28. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Darcy felt it was important to talk to the one man in Elizabeth’s family he could like now that they were engaged. So he had arranged to meet with Mr. Gardiner and discuss matters with him. He had met Mr. Gardiner on several occasions, and he had always seemed an amiable man who showed much affection for his niece. Darcy took comfort knowing that Mr. Gardiner exhibited more common sense and diligence than both his sister- and brother-in-law combined.

Though now, as he rode towards the man’s home, he wondered if Mr. Gardiner would give him a hard time when he told him of his engagement to Elizabeth. The man had seemed quite protective of his niece. When Mr. Gardiner had learned of what Elizabeth’s parents had put her through, it had been difficult for Elizabeth to restrain him from going to Longbourn and confronting them.

Darcy hoped that everything would go well. It was possible that he could even discuss his thoughts about bringing about some comeuppance on the Bennets. He had learned things through his investigators that would put him in a postilion of power. The question was whether he chose to act on it.

With the realization that he had reached his destination, he carefully disembarked from his carriage and walked up to the door, giving the knocker a firm knock. A well-dressed footman answered, saying, “Mr. Gardiner has been expecting you. I will bring you to his study.”

Before he knew it, he was facing a gentleman not so much older than himself, that looked slightly like Elizabeth. He could see the family resemblance in the line of his brow and the sparkle of intelligence in his eyes. It was possible that the intelligence had not been inherited but rather learned from the man. Either way, it was something Mr. Gardiner had in common with Elizabeth.

“I must admit, Mr. Darcy, I was taken aback when you requested this meeting,” Mr. Gardiner remarked, unable to conceal his curiosity.

Eager to make a good impression, Darcy said, “I know you are a busy man, Mr. Gardiner. Thank you for agreeing to make time to see me.”

“No need to thank me. Setting aside time to meet you was a simple task.” Smiling, Mr. Gardiner added, “Now that pleasantries are out of the way, it seems you have something important you want to discuss with me. As you are vital to the care of my beloved niece, Elizabeth, I am anxious to hear what you have to say.”

Feeling like a stone was in his stomach, Darcy said, “I have fallen in love with Elizabeth, sir, and once I realized that she returned my feelings, I was moved to propose to her.”

“I assume that you are here because she said yes,” stated Mr. Gardiner, his expression offering no reassurance of his approval.

Darcy had not felt so uneasy since he was giving an oral report to his most difficult professors at Eton. Swallowing hard, Darcy managed to say ‘yes’ without choking on the weight of his anxiety. In the empty silence while Darcy waited for a response from Elizabeth’s uncle, he realized why he was such a successful businessman. By keeping his emotions hidden, he could manipulate any negotiation to his advantage.

Finally, after the suspense made Darcy think he would do something ridiculous like begging for his blessing, Mr. Gardiner smiled. An unsteady breath burst from his lungs as Mr. Gardiner said, “Having seen the two of you interact, I had assumed this would happen eventually. In fact, I was half glad that you would be given so much time in one another’s company. Despite your differences, there were certain similarities that made me fear you wouldn’t realize how perfectly suited you were for each other without sufficient time.”

Attempting to force his muscles to relax from their anxiety fueled knots, now that he knew that Mr. Gardiner was accepting of his suit, Darcy said, “I am just glad that I recognized my feelings before someone else recognized how amazing she is.”

As if just realizing that Darcy was still standing, Mr. Gardiner exclaimed, “Sit down and so we can discuss matters.”

Taking a seat in front of Mr. Gardiner’s desk, Darcy murmured, “Thank you.” After crossing his legs, he spoke, “Although I understand you can’t grant me the permission to marry Elizabeth, I wanted to seek your blessing because of how much she loves and respects you.”

“Thank you for the consideration. I know Elizabeth will be of age soon and so you will not need permission for long. When is the happy day to be?”

“Actually, two days after her majority. My godfather is going to help me get a common license.” Leaning slightly forward in his chair, Darcy said, “Actually, Elizabeth and I were hoping you could help us arrange things so that some of Elizabeth’s sisters could attend our wedding. The plan we have come up with would involve having Miss Bennet and, possibly, Miss Mary come up to shop for Jane’s trousseau. Elizabeth could join them in shopping then, before they return to Longbourn they could attend the wedding. It would be best if you offered for them to stay here for the plan to work.”

Grinning, Mr. Gardiner said, “That is a splendid idea! Madeline was going to invite Jane up anyway, but I am certain she would love to be a part of the plan to include Elizabeth’s sisters in the wedding.”

“I had hoped that it would not be too difficult to arrange. I know how close Elizabeth is with her sisters. Actually, I have been wondering about the possibility of attending Bingley’s wedding with Elizabeth once we are married. Mr. Bennet would have absolutely no sway over her at that point.” Rubbing at his forehead, Darcy wondered if Elizabeth would feel comfortable staying at Netherfield so that she could at least attend her sister’s wedding.

Mr. Gardiner’s lip curled slightly as he commented, “I am still so disgusted at my brother-in-law over his treatment of Elizabeth. I have never been fond of the man, but I never supposed that his indolence would bleed over into cruelty. If only there was a way to make him understand the consequences of treating others poorly.”

Fighting the desire to tug at his cravat, Darcy said, “Actually, I have had investigators learning about Mr. Bennet and they have found that he purchased several rare books using a loan he had obtained from a friend from Oxford. Mr. Bennet was paying the friend back in increments as he could, but he had not been able to pay anything since Elizabeth had left. Things became less productive at Longbourn without Elizabeth’s continued attention and Mr. Bennet refuses to put forth any effort to improve matters.”

Eyebrow rising in intrigue, Mr. Gardiner asked, “You would not be considering buying his debt and putting my brother-in-law in debtor’s prison, would you?”

Pressing his lips together in a hard line, thought for a moment before saying, “I am not sure if it is something I want to do. Though it would certainly be something that could make Mr. Bennet feel the sting of his actions.”

Nodding, Mr. Gardiner said, “You would have to speak with Elizabeth about it before you did anything.” Then, after a pause, he added, “For that matter, what about Longbourn? My sister could never manage that place; her husband hasn’t done much either, so it’s doubtful she would make things any worse.”

“As for Longbourn, I have an idea. What do you know about common recovery?” asked Darcy.

“Enough to know that we will have to discuss everything with Elizabeth and plan our next moves carefully.”

“Two days from now, let’s gather for dinner. Madeline will send round an invitation, including Elizabeth, your sister, and Mrs. Annesley. It will give us an opportunity to discuss matters.” Standing, Mr. Gardiner said, “I hate to show you out so quickly, but I have a meeting with investors that I need to prepare for.”

Darcy stood as well and assuring, “There’s no need to worry about it. I know you are a busy man, and I need to meet with a few other people today myself.” Turning, Darcy made for the door but stopped and, looking back at Mr. Gardiner, said, “Thank you, Mr. Gardiner, for being so supportive.”

“Call me Uncle Edward or if that feels too informal, you could try Gardiner,” the man replied with a smile. “We are soon to be family, after all.”

Looking out the window of the carriage, Elizabeth saw that they were almost there, and she barely restrained herself from bouncing up and down on her seat. Elizabeth had already had a wonderful day, and now she was heading towards her aunt and uncle’s home for dinner. Despite having to start her day being poked and prodded at the modiste, William met her at Hatchards afterwards. They had spent a lovely bit of time discussing various books and he had insisted on treating her to three books that caught her eye. After perusing the bookstore, they headed over to Gunther’s, treating Mrs. Annesley and Georgianna to ices as a thank you for their patience.

She was looking forward to speaking with her aunt and uncle about her wedding. She wanted both of them to be a part of her wedding day. There were so many things that she knew her aunt could help her with and, as for her uncle, she hoped he might walk her down the aisle.

William had told her he had spoken with her uncle about their engagement and had gotten his blessing, which meant a lot to her. He had even asked about having Jane and Mary come up so they could sneak them to her wedding. Elizabeth did not want to be rude, but she hoped to make plans while they were there.

Soon enough, William was helping her down from the carriage and was escorted into her aunt and uncle’s home. Elizabeth had barely handed her wrap to the footman when her aunt Madeline enveloped her in a bone cracking hug, exclaiming, “I am so happy for you, Lizzie!”

Leaning back, Elizabeth smiled at her aunt, saying, “I am glad then that is not just me, for I could not be happier to marry William. Please say you will help me with the planning and shopping for what I will need to weather a Derbyshire winter.”

“Of course, my dear, of course.” Aunt Madeline, wrapping an arm around her waist, said, “Welcome, everyone. You will have to forgive me for my lapse in hospitality. I have been so excited for our Lizzie.”

Shaking her head, Georgianna said, “I completely understand. I have been at sixes and sevens, knowing I will get Lizzie as a sister.”

With a smile, Aunt Madeline gestured everyone into the drawing room where they could wait for dinner to be announced. Turning back to Elizabeth, she said, “I have already sent a letter inviting all your sisters up for a shopping trip. I have worded it in such a way that I do not think your mother will become suspicious. I offered to gift each of her sisters something for the wedding and make sure Jane has everything she needs to hold her head up as Mrs. Bingley. Now I do not know if all of your sisters will manage to come, but we can hope.”

Sitting on a settee, Elizabeth smiled at William as he sat next to her, but did not interrupt her conversation with her aunt. She was quick to thank her, saying, “I cannot thank you enough for helping to arrange that. I would give anything to have at least some of my sisters at my wedding.”

Waving her off, Aunt Madeline said, “Do not give it a second thought. I know how close you are to your sisters.” Hesitating, she lost some of her smile before asking, “Have you considered attending Jane’s wedding? I understand your wish to be by her side and by that point, you will already be wedded, leaving your father powerless to do anything to you.”

Biting her lip, Elizabeth considered her aunt’s words. She wished to be there for Jane, but she had such a visceral response to the thought of returning to her childhood home. Looking up at William, she asked, “I do wish to be there for Jane, but I do not think I could step foot in Longbourn and have a civil conversation with either of my parents. What do you think, William?”

Reaching out, he took her hand in his from where it had sat on the settee between them and said, “I do not think you should avoid your sister’s wedding if it is somewhere you want to be. Bingley has offered for us to stay at Netherfield if we should wish to come to the wedding. We could potentially attend the ceremony, sidestepping the inevitable confrontation at Longbourn, by skipping the wedding breakfast. There will be a time to confront your parents, but it will not be at your sister’s wedding.”

Seeing the logic of what William said, Elizabeth nodded. There was no reason that her parents should be able to keep her away from her sister’s wedding. Taking a breath, she said, “Yes, that sounds like a good idea. You are actually right on both accounts. I want to be there for my sister when she gets married, and I should not let my parents stop me. I also think that I will have to confront my parents sooner rather than later.”

Glancing over at her uncle, William hesitated before saying, “I actually have an idea about that, but as we are about to be shown into dinner, what do you say we talk about that afterwards?”

When Elizabeth studied the two men who were most significant in her life, she realized the evening would be more complicated than she had previously assumed. There was going to be something hard to be discussed later. As both men were in agreement over whatever it was, Elizabeth decided she would hear them out later without hesitation. She trusted them to have her best interests at heart. She knew that in the meantime, she could indulge in a delicious dinner that was bound to be scrumptious, surrounded by some of those closest to her.

Darcy had noted Elizabeth’s concern when she realized that there was going to be a discussion that would surely make her uneasy. His heart had gone out to her, but she seemed to put her worries aside and enjoyed the dinner with her family. She had even taken time to visit her nieces and nephews, taking pride in showing him her newest little niece, Beth, who seemed to be so tiny.

Watching her hold the small bundle and coo at the bright-eyed baby did something to Darcy. He couldn’t resist the urge to rub his chest where his heart thudded forcefully. Darcy had never thought of having children before that moment, not really. He had known he would have to have an heir, but the concept had always been something ephemeral.

Watching Elizabeth changed that. Now, he yearned for children—not just any children, but children he could raise and cherish alongside Elizabeth. He craved it with a sudden fierceness. He longed to watch her cradle their child and coo at them. Darcy did not know how long he watched Elizabeth before Gardiner clapped him on the shoulder, saying, “It hits you kind of hard. Believe me, I know.”

Hoping he was not blushing, Darcy nodded. He had no words to express what he was feeling, or at least nothing coherent, so the nod was all he could offer. Unable to take his eyes off Elizabeth, he watched as she kissed baby Beth’s forehead and handed her back to her aunt.

Then, after saying something to her aunt, she came over to him and her uncle, a grim smile on her face. Setting her shoulders in a way he recognized Elizabeth said, “I believe, gentlemen, that it is time that we get to that discussion you mentioned.”

That was the thing about Elizabeth. When faced with an issue, she did not run away; she didn’t hide; she set her shoulders and faced it. Even when it was an insurmountable problem, even if it should not have been her problem, if she saw something that needed doing, she would do all she could to take care of the issue.

Darcy loved it about her. The willingness to work hard and face issues head on. Only he did not want her to have to face things alone anymore. He wanted to be there for her, standing at her side, offering her aid and lending her his strength.

So, offering her his arm, he said, “Shall we?”

Smiling, she took his arm, and they all walked into her uncle’s office together. After settling into the small grouping of chairs before the fireplace, she said, “I take it you have come up with a way to handle Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, but you are hesitating to act.”

Grateful that they were sharing a settee, Darcy took her hand in his, with a hope that he could offer her comfort in what was sure to be a difficult discussion. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Since you left, things have grown worse for Longbourn and its coffers. You had been keeping your mother from overspending, but without your influence, she has been far exceeding any sort of budget. She has had several fancy dinners and redone her favorite sitting room. There is also your father’s negligence, which has influenced two of the tenant families to leave for greener pastures.”

Darcy knew that she had been close to all the tenant families, so it was probably a blow to her to learn of their desertion. He watched as she bit her lower lip slightly in a way that made him swallow hard. Forcing his eyes away from her mouth, he listened as she said, “I hope whoever left will be treated as they deserve, wherever they have gone. With two families gone, that would be roughly twenty percent of the Longbourn profits. Though, really, it will most likely be closer to thirty or thirty-five if the situation is bad. He cannot expect to get the same amount of rents from the remaining tenants. If Mrs. Bennet is overspending as badly as I fear, the coffers will be dry.”

The smallest of smiles flickered across his lips as he listened to Elizabeth. She had understood the depth of the problem in no time at all. “To make matters worse, your father borrowed money in order to buy several rare books and can no longer make his scheduled payments.”

Rubbing at her forehead, Elizabeth sighed. “I had wondered how he always found the funds for those books.” Shaking her head, Elizabeth continued, “They are ruining Longbourn before Mr. Collins can even get his hands on it. What happens if the person he borrowed from wants his money back and Mr. Bennet cannot pay it?”

With a heavy sigh, Darcy glanced at Gardiner. When Darcy remained silent, Gardiner finally spoke up, saying, “It’s a very real possibility that Mr. Bennet will be thrown into debtor’s prison.”

Darcy found it difficult to watch Elizabeth’s face pale as her uncle spoke, but before he could console her, she interrupted, her voice filled with concern, “I don’t want to shield Mr. Bennet, he deserves to face consequences for his actions, but what about my sisters and Longbourn? Is there any way to protect them?”

Once again, Darcy glanced at Gardiner, though this time he spoke up saying, “There is, though it will take finagling. Actually, I think it is quite fitting, but I will not act if you do not fully support my idea.”

Looking him in the eyes, Elizabeth squeezed the hand he still held, saying, “I know you are trying to protect my sisters and Longbourn. I will not get upset if you tell me your idea.”

With her encouragement, Darcy felt a weight lift off his shoulders, allowing her to speak with a newfound confidence. “I must confess,” he began, “Along with my powerful urge to shield the innocent in this predicament, I desire retribution for what your parents did to you.”

As she linked her arm through his, Elizabeth leaned on his shoulder, her voice filled with determination. “I will admit to wanting a certain amount of retribution as well,” she confessed, before adding, “Tell me your plan, William.”

Taking a deep breath, Darcy plunged ahead with his idea. “I know who your father owes money to, and I have asked that he not act against Mr. Bennet until after your sister marries Bingley and they leave on their wedding trip.”

Smiling, Elizabeth said, “Thank you for that. I do not know if Jane could handle such a dramatic event up close. It is best that she be told about it at a later time.”

Taking back up his explanation, Darcy said, “With your father in debtor’s prison and his heir in India as part of a punishment from the church, it gives me the ability to use common recovery to take control of Longbourn.”

“I will admit that I am not so very knowledgeable about legal matters. What is common recovery?” asked Elizabeth, looking back and forth between her uncle and Darcy.

Here Gardiner picked up the explanation saying, “With both your father and his heir proving themselves irresponsible and unsuitable to manage the family estate, Darcy can tell the court that he wants to preserve it for your second son or even a daughter. He could even set up something that would say that it goes to the first son of the Bennet daughters that does not inherent his own estate. Really, it depends on the judge that handles the case.”

Adding his own thoughts on the matter, Darcy said, “It is the best way that I can come up with to protect the land and the tenants that you care for, not to mention your sisters.”

Biting her lip again, Elizabeth seemed to consider what they were saying. Then, closing her eyes, she took a breath and after opening her eyes she asked, “Once we wrest power from Mr. Bennet and Mr. Collins, what happens to my sisters and Mrs. Bennet?”

Darcy was quick to reassure her. “Without Mr. Bennet in the picture, I will have the right to oversee Longbourn as it deserves to be, and I was considering offering your mother a cottage to live in with a servant or two. Your sisters would have a choice of where they would want to go. I would be more than willing for them to stay with us at Pemberley.”

“I know Madeline and I would be completely willing to take in your sisters as well. It will be their choice, though,” added her uncle.

Darcy felt a wave of relief as Elizabeth once again hugged his arm, her touch providing reassurance that she understood the depth of his contemplation. “I can tell you have given this a lot of consideration,” she acknowledged. “I also sense your apprehension over my reaction to your plan, but it really is the most effective way to protect the people I care about. That Mr. and Mrs. Bennet will have to confront the repercussions of their behavior is a minor source of delight for me.”

Darcy was relieved when he heard Elizabeth chuckle and adding, “I do not know who will be affected more—Mr. Bennet, going to debtor’s prison, or Mrs. Bennet, no longer being able to play the lady of the manor. I think it is a splendid plan, and we should move forward with it.”