“I do not believe you. I will grant you that she dislikes me, but she is neither cruel nor unreasonable, and I refuse to believe she would choose for her sisters to suffer rather than even attempt to resolve the issue.”
Mr. Bennet curled his upper lip. “Lizzy has made her sentiments on this matter clear to me. She does not wish to marry you under any circumstances.”
Darcy’s temper was slipping. “Since you will not see reason, I will address myself directly to Miss Elizabeth. Where is she?”
Mr. Bennet smiled in cold triumph. “She is out of your reach. I am the only person who knows where she is, and I will not tell you. Not today, not ever.”
“Then I will make it my business to find her myself,” Darcy snapped.
“You will fail. She does not want you to find her, and I have made certain you cannot hurt her again.”
The man was irrational. There was no other way to explain it. “You are the one who is hurting Miss Elizabeth and your entire family with that attitude,” Darcy said icily. “I can only hope you will come to your senses. Pray send me word when you do.” Darcy stalked out of the library before he said anything worse. Half blind with rage, he nearly ran into Jane Bennet, who must have been drawn there by the raised voices. Mrs. Bennet stood a few feet behind her, fanning herself frantically.
He bowed. This could be an opportunity. “Miss Bennet, I have just been speaking to your father. He has categorically refused my offer to marry Miss Elizabeth and will not even permit me to speak to her. Perhaps you might have better fortune at making him see reason.”
Mrs. Bennet wailed, “Oh, Mr. Bennet! How could you?”
At least she seemed to understand the obvious, that Darcy marrying Elizabeth would solve all their problems. Darcy hoped she would make her husband’s life a misery. Heaven help him, if he had to rely on Mrs. Bennet’s assistance! He added more gently, “Miss Bennet, should he change his mind, I hope I may rely on you to send word to me. I can be reached at Darcy House on Brook Street in London.”
Jane Bennet nodded dumbly, her mouth hanging open with shock.
“I thank you.” As the old servant was still cowering by the door, Darcy let himself out.
Seething, he rode to the end of the lane where it met the main road. The last thing he wanted was to go to an uncomfortable inn for the night. When he had made the plan, he had assumed Mr. Bennet would accept his proposal and they would need to meet further to discuss the settlement. Now there was no reason to stay. He would go back to London tonight, where he could nurse his wounds in privacy and decide what to do next.
Chapter 2
RETURNING TO DARCY House brought him no relief. His own bed was no doubt more comfortable than anything at an inn, but his thoughts were less agreeable. Why had Elizabeth not come to him for help? Was her dislike for him so strong as to make her sacrifice her home and her sisters for it? She must have decided that receiving a letter from him was too improper and not read it, so she would still believe Wickham’s lies and misunderstand his actions towards Bingley. She still hated him.
That possibility cut like a knife, but it was not as sharp as his fear of what might be happening to her now. Mr. Bennet was not sufficiently well off to provide an income for his daughter. At best she might be someone’s companion, a poor relative who was little more than an unpaid servant. Her father might have found her a position as a governess, subject to the whims of her employer, or she might be in service as a nursemaid or lady’s maid. His sparkling Elizabeth, subject to hard work and poor conditions, likely with no more than a half day a week for herself. His gut wrenched.
He jumped out of bed, fleeing the thoughts that tortured him, but he had no place to go. One glass of brandy became two, then three, as he stalked from room to room through the sleeping house seeking solutions to the problem of finding Elizabeth.
Jane Bennet and her mother were the most likely to discover the truth, but he could not simply wait and hope to hear from them. Surely someone at Longbourn must know more. Nothing could ever be kept secret from the servants. He would hire someone to make enquiries. Yes, that was the thing to do.
Was there nothing else he could do? Elizabeth had spoken with fondness of her aunt and uncle Gardiner in London. He even knew where they lived, courtesy of the snobbery of Bingley’s sisters, who loved to repeat their unfashionable address on Gracechurch Street in Cheapside. That would be enough to find them. It was unlikely Elizabeth would be there, or Mrs. Bennet would have told him so, but they might know something.
The brandy finally slowed his mind enough to go back to bed.
After a few fitful hours of sleep, he arose and headed to his solicitor’s office to inquire about a discreet investigator. The solicitor promised to send someone to Darcy that very afternoon.
He returned home, tired and in low spirits. For lack of anything more useful to do, he began to write a list of people in Meryton who might possibly know something about Elizabeth. It would give the investigator a place to start.
The knocker on the front door sounded. It had to be the investigator, since no one else knew he was back in London. But as soon as he saw his butler’s best inscrutable look, he realized he was mistaken. Of course. There was one person who always knew everything, who was no doubt aware of his arrival almost before he himself was. He and Richard had spent years trying to guess how she did it, with no success.
Hobbes announced, “The Countess of Matlock wishes to know if you are at home. She is waiting in the drawing room.”
Darcy groaned. This was not what he needed. He rubbed his temple where an incipient headache loomed and set off to face his formidable aunt.
Lady Matlock sat elegantly on the settee. “Darcy, I had not expected to see you back so soon. I hope you have not been ill. Have you had trouble sleeping?”
He was certain his omniscient aunt somehow knew exactly how late he had been awake. “I am perfectly well. Some unexpected business called me back, and it is keeping me busy.”
“I will try not to delay you, then. I wondered if you had heard anything from Jasper of late.”
Jasper again. Darcy barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes. “Not since the spring, when he told me he would be going away and asked me not to look for him.” He hoped she would take the hint.
Unfortunately, his aunt was perfectly capable of ignoring the most blatant of hints when she chose, and when it came to the subject of her youngest son, she could be as unyielding as marble. “Do you have any suspicion as to where he went?”
“No. He said that he needed to be away from all of us for a time. He is an adult now and can make his own decisions.”
She sighed delicately. “He is, of course, but Jasper can still be so impulsive at times. I have tried not to worry about him, but there is a new concern. He has stopped collecting his allowance. It was to be paid almost two months ago, and he has always collected it immediately in the past. Usually he is in debt by the time it is due.”
Darcy was well aware of his cousin’s tendency to overspend his allowance, since Jasper usually came to him when he needed money urgently. “That is surprising, to be sure, but perhaps he is abroad somewhere it would be difficult to collect the money. No doubt he has friends who are willing to loan him money until he returns.”
“I hope so. It is so uncharacteristic of him, though, and he has not been happy for some time.”
“Perhaps that is why he wanted to get away.” That was more than a guess. But if Jasper were in trouble, all he needed to do was to send word. Elizabeth had no such option, and she was no doubt suffering more than Jasper was. “If I hear anything, I will let you know.”
“I thank you. You have always been very good to Jasper, and I know you are the first one he turns to when he needs help. It has been a comfort to me.”
It was easy to be good to Jasper, since his young cousin was accustomed to his elder brothers telling him he was useless, an embarrassment, and a lazy half-wit. Being good to him consisted of little more
than failing to call him names. “He has a good heart.”
“I agree. But I do not wish to keep you from your urgent business, my dear.”
Relieved that she did not plan to stay longer, he rose and bowed. “It is always an honor, madam.”
THE INVESTIGATOR SEEMED competent enough. Darcy spent half an hour explaining the situation and cautioning him about particular individuals, especially Wickham. Not that there was any obvious reason why Wickham would be involved in Elizabeth’s disgrace and disappearance, but when something unfortunate happened and Wickham was in the vicinity, he usually had something to do with it. The investigator agreed to return with a preliminary report in three days.
But that was not enough, so it was time for some investigation of his own. It took only a few coins placed in the correct hand on Gracechurch Street to discover that Elizabeth’s uncle worked at the publishing house of Gardiner & Howe. At first he thought it must be a mistake. From the disdainful way the Bingley sisters had talked about Elizabeth’s uncle, he had assumed he was a merchant, not a well-known publisher.
He had also expected Mr. Gardiner to be as boorish as Elizabeth’s mother, but instead the man he faced was fashionably attired and poised, as tidy in his appearance as the book-lined office surrounding him. “Mr. Gardiner, I thank you for seeing me. My name is Darcy, and I imagine you are aware of my connection to your niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.” He extended his hand, although he expected Mr. Gardiner would refuse to shake it.
He had been wrong. Mr. Gardiner’s grip was firm. “I am aware of the general situation, of course, although I cannot account for your interest in meeting me. Do sit down,” he said.
“Thank you.” If only his interview with Elizabeth’s father had gone this smoothly! “I have just learned of the malicious gossip concerning Miss Elizabeth and me. Naturally, I went straight to her father and told him I wished to marry her.”
“Very proper,” said Mr. Gardiner with a warm smile. “I am glad to hear it. Am I to assume congratulations are in order?”
“Unfortunately not. Mr. Bennet refused even to consider the possibility of marriage and told me to leave his house.”
Mr. Gardiner’s eyebrows rose. “That is rather surprising. Did he give a reason?”
Darcy laced his fingers together tightly. “He said Miss Elizabeth did not wish to marry me, which may well be true. I am aware she does not hold me in affection, although some of her dislike is based on a misunderstanding. I told Mr. Bennet I would like to speak to Elizabeth directly to see if we might come to an agreement. He refused to tell me where I could find her.”
Mr. Gardiner steepled his fingers. “That sounds unlike my brother-in-law. Are you certain you did not misunderstand? He sometimes expresses opinions not his own simply to see people’s reaction.”
Darcy gave a slight smile. “Miss Elizabeth does the same thing on occasion. I did not misunderstand. He said she was beyond my reach, he was the only one who knows where she is, and he would never tell me. I hoped you might be willing to inform me of her location. I would, of course, agree to have any meeting chaperoned by the person of your choice.”
Mr. Gardiner leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “I might be willing to do so if I knew where she was, but I am as ignorant as you are on that matter.”
Or perhaps he was feigning ignorance. “Surely you must have an address where you write to her. I recall she corresponded regularly with your wife.”
“She did, yes,” said Mr. Gardiner slowly. “She no longer corresponds with anyone in the family.”
Darcy caught his breath. “Not even her sisters?”
“Not even them. It seems unnecessarily strict to me. Some of us are unhappy about it.”
Darcy’s midnight fears roused themselves and grabbed him by the throat. He hesitated, but plunged on. “Mr. Gardiner, I will not be offended if you accuse me of wild imaginings, but the way he said it – that she was beyond my reach – together with his refusal to consider the marriage or to allow me to speak to her made me wonder if...if it is possible Miss Elizabeth accidentally came to some harm after she left Longbourn. Until now, I told myself that was nonsense. But if none of you have heard from her....” He could not say it.
Mr. Gardiner became still for a long minute. “That is a disquieting thought. I feel certain my brother-in-law would not do anything to hurt one of his children, especially Lizzy, who has always been his favorite. But an accident would account for a number of puzzling things.” He shook his head as if to chase the image away. “My instinct is that he would have told us if something had happened to her, but I rather wish you had not put that thought in my head.”
“My apologies. I have lost sleep over it myself, and nothing could make me happier than to be proved wrong.”
Mr. Gardiner cocked his head. “You are concerned for her.” Clearly that surprised him.
“Of course I am! I...” The truth struck him. Mr. Gardiner must think this was only a matter of honor for him. “She never told you, did she?”
“About what?”
“That evening I went to see her, I offered her my hand. She refused me and made certain accusations. My letter to her was a response to those accusations.” Why was he telling this complete stranger something he held so close he had not even told Richard, and only told Bingley under duress? It felt right, though, as if he could trust Mr. Gardiner because he also loved Elizabeth.
“No,” said Mr. Gardiner slowly. “She never mentioned that, at least not to me. Lizzy can be very private about certain things. I am glad your interest in the matter goes beyond the question of meeting your obligations with honor.”
“It does.” Why did his voice sound hoarse?
“May I have your leave to discuss this matter with my wife? I value her opinion, and she has a better understanding of both Lizzy and Mr. Bennet than I do. I would, of course, ask her not to repeat any of it.” Clearly this tradesman had a sense of honor, or he would not have bothered to ask Darcy’s permission.
“Of course. If either of you have any suggestions for me, I would be happy to hear them. I am somewhat at a loss at present.” Again, something he would not usually admit to, but he knew his doubts were safe with this man.
“My initial thought is that I will have a word with Lizzy’s father myself. Something about this is not right.”
That could not hurt. “Do you have any ideas where I might start to look for her, places where she has relatives or friends?”
Mr. Gardiner considered. “Not immediately. Apart from me, all of her mother’s family lives in Meryton, and the only relative I know of on the Bennet side is a distant cousin who is to inherit the estate. Bennet must have some friends from his university days, but he has not mentioned them to me. He is not one to keep up social connections.” He seemed to ponder this, and then his eyes twinkled. “I suppose he could not ask my help in hiding her, since I would suggest my wife’s family and friends, which would be a singularly poor choice if he wished to keep her from you. My wife is from Lambton. Her father held the living there.”
“Lambton? But that is no more than five miles from my home at Pemberley!” exclaimed Darcy. “Is she the late Mr. Carlisle’s daughter, then?”
Mr. Gardiner’s smile widened. “You have a good memory.”
Suddenly embarrassed, Darcy said, “I did not know him well. I remember him judging the tug-of-war at a village fete. He took it in remarkable good humor when he lost his footing and ended up as mud-covered as any of the participants.” It had struck him at the time because he had little experience of adults who could laugh at themselves.
“My wife has told me that tale, and how he permitted some of the little girls to clean the mud off by throwing buckets of well water at him.”
Darcy smiled at the memory. “He gave a shilling to the one who had the best aim, and told the others to practice their skills for the next year.”
“My wife will be delighted to hear that you remember that.” Mr. Gardiner tapped his finger on Da
rcy’s calling card. “Is this address the best way to reach you, should I discover anything of interest?”
The sheer relief of having an ally nearly took Darcy’s breath away. “Yes, I thank you. I thank you very much.”
THE NEXT MORNING DARCY set out for Hunsford to consult with Elizabeth’s friend Mrs. Collins. When he had last visited Rosings, the spring flowers had been blooming, and now the leaves were falling from the trees, and bare branches reached towards the grey sky. The village was just north of his aunt’s estate of Rosings Park, so it took only a minor detour to reach the parsonage while avoiding riding past Rosings. Otherwise someone would undoubtedly report his presence to Lady Catherine.
He knew Mr. Collins would not take his side in this, so he waited out of sight of the parsonage until he saw Mr. Collins walking towards Rosings for his usual morning visit to Lady Catherine. A maid answered the door and showed him into the sitting room where Elizabeth had torn his heart to shreds. Now it held only Mrs. Collins, and none of the life Elizabeth had once brought to it.
Mrs. Collins said, “This is a surprise, Mr. Darcy. Lady Catherine had not mentioned you would be visiting.”
“She knows nothing of my presence. I am here solely to speak to you.”
“I cannot imagine why,” she said coolly. That was not a good sign.
“I am attempting to locate Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I hoped you might know her whereabouts.”
Mrs. Collins pursed her lips. “I have heard nothing from Lizzy since she sent me a note of thanks after her visit last spring. You would do better to ask at Longbourn.” Definitely cold this time, but she had carefully avoided saying she did not know where Elizabeth was.
He had come this far; he might as well keep trying. “She is not at Longbourn, as I suspect you know. I have only just discovered her so-called disgrace. I say ‘so-called’ because she did nothing disgraceful. I wish to make matters right, but I cannot do that if I do not know where she is.” He bit out the last few words.
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