Chapter 22

There was little doubt in Elizabeth's mind that her guards would still be waiting outside when she hurried downstairs just after dawn, especially since Wickham was still at large. Much to her surprise, her Uncle Gardiner was also waiting.

"Might I accompany you on your walk this morning, Lizzy?"

"Certainly, Uncle. I would be pleased to have you join me," she replied.

The two set off and walked for several minutes in silence. Finally, her uncle broke the silence. "I like your young man very much."

She grinned at him. "I do too."

"Do you want to keep to the plans we made? Going to Pemberley? Your father signed everything Phillips put in front of him yesterday, including an outline of the wedding settlement and a statement granting his permission for the wedding to proceed, without questioning any of it."

Elizabeth could only shake her head. "We need to leave Hertfordshire for the safety of my sisters, with Mr. Wickham still not captured. And while I worry about what will happen to Longbourn when I go away, I should not be made to feel guilty for wanting to leave. My father should not have expected me to remain here forever to do what he would not."

"Among other things, he signed control of the estate over to Darcy, who will, of course, defer decisions to you," Uncle Gardiner told her, causing Elizabeth to look at him in surprise. "With the entail, your father cannot transfer its ownership, but the agreement gives the control of the estate's profits over to the two of you. I spoke to Darcy yesterday, and he intends to allow you to continue to make decisions about how the estate's funds are spent. Of course, the household expenses will be paid first, followed by one hundred pounds apiece for you and your sisters. These amounts are to be paid to the husband or guardian of each of you, although your marriage settlement says these funds are yours as a part of your annual pin money."

Shocked, Elizabeth blurted, "I cannot believe he did not even bother to read what he was signing. I have never been able to sign estate papers, but I read them carefully before passing them to my father. How will that even work?"

"Darcy wanted to speak to you about it ahead of time, but there was no real opportunity to do so."

"What will my father do when he realises what all he has agreed to?"

"There is nothing he can do, and honestly, I do not think it will trouble him too much in the end. It will allow him to be just as indolent as he presently is and will make no material difference in his life, and with all of you girls at Pemberley, Longbourn will be a far quieter place than he is used to."

Elizabeth did not respond, and the two spent several moments contemplating what had been shared. "Uncle, am I foolish for wishing to marry Mr. Darcy without my father's permission and even his blessing? Is he seeing something I am not? Should we stay here and attempt to persuade him instead of going away?"

"No, Elizabeth, you should not consider changing your plans. Your father demonstrated his lack of concern for you by refusing Mr. Darcy's suit so categorically. He then failed to truly consider your well-being when he learned of the threat that Mr. Wickham posed to you in particular. Last night proved that your father was wrong about Wickham's remaining nearby. What reason do you have to consider him or his opinion now that you know what he truly thinks about you?"

"I have always had a special relationship with Papa, but now I do not feel like I ever really knew him. All I believed he did for my benefit was actually for his."

"Elizabeth, do not be so disheartened. You did benefit, and I believe your father loves you at least as much as he can love anyone. Over the last several years, he has distanced himself so much from everyone that now, he is only able to find solace and comfort in his books. I am uncertain he knows how to relate to other people, including his wife and children, in any real way."

"How is that possible?"

Uncle Gardiner sighed deeply, and they walked several more feet before he responded. "He has shut himself off from life. Do you know the story of how your parents married?"

"What do you mean, Uncle?"

They arrived at the base of Oakham Mount, and Gardiner was the first to notice Darcy. "Come, I will tell this story to both you and your young man as I believe it will assist both of you in understanding what to do."

After taking a moment to recover, Elizabeth followed, quickly outstripping her uncle, and greeting her future husband far more sedately than either would have liked. Uncle Gardiner slowed his steps and encouraged them to begin their way to the summit of the small peak to give them a few moments together.

When they were assured they were out of sight, the couple exchanged a slightly more amorous greeting. After a brief kiss and an embrace, they walked arm in arm to the top. If both their cheeks and lips carried a light blush when he arrived, her uncle did not comment, though he did raise his eyebrow just a bit at the young man.

"I discovered this morning that Lizzy has never heard of her parents' engagement or the early days of their marriage, and I believe it would benefit you both if you understood how my sister managed to marry the heir of Longbourn," he began as the three sat down on large boulders at the summit. Darcy and Elizabeth sat next to each other on one, while her uncle sat across from the couple on another.

Their hands clasped between them, Darcy and Elizabeth looked at each other before nodding to her uncle. "I always wondered how they came to be wed since they seem to have so little in common, but Papa was never willing to speak of it, and I was not close enough to Mama to ask. You make it seem very mysterious, Uncle."

"Fanny was only sixteen when she married your father. She was too young to be wed, far too much like Lydia is at that age, and not nearly as serene as Jane or as witty as you. Granted, your father dedicated some time to ensuring you were well educated, at least at first, and he gave you the desire to continue on your own after he was no longer interested in encouraging you. Similar to how Kitty and Lydia are now, your mother's elder sister followed the lead of the younger, though there was a little more distance between the two of them, four years rather than the one and a half that separated your youngest sisters. Nonetheless, Fanny was sixteen when she began attending parties and assemblies, and Edith was twenty.

"While Edith was quiet and somewhat shy in company, Fanny was outgoing and flirtatious and never hesitated to speak to anyone. At the time, Edith was courting Phillips, who was still a clerk apprenticed to your grandfather, and they were close to an understanding. A group of militia members were stationed in the village, and Fanny became enamoured of one of the officers, the colonel of the regiment. He was a much older man and claimed he would soon inherit a grand estate from an uncle, and as soon as he finished this last mission with the militia, he would head north to Leicester to claim his estate and fortune.

"Fanny met him at the monthly assembly—I was in school then and not home, though I heard all about it in my sister's letters—and apparently, the two flirted and courted quite openly for the two or three months the militia was stationed here. Fanny wrote that he had asked for her hand and that the two would marry when I returned home for the summer. However, when I returned a month later, the militia had left, including her colonel. He had promised marriage to my sister, though he had never spoken to my father about it, and after taking my sister's virtue, departed without a further word.

"Edith questioned Fanny carefully after hearing of this and concluded from her answers that her sister was with child. The two of them contrived to compromise Bennet at the next assembly and surprisingly managed to carry out their plan. My father was informed of enough to make it appear that Bennet was the one to take his daughter's virtue, and he insisted on the marriage. It was only after Jane was born, more than ten months after the wedding, that it was discovered that neither Fanny nor Edith had known what they were about since they were both maidens. When your father learned of the deception, he was justifiably livid, as you can imagine, and their marriage has only worsened since. He felt he had been forced into the marriage and made little effort to improve it. He might have taken more interest in the estate if he had had a son. I believe he taught you, Lizzy, and educated you as a son so you could take over for him, allowing him to spend more time in his study and reading his books. Honestly, I believe he would have done the same with a son, although he would have likely sent a son to school to be educated further."

"Did Mama ever express any regret for what she did?"

"I am uncertain she knows how to experience regret. She had what she wanted—she was married to the largest estate owner in the area. Fanny saw no reason to repine until she had her fifth daughter. At that point, she might have briefly wondered if it was a punishment for tricking her husband into an unwanted marriage, but I doubt she would even entertain such a thought."

Elizabeth sighed her agreement. "Mama never has been able to think beyond the immediate, although she does worry plenty about the future. The uncertainty of it plagues her, and as my father has done little to reassure her … well, I can understand a little of Mama's nerves."

"Bennet mocks her because she created this situation when she forced his hand. He could have cried off, though he would have found it difficult to marry another in Meryton. Most in Meryton knew Fanny had caused the compromise but believed Bennet should act honourably toward her. I think some, our father included, hoped that Thomas could do something to calm her and educate her as a gentlewoman. The late Mrs. Bennet tried, but without your father's support, she had little success. Instead, she turned to educating you and Jane."

Elizabeth leaned her head against Darcy's shoulder and exhaled a long breath. "Is it terrible to say that I am shocked that my father would act so honourably as you described?"

"He knew he could not find another bride in Meryton unless he married Fanny, and it was simply easier to give in to public opinion than to go elsewhere to find a bride. He was nearly thirty at the time and liked the idea of a pretty, young bride well enough, and gave in. Is that really so surprising?"

"Not when you put it that way," Elizabeth agreed, then quoted, "‘Oh what a tangled web we weave…'"

"What do you mean, dearest?" Darcy asked.

"If Mama had been less foolish and not tricked my father into marrying her, he might have been a different man entirely. What would you have found when you first came to Meryton had my youngest sisters still been in the school room as they ought to be, and my mother far calmer? What would Longbourn be had Papa taken an interest when he first inherited and begun to put money away for our futures when his first daughter was born? Mama's efforts to force a man into marriage have resulted in a most unpleasant marriage for her, a terrible example for her daughters, and two daughters who are running wild. What type of education would we have received had Mama known how to act as a gentlewoman? Perhaps the quote is not completely accurate, but well, all of this"—she waved her hand in the direction of Longbourn—"is a direct result of Mama's deception. And she lacks the sense to realise it."

"That is unfair, Lizzy," Uncle Gardiner protested. "Your mother was young, and Bennet could have done more to aid her. She has become what she is due to your father's treatment of her."

"That may be, yet I do not place all the blame on Mama. There is much my father could have done to prevent things from falling as far as they did. I doubt he was a particularly diligent landowner when they married, yet a different woman might have been able to encourage him to leave his study and take a more active role. I cannot recall a time in my life when my parents spent any time in each other's company other than what was necessary. I suppose they might have been different when I was small when they liked each other more than they do now. Had my father made even a little effort to alleviate Mama's concerns, she might have been less silly, but I suppose he resented her too much to even attempt it."

"Lizzy, you sound bitter," her uncle noted.

She made no response but leaned more heavily upon Darcy's arm. "I apologise, Uncle. I am frustrated with my father's dismissal of me over the last few days and the apathy he displays regarding the danger to me and my sisters. I am also uncertain how to deal with his refusal to approve my engagement and wonder what we ought to do next. It is clear that we must depart, so do we continue with our plan to remove to Pemberley or are we safer somewhere else? Do we find a way to marry more quickly, or do we delay the wedding until the threat has been eliminated? I do not want you to leave, William, nor do I want to be separated from you for any length of time, but should we continue with our initial plan to marry in London a day or two after my birthday?"

"Elizabeth, I want to have the right to guarantee your safety. I can do that best if we are married, but I do not want to go to London. I also do not want to wait for months. Your aunt and uncles cannot remain indefinitely at Pemberley, and we have your father's written permission, regardless of how it was obtained. I do not want you to have anything less than the wedding you hoped for."

She smiled softly at him. "I love you, William. While Jane may have wanted a fancy wedding, all I ever cared about was loving the man I eventually married. While a small part of me wants to see if my father can be convinced to change his mind, the fact remains that we are not safe here. My departure and marriage will hurt him, no matter when and how it occurs, so perhaps it is best not to wait."

"I would be pleased to marry you in the chapel at Kympton. I can obtain a common licence from the rector at Kympton and have him perform the wedding once all the legalities are sorted."

Elizabeth stood and paced several feet away. "I know there is some urgency to depart the area, but is there any way we might wait a few days before we leave?"

Darcy looked at her in surprise, but nodded. "We could leave on Monday if you like, though that will require some adjustments. May I ask why you wish to delay our journey?"

"There are a few people I would like to take my leave of that I have not been able to. As you know, it has mainly fallen to me to visit the tenants and see to their care. I have been unable to visit them lately because of the rain and the threat of Wickham, but I would not like to leave without seeing them once more."

"Do you typically walk to pay your visits?"

"I do."

"If you allow me to accompany you in a gig, we could see most of them this morning. We could still depart on the morrow, though I understand if you would still like to wait."

"Longbourn does not have a gig," Elizabeth replied, her face a little sad.

"Netherfield does. I can ride back and return in an hour, and we can be on our way. Since the marriage settlement entitles me, or rather us, to have a say in the running of Longbourn, we can return here once or twice a year to ensure things are taken care of. We will also correspond with the steward."

Elizabeth turned a beaming smile on him. "Then, yes, William, return in two hours with a gig, and we will visit the tenants today. I will make sure my sisters are ready to depart tomorrow."