Chapter 55
Bennet stewed over yesterday’s newspaper. He hardly recalled any of it, even though he had buried himself in it all day, trying not to think of his Lizzy, journeying from Huntingdon, and arriving at Cheapside, if all had gone according to plan.
Later this morning, he should receive notes from Edward and Darcy, and perhaps even, God willing, from Lizzy. That letter from Darcy in Lincolnshire with those few lines on the bottom in her own hand, had misted his eyes, and he had traced his finger along her words many times.
And she had written to him twice since then. Short notes, but nonetheless welcome. But he knew there was some constraint there and he could hardly wait to see her, enfold her in his arms and kiss her forehead.
The daughter he had seen grow from a tiny babe to an independent child. He smiled.
‘Me do it!’ had been her constant refrain. And then he had watched her grow and mature, her joy in life, her desperate desire to learn everything, and her cheerful, outgoing nature, so different to his.
He blinked; it had been a hard time. His unhappiness at the brewing scandal and Lizzy being forced to marry to protect her sisters.
Then those terrible months when there had been no word from his daughter.
One early letter to Madeline, in which she had obviously expected to continue the correspondence.
And one letter to Jane the same day. Reassuring, nothing to say about her situation, and a few loving words to her elder sister and to him as well.
Then nothing. No letters received. Finally, several weeks later, a large package of letters that had been sent to her, all unopened, and one curt word on the sheet enclosing them.
DESIST!!
Bennet shuddered; the cruelty must have been hard for her to bear. He hoped she had moved her lap desk into a cupboard; otherwise the sight of it each day would surely have taunted her.
A knock on the door roused him from his memories. “Enter.”
The housekeeper with the newspaper and the letter tray. Bennet’s heart leapt. “Thank you, Mrs Hill.” He didn’t even glance at the headlines — there was a letter from Lizzy for him.
A moment later, he was ringing the bell loudly.
“Hill, send to the stables. I will depart for London within the hour. Tell Mr Hill to pack my trunk for a stay of, oh, at least a week. Is my wife still abed?” At her nod, he continued.
“Very well, call Mary if you please.” He turned and picked up the paper and his unread letters.
“She can explain to her mother what I am doing. And will write to me each evening.”
A little over four hours later, he hurried up the steps of Gardiner’s house. As he stripped off his coat in the hall to give to the servant, his gaze searched for his Lizzy.
“She is upstairs, Thomas.” Madeline’s voice was amused. “I will go up and bring her down.” She waved at the sitting room door. “I have already sent for refreshments to be ready, as I could not imagine you would wait past an hour before setting out.”
“Yes.” Bennet looked around vaguely. “We made good time.” But his eyes were on the stairs, which his sister-in-law was climbing. Why had she not sent a maid? He turned for the sitting room, wishing he could have gone upstairs for the first meeting to be in privacy.
“Papa?” Her voice was a little quiet and hesitant. But she had come in and shut the door. He leapt to his feet, opened his arms, and his own little girl ran to him. He rested his cheek on her head and allowed his tears.
Soon enough, she poured their tea and they were sitting on the sofa. “I am sorry, Papa, that the first note was on Mr Darcy’s letter. But I could not think of what to say to you; explain why I hadn’t written before. It was easier just to add a few sentences to his.”
“Of course. Just seeing those words in your hand was the most precious gift.” Bennet smiled sadly. “But I believe things have been very difficult for you. How … how was it when you first saw Darcy?”
His grasp on her hand tightened when she shuddered.
“It was difficult. I had been thinking I might have been rather too angry in my letter, but I still knew I could never have gone back.” She sighed.
“But I had not quite realised the sort of life I was choosing. I had to choose it, you know, but perhaps it was as well I did not quite understand the enormity of what I did.”
He hesitated. “It must have been very dangerous. Were you ever … in real danger?”
“No, Papa. I was fortunate. It was not many days before I found a place to live where I could be useful and was safe.”
He was happy she did not see his expression darkening. “I am sorry you had to take employment.”
Her laugh was musical, but sadness still threaded through it. “I was never employed, Papa. Mr Price allowed me to stay there as his aunt was calmer when I was there, and he was only paying the maid of all work to be there in the mornings.”
He was incensed. “You mean he made you work all those months for nothing!”
She laid a hand on his arm. “I would have been homeless without it, Papa. And Nan needed me.” She looked sad when she thought of the old lady.
“At Christmas, he did say he had allowed enough money in Nan’s account at the seamstress to permit me a new dress, but that seemed quite wrong to me, and I never used it so. ”
“Utterly wrong. And most inappropriate. He was trying to make you so dependent you would accept an improper suggestion, no doubt.”
“Be at ease, Papa. I was never in danger of accepting such a proposition, you must know that. And I am away from there now.”
Bennet calmed himself with an effort. He would not remind her of the past, or his feelings of anger. Later he would speak to Darcy about the matter.
Bennet was sitting with Gardiner over a brandy in his brother’s study, the sorrow of the last two years beginning to lift from him a little, when Darcy was announced. They all rose and shook hands solemnly.
“Forgive me for disturbing you, gentlemen. I had not realised that you would arrive quite so precipitately, Bennet.” Darcy’s quick smile quite surprised Bennet; he had obviously not understood the depth of the man’s torment during his visits.
Now that he was less afraid for Elizabeth, he smiled. Bennet was pleased to see it.
“Not at all, Darcy.” Gardiner crossed the room and poured his guest a whisky. So he had been here often enough for Gardiner to know his preferences. Bennet was impressed. Many men of his class would not call upon a tradesman unless on business.
“Are you calling on Lizzy this morning, Darcy?” Gardiner asked.
“I thought I ought not.” Darcy looked pained. “I believe she might need to recover her spirits rather better before I might call on her.”
“Perhaps you will stay a while and I could ask her when she comes down from visiting the children in the nursery?” Bennet ventured. “As her husband, you ought, perhaps, to see her, even though I know of your determination to allow her to make her own choices.”
He watched as Darcy glanced at Gardiner, perhaps seeking his opinion. Gardiner nodded. “I think Lizzy could decide whether she wishes you to call on her. Her experiences will have matured her, and there must be some serious conversations before any decisions are made.”
“But, while we wait, Darcy, might you explain to me what you think of this Price gentleman?” Bennet asked, knowing his own features had hardened.
Darcy turned to him. “Of course. Has she said more to you that I might not have heard?”
“Only that he had paid her nothing at all, nothing! in all those months she stayed and cared for his aunt, day and night!” Bennet’s anger was rising.
“And that, at Christmas, he said he had put enough money in the seamstress's account for her to have a new dress.” He breathed deeply.
“She was sensible enough to leave it untouched.”
Darcy scowled. “When he entered the house, he was unconcerned that his aunt was close to death. He was angry that I was there — and when she said I was her husband, he refused to let her remain. He said something on the lines of you knew and yet you said nothing. I have not enquired as to what he meant when he said she knew. But she had to leave the house at once. With nothing. No coat, no bonnet, only indoor shoes, and no money.” He took a deep, calming breath. “I was glad I was there for her.”
“As am I.” Bennet regarded him thoughtfully, then turned to Gardiner. “Might Madeline be the best person to discuss the import of this with Lizzy?”
Gardiner nodded. “And what should we do about him? Is he the sort who would become obsessed, and has he the means to pursue her?”
“I doubt the latter,” Darcy said thoughtfully.
“I have obviously taken my investigator off the general search, and I have set him to discreetly find out what the man intended and if anything needs to be done. Of course, my sister is settled there and she was close friends with Lucy, so she may be targeted if this man is a danger. I will have to assure myself of what he is.”