Author's Note: I would like to thank Patagonian for beta-reading this fic and Carlanime and Sandra for the encouragement. The characters and situations in this story were originally invented by Jane Austen. I'm merely playing with them.
The next day was to be his last in London. He had offered to carry any letters and parcels for the Collinses, and he set out to make his parting calls. He started with Mr. Johnson, who was in a private conference, but would not be long. Darcy waited outside his office.
The door was ajar, and Darcy could hear the conversation within. For a moment, he could not help listening.
"General Fitzwilliam paid you a lot of attention, last night," Mr. Johnson was saying.
There was a pause.
"I hope you are not going to be a simpleton, Lizzy," he continued. "Even your father has his limits, and I doubt even he would consider the General beneath you. And I hardly need point out to you that your father's aims for you are not realistic."
"Yes, sir," answered Miss Bennet.
She seemed to be keeping her tone as neutral as possible. Mr. Johnson scraped his throat.
"Now, as to Mr. Darcy," he said. "I have a few questions to ask you about him. When he was in Hertfordshire, eight years ago, did he give Jane any particular attention?"
"None at all," she replied.
Darcy thought he could detect some amusement in her voice.
"How can you be certain of that?" asked Mr. Johnson.
"I was told, at the time, that he was engaged to his cousin," she answered after a slight hesitation. "Sir, I do not know what you are aiming at, but I can assure you that neither Jane not Mr. Darcy would ever engage in anything improper."
Mr. Johnson did not seem convinced.
"Wickham had some strange stories about Darcy," he said.
"Yes, and we all know how honourable he turned out to be. If you are referring to his sob story about old Mr. Darcy's will, I can assure you he was lying. That living was given to him conditionally; he declined it and was compensated accordingly. Mr. Wickham imposed upon us all, sir."
"How do you know about it?"
"I was told about it when I was in Kent that year."
"Wait a moment! Was that… before…"
"Yes."
"And you did not warn anybody about him?"
"No, I did not. I was told about it in confidence, and I could not foresee – I did not foresee – in short, I made a grave mistake, and I will have to live with that guilt all my life. But to come back to Mr. Darcy, I can vouch for his probity, as I dare say would many other people…"
It was enough. Darcy had no wish to let them know they had been overheard. As quietly as he could, he got into the next room and pretended to examine the bookshelves. This new information brought many questions with it.
That Miss Bennet was being pressured by her brother-in-law into marrying was hardly surprising, but it would make wooing her even more difficult. He felt a little insulted by Mr. Johnson's suspicions, but after all, that was what he got for listening at doors. It was not unreasonable for him to wonder why Darcy had sought his acquaintance, and Mrs. Johnson was beautiful enough to make any husband cautious. Had not Sir Arthur warned him before introducing them? Darcy was gratified by Miss Bennet's trust in him, however. She had believed him. It made his heart swell with affection for her, and he soon found it no problem to forgive her brother-in-law for his suspicions.
But how come Mr. Johnson knew Wickham? "We all know how honourable he turned out to be," had been Miss Bennet's words. What was she referring to? He could only suppose that she meant the debts Wickham had left behind in Meryton. He had not been surprised to get letters from the tradesmen there, as well as those in Brighton, where the militia had gone later. He'd settled them, because it was after all his own fault that the colonel had not been warned about the scoundrel. But why had she spoken of her guilt? What had she meant by "before"? It was very strange.
Mr. Johnson's interview with his sister-in-law lasted only a few minutes longer. Darcy waited till he heard her walk out the door. He was received by Johnson with as much friendliness as ever, and not a hint about what had just happened.
In order to be sure he would catch Miss Bennet at home, he called on Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Holmes before Mrs. Gardiner. They had nothing for Mrs. Collins, however, and he was soon in Gracechurch Street. The butler made him wait, though. It was odd. The Gardiners had never stood on such ceremony before.
He was shown up, however, and he found both Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Bennet in the drawing-room. In between them was the boy he had seen before – the two ladies seemed almost to be protecting him. They received him charmingly, however, and Miss Bennet had a letter ready for her friend, as well as some parcels. She gave him her compliments to Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, hoped he would have a pleasant time in Kent, and had a letter from her sister to show him, with news from her father. Mrs. Gardiner, too, had many questions about Rosings, and many an inquiry after Pemberley. He was made to stay over an hour, with little John sitting quietly on the sofa and giving him scared looks. Mrs. Gardiner tried very hard to keep Darcy for dinner. He was already engaged elsewhere, however, and had to leave.
The visit left him with a very strange feeling, and he couldn't stop thinking about it on the way to Rosings Park. There had been something about Miss Bennet and Mrs. Gardiner. They had wanted to keep him as long as possible, but it was not the usual way young ladies and their mothers tried to retain him. Especially Miss Bennet had looked very much unlike her usual self – there had been no playfulness, no archness. There had been embarrassment in her looks. Was it the conversation she had just had with her brother-in-law? But Mrs. Gardiner, too, had seemed haunted. Was he imagining things? Oh, how he wished he were in Miss Bennet's confidence!
