“Neither do I,” said Darcy. The air in the room had suddenly thickened, and he felt breathless. “Let me continue reading so we can clarify the matter.”
Inexplicably, his hand was slightly unsteady when he picked up the letter again.
My niece has given us a full account of what happened in Hyde Park especially of the heroic way you jumped into the Serpentine without regard for your own safety, despite the risk of plunging into water at this time of the year.
Darcy’s thoughts were racing. Who was this niece of his? Had she been a witness at the park? Or, heaven forbid, did Mr. Gardiner mean that the young woman he had carried in his arms was not married, and Margaret was not her daughter. No, it could not be.
Moreover, she has particularly expressed her appreciation for your kindness in receiving them both into your house, your generosity and your concern for their wellbeing on such a trying occasion.
It is not my intention by writing to impose upon you. In fact, my niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, is of the opinion that a visit from us would not be welcome, because of the difference in our social spheres. Naturally, I will respect your wishes, if that is your preference. You need only ignore this letter, and your message will be understood.
If that is the case, in lieu of thanking you in person, I hope you will allow me to send a token of appreciation in the form of some special lace one of my clients has brought back from Brussels. It is of the highest quality in England. I hope your sister Miss Darcy would be willing to accept it. It is only a token, of course, but at least I can offer it as an expression of our gratitude for your noble deed.”
Meanwhile, we will also be returning the dress Miss Darcy kindly lent to my niece, and all the other items of clothing that were borrowed.
With our sincerest thanks, I remain forever at your service.
Edward Gardiner
Darcy stared at the letter in disbelief. How could he have made such a fundamental error? When did he assume that the young lady was a mother?
“I cannot believe it!” he exclaimed, coming to his feet and going to the window.
This is what happened when one did not follow social conventions. If he had done the usual thing and asked for an introduction, then he would have known that she was not married, and he would have had his guard up.
He turned to his sister. “Didyouknow the young lady wasnotthe child’s mother?”
“I did not. Everything happened at once, I did not stop to think about it, but I remember now that Margaret said she was six, and the lady we thought was her mother could not be more than twenty.”
Darcy nodded. He had noticed it, too, but why had he not put two and two together? Then again, why should he? At first his main concern was rescuing the little girl, then keeping both her and the young lady warm, then ensuring that he and the others did not fall ill.
“Well then, there you have your answer. Miss Bennet is safe, and so is her cousin Margaret.”
Georgiana beamed. “Yes. And I am very relieved to hear it. Shall we write and tell them we would be happy to receive them? They have been waiting three days now to receive a response. You had better tell them you were ill, but you are fully recovered.”
Now that he knew Miss Bennet was unmarried, he had even less intention of pursuing the acquaintance. She may not be someone’s wife, but it did not make Miss Bennet any more suitable for him.
Even if he kept remembering how it felt to hold her in his arms.
He wrestled with himself. He wanted to write back, but his mind told him that it was foolhardy to encourage anything more.
His mind won.
“I will not be writing to them.”
Georgiana stared at him with her mouth open, aghast.
“You will not? But why?”
Because Miss Bennet was too tempting. “Because they are not our kind of people, Georgiana,” he replied gently. “It is better not to raise expectations and give them the wrong impression. Even if they called on us, we would not call on them. We cannot pursue a connection with someone we met in Hyde Park. It is the way of the world. It is better to keep everything clear from the beginning.”
She looked unhappy. “I suppose that is true. They are strangers. We did not even know the young lady’s name.”
Because he had deliberately refused to learn it. Would he have done the same, if he knew she was unmarried? He would never know.
“It is for the best,” he said.
Georgiana nodded. “Oh, I forgot. Cousin Richard called while you were ill. I sent him away, but he made me promise to send for him if you grew worse. He told me to tell you to send a note when you are up and about.”
