Chapter 25 #2
“I do. It is a pleasure to meet you all again. I am honoured to be here, Mrs Darcy.”
“And it is a pleasure to see you too. Unfortunately, Mr Darcy had a prior engagement that could not be postponed, but he hopes to complete it in time to welcome you here himself.”
“I do not wish to impose on Mr Darcy’s plans. I am sure there will be other opportunities to meet again in the future. I just wished to introduce myself today, properly.”
A few minutes and several words were enough to reveal his amiable nature and pleasant manners, as well as his kind smile that Elizabeth warmed to exceedingly. She had barely time to offer refreshments before her father began his enquiries.
“Mr Crawford, I heard you have just returned to England?”
“Yes, sir. I was in India for many years. Both my parents died there, and as I was an only child, there was no reason for me to remain. I could not think of a better place to be than my parents’ native land.”
“Very wise, indeed. May I ask whether you have any family here?”
“Actually, I do. I have a few cousins from my father’s side. From my mother’s, only Mrs Darcy, for whom I have searched for a long time. That is why I was so overjoyed and impatient to finally make her acquaintance.”
“The feeling is mutual, Mr Crawford. My uncle, Mr Gardiner, told me I might have a distant cousin, and he made efforts to find you, but they all failed. I cannot tell you how happy I was when I found out about you.”
“You were hard to find since you and your family lived so far away for so many years,” Mr Bennet interjected. “May I ask where you live now? Do you have any property left here?”
“I inherited a small estate in Oxfordshire and one in Surrey, but they are both in ruins. My father was an indifferent landlord, and they have been poorly managed for over twenty years.”
“I see,” Elizabeth said. “May I ask, what do you plan to do with them? Will you sell them or keep them?”
“I intend to settle down in England, so I shall certainly keep them. I am in search of solicitors, stewards, servants, and tenants for each of them, but it is a daunting task for someone like me who knows nothing about estate management. I also own a house in London, but it needs extensive repairs. Till then, I have rented a house on Grosvenor Street. I am afraid that my parents were quite disinterested in their properties in England, preferring their simpler but rewarding life in India. I have barely begun to understand what being a landed gentleman involves.”
“I am thinking about purchasing an estate soon,” Mr Bingley declared. “Darcy has promised to help me with it. There are very few men more knowledgeable in the matter of estates and the duties and responsibilities of a landlord than Darcy in the whole of England.”
“How fortunate for you to have such a friend,” Mr Crawford replied.
“My husband may help you, too, with estate matters, if you wish for his counsel,” Elizabeth offered.
“It is universally acknowledged that he is the best master and the best landlord,” she said with a smile.
“Also, my uncle, Mr Gardiner, would be able to recommend knowledgeable and trustworthy solicitors and men of business.”
“I would be grateful for such help, but as I said, I do not want to bother either of them.”
“It will be no bother and no trouble if you are Mrs Darcy’s cousin. In that case, you are family,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said, his insinuation obvious to everyone.
Elizabeth glared at the colonel, but surprisingly, Mr Crawford smiled.
“Colonel, I am well aware that none of you will take my word alone. No wise gentleman would believe a man who proclaims to be family without seeking proof to support such an assertion. I am here to present Mr and Mrs Darcy with all my papers and to provide them with the evidence I have. Since you are a colonel in the army, it would be easy for you to find details about my father’s service and about me. ”
“I like a determined, honest man who speaks his mind and his heart,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said. “And I assure you Darcy will share the same feelings.”
“Then I have every hope of being on good terms with Mr Darcy — and with you, Colonel,” Mr Crawford concluded.
As concerned as she had been, Elizabeth found herself relieved by the turn of the conversation.
The colonel’s presence had proved to be useful in clarifying the situation right from the beginning.
Her opinion of Mr Crawford had been good from the first moment, but it improved after his open discussion with the colonel.
Their conversation continued in a good-natured way, with Elizabeth’s involvement but little further addition from Mr Bennet, Mr Bingley, or Jane.
Once the awkwardness had dissipated somewhat, and everybody appeared more at ease with each other, Mr Darcy made a sudden, startling appearance.
Elizabeth was so surprised that she held her breath; her heart skipped a beat, then began to race. He looked pale and tired, with dark circles around his eyes, and was wearing a deep frown on his countenance — all signs of severe distress.
“Ladies, gentlemen! I apologise for not being at home to welcome you, but I had to attend to a pressing matter. Mr Crawford, I am glad I was fortunate enough to find you here.”
“Mr Darcy, I thank you for the honour of receiving me. And for taking the trouble to meet me. I hope you did not rush your meeting for my sake.”
Their host sat in a chair, from which he could see the others, but his eyes lingered upon Elizabeth.
“It is my pleasure to meet my wife’s cousin. I hope you have enjoyed your visit so far?” he asked, filling himself a glass of brandy after offering drinks to the gentlemen.
“Actually, we have,” the colonel replied. “Mr Crawford has told Mrs Darcy quite a bit about his life abroad and his plans to stay in London.”
“I thank you all for my warm reception,” Mr Crawford said.
“Mr Darcy, I have told the colonel that I completely understand your doubts in regard to my identity and your wish for credible evidence before trusting my word. I have brought you all my papers so you can study them at your leisure. I have nothing to hide from you. Quite the opposite.”
“Your openness is much appreciated, Mr Crawford. As you probably assumed, I have already begun the quest for proof regarding your connection to Elizabeth. I mean no offence, but I would not allow a stranger to strike up an acquaintance with my wife without knowing his true identity and intentions.”
“I expect nothing less from you, Mr Darcy. I would have been disappointed if my cousin’s husband showed less care for her.”
Darcy inclined his head towards the guest. “I am glad we understand each other so well, Mr Crawford. Pressing business occupies all my attention for now, but, if you do not mind, I would suggest we meet again in a few days’ time.
We may have a friendly family encounter in the presence of Mr Gardiner and Mr Bennet, if he would care to extend his stay further, where we may look over your papers and clarify other details. Would that be convenient to you?”
“Perfectly,” Mr Crawford replied.
“Good. Now let us enjoy another drink. When did you return to London? It must have been a long and daunting journey across the world.”
“Very much so. I must admit I could not spend my life serving in the navy or travelling by ship regularly,” the guest confessed in all honesty.
The conversation continued in a friendly manner; they spoke of travelling, the weather, and the entertainments in London.
Elizabeth paid little attention to it as she struggled to read her husband’s expression.
His conversation with Mr Crawford had gone reasonably well, just as one could expect from a first meeting between new acquaintances.
She was relieved — and just a bit proud — of her cousin’s openness and his willingness to prove himself even before he was asked to.
But to all this she paid almost no mind. What troubled Elizabeth more and what she was trying to discern from his demeanour was how her husband’s other encounter had ended, where his sister was, and why he had left the house so early in the morning.
“I should take my leave now,” Mr Crawford declared after some time. “I wish to thank you again for your warm reception. Mrs Darcy, I cannot express my joy at being able to meet you and talk to you. Mr Darcy, I shall await your suggestion for a future meeting, as soon as your business allows it.”
“We were delighted to have you, Mr Crawford,” Mr Darcy responded. “I am confident we shall all meet again and often.”
“Likewise. Mr Bennet, if you return to Longbourn, please convey my best wishes to Mrs Bennet and your younger daughters.”
“I shall,” Mr Bennet answered in a low voice.
The guest finally left, but before Elizabeth had time to ask anything, her husband said, “Please forgive me. I need a moment in the library to discuss something with my wife and my cousin. Bingley, I leave you in the good hands of Mr and Miss Bennet.”
The other three nodded, then Darcy took Elizabeth’s arm and directed her out of the room, followed by a puzzled colonel. He conducted them to the library and closed the heavy wooden door before he spoke.
“I have brought Georgiana home. We entered through the back door to ensure her privacy.”
“Oh dear!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Where is she? How is she?”
“She is in her room with Mrs Green and a maid. She is unwell and needs rest.”
“It is good your plan worked and she is home safely,” the colonel said. “And Wickham? Did he allow her to leave? The scoundrel was so happy to finally receive what he always wanted that he did not care about anything else, I presume.”
Darcy for paused a moment; he looked at Elizabeth and gently touched her arm before responding, “Wickham is dead. That is why I left the house before dawn.”