by Lane Cossett
* * *
As they finished lunch, Mr. Bennet asked her if she would like to go for a walk.
It was an unexpected invitation. Elizabeth could not remember ever going for a walk with her father. “I was thinking of walking with the children and Mrs. Bonner,” she told him.
Mr. Bennet smiled at her. “Indulge me, Lizzy. It is some time since you and I spent any time together. It is a beautiful day and I thought we might go to Greenwich.”
“You can always walk with the children on another afternoon,” said Mrs. Gardiner.
“Very well. That would be lovely,” said Elizabeth not entirely truthfully. She did not want to be in the company of her father. She still felt very angry with him.
Half an hour later they were ready to leave. Elizabeth wondered if they were going to walk, but when they got outside the house, Mr. Gardiner’s coachman was waiting with her uncle’s carriage. As soon as they were both seated, they set off towards Greenwich.
Elizabeth thought her father wanted to speak to her, but as soon as the carriage pulled away Mr. Bennet took out a paper and started to read, so she spent the journey looking out of the carriage. Although she had stayed with her aunt and uncle on several occasions, she did not feel that she knew London well and she always enjoyed looking at the many striking buildings as well as the people as they went about their daily business.
When they arrived at the park, Elizabeth, who had never been to Greenwich before, saw with amusement that many people were there simply to show off their clothes and their wealth. Women would walk a few paces and then stop and look around to see if they were being watched. Elizabeth was glad that she was not overly concerned with her own appearance. Jane had always been admired for her beauty and her grace and Elizabeth had always known that she could not hope to compete with her sister’s looks. Her only hope was that she did not embarrass anyone. Unlike Kitty and Lydia, she was far more interested in watching people, reading or enjoying her music than fussing over lace or the latest cloth.
Mr. Bennet gave instructions to their coachman and offering her his arm, guided her along one of the many paths. Unable to think why they had come, she pushed it to the back of her mind and looked at their surroundings. The air was warm for the time of year and the weak sun in the sky made the park look very green. As she looked up the hill she could see a large building with a dome which her father told her was a museum. Elizabeth wondered if Mr. Bennet had brought her to show her something, but he gave no indication it was so and they continued along a path which led to a large lake. As it came clearly into view, Mr. Bennet suddenly patted her hand.
“Elizabeth, I wish to speak to you.”
Elizabeth continued to walk, staring straight ahead. “What is it that you wanted to say?”
Mr. Bennet stopped and she was forced to look at him.
“Elizabeth, I have never found it easy to admit I am wrong, but I spoke too harshly to you last night.”
It was not what she expected and she could see his cheeks were tinged with red. She was uncertain how to respond.
“You and Jane are good girls. You have always been so much easier to deal with than your sisters,” said Mr. Bennet.
“Father, they are very much nicer than you have always treated them,” said Elizabeth.
Mr. Bennet snorted in disgust. “Elizabeth, you are much kinder than you are truthful. All three of them are quite ridiculous.”
Elizabeth did not like to hear her father speak of her sisters so disparagingly. She did not always find them easy herself, but she did not think they had done anything to deserve such harsh words. Her father had never spent any time in trying to ensure they were better educated, not even Mary who showed a great deal of interest in a variety of subjects.
Mr. Bennet sighed. “Elizabeth, I sense your disapproval. I know I have failed you all in my duty as a father.”
Elizabeth was beginning to wonder what had happened. Her father, as he had once admitted to her, was not a man to indulge in introspection. Why was he doing so now?
“I have always respected you, sir, and been grateful for the love that you have shown me,” she said carefully.
“Yes, yes, I am sure you have, and it is far more than I deserve,” said Mr. Bennet. “But my dear, I occasionally can be honest with myself. It is my fault that Lydia is now married to one of the most dishonest men in England.”
“Father, you should not blame yourself.” Elizabeth did not mention that she had pleaded with her father not to let Lydia go to Brighton, where she had consequently ran away with Mr. Wickham.
“Yes, I should, Elizabeth, but there is nothing I can do. I can only ensure that with Jane now settled, you too find a good husband.”
Elizabeth winced. Had he forgotten that she loved Mr. Darcy?
“I thought I was to have a good home,” she said, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice.
Mr. Bennet took her arm again and they continued to walk. “I know you think I have done the wrong thing, Lizzy, but I would ask you to trust me. Mr. Darcy is not the man for you and there will be others.”
Elizabeth felt a pain in her chest. Her father was wrong, she knew he was and she felt frustrated at not being able to change his mind. She and Mr. Darcy had agreed to wait for each other, but how long would the wait be? It was clear Mr. Bennet was still against him.
“I have yet to meet a man who I admire as much as Mr. Darcy.”
“Elizabeth, it is only such a short time. There will be others. Men like Viscount Langley, who you succeeded in making quite an impression on.”
Elizabeth wondered if her father had imbibed too much drink at lunch. “I have no interest in Viscount Langley, sir, and never will have.”
They walked on down a windy path past some roses. Elizabeth stopped to smell one, but disappointingly even though they were beautiful blooms they had no scent.
Looking back at her father, she saw he was watching her, a sad expression on his face. “Elizabeth, I would ask that you would do nothing to offend the viscount.”
Elizabeth stood up straight. “I would do nothing to embarrass you, but who is the viscount and why is he so important?”
“He is not important, but he is someone that I am acquainted with. He moves in very different circles from ourselves and as such he is a gentleman who has it in his power to help us.”
Elizabeth did not understand what her father was talking about, but she felt a reluctance from him to explain himself.
“I do not think you should be troubled, father. I will remember what you have said, but I doubt I will see Viscount Langley again.”
“We will see,” said her father.
Elizabeth hoped her father was wrong. She had no wish to meet the viscount again. Not only did she not like him, she was suspicious of the friendship that he said existed between himself and her father. She was suspicious something was wrong.
They carried on with their walk and no more was said about Viscount Langley or any other gentleman. As the sun disappeared from view, it began to grow cold and Mr. Bennet suggested they returned to their carriage.
“I had thought of showing you the museum,” said Mr. Bennet, “but perhaps another day.”
As they sat back, there was one question Elizabeth felt she had to ask.
“How long are we going to stay in London?”
Mr. Bennet did not quite meet her eyes. “I have some business to conclude and when it is done, we can return home.”
His answer was no answer at all, but she surmised her father would not accept any more questions from her.
* * *
When they returned to Cheapside, Mrs. Turner handed her two letters. One she noticed was in the hand of her sister, Jane Bingley. “At last I have heard from Jane,” she said excitedly. She wanted to read it immediately, but she decided to deal with the other one first. The writing was not familiar to her. When she opened it, a piece of card fell out. It was an invitation to dine from Lady Egerton.
“I said you wou
ld start to receive invitations,” said Mrs. Gardiner, as Elizabeth handed the card to her. “Who is this Lady Egerton?”
Elizabeth looked at her father, who was hovering in the doorway. “I do believe that is Viscount Langley’s mother. He mentioned it to me at the Assembly Rooms.”
Elizabeth put it down on the table. She did not tell her father, but she had every intention of declining the invitation.
Mrs. Gardiner forestalled her. “I will send our acceptance, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth was about to protest but looking at her father, saw a look in his eye that told her she was going to attend whether she wanted to or not. Elizabeth wanted to cry with frustration. She had never felt so powerless in her life.
“And what does Jane have to say?” asked Mrs. Gardiner.
Elizabeth had wanted to take the letter to her room and read in peace, but with her aunt waiting to hear Jane’s news, she reluctantly opened it and quickly read it. After a few sentences she broke into a big smile. “Jane is arriving in London tomorrow.”
“Oh, how lovely,” exclaimed Mrs. Gardiner. “We must invite them to dinner.”
“At last,” said Elizabeth. “I have so much to tell her.”
Mr. Bennet merely nodded. He looked at his sister-in-law. “I will be dining out tonight.”
Elizabeth was too happy to question where her father was going. She had missed her sister so much. To have her in London would be a great joy.
39
Darcy was beginning to feel rather indolent. He had dined late and then spent half the night reading. It was not something he would have done if he had been at home at Pemberley.
Neither Georgiana nor Lady Frances had come down for breakfast. He’d been informed they were both eating in their rooms. He was rather glad to sit and enjoy some ham and eggs without the need to indulge in conversation. He knew they had been to a ball and no doubt Georgiana would want to tell him all the details. He loved his sister, but any talk of balls or dances frankly bored him. He was glad that Lady Frances appeared to have heeded his words and there had been no more talk of inviting anyone to dine.
There was a knock on the door and Mrs. Hopkins arrived with the post and papers. Thanking her, he put the morning paper aside to deal with the letters. There was one from Mr. Adkins, his steward, one from Bingley and another from his father’s sister, his Aunt Florence. His aunt, who had been fifteen when his father had been born, was frail so he tore the letter open immediately hoping that nothing was amiss. There wasn’t. Aunt Florence was in good health but expressed her sadness that he had not had the opportunity to make his annual visit. Darcy felt a pang of guilt. She was not the only aunt he had been neglecting. Each summer he and Fitzwilliam usually went to Kent to see Lady Catherine, but this year he had declined to go. Lady Catherine had not been pleased. He finished his aunt’s letter and then turned his attention to the one from Mr. Adkins. It was an update on the houses that had been damaged by fire. He was glad to read that it would not be long before the families would be able to move back. He knew it would not have been easy for the families to share with others. None of the houses were very large. He was always thankful for the space they had at Pemberley.
Mr. Adkins also wrote of other matters including some recent trouble on Lord Rossmore’s land that adjoined the Pemberley estates. His steward did not go into too much detail, so it was difficult to know whether a similar thing could happen at Pemberley. He hoped not. Mr. Adkins was an able steward who did everything he could to anticipate any trouble among their workers and dealt with it immediately.
Darcy finished the letter, pleased there was nothing that needed an urgent reply. He set it aside intending to write back later. He always tried to keep in touch with Mr. Adkins when he was away. As able as his steward was, he never wanted him to think that he did not appreciate all the work he did in ensuring that Pemberley ran smoothly.
With business matters settled, he opened Bingley’s letter. To receive one was unexpected. He had assumed that Bingley would be too busy on his honeymoon to think of writing, and correspondence between them had never been frequent.
The letter was short and he exclaimed with pleasure as he read it.
Dear Darcy,
I am happy to report that Mrs. Bingley and I enjoyed our brief honeymoon, travelling around the lakes. On our return we called at Pemberley and were disappointed to learn you were in London, though your cousin gave us a warm welcome.
We have been back in Hertfordshire for a week, but there is so much work being done on Netherfield that I fear for Mrs. Bingley’s nerves. So we are coming to London and I look forward to us meeting.
I would not wish to pry, but I have been wondering how your pursuit of a certain lady is progressing. Not well, I assume. If there was good news, no doubt I would have heard about it from Mrs. Bingley.
Darcy did not like his friend’s turn of phrase. Bingley made it sound as if he was chasing Miss Bennet, which was something he would never do. He tossed down the letter. He was glad to think of his friend being in London and yet reading of Bingley’s happiness was not easy. It was a position he had dreamed of being in himself.
Darcy got up and went to the window and stared out onto the back garden. He was fortunate that he had the services of a gardener who tended the trees and plants, and his garden was well secluded.
Bingley was curious about the progress he had made. Darcy wish his friend had not asked. He was ashamed to admit that he had made none. He had spent hours trying to think of a reason why Mr. Bennet would not allow for the marriage between himself and Miss Bennet, but he still could not think of one. In truth he had spent a great deal of time alone feeling sorry for himself. He needed help and he should have obtained it immediately.
Picking up the letters and papers, he left the breakfast room and hurried along to his study and sat down at his desk. He took some paper out of the drawer, picked up a quill and wrote a short note to his barrister, Sir Jeffrey Honeyfield. Sir Jeffrey had always offered him wise counsel in business matters. Darcy hoped he would be able to do the same in matters of the heart.
40
When Darcy sent his note he had no expectation of hearing from his friend quickly, but within two hours Sir Jeffrey had arrived at Darcy House and Mrs. Hopkins had showed him into the study.
“Sir Jeffrey, may I offer you a drink?” asked Darcy.
“Thank you, no.” Sir Jeffrey sat down “I don’t mean to be rude, Darcy but I am in rather a hurry.”
Darcy felt a pang of guilt. “It was kind of you to call.”
“Your note sounded as if it was urgent,” said Sir Jeffrey calmly.
Darcy stood by the fireplace. He opened a box on the mantlepiece and impatiently closed it again. It was not like him to act so compulsively and he had not thought of Sir Jeffrey’s convenience when he had sent the note.
Darcy sat down, opposite his barrister, leaning forward in the chair. “It was urgent when I wrote it, though whether you will consider it so, I am not sure.”
Sir Jeffrey frowned. “Darcy, you and I have known each other many years. You would not have called unless it was something you required help with. What is it?”
Darcy still hesitated. His natural reticence made it very difficult to talk about any matters that were not business.
Sir Jeffrey was a patient man and despite saying he was in a hurry did not press him. He turned to other matters. “How is Miss Darcy?”
“Georgiana is well, thank you. She is here in London with my aunt, Lady Frances, and I have seen little of her since our arrival.”
Sir Jeffrey smiled. “Ah, the season. It is some years since my wife had to endure such occasions. I admit that I attended little, but I am thankful now both my daughters are safely married.”
Darcy did not want to admit that he was still hoping his sister would not find a suitable husband. She was too young to be married.
Darcy realised he could not prevaricate any longer. He took a deep breath.“Sir Jeffrey, I recently prop
osed to a young woman.”
The older man’s face broke into a smile. “Darcy, I am delighted. What splendid news! And who is the fortunate lady?”
“She is one Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Unfortunately, her father has refused my proposal.”
Sir Jeffrey’s eyes widened in surprise. “And why is that?”
Darcy threw up his hands in despair. “I do not know. He will not say, though he has told his daughter that I am not to be trusted.”
“But that is quite preposterous,” Sir Jeffrey spluttered. “If this man … requires someone to vouch for you, I would of course be willing to do it, but I cannot see why it would be necessary. Darcy, you are like your father - a man of great integrity.”
Darcy was embarrassed by Sir Jeffrey’s view of his character, though he was touched that he thought he was like his father.
“I thank you for your offer, but it would make no difference. Mr. Bennet is quite adamant that I cannot marry his daughter. The reason he has given makes no sense and I believe there is another reason which we are as yet unaware of.”
“This is most unfortunate. Are you intent on marrying Miss Bennet?”
Darcy nodded.
“So what is it you would like from me?”
Darcy hesitated. He wasn’t sure he liked what he was about to suggest. He took a deep breath. “I would like you to find out as much as you can about Mr. Bennet.”
Mr. Darcy got up and took a piece of paper off the desk. He handed it to his barrister. “This is all the information I could think of.”
Sir Jeffrey briefly glanced at it and nodded. “Thank you. This will do very well. May I assume this is urgent?”
“It is.” He had asked Miss Bennet to wait knowing that it might be a long time, but to his shame he had done very little. Now he was impatient to resolve the situation and find a way to make Miss Bennet his wife.
Sir Jeffrey folded the piece of paper and picked up his cane.