The week at the Soho Manufactory ended, the tradesmen were proud of their Heir and satisfied to be associated with Mr. Darcy, a gentleman whom treated them like equals.
Farther up north, Bingley remained the quietest of the men, no silliness in his life. He and his family toiled on with their responsibilities in the alliance. There was no end to their creativity. Their activity caused the first failure of Winthrop’s coalition. Surprisingly, the Falcon’s group, without the support of many tradesmen, needed the lifting of the trade embargo with America. In fact, without it, they continued to spiral downwards while Darcy’s alliance continued to succeed.
An early August dinner party at Darcy House ended well, after much of the discussion focused on the war declared by America on the 16th day of June, two days after Parliament had lifted the trade embargo. Darcy had repeatedly complained to Keir about the necessity for his telegraph to cross the oceans. He had previously joked about the cost of the slow delivery of Rawlings’ letter, but now lives were at stake. Had America received word of Parliament’s action, then the war would not have happened.
On a lighter note, everyone enjoyed the experiments conducted after dinner, except that everyone missed Mr. Gardiner and his easygoing manner. He, his wife, and Miss Elizabeth had left for a trip to the Lake Country. The partners, including Gardiner, planned to meet up at Pemberley in four days time, on August 6, to rethink what the war would mean to their alliance. Darcy invited not only the partners, but also many members of Kent and Bingley’s families to his country home as well.
When the dinner guests finally departed for their homes, Rawlings stayed. He had an important message to convey.
“She has had a change of heart.”
“Who?” Darcy asked.
“Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
Darcy sat upright. He held his breath until his friend continued.
“I have it on good authority, Gardiner that is, Miss Elizabeth is no longer angry with a certain young man.”
“Is it Blake or me?”
“Gardiner would not say. I believe he is a little cautious, especially when it comes to his nieces. I suspect he is trying to discover if the young man is still interested.”
“Have you told Blake?”
“No! I am hoping it is you she has had a change of heart over.”
“But if it is Blake…”
“I hope not. You have changed into the kind of man that deserves her. Blake is still the same man, still proud, and a little arrogant. I will tell you another secret.”
Darcy jerked his head up.
“She will be in Lambton the day after tomorrow. They will be staying at the Red Rooster Inn. Logan has set up horses for you along the way. If you leave now, you will be able to see her before the entire alliance descends upon Pemberley. Go to her, tonight.”
Darcy shook his head.
Rawlings stood and grasped his friend’s shoulder. “Go. Find her. Find out if you are the man she wants. You will arrive several days ahead us. Do not let this opportunity pass. Oh, and tell her about you being a selfish being all your life, and all those other things you told me months ago. Women like to hear men grovel. I promise you, the passionate reward is worth it. And do not say anything that would make her ashamed of who she is or where she comes from. Tell her how your life is gray, and nothing tastes good and music is dull, and all that boring talk. You remember, it is what you told me. Now say it all to her!”
Darcy nodded slowly.
Rawlings took his leave, careful to hide behind a nearby bush, where he was able to watch any inhabitants of Darcy House leave. He did not have to wait long. Darcy was out of the door and upon his horse in less than a quarter hour, and he was dressed for a long. Rawlings hummed a tune as he made his way home.
“Excuse me, sir. No one is permitted to enter tonight.”
“It is imperative I speak to your master. It is urgent, and cannot wait.”
“Very well.”
“What are you doing here and at this time of night?” Blake asked. The muscles in his neck were taut.
Dressed in his traveling clothes, Darcy held his hat in his hand. “I have come to confess, and to offer you hope.”
Chapter Twenty-four
Blake led the way to the sitting room he used to greet acquaintances, a room designed to discourage visitors from overstaying their welcome. His friends, he took to his library where the surfeit of books surprised anyone entering the room. The library contained comfortable chairs and sofas, filled beverage decanters, and a fire blazing at all times during the cool weather, or filled with flowers during the spring and summer. The room he led Darcy to contained the hardest of chairs, the smallest of fires, and the gloomiest of colors. He motioned for his former friend to sit.
Once in the room, Blake turned towards Darcy, who had sat down in the most uncomfortable of chairs. “What do you want? Another favor? Another scheme? Another chance to betray me?”
Darcy held his head steady, but did not raise his chin high. “No. I… came on a different matter, and one of importance to you. I… have news about someone, although not all the details were provided.”
“I assume you mean her?” Blake chose the chair the greatest distance away from his former friend.
“Yes.”
“Well, what is it? My time is valuable. Do not keep me waiting. I believe you mentioned a confession? What else have you have done?”
“I concealed the whole truth. On the balcony at Netherfield Park I… I…” Darcy hung his head, no longer able to say the words he needed to say.
“Speak up. I am in no mood for you drag this out or to mull this over. Say what you came to say and be done with it. Then be on your way.”
Darcy raised his head and caught sight of Blake’s glare. “On the balcony that night, when I spoke of your dire financial condition, I did so only after Mrs. Bennet had opened the door to the balcony. I believed she was—”
“Wait! You mean to tell me Mrs. Bennet overheard you accuse me of being penniless? Is that what you are trying to say?”
Darcy shook his head. “Yes, but... in fact it is worse than that. I deliberately made the comment when she appeared. I believed she was mercenary in all respects, and I thought you were going to offer something other than marriage. So, yes, I did consider her useful in protecting Miss Elizabeth.”
Blake shrugged. “But what of it? I admitted to my own personal wealth, which does not compare to yours, but is sufficient. And I do have a title, unlike you. Mrs. Bennet would prefer her daughter to be duchess than a mere wealthy Mrs.”
“She left the moment after I spoke. She never heard the whole truth.”
Blake jumped up, pulled Darcy to his feet, and shook him. “You cur! Why did you not tell me this before? I would have threatened to destroy Longbourn if Mrs. Bennet did not give me the information about her whereabouts. I would have been more forceful. My God. She may have told Elizabeth.”
“Blake—”
“No wonder she ran from me. My God.”
“Blake! Think man! You do not know if she had actually gone to town. Remember Mrs. Bennet is the one who told you she had. She may have been trying to protect her daughter from a life of poverty, and kept her away from meeting you through a lie.”
“Yes. You did a wonderful job depicting me as the worst kind of peer. Damn. I remember now. You even suggested I might have to live off the Bennets. You…” Blake’s fist landed on Darcy’s chin, knocking him to the floor.
“I do not know what Mrs. Bennet did, but I…”
Blake pulled Darcy to his feet. “All this time!” Blake’s fist landed on his chin again.
“Get up you cur. Get up so I can knock you down again.”
Darcy rose to his feet but before Blake could level him with his right fist he yelled, “Please, call me a scoundrel, call me a cur, but cease from crying out ‘all this time’ with every punch. I am sorry. There is no excuse for what I have done. But hold up before you hit me again. I have more to tell you
, something that may offer you hope.”
“What is it? I will not strike you again until you have spoken; besides, there is no satisfaction in beating a man who will not fight back.”
“I do not fight back, because I have earned every blow. I have news of Miss Elizabeth and her feelings towards a gentleman.”
Blake froze.
“Tonight, I learned she has had a change of heart with a gentleman. But I admit I do not know who he is.”
“How do you know this?”
“Mr. Gardiner has been most secretive about his nieces, but just recently he shared the news with Rawlings.”
“Why tell me? Go ask her. Find out before you get my hopes up.”
Darcy shook his head. “No! It is not that simple. How do I make you understand?” He wiped the blood from his lip with his handkerchief. “She needs to speak to you before she makes any decision, and especially one which may fall in my favor. She needs to be told the truth. I cannot consider a future with her if deep down she regrets you. Would you want her if she had regrets about me? You would not, and neither do I. I want her to be happy, whether with you or me. I love her, but I do not want only duty and obligation. I could never bear being married to her, and all the while she is wishing it was you... at her side.”
“So? What am I supposed to do? Why should I help alleviate your fears?”
“How can I not give you the opportunity to win her? Blake! Do you want the chance or not? I cannot tell you which of us she prefers, but are you not desirous of finding out? Do you want her to accept me when you may have won her heart?”
Blake took a seat. “Tell me everything you know.”
Darcy explained his deceptive role as her protector, described the desire he had for her, his proposal, her manner of refusal, his letter he wrote to her, what Gardiner had said about his niece, and finally the arrangements Rawlings had made. He offered to provide a letter for Logan demanding that he make the horses available to Blake. Although his former friend listened politely, Darcy sensed the bond of friendship they once shared was lost forever. Blake’s cold demeanor left no doubt of his feelings.
Darcy touched Blake’s shoulder, “Go to her. Tell her you feelings; tell her the truth. I promise to do the same when I arrive in two days after you. She should know everything before she commits herself to any man.”
***
Rawlings moved down the stairs to enter his carriage for the two-day trip to Pemberley. He had not stopped smiling since helping Darcy two days ago. The footman had just reached to open the door when he heard a whistle.
“Rawlings, wait!”
Shocked, Rawlings turned to face the man he had assumed was almost to Pemberley by this time. “Darcy, why are you here? You look horrible. What happened?”
“I have much to tell. Shall we ride together?” Darcy pointed to the carriage with his head.
Rawlings nodded and the two men climbed inside.
“I am at a loss. I admit I waited that night to see if you would leave. Did you change your mind?”
“No. I visited with Blake.”
Rawlings jerked back into his cushion. “Blake? Why?”
“Because it is as much his right to find out as it is mine. I have done enough damage.”
“What happened? Is Blake on his way?”
“No.”
“I must hear all. I know I am a gossipy old dowager, but I will not let you leave this carriage until you give me the whole story.”
“I expected, and received, a right punch to my jaw. Blake has an unquestionably strong punch.” Darcy wiggled his jaw. “In fact, he pummeled me quite rightly. Did I tell you I punched him months ago?”
“No!”
“You had left for America. Blake arrived on my doorstep, drunk I might add, and I landed a right fist on his chin as hard as I could. He did not deserve it, and that is another of my sins I will forever regret.”
“We all have sins, Darcy. You digress. What happened with Blake this time?”
“Blake allowed me to enter his home. Of course, I piqued his interest when I admitted I had something to confess.”
Sighing, Rawlings shook his head.
“I told him the truth. All of it: Mrs. Bennet on the balcony, Kent on the balcony.”
“Wait! Kent was on the balcony?”
“Yes. He heard it all and watched Mrs. Bennet’s reaction. He knew! Yes. He knew what I had done. I am surprised he continued to connect himself to me.”
“Bah! Kent has his own agenda. So, that is when you received the blows—after you confessed your great sin of being a jealous man.”
“Needless to say, yes. Blake kept saying ‘All this time. All this time.’ He repeated it over and over with every punch until I had to yell at him to shut up.”
“No!”
“Well, politely.”
“Go on. Do not stop now.”
I told him of my feelings for Miss Elizabeth, and how I believed my dealings were deliberate, without acknowledging even to myself the real reason behind my actions. I wanted him to fail, because I wanted her. I caught Blake off-guard when I admitted attempting to warn her about him at Netherfield Park, but she refused to listen.”
“He was surprised? I was not. You were most entertaining!”
“I could have used a bit more enlightenment.”
“I shall not hold back in the future. Was there anything else you told him?”
“I explained that it was not until one night while visiting my Aunt in Kent I finally decided to seek her out. Before then, I never once pursued her. After my thrashing, I mentioned the word hope. I carefully told him what you said. Once I explained how Mr. Gardiner indicated Miss Elizabeth has had a change of mind over a particular young man, his entire countenance changed, his face brightened. You must understand how important hope is to a man.”
Rawlings leaned forward and with the gentleness of voice said, “You may have raised his hopes when there is no hope she will chose him.”
“Every man needs hope, Rawlings. Everyman. Well, I gave him the plans on where to meet Logan. I warned him several times though, Gardiner did not name the young man, and for all I know, it could be Mr. Goulding.”
Rawlings opened his mouth to speak when Darcy’s body suddenly stiffened. “Good God!”
“What?”
“Wickham. I had not thought of Wickham. That scoundrel is still loose in the world. Oh my God. She had befriended that rake.”
“Settle down. Do not worry so. Mr. Gardiner indicated he was a young man who had stayed at Netherfield Park.
Breathing easier, Darcy stared out the window. “I should have warned her father at least about Wickham. He was always sniffing around Longbourn.”
“I tried to warn Mr. Bennet, but unfortunately my attempt came immediately after the waltz. He was not in a mood to listen, and to be honest, he believed Wickham over you.”
“I could have explained Wickham’s behavior to him in a way you could not. But I never felt his daughters were in danger since they have no fortune. Damn. That predicament is due to my family. I accused Mr. Gardiner as dishonest. I am the biggest simpleton in all of England. Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner are saints compared to my relatives. My own father had been a member. What a fool I have been.”
A World of Expectations_Book 2_The Confrontation Page 41