Page 10 of In the Eyes of Lord Lingley

London

Lord Lingley,

Please forgive my forwardness in writing to you without an introduction, but as uncle to your future wife, I felt it was imperative that I make you aware of the situation at Longbourne that we have recently witnessed. If you might be willing to allow my wife and I to call on you at your convenience, we would be most grateful.

If we do not hear from you before we leave for Hertfordshire to attend the wedding, I shall chance the gossip of servants and send another missive with the information.

God bless you, sir,

Edward Gardiner

Burning with interest, he ignored the offer of attending him in Mayfair, likely to salvage his dignity, and called for a carriage. The trip from Grosvenor to Cheapside took nearly three quarters of an hour at that time of day and when he arrived at the address from the missive, he was pleasantly surprised to find a handsome brick building of four stories standing across from a lovely park where he could see several groups of children playing under the watchful eyes of their nurses. He stepped down onto the cobblestones and mounted the steps to knock.

The housekeeper took his hat and gloves and led him to the sitting room, where a handsome woman stood before a writing table where he assumed she had been writing a letter, as it still sat on the leather surface.

“Mrs. Gardiner, I am Viscount Jonathan Lingley. I do apologize for calling without notice, but I received your husband’s missive and thinking that it sounded urgent, made my way directly here.”

“Your Lordship, you honor us by calling at our home.” She curtsied politely and rang for tea. “Please, will you not join me for some refreshments while my husband is sent for? He should only be a moment.”

“Thank you, madam. I have heard much about you from Darcy. All positive things from his lovely wife.” He smiled winningly as he sat.

“Lizzy is a dear girl. She and Jane have spent many years visiting us during the season. We are very close.” She grimaced at the frown he quickly hid. “We have invited Mary several times, but she has never been allowed to come. Her mother insisted that it would be wasted on her and that we should have taken Lydia instead, who, she insisted, would have been sure to catch a husband though she was only thirteen and practically illiterate.”

“From the gossip I heard at the wedding, she certainly did catch a man when she came to London.” Mrs. Gardiner sighed heavily and nodded. “And she barely escaped with her reputation intact?” he asked.

“Oh no, she has no reputation to speak of, at least in Meryton. But her sisters’ reputations had to be salvaged, and so her husband was purchased for her, along with whatever scraps of character marriage to such a man could procure.”

“And do they remain a thorn in the side of their family? Should I expect to be approached with hands outstretched?”

“As to that, I am certain that now they are married, there will be many urgent requests to Jane and Lizzy for funds, as I received several when Lydia first married and my staunch refusal to comply quickly brought them to an end; as well as any correspondence between us, incidentally. I am certain that her mother still receives at least quarterly complaints.” She paused to allow the housekeeper to set up the tea tray and retreat before continuing. “I doubt that Jane and Lizzy will be able to withstand her lamentations, but I recommend that you do not give in, or allow Mary to, if you do not wish to be fielding demands for the rest of your lives.”

“It sounds as if Wickham has not changed much since school. I never made his acquaintance, but as a friend of Darcy’s, I was well aware of his proclivities.” He accepted a cup of tea from his hostess and took a sip, humming in appreciation.

“It is one of Mary’s blends,” Mrs. Gardiner informed him with a pleased smile. “She is very talented, is she not?”

“She is.”

The sound of heavy foot-falls approached, and a tall, handsome gentleman entered the room. Had he not known that the man was a tradesman, Lingley never would have supposed the man to be any less than a man about town. He rose to his feet and bowed in greeting when Mrs. Gardiner introduced them.

“I am so pleased that you called, my Lord,” Gardiner announced, the worry lines about his eyes deepening as he shared a look with his wife. “There is much to discuss. And several questions that I hope you will answer.”

“To the best of my ability, sir,” he said with a bow of his head.

“My wife was very displeased with my sister. I am under no illusions as to her silliness and extreme lack of tact, but her willful blindness when it comes to her middle daughter is criminal.” He turned to face his wife, nodding for her to continue with her tale.

“I accompanied Mary to the local modiste with her mother and sister, and you could see how drawn she was to the brighter colors and finer fabrics, just like any young lady would be, but she did not even reach for them. When I picked up a lovely green silk and offered it to her, Mrs. Bennet immediately snatched it away before she could touch it and insisted that Mary only liked the ugliest of sackcloth, all while Kitty tittered behind her hand. I know for a fact that my brother sent £100 for Mary’s use, but Mrs. Bennet only allowed her three dresses and a few more delicate things, spending only £10. The other £90 was spent on herself and Kitty. Mary was insulted, belittled, and mocked for three hours straight and nothing I did could distract them from their fun.”

Her words had grown heated, and Lingley could tell that she had been horrified by the experience. “So, she is completely unprepared. I should have suspected that her mother would take one last opportunity to subjugate her.”

“I offered to bring Mary to London to order a wedding gown at my expense, but Mrs. Bennet threw a fit, Kitty demanded a trip of her own, and Mary demurred, hinting that she was uncomfortable with the cost of such a thing. She is so used to being denied the things which she deserves that she cannot accept it when it is offered. She does not expect good things, in fact, I assume that she is likely expecting you to abandon her and your engagement.”

“You do plan to uphold your engagement, do you not?” Mr. Gardiner asked, looking at him askance. “We heard mention some kind of wager with the amount of £1000 at stake.”

“Are you questioning my honor?” Lingley demanded, rising to his feet. “Or perhaps the liquidity of the earldom?”

“It is a large amount, sir.” Gardiner justified, refusing to back down at his show of displeasure. “Many a man has made even more questionable choices for less. My brother may not care for his daughter’s future, but I do, and I shall do my best to ensure that her situation will be a good one. Yours would not be the first title that was for let.”

Lingley took a deep breath to calm his outrage and listened to the affection behind the man’s words. “I can assure you both, I am entirely sincere in my attachment to your niece. My father is one of the most wealthy earls in England, and my mother is wealthy in her own right. As their only offspring, I enjoy a healthy allowance as well as the income from my estate, which is substantial, and my future inheritance will make Mary and I fabulously wealthy.”