“I will not change my mind, Mr. Gardiner.” Darcy renewed his contention to be the sole benefactor in the Wickham matter again on Sunday for Mr. Gardiner had second thoughts about taking credit for Darcy’s triumph; but Darcy’s obstinacy won out.
Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner finally agreed to his demands, but they did so with an ulterior motive, realizing Darcy’s preference for their niece, a preference Darcy hoped to one day make public. “I must tell you, Mr. Darcy, we will be forever in your debt,” Mrs. Gardiner began. “We accept your offer reluctantly in hopes by doing so we maintain the respectability of Lydia’s more deserving sisters. They should have fulfilling lives despite their youngest sister’s folly.”
The Gardiners had the pleasure of his company that evening for dinner, and Darcy had the pleasure of listening to them tell storiesof Jane and Elizabeth as children and as young ladies growing up in the Bennet household. Those tales of Elizabeth’s precociousness most interested him, but he also took delight in learning more about Jane Bennet. He misjudged her nature, and he knew making amends to Bingley must come soon. “Those two girls,” Mrs. Gardiner was laughing so hard at the story she told that tears came to her eyes, “would look at you and maintain their innocence, which was usually true for Jane, but not so much for Lizzy. Even when you were mad at what they did, you could not be mad at either of them. Their goodness made you love them even when your favorite vase lay in a hundred pieces on the kitchen floor.”
The Gardiners’ own children showed interest in Mr. Darcy because he was a “favorite,” according to their parents of both “Cousin Jane” and “Cousin Elizabeth.” Having children in the house made Darcy fancy Elizabeth even more than usual. It was a perfect way to end a most pleasurable evening.
On Monday, Darcy finalized the plans for the church, the transfer of funds to Lydia Bennet, and the purchasing of the commission. Calling on the Gardiners one last time, he found they sent a dispatch to Longbourn with news of the impending marriage.Finally,he thought,Elizabeth will be free of all these provocations: she will be able to laugh again; he dearly missed that laugh. Lydia was coming to Gracechurch Street that day, and he would return to Pemberley on Wednesday. He would come again to London for the actual wedding; Mr. Wickham had no one else to stand up with him; plus, Darcy’s need for meticulous planning required he be there to assure nothing went awry before the nuptials.
All were happy to see his return to Pemberley, with his sister most anxious to seek his company privately; but that would wait; today Darcy served as the “good” host. “Mr. Darcy, you were grievously missed on our trip to Nottingham,” Caroline called to him.
He answered her politely, “I am sorry to cause you grief, Miss Bingley.”
“Has your urgent estate problems been resolved?” Bingley implored.
“Generally so,” Darcy lied,“but I will need to return to London for a day or two at the end of the month.Then everythingwill be finalized.” He emphasized the last words to give Georgiana some peace while she waited to learn the whole story.
“I would have wished to be of service to you, Darcy,” Bingley offered.“You do so much for my family.”
“Your caring for Georgiana was of service to me, Bingley. I could not leave her in your care if I did not value your friendship. She means more to me than does Pemberley.” Georgiana blushed with his words, and her eyes misted with emotions. He was the finest man she knew; finding a mate who could live up to her brother’s image could be difficult in her estimation. “In fact,” he continued, “I hoped to keep you at Pemberley when your sisters depart for Scarborough. Besides wishing you to care for Georgiana in my absence again, I would wish to spend some time with you as gentlemen.”
“I would enjoy that, Darcy,” Bingley smiled from ear-to-ear.
Later that evening, Georgiana tapped lightly on his study door. “I wondered when you would make your way here, Dearest One,” he teased.
“I wanted to make sure our guests retired for the night,” Georgiana came forward to have a seat across from his desk. “Please tell me what happened in London. Did you find Mr.Wickham?”
“Are you sure you want to hear all the unsavory details?”
“Besides knowing Miss Elizabeth is going to be well, your story can only confirm how lucky I am to have you as my older brother. Although it would probably upset me to ever see Mr. Wickham again, I do want to know his fateandyour advantage.”
Darcy summarized the events of the last ten days, accenting the squalor in which he found both Mrs. Younge and George Wickham, but he assured Georgiana Mr. Wickham would marryLydia Bennet; Darcy would attend the service at St. Clements Church along with the Gardiners.
“Then you will be able to pursue Miss Elizabeth again,” Georgiana encouraged.
“Have you considered the ramifications of that, Georgiana?” he started. “If I earn Elizabeth’s love, it would mean Mr. Wickham would be my brother—our brother.”
“Fitzwilliam, we have many relations we rarely see. Mr. and Mrs. Wickham will be in Newcastle; I am sure Miss Elizabeth would understand Mr. Wickham would never be welcomed at Pemberley.You could not have done all these things and then give up.You must find a way to win Miss Elizabeth’s heart; you deserve her, and although she does not know it yet, she needs you.”
“Georgiana, the man who earns your heart will be winning a true romantic.” He chuckled while she blushed.They finished the evening with his relating some of the more amusing Elizabeth Bennet stories shared by the Gardiners; they laughed and talked into the late hours.
As promised, he returned to London to witness the exchange of vows and to finalize the money matters. The wedding took place on a Monday at eleven o’clock in the morning. A month had passed since Mr. Wickham and Lydia Bennet left Brighton, and finally to be rid of the chaos gladdened him. In Lydia Bennet, Darcy saw the same effusive, immature girl from Hertfordshire; the results associated with her actions meant nothing to her. Instead, she babbled on about whether Mr.Wickham should wear his blue coat for the ceremony. Mrs. Gardiner tried to caution the girl, but silence could not be attained.
Darcy dined with the Gardiners on Tuesday, but they spoke more of Lydia’s insolence rather than of Elizabeth and Jane; he would prefer to hear about the latter. One of the Gardiner children, Cassandra, gave him a crayon picture of himself, Jane, and Elizabethwalking in a garden and holding hands. Although the likenesses were not accurate, the sentiment touched his heart in a way he never knew. He took the drawing back to Pemberley and placed it in a special spot in his study.
CHAPTER 15
“The usual practice of elegant females . . .”
Returning to the security of Pemberley, having both Georgiana’s and Bingley’s company brought him comfort. Yet, being with Bingley constantly reminded Darcy he must make amends for his duplicity in separating Bingley from Jane Bennet. One early autumn day, although the season was yet to open, they went out shooting. “I believe the last time, Darcy, we were shooting was at Netherfield,” Bingley said wistfully.
“You are right, Bingley,” Darcy paused as he planted the idea. “That was a pleasant time, was it not? By the way, have you made a decision on Netherfield? It seems a waste of money to let an estate one never uses.”
Bingley, not sure he heard Darcy accurately, seized on the idea. “Not having stayed through the winter, I am still unsure of the house’s soundness. Maybe I should consider returning to Netherfield and make my decision based on what I find.”
“That seems to be a logical manner of making a judicious decision, Bingley.”
“Would you consider joining me, Darcy? We could shoot, ride, and enjoy my estate. I would like for you to come with me.”
