A/N: The next two chapters are quite large, and I think… well, I won't say it. Just enjoy them.

One Fortnight!

Fitzwilliam Darcy thought that perhaps if it weren't for bad luck, he'd have no luck at all. He had been stuck in Hertfordshire for a full fortnight.

His streak of bad fortune started when he left his townhouse in London the day after learning about Wickham and the missing Gardiners. Georgiana wished to take up residence at Netherfield, and Darcy was beginning to feel that he should just accept any direction he got from the women in his life… at least he should if he ever had any women in his life except Georgiana. Since he had just taken over the lease on Netherfield and was now responsible for it, he obviously needed to go there to look the place over and take any actions necessary for its maintenance. He would assign any necessary tasks then go to Pemberley to await the Gardiners.

It seemed like such a simple plan! Go to Netherfield… Spend a few days… Examine the estate… Assign a few tasks… Continue to his own estate. So simple! So easy! Business as usual!

He noticed rolling thunder clouds as he left London, and while he did not especially like the look of them, he was not overly concerned. He was not a man to be intimidated by a little bit of rain. By the time he had made it a quarter of the way to Meryton, he was becoming worried. The rain was coming down hard enough that he was seriously considering either turning back to his townhouse, or stopping to let the weather clear. By the time he was three quarters of the way to Meryton, he was very concerned not only about Georgiana's and his own safety in the carriage, but also about the condition of the estate he had just leased. It had been thoroughly ignored for nearly half a year, so who knew how well it would manage the unusually heavy rain. Bingley was not the most diligent of masters.

By the time he made it all the way to Meryton, things were beginning to look quite bleak. There was flooding at Netherfield, and he barely managed to make it into the house before the carriage was inundated crossing one of the rising creeks. After a night of unrelenting rainfall, the next morning looked even worse.

The next fortnight was a nightmare. Almost incessant rain kept him either on his horse riding around his estate trying to hire men, shoring up the worst of the damage, and making sure that his tenants did not get washed down into the sea. The rain let up a bit on the third day, both Darcy with every servant and workman he could find to hire were nearly exhausted, but there was still extensive damage, and the rain was still coming. If steps were not taken, the damage would become even worse.

On the fourth day of rain, as he was riding the border between Netherfield and Longbourn, he noticed that almost nothing was being done at Longbourn, and whatever was being done was being done haphazardly at best. There were several creeks threatening to damage tenant's homes, with nobody taking the slightest effort to stop them. In fact, one home seemed to be completely destroyed already. The tenants did not know what to do, and the master was apparently still ensconced in his library with his brandy, or maybe he was dead for all Darcy knew.

With a mighty curse and a great many words so bad he doubted that his cousin the Colonel even knew them, followed by a vigorous shaking of his fist at the sky, he resignedly rode his horse over into Longbourn. There he simply did what needed to be done. Another three days showed that not only was the master absent, but he had not done even the most basic of preparations for inclement weather. Most of the damage done to both estates was entirely preventable.

On the eighth day, a fire started in one of the larger buildings at Lucas Lodge, leaving three families without a home. Sir William at least appeared to be actively involved in his own estate, although he was not the most knowledgeable master that ever lived. Once again, Darcy simply did what was necessary, housing some of the tenants at Netherfield, while he assisted Sir William with obtaining alternate arrangements. None of it was particularly complex for a master of a great estate such as Pemberley, or even a mediocre manager of a small estate, but everything was just one more thing; and it was exhausting.

Darcy was just beginning to wonder if it was possible to have hordes of locusts fall upon him, or if perhaps termites might have destroyed Netherfield or maybe the French had landed on the shores of England while he was thus occupied.

By the time everything was reasonably under control, he had been on his horse, or leading men, or hiring carriages and carters, or doing his best to calm Sir Lucas down, or all of the other myriad things necessary to have his leased estate back in good condition, and he was exhausted.

Georgianna turned out to be the perfect hostess. She took the deluge of tenants, hired workmen, displaced women, noisy children, and everything else that went along with it as if she were born to the task. When he thought about it, she actually was born to the task, so he didn't know why he was so surprised. Perhaps he should just expect more of her. Perhaps he should always have expected more of her. That would require some more thought at a later date.

Finally everything was once again as it should be. Georgianna was perfectly well in control of Netherfield. She had a good steward, a good steward's assistant, over a dozen servants, and she was shooing him out the door towards Pemberley. He tried to make a good-faith effort to at least appear like he wasn't ready to run away as quickly as possible, but he was not fooling her in the least. He thought about visiting the Bennets in Longbourn, but he was just not up to the task. Let them deal with their own issues, or at least the ones occurring inside their home.

Three days later at Pemberley, Fitzwilliam Darcy looked in the mirror along with his valet, and thought he looked like a schoolboy preparing for his first ball. The master of a great estate did not fidget, but he had to admit that what he was doing would look to the untrained observer a lot like it. His meeting with the Gardiners had been arranged for that afternoon. He had invited them to Pemberley, but they demurred until they had a chance to meet the young man. Like hostile emissaries, they preferred to meet on neutral ground, so they were to meet at the Rose and Crown in Lambton for tea.

Five miles on horseback were just enough to settle his nerves down a bit. Darcy always settled down when he was on the back of a good horse, and he thought a bit of calmness was required. He arrived in good time, and a serving woman showed him to the back room.

With a polite bow, he introduced himself, "Mr. Gardiner. Mrs. Gardiner. I think you for taking the time to meet with me."

Mr. Gardiner was a middle-aged man, maybe a dozen years older than Darcy. He was probably handsome in his youth, and looked like he took care of himself. Darcy recognized Madeline Gardiner from his youth. Her father had been well known in Lambton, and Darcy had known her slightly. She was maybe half a dozen years older than him, and time had been kind to her. She was however, looking at him much as he imagined a cat looked at a mouse that was not necessarily to her liking; but she couldn't just let it go on principle. She was not kindly disposed towards his family, but he hoped she would at least give him a chance.

Darcy was practically jumping out of his skin with the desire to make his case, but wisely decided that he could at least show himself to be a gentleman possessed of the minimal manners required for polite society, so he sat down and chatted with the Gardiners for a half-hour while they had tea and biscuits. At first he thought that Elizabeth Bennet would be proud of him… sitting there making idle conversation for that long. He was not a man who performed well in idle conversation. Then the absurdity of the thought struck him. He was proud of his ability to perform the most basic skill of polite society. Perhaps he should not let his chest get too puffed up after all.

Over the course of the half-hour, he noticed that Mr. Gardiner had a bit of an ironic sense of humor, and that Mrs. Gardiner was watching him intently. Whether it was the look of a cat that had decided the mouse was worth pouncing or not was yet to be determined. Mr. Gardiner turned out to be quite knowledgeable about books, and Darcy heartily recommended his favorite bookstores in the area. Talk turned to fishing, and Darcy asked Mr. Gardiner to do him the great service of thinning out the herd in his trout stream, which was quite overrun. Mr. Gardiner seemed surprised at the offer, but owned that he just might be able to be of be of some service. Darcy thought this might be progress, and agreed to loan the man tackle and show him the best spots.

Finally, talk was just about to turn to the real topic of the evening, which Darcy was both anxious and nervous about. He was asking a lot, and while Mr. Gardiner had apparently decided he was reasonable company; that would be for naught if his wife did not agree. Darcy thought perhaps he had learned one thing during the course of the discussion thus far. Mr. Gardiner looked to his wife for her opinion on just about anything connected with the Darcys, and it would clearly be that lady's opinion that held sway.

Finally, he took a deep breath, and began, "Mr. Gardiner, Mrs. Gardiner. I am sure you are wondering why I asked to meet with you."

At this point, with the crux of the afternoon upon them, Mrs. Gardiner took the lead, and answered, "Yes Mr. Darcy, we must admit to being curious… and… cautious."

Darcy replied, "Of course! I expected no less. Mrs. Gardiner. May I speak plainly?"

"I wish you would."

Darcy gathered his thoughts and said, "We have a past history Mrs. Gardiner, from when you were Miss Madeline Lewis. We both know that, and we are dancing around the fact, are we not?"

Mrs. Gardiner looked more carefully at the young man, trying to gauge what he was all about, and answered, "Yes, we do, Mr. Darcy."

Darcy looked her directly in the eyes, and said, "Mrs. Gardiner, I am afraid my family owes you an apology, and I would imagine some restitution. I do not know precisely which offense George Wickham committed against you or one of your own, but I can surmise, and I believe my father did not do his duty. If there is something within my power to do at this late date, I will do it. I know some offenses cannot be abrogated, and some damage cannot be undone, but what can be done I will do."

She looked at him with a touch of anger and asked, "Why so late to the game Mr. Darcy. Is there something else you want?"

Darcy could see that his fate, and in fact his sense of honor may hinge on the next thing he said, so he thought carefully before replying, "I only learned of this a few weeks ago Mrs. Gardiner. You are correct that I also want something from you, but you will just have to take my word that had I known sooner, the offer would have been made sooner."

Mrs. Gardiner looked critically at the man in front of her, biting on her lower lip as she thought about it. She had no particular reason to distrust this particular Darcy, but she had no reason to trust him either. She needed to know more.

She asked, "And have you done anything about the miscreant, Mr. Darcy. You have had many years to do so."

Darcy looked at her and felt the weight of her stare. He decided nothing short of absolute candor would do for the woman, and he strongly suspected she would be able to detect anything short of the mark. He replied, "Much to my shame, Mrs. Gardiner I did not, and he has done even more damage. By the time I had come to a realization of what my duty was, it was too late. Your brother in law Mr. Bennet finally performed the office when he committed one offense too many. I was finally resolved to deal with him once and for all, when I learned of his death. I am afraid my efforts were too little, too late Mrs. Gardiner."

Mrs. Gardiner looked at Darcy, somewhat impressed by at least his candor, and his seeming willingness to do what was right; if not his timeliness. She asked what she thought might be the key question, "What brought this change in heart upon you Mr. Darcy. You have known about Wickham for many years?"

Darcy thought carefully, and said, "I believe you probably know Mrs. Gardiner, at least in broad outlines, but let me say it whole for you. I have been a selfish being all my life. Half a year ago, I was no better than my father at performing my duty towards those around me; both as master and simply as a man. It took something extraordinary to shake me out of my self‑importance; to teach me my own insignificance."

Mrs. Gardiner asked, "And so you admit you were wrong?"

Darcy replied, "Utterly and completely, on so many things. But I am learning, and I wish to make amends."

Mrs. Gardiner watched him carefully, and asked, "What is it you really want Mr. Darcy? You went to some trouble to find us, and you could have made that offer more conveniently in a week. I cannot imagine making amends for an offense more than a decade old struck you as so urgent. What do you seek from us?"

Darcy looked at her carefully and said, "Yours are not my only debts Mrs. Gardiner. I have other reproofs to attend to. I am hoping you can tell me where your nieces are."

Madeline Gardiner prided herself on her cleverness and quickness of wit, her ability to judge characters, and her ability to keep up with any situation. For once though, she was caught completely off guard. This was altogether unexpected, although as she looked even more intently at the Master of Pemberley in front of her, she reflected, perhaps a bit late in the day that she well should have. She looked briefly to her husband, and could see that he had not quite caught up with her yet, but that was fine. He would be along soon enough.

Locking eyes on Darcy in a way that would not allow him to look away no matter what he did, she asked softly what was now to her, the perfectly obvious question, "Which one, Mr. Darcy?"

Darcy was in no doubt as to her meaning. For once in his life, he was perfectly in tune in a conversation with a woman. There was no ambiguity about anything, said or unsaid. Mrs. Gardiner looked as if she understood him down to his toes. He answered softly, "Miss Elizabeth."

Whatever Madeline Gardiner or Fitzwilliam Darcy would have said to each other next without interruption might never be known, as there was a knock on the door just as Darcy finished his revelation. Mr. Gardiner had been looking intently at his wife for some moments, and finally, perhaps a little bit late, reacted to a raised eyebrow she sent him with a nod of understanding. So much about the young man's behavior now made perfect sense, and with his behavior well within the normal bounds of a man in love, Mr. Gardiner was back on solid footing.

At that moment, the serving woman, unaware of the tension in the room, brought in another pot of tea and some more biscuits, and said, "Mr. Gardiner, the post has just come for you. I thought you might want it straightaway."

Mr. Gardiner replied, "Thank you my dear, I appreciate it."

Darcy, happy to have a bit of reprieve from Mrs. Gardiner, said, "Perhaps you would like to peruse your letters, Mr. Gardiner. I know how anxious you must be. I could leave you and come back later."

Mr. Gardiner laughed and said, "Nor so fast, Mr. Darcy. I suspect you are trying to escape my wife's scrutiny, but it will not be so easy. I would appreciate it if you give me a moment to just glance at who they are from."

Darcy replied, "Of course, sir.", and then just to have a small distraction, he asked the serving woman, "Hannah, is your brother well?"

Happy to be noticed, Hannah replied, "He is very well sir. Have you had time to look at the roses he has been working on?"

Darcy replied, "Not yet, but I shall with pleasure."

He may have talked more about his gardens, but he heard a gasp of surprise from Mr. Gardiner. He looked over to see the older man looking extremely worried, as he handed a recently opened letter to his wife. Darcy watched in growing alarm as Mrs. Gardiner read the letter, and her face fell precipitously, just as her husband's did. This was clearly distressing news that did not require a stranger's presence.

Seeing the look on Mrs. Gardiner's face, he said, "Mr. Gardiner. Mrs. Gardiner. I can see that you have important news, so I shall leave you to deal with it."

Before he could stand up, Mrs. Gardiner held up a hand to stop him, and said, "A moment, Mr. Darcy."

He sat back down, and looked at them curiously. Mrs. Gardiner's eyes were back on him intently once again. He judged she was probably trying to make some type of judgement. Glancing at Mr. Gardiner, he saw that he was watching Darcy, but was watching his wife even more intently.

Mrs. Gardiner asked, "Mr. Darcy, why exactly are you looking for my nieces, aside from the obvious?"

Darcy replied immediately, "I have wronged them Mrs. Gardiner. This was not George Wickham's offense alone. I played a part. The fault was mine, and so must the remedy be, but I can do nothing if I cannot find them."

Mrs. Gardiner, still uncertain, but slowly becoming more comfortable with the young man asked, "When was the last time you saw one of them?"

Darcy answered immediately, "Miss Elizabeth was in Kent at the beginning of May near my aunt's estate." Darcy hesitated before continuing with, "I saw here there momentarily, and tried to get her to talk to me, but she refused, and left the county abruptly."

Mrs. Gardiner asked the all-important question, "Why, Mr. Darcy?"

Once again on the precipice, Darcy answered, "She fears me?"

Mr. Gardiner asked, "Does she have any reason to fear you Mr. Darcy? You are asking us to trust you!"

Darcy answered candidly, "Yes, she had ample reason. Perhaps she still does, but I will not allow any harm to come to any of the Bennet sisters that I can prevent."

Madeline Gardiner looked at him carefully, then apparently held a silent conversation with her husband without any words needing to be exchanged. Darcy wondered if he would ever enjoy that kind of rapport, or would he always be just another half‑step off as he had been for the past months.

Finally, Mrs. Gardiner said, "I am going to trust you Mr. Darcy. This letter is from Jane. It is dated the 15th of May, and the situation in her household seems untenable. She does not seem like the kind of girl who would abandon her charges, but her letter is distressing."

Without another word, she handed the letter over to Darcy, who read it quickly. He noted as he went, "It appears her last letter from Miss Elizabeth was before she left Kent. Miss Jane probably doesn't even know Miss Elizabeth is not in Kent anymore."

Mrs. Gardiner asked, "Do you know where Elizabeth went, Mr. Darcy?"

Darcy answered, "I am afraid not, Mrs. Gardiner. I presume you do not know either?"

Mr. Gardiner answered, "We probably have a letter from her awaiting us in town. The butler only forwarded this because it seemed urgent."

Darcy glanced through the letter again, and said, "Please. Where is she, Mrs. Gardiner. I promise I will find her and I will do my best to make this right."

Mrs. Gardiner replied, "She is in Cornwall, Mr. Darcy. I am afraid she is 400 miles from here."

Darcy stood immediately and said, "There is not a moment to lose. I can be there in 3 days?"

Mr. Gardiner said, "That is impossible Mr. Darcy. It cannot be done."

Darcy simply replied, "Not impossible for me, sir. I will leave you now. I thank you for your trust, and I will not let you down."

Now full of energy and a need to be in motion again, he bowed and started walking briskly to the door. Just before he reached it, Mrs. Gardiner said, "Mr. Darcy!"

He turned back towards her, and she continued, "Bring me my niece, Mr. Darcy."

He replied, "If it can be done, I shall do it Mrs. Gardiner. You may depend on it."