Chapter 15
Mr Gardiner and Elizabeth arrived at Longbourn late that evening.
Both were exhausted and preoccupied with their own troubled thoughts.
Dinner passed quietly, broken only by Lydia's incessant and frequently ill-timed remarks.
The rest of the family had little to say.
After the meal, Mr Gardiner and Elizabeth retired early, hoping to regain their strength for everything that awaited them the following day.
Having slept very little, Edward Gardiner rose early the next morning and waited impatiently for his sister to wake. He was determined to speak with her before anyone else could interfere.
To avoid arousing Thomas's suspicions, he chose to meet Fanny in her bedchamber, knowing his brother-in-law would never think to look for him there.
"Good morning, Fanny," Mr Gardiner said. "There is something of great importance that I must discuss with you, and I believe we shall be less likely to be interrupted here."
"Of course, dear brother. As a matter of fact, the next time you come to Longbourn, I should like you to bring me some more—"
"Fanny, please."
His tone was gentle but firm. "Whatever it is can wait. What I have to say cannot."
Fanny looked at him with growing uneasiness.
"Very well, I am listening," Mrs Bennet said. "But I must warn you that I have a dreadful headache, and my poor nerves..."
She was visibly agitated and desperately searched for an excuse to avoid the conversation. Yet she knew her brother too well to believe there was any hope of escaping it.
"Fanny, whenever we have spoken about your daughters over the years, you have often remarked upon how different Elizabeth is from the others. More than once, you hinted that certain things are inherited and cannot be altered, no matter how a child is raised."
He paused, watching her closely. Mrs Bennet rose and, avoiding her brother's gaze, busied herself straightening the bedclothes.
"I remember one conversation particularly well. Elizabeth was about ten years old. Jane and Lizzy had been staying with Madeline and me in London, and I told you how fascinated Elizabeth had been by my warehouse. She wanted to understand every aspect of the business."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"I even taught her a little bookkeeping, and she delighted in it."
"Lizzy was always a very curious child," Mrs Bennet said without looking at her brother, pretending to busy herself arranging the contents of the wardrobe.
His expression grew serious once more.
"Your reply has remained with me ever since. Please, Fanny, this is serious. Sit down," Mr Gardiner said, unable to conceal a trace of exasperation as he watched his sister do everything she could to avoid him.
Mrs Bennet obeyed and took the chair opposite her brother, but she could not bring herself to meet his eyes.
"You said, 'She is like her mother in many things.'
"I do not remember saying any such thing." It was the only answer Fanny could bring herself to give.
"I knew that Eleanor had managed the Longbourn accounts and had assisted with the administration of the estate. Naturally, I made the connection."
"Edward... please," Mrs Bennet whispered, no longer able to hold back her tears.
"But because I believed Eleanor had died many years before, I dismissed the thought and never questioned you further."
Without looking at her brother, Fanny took out her handkerchief and silently wiped away her tears.
"Fanny, please. You know perfectly well what I am talking about," Mr Gardiner said, his patience beginning to wear thin.
"I told you, I do not remember saying any such thing," she replied nervously. "You know me, Edward. When I am agitated, I say all sorts of things. Besides, Lizzy has always known exactly how to try my patience."
Edward rose slowly to his feet.
"I shall be perfectly frank with you, Fanny."
He held her gaze. "I need to know, is Elizabeth Eleanor's daughter?"
He allowed the question to hang in the air.
"She bears no resemblance to any of her sisters. More importantly, I recently met a member of the Sinclair family."
His voice became quieter.
"Only a blind man could fail to see that Elizabeth is one of them."
He took a step towards his sister.
"Please tell me the truth. You need not concern yourself about Thomas. I shall deal with him."
Mrs Bennet burst into tears. Struggling to compose herself, she told her brother her side of the story.
"My second daughter was stillborn, and old Eustace gave Eleanor's baby to one of our tenant families.
I knew nothing of what was happening, Edward.
During the last month of my pregnancy, I was confined to my room because of my delicate condition.
By the time my daughter was born, Eleanor had already disappeared. "
She wiped away her tears.
"What could I do, brother? The only thing I could think of was to protect that poor little girl who had been left without both her father and her mother."
Her voice trembled.
"When Elizabeth was three years old, a letter arrived from Canada. I told Thomas that he ought to tell his sister what Eustace had done, but he insisted that the letter contained news that Eleanor had died."
"I cannot believe it," Mr Gardiner murmured.
Mrs Bennet sighed, and her brother gently took her hands in his to comfort her.
"You cannot imagine what I felt when I discovered she was alive."
Fresh tears filled her eyes.
"I have not been a perfect mother, Edward, but I have always loved Elizabeth, and I cannot bear the thought of seeing her suffer."
She gave a nervous little laugh.
"Since she was a little girl, she has contradicted nearly everything I have said and ignored most of my advice, but she is my daughter. I shall not allow anyone to break her heart."
Looking at her brother, she added quietly,
"I know I am only a silly woman, as Mr Bennet so often reminds me, but I hope we can resolve this dreadful situation with Elizabeth's feelings foremost in our minds."
"Do not worry, Fanny. I feel exactly the same. If Elizabeth is ever to learn this terrible secret, it must be done with the greatest consideration for her feelings."
He squeezed her hands reassuringly.
"And thank you for loving and protecting her all these years. Elizabeth loves you dearly, and that tells me everything I need to know. Whatever your faults, you have been a good mother to her."
"Thank you, brother."
Mr Gardiner left his sister's room and stepped out into the garden, needing fresh air before facing the conversation that still lay ahead of him.
He had come to Longbourn intending to speak with Thomas, and he suspected it would be one of the most unpleasant conversations of his life.
From the window of her room, Elizabeth watched her uncle pacing slowly up and down the garden paths.
Nearly an hour earlier, she had heard muffled voices coming from her mother's room, followed by the sound of her weeping.
Her uncle, usually so cheerful, had spoken very little during the journey from London. Whenever she had asked the purpose of his unexpected visit to Hertfordshire, he had answered only in vague and evasive terms.
Something was happening.
She was certain of it.
And somehow, she felt that it concerned her.
Perhaps her present life was far from perfect, but it was the only one she had ever known.
The thought of discovering that everything she believed about herself might be false filled her with dread.
Better, she thought, to cling to an imperfect certainty than to face an unknown truth.
After collecting his thoughts, Mr Gardiner decided to delay no longer and went to speak with his brother-in-law.
Mr Gardiner knocked on the study door.
"Come in."
Edward entered and closed the door behind him.
"Good morning, Thomas. I need to speak with you. It is a private matter."
Mr Bennet looked up from the papers spread across his desk and raised an eyebrow.
"Indeed? Then it must be something of extraordinary importance for you to have travelled all the way from London, knowing what an exceedingly busy man I am."
He leaned back comfortably in his chair.
"I only hope it is not another conversation about poor Ella. I must confess that subject has become rather tiresome."
Mr Gardiner looked at him steadily.
"You are quite right, Thomas. It is something of extraordinary importance, and it concerns Eleanor."
He took a step closer.
"And I do not care in the least whether the subject bores you."
Mr Bennet's smile faded.
"I see."
"I believe you had better sit down and listen very carefully," Mr Gardiner continued. "Because what I have to say concerns not only Eleanor, but Elizabeth as well."
Mr Bennet settled back in his chair, then remained silent, waiting to hear what his brother-in-law had to say.
"For many years, I have suspected that Elizabeth was not your daughter," Mr Gardiner said gravely. "I remained silent because I believed Eleanor was dead, just as you told us. Fanny has now confirmed that you adopted Lizzy after your father placed her with one of your tenant families."
He fixed his brother-in-law with a steady gaze.
"I am not here to judge you. I have just one question. Does Eleanor know that Elizabeth is her daughter?"
After a brief pause, he added, "Please do not lie to me, Thomas. I know you far better than you imagine."
"No, she does not," Mr Bennet admitted.
He leaned back in his chair with a sigh.
"When Eleanor disappeared, I never heard from her again, so I assumed she was dead. Since her return, I have intended to tell her the truth. But before I do, I must be certain that Elizabeth will be all right."
Mr Gardiner remained silent for a moment before replying.
"I want you to understand something very clearly. If you do not tell Eleanor the truth, I shall. I will not carry a secret like this to my grave."
Thomas looked at him thoughtfully.
"Give me one month, Edward. I need time to prepare Elizabeth and decide how best to tell my sister everything."
In truth, he wanted only to gain time. Elizabeth was the only advantage he still possessed in his dealings with Eleanor, whose fortune and influence now far exceeded his own.