“Richard, this is Mr William Goulding.”
The niceties, including the imperative question about the road, were truncated as Darcy said, “I feel I know you well enough for you to call meDarcy.”
Goulding returned the sentiment, and Darcy went on to say, “This is unfortunately not a social call. Have you heard that there are rumours flying about Meryton?”
The younger man’s head jerked a bit; whatever Goulding was expecting, it surely was not this. “No. Rumours about…?”
“About you and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. According to the gossip, you and she have had private assignations, trysts if you will, during which Miss Elizabeth granted you all manner of liberties.”
Goulding’s face paled, but two spots of red remained. “I never—she never—we would never—” He floundered so muchwith his denials, Darcy supposed he might look guilty to one who did not already know the rumours were without foundation.
With a soothing voice, Darcy said, “I am certainly not accusing you and Miss Elizabeth; I know that the rumours are not true. However, they have been scandalous enough to be passed around. I need not tell you that, even though the gossip is false, it is damaging to your reputation but potentially devastating to Miss Elizabeth’s.”
“Of course I will marry her!” Goulding said.
“I have already made my offer,” Darcy said, “but Miss Elizabeth clearly said that, as she has not done anything wrong, she wishes her name to be cleared in full rather than the solution being a forced marriage.”
“It would not be so forced. Not on my side.”
Darcy heard his cousin’s disdainful huff, and he hurried to say, “Believe me, Goulding, from my perspective, if I were to marry Miss Elizabeth this moment, it would not feel forcedto me. However, as I said, an immediate wedding is not the best solution for Miss Elizabeth. She wishes to at least attempt to refute the rumours.”
“I understand. Should I…uh…prepare to go to Meryton?”
“Thank you, yes, I believe that is warranted. I will arrange to meet with my valet, who has been attempting to discover the source of the rumours, and the three of us can plan our next steps after hearing what he has to say.”
“I will meet you at the stables in less than a quarter hour. Do you need to send a note to your valet?” As he asked, Goulding strode to a small desk and got out a paper, pen, and bottle of ink. Then he hurried from the room.
Darcy decided that he must at least attempt to personally talk to Lady Lucas, as Elizabeth’s mother had directed, and so he wrote a brief note asking his valet to meet him at Lucas Lodge or to send word of any new intelligence about the gossip.
Soon the three men were cantering down the road towards Lucas Lodge. Darcy enjoyed riding and often felt as if he could leave his worries behind, but he was fully aware that what he had left behind, this time, was the love of his life, his much younger sister, his often-judgmental uncle and aunt, and a host family that was certain to be avidly curious about what could cause him to neglect his family during this unplanned visit.
Still, Darcy had also left behind clear instructions meant to safeguard Elizabeth and Georgiana, and he was on a mission set for him by Elizabeth. Picturing her once again in Netherfield’s kitchen, recovering from running away from her unreasonable father, bright-eyed and muddied from her exertions—determination rose in him, fiercer than ever. They would vindicate her.
Crocker came in person to meet the men. He gave a brief report, starting with the most important finding: “It is likely that the rumours started within this household.”
Richard asked, “How many in the household?”
“Nine. Sir William was knighted for addressing the King while he was mayor of Meryton….”
Darcy listened as Crocker ran down the list of family members. Sir William was reportedly a kindly and jovial man—someone who actually seemed to quite like Miss Elizabeth. He was very fond of gossip, but Crocker judged him unlikely as the source of the gossip.
Lady Lucas, on the other hand, was not only well known as a rumour monger, but was said to be discontented and envious. Miss Charlotte Lucas was a good friend of Miss Elizabeth’s butcould recently have become envious that Miss Elizabeth had two suitors and her none. The oldest son, Mr John Lucas?—
—During this part of Crocker’s report, which he stated came from multiple sources, Darcy’s ears perked up. “John Lucas is a year older than Elizabeth, and about a year ago, he was so infatuated with her that he proposed publicly, while they danced together at one of Meryton’s assemblies.”
“He proposed to heron the dance floor?” Richard asked.
“Yes. None of my sources seemed to think any less of Miss Elizabeth that she refused him, nor even how she refused him, but three of the people who reported the incident to me thought that he or his family members might have been quite insulted. One person speculated that someone might have held a grudge.”
“How did she refuse him?” Darcy asked.
“She did not think he was serious, since they were both so young and they were dancing. She laughed, thinking it was a joke, and she teased him—reportedly, she teased him ‘in the nicest way.’ As a matter of fact, multiple people pointed out that one thing that makes Elizabeth popular in the community is that she is both humble and good humoured.”
That certainly squared with what Darcy had seen. He shot a smile to Richard and said, “Of course she laughed. That is so…Elizabeth.”
The valet continued his list of Lucas family members.
Darcy summed up, “I feel confident to say that, if the rumours started with one of the Lucas family members, it was Lady Lucas, Miss Lucas, or Mr John Lucas. Does that agree with your best guesses?”
