Part IV.
Gracechurch Street
Monday August 17th
Edward Gardiner.
The writer of this letter, having signed his name, laid down his pen, and leant back into the confines of his desk chair with a sigh. He hated lying to his nieces, particularly Jane and Elizabeth, but it had to be done. He was under an obligation not to reveal the actions of Mr Darcy, and he would obey, though he hated the borrowed feathers of thanks which he knew he would inevitably receive.
A clock in the room chimed the hour, causing Mr Gardiner to glance and take note, as it signalled coming of his niece to stay with them. In truth, his first meeting, since the elopement, with Lydia would be today. Mr Darcy had informed them of her determination to marry Wickham, but other than that had not revealed her general character during these extraordinary circumstances. Judging by her stubbornness however, Mr Gardiner did not hold much hope that these events had altered her for the better. And her father was equally of the same opinion.
Casting his eye one final time over what he had just written, Mr Gardiner realised that, if his nieces cared to read between the lines, there were some clues which he had unconsciously left, that would reveal the truth. He also realised though, that it was unlikely. Both of them would be too relieved to learn that there sister was safe to look for clues that their uncle had been forced to take the credit for the actions of someone else.
Determinedly he folded the paper, applied some melting wax, and pressed his seal down upon it. Then he rose from his chair to put it on the tray in the hall for delivery.
He entered the drawing room afterwards, to find his wife amusing their children, while his brother in law tried to distract himself with a book. Mr Gardiner joined the former, his mind hoping silently that one day he would not be presented with the same fait accompli for one of his own daughters.
A touch upon his hand caused him to look up at his wife then, and to be confronted with the happy assurance which exists within a contented marriage; that whatever happened in the future, they would face it together.
"Ah Darcy, back here again. One might almost think that you planned to marry Lydia yourself, the amount of visits you have paid."
Darcy ignored Wickham's comments, and kept his face neutral as he turned to Miss Lydia, who snorted in disgust at the thought of what her intended had just expressed. "Miss Bennet, if you will come with me, there is a carriage outside waiting to take you to your Aunt and Uncle's."
Lydia nodded and turned to Wickham, who reluctantly assented to a parting kiss, before she proceeded to gather her belongs. Her intended returned to taunting their visitor. "And what is to be done with me, Darcy?"
The Gallows, if I had my way, Darcy silently replied, before saying, "you will reside at my townhouse until the wedding. You have permission to call on Miss Bennet daily, for which visits you are allowed to use one of my carriages."
"Oh goody," muttered Wickham, before turning a beaming but fake smile upon Lydia, who, baggage now in hand, presented herself to Mr Darcy.
"My carriage and my butler shall collect you shortly," Darcy informed Wickham before offering his arm to Lydia and escorting her downstairs.
The journey to Gracechurch Street was thankfully not of long duration, for by the time they arrived, Darcy was most glad to step out of the carriage and escort his companion inside. Throughout the journey Miss Lydia had talked incessantly of her plans for her wedding dress, wishes of bridesmaids, whether Wickham would wear his blue coat or his new uniform, if there would be a contingent of officers to provide a walk from the church under crossed swords, how jealous her sisters would be, how much she would gloat, how delighted her mother would be to see her married, and so on, without any pause or rest to allow him to make a comment or judgement, even if he had wished to.
They were shown into the drawing room, where Lydia was instantly embraced by her Aunt, after which she hugged her uncle and then her reluctant father, before seating her upon the sofa. The Gardiners turned to him.
"I have spoken to the priest of St Clement's," Darcy began, "and he has a time free on the 31st of August. It is that agreeable to you?"
"It is, thank you Mr Darcy," Mr Gardiner replied. "Would you care to stay for tea?"
"I am afraid I must decline sir, I have made arrangements to see Mr Wickham installed in quarters in my house, then I must depart for Pemberley and relieve Georgiana of the task of hostess. I shall return to town in time for the wedding."
"We shall see you then," Mr Gardiner acknowledged, before showing him out. When he returned, it was to find Lydia under the scrutiny of her father and Aunt.
"He is gone?" She asked of Mr Darcy. "Thank God! He was such a frightful bore. Not a syllable of conversation with me in the carriage. Mind you I wouldn't want to talk to him anyway, not after what I heard he had done to Wickham. I suppose its only right he should be paying off the debts and everything-"
"Lydia!" Mrs Gardiner began. "Do you have any idea of the wickedness of what you have done? Or the unhappiness, concern and worry you have caused the Forsters, and your family by leaving Brighton without a word to anyone?"
"Oh la, Aunt, do not talk so! I left Harriet a note! I'll wager she felt it was a very good laugh."
"No she did not," Mrs Gardiner replied. "She, unlike yourself, had the sense to inform her husband, who informed your father, who then informed us, cutting our vacation short in Derbyshire, which, if we had not been there, we might never have enlisted the valuable help of Mr Darcy, and thus never have found you both. Do you have any idea what could have happened to you had he not found you?"
"Wickham would have married me I'm sure!"
"Are you? According to Mr Darcy, marriage was the furthest thing from Wickham's mind when he first found you, and it was only after several meetings and negotiations of a financial nature, that he was able to persuade him otherwise. For once Lydia, think seriously what you were about! He might have left you abandoned in a neighbourhood you did not know, to people whom you could trust even less than him. We might never have been able to find you."
Lydia looked at them and sighed. "La, Aunt, don't talk so. I'm so tired. Wickham and I barely had any sleep last night, there was such a racket going on downstairs. Of course, that was not the only thing which kept us awake, we-"
"Lydia!" Mrs Gardiner cut her off, horrified at her manner so far. Seeing that it was useless to continue the conversation further, she relented. "Go out into the hall. There you will find the children's nurse who will show you to your room."
After she had left, Mrs Gardiner sat down and expressed a sigh of her own. "I had hoped there would be an alteration to her character caused by these events, but I see now that such a hope was in vain."
"Yes, she is still the silliest girl that ever lived!" Uttered Mr Bennet, as he poured himself and them all a fortifying drink of brandy.
"Perhaps she will be better after some rest," Mr Gardiner commented, though not with much conviction.
"Well, I shall try and impress upon her the seriousness and realities of married life as much as I can until the wedding," Mrs Gardiner vowed. "Perhaps the more I repeat, the likelier it will be that some of it shall be taken in."
Mr Bennet acknowledged this with silence, though privately he did not believe that his daughter would listen to anyone. He took a sip of brandy and meditated that the countdown had begun. It was fourteen days until he was rid of one of his daughters.
His brother in law turned to him. "What are your plans now? Shall you return to Longbourn?"
"And deal with my wife's constant persuasions to let Lydia and Wickham visit? No, I shall remain here, if you will have me. Jane and Elizabeth are quite capable of managing the house by themselves."
"You can stay as long as you wish, brother," Mr Gardiner replied, though privately he thought his brother should return to Longbourn for awhile. Equally, though he had many concerns, he also believed that Lydia and Mr Wickham should be allowed to visit Longbourn after the wedding, if only for a few days. It would assure everyone concerned that Lydia was fine, while giving some welcome peace to quietening his sister.
It was not for him to decide however, for, as events had shown him these past few days, circumstances had a propensity for going beyond their control.