Chapter 34 #2
“No, Uncle Gardiner explained it very clearly one day when I was, I think, fifteen. There was an amount of fifty pounds per month that could be used for family expenses — it was stipulated that it should be used for my education, proper masters, and appropriate garments, but it was easy for my stepmother to get her hands on it as it was difficult to control. I suppose she has spent the full amount every month for the last ten years.”
“The total is significant, a small fortune over the years! You supported five other people with your money?” he asked.
“Not quite. I only covered those particular expenses incurred by Mama that exceeded Papa’s income.
The estate paid for general expenses. But yes, the total amount was not insignificant.
Luckily, she — or Papa — could not touch the capital, or else it would be long gone.
And I have already mentioned how nobody in my family — except for Papa and the Gardiners — knows the true amount of my fortune.
Mama knows there was a total of fifteen thousand pounds, paid in two settlements, ten thousand when I turned eighteen and another five when I turn twenty-one, which will be in a few months.
She did not know about the larger sum, which was to come to me upon my marriage or my thirtieth birthday. ”
“I did not know things were so painful and complicated. I am very sorry for all your distress,” he repeated.
“However, I must applaud whoever made that settlement for your mother’s money!
It is a perfect example of how to protect a woman and her children’s security, regardless of what might happen when she marries.
I wish there had been a similar strict arrangement on my mother’s fortune, so my father could not have wasted so much of it in his dealings with Wickham. ”
“Is it not strange that money seems to have caused more distress than comfort to both of us? Oh, but look at the time! How silly of me to waste so much with my silly stories — particularly today! I shall leave you now.”
She stood, tugging a little to free herself, but his warm hands still imprisoned hers.
“I am glad we had this time together, Elizabeth. And I am honoured and grateful that you trust me enough to share your sad memories with me. I pray I can offer you a pleasant enough present and future so you can forget the past.”
She gave him a warm smile. “I have never shared so many memories with anyone, not even the Gardiners. They found out everything eventually, but not from me.”
“Thank you for confiding in me, Elizabeth.”
“Thank you for listening, Fitzwilliam.”
With another smile, and a brief hesitation, he let go of her fingers and she hurried out, leaving Darcy pensive and unsettled, wishing he could have done more to soothe her distressing glimpse into the past. She seemed so strong, so calm and poised, so confident, yet there was so much grief in her heart.
And her hesitation…did she want to maybe kiss him again?
The recollection that he had called her ‘my love’ niggled at him, but the more he thought of it, the more he became persuaded that it was the perfect way to address her.
It came naturally to him, without premeditation.
She was indeed the only woman for whom he had ever felt such strong, profound, stirring feelings that made him forget himself.
He had never experienced it before, but it must be love. What else?
Darcy spent the next few hours in his library, working, then went to change for dinner.
After Elizabeth’s confession, he awaited the party with little pleasure.
However, regardless of his opinion, he had to welcome Elizabeth’s family — including her stepmother — with due consideration, unless Elizabeth asked him otherwise.
He knocked on Elizabeth’s door, but there was nobody there. A maid informed him that the mistress and Miss Bennet had already changed for dinner and were attending to the last details for the party, so Darcy returned to the library.
While waiting to be informed about the arrival of the guests, the butler came to announce a visitor for him: Mr Ross.
“Mr Darcy, forgive me for intruding, but I have some news I thought you would wish to hear immediately.”
“Of course, please come in. May I offer you a drink?”
“No, thank you. I shall only be a moment. I have been told you expect company, and I do not want to take up too much of your time. I have been following the woman, Mrs Younge, for the last few days as you asked, and I have discovered that she might own or at least has the use of another residence, a small cottage. I secretly enquired of a maid who works in the house, and I discovered she rents out a few rooms in the house. George Wickham stayed there a few weeks ago, as well as at his lodgings in Wilson Street, before he rented that house for his wife. He might still have some belongings there which could be of interest to you. Here is the address.”
“Thank you. Please continue to watch her, and you will be paid accordingly for your services. I shall meet you tomorrow and will then decide how to proceed further.”
“It is not for me to say, but since Wickham is dead and has no other heirs or family, his wife must be the lawful owner of all his things.”
“Yes, I believe so too. Good evening, Mr Ross.”
The man left the library, and Darcy accompanied him to the entrance hall. Just then, the front door opened, and a burst of shrill voices suddenly shook the entire house. Unconsciously, Darcy took a few steps back.
“My dear Mr Darcy, it must be you! What a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance! Oh dear, you are just as handsome as your house! And rich! What a splendid home! And look how big it is! And right here, on Park Lane! Nobody in Meryton could boast of knowing anyone who lives on Park Lane — it must be a house fit for an earl! You must have earls and viscounts for neighbours! Or maybe even dukes! How grand you are! Lydia, Kitty, come in! Did I not tell you? You did not believe me when I said your sister was the most fortunate woman in Hertfordshire!”
Mr Ross had slipped out in the commotion, and Darcy glanced about in bewilderment, seeing the Gardiners and Mr Bennet had arrived too. He was grateful that Elizabeth appeared just then to stop the woman’s endless flow, followed closely by her eldest sister.
“Mama, welcome. Let me perform the introductions. Please enter. You must all be quite cold and, I hope, hungry. Come this way and warm yourselves. Dinner will be served shortly, but first let the servants help you with your cloaks and bonnets.”
Elizabeth kept her voice steady while maids took the guests’ clothes.
“My dear Mr Darcy, let me greet you again — more formally!” Mrs Bennet cried.
“Indeed, we are hungry but mostly cold. We came in two carriages, Edward’s and ours, which is small, uncomfortable, and freezing.
No comfort and no warmth at all. Oh, what a wonderful house you have!
So large and elegant! This is more than I expected! ”
“We are very pleased to have you here,” Darcy finally managed to answer, mostly to stop the stream of exclamations and the loud, ingratiating voice of his…Elizabeth’s stepmother. “Allow me to escort you to the drawing room.”
“Yes, yes, thank you! And afterwards, you may give us a tour of the house!”
“As you wish, madam,” Darcy said formally, glancing at his wife, who looked mortified.
“Since we must wait for the other guests, perhaps the gentlemen would like to have a drink while I show Mama and my sisters the house,” Elizabeth offered. “This way we could employ our time better.”
“I shall join you,” Mrs Gardiner interjected, while Darcy invited Mr Bennet and Mr Gardiner to the library.
“Upon my word, Lizzy, I cannot believe you had such good luck!” Darcy heard Mrs Bennet say as they walked away.
“You are not beautiful, nor do you possess a sweet nature like Jane, nor such liveliness as my Lydia and Kitty, and yet you received all the good luck in the family. It was not enough that you had such a large fortune, more than all the other girls in Meryton together, and you do not want to share it with your sisters. Now you have found yourself a handsome and rich husband. You should at least teach your sisters what arts and allurements you used to secure yourself such a man! And make sure to throw them in the path of other rich men by inviting them to stay with you, like you did with Jane. You owe them and me as much.”
Darcy held his breath, outraged, fighting his growing anger.
He looked towards his companions to see whether Mr Gardiner and Mr Bennet had both heard as much as he had, but their expressions were unreadable.
The ladies moved farther away, with Mrs Bennet still the only one talking until even her voice was lost to him.
He was uncertain whether to follow his wife, defend her, and put that shameless woman in her place, or attend to his companions. The decision was taken from him as Colonel Fitzwilliam and Thomas Crawford arrived, and he had to perform his duties as a host.
The evening had just begun, and Darcy’s patience was already wearing thin.