Chapter 2.13 #3
“Lord Buxton, I am sorry if I left you with the impression that this matter might be a subject for debate. It is not. As the mistress of this house and the one who has offered Maud shelter and care, my decision is made, and it will suffer no alteration. I understand your concern, and I applaud it; therefore, William will keep you informed about Maud’s improvement.
Also, as soon as she regains her strength, I shall let her know of your visit.
From that point on, my involvement will end.
Until then, I am asking you to change the conversation toward the weather.
It would also be my pleasure to offer you some refreshments since obviously neither of us has had breakfast.”
The viscount and the earl listened to her in silence, eyes widened in disbelief.
Her tone, her straight shoulders, her chin daringly pushed forward, and her eyes casting sharp arrows left no doubt about the strength of Mrs Darcy’s character.
Neither found anything to reply to a speech that allowed no contradiction.
They exchanged several glances then bowed to her briefly, bade her farewell, and prepared to leave while repeating that they would return when Darcy was home.
To their mutual surprise, the door opened, and the master himself entered, his presence bringing relief to everyone.
Darcy needed only a moment to notice the tension in the room: his wife’s troubled expression, his uncle’s embarrassment, and his cousin’s barely concealed anger.
He took Elizabeth’s hands and kissed them, asking how she was feeling.
She assured him she was fine then excused herself and declared she must talk to Georgiana.
There were many unsaid words between them and many questions, but both felt it was not the time for them.
Darcy followed her with his eyes, tempted to go after her but forcing himself to remain and settle things with his relatives.
Once alone, Darcy closed the door and turned to his cousin.
“What a strange coincidence to find you here, Thomas. I planned to call on you first thing in the morning, to clarify another coincidence, but I was told you were already out. I also checked at uncle’s house, but you were not there either—only to find you both here.”
The earl nodded. “It seems we all were of the same mind—to talk together and find a solution to the mess Thomas has produced. This has never happened before in our family. I cannot believe that one of my sons has been such a weak fool. It is no wonder my wife was so angry. I have not seen her in such a state of distress for more than thirty years.”
“Offending me will not solve anything, Father. We are all men and know how the world works. I never would have imagined that Maud was in your house, Darcy. When my mother told me yesterday, I immediately decided to come and see her. I have been a fool to let this grow to such proportions. Now I know what I must do.”
Darcy stared at his cousin, astonished to see his apparent calm.
He found it difficult to believe that the person responsible for these tragic events—the one he had despised and blamed since they found Maud in the park—was part of his close family, a man he had considered his friend for a lifetime.
The night before, he was struggling with suspicions, and now each of them had turned into a most disturbing certainty.
He paused a moment then breathed deeply. “For heaven’s sake, Thomas, I expected to carry out such a conversation with Wickham, not with you. Have you lost your mind?”
“I asked him the same,” the earl intervened.
“This situation is very unpleasant, and we must solve it somehow. I completely disapprove of Thomas’s behaviour, but on one point, he is correct.
Let us not be hypocritical. Most of the gentlemen of our acquaintance are in similar situations.
I believe it is precisely the fact that Thomas is not accustomed to such circumstances that he did not know to handle them in a better and more discreet way.
A careful resolution is needed as we must avoid making our family the laughingstock of the ton. ”
Darcy brushed his fingers through his hair. “I agree. Let us talk calmly. First, I want to know what you told my wife.”
“We did not need to say much. She understood the truth the moment Thomas asked to see that woman.”
Darcy was displeased and grew impatient. “My wife seemed troubled and upset. She must have had a reason for that.”
Thomas agreed. “We had a rather serious argument. To be honest, I find Mrs Darcy to be unreasonable and stubborn. I wished only to talk to Maud. I have already arranged to move her to a very comfortable house five miles outside London. She will have all the care she needs to recover. Your wife, however, refused to indulge me or hear any argument. I say, Darcy, you must take measures; she cannot impose her will on a matter she clearly does not understand. A woman cannot command a man.”
The viscount spoke more and more animatedly with no restraint in showing his discontent, and he paid little attention to Darcy, whose countenance expressed his displeasure.
The master of the house rose from the chair and thundered to his cousin. “Thomas, I am afraid I did not hear you correctly; I was under the impression that you just offended my wife and that you just offered me advice regarding my marriage. Surely, I must have misunderstood you.”
The viscount looked disconcerted. “Yes, well…I was just mentioning…I know your wife is not accustomed to the particulars of life among the ton. I was surprised that she answered my request so unreasonably. And you must believe that I am not a scoundrel. I treated Maud very well before she left, and I intend to take responsibility for her from now on. I shall provide her all the comfort she deserves.”
“You surely know your Uncle Lewis de Bourgh did the same,” the earl intervened calmly, but Darcy’s face turned even darker, and he took one step toward his cousin, his voice so deep and powerful that it almost struck the other gentleman.
“You may not be a scoundrel, but you are a fool if you dare say another word against my wife! How dare you! You should thank her and apologise for all the distress you caused her! You find her to be unreasonable? Truly? And you pretend she cannot command a man in her own house? You want me to take measures against my wife, whose behaviour and character are beyond reproach? Did you take measures against yours?”
Both guests watched him in disbelief, astounded by a fury they had never seen before in Darcy. The viscount attempted to answer, but his father grabbed his arm to stop him, and he addressed Darcy politely.
“Nephew, we apologise for our behaviour, and you must believe that we are grateful to Mrs Darcy for her gracious involvement. Thomas has spoken much nonsense since we arrived. I can only give him the benefit of being worried. Would you not allow him to see the young woman? I understand Mrs Darcy meant well, but perhaps you would indulge your cousin.”
Darcy breathed deeply several times, paced the room, poured himself a glass of brandy, and emptied it in one gulp. Only then did he return to face his relatives.
“Uncle, Elizabeth is never unfair or ungenerous. If there were a proper way of allowing Thomas to see Maud, she would have found it. But she has been unconscious since yesterday, and she might not recover. I have witnessed what she went through for only a few moments, but Elizabeth was by her side most of the time. So much blood, so much suffering…all I could do was to ask for the vicar’s approval to bury the child in the churchyard.
If you trouble her now, it might take her life away.
Besides, just imagine the other servants’ reactions: How will you justify visiting her?
What are you to her? They already know or guess the truth behind her situation, but they do not know the names of the persons involved.
Do you wish to expose yourself to that? This might cause her to be subject to fresh gossip since she tried so hard to keep the secret.
You will have to wait and see how things progress. ”
His arguments accomplished their purpose, and the others could slowly see the correctness of his reasoning.
Not much was said, only awkward silence and embarrassed glances.
When they were about to leave, Elizabeth unexpectedly entered.
She stepped hesitantly, and her husband hurried to take her hand.
She smiled at him, and their hands entwined, then she turned to Lord Buxton and spoke kindly.
“Sir, if you wish to see Maud for a moment, I might make it possible. Perhaps I have been too harsh. I can only imagine how hard it might be to fear for the life of someone dear to you. Despite the wrongs of the past, feelings cannot be repressed.”
The viscount paled while the earl glanced at her with surprise and an interest newly found.
“I…it is very generous of you, Mrs Darcy, but I have decided it would be better to wait. Please accept my deepest apologies for disturbing you.”
The two gentlemen bowed to Elizabeth and left the library.
Darcy silently put his arms around his wife and pulled her close to his chest, wanting to take her sadness upon himself and wrap her in all the love he held for her.
∞∞∞
At the Matlocks’ residence, the earl diligently related to his wife the meeting with the Darcys. She addressed specific questions, asked for more details, and demanded explanations.
In the end, Lady Matlock took some time to think and analyze everything she was told then addressed her husband with great solemnity.
“Lord Matlock, Mrs Elizabeth Darcy just proved to you and your son what superiority of character truly means, and your nephew showed you the face of love and devotion. You should be grateful and humble for this lesson and learn from it.”