Chapter 9 #3
“You must be, sir,”
“You all left the ball early because she was unwell. Then, the second day, she refused to visit Selina and stayed home, and when we came here, we found Darcy in front of the house. Do you remember?”
“I do, but—”
“Then, the very next morning, Darcy returned to Pemberley without informing anyone—except for a brief letter to Georgiana—and since then, Miss Elizabeth has barely left her room. Do you not see the extent of these coincidences, Mrs Gardiner?”
His hostess looked at the earl in silent disbelief. She needed several moments before she could speak, and the earl sat near her, gently touching her hand.
“Mrs Gardiner, I cannot say how sorry I am that—”
“Lord Matlock, what exactly do you suppose happened? It is difficult to imagine a situation involving Lizzy and Mr Darcy. I was quite surprised that Lizzy danced with Mr Darcy at the ball, and they seemed to be on amicable terms. I never suspected anything except a headache forced her to leave the ball early, and the next day… Oh dear—what do you suspect?”
“I am not sure…not sure at all. But something must have forced them both to behave so strangely. It is hard for me to imagine anything improper regarding my favourite nephew. I always have trusted him as the most honourable of men. I could trust him with my life. His behaviour has always been beyond reproach. I confess I was surprised that he asked Miss Elizabeth to dance, and a couple of days before, he joined Miss Elizabeth and Georgiana in a sleigh ride. I have seen young men lose their minds over a beautiful young woman… Did he harm her in some way, do you think?”
“No, that cannot be. It is not possible. Lizzy would have said something. But what if—? What should we do? What is to be done? I—” Mrs Gardiner started pacing the room, her anxiety increasing. The earl poured himself another brandy.
“I shall send for Darcy. I shall speak to him and force him to tell me the truth. He will do his duty to resolve this situation; you must have no doubt, Mrs Gardiner. I—”
“Lord Matlock, perhaps we are too hasty… We are worrying about a situation that is a complete mystery to us. Did your lordship speak with anyone else about these suspicions?”
“No, I have not. I came here directly.”
“Please be so kind as to allow me to speak with Lizzy before attempting any action regarding Mr Darcy. Would you agree to return later in the afternoon and continue this conversation?”
“As you wish, madam. I trust your judgement more than my own for the time being. If you need my assistance, I should perhaps wait here and—”
“That will not be necessary, sir. I would be grateful if we could discuss this further in a couple of hours.” A moment after the earl left, Mrs Gardiner ran up the stairs; she stopped in front of Elizabeth’s door to regain a composed appearance, then knocked.
Elizabeth was sitting near the window, reading. She looked at her aunt with surprise and forced a smile.
“How are you, Lizzy? Are you feeling better, I hope?”
“Yes, thank you. I felt like reading.”
“Can we hope you will join us for dinner later? Mr Bingley is expected… And Miss Darcy might call later in the afternoon.”
“Mr Bingley is here so often that he is hardly a guest any longer. It is likely he intends to make up for all the dinners he missed.”
“True, but Jane is happy with his company, so I am happy too. It is fortunate that Mr Darcy brought him back to town.”
Elizabeth tensed instantly, and Mrs Gardiner did not miss it.
“Miss Darcy is worried by your indisposition. Is there any reason you are not as anxious to spend time with her as you were before?”
“No, not at all. Miss Darcy’s company is always a joy. It is just that… To be honest, I was amazed that Mr Darcy did not take his sister with him when he left town. I am not sure he would approve of Miss Darcy’s visits to us.”
“Why would he not approve? He never seemed displeased with your friendship with Miss Darcy before. And why would you presume he would take his sister with him when he left?”
“I was just thinking that…” She appeared unable to justify her statement and suddenly turned crimson. Mrs Gardiner took a few steps then turned and stopped in front of her niece.
“Lizzy, we must talk. You must tell me at once what happened between you and Mr Darcy before the earl and I are forced to take extreme measures.”
Elizabeth frowned, staring at her aunt with anxious eyes.
“Aunt, of what measures are you speaking? The earl? What does he have to do with this? And what do you expect me to tell you? There is nothing to tell!”
“Dearest, surely, you cannot say it was a mere coincidence that you became unwell shortly after you danced with Mr Darcy and asked to leave the ball early! Can you convince me that, the next day at the same time you stayed at home alone, Mr Darcy happened to be in the neighbourhood? Then he left town impromptu, and you did not abandon your room for almost a week. You must understand that both the earl and I are concerned for you! If Mr Darcy did something to you, it must be revealed at once and—”
“Aunt, please, please stop this… Please…”
She could no longer fight her tears and threw herself on the bed, sobbing, her face buried in the pillow. Mrs Gardiner, pained and breathless, could do little but caress her hair as her panic increased. Her niece had been gravely hurt while under her protection!
After some time, Elizabeth rose and wiped her eyes; Mrs Gardiner offered her a glass of water mixed with wine, and she took it with trembling hands. “My love, I am so sorry for your pain. I would do anything to—”
“Dearest Aunt, please do not be kind to me. If you only knew how horrible my behaviour has been, you would be ashamed of me. And Miss Darcy never would speak to me again if she knew how abominably I abused her brother. Oh, and the earl… I never would be able to face him again. I beg you; you must promise me you will not tell the earl anything. I—”
“Your behaviour? You abused Mr Darcy? Lizzy, of what are you talking, child?” Mrs Gardiner took a few steps back as if to see her niece better.
The tumult of emotion was too much for Mrs Gardiner, and for a moment she considered that Lord Matlock’s request for early morning brandy might not be unreasonable.
Mrs Gardiner resumed her place on the bed and took Elizabeth’s hands.
“Dearest, let us start from the beginning, and I promise everything we discuss will remain in complete secrecy on my part. You did admit something happened between you and Mr Darcy, did you not? Surely it cannot be as abominable as you say, so please tell me all the details, and we will see what is best to be done.” She attempted to smile, but Elizabeth averted her eyes and remained silent.
“I… We… Mr Darcy and I had a horrible argument that day. Quite horrible…”
“An argument with Mr Darcy? On what possible subject, my dear?” With every word, Mrs Gardiner felt more relieved; the situation seemed far from what she feared.
“The subject is of little importance, Aunt. We spoke, he said some things that upset me, and…I replied in the most offensive manner. It is no wonder he left; I was tempted to do the same as I will not be able to face him ever again!”
“I see…” Mrs Gardiner gently embraced her niece, puzzled and deeply curious but wisely fighting the temptation to force a more detailed confession. Elizabeth began to sob again, her body tense and trembling.
“Lizzy, did Mr Darcy hurt you in some way?”
“Yes he did… He did hurt me very much. He had the arrogance to admit his involvement in separating Jane from Mr Bingley, and he pointed out the faults of our family, and he seemed so insensitive about everything he did to Mr Wickham…”
“Well, well,” Mrs Gardiner whispered in surprise. “Then it is no wonder you replied in the same manner, dearest—”
“Not in the same manner, Aunt, but much, much worse: I accused him of being dishonourable and of having malicious intentions, and I spoke of some horrible things—which should not even be mentioned—and he told me he expected me to distrust his character, but he was surprised by my distrust of my own worthiness, and he was correct that—”
“My love, you are surely too harsh on yourself. I understand you regret everything you said to him, but it is not so horrid; I am sure he has regrets too. He is a most honourable gentleman, after all. I am sure there will be many opportunities for you to make amends and overcome this delicate situation.”
“The manner of his address was dreadful—but I still feel deeply sorry for my words, and I would like to apologise, but I am sure he will never speak to me again.”
In the agitation of her turmoil, Elizabeth was not aware how much of her secret she revealed.
Every word brought Mrs Gardiner closer to the truth though Elizabeth refused to disclose the ‘subject of her argument with Mr Darcy.’ The revelation shocked Mrs Gardiner exceedingly; she never would have suspected such a circumstance, considering the history between the two.
She knew she would have to think calmly and patiently about the situation, but for the moment, she needed to calm her niece’s troubled heart.
“Lizzy… What should I do with you, my love?” Mrs Gardiner smiled and embraced her again.
“I am glad we finally talked, and I confess I am relieved that things are not as bad as I feared. I am sure we will find a way to settle the entire situation better than you hope at the moment. You must trust me in this, will you?”
“I am glad we talked, too, Aunt, and yes, I do trust you. But I beg you; do not ask me for other details of my discussion with Mr Darcy because I cannot say more. And I trust you will keep my secret in the strictest confidence.”