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“What a surprise, Lord Wellford! What brings you here? Unfortunately, my husband is out.” Mrs Gardiner was polite, but they did not know each other well, and she wondered why he had come without warning.
“To be honest, I know Darcy is meeting Mr Gardiner and Mr Bennet at the club. I took the opportunity to come here, hoping to find you alone,” Lord Wellford explained.
“Indeed? That makes your visit even more surprising. How may I help you? May I offer you tea or some refreshments?”
“No, thank you. I wish to discuss a very delicate matter with you. Perhaps I presume too much, but I have come for the sake of both our families.”
“Now you have truly aroused my curiosity,” Mrs Gardiner remarked. Elizabeth listened with growing interest, too.
“Mrs Gardiner…Maddie…May I speak as frankly as I did when we were friends?”
“Of course. Please sit down. And how shall I address you?”
“You may call me Arthur—though I suspect you will soon be rather angry with me. Still, I must say what I came to say.”
“Rather angry?” Elizabeth heard her aunt laugh. “That sounds rather frightening.”
“I have heard that one of your nieces recently married under questionable circumstances, while another is engaged to Bingley. He is a fine gentleman, and I have heard nothing but praise of his future wife. I am certain he and your niece will be happy.”
“Thank you for your kind words,” Mrs Gardiner replied.
“However, Mrs Gardiner…Maddie…I know no way to approach this except directly. I hear that your third niece, Miss Elizabeth, hopes to make a rather advantageous marriage.
“I suspected something even when we met at the theatre in London. Later, I learnt that Darcy had invited you to stay at Pemberley…I was surprised, and my suspicions grew when I saw him with Miss Bennet at the inn on our journey north.”
“At the inn? Do you mean when we were all travelling from Pemberley to London?” Mrs Gardiner’s voice grew colder.
Elizabeth felt a chill of fear. Her aunt understood that the viscount knew nothing of Darcy’s proposal or their approaching marriage. It was strange that his family had not been informed, but it was not her place to decide how Darcy should announce his marriage to them.
“Yes,” the viscount replied. “And now some troubling rumours have reached our family. We have heard of an attachment between your niece and my cousin. My aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has written to my mother. She is beside herself with distress and indignation. I do not know precisely what has happened, but you must understand that such a marriage can never take place. Darcy is engaged to our cousin Anne.”
“Is he?” Mrs Gardiner asked. Elizabeth’s heart beat so hard that she feared they might hear it.
A few weeks earlier, the Earl of Matlock had opposed Lady Catherine’s plan to marry Darcy to her daughter and advised him to marry quickly…though evidently not a Bennet girl. Anyone else would have been more suitable! Now they had decided to support Anne de Bourgh’s claim because of her. Elizabeth felt almost desperate enough to cry out, but how could she oppose them?
“I see. And what am I to do with this information, your lordship?” her aunt asked.
“I merely wished you to know.”
“Now I do. However, you should speak to Mr Darcy himself. He appears to be a gentleman of honour. If he is engaged, he will honour his promise, whoever his intended bride may be.”
Mrs Gardiner had almost said too much. Her anger was rising, and she had nearly revealed the secret. Yet the viscount seemed not to understand the significance of her words, for he continued in the same tone. “Their engagement is rather unusual. They were meant for one another from infancy. I have heard of it all my life, and we all expect them to marry soon.”
“Have you asked Mr Darcy about his intentions? You ought to have done so before coming to me to discuss a matter of which I know nothing.”
“I tried. He admitted that he greatly admired Miss Bennet and told me that she and Georgiana were already friends. But he would say no more. He is a man of few words, reserved and stubborn.”
“Then surely Mr Darcy is unlikely to lose his judgement over a pretty face? Would he marry a lady he did not consider worthy of him?” Mrs Gardiner asked.
“Certainly. Yet even the most honourable and determined gentlemen may show weakness when one least expects it. I have seen other admirable men—dukes and even kings—lose their senses and ruin their lives.”
“I imagine Mr Darcy has admired other young ladies. Have you had similar conversations with all their aunts? Or is my niece alone capable of ruining him?” Mrs Gardiner could no longer conceal her anger.
“Madam, please…I merely wish to warn you. My aunt, Lady Catherine, is determined to discover the truth. She may even visit Miss Bennet’s family herself.”
“I understand. Well, I can hardly prevent Lady Catherine from carrying out her plans. I do not know what you expect me to do, sir.”
“Please speak to your niece. Do you know anything of their engagement?”
