moment at home. Mr. Bennet was there, but the servant said that he was to leave early the following morning.
Darcy decided not to leave his name but, after breakfast on the Saturday, he called again hoping to see Mr. Gardiner. He was greeted pleasantly, although with considerable surprise.
Darcy told him that, having some private intelligence not known to others, he had determined to travel to town from Derbyshire. This information had enabled him to find out where Wickham and Lydia were staying.
He went on, “My motive has been that it is my own fault that Wickham’s worthlessness had not been so well known, as to make it impossible for any young woman of character, to love or confide in him. My mistaken pride prevented me from laying my private actions open to the world. It is therefore my duty now to endeavour to remedy the evil I have myself brought on.”
Mr. Gardiner appeared to be surprised at this, but did not intervene, so Darcy continued. “I had been some days in town, before I was able to discover them.”
And he went on to explain the course of his discussions with Wickham, and that matters might be concluded if Mr. Gardiner was willing to agree to them. Wickham’s debts in Meryton and in Brighton were to be paid, amounting to considerably more than a thousand pounds, another thousand in addition to her own settled upon Lydia, and his commission purchased in the regulars. The discussion continued for several hours.
They met again on Sunday, Mr. Gardiner seeking this time to persuade Darcy that the cost of the arrangements should fall only on him. But Darcy was adamant that he would bear the expense, with the credit to go to Mr. Gar-diner despite his wishes to the contrary.
Finally it was agreed that the attorney should be called upon the following day to draft the necessary papers. At the end of their discussion, Mr. Gardiner told Darcy that Mrs. Gardiner had returned from Longbourn with their children. He had no secrets from his wife, and could rely on her discretion. He therefore would like Darcy to tell her what had transpired. He indicated his agreement, and his host took Darcy into the drawing room.
There, Mrs. Gardiner was sitting with their two little girls, aged about eight and six years.
“My dear,” said Mr. Gardiner, “here is a pleasant surprise! Mr. Darcy has come to assist us in this wretched business about Lydia. He will tell you about it.”
And Darcy related the progress of his search and his discussions with Wickham.
Mrs. Gardiner’s discourse and deportment endorsed Darcy’s impression of her as an amiable, intelligent woman. Indeed, the discussion confirmed Darcy’s opinion that both the Gardiners were as pleasant as he had found them in Derbyshire only a few days before.
When he had finished his account, Mrs. Gardiner said to him, “Mr. Darcy, we are so very obliged to you for all the trouble you have taken. It would seem best for Lydia to come here for the two weeks until the wedding, especially as her father may not be willing to receive them at Longbourn after the marriage.”
And Mrs. Gardiner added, “And may I suggest that the priest at St. Clements may be willing to marry them, as Wickham is living in that parish?”
Darcy told them that he was happy to agree to this plan, and would communicate it to Lydia and Wickham the very next day.
“I will undertake to bring Wickham to the church if the arrangements are made as you suggest. Tomorrow, I will ask my attorney, Stone, to discuss the financial settlement with your man. Did you say that his name is Mr. Haggerston?”
Mr. Gardiner confirmed this. At that moment, the young daughters, who had been playing quietly in a corner of the room, came over to their mother. She smiled at them, and said, “This is Mr. Darcy, who we met in Derbyshire last week with your cousin.”
The elder girl, who reminded Darcy a little of Jane Bennet, said to him shyly, “Do you like Elizabeth? She is always very kind and reads so many books to us.”
Darcy was conscious that her mother was observing him carefully as he replied, “Miss Elizabeth is a very thoughtful person. She is someone on whom I know I can rely. I too like reading, and hope you do also.”
The little girl smiled at him, as her father said to their guest, “Mr. Darcy, we have detained you for a long time on our affairs. Forgive our discourtesy. May we offer you any refreshments?”
“There is no cause for you to apologise, Mr. Gardiner— as I said earlier, this matter is my responsibility rather than yours. I have no particular demands on my time at present. I am on my own in town, and am happy to be of assistance. I must not, however, intrude further into your day of rest. May I call again tomorrow?”
This having been agreed, Darcy went on his way.
27
The following morning, on Monday, Darcy saw Wickham again, and it was arranged that Lydia should go to Gracechurch Street later that day.
Having received their instructions, the two attorneys met, and agreed the principles of the agreements to be drawn up: as soon as that was done, an express was sent off to Mr. Bennet at Longbourn. Darcy took leave of the Gardiners, and promised to be in town again in advance of the wedding in two weeks’ time.
He then returned to Derbyshire, to Georgiana and his friends. His short absence did not cause any remark on this occasion, and he told only Georgiana that he would need to return to London for another short stay in due course. She made no comment, although she looked at him thoughtfully. Until he needed to travel again, Darcy exerted himself to be pleasant to Bingley’s sisters as well as to his friend, and even to find Mr. Hurst some favourite fishing places to occupy himself. Only in his few opportunities for privacy during the day, and in his room at night, did he allow his thoughts to stray to memories of Elizabeth Bennet and the visit to Pemberley that had given him such pleasure and, for a few days only, such hopes for the future.
When the time came to return to town, he told the assembled company only as they were about to retire the previous night. Bingley was unconcerned, but his sister Caroline appeared to be put out, and remarked sharply to her host, “The Derbyshire air does not seem to agree with you at present, Mr. Darcy!”
Georgiana looked startled at this, and her brother gave her a reassuring smile as he replied to Miss Bingley, “The Derbyshire air agrees with me at any time of year, especially when the company is good. I shall leave Georgiana here again to console you for my absence.”
That was not the reply Miss Bingley had been seeking, but she thought it wise not to pursue the matter.
Darcy had considered taking his sister south with him. He could manage to slip away to see Wickham safely married to Lydia Bennet without Georgiana’s knowledge, if he had to. However, the possibility that some word might reach her that he had been doing some business with the man who had so cruelly deceived her only the previous year was too great a risk to run.
On Darcy’s arrival in London, a letter from Gracechurch Street awaited him. Mr. Gardiner confirmed that Lydia Bennet had been with them since he had left town, and that Wickham had visited her every day. The agreements for the settlement, and for the purchase of Wickham’s commission, were ready for signature. Subject to that, Darcy should bring the bridegroom to St. Clements Church at eleven o’clock on Monday.
Mr. Gardiner added that his brother had, as anticipated, at first refused to agree to receive the happy couple at Longbourn. However, another letter from Hertfordshire had recently arrived in Cheapside, to say that the entreaties of his two eldest daughters, Jane and Elizabeth, had persuaded Mr. Bennet to relent. It had therefore been arranged that the newlyweds would leave directly from the church for Longbourn. Mr. Gardiner concluded his note by saying that he and Mrs. Gar-diner would be honoured if Mr. Darcy would dine with them in Gracechurch Street on the day after the wedding.
This mention of Elizabeth Bennet’s name unsettled Darcy more than he would wish. On several occasions during his discussions with her uncle about Wickham’s marriage, Darcy had been tempted to ask after her well- being. Just a little news of how she was would have been sufficient. But he knew full well that he might not be able to maintain his composure at the mention of her name, indeed probably could not. He was close to certain that the Gardiners could be relied upon to be discreet, but he was not willing to risk embarrassing their niece or disclosing his own agony of mind in that respect.
