“I should hope not.”
She laughed despite her great anxiety.
“It is good to see you smile.”
She looked up at him, wondering what he meant. Was he teasing her? It did not seem like it. His expression was earnest and serious.
She sighed and shook her head. She was in danger of getting distracted and she could not afford to let that happen.
“So what happens now? It is a shame that the matter was not concluded last night.” She shivered. Or was it? Perhaps it might be preferable now to draw it out for as long as possible.
He grunted.
At that moment, she would have given up all the money in England to be able to forget her worries and hurry off into the meadows that were just visible beyond the stand of trees that separated the parkland from Bingley’s private demesne.
“Miss Bennet, I can see you are still worrying. You have my word that I will not allow this marriage to take place. It is unthinkable.”
“That is a noble thing to say, Mr. Darcy, but you cannot stop it.”
“You are worrying about something that has not happened.”
“But he alluded to it. Last night. That is why you were so reluctant to discuss what you talked about him, is it not?”
He ignored her, which told her everything she needed to know. “You do not need to agree to it. I cannot see Bingley casting you out of this house if you refuse. Hardy is an abomination. And you have told me yourself of your desire to keep this from your father.”
“My father has nothing to do with it.”
“Exactly. And your brother-in-law is unlikely to cast you out. So you have no reason for concern. If he seeks your hand, you may simply refuse him. No-one will give it a second thought—he is no gentleman.”
Elizabeth was so maddened by this that she stood and hurried to the mantle, where even the spitting flames could not distract her from her pain. “I cannot understand how you do not see! Yes, I am free to reject his proposal. But what does that mean? You were there at dinner last night. You must know we attended purely because we had no choice. It is the same in this situation—if Hardy proposes marriage to me, then I have very little choice but to accept.”
“Of course you have a choice!”
She stared up into his dark brown eyes, searching for any hint of recognition in them. She found none. Disillusioned, she turned away again.
“I do not,” she whispered. “Do you realise what will happen if we cannot convince Hardy to forgive some of the debt?”
“I cannot think of a finer place for Wickham. Debtor’s prison shall suit him perfectly.”
Elizabeth sighed. “I agree with you. I think there is no better place for Wickham than debtors’ prison.”
“So it is your sister, then. You are worried about what will become of her. There now—we have made progress.”
“In what sense?”
“Well, perhaps we can send her somewhere far away. Somewhere that the scandal will not follow.”
“My goodness, Darcy,” she gasped. “It seems there were two entirely different conversations at that house last night. What did Hardy tell you—that he would simply allow my sister to go?”
His expression darkened. “What do you mean?”
She sighed, not sure if she was ready to set in motion the consequences that would naturally flow from what she was about to say. But she had to tell somebody. The burden was becoming too great. “Mr. Darcy, I am about to tell you something even more shocking than the news that Mr. Hardy is not married to that girl. First I would like you to assure me that you will not tell Bingley or my sister until we have discussed it and agreed on what to do. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“And do I have your word?”
“Yes. I give you my word that I shall not repeat what you are about to tell me.”
She stared at him. “Miss Price—the girl we believed was Hardy’s wife—she became a lot more talkative when we took our leave of you last night. She told us that Hardy intends to take the children and put them to work in the mines. She said he told her not to tell us anything but that she wanted to prepare us all for life as beggars.”
“Dear Lord,” he gasped. “Is she quite mad?”
“I cannot answer that, Mr. Darcy, but it seemed to me she was telling the truth. It was the same as when she told us she was unmarried. There was a glint in her eyes as if she was very much enjoying watching our reactions. She was lucid—I would swear an oath on it.”
“How many children?” Darcy asked after a long silence.
“Does it matter?”
“I suppose not.”
“So you see,” she said listlessly. “If my suspicions are correct, I shall soon face an impossible choice. Sacrifice my own happiness and marry that man, or see those poor children subjected to a life of hardship and misery.”
Chapter Ten
Perhaps it was a good thing that Miss Bingley hurried into the library at that moment. For what else was there to say? Elizabeth was loath to dwell on her misfortunes and by then Darcy knew as much as she did.
“There you are!” Miss Bingley trilled. She smiled brightly but she could not fully hide her indignation. “What are both doing in here? Ha! You are the last two people I would expect to have anything to discuss.”
Elizabeth glanced at Mr. Darcy to see his reaction. She was surprised to find he was watching her and not their companion.
She looked away quickly. Their discussion had roiled up strange emotions within her and she did not wish to remain in Miss Bingley’s company.
“I think I shall go and dine now. Excuse me.”
“If you must. Mr. Darcy, I shall keep you company. I have wanted to ask you so many questions about your travels. How thrilling it must have been!”
Elizabeth was halfway to the door when Darcy cleared his throat and said rather hurriedly, “I shall join you, Miss Bennet. I have not eaten a thing all morning and I am rather famished.”
* * *
They found Jane and the Collinses at the breakfast table. Of course, Miss Bingley had decided to join them. Elizabeth shot a warning look at the others and prayed that they would not say anything that undid her hard work from earlier that morning. She did not particularly like Miss Bingley, but all the same it had been difficult for her to speak so impertinently to the woman.
“You appear well-rested, my dear,” Elizabeth cried, relieved beyond measure to see the improvement in Jane’s appearance. The dark marks beneath her eyes were still there, but they were less pronounced than before.
“Yes, Lizzy. Why, I was so thoroughly exhausted that I did not even recall your arrival! Can you believe it? What a delight it is to have you here with us again!”
“It is a delight to be here.”
Jane’s expression darkened. “Of course, these are not ideal circumstances but we shall muddle through. I must thank you for offering to…” she glanced at Miss Bingley and fell silent.
“To read to you,” Elizabeth said quickly. “But of course. You are my sister. I wish to assist in any way I can.”
In a way, she was relieved that Miss Bingley was present. She was loath to lie to Jane, but she did not know how to broach the truth with her sweet sister. At least now they did not have to discuss it.
Not that they could avoid it forever.
Every time she thought of James Hardy, a hard knot formed in her throat. As much as she wanted to believe Darcy and Bingley might help to come up with a solution, she could not. What could they do?
If only, Elizabeth thought, we had taken Miss Bingley with us. Perhaps Hardy might have set his sights on her.
She dismissed that thought almost as soon as it entered her mind. As much as she disliked Miss Bingley, she would never wish such a fate on the woman. She would not wish such a thing on any woman, no matter how wicked or cruel.
“This bread is wonderful, Jane.”
“Thank you, Lizzy. It is our housekeeper’s family recipe. She entrusts it
only to a few select maids who must guard it and not disclose it to other houses. We are rather lucky to have found her.”
“A good housekeeper is indispensable,” said Mr. Collins, who had none.
“Oh come on now,” Miss Bingley said with a sly smile. “You must recall that Mr. Darcy is with us. I am sure he does not wish to be bored by such dull domestic details. After all, it is a wife’s duty to preside over that aspect of a household.”
“Actually, Miss Bingley, I believe a good housekeeper is vital to the smooth running of a great estate. Along with a competent valet and steward, of course.”
They all looked at Darcy in surprise. He gave no indication of having noticed.
“It must be tedious, Mr. Darcy. I imagine you would very much like to have a wife on whom to delegate such trivialities.”
Elizabeth could not help but recall the great furore Darcy’s arrival in Meryton had caused all those years earlier. She smiled to herself. There had been such a great commotion. Even after he had revealed himself to be a deeply prideful man, the mothers of Meryton had still paraded their daughters in front of him in the hopes of securing a wealthy son-in-law.
“I imagine there are a great many wives-in-waiting standing by to take on the task of managing your household, Mr. Darcy.”
Miss Bingley looked at her sharply. “Of course, it must be difficult for a man of Mr. Darcy’s station. So many young ladies have ideas above their station. Mr. Darcy could not marry just anyone, of course.”
He cleared his throat. “Thank you, Miss Bingley, but I must assure you that there is no such hoard waiting in the shadows.”
Miss Bingley smiled as if he had complimented her. The others resumed eating, except for the Collinses who appeared to have finished a long time before Elizabeth arrived.
“How is your darling sister, Mr. Darcy? I have not seen much of her since your departure.”
“She is well. She is married to a pleasant young man in Scotland.”
“A well-bred young man, I trust?”
Elizabeth glanced at Darcy, wondering if this was a subtle reference to what he had told her earlier. To her surprise, he looked straight at her and smiled slightly. She was somewhat surprised by the sense of camaraderie that seemed to have grown between them.
“Of course, Miss Bingley.”
“Ah, that is a relief. You see, some young ladies can be frightfully silly in their choice of husband.” She paused and seemed to mull over this for a moment. “But then you would have been rather vigilant, I suspect. Some young ladies have errant families who fail to protect them. It is regrettable.” She looked at Elizabeth when she said this—as if any further proof was needed that she was referring to Lydia’s unfortunate fate.
My goodness, Elizabeth thought, this is what she is capable of saying when she has no knowledge of what has come to pass with James Hardy. How fortunate that we agreed to keep the truth from her!
Or, is it possible that she has found out the truth despite our efforts to keep it from her?
She looked around. Nobody had dared to rebuke Miss Bingley for fear of drawing attention to the sensitivity of the matter.
The room suddenly grew too hot for Elizabeth. She scraped her chair back and stood, even though her meal was barely half finished.
“I am going to walk in the grounds.”
“Walk? But it is raining!”
“What does it matter? I shall not melt.”
Miss Bingley laughed spitefully. “Of course not. But you shall be a frightful sight—damp and covered in mud. You have not changed, Eliza. I recall a time in the past when you turned up looking like a beggar!”
Elizabeth took a breath and ignored the comment. She nodded at the rest of the group and moved towards the door.
She had only gone a few paces when she heard another chair scrape back against the stone floor.
“I shall join you, Miss Bennet,” Darcy muttered.
Chapter Eleven
None of the others reacted, though if Caroline Bingley’s expression was any indicator, that woman was scandalised beyond measure. Elizabeth walked through the house feeling an odd sense of triumph despite the very grave dilemma that still plagued her.
“She does not know,” Darcy said, as soon as they had gotten outdoors.
“Do you mean Miss Bingley?”
“Yes. She does not know what has happened.”
She took a deep breath, relishing the damp earthiness of it. It was not the wisest idea to go walking in the rain, but she could not resist. So long as they returned soon and took hot baths there should be no ill-effects. The raindrops were light but plentiful—the trees in the distance were blurry and indistinct in the mist.
“How can you be so sure? I told myself that she did not know, but you must agree that her mentioning my sister is strange. Perhaps she has overheard us talking.”
“I do not think she has. She is indebted to her brother for his kindness to her. She is too shrewd to make light of something that is currently weighing so heavily on him. It is my opinion that she wished to lash out at you and it was simply the easiest weapon she could find. In her mind, your sister’s elopement happened so far in the past she felt comfortable taunting you about it without aggrieving her brother.”
“My goodness, Mr. Darcy,” she gasped, staring up at him. His assessment was flawless now she dwelt on it.
“You seem rather surprised.”
“I am.” They walked on and she felt her spirits improve. He moved at a lively pace and she was beginning to feel short of breath—a sensation she welcomed in this trying time. “To be frank, I believed you were a man of few words so it is somewhat astonishing to hear you share such a comprehensive view.”
“I got the impression that you needed to be reassured.”
She smiled up at him, feeling again that there was some alliance between them now.
Many thoughts and theories flitted through her head, but Elizabeth kept them to herself. It was not that she did not trust him with her ideas. No, she was finding the companionable silence between them almost too delightful for words and she did not wish to spoil it by referring to their current troubles.
It was only when the mist became a downpour that she reluctantly suggested that they might return to the house before they caught colds.
* * *
It was late afternoon by the time the bathtub had been brought to her room and she had bathed for long enough to feel the coldness ebb away. Her solitary walk with Darcy had been strangely joyous, but now reality was beginning to sink in again. When she was dressed, she hurried downstairs to the drawing-room.
Bingley, Jane, Darcy and the Collinses were all present, and to judge from the looks on their faces they had been waiting for her.
Elizabeth flushed. “I am sorry if I have kept you waiting.”
“You have not. Darcy has just arrived and I have spent most of the day upstairs with my wife discussing the events of last night.”
Elizabeth and Darcy traded glances. He shook his head slightly and she felt a burst of relief which was rather short-lived. Darcy had not told them everything she had shared, but they still needed to know. She dreaded seeing Bingley’s reaction.
“Where is your sister, Charles? I trust she shall not interrupt us?”
“No, she will not. I have sent her to the village to speak to the apothecary. She was not at all pleased.”
“I imagine she was not. But we have agreed that the best course of action is to keep the truth from her and do all we can to prevent her suspicions from being roused.”
“I agree wholeheartedly. It is no great hardship for her. She has taken the carriage.”
“Then we must be quick. There is no time to lose.”
She glanced at Mary, who would not meet her gaze. At least they could help each other tell the wicked tale, she supposed, if Mary did not retreat into herself and refuse to even participate in the conversation.
She looked up and caught the glance that had just passed betwe
en Darcy and Bingley. She stared at them in dismay, having not missed its significance. It was clear that she and Mary were not the only ones that had been party to a difficult conversation the night before—no matter what Darcy had reassured her.
She crossed the room and sat on Jane’s other side. “Perhaps you ought to rest. You are in no condition to talk about that wicked man.”
“No, Lizzy,” Jane cried, with no small amount of passion. “I already feel like I abandoned you by remaining here. It concerns my family and I must hear it.”
Elizabeth glanced at her sister’s swollen belly and sighed. If she had been in Jane’s position, she would have wanted to hear the truth too. “Then let us begin. And let us swear to each other that there shall be no secrets when it comes to this matter. That is the only way we can hope to resolve it satisfactorily.”
Charles looked at Darcy. He cleared his throat. “He spoke a lot about Miss Bennet when you took your leave of us. Of course—he did not know that you and she are one and the same. I believe that is the main reason for Darcy’s hesitance when it came to telling you what had gone on.”
“Of course it was!” Darcy interrupted. “It was the most impertinent… I am sure the ladies will agree that I say no more on that particular topic.”
Elizabeth shuddered. It felt as if a clammy hand had just run up her back. She glanced at her sister who seemed not to have grasped the true meaning of what her husband had just said.
Good, Elizabeth thought. Better that she never knows. Though I cannot see how she can remain ignorant if I am to marry… she shuddered.
“Yes, I agree,” she said quickly. “But please, do not omit anything pertinent.”
Bingley nodded and continued. He spoke at length about what they had learnt. It seemed Wickham’s debts were worse than what any of them had thought. The figure mentioned dwarfed the settlement they had needed to make in order to induce Wickham to marry their sister. The ladies gasped when they heard it.
Darcy’s Second Chance Page 5