The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (20 page)

Then the housekeeper returned, bearing the news that one of the children had a stomach ache and was demanding his mother. Mrs. Gardiner excused herself. In the doorway she glanced back at Elizabeth and Darcy a little apprehensively since propriety demanded they should not be left without a chaperone. However, her aunt must know they had been unchaperoned quite a bit in France. Apparently as a compromise, she left the door ajar and hastened away.

Darcy was positioned about as far from Elizabeth as the room would allow and he watched tears trickle down her cheeks, burdened by the full weight of his guilt.
How she must hate me at this moment. I could have prevented it all!
Would she grow to resent being married to the man who had allowed her sister to fall into the hands of such a scoundrel?

Her red-rimmed eyes turned to him and he felt a fresh wave of guilt wash over him. “I am so sorry, Elizabeth,” he said. “You must be so angry with me at this moment.”

Her expression turned from distressed to puzzled. “Angry with you, why?”

Relief flooded him at the thought that she did not blame him as much, perhaps, as he deserved. “I am the one who allowed this to happen.”

A small smile curved her lips. “You are? I thought you were in France at the time.”

He stood abruptly and paced the length of the room. “But I could have prevented this!” He said bitterly. “If only I had been willing to lay bare my private affairs. I was too proud to reveal my family’s business to the world. If everyone had known Wickham’s true nature, this could not have happened.”

“I am as much to blame as you. I could have revealed the truth as well.”

“You wanted to protect my family’s privacy. That is completely admirable!”

Unexpectedly Elizabeth gave a little laugh. “We could stand here all day trying to take blame, but perhaps that would not be the best use of our time.”

He stopped as he considered this idea and then sighed. “Of course, you are right.” Watching her wipe her eyes with the handkerchief once more, Darcy was struck by the sudden revelation that she needed his comfort more than his self-recrimination.

Crossing the room in one stride, he gathered Elizabeth into his arms. “My darling, I am so very sorry.” He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. “The entire time we were talking with your aunt and uncle, I was longing to hold you and provide what comfort I could. If they had not left when they did, I might have given into the impulse to hold you – and provide your uncle with evidence to chastise me.” He strove to keep his tone lighthearted in the hopes of lightening her mood.

“I am the one who should be sorry,” she murmured as she cried against his shoulder. “I regret you are attached to a family in such disgrace! What will people think of you allying yourself with our family?”

Is that what she truly believes?
Darcy asked himself.
How could she think that of me?
Darcy pulled back a little so he could behold her eyes. “My love, there is nothing that could make me regret marrying you. Nothing!” His voice was rough and fierce with emotion. “Not even if you had four disgraced sisters!”

Unexpectedly, this declaration caused her to sob all the more. Hopefully, Darcy thought, with relief.

Then she turned her face upward for a kiss, so he obligingly caressed her lips with his. “It is an inexpressible comfort to have your love at a time like this,” she murmured against his lips. He smiled and kissed her again.

He had pressed her against the room’s door, which was now completely closed. Therefore he was well positioned to hear footsteps in the hall and hastily maneuvered Elizabeth into a chair. When Mr. Gardiner entered, Elizabeth was sitting demurely on the settee and Darcy was gazing out of the window next to the door. Her uncle glanced from one to another, but said nothing. When her uncle looked away, Darcy saw Elizabeth discreetly smoothing down her hair.

Darcy turned away from the window. “Has your investigator found them?”

Her uncle shook his head. “Their one clue led nowhere and I am at a loss. I do not want to abandon my niece, but we have no information about where she is to be found.”

“I have some ideas,” Darcy said. “Perhaps we should retire to your study to discuss them.” Mr. Gardiner nodded gratefully and ushered Darcy out of the room.

Darcy was soon seated in Mr. Gardiner’s study with a glass of port at his elbow. He had given the man the whole history of his dealings with Wickham, omitting only Georgiana’s name in favor of: “a close relative.” If the other man guessed her identity, he said nothing.

“So where will you start your investigation?” Gardiner asked.

“I will begin with Mrs. Younge. She runs a boarding house in London where Wickham may have lodged while he was here. If so, she may have an idea where he planned to go. I will also see what can be learned from Wickham’s associates near Pemberley.”

“That seems like a sound plan.” Mr. Gardiner nodded approvingly as he sipped his port.

“I will notify you immediately of any progress,” Darcy started to rise, thinking of Elizabeth, distressed and alone in the other room. However, Mr. Gardiner cleared his throat to speak, so Darcy stayed his movement.

“Mr. Darcy, I cannot tell you how grateful we are that you returned Elizabeth to us safely.” Elizabeth’s uncle would not meet Darcy’s eyes.

“It was my pleasure, sir. I would never have forgiven myself if I had left her alone and unprotected.”

“I would imagine that you had to lay out quite a bit of money to make good your escape. Doctor’s bills, hiring a boat, not to mention carriages. However, I suspect you would not accept if I offered to reimburse you for those expenses.”

“No sir.”

Mr. Gardiner shook his head, unsurprised by the response. “One other thing. I understand the necessity of fleeing Paris as you did – alone and unchaperoned – and the days you spent with her in your friend’s house. Not to mention returning to England just the two of you.” Darcy winced inwardly at this description of the continuous impropriety of their situation. “But not everyone would be so understanding. I know you are a man of good character and Elizabeth seems to hold you in high regard—”

“I assure you sir that nothing improper took place,” Darcy thought of this as a sin of omission rather than an outright lie. After all, what could be more proper than marriage? However, he was well aware that Mr. Gardiner might not see it in that light.

Elizabeth’s uncle waved the assurance away. “I am sure. If my niece had felt herself wronged in any way, she has methods of making it known.”

Darcy chuckled a little. “Yes, I believe so.”

Mr. Gardiner gave the younger man a wry smile. “All I am asking is that you do not make the circumstances of your escape from France widely known. I am thinking of her reputation.”

“Yes sir. I had already come to that conclusion on my own. I would be loathe to be the instrument of injuring Eliz—Miss Bennet in any way. Rest assured I plan to conceal it entirely – except perhaps from my sister.”

Mr. Gardiner’s eyebrows had risen when Darcy used Elizabeth’s given name, but he did not comment. “Good, good. Especially in light of Lydia’s behavior, the Bennet family hardly needs more gossip circulating.”

“I could not agree more.”

Mr. Gardiner paused as if hoping that Darcy would say more – perhaps a declaration of his intention to court Elizabeth. However, Darcy could not bring himself to take the deception that far.

The other man stood. “Well, let us rejoin the ladies.”

After another half hour of conversation in the drawing room, Darcy reluctantly concluded that he needed to depart. In addition to informing Georgiana of his arrival, he had to set the wheels in motion to find Wickham and Lydia. Elizabeth escorted him out to the carriage to say goodbye, but he was well aware that anyone could be watching them from the house. Darcy wished he could kiss her…caress her…and take her back to his house and….Well, there was no use in wishing; he would just have to be patient.

He confined himself to a kiss on her hand. “I believe your uncle is wondering what my intentions toward you are.”

Elizabeth laughed a little. “I am sure he is. We will just have to leave him in suspense.”

Darcy regarded her seriously. “I am afraid that the news about Lydia makes concealing our marriage even more imperative.”

She nodded. “That had occurred to me. I would not want to give my father two unwelcome surprises in such a short time.” She bit her lip. “I cannot help comparing my behavior to Lydia’s. I am almost as bad as she – acting impulsively without thinking about my family—”

“No!” he said vehemently. “I will not allow you to disparage yourself in this way! We did the honorable thing in marrying. It cannot be compared to living without the benefit of matrimony for weeks. Lydia and Wickham have given no thought to the effect on your family – we have made every attempt at discretion.”

“Yes, but I still picture how disappointed my father will be at the circumstances of our marriage.” Her head was bowed as she gazed down at her hands.

“But just think how pleased your mother will be.” Elizabeth gave him a sour look. “And I would like to think I have more to offer to your family than Wickham.”

She smiled mischievously at this sally. “I suppose Pemberley is a bigger advantage than Wickham’s gambling debts.”

Darcy gazed into her eyes for a moment. “I am afraid must leave. I am sure Georgiana has been worried about me.”

“Yes.” He kissed her hand again. They said a lingering goodbye and he stepped into the coach and left.

The carriage pulled up in front of Lord Matlock’s house fifteen minutes later. Although Darcy missed Elizabeth with an almost physical pain, he was eager to see Georgiana. Despite the letters he had sent, he knew she would be worrying about him.

The butler admitted him and sent a footman to find Georgiana. Within a minute she was flying down the stairs with a huge smile on her face and embracing her brother with all the strength her slight frame could produce.

“Brother! I am so relieved to see you. I was so worried!”

“I hope you got my messages about why I was delayed in leaving France?”

Georgiana was practically quivering with joy. “I did, but I could not rest easy until you were back in England. There have been so many terrible stories about what is happening in France. Englishmen have been imprisoned for no reason!” Darcy thought that now was not the time to tell her he had almost been one of them.

Georgiana recollected herself and said, “You must be famished! Let us retire to the drawing room and I will ring for tea.” She was so happy at the thought he did not dare to tell her he had already had tea.

Even before tea was served, Georgiana started peppering him with questions about the trip. “Did you see the Louvre? What was it like? Was it dangerous being about once the war was on? Were you frightened? How is your friend who was sick?”

Georgiana finally ran out of breath and Darcy, smiling, answered just the last question. “My friend is much better, thank you. It was fortunate we were able to leave France when we did.” He congratulated himself on negotiating the answer without using pronouns or names. In his letters to Georgiana, Darcy had not mentioned the gender or name of his friend, knowing that Georgiana would assume it to be a male friend. Although he would need to tell her eventually, she was still young and easily shocked, so he hoped to put it off – at least until after she had met Elizabeth.

As they sipped tea, he gave her an abbreviated account of his travels, including the ball at the Radnor residence. He did recount the tale of encountering Elizabeth quite unexpectedly. “I would love for you to meet her, Georgiana. She has a good understanding and a lively disposition. I think you would get on very well.”

“She is the one who visited Rosings at Easter, is she not? I would love to meet her.” Impressed that she remembered Elizabeth from his brief mentions in his letters, Darcy realized he had never before asked his sister to meet a woman of his acquaintance. She must suspect a partiality, but that was all to the good, he thought; it would lay the groundwork for his eventual announcement.

Lady Matlock sailed into the room upon Georgiana’s last words. As always she had a commanding presence and was dressed in the very latest fashions; however, Darcy thought he spotted shadows under her eyes and creases of worry in her face. He wondered what had occurred to disturb her usual equanimity. “Who would you love to meet, Georgiana?” She asked as she gave Darcy a kiss on the cheek and settled herself into a tapestried chair. “Fitzwilliam, lovely to see you. I am so pleased you are not imprisoned in France after all.” She murmured. Then she turned to Georgiana, awaiting her answer.

“Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Aunt.” Georgiana said.

“Bennet! Is that not the name of the foolish girl who ran away with a militia officer?”

Darcy groaned inwardly. Since his family and Elizabeth’s traveled in such separate spheres he had been hoping the news of Lydia’s scandal would not have penetrated this far. “That girl is Elizabeth’s sister. How did you come to hear of it?” he asked.

“Catherine wrote to me of it. The Bennets are related to her rector I believe.”

Darcy shuddered to think how Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins had interpreted the event. “I hardly think Miss Bennet can be blamed for her sister’s indiscretions.”