Chapter 3.23 #2
Emily was also fearful and restrained. Whether or not she trusted Darcy’s promise from the previous day, the girl had lost her joy, and her behaviour reminded them very much of the first days of her arrival.
Elizabeth wrote to Jane and to her father, then to the Gardiners.
Darcy had met her uncle at his club several times, but she had not seen her relatives since the night at the theatre.
She should have invited them for dinner, but with the latest events happening, she was in no mood for entertainment.
She attempted to read a book, then listened to Georgiana practising. Nothing impressed, nor touched her; she remained absent, lost in her thoughts and her anger, glancing at Emily from time to time as she pondered what the girl’s fate would have been if they had not taken her in.
The anguish of waiting made the time pass painfully slowly and the time of Darcy’s possible return appeared unbearably far away. Elizabeth considered inviting her sister and Emily for a walk, but the weather was mild, and it was raining slowly, while the snow had turned into puddles of dirty water.
“Mrs. Darcy?”
“Yes, Emily.”
“Are you upset?”
“No, my dear. I am a little tired, but nothing to worry about. Come, sit with me.”
The girl obeyed, and Elizabeth caressed her hair. There were a few more hours to wait until they could be sure of the child’s future.
The rest of the day passed tediously, and her low spirits were contagious for Georgiana and Emily. The darkness came early, and Elizabeth’s turmoil became unbearable. She placed a chair by the window and kept glancing outside, causing more worry for her companions.
Eventually, a carriage stopped in front of the house and before the main door opened, Elizabeth was there, welcoming her husband.
Darcy looked tired, his expression dark, his coat soaked from the rain. He kept his head down as he entered, but the moment he saw Elizabeth, his features lit up, and a tentative smile warmed his face.
He took off his coat quickly and kissed his wife’s hands. Behind her was Georgiana, waiting with her teary eyes pleading with him. And in the doorframe, Emily was trying to hide, glancing at them all without being seen.
“I hope dinner is ready, as I am starving. And I am also drained; it has been an exhausting day, I believe I shall retire very early tonight.”
“Dinner should be ready,” Elizabeth replied, disconcerted.
“Excellent; let us eat as soon as possible,” Darcy continued, leading his wife inside. “I hope you had a pleasant day,” he addressed Georgiana, who was utterly puzzled by his loquacity.
“Yes, reasonably so. And you, brother?”
“Good. I shall go and change, then will join you in the dining room.”
“Fitzwilliam? Should I come with you?” Elizabeth asked.
He returned and kissed her hands again. “That will not be necessary, my dear, I will return in no time. We shall talk more later. All is well. There is no need to worry further about this matter.”
Their eyes locked for a moment and Elizabeth’s burned with tears. She nodded, and he replied with a comforting smile, then hurried upstairs, followed by three pairs of eyes.
Elizabeth sighed and breathed deeply, freed from the burden that had crushed her heart for several days.
She turned to Georgiana and Emily, quickly wiping her eyes, and stretched her hands to them.
“Everything is well now, since Mr. Darcy is home. Emily, will you have dinner with us? Forgive me, my dear, I have been distressed all day, but all is well now,” she kept repeating.
“Mrs. Darcy, are you crying?”
“Not at all, my dear. These are just some happy tears.”
“I have never cried from happiness,” the girl whispered, thoughtfully.
“There is no reason for any more tears, happy or sad, I promise you,” Elizabeth replied affectionately.
“Mrs. Darcy, may I have dinner with Sarah? Mr. Darcy said you would talk more later, and I do not want to bother him.”
Elizabeth kissed the girl’s forehead while she fought her tears again.
“You are a very wise girl, my dear. Very well then, we will be expecting you tomorrow for breakfast.”
“Mrs. Darcy? When you are upset, I can see it in your eyes. I do not ever want to upset you!”
“My dear, you are too clever for your age,” Elizabeth smiled at her. “If I was upset, it was not your fault, and I am sure it never will be.”
The girl nodded, then quickly embraced them both and ran to the door, her steps resounding along the hall for a while.
Elizabeth turned to Georgiana and they embraced each other. Even without any details, they trusted that Darcy had accomplished his duty once again.
∞∞∞
Gathered around the dinner table, Elizabeth and Georgiana listened to Darcy talking between courses.
“I told Emily’s mother that she can still come and see her daughter whenever she pleases. I even repeated the suggestion to come and greet the girl, but she refused. She said it would be too distressing for Emily to see her, only for her to leave again. And for once, she might be correct.”
“So she accepted allowing Emily to live with us? There is nothing that can change that?” Elizabeth enquired.
“I have the settlement, signed, with Mr. Barrington as a witness. Any other unpleasantries will be solved through him. I still hope Patty Moore will return to reunite with her daughter one day.”
“I pray that God will give her enough wisdom to see the right path,” Elizabeth whispered.
“There is another matter that I wish to speak to you both about. It could be rather delicate and inappropriate for Georgiana, but I would rather she heard it from me instead of from the town gossips. It is related to Lord Walford.”
Elizabeth turned pale, waiting for the revelation that she hoped in vain would never come.
“Our uncle Darcy introduced to me one of his apprentices, Mr. Clarence—a lawyer. He will continue the search together with Mr. Dunn, the man hired by Mr. Barrington. It seems the suspicions and rumours are true. At Lord Walford’s estate in Brighton, there are six children around the age of ten—three girls and three boys—whose identities and connections to Lord Walford are questionable.
From all the reports we have heard, we suspect the children are involved in activities inappropriate and harmful to them. ”
Georgiana was so astonished that she dropped her fork. She remained speechless while her brother gulped some brandy.
“How did you find out these details in such a short while?” Elizabeth asked in a troubled voice.
“It seems all one must do is to find a servant willing to speak, in exchange for money. Mr. Dunn seems to specialise in such sorts of quests.”
“But brother, how can this be? What can be done?” Georgiana mumbled.
“I took it upon myself to have this matter solved. Protecting Emily is not enough since I now know other children in the same situation could be in danger. I am still uncertain how we will proceed, but Mr. Dunn and Mr. Clarence will provide all the information, and I shall request Uncle Darcy’s assistance in taking the proper actions.
He is a fair yet severe man, for whom the law is the only path to be followed. ”
“This is horrible...” Georgiana whispered.
“It is horrible. Elizabeth and I discussed it early this morning. I asked her not to distress you with such a report, but on further consideration, I believe it is necessary for you to know.”
“Thank you for trusting me, brother. Dear Lord, what a dreadful situation! My dear Elizabeth, you have been a blessing for Emily and probably for other children too. If not for you, none of this would have happened!”
“Dearest Georgiana, I do not deserve such praise. My only merit is that I have been fortunate enough to marry the best of men. The rest is all due to Mr. Darcy!” Elizabeth said, with a gaze full of gratitude and love towards her husband.
“I am the fortunate and blessed one, to have the affection of you both and to witness your sisterly bond. And the praise must be shared between you two. Now let us finish dinner and then we should retire for the night. It has been an exhausting day, indeed, and there is still more to come!”