Chapter 21 #2
Darcy looked at his uncle, trying to comprehend his meaning.
He prefered not to enquire further but a sense of restlessness and anxiety enveloped him.
He did not dare imagine anything more than a friendship with Elizabeth.
She was too pained, too tormented, too distrustful of men to even consider anything more.
He had promised her support, comfort and friendship and this is what he offered her.
She seemed content with their relationship and pleased to be in his company.
She appeared to trust him with her deepest secrets and fears.
More than once she had confessed things to him that she had not shared with anybody else.
But his feelings and desires had never changed.
No other woman aroused his interest, nor touched his heart.
And his hopes for the future, his notion of happiness were tightly bonded to her.
When she married and he thought he had lost her forever, his heart was broken, then filled with worry, knowing Barrington’s true character.
Or so he believed. The reality proved to be even worse than his knowledge, his imagination and his fears.
He was reunited with her under the most tragic circumstances and slowly he had learned to live near her; close, but still keeping a certain distance. Their tumultuous past had built a strong bond and a mutual understanding that others could not reach.
Now, the mere thought that she might one day choose another—perhaps his own cousin—and he would lose her again while still remaining somehow close to her—cut him inside like a merciless blade. The pain was unbearable and he struggled to banish it.
“So, are we going to your house?”
“Yes.”
“Your aunt mentioned something about hosting a dinner and inviting Lady Barrington and her family,” the earl continued. “Robert very much supported the idea. Do you think Lady Barrington would agree?”
“Lady Barrington seemed honoured to meet my aunt and she and Robert have always been friends. So it is very likely she will accept, as soon as she is ready to be in company.”
“Yes, yes, your aunt told me about her appearance...I cannot understand how it is possible for an educated man, who lives among the highest class of people, to hurt a woman? If Barrington was my son I would have whipped his pitiful buttocks!”
“No son of my mother would have ever been disrespectful to women. A mere rude word would have elicited a proper punishment,” the viscount added.
“True! And this is how it should be! By the way, I will share the details of the incident at the club with Lady Matlock! I am sure she will convey her opinion to Blackmore's mother. Despite his age, he still could benefit from some motherly scolding!” his lordship concluded.
“Indeed. He is not enough of a gentleman to be called out,” the viscount added.
Darcy remained silent. Despite his uncle and cousin’s honest disgust at Barrington’s actions, they did not completely understand the truth.
Elizabeth’s bruises revealed only part of the harm she had suffered; the turmoil that she kept hidden inside concealed invisible, but much deeper wounds.
Sadly, Barrington’s case was not as rare as Lord Matlock suggested.
Yes, his scheme against his wife was unheard of.
But many of those who possessed wealth and power used it to oppress those below them and women—especially servants—were often the recipients of their vicious nature.
And they almost never had a Miss Elizabeth Bennet to protect them, for the price of her own life.
The three arrived at Darcy House and for another hour, Darcy enjoyed his cousin and uncle’s company, with drinks and more conversation on the same subject.
As soon as the guests left, he was handed the note from Bingley, which he opened with the eagerness of a boy, and he did not even realise that his face brightened with delight while he tried to decipher his friend’s careless writing.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth employed much of her day speaking with each servant.
Her heart broke one more time as she noticed the difference in spirits between the Sedgewick and Barrington servants.
The former were polite, easy in manner, ready to speak of their time in the house, of their jobs and of their families and expressed their willingness to further prove their loyalty.
The latter were shy, reticent and distrustful.
Although they had spent much time in the same house, Elizabeth had barely spoken to any of them in the past. The difficult circumstances they had shared seemed to be obstacles, difficult to overcome.
They answered her questions briefly, thanked Elizabeth repeatedly and expressed no other desire except ‘whatever the mistress decides’.
Even her attempt to speak privately with Libby was mostly a failure. The girl refused to provide more details about her ordeal and assured Elizabeth that all was well and she only wished to embrace her new duties.
Elizabeth did not insist further. She trusted that the present and future patience and kindness would slowly remove the painful traces of the past.
“Your ladyship is very thoughtful,” Mrs. Gilford said. “They will love you as much as they loved Lady Sedgewick.”
“I simply want them to feel safe. To know I have the power to protect them and they will never be harmed again under my care,” Elizabeth replied, her voice burdened with emotions.
“And we will do everything to ensure that your ladyship feels safe with us,” Cece assured her. “Your ladyship may trust us, too!”
Elizabeth knew this to be true. She was relieved to have Cece’s friendship and the housekeeper's loyal support. She needed as many allies as possible to win her battles.
Late in the afternoon, Bingley and Jane returned and, although it was still early, everyone changed for dinner, waiting for their guest.
Darcy arrived at the agreed hour and, although she expected him, his entrance took Elizabeth’s breath away. Puzzled and embarrassed, wondering about her reaction and this feeling she had never known before, she forced a polite smile as she welcomed him.
For his part, Darcy did not appear any more composed either. He greeted them all, but his eyes seemed reluctant to leave Elizabeth.
“Darcy, how lovely to have you here! You have been missed!” Bingley declared joyfully. “Did I mention that Jane and I have moved in here?”
“Yes, you did, in your note. I believe it was an excellent idea. I hope you all have settled in comfortably,” he said, looking mostly at Elizabeth.
“Very comfortably,” she replied, chills running along her skin while their eyes locked.
“The house is stunning,” Bingley continued.
“It looks very elegant,” Darcy offered. “I am glad you have found everything to your liking.”
While Bingley offered Darcy a drink, Elizabeth gained enough composure to say, “Mr. Darcy, I confess that, besides enjoying your company for dinner, I invited you today with another purpose. As much as I am embarrassed to ask for your help again, I am afraid I must.”
A frown of worry changed his expression. “Please remember I am always at your disposal. How may I assist you?”
“While discussing matters with Cece, I realised there is even more to this inheritance than I expected. Apparently, there are a total of six properties in the Sedgewick trust, not including this one. I have requested a meeting with the solicitors and Mr. Finch to establish what is the best way to take it forward.”
He breathed in relief, as he feared something awful had occurred. He sipped from his glass and nodded. “Such a large fortune might easily become a burden. A meeting at this early stage would be very useful.”
“I believe so too. I would kindly ask you, if you have no previous engagements, to join us. Your opinion and advice are valuable to me.”
“Of course, I would be honoured.”
“And I hope you have a little spare time to examine Lady Sedgewick's business ledgers before dinner. Mr. Hoskins and Mr. Finch, as the solicitor and executor, must know the current state of the finances. But before we meet them, I would be grateful to know what you think.”
“Certainly, I would be happy to.”
They all moved into the library. The Bingleys sat on the sofa, Darcy at the large wooden desk, with Elizabeth next to him and Cece at his other side, offering explanations.
“This one is related to the schools. As you can see, the sums from the contributors have diminished in the last year, since Lady Sedgewick’s health declined.”
“Yes,” Darcy said. “Very likely the knowledge that Lord Barrington would be the heir damaged people’s trust in the future of those charities.”
“I imagined as much. And here are the books for each estate, and the expenses for the houses.”
Cece hesitated a moment, then she added. “Lady Sedgewick wished to keep it secret, but I feel I can confide in you all. There is also the small estate that I own—the one where I lived for the last month. Those costs are not in the papers.”
“They should not be, since the cottage is yours,” Elizabeth said. “Does the house have any means to support itself?”
“Yes. There is a housekeeper, a butler, three maids and a gardener that live there permanently. There is an amount of money in my account that produces enough annual income in interest to cover their salaries. For the rest, they support themselves quite well, by growing fruit and vegetables, keeping chickens, pigs and goats. I have a regular correspondence with my housekeeper—they are all loyal and hardworking people.”
“Quite impressive. This would be the ideal way of supporting any household,” Darcy approved. “As Lady Barrington said, anything that belongs to you, Miss Cecilia, is not the subject of our discussion. Now, ladies, please allow me a few moments to look at these figures.”