Chapter 9

December 18, 1811 Meryton

Darcy urged his horse for more speed, trying to outrun the vestiges of his nightmare. Pulling up his horse he caught sight of a familiar figure. It was Elizabeth, out for her morning constitutional. Seeing the tall gentleman upon his horse she waved in greeting. This was all the impetus Darcy needed to ride towards her.

"Miss Elizabeth, " he greeted her gravely.

"Mr. Darcy, it is a fine morning out is it not?" Elizabeth ask him happily. After surprisingly, enjoying his company last night she was not at all put out to be running into him. Truth be told, she was actually pleased, the Mr. Darcy who had returned to Hertfordshire was someone she enjoyed.

"It is," Darcy agreed and then deciding he needed to be honest with Elizabeth he ask, "May I walk with you Miss Elizabeth? And perhaps share a story with you?"

"Please do, I plan to view the scenery from Oakham Mount this morning. Would that suit you sir?"

"It would," Darcy said thinking that any view with her at his side would suit him. As they walked he told her of his history with Wickham, including Wickham's attempt to elope with his sister over the summer. He handed her his handkerchief when she cried for his sister. He told her how he had been a selfish being all his life, raised with good principles but allowed to follow them in pride and conciet. He told her that he intended to change and become a better man. He apologized to her for not telling her the truth about Wickham earlier. Then he confessed his greatest crime, that he had persuade Bingley that Jane did not care for him and not to return to Netherfield.

"I do not understand. Jane said that Mr. Bingley attributes his return to you," Elizabeth said a confused look on her face.

"Col. Fitzwilliam made me tell Bingley I may have been mistaken in my assessment of your sister's feelings."

"Mr. Darcy I highly doubt the colonel could make you do something you did not already feel you should do yourself. If you had found out my sister did care for Bingley would you have kept your friend away?" Elizabeth ask her face serious.

"No. My greatest objection was I did not wish to see my friend in a marriage without affection. It was not my decision to make and I should have not offered any advice on the subject."

"Did Mr. Bingley solicit your opinion?"

"He did, as he often does. I over stepped my bounds," Darcy said bowing his head with regret. "I am sorry for it."

A small hand reached up and touched his chin, gently encouraging him to look at her. "Mr. Darcy you attempted to act in the service of a friend. You were misguided, but your intentions were noble. I would have dearly welcomed the opportunity to persuade my friend Charlotte against a loveless union."

"I am so sorry Elizabeth," Darcy said cupping her hand against his face. "for exposing one to the derision of the world and the other to disappointed hopes."

"But you didn't Mr. Darcy. You brought Mr. Bingley back."

"Then you forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive, but if it means so much to you, I grant you my forgiveness. "

"Thank you," Darcy breathed and turning his face towards were her hand still cupped it he planted a kiss on it. "Do I ask to much or would you grant me your first set tonight at the officer's dance?"

"I would be most pleased to dance any set of your choosing with you Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said looking up at him, into his eyes.

"Then may I request both the first and supper sets?"

…

"What do you mean the wheel is broken?" Caroline screeched at her driver. "How do you expect me to make it to Meryton and Netherfield?"

With a glance at his wife at the town's familiar name and a nod in affirmation, a fashionable gentleman stepped forward. "I could not help but overhear you are headed toward Meryton. My family travels that way as well and would be happy to offer you a place in our carriage."

With a sniff, Miss Bingley looked over the gentleman and his wife. Deciding they appeared fine enough she said, " At least someone is willing to help a lady in distress in this backwater. You can drop me off at Netherfield, my brother's estate."

"I am Mr. Edward Gardiner of London and this is my wife," Gardiner said introducing himself.

"Miss Caroline Bingley," Caroline said with a disdainful sniff. "It is important I get to Netherfield as quickly as possible. I do not have time to dawdle."

With a raised eyebrow at his wife, Gardiner gestured Caroline to their coach while his wife helped the nurse round up the children. Caroline, upon realizing her travel companions included four small children, looked horriffied. She spent the ride detailing the inconviences she had faced reccently, not once asking any information about her travel companions or their destination, beyond learning that the head of the family was a tradesman.

…

Seeing a traveling coach he did not recognize pull up out front Bingley said, "I wonder who that could be?" Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam glanced out the window but neither of them recognized the conveyance. All three men headed toward the doors curious to see who it was. To their suprise Caroline was handed down by the driver. Bingley stepped outside to greet her.

"Caroline! What are you doing here?" Bingley ask in disbelief. "Why aren't you in town with the Hursts?"

"I came as soon as I found out where you were Charles. What were you thinking coming back here?" she demanded wapishly. "And dragging poor Mr. Darcy with you. Can't you get it through your thick skull there is nothing for you here. I had to travel part of the way here with some horrid tradesman and his brats!"

Bingley staggered back at the venom in his sister's tone. Mr. Gardiner stepped down from the carriage as Caroline delivered her final sentence.

"Mr. Gardiner!" Darcy cried in suprise stepping out from the doorway that had concealed his and his cousin's prescence, when he recognized one of his buisness associates.

"I apologize for my sister's bad tempered words Sir," Bingley said his normal friendly tone mortified.

"Mr. Darcy!" Caroline cried out.

"What brings you to Hetfordshire?" Darcy ask clasping the gentleman's hand enthusiastically and ignoring Caroline. He had heard her words about a man he respected and was not pleased. He had found Gardiner to be knowledgeable and clever. Darcy was happy to unexpectedly meet him since he always enjoyed his company.

"My family amd I were on our way to visit relatives when we heard Miss Bingley's distress at the coaching inn we stopped at for luncheon. Being headed the same direction we offered her a space in our carriage," Gardiner said as Bingley quietly instructed his sister to go inside.

"Please come in for some refreshments," Bingley said as his sister with a huff and a look towards Darcy went into the house. "It is the least I can do after your assistance to my sister."

"I'm afraid we cannot possibly linger. We are behind schedule and I am sure my sister's nerves are getting the better of her."

"But surely your family would like to stretch their legs after being cooped up in a carriage," Darcy said. "And I would be glad for the chance to meet the redoubtable Mrs. Gardiner."

"They shall have time enough to stretch them once we make it to Longbourne."

"Longbourne!" exclaimed both Darcy and Bingley.

"Yes, it is my brother's estate," Gardiner responded.

"You are Mrs. Bennet's brother?" Darcy ask in disbelief.

"Yes. We have different temperaments," Gardiner said by way of explanation. "My children are quite anxious to see their favorite cousins, Jane and Lizzy."

"Let us call for our horses and we shall escort you there," Darcy suggested which Bingley eagerly agreed to. Gardiner seeing both young men's eagerness agreed and climbed back into the carriage to tell his wife while the horses were quickly called for.

"Well my dear, it seems we are to have an escort to Longbourne," Gardiner said.

"Oh?" his wife, Madeline ask.

"One of my business associates is here with Mr. Bingley and both young men are quite eager to have an excuse to visit Bennet's estate it would seem."

"Our brother's estate or his daughters?"

"Most likely his daughters," Gardiner said wryly.

"Mr. Bingley goes to see Jane I presume. But your buisness associate, I believe I heard called Mr. Darcy? I wonder who he goes to see."

"Lizzy I would wager. He is a serious clever fellow. Can't really see him taken with any of the others."

"Lizzy wrote to me that a Mr. Darcy was in the area, but by her account he is a proud, disagreeable man. He insulted her. It cannot possibly be the same man, can it?"

"I don't know how many Darcys there are in the world, but it seems highly unlikely Mr. Bingley had a different one visiting him in the autumn and the one I know visiting him now."

"Perhaps they are brothers or cousins."

"The Darcy I know has only a sister and no close male cousins with the same surname. He has had the care and guardianship of his sister since his parents passed on nigh on 5 years ago when he began investing with me."

"Mr. Darcy of Pemberley? " Madeline ask putting the bare facts together.

"Yes that is his estate. He resides in your favorite county, Derbyshire."

"Edward, Mr. Darcy doesn't just reside in my favorite county, Lambton is 5 miles from Pemberly. It is the closet town to the great estate."

"Well," Gardiner said rasing his eyebrows.

"Well indeed."

"I've mentioned Mr. Darcy to you before," Gardiner said frowning.

"Not that it was Mr. Darcy of Pemberley! I always assummed this one was a distant cousin barely connected with the estate. I never would have guessed that one of your largest most canny investors was a gentleman of signifocant property amd prestige."

"Well he is a quiet, likeable fellow all the same."

"Fanny must be beside herself to have him as a suitor for one of her daughters. But if he truly is eager to go see the inhabitants of Longbourne, specifically Lizzy, why have I not heard anything of it?" Madeline ask perplexed.