One and Twenty
Elizabeth has always known that there was something different about her and the way her family treated her. Her mother barely tolerated her. Her father was happy to share his books, but seemed otherwise disinterested. Uncle Phillips and Aunt Edith never gave her the time of day. But the Gardiners were always loving and kind. Oftentimes she wished that they were her parents instead.
AN: Most other features of the original story have played out exactly as before. Elizabeth has only just returned from her wedding trip with Mr. Darcy. They have stopped over in London before heading north to Pemberley
AN warning: Will feature an assault against a minor, but without any details
Gracechurch Street, August, 1812
Elizabeth graced her handsome husband with her best and happiest smile when he reached into the carriage and offered her his hand. Today was a very special day and she was glad that she would be able to share it with her favorite people, save one. Jane was in Scarborough right then with her own new husband, meeting the rest of his family. But her Mr. Darcy was there and now so were the Gardiners.
As expected, the door flew open even before the Darcys made it to the top of the steps. Aunt Madeline was always pleased when Elizabeth came to visit and the normally dignified woman never stood on ceremony with her favorite niece. Elizabeth might have grown up feeling unwelcome in her own home, but she was never made to feel unwelcome here.
Almost before Elizabeth could cry, "Aunt Maddie!" she was wrapped in the woman's arms. She had always felt welcomed in the past, but this time it felt like there was something more in her embrace; something almost... desperate? "Aunt Maddie, is all well?"
A tearful Madeline Gardiner stepped back, keeping her hands on Elizabeth's arms, and seemed to be drinking her in. There was joy there, but perhaps also something like... fear?
Then the still beautiful woman turned her smile on Mr. Darcy and she gave him a curtsy, "Welcome to our home, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. Please come inside. The younger couple followed and were greeted cheerfully by the rest of the family as they cried, "Happy Birthday, Lizzie!"
A wonderful afternoon was had by all, most especially the birthday girl. But when the younger couple began making plans for their departure, Mr. Gardiner solemnly asked, "Could I please ask you to remain for a little longer? There is something else... something very important that Elizabeth needs to know now that she is one and twenty. Since both of the younger people had felt an odd undercurrent the entire afternoon, they shared a look and quickly agreed.
Once the Darcys had shared farewells with the children and the nurses had bustled the little tykes off, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner led them to his large office. Once all were seated comfortably, Mr. Gardiner led off, "I will begin this by telling you the story of how I first met my dear Madeline." He reached over and took the fidgeting matron's hand, "I had seen and certainly noticed her several times in my buying trips to Derbyshire, but always from a distance. It surprised me, therefore, when she presented herself in my London office one day. She had come to London looking for something important, and she hoped that I might have information about it."
Madeline interjected, "My father, Baron Camber, had only recently passed away. A thorough search of his files had revealed that he had paid a rather large sum to Edward's father eight years prior. I hoped that this was not a coincidence."
Edward Gardiner continued, "My father was a successful solicitor, but my mother's prolonged illness and a few setbacks meant that he did not have a large savings. At about that time he was suddenly able to gift my sister Frances with a belated dowry of five-thousand, and me with the same amount to launch my business. Madeline came to me hoping that I knew the source and the true reason for the transfer.
"I did not know. Elizabeth, I think that you are aware that there is little affection between my sisters and I. That is partly because our father conducted most of his legal trade here in London, keeping me by his side, while he left his wife and two daughters in Meryton. Their's was certainly not a love match and I'm sorry to say that I and my sisters were too different to ever get along well together."
"And yet you still visit them for the festive season every year," Elizabeth stated, more as a question.
Darcy, who was watching and listening in silence, suddenly sat up straighter, his eyes on Elizabeth's beloved aunt. She saw his reaction and met his eyes, then nodded solemnly. Elizabeth, having missed the interaction, prompted, "What is it, William?"
"Oh... nothing. I was just trying to get more comfortable. Please carry on with your tale Sir, Madam."
Edward answered, "We will get to the reason for our holiday excursions soon. Suffice it to say that it was a sacrifice that we deemed worth the effort. Back to our story: Madeline explained her past history and asked for my help. I will tell you now that I would have been willing to do anything for her from the moment that she stepped into my door. She was... and still is the loveliest woman I have ever seen. I cannot claim love at first sight because I had seen her before at a distance, but once she was in front of me my heart was lost."
Madeline blushed and lightly hit her husband's arm, "Enough of that, Dear. I will tell my story from here. As my Edward said, I came looking for something... something which my father had taken from me eight years before without my consent. Of course he was my father and he did not feel that he required my consent. Nevertheless, I felt the loss of it terribly, and now that my parents had passed, I meant to find it, whatever the cost."
"It must have been something very special indeed," Elizabeth said softly, seeing the pain in her dear aunt's eyes and feeling confused.
"Oh, my dear, it most certainly was... and is. With Edward's help we were finally able to locate my most precious item, but it was now safely in the possession of another family and, for the most part, safe and well. To attempt to remove it would have been difficult and costly to more than one reputation..."
"I do not understand..." said, but she was beginning to have a suspicion. Then her eyes met and held those of Madeline Gardiner. Not for the first time she thought that those eyes were remarkably similar to her own. Then she knew. "But... how?"
Madeline, seeing the realization of the truth in Elizabeth's eyes, could not hold off any longer. She surged out of her seat and wrapped the younger woman in her arms, "My dear, dear, sweet girl." Both had tears in their eyes as Elizabeth also wrapped her arms around the woman who had always been more of a mother than the woman who had claimed the title.
The two men looked at each other and, after a silent nod, rose to move to another part of the study. They both watched the women they loved with tender concern as years of pent up emotion spilled out. Darcy wanted to know the rest of the story, but chose to wait silently until they could all hear it together.
Finally, after ten minutes full, the two women were able to move back so that the rest of the tale could be told. Elizabeth began, "But... how? You could not have been more than..."
Madeline squeezed her daughter's hand, "Now... Elizabeth... the next part of my story is unpleasant, but it must be told. I was thirteen when it happened. My father and the Earl of _ were close friends and often hunted together or just enjoyed each other's company. On one visit to their estate I was left alone to my own devices while they played billiards. It was a lovely cold day and I wanted to explore the grounds. The man's son was on holiday from Oxford. He had just come home from a house party when he saw me walking down a trail. He was mounted and I was on foot. There was no way to escape."
Madeline lapsed into silence and Elizabeth hugged her tight. The two men exchanged angry glances, both wishing to hunt down the man who had done this to a child. Madeline, long reconciled to her past, recovered first, "I was so ashamed that I did what I could to hide my injuries and said nothing. But two months later it became clear that I was with child. My father was furious and accused me of all manner of vile things until I finally told my story. He was still reluctant to believe me until he spoke to the Earl. Then it was revealed that I was not the first.
"I was terrified that my father would force me to marry the horrible beast, but it turned out that he was already engaged to the daughter of a duke."
Darcy, who was also a resident of Derbyshire, stiffened as the pieces fell into place. Edward Gardiner met the younger man's eyes and shook his head, cautioning him to hold his tongue, at least for the moment.
Unaware of the men, Madeline continued, "Father sent me north to Scotland on the pretense of visiting a friend. I was kept in seclusion with only a hired maid and midwife to watch over me for the remaining time. Then, as soon as I had my beautiful baby girl, father took her from my arms and rode away in his carriage. By the time I had recovered enough to travel back to my home, my father was there... and you were gone. He may have accepted my tale, but for the next eight years he barely acknowledged my existence in his home."
Edward and Darcy took seats again and he took over, "From what I know now, Baron Camber had employed my father on legal matters for several years. He asked my father to find a home for the babe and gave him ten-thousand pounds as an incentive for anyone to take her... you. My father approached Mr. and Mrs. Bennet while he was still a teacher at Cambridge and offered them five-thousand. I'm certain that they were never aware of the original amount or they would have demanded it all. Instead my father used that second half to set me up in business.
Madeline spoke again, "Edward took me to Longbourn for a visit. I was not best pleased with the way that the Bennets behaved towards you, but I could not see any way to remove you from their home which would not bring shame down upon you. At least as a daughter of Longbourn you were a gentleman's daughter. And you and Jane were already almost inseparable. The best that I could hope for was to find a way to stay close to you and offer support whenever possible."
Edward smiled lovingly at his wife, "And I was more than willing to offer the means by which she could always remain close, or at least as close as family. I wasn't certain if the daughter of a baron would consider my suit, but was very pleased when she did."
Elizabeth, who was still sitting beside the woman that she now knew as her mother, hugged her and then asked, "But why wait to tell me until now? You have always been my greatest support, along with Jane. You know that I would have kept the secret?"
Edward answered, "Two reasons, Lizzy. The first is that a secret can be a dangerous thing. Your father by blood is Viscount _, and by your husband's reaction his reputation precedes him. He has gone through two wives. They gave him two sons who are as vile as him and three daughters, all of which he all but sold off to other horrible men for financial or political profit. We did not want to take any chances that he would become aware of you before you were either safely married or one-and-twenty." Darcy nodded at this while Elizabeth was caught up in worrying about those half-sisters.
"The second reason is that the Earl, his father, who is a very good man, set aside twenty-thousand pounds as a dowry for his granddaughter. He was not best pleased by the Baron's precipitant actions. It caused a further break in their friendship. He did, however, demand the information concerning your whereabouts from Madeline's father before the Baron passed. The Earl, ironically. paid me a visit not a year after Madeline and I were wed. When he recognized her he was confident that we knew where you were, so after we gave him the details he agreed to wait to meet you until you turned one-and-twenty. Now that you and Darcy have returned, he is very eager to meet you both."
By way of epilogue...
The Darcys and the Gardiners met with the Earl at Darcy House one week later. The man proved to be just as kind and good as his son was cruel and evil. Elizabeth took to the man right away and they were soon as close as if he had always been there for her. In just a few months she had gained a beloved husband, a true and loving mother, and a dear, sweet grandfather.
Elizabeth's true identity was never known to the Ton, but over time she did meet all three of her half-sisters. Their situations were unpleasant, but not dire, as she had feared. They were never close, but Elizabeth and her wonderful husband watched the families from the shadows. More than once they were able to render assistance secretly during time of need. When the earl passed and his son inherited, he had lived such a life of debauchery that he was not long for the world. By that point two of his sons had died from foolish habits and his last son had needed to flee the country for a rather heinous crime. The title ended in ignominy, but the previous earl would always be remembered fondly by those who knew him.
Madeline outlived her husband by fifteen years, almost making it to her ninth decade. She was beloved by all her children, including the one who had not known who she really was. The Darcy children barely knew the elder Bennets, but they called the Gardiners "Grandpa and Grandma," which was just as it should be.
AN: A very short story, but one which is very personal for my family. As a child I remember my mother telling me that a very dear, sweet older lady who sometimes came to family gatherings had spent a lifetime looking for the child which was taken from her and adopted out without her consent. Sadly, I do not think that she ever found her. I wonder how many other similar stories are out there?
BTW: I am working on a Kitty story. No promises, but I think it may be good.
