Chapter 1.10
Elizabeth and Jane stared at their father in utter silence, waiting for him to continue and fearing the worst.
“Well, well…not a word? Am I then to understand that you are not in the least interested in the letter’s contents?”
“Papa!” Lizzy’s voice was reproachful and impatient. “I beg you; this is not a proper moment for teasing. Read the letter, please.”
“Well, if you insist, I shall oblige you this time. Let us see… He begins with apologising and expressing his regret for not being able to attend the dinner invitation after the Netherfield ball. What follows should not interest you…and…yes, this is it:
The situation is not yet of a nature to allow me to leave London for the next few weeks, and as Mr Bingley chose to remain and offer me his support, it is probable that his return to Netherfield also will be delayed for an uncertain amount of time.
“Then,” continued Mr Bennet, “the next passage again does not pertain to you…and Mr Darcy ended the letter by expressing his best wishes for our family on behalf of him and Mr Bingley.”
The girls remained unmoved and in disbelief until Elizabeth finally burst out, “That is all, Papa? That was the news you wanted to share with us? What you read explains nothing more than we already knew. Please let us read the whole letter! I can see two whole pages.”
“I shall do no such thing, young lady! How can you even suggest it? This passage should have explained many things to my witty Lizzy and my sensible Jane, but apparently neither of you could fathom anything from it.”
“Papa!”
“No ‘Papa!’ Lizzy. I am speaking the truth. Neither of you are being at all clever! I can understand your distress—I was young once, you know—but can you not apprehend some reason for this situation? Did it never cross your pretty heads that perhaps there was an explanation—a serious one, not the nonsense your mother talks about—that caused the gentlemen to leave in such a hurry?” He arched his eyebrow at his daughters in the same manner that Lizzy so often did.
“You might find this difficult to believe, but even the most deserving and charming gentlemen sometimes have other responsibilities besides entertaining young ladies at dinner.”
With that, shaking his head and smiling wryly, he left the room.
The girls remained in silence for a few moments and then began to talk at once. Finally, they concluded that their father was right, and indeed a few morsels might be gleaned from the short passage in his letter.
First, Elizabeth regained a modicum of tranquillity after a month of torment, seeing that at least Mr Darcy wished to maintain a correspondence with her father, and apparently a private one.
It was true that he did not say a word about the cause of his precipitate departure from Netherfield, but he did mention that Mr Bingley would be delayed a few more weeks, not that he was established in town for the whole winter as Miss Bingley suggested in her letters.
They were interrupted by Annie, who asked Lizzy whether she felt well enough to join the family downstairs.
Lizzy was feeling better than she had the whole of the last month. It was three days before Christmas.
∞∞∞
Mrs Bennet had the pleasure of receiving her brother and his wife who came to spend Christmas at Longbourn.
Mr Gardiner was a sensible, gentlemanlike man, superior to his sister in both nature and education.
Mrs Gardiner, who was several years younger than Mrs Bennet and Mrs Philips, was an amiable, intelligent, elegant woman and a great favourite with her Longbourn nieces.
Between the two eldest and herself there existed a very particular regard.
The first part of Mrs Gardiner’s business on her arrival was to distribute presents and describe the newest fashions in London; when she finished, Mrs Bennet had a surfeit of grievances to relate and much to complain of.
“I do not blame Jane,” she continued, “for Jane would have got Mr Bingley if she could. But Lizzy! Oh, sister! I do not know what to think…” She continued to relate—in hushed tones so as not to be heard by her husband—that Lizzy’s rudeness to Mr Darcy made him leave.
Mrs Gardiner, to whom this news previously had been given in the course of Jane and Elizabeth’s correspondence, offered her sister a brief answer and attempted to shift the tone of the conversation.
“Oh, dear sister, I am sure that cannot be. Lizzy is a remarkable young lady and never would do something improper or offensive. But let me speak to her, and I shall see what is to be done.”
As soon as she was able to secure some time alone with Elizabeth, Mrs Gardiner brought up the subject again with tender understanding.
“Lizzy dearest, now do tell me everything I should know, will you? I must say I never saw you in such low spirits. I never should expect that of you. I have always thought that, if anything of the kind should happen to you, you would laugh yourself out of it directly.”
Lizzy tried to smile, but the sadness in her eyes was so obvious that Mrs Gardiner caressed her hair in a loving, motherly gesture that caused Lizzy to fall into her arms, sobbing.
She held her niece in silence, continuing to stroke her hair until Elizabeth felt calmer and began to talk.
For more than an hour, she revealed everything to her aunt: Mr Wickham, the cottage, the ball, and Mr Darcy’s story.
Only her private moments with Mr Darcy in the library, when he took off her gloves and kissed her hands, were kept in deepest secrecy.
“Dearest, that is quite a story. The Darcys are well known in Derbyshire and much admired; it seems likely to have been a desirable match for you and also for Jane to marry Mr Bingley. And from what you have told me, there were some most promising inclinations from the gentlemen. I am sorry it went off badly, but these things happen so often! Inconstancies of this type occur frequently in courtship.”
“Yes, Aunt, but what gives me the deepest grief is Mr Darcy’s leaving so unexpectedly. He was so kind, so gentlemanlike”—and so tender—“and so pleasant until the end of the ball.”
“That is indeed surprising.”
“You know, Aunt, I have told this to no one, but”—she blushed and cast her eyes down—“I had begun to believe that Mr Wickham was right and Mr Darcy never had serious intentions towards me.”
“I see…and did you have any reason to believe that? Did Mr Darcy suggest something improper that prompted you to refuse him?”
“No, Aunt,” cried Elizabeth. “Never!”
“Then, from what I have heard, I can only conclude that Mr Wickham is not a man to be trusted. I advise you to put all his stories aside and think of something else.”
“Papa just received a letter from Mr Darcy, you know…”
“Really? Well, I believe that is indeed good news. What did he say?”
“I do not know for sure; Papa just read us a short passage, but there were some apologies, mention of a situation that would keep him in London for some time and some good wishes to our whole family for Christmas. And apparently he wrote another two pages intended only for Papa.”
Mrs Gardiner took a few moments to think, looking at her beloved niece. She did not want to give Lizzy any false hopes, but neither did she want to see her in such a state and would do anything to cheer her up. “Lizzy, pray tell me, what did my brother Bennet think about this matter?”
“Papa is constantly teasing us; he said we are neither witty nor sensible.”
“I see… Well, dearest, for the moment I would wager this: whatever the reason Mr Darcy left in haste will be revealed to you in time. He seems to be an honourable man, as was his father, and his current close acquaintance with your father will oblige him to behave honourably at the very least.”
She paused briefly and then continued, “Lizzy, I have a proposal, but please do not expect too much from it. Could you and Jane be prevailed upon to come back with us to London? A change of scenery might be beneficial—until your mother calms herself a little about this whole affair.”
Before Lizzy could form an answer, she added, “However, I want to remind you that we and these gentlemen live in very different parts of town; all our connexions are vastly different from theirs, so it is unlikely you should ever meet them at all unless they specifically call at our home.”
“Call at your home? Mr Darcy may, perhaps, have heard of such a place as Gracechurch Street, but he would hardly think a month’s ablution enough to cleanse him from its impurities were he once to enter it. Depend upon it, Mr Bingley never stirs without him.”
“Lizzy, you deal too harshly with him. I must say such comments are mean and petty, and certainly not proper for you.”
Elizabeth felt her cheeks turn red and started to form an explanation, but her aunt stopped her.
“Pray do not worry, my dear. I perfectly understand you. I just wish that all this might come to a better ending than can be hoped for at present. Speak with Jane and let me know what you both decide, will you? And now let us join the others, for my children may be in need of me.”
“Aunt, I cannot thank you enough. You are such a joy and comfort for us every time we are in need. We could not hope for anyone better.”
“Oh, you are welcome, dear,” she answered, kissing Lizzy’s cheeks.
∞∞∞
After a few days of deliberation and additional teasing from Mr Bennet—“You may go girls, and I promise you that, should someone return to the neighbourhood, I shall send you an express to come at once; your mother will go and tie them up just in case they choose to venture away again.”—the eldest Miss Bennets accepted their aunt’s invitation with pleasure.
The Gardiners stayed a week at Longbourn, and the whole party returned to London on December 29.
Despite their aunt’s advice, Lizzy and Jane could think only that they were in the same town as the two gentlemen who most occupied their thoughts, and to neither of them did sleep come easily. Overnight, it began to snow peacefully.