Chapter 25

25

D arcy wasted no time ordering his carriage to be ready. If Lady Armstrong’s driver could make it through the storm, then so could he. After changing into his traveling clothes, he found Bennet in the library reading aloud to Clara. Outside the window, snow flurries covered the shrubs that the windstorm had not toppled. The setting inside was cozy.

Elizabeth’s father closed the book, setting it aside on the table. Instead of Shakespeare’s sonnets, this time, he shared Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage by Lord Byron with the infant.

“I can see that you have news, son. Can this little one bear your tidings, or should she return to the nursery first?” Bennet quipped.

Darcy was eager to see the matter of guardianship permanently settled.

“Sir, I will only share that Lady Armstrong does not love or respect her husband. She shared news that changes everything, giving me confidence that these children will never need to leave our home. Nor will you need to leave England. After I collect my uncle, we will depart for Armstrong House to confront His Lordship with information that, in the eyes of the law, he no longer qualifies to be guardian of any children. His wife assured us that once her husband knew we were aware of his…uh, history, he would step aside if we kept his personal life private. I believe her implicitly.”

Mr. Bennet’s eyes narrowed. “I will not ask for specifics, Darcy, since this little lady does not need to know anything about that side of life. Nonetheless, I am curious why Lady Armstrong freely undermined her husband. I imagine that in doing so, it will not go well for her.”

Darcy never enjoyed being in the company of the former Caroline Bingley. Even her good-natured brother spent as little time with her as possible. Obviously, her husband felt the same. Yet, she had done them an invaluable favor, likely at a significant cost to her.

“I will do what I can to protect her.” Darcy tried to explain. “Sir, when I was a lad, I envisioned my adulthood would be spent with my father where he was forever the master, and I was his indulged heir. I spent hours imagining days filled with riding over hills and dales, flirting with lovely young ladies, and traveling to new and intriguing places. At night I expected to devour one book after another from our library. The picture in my mind was so clear that it was difficult to accept the opposite when the change occurred. One of my biggest challenges when I lost my father was accepting my new normal. For a long time, I was bitter and angry that my life did not turn out close to what I expected. Such was my grief. Over time, I was able to accept my new situation and move on. I expect that Lady Armstrong’s disappointment in having her expectations pulled out from underneath her has left her bitter, too.”

“And angry,” Bennet suggested .

“Yes, and angry. Being able to snap back at her ‘jailor’ will give her a certain level of glee as she adjusts to her future, whatever that may be.”

Bennet nodded. “How did my daughter accept the news?”

Just thinking of his wife’s reaction warmed his insides.

“Once Lady Armstrong handed Elizabeth her sister’s journal, including Bingley’s love notes, she rushed upstairs to share our good news with the nursery, then retreated to our sitting room to hold the book to her chest, smiling through her tears.”

“That’s my Lizzy.” Bennet grinned.

“I beg to differ, sir, but that is my Elizabeth.”

Bennet’s expression widened to a smile. “Darcy, you will discover once this little girl is grown that there will be nothing to please a father more than to see her future well settled with a man who holds her in deep affection and respect. What Jane had with Bingley was perfect for her. Had one of my other daughters caught Bingley’s eye, I fear their marriage would have been miserable. So even though the time they were together was far shorter than I ever dreamed, I am comforted knowing those months were happy. Now, as far as you are concerned, in truth, I expected when you first arrived in Meryton and insulted Lizzy that I would never be pleased that you were my son-in-law. For once in my life, I am delighted to be proven wrong. You are the perfect man for my second daughter: intelligent, responsible, and protective. If I dare to hazard a guess, I believe you are as deeply in love with her as she is with you.”

Darcy did not hesitate. “I am.”

“Good. You will both be excellent parents for the twins.”

“Sir, Elizabeth and I spoke about this very thing several times this month, and we are agreed that we will be uncle and aunt instead of Papa and Mama. Charlie and Clara had excellent parents. We would never want to take anything away from Bingley and Jane, such is our love for them. Especially for Charlie, who will eventually have access to all that his father and grandfather saved for him. Therefore, since we are their uncle and aunt by birth, we will be known to them as such. We will spend their growing years assuring them of the devotion their parents would have had for them. We will make Bingley and Jane as real to the children as possible. As your other daughters marry, the children’s immediate family will grow. They will have more aunts, uncles, and cousins than they could ever wish for. For their sake and the sake of our unborn children, we will be Aunt Lizzy and Uncle Darcy.”

Bennet shrugged. “Do as you please, son. I am confident that however they choose to refer to you, this little one and her brother will grow up in a happy home.”

Darcy sat across from him. “Which brings up something else that Elizabeth and I discussed. Already, your most cherished possessions have been moved from Longbourn. Once they are unloaded from the ship, will you want them returned to your estate?”

Bennet startled, disturbing Clara, who needed a quick transfer to her grandfather’s shoulder to be rocked. “What do you mean? Where else would we go?”

“You and your wife are under no obligation to follow our recommendation, of course, but we hope you will consider relocating to Derbyshire. The dower house at Pemberley is truly grand and is in excellent repair. It is close enough to the main house that you could easily come and go when we entertain or even join us daily. In this way, you can have easy access to Charlie and Clara. When we come to Town, you will be welcome to join us. We would provide masters for your younger daughters to broaden their education, prepare them for their eventual presentation, allow them a Season, and provide a greater variety of prospective marriage partners. Mostly, these children will benefit from the kind attention of yourself and their grandmother. I have an excellent apprentice steward who could relocate to Longbourn, so the general tasks of managing an estate would be lifted from your shoulders.”

“You have caught me quite off guard, young man.” Thomas Bennet frowned. “I am not much…”

“Stop!” Darcy interjected. “Stop right there. Before you denigrate yourself in any way, you need to consider the nature of your two eldest daughters and the potential for the other three. According to Elizabeth, she learned to comport herself correctly from her aunt Gardiner, but her thirst for knowledge, her love of adventure, and the depth of her feelings come from you. She told me clearly that Jane’s love of beautiful things came from your very own wife. No one who truly knew either of these women could disparage them for not possessing qualities that make them unique and interesting. As a grandfather, you are tireless with your attention to both children, but especially toward Clara. This will be critical to her since males in our society are always feted and praised where females are not. Having a knowledgeable, respected gentleman who treats her like she is the most important lady on the planet will give her confidence in her value. Therefore, do not ever, in my hearing, belittle your efforts at being a good father. I will not have it, do you understand?”

“I do.”

“Very well. I expect my carriage is ready.” He stood and walked to the door. “Do consider our offer and discuss it with your family. We are genuine in our desire to have you with us. At the same time, should you choose to return to Longbourn, we will also understand, supporting you however we can.”

Leaving Mr. Bennet to contemplate his future, Darcy exited his house, prepared to finish this business with Lord Armstrong.”

Lord Matlock was ready when Darcy arrived.

“Richard did not understand why he was being excluded from our jaunt.” His uncle pulled at the wrists of his leather gloves. “Since I had nothing to tell him, you should expect to provide an answer as soon as you return to Darcy House because I cannot see him letting this go. You know him. He is like a dog with a bone when there is either a mystery or an entanglement about.”

“Uncle, we missed a step in our investigation. Not just you and me, but all of us.”

“What is this?”

“Do you recall when I first met with Sutton and his legal team at Darcy House to consider how and when we should file a petition for guardianship?” At his uncle’s nod, Darcy continued. “One of his attorneys who specializes in Chancery cases gave a hearty defense of Lord Armstrong’s character. He was immediately dismissed from doing business with me, although he retained his position with the law firm. Later, Sutton found a small journal in this attorney’s possession listing what looked like private transactions between Armstrong and his current and past mistresses. This attorney, Mr. Burt, is the key to silencing Lord Armstrong and stopping him from claiming Charlie. If only we had pursued this lead from the beginning.”

Lord Matlock rubbed his palms together. “This sounds interesting. I can tell that you already know exactly what it will take to bring Lord Armstrong to his knees. Tell me what you know.”

“In good time, Uncle. We will be at Sutton’s office shortly if the roads are clear.”

Not twenty minutes later, Darcy and his uncle were ushered into a private conference room with Mr. Sutton and Mr. Burt seated at one end.

Casually sitting across from them, Darcy waited until the man looked at him directly.

“Mr. Burt, I have but one question for you concerning Lord Malcolm Armstrong and his petition for guardianship of young Charles A. Bingley II. If I state it clearly, do you swear to answer honestly?”

The attorney’s eyes darted to Mr. Sutton before he answered. “I will.”

“Very well. Mr. Burt, would you tell us the married name of Emma Goodman, Rachel Peterson, Amelia Hornbrook, and Catherine Crim?

Darcy could almost smell the man’s sweat. Beads of moisture dotted his upper lip and his brow. His face paled. His Adam’s apple bobbed. Good. He knew.

“Uh…I…if I tell you…Mr. Darcy, sir, I would be revealing information that I am under sworn oath to keep private.” He rubbed his hand over his mouth. “I cannot say.”

Darcy stood. “No need. You confirmed my suspicions without saying a word. I will warn you, however. When I speak with Lord Armstrong, which will be immediately after we leave this office, I will not hesitate to tell him where we stopped and with whom we met prior to our arrival. Anything that comes from this conversation will need to be dealt with by you.”

Without looking back, Darcy and Lord Matlock left the building and entered the carriage. Once underway, Darcy shared what Caroline Armstrong told him.

“Good lord!” his uncle exclaimed.