Chapter 5. Mr Darcy Visits Grace Church Street
The next day began better for Elizabeth with sewing and assisting her cousins with their lessons.
After the usual hours for callers, Elizabeth and her aunt were alone in the parlour attempting to get through the mending basket when the footman appeared at the door and announced, “Mrs Gardiner, a Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy has called, and he asks to speak with Mr Gardiner.”
“Show him in Graves,” Aunt Gardiner replied though she was anxious and kept her sewing in her hands rather than returning it to the basket.
Elizabeth quickly secured her needle in the shirt she was repairing and took her aunt’s sewing from her hands as the tall man from the day before walked into the parlour.
His presence filled the room as Elizabeth placed her aunt’s sewing on top of the basket and then moved it to a nearby table.
Turning around, she saw the tall, proud man bow appropriately to a lady in her home. “Good afternoon, madam, Fitzwilliam Darcy at your service and I am seeking Mr Edward Gardiner.”
“I am pleased to meet you, sir. I am Mrs Gardiner, and my husband is attending to his business at this time of day. May I give you the direction to his offices?”
The dark-haired man’s face reflected his discomfort with the situation. Upset with the gentleman again, Elizabeth spoke up, “Aunt, allow the footman to attend me and I shall escort the gentleman to Uncle Edward’s warehouses.”
“Nonsense, Elizabeth. Mr Darcy, you will find my husband...”
“I am here my dear,” Mr Gardiner said coming through the parlour door. “Graves sent a boy to the office as soon as he saw the carriage at our door, and I returned home post haste to speak with our visitor.”
Turning to Mr Darcy, Uncle Gardiner’s face was calm, and Elizabeth wondered at his countenance. She glanced at her aunt who appeared calm as well though when she finally looked at Mr Darcy, she saw his features were frozen and stern.
“How can I be of assistance Mr Darcy?” her uncle asked, and Elizabeth noted that her aunt and uncle had remained standing at the door and had not invited the man further into the room or to have a seat. The call was unlike any social call she had witnessed before.
“My sister finally told me all of her story last evening and I wanted to call to express my appreciation for your kindness to her in the park and for bringing her home.”
After hearing Mr Darcy’s statement, Mr and Mrs Gardiner relaxed and Mrs Gardiner said, “Will you sit and tell us how your sister fares today?”
“Thank you, Mrs Gardiner,” Mr Darcy replied. As Mr Gardiner motioned for their guest to enter the parlour, Mrs Gardiner spoke to Elizabeth.
“My dear, please go to the kitchen and ask cook to prepare a tea tray and then return to the parlour,”
“Yes Aunt.”
After finding the cook to order a tea tray prepared, Elizabeth hurried back to the parlour and took a seat beside her aunt on a sofa as her uncle was saying, “...it was my niece who found your sister and brought her to us. My wife and I were walking with our children for some sunshine when Lizzy–Elizabeth–came to us with Miss Darcy.”
Darcy turned to the young woman and bowed his head slightly, “My sister spoke kindly of you Miss...”
“Elizabeth Bennet,” she replied.
“Miss Bennet,” Darcy continued. “Would you be so kind as to relate to me all that my sister told you?”
Glancing at her aunt and uncle for their approvals, Elizabeth explained. “I received distressing news from home and needed a few moments alone to compose myself. My aunt and uncle allowed me to take the path around the fountain alone to sort my thoughts.”
“My niece was within my sight at all times, Mr Darcy,” Mr Gardiner explained. “The path is clear, and my wife watched our children while Elizabeth walked around the fountain three times.”
“Did I uncle?” Elizabeth asked without feigning surprise.
He smiled. “You were in a determined frame of mind yesterday my dear.”
Turning back to Mr Darcy, Elizabeth continued, “I came upon your sister sitting on a bench and crying. I gave her my handkerchief to dry her eyes, and we talked as I offered comfort. She was quite distressed but calmed after I talked with her. Once I determined that she was not injured but needed to return home, I brought her to my uncle.”
Mr Gardiner took over the story at that point.
“Our home was only a short distance from the park, so my wife and children returned with our footman, while my niece and I escorted your sister to your home in a hired cab. I would have used my own carriage, but we had walked to the park, and I knew it would take a considerable while to summon my carriage.”
“Miss Darcy said that her companion deserted her in the park and left with a young man,” Elizabeth said.
Darcy shook his head. “Mrs Young came to us with good references, but I fear they were forgeries–a young woman came to the kitchens this morning asking the housekeeper for Mrs Young’s belongings.
I understand the maids packed her clothing and found several household items that she had secreted in her room.
I can only suppose she meant to remove them from the household gradually and sell them.
I do not know of a gentleman she was in company with at any time. ”
“Miss Darcy told my niece that the young man was known to her. She named him as George Wickham,” Mrs Gardiner explained.
“Are you associated with George Wickham?” asked Mr Gardiner. “Is this man known to you?”
Mr Darcy was pale but managed to continue the conversation. “I am ashamed to say that he is known to me, but Georgiana did not mention his name to me yesterday or this morning.”
“My wife has a serious charge against this man.”
Darcy glanced at Elizabeth, wondering if it were appropriate to discuss Wickham with the young woman in the room. But she merely arched an eyebrow and pressed her lips together, sparks flying in her eyes.
“I am young sir, but my aunt’s distress has made me resolute to hear your story.”
“Very well,” Mr Darcy replied. “George Wickham is the son of the man who for many years was steward of my family estate in Derbyshire. My father was fond of George, paid for him to have an excellent education but the son is dissolute and wasted the education. After my father’s death, George and I have not kept company.
Until this minute, I have not thought of him in more than three years. ”
“It is disconcerting that he should reappear to say the least, and in connection with my sister’s companion disturbs me greatly,” Darcy confessed. He turned to Mrs Gardiner and asked, “What is your connection to Mr Wickham?”
“I have no connection, only pain and hurt from this man.” Mrs Gardiner explained, “I was born and grew up in Lambton and ten years past, just after I was married, Wickham courted my sister and promised her marriage but then vanished. When she found she was increasing, our father went to your father for help, but Mr Darcy refused to believe that Mr Wickham would do such a thing. As a result, my father banished my sister from his house, and she vanished.”
“Who is your father, Mrs Gardiner?”
“He was Martin Fieldstone,” Aunt Gardiner replied. “He died that next winter, shortly after my mother.”
Darcy nodded his head, “Your father was an excellent milliner. The whole of Lambton grieved the loss of your family. I was involved with management of Pemberley even at that time and the housekeeper at Pemberley brought your sister’s plight to my attention.
My father never believed any ill of George Wickham, but I knew of his dissolute ways.
I quietly arranged for a farmer from a Darcy estate in Derby to take your sister as his wife.
I gave the farmer fifty pounds as her dowry–it was all that I had at the time.
But on my last visit to Derby, I saw her; she is well married and has three children. ”
Overcome with emotion, Mrs Gardiner excused herself and Elizabeth helped her aunt to leave the room while Mr Gardiner spoke to Mr Darcy.
After helping her aunt to lie down for a time, Elizabeth came back below stairs and approached Mr Darcy at the door where her uncle was seeing him out.
“Mr Darcy, excuse me sir,” she said.
“Yes, Miss Bennet.”
“Thank you for sharing your story with my aunt. Would it be possible for us to have her direction–her husband’s direction? My aunt would be able to correspond with her sister if you would be so kind as to provide us with that information.”
Staring at the young woman for a moment, the blue eyes soften just a bit when he replied, “I shall be glad to give that information to your aunt tomorrow when I bring my sister for tea to thank you and your aunt and uncle.”
“Thank you, sir,” Elizabeth said as she curtseyed. The gentleman bowed and took his leave from the house and the uncle and niece watched him climb into his fine carriage and leave Grace Church Street.
“I shall speak with your aunt before returning to my office,” Uncle Gardiner said.
“I shall watch the children this afternoon and allow her to rest,” Elizabeth assured her uncle.
~~}{~~
The next afternoon, Mrs Gardiner’s cook prepared an excellent tea and when Mr Darcy and Miss Darcy arrived at Grace Church Street, they met all the family for a few minutes before Nanny took the three children above stairs for their tea.
“Our eldest Edward asked about the young lady Elizabeth rescued in the park,” Mrs Gardiner explained. “He has been most attentive to his lessons, so his reward is to meet you again Miss Darcy.”
“He was a very polite young man,” Mr Darcy replied for his sister, who kept her head lowered.
Mrs Gardiner smiled kindly. “Thank you for the direction to write to my sister, Mr Darcy. What can you tell me about her situation?”
“Mr Whitley is a successful farmer. I believe he will strike out on his own with a nearby farm that will be for sale in the near future. He and I are discussing terms to allow him to keep the tenant farm for two years while he works and clears fields on his own land.”
“How can he afford the labour for both?” Elizabeth asked.
When Mr Darcy looked surprised at the young lady’s question, she explained, “I have been very involved with my father’s estate for several years.
I understand the labourers who must be hired for the different seasons of planting, harvesting and ploughing the fields. ”
The gentleman inclined his head slightly, “I shall allow Mr Whitley to use some of the labourers hired for work on my farms to help prepare his fields and repair his fences. He will share the profits of his crops the first two years with me, and I shall have a friend among the yeomen farmers of Derby when he strikes out on his own.”
Elizabeth turned her attention to the sister now. “How are you, Miss Darcy?”
“I am well, thank you Miss Bennet.”
“Have you recovered from your adventure?”
Looking up now, the shy girl asked, “What adventure? I was too scared for it to have been an adventure.”
“I understand,” Elizabeth said, reaching over to squeeze the girl’s hand briefly. “But I do not dwell on past missteps and ill-fortune.”
Now she smiled at her aunt and uncle, before continuing, “I look for sunshine and forge ahead.”
Mr Darcy was considering the young woman’s words and staring intently at her when Mr Gardiner asked him about the past summer in Derbyshire.
“I believe the flocks at Pemberley have increased this summer and we have ample fodder stored for the coming winter. I expect an increase in wool next spring.”
Elizabeth kept her attentions with Miss Darcy though she occasionally listened to snippets of the conversation between the two men.
The brother and sister both enjoyed the short bread prepared by the Gardiner’s cook and when the last biscuit was consumed and tea drunk, the time for the social call was at an end.
Mr Darcy attempted to catch his sister’s eye, but Georgiana was too shy to look about the room to see he wanted to prompt her.
Finally, he cleared his throat and issued the invitation himself, “Mr and Mrs Gardiner, if you have no plans, my sister and I would like to invite you and Miss Bennet to supper tomorrow night.”
“Thank you,” Mr Gardiner replied after glancing at his wife and seeing her nod. “We have no other engagements.”
“Very good, then. Shall we say seven o’clock?”
~~}{~~