Chapter 20 Revelations
In the morning, as he was having breakfast, Darcy received a visitor.
‘Richard, I am glad that you have come,’ Darcy greeted his cousin. ‘With everything that happened last night, I forgot to ask where I can find the Misses Bennet.’
‘Why do you want to visit the ladies?’ Richard asked as he filled a plate of his own before sitting down.
Darcy sighed. ‘Much as I hate to do it, I want to make certain that Miss Bennet is aware of the lies Miss Bingley could be spreading.’
‘I am planning to call on the family later. Perhaps you would like to accompany me. I could also help to translate if you should get yourself into a muddle again,’ suggested Richard around a large mouthful of food.
‘After all, we both know that you are ill-qualified to recommend yourself to strangers… and at times even acquaintances.’
Darcy shot his cousin an irritated look, but then sighed and agreed, after which they ate in silence for a minute or two until Richard said, ‘You know, the problem with Miss Bingley is that she did not actually lie. She simply reported what she saw and implied a meaning which suited her motives.’
‘And it does not help that Mr Gardiner does not appear like a staid and middle-aged uncle. You know that I wondered if the man might have been Deveril.’
‘I guessed as much, considering the looks you were giving my friend.’ Richard shook his head but suddenly grinned. ‘Perhaps there should be a law that uncles of beautiful young women must be old and decrepit.’
‘It would certainly be more convenient and stop any number of misunderstandings,’ Darcy sighed with a rueful smile.
‘But speaking of misunderstandings. When we speak to the ladies, please do not make any disparaging remarks about Deveril. I believe that he is much better suited to Miss Bennet than Bingley.’
‘But why? Bingley has been a good friend to me for years. I would like to see him happy.’
‘And to make your friend happy you would wish a lifetime of misery on Miss Bennet?’
‘Why do you believe that she would be unhappy?’
‘Darcy, think of all those women who would give anything to marry you. Why do you not marry one of them and make them happy. You know that many of them are perfectly nice women.’
‘You know very well that I do not like them, and they would make me miserable.’
‘So, it is acceptable for you to refuse to marry a woman because you do not like her, but you think Miss Bennet should marry a man whom she does not like.’
‘I find it difficult to believe that anyone could dislike Bingley.’
‘To me it is perfectly understandable since I do not particularly like your puppy either.’
’You dislike Bingley?’ Darcy was aghast. ‘You never said so.’
‘I do not dislike him, but I also do not care for him. He is your friend and as long as he behaves like a friend to you, I have no issues with him. I will simply never actively seek out his company. Especially since he lets his sister bully him into taking her along almost everywhere he goes. If women were not prohibited in clubs, we would never get any peace from her.’
‘You think then that Miss Bennet truly never cared for Bingley and is not simply looking to Deveril because he was there when Bingley was not?’
‘I think Miss Bennet described Bingley perfectly and I believe that since he was always indulged, he thinks that he is entitled to whatever he wants.’
Darcy pursed his lips in thought. ‘I believe that he is not the only one with that failing,’ he murmured.
After a minute he raised his eyes to his cousin and said, ‘But these matters are too weighty for the breakfast table. When were you planning on calling on the ladies. I will have my carriage readied then.’
‘We will not need the carriage. A walk will do you good.’
~T~
At Gardiner House, Mrs Gardiner was feeling rather tired and was encouraged by her husband and her nieces to remain abed.
‘Aunt, I know that Mr Deveril is planning to call an me, but surely my two sisters will be adequate as chaperones,’ argued Jane when the lady felt that she was neglecting her duties.
Eventually the lady agreed, and Mr Gardiner went to work, feeling relieved that his nieces would be on hand to look after his wife.
Jane was restlessly pacing the drawing room while Elizabeth and Mary chose a window seat which benefitted from a slight breeze as the day was rather unseasonally warm.
Given that they had privacy, Mary commented, ‘Lizzy, you quite surprised me last night; forgiving Mr Darcy as easily as you did.’
‘Are not you the one who always tells me that I should be less judgemental?’ Elizabeth prevaricated.
‘Indeed. I wish for you to be less prone to jump to conclusions. But I heard Mr Darcy’s insulting comments.’
‘So did I, but considering his reaction, I judged those insults to have been accidental rather than to be intentionally hurtful. I thought that he is unused to being in the wrong and apologising did not come naturally to him. As a result, he was exceedingly bad at it.’
‘I wondered if you are more lenient with him because he is extremely handsome, than if his appearance more closely resembled our cousin, Mr Collins.’
The question caused Elizabeth to pause for a moment as she considered the question.
After a minute she sighed. ‘There is an element of truth in your assertion, but physical appearance alone was not what made Mr Collins offensive. While Mr Darcy is arrogant and possibly even pompous, he is most certainly not obsequious, and unlike Mr Collins, he is definitely more intelligent.’
‘Yet despite his intelligence, he can say the most stupid things.’
‘True. But consider… I am certain that I would not like to spend any time with a man who has never said a wrong word in his life. Not only would he be dreadfully dull, but I should be most uncomfortable with such a paragon since I would never be able to live up to such an exalted standard.’
That comment caused a small chuckle to escape Mary’s lips and before she managed to censor her word, she said, ‘I see. You enjoy being able to correct the gentleman,’ causing her to blush.
‘My dear Mary. I believe that my impertinence is starting to rub off on you,’ Elizabeth laughed in response.
‘I confess that you are partly right, but I also remember my conversation with Mr Collins. Correcting him was not as much fun since he was virtually impervious to any opinion but his own or Lady Catherine’s. ’
‘And you think that Mr Darcy is more amenable to correction?’
‘He was certain quite amenable to a debate. Colonel Fitzwilliam was correct about his cousin. Mr Darcy loves to debate and will consider the argument irrespective of the sex of the debater. I rather enjoyed being taken seriously. And while I still have some reservations, for that kind of respect, I am willing to forgive much.’
Mary was quite willing to concede that point as she too had a most enjoyable discussion with Colonel Fitzwilliam.
~T~
When it was late enough to make a morning call, Darcy and Richard set out to walk to Gardiner House.
Darcy was astonished when after a mere hundred and fifty yards Richard stopped and nodded to a plaque beside the front door of a large house.
‘Gardiner House!’ exclaimed Darcy. ‘I never realised that there was any connection to the Bennets in Hertfordshire.’
‘Would you have behaved better if you had known they have a house just around the corner from you?’ Richard asked with a challenging look.
Darcy grimaced. ‘Yes, I probably would have, but I hope I will not make that kind of mistake again.’
‘Keep that in mind and you should do well enough,’ Richard said as he knocked on the door, which was opened immediately.
~T~
The Colonel and Darcy were shown into the drawing room where they were greeted by the sisters as well as Deveril who had arrived only minutes before them.
Once the customary civilities were exchanged and refreshments provided, Darcy cleared his throat which attracted everyone’s attention. ‘My apologies for raising an unpleasant subject but I have some information which I thought you should know.’
Deveril, who occupied the chair next to Jane leaned back in his seat to listen to what Darcy had to say.
Jane, as the hostess, prompted Darcy when he paused, ‘As you have warned us, please go ahead.’
‘I encountered Bingley yesterday as I was leaving your uncle’s house in Gracechurch Street. He was there to find you Miss Bennet in the hope you would be able to refute something his sister had told him,’ Darcy said, clasping his hands to stop himself from fidgeting.
He looked Jane in the eye and swallowed before he continued, ‘Please understand I know that what the lady implied to be a falsehood. She had told my friend that she had seen you entering a private residence in a fashionable neighbourhood with a man who appeared wealthy and that you were unchaperoned.’
Jane blushed as she comprehended the implication. ‘Indeed. I gather that you know that the gentleman in question was our uncle, and this was the residence which she observed us entering?’
‘Yes, Miss Bennet. I raised the subject with my cousin last night and your uncle overheard us, even though I tried to keep the conversation private.’
An impish smile quirked Elizabeth’s lips. ‘I have it on good authority that our uncle has exceptional hearing, as a number of his clients and competitors have found out to their chagrin.’
Darcy bowed his head in her direction. ‘As you so rightly guessed, I too would have preferred not to be overheard, but in retrospect it was convenient as it cleared up any misunderstandings which might otherwise have occurred.
Jane let her gaze wander around the occupants of the room. ‘Who else is privy to that… information?’
It was Fitzwilliam who answered, ‘All the men who were at dinner, and before you become concerned, there was unanimous support for your honour.’ He shrugged and added, ‘In the meantime my father informed my mother of Miss Bingleys scurrilous implication and I suppose that your uncle passed the information on to your aunt.’
‘Why did no one think to inform me of this… story?’ Jane wondered.
‘Your uncle did not wish to upset you,’ said Mrs Gardiner, who had just entered the room.
She had heard the question and correctly assumed the reason.
The lady greeted her guests and accepted a cup of tea.
‘I was planning to inform you myself as soon as I had an opportunity, but I am pleased that I did not have to do so.’
Elizabeth refrained from rolling her eyes by exerting admirable self-control as she said, ‘While I love Uncle Gardiner dearly, he can be overly protective at times.’
Darcy gave her a rueful smile as he said, ‘I can fully understand your uncle, as I have been guilty of the same failing. Although in recent times I have learnt the folly of such an attitude.’
‘Is that why you have come today?’
‘Indeed. How can you, or anyone else for that matter, make good decisions or defend yourself if you are unaware of what is being said about you and of people’s true character.’
‘Thank you, Mr Darcy. I appreciate your concern.’ Jane smiled with gratitude and added, ‘Perhaps you would be good enough to inform Mr Bingley of everything you have discovered so that he can put Miss Bingley’s mind at ease about what she saw.’
While Darcy agreed to do so, Mary said quietly to herself, ‘I wonder what Miss Bingley would have done if she had been aware of the true circumstances. Would she have refrained from mentioning Jane’s presence in London to Mr Bingley?’
Fitzwilliam, who sat next to her, drawled in response, ‘I can just imagine that if Miss Bingley had known about that relationship, she would have said Miss Bennet appeared quite cosy with her… uncle.’
‘You truly believe that Miss Bingley would be so devious?’ Mary asked.
Richard shrugged as he said, ‘She is very adept at shading the truth to suit her ends and I would not trust her an inch.’
‘Well, I for one would like to give her the benefit of the doubt. She may have merely attempted to protect her brother. As long as she does not try to besmirch my reputation to anyone else, I shall be content to ignore her,’ Jane declared with a challenging look at her companions.
‘You take all the fun out of this situation,’ complained the Colonel. ‘I had looked forward to stymying the lady’s plans.’
‘If it turns out that Miss Bingley has any scurrilous plans, feel free to stymy away,’ Jane offered a compromise causing Richard to grin in malicious delight. After all, he knew Caroline better than Jane did.
~T~