Chapter 5

5

E lizabeth liked Bingley’s valet. Thornton looked like he would be more at home in a boxing ring rather than ironing wrinkles from his master’s cravat. She could see the pain of his loss when he handed Mr. Darcy the letter found in Bingley’s coat pocket.

“Thornton, I wonder if you might know where Mr. Bingley kept his private correspondence. I am aware, and likely you are too, from what you found along with Lady Armstrong’s letter, that he and Jane often passed notes to each other. The few times he traveled to London on business, he wrote daily. I cannot imagine that he would have destroyed them. When the babies are old enough, they may want to read about their parents’ love story.”

“Yes, miss. I know exactly what you mean.” Thornton turned toward Mr. Darcy. “Sir, there is a carved wooden chest that contains Mr. Bingley’s most cherished possessions. The letters, along with his legal papers, are inside. The key is hidden in my room.”

At this, Mr. Darcy gave orders in rapid succession. They needed to leave Netherfield Park before Lord and Lady Armstrong arrived.

He said, “Thornton, will you protect Mr. Bingley’s son?”

The valet snapped his heels together. “Yes, sir.”

“I expect you to guard the lad with your life, then.”

When the valet left, Darcy stepped to the window to read Caroline’s letter again. Shaking his head, he stared out the glass as if not seeing anything.

What was he about? Elizabeth stiffened her spine, irritated that he had quickly gone from “we” are working together to “I will carry out my purpose” without discussing it with “me.” Unfeeling man!

Except he was not entirely heartless. An unfeeling character would never issue the sweetest compliments to a week-old baby girl. Nor would he offer his shoulder to cry on, certainly not for Elizabeth, a lady whom he considered not tolerable enough to tempt him. Additionally, he acted to protect two of the sweetest babies ever. How could she criticize him for that? She could not. She should not.

“Miss Bennet, would you notify your father that we shall descend upon Longbourn within the hour? If he has any objections, pray let us know so we can make alternate arrangements.”

Oh! He was not ignoring her at all. In fact, in his eyes, she saw gentleness, almost pleading with her. Not arrogance.

Ashamed of her incorrect assumptions, she gathered fresh paper from Mr. Bingley’s desk.

Was he expecting the children to live at Longbourn? For the past seven years, the nursery at Longbourn was idle. Mama appreciated the company of her children in the drawing room. She also enjoyed having her daughters accompany her when she visited the neighbors, even including rambunctious Lydia. Had it been up to their father, all five girls would be tucked away upstairs, still, never allowed to come out. For years, he would tease that he wanted none of his girls to grow up and leave him and his wife alone. The girls would giggle and promise to protect him from Mama’s scolding when he left his circulating papers scattered around the drawing room. Both her parents suffered from the loss of their eldest. How would they respond to having babies at Longbourn? Elizabeth could not know.

Elizabeth agreed with his decision to leave as the idea of welcoming Lord and Lady Armstrong to Netherfield sickened her. Apparently, Mr. Darcy felt the same.

Lord Armstrong wanted Charlie as his heir? Never!

After sealing the note, she handed it to the nearest footman for immediate delivery, and then she returned to her chambers to gather her things. The maid carried her small trunk into the nursery, where Hill held one of the twins. While Mrs. Carter fed Clara, Mrs. Williams unfolded a blanket on her bed and dumped folded quilts and nappies in the middle, tying the edges into a bundle.

The nurses already had their belongings collected.

Mrs. Williams said, “’Tis good to be going to Longbourn since my three young ones will be much closer. I shall be able to see them each day.”

Mr. Darcy’s voice sounded from behind Elizabeth, startling her.

“I beg your pardon, ma’am. We will be at Longbourn only briefly. Before the day is gone, I intend to be on the road to Pemberley in Derbyshire. If you are unable to continue your care of the little one due to your family responsibilities, then please accept our gratitude for your sacrifice.” He removed several coins from his purse.

Elizabeth spun to face him .

Mrs. Williams jingled the coins in her hand, grinning at the amount. “Yes, sir. This will get my family through the winter with plenty of wood for the stove and food for our table. I hope all goes well for the babies. And for you.”

Elizabeth watched Mrs. Williams leave the room before stepping immediately in front of Mr. Darcy. She barely kept from tapping her toe on the wooden floor. Refusing to blink lest he suspected any weakness on her part, she lowered her volume so as not to scare the twins. “Pemberley? You will tear these babies from my family and take them so far away that I will never see them again? How could you?”

Livid did not begin to describe her roiling emotions. If the top of her head did not blast into the air like Vesuvius, she would be shocked. How dare he!

His hands came up, his palms facing her at eye level. “I sue for peace, Miss Bennet. Yes, I plan to leave for Derbyshire today. Much remains to be done before this can happen. Pemberley will be a haven for Charlie and Clara until my attorneys can file papers for guardianship. If I had my way, your parents and sisters would join us since these children need all the loving family they can get. Know this, please. Before I make any firm decision, I would consult with both you and your father.”

“Oh!” Her gaping mouth and wide eyes must have resembled a fish. “It is just that you spout directions without asking for any other’s opinion. Pardon me if I do not always follow you.”

Mr. Darcy replied, “No, it is I who beg your pardon. Your point is taken. For seven years, I have been in sole command of my estate. I have no one else to consult.”

“Very well. If you remember to include me, then I shall attempt to remember not to jump to conclusions.”

She noted the slight grin as he bowed.

Darcy’s conversation with Miss Bennet’s father did not go as he planned. Instead of confronting a lackadaisical man, a humbled and humiliated Mr. Bennet addressed the needs of his grandchildren and family.

“Mr. Darcy, I have been a poor parent to all my girls, but especially to my eldest. I heard that Jane was to be our salvation so many times from my wife that I began to believe it. Now that she is gone…I do not know how to continue.In truth, I fear having Charlie and Clara here since I doubt that I would be any better as a grandparent.”

Mr. Bennet’s honesty surprised Darcy.“I happen to think that your second daughter would disagree with you, Mr. Bennet. She seems particularly fond of you.”

He sighed. “My Lizzy.” Gesturing to the heavily burdened bookshelves surrounding them, Mr. Bennet said, “I was never meant to be the master of an estate. As the third and final son, I was destined for either the church or to be a tutor to wealthy men’s sons, something I desired above all else. A tragic epidemic robbed me of my parents and elder brothers, both married but both without children. I turned to my books for comfort until they became my loyal companions. Because Lizzy is hungry to learn, she convinced me to allow her into my study, constantly testing my knowledge, which fed my soul. Though I know I should not have favorites, she is my greatest delight.”

The comment both warmed and irritated Darcy. How could a man cherish a child but not sacrifice for her future? Inconceivable! Yet, Mr. Bennet was not alone in doing so. Did it make indolent fathers inherently bad men? It did not. With that thought, he was confident that he would never be that sort of man, no matter his disappointments .

“Sir, Bingley’s sister and her husband are a threat to the twins remaining together. Their goal is to take Charlie to their home, leaving Clara behind. Should Lord Armstrong’s petition to the court to be appointed guardian succeed, the probability of you never seeing your grandson again is high. Your granddaughter would lose all access to her Bingley family and her heritage. We must do something.”

“I sense you have a plan.” Mr. Bennet removed his spectacles and rubbed his eyes.

“I do.”

“Before you move ahead, you should know that the situation at Longbourn is that my wife and I are still reeling from the loss of Jane. Our three youngest girls are trying to find their way without their older sister’s guidance and good example. As for me, my days and nights are filled with mourning. Although you were a good friend to Charles Bingley at one time, you are not flesh and blood. I wonder, would you be the right person to see to the future of my grandchildren?”

Sitting back in the leather chair as if to distance himself from the topic, Darcy’s tone was sharper than he intended. “If you are suggesting that I know nothing of what you are feeling, you would be wrong. Death has robbed me of both my parents and all my grandparents. I have no uncles, aunts, or cousins on the Darcy side. They are all gone, likely due to that same epidemic that took your family. Unfortunately, I know far too well what needs to be done after a person dies. I have performed these tasks too many times. Bingley has close family members. However, they are looking out for their own interests ahead of what Charles would have wished. He asked me to help him. This I will do.”

His elbows resting on the desktop, Mr. Bennet dropped his forehead into his palms. “That is well and good, Mr. Darcy. I also need to consider the fact that you deliberately separated Bingley from my Jane to prevent their marriage. If my son-in-law chose to shun you for the better part of a year, how can I possibly trust you now? Additionally, my cleverest daughter finds you objectionable.” Lifting his head, his eyes pierced Darcy’s. “To be clear, I am not suggesting that keeping the children here would be the best choice for the reasons I already mentioned. What I need to know are your intentions and what motivates you.”

Gobsmacked, the older man’s comment shot an arrow through his heart. How dare Mr. Bennet question his honor!

Wait!

“What do you mean Miss Bennet finds me objectionable? We have not always agreed. That is true. But objectionable?” He barely refrained from huffing.

Mr. Bennet was so removed from the reality of his own children that he should not claim to know them at all. Miss Bennet certainly did not find him objectionable when she cried on his shoulder in the corridor, when she stood up with him at Bingley’s ball, nor when they debated at Netherfield early in their acquaintance. They complemented each other like iron sharpening iron, improving each other’s mental prowess. There was no possibility that Mr. Bennet knew what he was saying.

The master of Longbourn sat back. He snarled. “Let us see if I recall your words correctly, Mr. Darcy. Merely ‘tolerable? Not handsome enough to tempt you?’ How does a young lady feel when an unmarried man of fortune singles you out minutes after an introduction with a barrage of insults that would crush a weaker female’s heart? Lizzy was not the only one who heard. Did you know that her younger sisters teased and tormented her for weeks after that assembly about not being pretty enough? Know this, Mr. Darcy. Lizzy said nothing of this to me. Instead, I heard it from my wife and younger daughters, along with all the neighboring women who rushed to Longbourn the morning following the assembly to look at my girl to see if she was still bleeding from your words.”

Darcy wanted to beat himself to a pulp. Even though he had forgotten the insults as soon as he uttered them, every word Mr. Bennet said was true. He was trying to get Bingley to stop harping on him to dance. Instead of standing firm, or even better, dancing, he took his frustration out on an innocent. Had someone said as much to Georgiana, Darcy would have no qualms about ruining the man. Rubbing his palms on his trouser leg, he inhaled slowly. How was he to remedy this? None of his plans would succeed without Miss Bennet, and she did not want him. She did not even like him. Yet, he needed her. He wanted her.