Page 4 of Painted with Love

Chapter 2

In the parlour, Mr and Mrs Gardiner were sitting together on the sofa, waiting. The gentleman was still coughing from time to time, attempting to fight the illness with a glass of brandy.

“As I have already told you, I met Mr Darcy and his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam in Kent. During my stay, I had the chance to speak to Mr Darcy privately a few times. I learnt that Mr Wickham’s stories were all falsehoods and that he actually received a significant sum of money, at his request, in exchange for the living, which he stated he had no interest in. I also learnt that Mr Wickham made a habit of polluting Mr Darcy’s name. I was offered proof of all this, but I do not have the authority to share it.”

“We do not need proof, Lizzy. And I confess I am not surprised — I never gave Mr Wickham too much credit,” Mr Gardiner said. “However, now I am even more curious why you would want to protect his property and why you would put my name and my honour at stake for his debts,” Mr Gardiner said, his tone severe.

“I did not do it for Mr Wickham, Uncle. I have reason to suspect that those objects, even though they were in Mr Wickham’s possession, actually belong to the Darcys. I would like to warn Mr Darcy about their existence and offer him the chance to buy them back before they fall into greedy and indiscreet hands.”

“Oh…” Mrs Gardiner said. “This is quite shocking…and worrisome.”

“Indeed, Aunt.”

“But are you sure, Lizzy? Could it be a coincidence? It would be silly to disturb Mr Darcy — a gentleman with whom I am not even acquainted — on an assumption.”

“I am sure, Uncle. And I am also sure that, even if I am wrong, Mr Darcy would appreciate being informed and having the chance to see for himself and protect his family from great danger. After all, there is no doubt that the man is Mr Wickham!”

“That, I can testify to,” Mrs Gardiner added. “The identity of the man in the portraits is beyond doubt.”

“Very well. So how do you want to proceed?” Mr Gardiner asked.

“I shall write to Mr Darcy, enclosing a letter from you. But I do not know his address. We shall need a loyal servant to look for his house and deliver it to him — nobody else but him in person! Do you think we can do that?”

“During my visit to Miss Bingley, I heard Mr Darcy lives somewhere on Park Lane. His house should be easy enough to find,” Mrs Gardiner said.

“I shall send Gilroy. He is loyal, clever, and trustworthy. Though, on second thoughts, I might go myself. I am not so ill as to not be able to sit in a carriage. If the matter is as delicate as Lizzy says, and if it involves a man like Mr Darcy, I would not risk any indiscretion.”

“But are you sure you feel well enough?” Mrs Gardiner asked.

“My dear, there are men who are fighting in the war with colds,” Mr Gardiner answered, attempting a smile. “Lizzy, make haste to write your letter. If it is so delicate and urgent, I shall deliver it today.”

With that, Mr and Mrs Gardiner went to their chambers, and Elizabeth began to write, her fingers trembling, her heart pounding, struggling to find the right words. The notion that she was writing to Mr Darcy — the man whom she had abominably offended with false accusations, the man who had proposed marriage to her and she had harshly refused — was disconcerting. He might be appalled and enraged by her audacity. But the reason behind the letter was a serious one and justified any breach of decorum. He may or may not know that his sister had given Mr Wickham a watch. He may or may not know that his sister had painted the man’s portrait, but it was unlikely that he knew his sisters’ secrets were currently exposed to public scrutiny. Mr Darcy might be angry with Elizabeth for refusing to marry him, but he would want to protect his sister’s reputation.

Mr Darcy,

I am writing this letter with the approval of my uncle and aunt, which you will have seen from the enclosed note and might already have learnt from my uncle himself, if he is the one who delivered it to you.

I shall be as concise as I can be. Today, by extraordinary coincidence, I passed a pawnbroker’s near Gracechurch Street and saw in the window a portrait of Mr Wickham. I asked for details and discovered that the portrait had been drawn last July and signed GD.

There was also a pocket watch of great value, left at the shop by Mr Wickham himself in exchange for cash. Inside the watch, there is a lady’s portrait and a personal and romantic inscription.

I was immediately worried for reasons you may guess, and I asked the shop owner to keep the objects safe and hidden for a few more days. If you consider it worth the effort, you may see the objects yourself and decide how to proceed. I enclose the exact direction — ask for Mr Backer, and tell him you were sent by Elizabeth Bennet.

Please rest assured that, although I trust my uncle and aunt implicitly, I have not disclosed to anyone details that must be kept secret.

I hope this strange situation will have a positive resolution.

Sincerely,

E. Bennet

She re-read the letter, then sealed it. A few minutes later, Mr Gardiner returned, and she handed it to him, grateful to her relatives for not requesting to read it.

As soon as Mr Gardiner left the house, instead of feeling calmer, Elizabeth’s distress only increased. What would Mr Darcy say? What would he think? What would he do?

Mrs Gardiner, Jane, and the children were all around her, but Elizabeth could not keep her attention on the conversation, nor engage in her young cousins’ play. She counted the minutes, trying to imagine how long it would take for her uncle to travel from Gracechurch Street to Park Lane and back, how Mr Gardiner would be received — what if Mr Darcy refused to even see him? — and how long the conversation might last.

The time passed painfully slowly, and it seemed hours before they heard the sound of the carriage returning. Nervous, she hurried to the door and opened it. The first thing she noticed was her uncle’s pale countenance.