“An admirable sentiment, Mr. Darcy. Again, I encourage you to inquire at Longbourn.”
“I have done so and failed to get satisfaction. Mrs. Collins, you know me better than her family does. I have never been improper to Miss Elizabeth. Have I ever given you reason to believe I would seduce and abandon a young woman?”
She raised her chin. “It is not my place to judge my betters, sir, nor to consider what honorable reason a gentleman might have to give a single young lady a letter.”
Devil take it! “I agree giving her the letter was improper, but there was nothing improper in the letter itself. It contained a defense of my character, nothing more.”
“Mr. Darcy, this is none of my affair. You are the nephew of my husband’s patroness, and as I said, I cannot judge anything else. Would you care for some tea?” Was that meant as a reminder that she had to please Lady Catherine rather than him?
“I thank you, no,” he said through gritted teeth. “I ask you to reconsider. Your friend’s happiness and respectability are at stake, as is the reputation of her entire family.”
“I am sorry for their difficulties, but there is nothing I can do to help you.” Mrs. Collins rubbed her arms ostentatiously. “Are you warm enough, Mr. Darcy? I will stir the fire.” She crossed to the hearth and picked up the poker.
As if he were so badly bred as to allow a lady to do such a task! Darcy held out his hand for the poker. “Pray permit me the honor,” he said icily.
She held out the poker but did not release it to his hand. “Why, thank you, Mr. Darcy.” As she spoke, she cupped her hand behind her ear and then pointed towards the door.
Was someone listening to their conversation?
She knew something! How could he speak to her privately? Darcy nodded to indicate he had received her message. Taking the poker, he stirred the coals. “Is that better?”
“Much better, I thank you. It has been such a cold day. Are you certain you will not take tea? I would not wish for you to take a chill on your journey home, especially after I have been unable to assist you.”
“Perhaps a cup of tea would be welcome,” he said slowly.
Mrs. Collins went to the door and spoke to someone outside it. “A tea tray for two, Mary. And do not forget the sugar this time.” She continued to watch out the door as footsteps receded.
She darted to his side and spoke in a low voice. “Jane writes that she was sent to live with her aunt in Scotland.”
Finally, a place to start! “What is her aunt’s name? Where does she live?” he asked eagerly.
“I do not know. Lizzy told me once she thought she lived somewhere near Edinburgh because her letters to Mr. Bennet talked of the fine shopping there. She was never allowed to write to her aunt; there is something disreputable about her, although she is well-to-do. She is Mr. Bennet’s sister, but I believe she is married.”
“I have never heard mention of an aunt in Scotland.” Could Mrs. Collins be giving him a false lead?
“The Bennets claim she died some time ago. Lizzy used to wonder if she might have eloped. I only know she is still alive because Lizzy confided in me when her aunt asked Mr. Bennet to allow one of his daughters to come to live with her. Lizzy wanted to go, but her father refused. I wish I could tell you more, but that is all I know.” At the sound of footsteps in the hall, she raised her voice. “Mr. Darcy, you may ask me a hundred times if you please, but I will still be unable to tell you where Lizzy is!”
He had to say something. “Can you think of anyone who might know?” Why did she feel unable to tell him when the maid could hear? It must be that husband of hers. Lady Catherine would be furious if she knew Darcy was looking for Elizabeth, so Mr. Collins would disapprove of it, too. Mrs. Collins could not afford to anger her husband or Lady Catherine. He was fortunate she had told him as much as she had.
“Her family, as I have already said. But that is enough on that subject. How were the roads from London?”
“In good condition, I thank you.” But his mind was racing ahead, even as they conversed. At last he had discovered something! A less-than-reputable aunt who was well-to-do and liked to shop in Edinburgh. It was little enough to go on, but it was something. Edinburgh was not large; how many wealthy women with nieces recently arrived from England could there be?
He had to suppress the urge to jump on his horse and gallop off to Edinburgh. What should his next step be? He could stay in London and continue to press the Bennets and Mr. Gardiner for a name or address while sending someone to Edinburgh to look for her on his behalf, but if Elizabeth were going by a different name, it would be useless. There were too many women who matched the description of dark eyes, dark hair, and a light and pleasing figure. Or he could go to Scotland himself, knowing as little as he did.
Yes, that was it. Now that he knew where to find her, he would do it himself. But if he wished to travel to Edinburgh, he needed to do it soon or wait until spring. It was already the end of October, and travel would take much longer as the days grew shorter and the weather worsened. Ewan Ramsay had been inviting him to visit ever since their Cambridge days. That would provide an excuse if anyone happened to ask.
His mind was consumed with plans on the ride back to London. He had to write a letter to Ramsay warning him of his imminent arrival in Edinburgh. The letter would arrive only a few days before he did, but he could not simply appear on Ramsay’s doorstep after all these years. His valet would require delicate handling, too, since he would not be pleased by the change of plans. After Darcy returned to London, he would sack the man and find a valet who would make his life easier, not harder.
When he reached Darcy House, he was preoccupied enough that he barely nodded to his butler as he handed him his hat and gloves.
His butler cleared his throat. “You had a caller this afternoon, sir.”
Darcy did not care about whatever acquaintance had called. “Later, Hobbes.”
“He seemed to feel a certain urgency to speak to you, so I suggested he leave you a note.”
“Put it on my desk.” Darcy had no time for this.
Hobbes thrust a silver salver in front of him, blocking his path. Darcy bit back a curse. Why did Hobbes have to choose this of all days to be difficult?
The card on the salver read Mr. Edward Gardiner.
Darcy snatched the note under the card and broke the seal.
Mr. Darcy,
I have just returned from Longbourn, and, while I did not get the satisfaction I wished for from my brother Bennet, he did show me evidence which indicates our worst fears are baseless. Forgive my impertinence in leaving you this note, but I thought you might wish to know immediately. I will try to call tomorrow to give you a full report, but if you are impatient, you are welcome to come to my house. I will be there the remainder of the day, and you need not worry about coming outside of calling hours.
Yours, etc.,
E. Gardiner
Darcy closed his eyes as relief swept through him. Elizabeth was alive! Bless Mr. Gardiner. “Hobbes, my hat and gloves. I am going out.”
“Yes, sir.” The butler held out the required items. Darcy clapped his hat to his head and tugged on his gloves. He ought to change his dusty clothes, but he did not care.
Hobbes opened the door for him. As Darcy stepped through, he looked back over his shoulder and said, “Excellent work, as always, Hobbes.”
MR. GARDINER STOOD and shook his hand. “Mr. Darcy, I suspected you might make an appearance here.”
“I was grateful for your offer.” Darcy tried to quell his impatience.
“I suppose you are anxious to hear the news, so I will skip the preliminaries. Bennet showed me a letter he had received from Lizzy, or rather a small part of the letter. He folded it over so I could only see the first six lines. It was dated in August of this year, but she did not include her location with the date, although that is her usual habit.”
Breathe. He needed to keep breathing to stay calm. “What did it say?”
> “Remarkably little. She hoped he and the rest of the family were well. The weather had been remarkably pleasant for the last four days, and she had taken advantage of it to go exploring. It ended midsentence saying she just returned from a walk in Queen – and it cut off at that point. Perhaps it was Queen Park, Queen Street, Queen Charlotte’s Garden, or any of the dozens of place names that begin with Queen.” Mr. Gardiner gestured to the large open book on his desk. “I was just looking for them in the gazetteer.”
“Was it her handwriting?”
Mr. Gardiner nodded. “It seemed to be. It must have been a short letter because the lines had not been crossed, and it sounded stilted. Lizzy usually writes long letters.”
Was she kept too busy with chores to have the time for a long letter? Darcy’s chest grew tight. “She should not have lacked for subject matter if he is her only correspondent.”
“I would have thought so as well, but it is difficult to guess anything from those few lines. Brandy?”
“That would be welcome.” Darcy accepted the snifter the older man handed him. Perhaps that would ease the coldness inside him. “Were you able to learn anything else?”
“Only that you have had a disruptive effect on the household. Mrs. Bennet was most displeased that your proposal was rejected, and she made this very clear. Mr. Bennet is distracting her by sending her and the girls to Bath. He refused to tell me anything more about Lizzy, but I spoke to Jane briefly. She said Elizabeth confided in her about your proposal, and cannot understand why she did not seek you out.”
At the sound of a light knock, Mr. Gardiner stood and admitted a petite woman. “Come in. My dear, may I present Mr. Darcy? I was just telling him about my recent visit to Longbourn.”
Darcy bowed. “It is a pleasure, Mrs. Gardiner. I do not recall meeting you in Derbyshire, but I remember your father.”
“My husband mentioned that.” Mrs. Gardiner’s movements were quick and birdlike. “I still retain a particular fondness for that part of England. My husband and I visited Lambton this summer. We had planned to take Lizzy with us, but it was not to be.” A look of sadness crossed her face.
A pang of yearning filled him at the idea of Elizabeth so near to Pemberley. “I was about to tell Mr. Gardiner that I learned something today. I traveled into Kent to see Miss Elizabeth’s friend, Mrs. Collins. She claims the eldest Miss Bennet told her in a letter that Miss Elizabeth was with her aunt, Mr. Bennet’s sister, in Edinburgh.”
Mr. Gardiner exchanged a puzzled glance with his wife. “That cannot be. Bennet’s sister died many years ago.”
“Mrs. Collins said everyone was told she was dead because she is somehow not respectable. Miss Elizabeth was not allowed to be in contact with her, but her aunt had asked Mr. Bennet to have one of the girls come to live with her. There is no love lost between them, and he has always refused in the past.”
Mrs. Gardiner’s brow furled. “Edward, did he ever mention this to you?”
“No, but he would not have. If he meant everyone to believe his sister was dead, the last person he would have admitted the truth to was his wife. She cannot keep a secret. If she did not know, there would be no reason for him to tell me.”
Darcy asked, “Do you know anything about his sister from before her supposed death?”
Mrs. Gardiner said, “She had left long before I met Mr. Bennet, but Edward grew up in Meryton. He must remember something.”
Mr. Gardiner’s eyes seemed to fix on a point far away. “She was a year or two older than Fanny – than Mrs. Bennet – and I must have been ten or twelve when she ran off, too young to be noticing girls. She was very lively and popular, much more than her brother. She was someone you would notice in a crowd, very vibrant, rather like Lizzy. Actually, Lizzy bears a resemblance to her, if my memory serves. She ran off with her music master, which is why Bennet refused to allow the girls to have one.”
Ran off with her music master, but was now well-to-do? Odd. “Do you recall the music master’s name? She will not be calling herself Bennet now.”
Mr. Gardiner pondered, but shook his head. “I am sorry. It was an Italian name, but that is all I can recall.”
“Do you plan to try to find her, Mr. Darcy?” asked Mrs. Gardiner.
“Of course. I will leave for Scotland as soon as I can.”
Mr. Gardiner opened the gazetteer and paged through it. “Edinburgh. There is a Queen Street, and, better yet, Queen Street Gardens. That would work. She might take a walk in Queen Street Gardens.”
“It will be difficult to find her aunt, knowing so little of her,” Mrs. Gardiner pointed out.
He did not need reminding of that. “I may fail, but I must try.”
Mr. Gardiner nodded. “An admirable sentiment.”
“It is getting late,” Mrs. Gardiner said. “Mr. Darcy, would you care to dine with us? It will be but an informal, simple family meal, but you are welcome to join us.”
There was a certain hardness in her voice that made him think this was a test of some sort, but he could not guess what it was. “I would not wish to impose, and I am still dressed for riding.”
“It is no matter. No one but us will see you.”
And he could keep talking about Elizabeth. He was so accustomed to keeping his own counsel that he had not realized how much he had longed for that. “If it is not an imposition, then I would be happy to join you.” He could write to Ramsay later.
She gave a pleased nod. “I am glad to hear it.” She tilted her head in the same way Elizabeth did when she was preparing to tease. “Your friend Mr. Bingley’s sisters could not shake the dust of Gracechurch Street off quickly enough. I am glad to see you do not share that opinion.”
Was he still the same man who thought Elizabeth’s low connections would degrade him? Now he understood better what truly mattered.
THE INVESTIGATOR SAT down on the opposite side of Darcy’s desk and shuffled his papers. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet returned to Longbourn in the second week of May, accompanied by her eldest sister and Miss Maria Lucas. No one reports anything unusual apart from one maid who felt Miss Elizabeth was out of spirits. She attended a variety of social engagements which I have listed here.” He handed Darcy a sheet of paper. “She had a disagreement with her father over her youngest sister’s plans to travel to Brighton. A footman recalls hearing her say something to indicate that her marital chances and those of her sisters had been damaged, but he could not recall the reason.”
Darcy read the list of engagements and pointed to one of them. “This. A group of officers dined at Longbourn. Did you learn anything about that?”
He flipped through his notes. “Six officers dined there, including Mr. Wickham, who was seen talking to Miss Elizabeth at one point. The maid who told me that said he seemed displeased afterwards, but as she herself admired and flirted with Mr. Wickham, I deemed it might be wishful thinking. After dinner, the ladies spoke about the regiment’s upcoming departure while the gentlemen discussed politics.”
Darcy ran his finger down the list. “And this, a week later. Mr. Collins called on Miss Elizabeth. What was that about?”
“No one seemed to know, but she was angry afterwards. Several days later, she announced she was going to visit her aunt and uncle in London, though she had stayed with them quite recently. She and her father left the next day. Mr. Bennet returned alone a fortnight later. The laundry maid said that all his clothes were dirty and dusty, as though he had been on the road for some time. He told the family Miss Elizabeth would not be coming back, but refused to give further details. Her oldest sister was distraught.”
Darcy frowned. “The gossip about her must have arisen very quickly, if the Bennets were entertaining only a week or so before she left.”
“That is a puzzling matter. The gossip did not start until a month or so after Miss Elizabeth’s departure. I checked this with servants at different houses to be certain of it. There was no scandal at the time she left.”
Then why would she have l
eft? “Were you able to ascertain where the gossip began?”
“Lady Lucas’s name was mentioned several times when I asked people how they had learned of it.”
Lady Lucas, whose daughter was married to Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine’s parson. Mrs. Collins would not have passed that gossip along, but he suspected her husband would not have hesitated to inform his in-laws. Darcy would reserve the pleasure of choking the truth out of Collins for when he had more proof.
“Word of the scandal apparently reached the militia regiment which had relocated to Brighton. Miss Lydia, the youngest Bennet daughter, had gone there as a guest of the colonel’s wife, and was sent back in disgrace shortly afterwards.”
Darcy considered the list in his hand. “I would like to know more about Mr. Collins’s visit to Longbourn, including whom else he spoke to and whether he stayed at Lucas Lodge. Pray give further attention to the matter of Miss Lydia Bennet, especially whether Mr. Wickham was in Brighton and had any knowledge of her plans.”
The investigator made a note. “The Bennet ladies will be traveling to Bath soon. Do you wish to have someone check on their activities there? I think it unlikely that Miss Elizabeth is there, given Mr. Bennet’s insistence on secrecy, but it is possible.”
“I agree, but it is worth checking. Mrs. Bennet and Miss Lydia do not watch their tongues well and may say something of import.” If Scotland proved to be a wild goose chase, he would need every lead he could get.
DARCY SENT A LETTER to Georgiana at Pemberley advising her of his plans, but not of the reason for his trip, and promising to see her on his return journey. She would likely be unhappy that he would pass so close to Pemberley without stopping, but that would cause him to lose several days at the very least.
The other trip arrangements went smoothly. His valet made fewer complaints about the upcoming journey than Darcy had expected. Was Smithers finally learning not to question his orders?
A Matter of Honor Page 3