Mrs. Younge cleared her throat, preventing any further reflection on Elizabeth’s part. “Mr. Darcy, as delightful as it is to see you, I rather wish you had advised me of your intention to visit. I try my best to regulate your sister’s schedule as much as possible.”
Darcy frowned, though the expression was fleeting. “In that case, Mrs. Younge, you ought to make arrangements for a leave of absence in the coming weeks. Miss Bennet and I will be married in Hertfordshire and my sister will naturally accompany us.”
“Naturally.” The woman’s smile was tight and unnatural.
Darcy’s expression became thoughtful. “As a matter of fact, we will need to discuss the future of this place. When I am married, I expect I shall spend a lot more time at Pemberley. My wife will be present there most of the time so there is no longer a reason why Georgiana should spend most of her time in London.”
On hearing this, Miss Darcy’s eyes widened and she gasped with pure pleasure. Elizabeth found herself liking the girl even more for her childlike displays of delight.
Mrs. Younge’s reaction could not have been further from Miss Darcy’s. Her face turned an even whiter shade of pale. “Goodness, Mr. Darcy,” she stammered. “I do not know quite what to say.”
“There is no need to discuss it now,” Darcy said, seemingly unaware of the effect his words had had on the woman. “We shall finalise everything in the coming weeks.”
Chapter Eleven
Elizabeth woke up and yawned. It was not her habit to sleep late into the morning, but she had not been able to resist on account of the fine linens and comfortable bed. She shook her head and smiled. Would marriage to Darcy make her indolent and lazy? She very much hoped not.
She smiled. Even that thought filled her with energy and made her leap out of bed, eager to begin the day. Mrs. Darcy! She would soon be Mrs. Darcy! She still struggled to believe it! Her smile diminished somewhat when she saw what was sitting on the dresser. She did not know how it had slipped her mind, but there sat the scarf she had bought as a gift for Miss Darcy.
Oh bother, she thought. She shall think I am terribly inconsiderate to have come to London without a gift for her.
She picked up the scarf and hurried downstairs, feeling guilty. Theirs had been a wonderful first meeting, but even so she felt wretched for turning up empty handed. With all the excitement at meeting her new sister, she had forgotten it entirely. She burst into the breakfast parlour and was surprised to find the room empty but for the footman standing tall against the wall closest to the head of the table.
“Mr. Darcy has gone out to attend to a private matter, Ma’am,” he said courteously. “And your companions have not come down for breakfast.”
“I see,” Elizabeth said. There was no reason at all for her agitation. After all, Darcy had ordered up a feast for later that day and Georgiana would come to join them for dinner. She would see her new sister then.
She looked down at the little silk parcel in her hands. She had spent hours in the milliner’s in Meryton looking for the perfect scarf to present to Miss Darcy.
She smiled. She knew it was foolish, but she had so desperately wanted their first meeting to be perfect. She would go back to the establishment now and present it to Georgiana and apologise for being so forgetful. It was not necessary to do so, she knew, but she would like to do it all the same. And what was the harm when the others were still sleeping?
“Please fetch a maid. I need to go out.”
“I shall send one of the girls immediately, Ma’am,” he said, almost tripping over his feet as he hurried from the room.
True to his word, Elizabeth did not have to wait long for a maid to appear. Darcy’s butler stopped them just as they were heading out the door.
“Where is it you wish to go, Miss Bennet? Mr. Darcy has instructed me to make the carriages available to you as he was unfortunately drawn away by a matter that would not wait.”
Elizabeth considered this for a moment and shook her head. “That will not be necessary. I do not need to go far. By the time the carriage is prepared I will have been there and returned.”
It was a fine morning and she estimated it would take her less than half an hour to get there. What need did she have for a carriage? She did not even recall the address of the place, but she felt certain she knew the way. She had watched, rapt, all the way there as she took in all of the fine houses of Mayfair. Walking would surely get rid of some of the nervous energy that had been tingling through her body ever since Darcy proposed!
Chapter Twelve
The walk did not take long, just as Elizabeth had expected. She thought idly that she must tease Mr. Darcy about his insistence on taking the carriage everywhere in London. In the countryside he had been so taken with walking. Oh, she could see why it was more pleasant in Hertfordshire than in London, where even the genteel streets of Mayfair were littered with horse droppings and the city was hazy with smoke from all those coal fires. But it was pleasant, nonetheless, to walk the streets and watch the city come alive, ready for the new day ahead.
Already it looked as if the barrow boys had been out for hours—their barrows were half-full and their voices were already hoarse from announcing their wares. All around her, well-dressed gentlemen and ladies emerged from lacquered front doors, all dressed in the latest fashions.
She could have spent another half hour roaming the streets and watching the people around her—no, she could have spent days doing so!
I must tell Darcy what he is missing, she thought happily, for one can see far more out here in the open than through a tiny carriage window. Or perhaps he might compromise by touring about the place in an open carriage. It would be cold, to be sure, but we could wrap up in scarves and shawls.
She turned the corner and frowned. In an instant, all her happy daydreams about the future slipped out of her mind.
She did not even know why, at first. After all, it was no strange sight to see a carriage pulled up outside a house in London just as there was outside Georgiana’s establishment at that very moment. She frowned as she took in the scene, having sped up when the curious sense came over her.
She stopped in her tracks when she realised what had sapped the joy from her otherwise light-hearted morning.
It was not the carriage that bothered her; not at all.
It was the man who had emerged from it and rushed towards the door.
She knew him, though not well enough to place him at a distance of two hundred yards. Some part of her had known, though, even if her conscious mind did not. She hurried on, trying to quell the feeling of dread that was rising inside her.
“Miss Bennet? What is it? Do you feel unwell?”
She waved her hand at the maid and did her best to smile, though it was difficult. They were on the other side of the street with a good view of the door.
She backed into a doorway as Mrs. Younge’s door opened and that lady appeared.
Elizabeth held her breath, waiting for the woman to do the right thing and send him away. For what else could she do to such a man; the man she now recognised as George Wickham?
But Mrs. Younge did not banish him from her door. On the contrary, the sour look on her face vanished and she threw her arms out and smiled, as if he had cured all the ills in the world. She leant out of the doorway and looked all around—Elizabeth had the good sense to disappear even further into the doorway at this point. When she emerged a few moments later, the door was closed, though the carriage remained.
Elizabeth stared at it in dismay as she struggled to make sense of what she had seen. Was there an innocent explanation for it? Perhaps. But right then, Elizabeth could only think of one reason for George Wickham’s presence at that house.
And she knew her future husband would be alarmed to hear it.
She looked around and found the maid watching her with wide-eyed bewilderment. She tried to calm herself then, for it would not do to have the servants gossip—not about something as serious as this. Far bette
r, she thought, that they assumed she was a madwoman.
“I forgot the other part of my gift to Miss Darcy,” she hissed. It did not take much effort to feign panic—she already felt that.
Now she wished she had followed Darcy’s custom and taken the carriage. They would have been able to return to the townhouse far faster, but she was not one to stand around and lament what she did not have.
“Come on,” she cried, starting to run. “We must return at once!”
Chapter Thirteen
Elizabeth was more exhausted than she had ever been before, having run all of the mile or so from Georgiana’s establishment. What had been a pleasant early morning walk was not so pleasant running as fast as she could and almost colliding with street vendors on many occasions. The hem of her dress was dusty with mud and her hair was undone.
But she did not care about that. “Where is Mr. Darcy?” she asked the butler, who had paused a moment longer than he ought to have when he opened the door to let her in. It did not help that she was still breathless from running.
The man shook his head. “He is out, as I told you Ma’am. What has happened? I shall have a maid run a bath for you at once.”
“There is no time to bathe,” she hissed, before quickly trying to rearrange her features and calm herself. It would not do to let anyone see her state of distress, for that would only make the matter worse for Darcy.
Darcy… the thought of him made her face crumple with sadness before she was able to control herself. Now was not the time to lose focus when she had little time to act as it was. She cleared her throat.
“I must see him at once. It is important.”
He shook his head. “I am afraid that is not possible. Mr. Darcy does not share his daily itinerary with me unless there is a need for me to know of it. He will have told the groom the directions.”
“But there must be a way. What if there was an emergency?”
The man paled. “That has never happened, thank goodness.”
“But what if it did?”
“Is something wrong, Miss Bennet?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “It is a private matter but I must speak to Mr. Darcy at once.”
“Very well,” the man said, bowing. “I shall have the other carriage sent to find him. If you would like to wait in the drawing room I shall have tea sent in just as soon as I have spoken to the stables.”
“No,” she cried. “That will not do. I shall go in the carriage. I must speak to him just as soon as I can.”
“But… but that is…” he stopped and sighed. “Very well.”
“Good.” She would not have been dissuaded. Not after everything Darcy had told her about Wickham. It was likely now that Darcy’s servants would whisper about her being difficult, but she did not care about that. Let them. She had far worse things to worry about. “Please, go now and inform the stables.”
* * *
It was a rather frustrating exercise. All they could do was go around town and call at the places Darcy had recently visited. Elizabeth hated that, but what else could she do? Already too much time had passed. By now, she hoped it had all been a misunderstanding and Wickham’s visit to Georgiana’s establishment was a mere coincidence. She would gladly take Darcy’s ire over the alternative.
When they pulled up to the fifth establishment of the morning, a law chambers near St. Paul’s, she had begun to lose hope. She remained in the carriage as she had done on all the previous occasions—she wanted to rush in there herself, but knew the most prudent course of action was to send the groom. For all the gossip that would come of Darcy’s groom looking for him, it would be ten times worse if his future wife was seen running around London in search of him.
When the carriage door opened from the outside, her first reaction was shock, for she thought it must be a thief. How relieved she was to see it was Darcy.
“My darling,” he cried, climbing in. “What is it? Did the butler not pass you the message that I was taking care of a private matter? You need not have concerned yourself—it is quite routine, but necessary nonetheless.”
She nodded, overcome with emotion now. “Leave us,” she ordered the maid. She stared at Darcy in stunned silence as the young woman scrambled out.
“Well?” he asked, sitting beside her and taking her hand. “I must say, you are worrying me. What can possibly have caused you to come out and—“
“Wickham,” she whispered, unable to wait another moment. “I walked to Georgiana’s establishment this morning to give her a gift I forgot yesterday. Before I reached the door I saw Wickham pull up in a carriage and disappear inside. I did not see your sister, but Mrs. Younge was delighted to see him.” She squeezed his hand. “I am sorry. I did not wish to worry you, but I thought it best that you know of this immediately.”
His expression darkened and he appeared to be having trouble speaking. Elizabeth struggled to control her emotions. How terrible this must be for him, she thought. Even so, he did not have the luxury of time to reflect.
“Darcy, it pains me to push you, but we ought to go there at once, do you not think?”
That seemed to snap him from his thoughts. “Yes, of course.” He opened the door and barked instructions at the driver. In no time at all they were rattling through the narrow streets—they almost left the maid behind, such was their haste.
Chapter Fourteen
The carriage was faster than her father’s carriage, but it did not feel like that now. Darcy and Elizabeth shared the same frustration that they might have moved quicker on foot. It did not help that the streets between the law office and Mrs. Younge’s establishment were narrow and winding, nor did the fact that it was approaching midday work in their favour.
When at last they reached the street that Elizabeth had visited earlier, it felt like hours had passed since they set out. Darcy jumped out before they had even completely stopped. Elizabeth hurried after him and chastised him when he stopped to help her down.
“I can manage. Go!” she cried. By now she was past wondering if she was overreacting. She jumped down and hurried to the door as Darcy started banging.
Oh please, she thought. Please let it be a misunderstanding. I shall kiss the ground and apologise profusely if only sweet Georgiana would appear at the door and ask us what all this fuss is about.
There was no answer.
“Georgiana!” Darcy cried, his face twisted in fury.
“You looking for the young lady?” a man called from a nearby doorway. He was selling ointments of some kind from a neatly stacked crate.
“Who are you? What do you know of her?”
Elizabeth squeezed Darcy’s hand. “Please,” she whispered. “He may be able to help.” She turned and addressed the man, “what young lady do you mean?”
The man’s face was screwed up now, in obvious displeasure at the way Darcy had spoken to him. “The young lady who lives there. Pleasant young thing, unlike your companion.”
Darcy strode forward and thrust a handful of coins at the man. “Where did she go? And with whom?”
“She went off in a carriage not long ago. With the other young woman who lives there.” He scratched his head. “She’s not at all pleasant, that one. And there was a gentleman too. Sly sort, he was.”
Elizabeth and Darcy exchanged glances.
“When was this? And how did they go?”
“In a hackney. I have no idea of the time. Perhaps an hour ago? Could’ve been longer—I’ve been busy and haven’t been paying attention.”
“Come on,” Elizabeth hissed, taking Darcy’s hand and dragging him back towards the carriage. “We must go after them.”
He did not respond. At first she thought he must not have heard her. But then he leapt into action and she had to run after him to the carriage.
“Where shall we go first?” she asked when they were moving again. “Do you know any of his associates? It seems to me you know him well—that may work in our favour.” She stopped and frowned when she saw
the look on his face. “What is it?”
He shook his head. “I must go alone. I cannot allow you to join me on this errand.”
“No,” she muttered. “I want to help. I will soon be your wife and it is my duty to help my family.”
He sighed, not looking at all happy. “I appreciate your offer, but I cannot in good conscience accept. It would not be right. I shall leave you back at the house and then be on my way.”
She wanted to protest but something told her not to. She knew deep down that he was right; that it would look even more scandalous if the worst happened and she had been involved in the hunt for the runaways. “Very well,” she said numbly. She could not help but wonder what the future held in store for them now.
A thousand different thoughts floated through her mind on the short journey back to Mayfair. Had she done the right thing? Should she have gone to the house and confronted Wickham? Should she have ordered her maid to stay and keep watch? It was maddening, the thought that her actions could have meant a different outcome for dear Georgiana.
She was so lost in thought that it was only when Darcy kissed her cheek that she realised they had stopped at the house. “I must leave you now, my darling,” he whispered. “Please try not to dwell on what has happened. I shall send word when I have news.”
She left the carriage and seconds later Darcy was shouting at the groom to leave. She stood and watched them go until they were lost to sight among the throngs of horses, carriages and pedestrians on the long street.
Chapter Fifteen
Elizabeth’s worry only grew as the days passed with no news from Darcy. The worst thing was having to maintain a facade for Jane and Bingley, for her loyalty to Darcy would not permit her to tell them the truth of what had happened.
As the days went by, her sense that she could have done more only grew. She was convinced now that she ought to have tried to intervene herself instead of running off to find Darcy.
Surprised by Love Page 4