Chapter 35 #2
Finally, almost two weeks after Mrs. Humphrey’s ball, Mr. Wickham called for her.
She had been painting in the attic and remained blissfully unaware of the visit until it was over, as she had hoped.
Later, she was told he had at first acted as he always had.
When he was informed that she was not available but that Mr. Gardiner would attend on him presently, he had begun to act as though he may depart.
Then he glanced through the doorway and saw Matthew, who was standing between the drawing room and the stairs to the attic, wishing both to protect his mistress and to be aware of how great a danger Mr. Wickham might cause.
Seeing Matthew changed Mr. Wickham’s demeanor.
“She is here. I know she is. She never goes anywhere without that man. He is her shadow. I must speak with her. She is expecting me. I did not mean to be away so long, but surely, she will forgive me. Please. Only tell her I am here. I know she will wish to see me.”
Uncle Gardiner, having been summoned the moment Mr. Wickham arrived, entered the drawing room then.
“Mr. Wickham, I presume? I am Mr. Gardiner. Will you please join me in my study?”
“But I need to see Miss Bennet, sir. Please. She is awaiting my visit.”
“I have something for you in my study. Perhaps you will join me there, and then we can discuss Elizabeth.”
As soon as they had closed the study door, Mr. Wickham had professed his love and his desire to marry her until Uncle Gardiner pulled out the diamond hair comb and returned it to him.
He then ensured Mr. Wickham understood he was never to speak to Elizabeth again.
He made it clear Elizabeth had no wish to see him.
Mr. Wickham grew angry and blamed Mr. Darcy for spreading lies about him.
When Uncle Gardiner had explained all the evidence he had seen, Mr. Wickham grew even more angry but also knew he was defeated.
He took his precious hair comb and departed without another word of his undying devotion for her.
A few days later, on the last Thursday in January, Elizabeth was at the Foundling Hospital as usual.
She usually worked exclusively with the children, but Mrs. Legg had needed help in the office that morning.
Elizabeth came across an application that had been approved only the day before and not yet recorded.
She looked at the names on the form and startled.
“What is it? You look as though you recognize a name. The work we do here is confidential, but is it the mother or the father you know?”
“The father.”
Mrs. Legg took the page from her. “You know George Wickham? I hope you know him too little to ever see him or well enough to know to stay far from him.”
Elizabeth nodded.
“He did not importune you, did he? You are not obligated to tell me, but we are here to help.”
“No, he…I learned in time who he was.”
“That is a relief. We have received at least a dozen applications for his children over the years, although we have not been able to accept more than a few. He and other men like him should be locked up and horsewhipped.”
Elizabeth nodded again. When Mrs. Legg moved on to other work, Elizabeth said a fervent prayer of gratitude that Mr. Darcy had saved her.
She wished someone had been able to protect her mother and all those other girls.
Wiping tears from her eyes, she resumed her work.
She had been far too overcome by her sensibilities of late.
Wickham’s anger toward Darcy did not cool. He had been so close to capturing an heiress, and Darcy was solely to blame for costing him his fortune. Miss Bennet would have been an enticing means to that fortune, as well.
Minny was useful, but she refused to marry him and give him control of her wealth.
She had tried marriage once, and her husband would have left her with nothing but his name had he not died within a year.
Sometimes she was generous with Wickham, but other times, when he angered her, she would not see him for weeks or even months.
He needed an independent source of income. Miss Bennet would have been perfect.
Although he had returned from Bath only the day before, he would go back to Minny the next day.
She would comfort him while he thought of another strategy to find wealth.
He turned over the two-day-old newspaper that sat on the dirty tavern table.
It was still early in the Season, but perhaps he could find a performance of interest at the theater or opera.
Or he could prowl Vauxhall for unsuspecting young women—What?
Could this possibly be what it looked like?
FD seeks governess of high moral fortitude to guide girl of fifteen and preside over London establishment. Apply by February 15th with skills and accomplishments to the address listed.
How had he forgotten he knew of another heiress ripe for the plucking?
Was little Georgiana fifteen already? He hoped she had grown out of her gangliness, or this seduction would be far less engaging than the last. Either way, it would be well worth his trouble.
He would gain a fortune of thirty thousand pounds, and he would destroy Darcy’s happiness.
The only questions were whether he could convince Minny to help him and whether they could make her appear more qualified than an agency governess, for surely Darcy placed these lines in the newspaper only to be thorough.
Darcy liked Mr. Gardiner. He had asked Bingley to invite the man to his home after revealing the truth about Wickham to Elizabeth and had waited in anticipation until his arrival in the early afternoon.
Not knowing whether Bingley would be successful, he was relieved when the two men were shown into his study.
He had been eager to lay out every piece of evidence he had against Wickham, and he had been reassured when Mr. Gardiner had firmly shaken his hand in gratitude before departing.
Elizabeth was safe. Mr. Gardiner had assured him Mr. Wickham would not get near her.
Darcy had offered to send footmen to stand watch, but Mr. Gardiner indicated Elizabeth’s footman would be sufficient. Elizabeth had her own footman?
It had now been more than two weeks since the ball at which he had last seen Elizabeth. Bingley had not seen her, either, and she had not been quick to believe his friend, which surprised him. Darcy thought Elizabeth liked and trusted Bingley. Perhaps it had been too long.
He was tempted to call on Mr. Gardiner to ensure Wickham really had stayed away.
Even more, he needed to know whether Elizabeth had resisted her uncle’s demands that she not see the man.
It was that or ask Bingley to ask Jane to ask Elizabeth.
That sounded like a horrible plan. He did not know how close the cousins were these days, although they had seemed nearly inseparable when last he saw them together.
Bingley had pointed out Gardiner’s Import Emporium when they had called at Gracechurch Street the previous spring.
When he entered the warehouse now for the first time, Darcy was impressed by the open and organized layout.
A variety of products were on display, from textiles to ceramics, picture frames to kitchen pots.
Darcy found Mr. Gardiner in his office on the third floor. The man stood and greeted him warmly, inviting him to sit.
“This is an impressive emporium, Mr. Gardiner. Your selection is greater than other warehouses I have seen.”
“Most in the area specialize, but after my former partner nearly lost the entire business due to one poor decision, he gave me two pieces of advice: One, diversify, and two, avoid the diamond market.”
“Diamonds? That is rather specific.”
“Yes, Mr. Green—who first employed me as a clerk, later took me on as a partner, and then sold out to me several years ago—had counted on a large shipment of diamonds that never arrived. The way he tells it, the loss of the diamonds was the reason his business nearly failed. In reality, though, as I learned when I delved into the books, he had been the middleman. His business was doing poorly already, although as a clerk I was not aware of the specifics at the time, and he hoped importing diamonds for a few wealthy gentlemen would bring him a large commission. In fact, he lost nothing but potential future gains, but he had borrowed on his expectations.”
“I am glad your Mr. Green was not cheated out of an investment, but it must have been disheartening when he was counting on the influx of funds.”
“Indeed. It was a blessing in the end, however, as he was forced to change his business model to survive. About a year later, he was successful enough that he brought me on as a junior partner, though I was but six-and-twenty.”
“A happy ending, then.”
“Most definitely.” Mr. Gardiner laughed. “I do not suppose you came to speak of diamonds, though, Mr. Darcy.”
He certainly had not. Whenever he saw or thought of diamonds in the past fortnight he had thought of that silver hair comb, edged with diamonds and glittering in Elizabeth’s hair. He did not want to think of that comb or how it got there.
“I wondered how Miss Elizabeth gets on, sir. I hope she is not terribly disconsolate over the loss of Mr. Wickham.”
Mr. Gardiner’s mood shifted suddenly, and Darcy was sorry he had been the cause. It was why he had come, however.
“She is not herself.” Mr. Gardiner looked at his fingers as he pushed them back and forth on the polished surface of his desk.
She had loved Wickham, then. The villain!
“Did she not believe your recital of the evidence? She still loves him?” He nearly gave himself away as his voice roughened at the end.
Mr. Gardiner’s head snapped up with a look of surprise. “Not at all. I am quite sure she does not and never did love him.”
Darcy exhaled slowly. But why, then, was she unhappy?