and tried not to talk too much, lest her ill-humor give her
away. 
After breakfast, she went to the sitting room to write to Georgiana. There was
no use putting it off; it would have to be done. And she would have to find
some way to get out of the trip to Pemberley.
She had not yet asked her father to allow her to go. She rarely asked him
permission for anything, as he rarely required it, but traveling across the
country was something he would want to be consulted on. She supposed she could
say he had refused, but would they believe that? Her aunt and uncle had already
given her permission to say yes, and they were proxy guardians while she was in
town, and she had told Mr. Darcy that. 
They had made arrangements and planned everything but the exact date. She decided
she would find a way to cancel later. There was no reason to upset Georgiana
further right now. Elizabeth knew her feelings would be hurt badly by her
premature departure, especially since she had not said goodbye properly. She
hated hurting her friend, but she knew she could not have remained in Mr.
Darcy's home and maintained her equanimity. Elizabeth couldn’t bear to hurt her
again so soon. They could talk about the summer later.
Her letter, as well as a brief note to her aunt to let her know she had
arrived, completed and sealed, she asked her sisters if they would like to walk
into Meryton with her to post it and call on their Aunt Phillips. She walked
behind Kitty and Lydia with Mary, preferring her quiet and contemplative
attitude to the exuberance of her youngest sisters. The walk helped to clear
her mind, and she decided it was time to talk to her Uncle Phillips about Mr.
Wickham. 
I might as well get it over
with,
 she thought. 
It’s
been an unpleasant two days, why not get all the unpleasantness out in one go?
After posting her letters, Elizabeth left Kitty and Lydia at the milliners and
she and Mary went to see their aunt. While drinking a cup of tea, Elizabeth
inquired after her uncle. Her aunt informed her he was in his office, which was
located below her apartments on the main level. Elizabeth asked if she might
take him a cup of tea, to which her aunt replied in the affirmative, stating
effusively what a thoughtful girl Elizabeth was.
Elizabeth’s soft knock was answered by a gruff voice calling, “Enter!”
She stepped into the small, square room and smiled at her uncle.
“Lizzy! What a pleasant surprise! I thought you were in London still.”
“I’ve only just returned, Uncle.” She handed him the tea and took a seat in
front of his desk.
“Thank you, Lizzy. Now tell me, girl, what can I do for you? It’s not often you
visit me in my office. Especially after sending me such a letter as I recently
received from you. I assume that is what you are here to talk about.” He gazed
at her over the rim of his spectacles.
“You assume correctly, Uncle. I wanted to make sure you received my letter and
to ask if you have heard anything about Mr. Wickham.”
Mr. Phillips was a medium-sized man, not too tall, but a bit round in the
chest. He wore gold-rimmed spectacles and had soft gray whiskers on either side
of his face, covering his slackening jaw. He was a jovial man, a bit boisterous
like his wife, but not overly vulgar and intelligent enough. He was not
ambitious, but he was good at reading people and had a small but successful
business. 
“I asked around, discreetly of course, and it is as you suspected. He owes
money to every shopkeeper in town, in addition to several debts of honor. He is
due to be paid soon, and everyone has been told they will receive payment when
he does. Unless the militia is paying very well indeed, I doubt that will come
to pass.”
“Oh no!” Elizabeth slumped a little in the chair. “What can be done?”
“Nothing, really. The tradesmen will go after him for what they can get, as
will the officers he owes money to. If he does not pay, he may be challenged,
though I think that highly unlikely.” He shrugged.
“What about Miss King?”
“There is talk of an engagement, but nothing has been announced yet. I fear his
intentions there may not be entirely honorable.”
“What do you mean?”
“Surely you’ve heard of a man marrying a woman and running off with the dowry,
never to be heard from again?”
Elizabeth gasped. “Do you really believe he would do such a thing?” She was not
friends with Miss King, but she did not wish her ill.
“You tell me. You certainly know as much as I do, perhaps more.” He looked at
her shrewdly.
“You are quite right, Uncle. I believe he would, I simply do not wish to think
of it. What can we do? We cannot simply warn Miss King. She would probably
never believe us, anyway.”
“I will discreetly let the tradesmen know that he has a history of not paying
in full and not to issue him any more lines of credit. I will speak to your
father about keeping your sisters away from him, and I will let Mrs. Phillips
know not to include him in any more invitations. She won’t like it, but
something must be done. Hopefully, he will find it too difficult to run his
schemes here and look elsewhere. If he does anything truly illegal, we can contact
the magistrate.”
This was so much more complicated than Elizabeth had originally imagined. She
was now thoroughly grateful to have handed this over to her uncle, who was
undoubtedly more experienced in such affairs.
“Don’t worry, Lizzy. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you, Uncle. That is a great relief to my mind.” She smiled and stood to
go, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and heading back upstairs to her aunt,
all the way saying a silent prayer of thankfulness that she had never really
been in love with Wickham. Oh, what a narrow escape she had had!

Chapter
16

“Did you save any for me?” 
Darcy looked up from his glass of brandy to see Colonel Fitzwilliam eying him
questioningly. 
Darcy tilted his head in the direction of the decanter. The Colonel poured
himself a glass and settled in the chair across from Darcy, Elizabeth’s chair,
or so he had come to think of it. 
“Rough day?” asked the Colonel quietly.
“Did you escort Miss Bennet home from the ball?”
Surprised by the sudden question and the lack of formality, he answered slowly,
“Yes, I could not let her walk here alone.”
“She did not wish to call for the carriage?”
“No, she declared she had no intention of waiting for the carriage.”
Darcy shook his head in irritation at his own bewilderment. “Why would she do
such a thing?” he said quietly, almost to himself.
“Why did you not ask Miss Bennet, Darcy? She seems to be a rather forthright
woman.”
“Believe me, Cousin, I would have, but she was not here to ask,” he said
acidly.
“Not here? Where was she?” 
“She was at her Uncle’s home in Cheapside, then on a mail coach to
Hertfordshire.”
“A coach? I thought you were sending her in the carriage?”
“I was. At least I thought I was. I only know that when we arrived home after
the ball, she was gone.” He swallowed the last of his brandy and refilled his
glass.
“Darcy, I think you had better tell me what happened,” Fitzwilliam said over
his glass.
“I was going to say the same thing to you.” 
Seeing the Colonel’s raised brow, he added, “Very well. At the ball, I went in
search of Miss Bennet for the last set, which we were to dance together. I
could not find her and applied to your mother, who informed me that she had
left with you nearly an hour before. Imagine my surprise when I found out Miss
Bennet had a headache and requested you escort her home – on foot.” His voice
became steely and his eyes flashed as he continued. “After questioning Hawkins,
he informed me that Miss Bennet immediately ordered her trunk, had it packed
and loaded and headed to Cheapside before the clock struck five.” 
Colonel Fitzwilliam sat up straight in his seat. “She what?”
“Yes, my feeling exactly.” He took another swallow of brandy.
“Did she give any reason? A note? A message?”
“She left a short letter for Georgiana.” He pulled it out of his coat pocket
and passed it to his cousin.
Fitzwilliam quickly read it, then passed it back to Darcy. “What was so
immediate she needed to return to Hertfordshire?”
“I had hoped you could tell me.”
“You mean there was no urgent letter waiting for her here?” Darcy shook his
head. 
“Hmm.”
The two men looked into the fire and quietly thought through the last day and a
half’s events.
Suddenly, Darcy drained his glass and thrust it down on the table with a loud
thud.
“Richard, I would appreciate it if you would tell me everything that occurred
between you and Miss Bennet two nights ago, or I should say yesterday morning.”
Seeing his cousin more disturbed than he had in years, Fitzwilliam quickly
agreed.
“I saw Miss Bennet leaving the ballroom. She looked quite agitated and headed
directly for the door. I followed her and asked where she was going and if all
was well. She said she simply wanted to leave and as soon as she had her cloak,
she made for the door. I offered to wait with her for the carriage when she
told me she intended to walk, and that’s when I insisted I accompany her. It is
London, after all.” He made a face at Darcy, who nodded for him to continue. 
“We walked along and I asked her what was troubling her, as it was obvious that
she was quite distraught. She said she was not ill, but that she had overheard
something unpleasant. We arrived here and I asked her if she would be alright
on her own, and I asked Hawkins to send a maid and tea to her room. That is
all.”
“So the headache was a farce?”
“Oh, yes, that was me, I’m afraid. She never said any such thing. She asked me
to make her excuses to my mother, and I decided a sudden headache was the most
plausible excuse. I said the same to Hawkins.”
Darcy stood and began to pace in front of the fire. “It doesn’t make sense,” he
mumbled to himself. He raked his hand through his hair and his free hand
alternated between hanging limply and propping on his hip.
“She overheard something? What did she overhear?”
“She did not say exactly. Let me think…” He looked up as he searched his mind.
“I believe she said, ‘I merely heard something I was not meant to hear and it
was not pleasant, and now I find myself rather disillusioned.’ Yes, that was
it.”
“'I merely heard something I was not meant to hear',” Darcy mumbled to himself.
“What could she possibly have heard?”
“There were a lot of rich young ladies there who would not take lightly to a
country girl coming in and stealing attention from them. You saw how the men
took to her. Maybe she overheard someone speaking about her?”
“Possibly, but Miss Bennet would have laughed them off. She does not intimidate
easily. What was the last thing she said? She was disillusioned?” he furrowed
his brow in thought and resumed his seat.
“Let us think about this logically,” replied the Colonel. “If she said she was
disillusioned, she must have overheard someone she had already formed an
opinion of, or something about them, in order to hear something contrary.”
“Yes. So that leaves Lady Matlock, the two of us, Georgiana, and could possibly
include any man she danced with, though I doubt she would let such a short
acquaintance bother her, even if such a man had insulted her.” He remembered
how he had slighted her at the assembly, and she had not run off, but merely
laughed and continued dancing. Of course, she had not yet formed a favorable
opinion of him, and he did not know if that could be said of all of her dance
partners.
“And there is Sir Malcolm,” Fitzwilliam added quietly.
“Yes, but I hardly think he…” Darcy stopped mid-sentence and snapped his head
up. With wide eyes he said, “Surely not, surely she didn’t hear… oh no.” He
suddenly remembered Georgiana saying she had seen Elizabeth standing next to
him and Sir Malcolm, but he had not remembered seeing her in the crowd.
“What Darcy? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost!”
Darcy rose again and began to pace, his left hand clenching and unclenching at
his side, his right holding his temple. “I spoke with Malcolm a bit at the
ball. He asked about Bingley and mentioned how horrid he’d been looking and
hinted that he was heartbroken. I confirmed his suspicions and told him that
Bingley had fallen in love but was persuaded to leave the country before he
could do anything rash. She must have heard us!”
“Surely Miss Bennet was not the woman Bingley fell for?”
“Worse. It was her sister.” Colonel Fitzwilliam’s eyebrows shot up. “Her
favorite sister. The sister she walked three miles through the mud to nurse
when she was ill. She is her closest confidante and I daresay her favorite
person in the world.”
“So you were the one she overheard and was disillusioned with. Well, you or Sir
Malcolm.”
For a moment Darcy considered that Elizabeth might have harbored tender
feelings for Malcolm and that she would be disappointed in his agreement with
the separation of Jane and Bingley. But it was not his carriage she had
refused, nor his house she had fled in the dark of night. 
She had said more than once that they had become friends, and he believed that
she had forgiven him for his rude comment at the assembly. If she still had an
unfavorable opinion of him, she would not have been disillusioned, but would
have thought it in keeping with what she already knew of him. 
She was disillusioned because she had come to believe
better of me than that.
 
There was some small consolation in that, but it did not last long.
“No, Fitzwilliam, it was me. It is all me. It’s my fault she’s gone.” He sank
into the chair and put his head in his hands, the realization of what had
happened beginning to take effect as well as the brandy.
Fitzwilliam looked at his cousin, not knowing what to say. “She may come round,
Darcy. Perhaps all is not lost.”
Darcy merely looked at him through unseeing eyes and hung his head.
Dinner at Darcy House was a somber affair. Elizabeth’s absence was felt
acutely, even by Colonel Fitzwilliam, who attempted to cheer his despondent
cousins with stories of young cadets at the army college. He was not overly
successful. Georgiana retired immediately, claiming fatigue, and Darcy and
Fitzwilliam went to his study for a glass of port. 
“I went to Gracechurch Street this morning,” Darcy said in a faraway voice,
leaning against his desk.
“And?”
“I met Elizabeth’s aunt. She seemed very genteel. She hails from Derbyshire.”
“Does she?”
“Miss Jane Bennet was there. Bingley’s Jane.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam observed his cousin, knowing his presence wasn’t really
necessary for this conversation.
“She seemed much the same as ever, but perhaps her eyes were a little sad.” He
swirled the dark liquid in his glass. “I watched her, at the Netherfield ball.
She was not as attached to Bingley as he was to her. She seemed to like him
well enough, but not more than any other. I did not want Bingley to marry so
far beneath him to a woman who didn’t even love him.”
“What if she had loved him?”
Darcy raked his hand through his hair and looked at the carpet. “I do not know.
Never before have I deceived a friend, Richard –  knowingly deceived.
Bingley trusts me implicitly; he is the easiest person to convince, but perhaps
that makes my deception that much more reproachable.
“If I tried to convince you of a certain course of action, you would listen,
but would also ask your own questions and follow your own judgment. Bingley’s
trust in me is such that he would never question any advice from me. He would
assume I had considered all the options and chosen the best course, and that he
naturally would come to the same conclusion on his own, so he saves time and
effort by simply agreeing with me immediately. It is convenient in most
situations and a minor nuisance in others, but this…” 
Darcy took a slow sip of his port and looked around him thoughtfully. “When Miss
Bingley came to me and requested my assistance in getting her brother away from
Miss Jane Bennet, I confess I was relieved she had taken the initiative. I had
already decided to talk to Bingley about the imprudence of it, and if need be,
share my observations with him. Miss Bingley informed me that she and her
sister would leave Netherfield directly after Bingley went to London, and that
they would have the house closed and convince him not to return.” He looked at
the floor and studied the pattern in the carpet. 
“She told me she would send a letter to Miss Bennet, informing her of their
leaving the country, and would make it clear that they were not to return.” He
looked up at Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was watching him closely, a slight look
of displeasure on his face – though he was covering it admirably.
Fitzwilliam had never liked Miss Bingley, and he liked this story even less. He
gestured with his hand for Darcy to continue.
“Of course I never saw the letter, but knowing Caroline Bingley as I do, I can
imagine she did not let Miss Bennet down easily. When Jane Bennet came to
London to stay with her family in Cheapside, she called on Miss Bingley. Miss
Bingley waited over a fortnight to return the call. I saw her at a dinner, and
she informed me that Miss Bennet would not be bothering her anymore. I found
the whole thing distasteful.” 
He made a face and took a gulp of port. “I did not like having a secret with
her. I especially disliked coming home to see Miss Elizabeth happily playing
duets with my sister, while I was out 
plotting
 against
hers,” he spat out the last sentence.
“I can see how that might disgust you,” said the Colonel, his voice unusually
level. 
A few minutes went by in silence.
“I’ve been thinking, Richard.”
“I would imagine so, Cousin.”
“Miss Elizabeth is not mercenary.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam’s eyebrows shot up. “No, I daresay she is not.”
“I do not believe her sister Jane is either, though I do not know her as well.”
Fitzwilliam could tell he was coming to his point, so he sat silently and
waited for Darcy to grapple with his own thoughts.
“Why would Elizabeth be disillusioned with me?” the Colonel did not miss the
familiarity in his speech. “If Jane Bennet did not love Bingley, or hold him in
special regard, she would have accepted him only for security and to save her
family from the entail. I am sure she would have accepted him, her mother would
have assured it, and Miss Bennet does not have Miss Elizabeth’s fortitude. The
only disappointment would be in losing a valuable suitor.”
He began to pace slowly, standing behind a chair and grasping its back for
support. “Miss Elizabeth is an intelligent woman. She understands the ways of
the world. If she knew I had separated her sister from Bingley, and if her
sister did not love him, would that cause disillusionment? Perhaps anger for
preventing an advantageous match for her beloved sister, but then Jane would be
free to find someone else whom she did love and, as we both know, Miss
Elizabeth places a high priority on love. And we can presume she would also
wish for Bingley to be married to someone who loved him.”
Fitzwilliam nodded, seeing where his cousin was going and not liking it. “She
was obviously so distressed by the knowledge of their being forcibly separated
that one can easily assume there was a deep bond between Bingley and Miss
Bennet, or at least that Miss Elizabeth believed there to be. Otherwise…” His
voice trailed off, clearly exhausted. 
“So you separated a couple who loved each other, and broke Miss Elizabeth’s
favorite sister’s heart.”
Darcy stood in front of the fire, his arm on the mantle, and let out a heavy
sigh. “It would appear that I did.”
“What exactly did you say to Malcolm?”
“Besides what I’ve already told you, I told him I had been unsuccessful in
cheering Bingley, and that Miss Bennet was very beautiful. I mentioned that her
family was unsuitable, that the mother and younger sisters were intolerable and
uncouth, and that the connection was unfortunate at best.”