Chapter 11
"?Cómo te fue con Mateo?" the elegantly dressed lady asked her servant.
**How did it go with Mateo?
"Le entregué el mensaje, mi senora, pero no me respondió,” the servant replied.
**I delivered the message to him, my lady, but he gave me no reply."
"Quiero que manana, a primera hora, vuelvas a verlo. Dile que si no tengo noticias suyas en dos días, iré yo misma a buscarlo. Ahora ve a ver si mi esposo sigue dormido."
**I want you to see him again first thing tomorrow morning. Tell him that if I have not heard from him within two days, I shall go to him myself. Now go and see whether my husband is still asleep.
"Sí, mi senora."
**Yes, my Lady
The servant bowed and left his mistress alone.
"Mateo, no voy a permitir que sigas huyendo de tus responsabilidades. No podrás escapar para siempre."
**Mateo, I will not allow you to keep running from your responsibilities. You cannot run away forever.
◆◆◆
General Marcus Sinclair employed every resource at his disposal to locate Edward Gardiner. After several days of discreet enquiries, he finally obtained the address of Mr Gardiner's warehouse.
"Mr Gardiner, General Sinclair wishes to see you," announced Mr Gardiner's secretary.
Edward was surprised by the unexpected visitor, but instructed Mr William to show the General in.
The moment Marcus entered the office, Edward began to suspect the purpose of his visit.
"Thank you for receiving me, Mr Gardiner. I am General Marcus Sinclair. I have taken the liberty of calling upon you because there is a matter of some importance that I wish to discuss with you."
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, General. Pray, be seated, and tell me how I may be of assistance."
After taking his seat, Marcus came directly to the point.
"Mr Gardiner, my late brother was an old friend of the Bennet family in Hertfordshire.
A few days ago, I happened to meet Miss Elizabeth Bennet in the park.
Seeing her reminded me of my brother's connection with the family, and I should very much like to renew that acquaintance.
I merely wish to learn how the family fares and whether there is any way in which I might be of assistance. "
Marcus had no intention of revealing the truth.
He had no idea how much Mr Gardiner knew about his history with Eleanor.
If he knew everything that had happened, he would scarcely welcome Marcus anywhere near his niece.
He had behaved shamefully towards Ella, and no sensible uncle would willingly introduce such a man into the life of a young lady like Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
Edward, meanwhile, regarded the general with equal suspicion.
Elizabeth bore an undeniable resemblance to the gentleman before him.
He no longer doubted that Marcus was connected to his niece in some way.
Yet he also knew that Eleanor was now an exceedingly wealthy woman, and he could not dismiss the possibility that the general's sudden interest had less honourable motives.
Choosing his words with great care, he replied, “Elizabeth is presently staying with Mr Bennet's cousin. I expect to see her later today, and I shall certainly inform her that you enquired after her. I can assure you, however, that all is well at Longbourn."
"I understand," Marcus replied. "Would you be so kind as to ask Miss Elizabeth whether she would permit me to call upon her at her cousin's house? Should she be willing to receive me, I would be grateful if you would send word to this address."
He handed Mr Gardiner his calling card.
The two gentlemen spent a few more minutes speaking of Meryton and Longbourn before Marcus took his leave.
Marcus sincerely hoped that Mr Gardiner would help him get in touch with Elizabeth so that he might have the opportunity to speak with her. He wished to learn more about her circumstances, but above all, to dispel the doubts awakened by Claire's innocent remark about Elizabeth's remarkable eyes.
Mr Gardiner had never met Marcus in his youth, for he had been away at school when Marcus's regiment was stationed in Meryton. He learned of the tragedy that had befallen his childhood friend only afterwards and, like everyone else, believed that she had perished in that dreadful accident.
Edward remained so uneasy after the General's departure that he found himself unable to return to work. Instead, he went straight home.
The moment he arrived, Mrs Gardiner noticed that something was troubling him. Edward told her everything that had transpired during the visit. The weight of his suspicions had become too great to bear alone, and he felt compelled to share them with his wife.
"What I know is that Eleanor's betrothed was an officer from a distinguished family.
General Sinclair is one of the most respected generals in England, and his brother died before Lizzy was born.
I swear Elizabeth bears a remarkable resemblance to him, but I cannot say with certainty that they are related.
I must ease my conscience and discover the truth.
Next week, I intend to take Lizzy back to Longbourn, and I shall speak with Fanny.
If necessary, I shall force her to tell me the truth. "
"I believe that is the wisest course," Mrs Gardiner replied calmly.
"But until we know what General Sinclair's true intentions are, I think we should keep Lizzy away from him.
Even if he merely wishes to become acquainted with her, Eleanor must learn the truth first. She is the one who should decide whether Elizabeth ought to know the circumstances of her birth.
It is neither our secret nor the general's to reveal. "
Her words did much to calm her husband.
"As always, my dear, you are right. This secret is not ours to reveal," Mr Gardiner said before lifting his wife's hand and gently kissing it.
Mrs Gardiner had promised John and Laura that she would take them to Lady Campbell's house that afternoon.
Since Mr Andrews de la Garza's office was nearby, he had kindly offered to escort the children there.
She did not wish to leave her husband alone while he was so troubled, so she accepted his offer and decided to fetch the children herself later in the day.
"Once you have spoken with your sister and we finally know the truth, we shall decide together what ought to be done—and how best to do it."
“Thank you, talking to you always helps me clear my thoughts.” Edward drew his wife into a grateful embrace.
Once again, he was reminded how fortunate he was to have such a wise and devoted partner by his side.
◆◆◆
Before Mr Darcy could recover from the awkward situation or understand why Elizabeth had greeted him in a language he did not understand, a deep masculine voice broke the silence.
"That was dreadful, Miss Elizabeth. You must have a truly terrible Spanish teacher. I strongly recommend that you dismiss him at once," Matthew said merrily.
"Lizzy, whatever is to become of you?" John exclaimed. "First, you could not learn how to fly a kite, and now you cannot even learn some words in Spanish." Unable to resist teasing his favourite cousin, he burst into laughter.
"Do not be unfair to me, John. I only had a few minutes of instruction, yet you expect me to speak better than the Queen of Spain," she replied to her cousin, who could not stop laughing.
Everyone present laughed heartily, and Eleanor said, with feigned solemnity, "That is enough teasing, Elizabeth. This is a serious household, and every effort to learn something new deserves encouragement." Then rose to receive her unexpected guests with the courtesy they deserved.
"Welcome, Mr Darcy. Thank you for honouring my nieces and me with your visit, and I apologise for the momentary confusion," Eleanor said with a gracious smile.
"Pray do not give it another thought, Lady Campbell," Mr Darcy replied. "I found it far more amusing than troublesome."
"I am relieved to hear it," Eleanor answered. "A house filled with young people occasionally becomes livelier than its mistress intends."
Mr Darcy inclined his head before turning to the lady beside him.
"Allow me to present my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy."
Georgiana curtsied gracefully. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Campbell."
"The pleasure is entirely ours, Miss Darcy," Eleanor replied warmly. "You are most welcome in my home."
Mr Darcy then proceeded with the introductions.
"My sister, Miss Darcy—Lady Campbell, Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Miss Mary Bennet, and Miss Catherine Bennet."
Each exchanged the customary bows and curtsies, and Georgiana greeted them with quiet politeness.
Lady Campbell could scarcely conceal her surprise. Knowing Mr Darcy's opinion of the Bennet family, she had never expected him to call. Intrigued by the unexpected visit, she resolved to observe him carefully.
"Allow me to present a dear friend of my family. Mr Darcy, Miss Darcy, this is Mr Matthew Andrews de la Garza, and these adorable children are my nieces' cousins, John and Laura Gardiner.”
Matthew bowed politely, and the children followed his example.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"The pleasure is ours, Mr Andrews de la Garza," Georgiana replied with a shy smile before her brother had a chance to speak.
Mr Darcy's jealousy became almost unbearable.
Elizabeth had greeted the gentleman with an ease that suggested they had already become good friends, and he had answered her with equal warmth. Clearly, they had met on more than one occasion. Perhaps he was already courting her.
What tormented Mr Darcy even more was seeing how naturally everyone seemed drawn to the young solicitor. Georgiana, Lady Campbell, the Bennet sisters, and even the children all appeared perfectly at ease in his company, while Elizabeth rewarded him with smiles that he longed to receive himself.
For a brief moment, he wondered why he had come at all. Had he remained at home, he would at least have been spared the misery of watching another man become the object of Elizabeth's smiles.