“In that case, if they do not comply, I willdoubletheir rents! Let us see if they still defy me after this quarter,” Lady Catherine shrieked. The great lady could not understand what was happening in her fiefdom. She always exercised complete control over all of those in her sphere of influence. Something had changed and no matter how much she used her self-exalted intelligence; she could not determine what it was.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Lord Matlock shook his head as he read the letter from his niece, just delivered by an express rider from Hunsford. “What has your sister done now?” Lady Elaine asked. She knew only his sister could cause her husband to show this level of disgust.
He handed his wife the missive without a word. “It sounds like Mrs. Bennet is not the only unstable woman. I hate to say it, Reggie, but I think your sister needs to be evaluated for commitment to an institution for the mentally unbalanced.” As much as Lady Elaine disliked her sister-in-law, she was not pleased to have said what she did.
“It would never be Bedlam, but I think we have reached the point when it has become imperative. We will welcome our new daughter to the family and then we will take care of Catherine and Rosings Park,” Lord Reggie stated sadly. “All I can say is thank goodness for the friendship and strength Anne draws from the parson’s wife. On that front, I received a note from the Bishop of Kent. He is sending two of his clergymen to investigate the claims about Mr. Collins described in letters he has received.”
“Let me supervise our packing.” Lady Elaine kissed her husband on the cheek. They would depart for Netherfield Park in the morning; Andrew and Marie would follow a few days afterwards.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Darcy was all anticipation as his carriage reached the turnoff to Netherfield Park’s drive. He remembered the last time he had visited the estate. He expected this visit would be far more pleasurable.
Whether or not Miss Gardiner was the former Miss Elizabeth Bennet, he owed her a debt he would not be able to repay in two lifetimes for what she had done with regard to Giana’s recovery.
He was met on the steps by Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and his cousin Richard with his betrothed, Miss Lucas, on his arm. Richard affected the introductions. “You are most welcome, Mr. Darcy. I am pleased you were able to advance your date of arrival. I am sure Giana will be overjoyed,” Mrs. Gardiner stated. Darcy noticed she was an extremely elegant woman, mayhap a few years Darcy’s senior.
“It was all I could do to have Giana wait for you in the drawing room; she has missed herbarely tolerablebrother very much,” Richard told his cousin. Darcy almost stopped dead in his tracks as he heard Richard repeat part of his vile and untruthful insult to Miss Elizabeth.
Before he could think too much about Richard’s reference, he was accosted by a flying blonde missile hurtling at him as he entered the drawing room exclaiming: “WILLIAM!”
“I missed you too, sweetling,” Darcy kissed his sister on the top of her head as he disengaged her arms.
He saw his aunt and uncle first, after which he noticed two of the Bennet girls. He did not remember their names offhand, nor could he understand why everyone was smiling like they knew a great secret.
“Mr. Darcy, may I introduce my daughter, Miss Elizabeth Gardiner to you?” Gardiner asked as he nodded to the person standing behind Darcy.
Darcy turned around and his mouth fell open. There standing in front of him, looking far better than he remembered, was Miss Elizabeth,hisMiss Elizabeth, who he knew as a Bennet.
“Welcome to our home, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said coyly as she extended her hand, which somehow he managed to take and bow over.
Chapter 24
“Miss Elizabeth…I-I-I mean Miss Gardiner,” Darcy managed as the shock of seeing her before him washed over his person.
“Both are correct, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth arched her eyebrow, “I am a Miss and my name is Elizabeth Gardiner.”
“Miss Gardiner, I want to make a long overdue apology to you,” Darcy managed as he started to feel more like himself. He would have to talk to his dear sister and cousins soon. He had no doubt they knew Miss Gardiner was known to him and they had not mentioned a word to him.
“Only one?” Elizabeth teased.
Darcy felt his heart skip a beat as he understood she was teasing him. There was none of the rancour present in her looks or words, as there had been, when they had both resided at this same estate. “You may have the right of it, Miss Gardiner, but I speak of the vile and untruthful slight I made on the occasion of our first meeting. It does not excuse my ungentlemanlike behaviour, but my comment was aimed at Bingley, not you. When I become flustered, words seem to find their way out of my mouth which are neither true nor appropriate.”
“Tiffany and Giana have both made me aware of your tendency to speak out of turn without meaning to give offence, so for that I forgive you unreservedly,” Elizabeth granted. “However, I do suggest you practice.”
“Practice? I do not understand your meaning,” Darcy responded in confusion.
“Yes, Mr. Darcy, practice. For instance, I am not as good as I should be on the pianoforte, but I have always known it was my lack of practicing which is to blame. I now understand you are uncomfortable with people you do not already know. If you do not practice and learn to become more comfortable with new people, how will you ever move past your discomfort?” Elizabeth challenged.
How he loved this woman, a lady who was not, as far as he knew, betrothed to anyone. “I must concede your point and will undertake to practice as you suggest.” Darcy bowed to the lady who blushed becomingly.
Lady Matlock leaned towards her husband and said softly, so only he could hear, “If he is able to win her, Lizzy will be the making of our nephew.” Her husband simply nodded as he watched his besotted nephew staring at Miss Gardiner like a man who had been lost in the desert stares at water.
Elizabeth saw the way Mr. Darcy was looking at her and understood he had never looked at her to find fault; it was admiration and, dare she hope, love. With everything she had learnt about the man from his sister and other relatives, the regard which had begun in London had bloomed to the point where she suspected she might be in love with Mr. Darcy.
“I must apologise as well. I believed that profligate libertine Wickham because my wounded vanity was in want of vindication and I needed to think you were not an honourable man,” Elizabeth admitted. “It did not help that my former sister, Mrs. Collins, stoked my feelings against you. I am sorry she attempted to compromise you.”
