Chapter 4
Their appearance at the Gardiners’ door caused an obvious shock. They presented their names to the footman, who informed his mistress, and soon Mrs Gardiner arrived with Miss Jane Bennet behind her.
Even without the knowledge from Elizabeth, Darcy immediately recognised his error. At seeing Bingley, Miss Bennet seemed unable to remain steady on her feet. She turned white, then crimson, and her lips and hands trembled, even when she clasped them together. Bingley was no better; he was pale, mumbling, gazing at Miss Bennet, whose eyes avoided meeting his. Such a strong response could only be caused by sorrow and deep, lasting feelings.
“Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley, I must say this is the greatest surprise I have experienced in many years,” Mrs Gardiner said. “I shall send a servant to inform Mr Gardiner. He is at his warehouse, but he would surely wish to welcome you into our home.”
“I hope we are not intruding,” Darcy said, while Bingley was just staring at Miss Bennet.
“No, not at all! It is a pleasure and an honour to have you here. It is just that we never imagined it could happen.”
“We are delighted to be here too, Mrs Gardiner. We should have sent a note first, but it was a rather impromptu decision. My friend Bingley just discovered yesterday that Miss Bennet has been in town all these months, and he wanted to call immediately.”
Jane Bennet stared at them, holding her breath, blinking a few times, and biting her lips.
“Darcy informed me about Miss Bennet’s presence in London,” Bingley finally spoke, “and I could not lose another moment without coming to greet you. I mean, you all…”
“How strange,” Mrs Gardiner replied. “Please, come in, let us go to the drawing room. I shall order some refreshments while we wait for my husband to return.”
They entered and each took a seat. Mrs Gardiner spoke with a maid for a moment, then returned to the guests.
“It is strange that Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst did not mention Jane’s presence here to you,” Mrs Gardiner said. “We called on them a long time ago, and they returned the visit.”
“I just became aware of these details yesterday, when Darcy returned from Kent,” Bingley said. “I hope you believe me when I say that, had I known earlier, I should have called on you a long time ago.”
“Better late than never, Mr Bingley. I am glad the misunderstanding was clarified,” Mrs Gardiner replied in a calm voice.
“Lizzy is in Kent too,” Miss Bennet whispered, as if trying to change the subject. “She mentioned meeting you there, Mr Darcy, and your cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam.”
“Yes…it was a fortunate coincidence that we happened to be visiting my aunt at the same time,” Darcy answered, wondering whether the others noticed the tremble of his voice. “Lady Catherine is my late mother’s sister.”
“I had the pleasure of knowing Lady Anne, as well as your father, Mr Darcy,” Mrs Gardiner said, puzzling him exceedingly.
“Did you? How delightful. May I ask how?”
“I lived in Lambton until I was twelve, then we moved to London.”
“Lambton? But that is only five miles from Pemberley!” he said.
“Indeed. I have many fond memories of Derbyshire, and Pemberley is still the most beautiful place I have ever seen in the whole of England,” the lady concluded enthusiastically.
“I cannot thank you enough for your kind words, Mrs Gardiner. How wonderful to meet someone who knew my parents. What a lovely coincidence!”
“You do not need to thank me, Mr Darcy. It is wonderful to simply have you here.”
As they were speaking, Mr Gardiner entered, welcoming them joyfully. He seemed surprised too, looking at the guests with curiosity. Knowing Mrs Bennet was his sister, Darcy expected to notice some similarities in manners, but there were none. Mr Gardiner soon proved himself to be a clever, educated man, well-mannered and amiable. His wife was handsome, elegant in appearance and behaviour, and they made a truly pleasant couple. Although he had come only to support Bingley, Darcy did not regret his decision. However, he could not help wondering what Elizabeth would think about his presence at the Gardiners’ and what they would have to say if they knew about his proposal.
The visit lasted another hour after Mr Gardiner joined them. By the end of it, Jane Bennet seemed to have recovered some composure, and Bingley more closely resembled his usual self. As for himself, Darcy was pleased that he had met the Gardiners, but there were many things that prevented him from enjoying his time in their house.
“We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you again soon, gentlemen,” Mrs Gardiner said as they rose to leave.
“My cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam has expressed a desire to call on Miss Elizabeth when she arrives in London.”
“We would like that very much, sir, and I am sure Lizzy would too. If you have no other more important engagements, we would be honoured to see you again as well.”
“Darcy is very busy, but I have no fixed engagements in the near future,” Bingley replied with apparent uneasiness. “If it is agreeable to you, I might call again in a few days…”
Jane Bennet’s cheeks coloured, and a little smile finally lit up her face.
