By Consequence of Marriage (A Pride & Prejudice Novel) Page 17

  "I'm not sure if Charles has risen for the day, Mr. Darcy. By the by, did you happen to go to the Sinclair's dinner party while you were in town? My brother went but he's been no help at informing me of the latest fashion. How may I be prepared for next season with so little knowledge? Were there many women with turbans and feathers or were they adorned in the new bejeweled hairstyles with combs?" Caroline attempted to hold a conversation about society with Mr. Darcy, stalling before she must admit Charles was not, indeed, home.

  With the arrival of Mr. Darcy earlier than she had expected, Caroline Bingley did not understand why he did not arrive closer to next week, the original date of the ball. It was on a lark she had written the wrong date on his invitation, but she figured it was worth the chance of a happy circumstance that would make Mr. Darcy visit her without her brother present, and by all appearances it had worked! Unfortunately, the timing was not as she wished for the other pieces of the plan to keep him at Netherfield Park.

  Darcy stood as a tray of refreshments finally arrived for the threesome. "I must insist that I ask a servant to see to the Master and Mistress. It is imperative that Charles be informed I am here." Darcy moved as if to walk out the door when Caroline spoke.

  "Mr. Darcy, my brother is not here. He and Mrs. Bingley left for their wedding trip to Bath yesterday afternoon after their wedding breakfast."

  Darcy desperately wished to inquire as to which sister Jane took with her on her trip, but he did not wish to come right out and betray his interest. There was far too much at stake for Anne and Richard for him to do so. "They did not wish to take you on their wedding trip, Miss Bingley?"

  "No, they took that little mouse Mary Bennet with them. Charles thought I would be needed by Louisa here at Netherfield." Caroline made a meager smile to her sister to soften her words about needing to be present for the birth of her first niece or nephew. In all honesty, Caroline had no desire to spend weeks on end at the whim of Jane Bingley and watching her brother play the lovesick fool.

  Darcy's heart leapt in his chest. So Elizabeth had not gone to Bath; she was right here in Hertfordshire! "Forgive me Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, but I must be off. I was mistaken to arrive unannounced and I should return to London."

  "But Mr. Darcy, I've had the servants prepare your normal room for you sir. The ride to London is a number of hours and I'm certain you are at least a little fatigued. Why not stay for lunch with me and Louisa and take a rest before you take your leave?"

  The horrors of hearing his doorknob jiggle every night he stayed at Netherfield Park earlier in the season made that suggestion completely unpalatable to Fitzwilliam Darcy, but he would not shame his closest friend's sister so blatantly. Besides, for all he knew, Mrs. Hurst was entirely complicit in the scheme to have her sister compromised, or at least to have it appear so.

  "I'm afraid that will not be possible." Mr. Darcy said in his Master of Pemberley voice. He turned and took his leave. He stood in the front courtyard awaiting his horse to be returned to him. The smell of the fresh country air invigorated his senses and he forced himself not to smile. He was not sure exactly the words he would relate to Miss Elizabeth, but his heart knew if he were in her presence once more, they would come to him.

  As much as Darcy wished to spur Alexander into a fast gallop over the mere five miles between the homes of Netherfield Park and Longbourn, he stayed mindful that his poor horse had already traveled from London to Hertfordshire once for the day, and unless things went well, he and Alexander would be returning to London. To keep his mind busy, Darcy wondered if the inn in the little hamlet of Meryton would have a room. He could not work out a reason to explain his continued presence in Hertfordshire, as the Bingleys' trip would likely last a number of months.

  Darcy did not have to travel far when he came upon two slightly familiar young girls. As they giggled and walked together along the road, Darcy slowed his horse and greeted them as the youngest Miss Bennets of the family. Although he could recall their first names, which one was Miss Lydia and which one was Miss Catherine, he could not say. Thankfully from his position atop his horse, he did not have to distinguish between the two.

  The two girls glanced up at him, and erupted into a fresh set of giggles. The one with a sharper nose spoke to him first.

  "You caused quite a scandal, Mr. Darcy, when you did not appear at the wedding yesterday! Why, we wondered that all sorts of misfortunes had befallen you to account for your absence."

  Darcy frowned. Now he remembered why Miss Bingley talked ill of the Bennet family. Their manners were simply appalling, starting with the mother and father and continuing down to the youngest of the girls. The older two sisters he would exclude from that list.

  "Do you two often walk to Meryton unchaperoned?"

  The other sister with the bluish bonnet answered him. "We do not come from Meryton, sir, but just down the lane there from a visit to the Lucas family. Besides, our sister Elizabeth walked alone on this road nearly every day. We are perfectly safe in our neighborhood."

  Darcy could not believe his luck, these two simple girls had brought up exactly the subject he wished to broach. "And does your sister Miss Elizabeth walk with you now? Or are her injuries still too burdensome?" A small reminder of guilt panged his heart, but Darcy brushed it away. If not for the accident, he might never have known Miss Elizabeth for her wit and daring.

  "No, she's gone now, same as Mr. Collins. And they won't be back, so says my Mama," the first sister responded, receiving a jostle from the other one.

  "Lydia! We are not supposed to discuss that matter."

  Bile rose from Darcy's stomach. The sudden twist of his emotions was felt most viscerally by his internal organs. In such a short time he had gone from perfectly elated to utterly devastated. As the two girls argued in front of him, a buzzing in Darcy's ears grew louder yet he heard none of it.

  He bid the ladies adieu and turned Alexander back towards the road that led to London. Paralyzed with the realization that his Elizabeth was indeed gone forever and had been at least one of the brides in the dress shop that day, Darcy numbly rode Alexander back into town.

  Reaching the outskirts of the bustling city, the name of Collins registered in his head. His Aunt had mentioned that bumbling person to be a cousin of the Bennets and a source of her information. Returning to Kent, Darcy would be faced with meeting a Mrs. Elizabeth Collins as part of his acquaintances. It was a reality his mind rejected most forcefully, and by the time Alexander carried him back to Darcy house, the day's travels and tragedies had worn on him.

  In spite of the early hour of six o'clock that evening, Fitzwilliam Darcy, the master of Carver House, Pemberley and Darcy house in London retired to the Master's suite of rooms and refused any attempts by his staff to vacate them.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  The new year dawned with Elizabeth Bennet feeling settled in her new home with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. For six weeks she found a steady routine of attending minor social events with her relatives and assisting her uncle with various menial tasks for his business. Elizabeth had always possessed prodigious skill in sums and fine details, so her uncle set her to work on the inventory numbers for his many businesses.

  If her mother knew, she would be most cross with Elizabeth for deigning to take on a trade. But Elizabeth was quite adamant with her aunt and uncle that for as long as they would house and feed her, she wished to earn her keep. And if they refused, she warned them she would seek employment elsewhere. Madeline and Edward Gardiner had little choice but to embrace their niece's talents. They were quick to insist on hiding the fact that as a gentlewoman, Elizabeth Bennet was employed.

  On an afternoon in early January, Elizabeth received her second letter from Jane and she energetically joined her aunt in the parlor to share the news.

  "How strange, I have written four letters to Jane and this is only my second one in return," Elizabeth said with a puzzled expression.

  Madeline Gardiner put aside the set of
small clothing she was sewing for yet another addition to the family that was on its way. It was too early to make any announcements, but her daily bouts of nausea each morning made her certain it would not be long before she and her husband would need to make preparations for another child. "There are many more demands on a married woman's time, Elizabeth, than you may know. I'm certain Jane does not intend insult by writing to you less frequently and is penning the responses as quickly as she is able." Mrs. Gardiner tried to comfort her niece.

  The rift in the Bennet family caused by the rejection of Mr. Collins' proposal was still a highly sensitive subject for Elizabeth. When she first arrived, she fell into a deep depression worrying both Mrs. Gardiner and her husband, nary eating a morsel for over a week. The last thing Mrs. Gardiner wished to do was remind Elizabeth of the dreadful circumstances.

  "Tell me what the letter says?" Mrs. Gardiner requested, resuming her sewing.

  Elizabeth read the letter out loud, reciting the pretty words Jane penned for the town of Bath, and the many sites and excursions she and Mr. Bingley enjoyed. As Elizabeth continued to recite, she paused for a moment when she reached the portion of the letter where Jane mentioned a new name. Apparently, Jane and Mary befriended a young woman named Mrs. Georgiana Wickham who Jane described as sadder on more days than not.

  "Jane says a miserable marriage is a consequence too grave for an innocent. I wonder what she means. Aunt?" Elizabeth's breath caught in her chest. Jane remained neutral over the actions of their parents the day of her wedding, sending support to her favorite sister but not outright condemning their parents. Was Jane now extending an olive branch?

  Mrs. Gardiner reached for the letter. She frowned as she read over the account of how Mary and Jane tried to cheer Mrs. Wickham, who also appeared to be on her wedding trip. "Perhaps Mrs. Wickham comes from a different social status? Where Jane has made the happy match of true regard for Mr. Bingley, Mrs. Wickham may not have been afforded such a luxury."

  "You mean her parents forced her to marry Mr. Wickham like my parents might have forced me," Elizabeth said softly.

  Mrs. Gardiner covered her mouth with her hand for a moment as a brief sense of nausea swept over her. When she was certain it passed, she approached her niece deep in thought on the other side of parlor. "Your parents actions were cruel and extreme, Lizzie, but I do not think they would have done such without knowing your strength of character and you would always have a home here. It likely would have been worse for you had they forced you to wed Mr. Collins."

  Elizabeth stared up at her aunt with tear-stained cheeks and nodded. It had taken time, but she could feel in her heart of hearts that although her father did nothing to protect her the day her mother cast her out of the house, there were also many other things he did not do. Not forcing her to marry that beast of a man, William Collins, was one small gesture she clung to as a sign she still had her father's love.

  "I believe I might take a rest if that's acceptable? Would you mind terribly giving my regrets to Uncle?" Elizabeth was due to take the carriage over to the warehouses within the hour. But she knew her emotions were still unsettled and the last thing she wished to do was lose the respect of her uncle and his staff by blubbering over parchment in the office.

  As both Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner held hope that Elizabeth would lose interest in the business, it was no trouble at all for her aunt to dismiss her upstairs and send a note of regret to her husband. In fact, Mrs. Gardiner wished fervently her favorite niece would one day find a man worthy of her regard.

  As Elizabeth removed herself upstairs, Mrs. Gardiner resumed her sewing and gazed out the window to the watch the horses and carriages passing by. When Elizabeth reached the small room she had taken for her stay, she carefully placed Jane's letter in the drawer with her treasured possessions. Adding the post to the carefully tied stack with a lavender ribbon, her eyes fell upon the copy of Shakespeare's sonnets that belonged to Mr. Darcy.

  Nearly four months passed since the lighthearted afternoon in which she met the one man she both esteemed and respected. But he vanished from her life with nary a trace except for the one book he forgot to take with him. Her finger delicately traced the indentation in the leather binding along the spine as her mind battled with her heart. Her sister's words about a miserable marriage swirled in her head and Elizabeth found herself overwhelmed with the desire to act!

  Clarity about her position flooded her senses as she was a woman with the power to shape her own destiny! Lost in the Purgatory between a sheltered gentlewoman and the freedom of a working woman, Elizabeth knew she would always regret losing the acquaintance of Mr. Darcy. Rushing to her closet, she pulled out her nicest frock and quickly changed out of her simpler work dress. Not usually a woman concerned with the fripperies of a lady's dress, Elizabeth took the time to ensure every button was in place and her gloves were pristine. As she pinned a hat in place she gazed at her reflection in the mirror turning her head from side to side and congratulating herself on effecting a respectable appearance without a maid. Securing the book from her drawer with her reticule, Elizabeth returned downstairs trying to piece out the explanation she was going to give her aunt. She harbored no desire to lie to the woman but she also could not come out and tell the truth that she planned to take a carriage to a man's home.

  "Elizabeth! Why you look – you're dressed too nicely to head over to the offices. Have you received an invitation?"

  "No, I mean yes," Elizabeth stared at the book in her hands for inspiration, "when I was ill at Netherfield, one of Miss Bingley's friends loaned me this book. As I put Jane's letter away, I recalled she was spending the winter in London and her address is on the inside. I thought I might call to return it."

  Mrs. Gardiner accepted Lizzie’s words as truth, but something about her niece's demeanor, a nervousness that seemed to hang on Elizabeth's shoulders which was not normally there, spurred her intuition there was more to the story. However, Elizabeth was six months from her majority, and a modicum of trust was required if she and her husband were to see Elizabeth find her way in life. "I can call the carriage if you'd like."

  Elizabeth began to panic. If she rode in the Gardiner carriage the driver would report back exactly where she had gone. She was certain she was not ready to reveal her destination, yet. Her spontaneous plan to visit Mr. Darcy might turn into a complete disaster and Elizabeth would not abide more family members ashamed of her behavior. "No, there's no need, I shall hire a hackney. I'm not sure if my friend and I will visit at length, and I wouldn't wish to hold uncle up in his needs."

  "Forgive me, I appear to have missed the name of this friend of yours. She does have a name?" Mrs. Gardiner eyed her niece carefully.

  "Miss Lavinia Williams." The first name that came to mind tumbled out of Elizabeth's mouth. Seeing her aunt worry about the situation, Elizabeth decided to add to her small untruth. "Miss Williams attended school with Miss Bingley, her family is in trade but has done well."

  Madeline Gardiner knew of a number of families with the surname of Williams, and some of them did indeed have daughters similar in age to Elizabeth. Which family it was that had a daughter named Lavinia, Mrs. Gardiner was not certain, but she felt better she had enough pertinent information should she need to retrieve Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth was farewelled by her aunt and given the convenience of Gracechurch Street to the many docks and warehouses of London, Elizabeth had little trouble hailing a hackney-chaise within a few feet of the front door. As the driver asked her where she wished to go, she said the address that was quite familiar to her from her months of study.

  "Number 12, Grosvenor Square, if you please."

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Inside the carriage, the comfort was best described as shabby, but the state of the slightly worn fabric reminded Elizabeth Bennet of her own family's carriage. The small hairs on the back of her neck rose as she realized the true danger of traveling alone. She held tightly to her reticule and Mr. Darcy's book. The noi
se of men shouting outside made her close her eyes, and though they were not shouting at her, the vulnerability caused by her impetuosity quickened her heartbeat.

  Opening one eye to peek out the window as the sounds of the wheels changed from the deeply rutted roads of Cheapside to the smoother surfaces of Mayfair, Elizabeth gasped at the enormous homes and grand facades. Spying Hyde Park, she smiled.

  She always wished to walk there, but she had only been able to do so on one occasion, long ago, while visiting her aunt and uncle. Now considering she lived in London, the acceptance of her new home touched her heart. Elizabeth began to calmly reflect on the childhood wishes she had nurtured about the city. She could now live them if she desired!

  The hackney-chaise rolled to a stop, and Elizabeth's stomach clenched. Her fingers trembled as she pulled out the few coins to pay the driver and asked if he would remain for a moment or two.

  The driver looked her up and down and leaned over and spat on the street. "Sure thing, milady." He winked at her.

  The entire exchange unsettled Elizabeth, and the man's leers made her reconsider her request for him to drive her back to her aunt and uncle's home. Glancing at the chaise and then to the brightly painted red door of Mr. Darcy's home, Elizabeth pulled her gloves on a little tighter and walked slowly to the haven of the red door.

  There was no knocker and Elizabeth's hopes shattered. If there was no knocker, she realized, it meant Mr. Darcy could not possibly be home, for she understood how London society operated. Nevertheless, she had come all this way, so with a disappointed frown she knocked on the door vigorously until someone answered. She may as well return the book.

  When the fine red door opened, Elizabeth heard the hackney-chaise begin to roll away. She quickly turned, trying to motion the driver to wait, but he was gone to the other side of the street for a fare.

  "Miss?"

  Elizabeth hastily turned around to stand face-to-face with the eagle eye inspection of a middle-aged woman dressed in black, armed with an enormous set of keys hanging at her waist. She must be the housekeeper, Elizabeth reasoned. Elizabeth smiled and curtsied, a motion that surprised the housekeeper, given how the young lady was dressed.