Chapter 23
Later that afternoon Miss Georgiana Darcy, accompanied by her uncle and aunt, Lord and Lady Matlock arrived at Pemberley.
Elizabeth, as happy as she was to spend a few days getting to know the man who had fascinated her so lately, felt anxious as she was introduced to his sister and aunt.
“Miss Darcy,” she said with a smile, “what a pleasure it is to finally meet you.”
“And I you,” The young lady said timidly.
“I have heard so much about you. Your brother thinks highly of you and Miss Bingley sang your praises more than anybody else.”
Georgiana blushed, while all present looked at her and waited, “You are too kind Miss Bennet. But it is of you whom my brother spoke highly.”
She looked at Darcy and smiled, “Poor man, I can only imagine how much he suffered in Hertfordshire, with no accomplished women to entertain him. Did you know he only knows half a dozen really accomplished ladies?” She pretended to whisper to Georgiana while making sure all heard her.
Lord Matlock laughed loudly, “Is that so? I would hate to ask him what his understanding of an accomplished woman is.”
Darcy looked at Elizabeth in mock challenge, “I know Miss Bennet finds great enjoyment in occasionally professing opinions which in fact are not her own. And of course if she finds a chance to tease me, she will never let it pass.”
“Mr Darcy you will teach your relatives not to believe a word I say. It is most ungenerous of you sir.” She laughed softly and Darcy forgot that he was surrounded by people on all sides, as he seemed to have eyes only for Elizabeth.
So while he was contemplating how much he wanted to make her laugh, laugh every day of her life, the others did not fail to notice his heated gaze.
Mrs Gardiner and Lady Matlock exchanged an amused look. The two ladies separated themselves and immediately started a confabulation.
“He is besotted.” Lady Matlock whispered to Mrs Gardiner.
“Just as much as she is with him.”
“I wonder if they know. Shall we give them a hand?” Her ladyship hid a mischievous grin behind a handkerchief.
“Absolutely not,” Mrs Gardiner said laughing. “First Elizabeth would never forgive me and second it will be more entertaining watching them find it out for themselves.”
“Mrs Gardiner I like your way of thinking.” Her ladyship said amused.
Mrs Gardiner laughed, “Thank you your ladyship. I must confess that this holiday is turning out to be more interesting than I had foreseen.” The two ladies laughed together well entertained.
The following days were spent with Elizabeth, Darcy and Georgiana out riding from dawn to dusk, which meant Elizabeth was able to see more of the beautiful estate and its surrounding areas than she had expected.
Pemberley was truly magnificent inside and out and the company was enchanting. Georgiana, she discovered was a sweet, shy young lady... And that made Elizabeth boil in anger once more for having given any credit to Mr Wickham’s lies.
Mr Darcy on the other hand was the epitome of charm and attentiveness.
She often caught him looking at her in a way that made her blush and she realised, after some consternation that he used to look at her the same way when he was in Hertfordshire.
Hertfordshire, that terrible time of confusion when she, foolishly, thought he was staring at her to find fault. She shook her head in wonder.
On the third day of the Pemberley visit they planned an outing to Duffield Castle, another ruin to the Northwest but a lot further afield than Macworth Castle. The whole company was keen to take part and a picnic was organised.
Before they set off on the trip Darcy passed one of his footmen in the great hall; he asked if Miss Bennet was still in the breakfast room. The servant bowed and informed him that he had left Miss Bennet in the library reading the letters that had been delivered to her that morning.
He turned on his heel and redirected himself to the library, hoping to see her delightful smile first thing in the morning.
As he entered the room he looked around but did not see her. He was about to turn and leave when he heard a muffled sob from behind one of the sofas. He frowned and followed the noise.
He spied Elizabeth sitting on the floor and he froze in place.
Several pages of what looked like an extensive letter were carelessly scattered around her. She had her hand over her mouth as her body shook with the violence of her uncontrollable weeping.
“Miss Bennet,” Darcy said alarmed, kneeling beside her.
She looked so miserably ill that Darcy forgot himself and reached for her hand in sympathy, “good God, what is the matter?” He uttered in dismay, “Let me call your maid? Can I get you something for your present relief? A glass of wine, perhaps? Truly Miss Bennet you look very ill.”
She looked at him, making an effort to recover her composure, “No, I thank you. Mr Darcy I am well... there is nothing the matter with me. I am only distressed by some dreadful news which I have just received from home.”
She again burst into tears, losing the flimsy control she had managed for a few seconds, while Darcy waited patiently.
When she realised she was not going to be able to control herself enough to tell the tale, she thrust several letters into Darcy’s hand. He perused them quickly and blanched.
They were from her sister Jane, dating back some six or seven days earlier. She had written the direction very ill indeed so they had been sent elsewhere:
Dear Lizzy,
I hope your excursion with our uncle and aunt has been as delightful as you expected.
Here at Longbourn the days pass slowly and languidly; the children playing in the garden for most of the day, Kitty complaining about Lydia’s absence, Mary’s insistence on unceasingly practising the pianoforte, our father hiding in his library as is his wont.
And finally Mr Bingley who still comes to visit every single day.
No, I still have nothing exciting to report. I sometimes wonder if all he wants is a friend. I still love him but his lack of decision is disconcerting, to say the least.
Mama still keeps to her bed and therefore places unnecessary burdens on our dear Hill, who, as we long suspected, must be an angel.
The letter continued with happy tales of Meryton’s gossip until it took a dramatic turn:
Oh dear Lizzy since writing the above, news of a most alarming nature has reached us at Longbourn! News that has unlocked a train of events that we have long feared:
Last night at midnight an express came from Colonel Forster in Brighton, informing us that Lydia has left all her friends.
Has in fact eloped; she has thrown herself into the power of Captain Denny, who was, if you recall, a close associate of Mr Wickham.
If he is anything like his friend I fear for Lydia’s welfare and future.
More seriously, once papa read the dreadful news he suffered an apoplexy and has been insensible ever since.
I write to beg Uncle Gardiner’s immediate assistance. With papa indisposed there is nobody here to help us.
I must go, for mama needs me. I will write again as soon as I have more news,
Affectionately yours,
Jane
Immediately, Darcy picked up the next letter:
Dear Lizzy,
As much as I wish to give our run-away lovers the benefit of the doubt, we now fear the worst. Colonel Forster came yesterday to help papa in recovering Lydia.
But when he discovered that papa finds himself fighting for his life he left to go to London by himself for a few days.
He warned us however that he cannot spend too many days away from his regiment.
He fears that Captain Denny has no intention of marrying Lydia, for he is of the same ilk as Mr Wickham.
It transpires that he has left several debts both in Meryton and Brighton.
So the Colonel fears that he took Lydia simply because she had enough money to take them to London.
He is concerned that once he ceases to have use for her, Captain Denny will abandon her.
Regarding papa; Mr Jones the apothecary has not given us a lot of hope. Papa has a few minutes of lucidity a day, but no more. While often the whole time he is awake all he says is how wrong he was, then he calls your name and reaches out as if to find you next to him.
Mr Darcy stopped reading and reached out to Elizabeth, bringing her up on her feet and around from behind the sofa, “Miss Bennet, I will go and find your uncle myself, and then together we will form a plan.”
“We?”
“Yes we. I will personally help. Is it not what friends do in times of trouble?” He still held her hands in his and now he caressed them.
She looked at their hands, fingers entwined. She found his warmth calmed her. She held on to him like a safe harbour in a storm. “Mr Darcy, I know you do not have to do anything to help us, but I will certainly not reject it. And you have my gratitude.”
He shook his head, “Say nothing of it. I still think if I had spoken of Wickham early on, when he first arrived in Meryton a lot of this could have been avoided.
The whole neighbourhood would have been wary of the Militia men and so they would not have had so much influence over the young ladies of the community.
“Nevertheless Mr Darcy, you must not blame yourself for my sister’s wretched behaviour. I daresay she was ready for an adventure like this whether she knew of the type of men the Militia represented or not.”
He nodded, “thank you Miss Bennet. But now there is no time to lose, for your sister’s letter took so long to get here that we are already starting a few days too many behind them.”
Reluctantly she let go of his hand. In spite of the dreadful situation they now found themselves in, they still shared a smile, each caressing the other’s face with the warm gaze.
After consulting with the Gardiners, Darcy immediately wrote to his man of business, engaging him to hire Bow Street runners to locate the couple, launching an investigation about the Dennys, where they lived, their condition in life and anything useful they could use against the young man.
Darcy left instructions for all correspondence to be redirected to Netherfield Park, where he intended to dwell while he assisted the Bennets and the Gardiners.
Within an hour the reduced group of Darcy, the Gardiners and Elizabeth was on the road to London. Mr Darcy had convinced the Gardiners to use his carriage and team as it was larger and more comfortable.
Elizabeth was sorry to leave Georgiana and the Matlocks behind for they were truly delightful company.
While the troubled group left for London and Hertfordshire the Matlocks took Georgiana back to the Matlock estate, with the promise that they would all see each other again in the near future.
Lady Matlock and Mrs Gardiner had become friends and had delighted in each other’s company as did Lord Matlock and Mr Gardiner. Edward Gardiner would miss the excellent fishing and the intelligent and boisterous company of the Earl.