Chapter 22

A n hour later, Mr Gardiner decided to stop their work so everyone could eat something. Always prepared for various situations during their travels, he estimated they had about an hour left of labour. The journey had unfolded without any serious harm so far; with nobody hurt and less than a two-hour delay, it could continue on the same happy note that it had begun on that morning.

Approaching his still-sleeping wife, Mr Gardiner gave instructions to their maid to prepare the meal. He gently woke Mrs Gardiner with a loving smile, whispering affectionate words in her ear.

Mrs Gardiner looked about with mild surprise, as if she could not remember where they were. However, her memories soon returned, and she stood up with her husband’s help.

“Where is Lizzy?” she asked, and they both looked about them for Elizabeth .

“She must be nearby, not far away,” he replied confidently, expecting Elizabeth to appear at any moment. They did not worry, knowing their niece to be well accustomed to strolls in the woods.

Yet, a slight unease began creeping in when she did not return after another half an hour had passed.

“Did you see which way she went?” Mr Gardiner asked, but no one could recall the details.

“I told her to stay on the path,” Mrs Gardiner replied, her voice quivering as she tried to hide her growing worry from the others.

“You know Lizzy—she rarely does things other people would. She must have entered the forest…but from where?”

The maid and his footmen did not know.

“Do not be worried,” Mr Gardiner said to calm his wife’s obvious worry. “Lizzy is daring but not reckless. She always looked out for her sisters.”

Nevertheless, they decided to search for her, imagining she must have lost track of the time.

They separated and went in different directions, everybody participating in the search.

Mr Gardiner and his wife walked over the carpet of leaves from the previous year, which could hide ruts or slippery stones, calling out her name more and more loudly.

“You said there are no dangerous creatures in these woods,” Mr Gardiner said, although he did not dare ask his wife if they had ever harboured malevolent individuals. He pushed such thoughts aside as he searched for his niece.

“As far as I know, not in my time,” Mrs Gardiner replied, though her confidence seemed to waver.

“Elizabeth!” Mr and Mrs Gardiner called out in turn.

Their voices echoed through the forest, and from every direction in which the three servants had gone, they heard, “Miss Elizabeth,” in the distance. It was unthinkable that she could have gone so deep into the forest that she could not hear their calls.

“Elizabeth does not act recklessly!” Mrs Gardiner repeated, but it only heightened their anxiety. Eager to arrive on the hill that overlooked Pemberley, she would not have strayed so far.

Something has happened , Mrs Gardiner mused, her heart pounding painfully, even as her mind resisted uttering those dreaded words aloud.

They returned after a while, but to their dismay, no one had found any trace of Elizabeth.

Their niece had now been missing for at least two hours, and at this point, terror enveloped all of them. They continued searching, frequently returning to the carriage to see if she had appeared.

“I cannot remember anything terrible ever happening in these woods,” Mrs Gardiner murmured, though she knew of grim tales from other regions that now filled her heart with relentless dread. “Something has happened!” she finally cried, her eyes welling up with tears. Despite Mr Gardiner’s efforts to maintain a front of strength, he found himself succumbing to the same state of anxiety.

“Oh, what a dreadful dream!” Mrs Gardiner exclaimed, her voice quivering with desperation as she sought solace in her husband’s eyes, only to find even greater distress. The once-inviting forest, alive with the sweet songs of birds, had become a perilous place filled with hidden dangers.

“Where could Elizabeth be?” Mrs Gardiner asked the coachman and footman for the tenth time.

“Madam, we were busy repairing the carriage and didn’t realise Miss Elizabeth hadn’t returned,” one of the men replied.

“We need help—someone who knows these woods,” Mr Gardiner finally declared when he saw no other choice. “I shall ride to the inn in Lambton that you mentioned.”

“No. I cannot stay here alone,” his wife pleaded, holding onto his arm.

“You are not alone, my dear—John and Michael are with you,” her husband reassured her gently, while Maria, the maid, approached to offer comfort, only to find her mistress’s hands trembling, cold as icicles.

“I am here, madam,” she whispered. “We shall keep searching while Mr Gardiner goes. Please, he must go now!”

With a heavy sigh, she reluctantly agreed, knowing it was their only choice.

As the servants prepared a horse, Mrs Gardiner approached, shaking her head. “I can hardly believe this is happening—”

She stopped abruptly in the middle of her sentence.

“We shall find her!” Mr Gardiner assured her, studying her face, which bore the weight of pain and worry.

“We need more than a servant from Lambton to help us in our search,” she said. “The town is seven miles away, but Pemberley is much closer.”

“Are you sure? ”

“Yes, yes,” she replied with intense urgency. “Mr Darcy’s house is much closer than Lambton. Go straight at the crossroads. From there, you can see the house—it is the only one around. Hurry to Pemberley and ask for their help. Go! Do not delay!”

“But how should I present myself there? I have only met Mr Darcy on a couple of occasions—”

“Just go and ask for their help!”

“I do not know Mr Darcy so well as to arrive at his door unannounced.”

“That does not matter. This is about Lizzy. He knows Lizzy much better than you imagine.”

And as her husband still hesitated, she said, “He proposed to her in Kent!”

And with those words, he left without looking back, escaping the desperate sobs coming from his wife, who could no longer contain her grief.

What shall I tell my sister? she agonised, still refusing to admit the possibility that something terrible had happened to Elizabeth, but the harsh reality forced a different conclusion. And at that moment, all hopes lay on Mr Darcy.