As she exited the workroom of Madame Gaillard's shop, Lizzy found it hard to believe it had been just a week since Wickham's attack and the rushed departure she and her sisters had made from Longbourn. The gown she had just turned over was the first piece of work, aside from Mary's wedding dress, that she had done simply because she wanted to, not because she was worried for her future or that of her sisters. Yes, she had always known the Gardiners would not let her or Jane starve, but both young women had too much pride to live off their relatives even if they knew they could one day pay them back. Because of that, there had always been a sense of pressure while working that Lizzy knew she largely put upon herself.
This gown had felt different. Of course, she kept up her standards and did the work with all her usual attention to detail, but it was more fun and less driven, somehow. Since there was no particular deadline, she added some extra details to make it one of her finest works. It amused Lizzy to think that someone of power and influence in the Ton would be wearing the work of her hands and imagination.
Kitty had asked to come along again when Lizzy delivered the finished work. She wanted to see what the approval process for Lizzy's work entailed. Since that meant Amy could stay with Jane, who planned to run some errands, Lizzy agreed. Of course, she gave Kitty the same cautions about keeping quiet no matter what happened.
Madame Gaillard had done the final inspection herself, just as for Miss Bingley's gown, and was more than usually thorough. Lizzy could tell Kitty was watching in a kind of fascinated horror at how closely the modiste examined what seemed to be every inch of the gown. At the end, however, Madame announced her pleasure at the quality and richness of the work, just as Lizzy had known she would. The payment for the special commission now nestled in the hidden pocket of Lizzy's own gown, ready to be added the household fund.
She was enjoying living in the house with her sisters and working together to decide on little things like schedules for chores, menus and how much coal they should use for the fires. Jane was keeping the books, but they planned that all of them would review the sums and suggest where they felt economy was in order and where they thought they could splurge a little. It felt good to work as a team and without any of the fear or discomfort they had all experienced at Longbourn.
As the two sisters exited through the side door of the shop, Kitty whispered to Lizzy that she had not realized how demanding Madame would be in her examination. Lizzy was about to tell her that only someone who could meet those demanding standards could earn the kind of pay she did for the work. Before she could get the first word out, she heard a familiar voice call her name.
Lizzy could not believe it was Mr. Darcy standing right there in front of her as she looked up. She had never felt anything quite as disconcerting as the feeling of her heart leaping in her chest at the same time as it seemed to sink into her half-boots. To see him was wonderful, but not here, as she was coming out the service entrance of a fashionable shop!
He had a young woman with him. There was just enough similarity in the shape of their faces to make it likely they were siblings or cousins despite her coloring being much lighter than his. It was something about the eyes. Before she could really think about the relationship, Mr. Darcy started babbling out how glad he was to see her. He sounded almost like Kitty when she was very excited about something.
Her amusement turned to worry when he asked if he could introduce her to his sister and aunt. For the first time, Lizzy noticed the older woman who had been just ahead of them on the sidewalk. She had to be Colonel Fitzwilliam's mother. There was no mistaking that look of amused mischief in her eyes even if their coloring and facial structure had not had so many similarities as well. Lizzy truly wanted to meet her, but there was no telling who might hear if Mr. Darcy introduced them as Bennets instead of Gardiners.
Lady Matlock seemed to understand her dilemma, asking a question that also enlightened Mr. Darcy. To Lizzy's relief, he provided the introduction using only their first names. But then, he seemed to want to continue the conversation. Lizzy was still concerned about what trouble might arise if they were overheard or even just through the fact that one of the workers was now talking with "the Quality" outside a prominent shop.
Once again, Lady Matlock came to the rescue, suggesting the Bennets and Darcys talk in her carriage while she went to check on a gown. Lizzy suddenly realized the gown she spoke of was the very one for which she had just been paid. A quick question confirmed it. Even more to her surprise, Lady Matlock seemed to understand perfectly that Lizzy had worked on the gown and yet it bothered her not at all. As Mr. Darcy pointed them to the carriage and handed the three young women in, Lizzy puzzled over what it could all mean.
Kitty quickly settled in next to Miss Darcy, both of them taking up places on the bench that left little room for Lizzy to do anything but take the opposite bench,where she would be sitting right next to Mr. Darcy. Miss Darcy seemed very shy, but at the same time looked determined to engage Kitty in conversation. Lizzy watched the two falter through the opening of an acquaintance. Normally she would have tried to smooth the situation for them both, but her own mind was spinning at the thought of actually having a proper conversation with Mr. Darcy completely outside the strictures Mrs. Bennet had always set on her.
The carriage door opened again and Mr. Darcy climbed inside. He winked at his sister when he saw the seating arrangements. She and Kitty both grinned back at him. As he closed the door behind him, Mr. Darcy settled into the corner of the bench so he could face Lizzy easily. She turned slightly to mirror his position.
"Thank you for going along with Aunt Susan's idea," he began. "I have been wanting the chance to sit down and talk to you since almost the first moment we met, at least once that headache had eased a bit."
Lizzy smiled at the memory of their first meeting. "I wished for the same," she admitted, "but Mrs. Bennet had a way of making things very unpleasant if Jane and I did not follow her rules."
"It took me a little while, but I did figure that out eventually. I am sorry if anything Bingley or I did or said caused trouble for either of you."
"Oh, Mr. Darcy, that will not do. You must not apologize for the unrealistic expectations of a bitter woman. Her attitude aside, you had no way of knowing when you entered the Assembly hall that you had ventured into a landscape fraught with hidden dangers. And yet, no matter what the situation, you have always been a gentleman to be depended on. Whether it was defending me from the verbal assault by Sir William or the physical one of Mr. Wickham, you proved your mettle and willingness to do what was right."
"You know Mr. Wickham?" Miss Darcy broke into their conversation, her voice trembling, high and nervous. All the amusement had drained from her face and she seemed to be shrinking back into herself. Lizzy could think of only one reason for such a reaction.
"I see he has done something to harm you as well," she said gently. "He tried to hurt me, but your brother scared him off and later laid a trap and captured him. We are both safe from him now."
"I had not yet had a chance to tell you, Georgiana," Mr. Darcy said. "Just today, Richard escorted Wickham and a like-minded friend of his to the Marshalsea. I purchased enough of his debts that he will never be free again."
Lizzy leaned in and tried to gain Miss Darcy's attention with a confidential whisper. "What he has not mentioned is that when your brother saved me from harm, he landed a punch that broke Mr. Wickham's nose. I think it was well-deserved. Do you?"
Miss Darcy giggled, a hiccuppy, nervous sound, but a giggle nonetheless. "Yes!" she whispered back emphatically.
"I wish I could have punched him really hard myself," Lizzy continued, as if sharing a deep secret."It was good of your brother to do it for us."
As Miss Darcy giggled nervously again, Kitty joining in this time, Darcy asked, "How did you know his nose was broken?"
In normal tones, she replied, "Mary overheard you talking with your cousin. She told us in the message she sent about our father. She also told us about what happened to Tony. My sisters and I agree that he got what he deserved. We all feel safer knowing he will not be able to harm us or anyone else, just as Mr. Wickham is no longer able to harm any of us." She turned to Miss Darcy, who still looked both nervous and curious. "My stepbrother, Tony Jamison, is another wicked man who has hurt many people. He and Mr. Wickham were friends. I hope you can forgive us for being related to someone so very bad."
Miss Darcy looked at the three of them nervously. "I know about Mr. Jamison. He..." She broke off, looking to her brother with obvious uncertainty.
Lizzy could tell there was some painful history behind the aborted comment. She wanted to find a way to reassure the young woman that she was safe whether she chose to speak or to remain silent. Lizzy might be curious, but she felt no need to pry. As she considered her response, Mr. Darcy took control of the situation.
"Be at ease, Georgie," he said softly, probably to avoid any chance of being heard by anyone outside the carriage. "While you would be correct not saying any more in company outside of this group, Miss Elizabeth can be trusted, and I believe Miss Catherine can as well."
Kitty nodded. Then, she surprised them by taking Miss Darcy's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Once she got over the initial shock, Miss Darcy relaxed slightly as her brother continued.
"We have been dancing around a topic that is better stated clearly in the present company, even though that will take us well beyond the bounds of polite conversation. To avoid misunderstandings, I will speak baldly and hope I do not offend any of you. Is that agreeable?"
He looked to all three of them in turn, gaining consent. Lizzy found herself nodding just as the other two did. Once he was sure they accepted the idea, Mr. Darcy continued, still speaking softly.
"Of course, this stays between us and those of our family who already know and can be trusted. In my family, that would be my cousin Richard and his mother, Aunt Susan." He looked straight at Lizzy. "I assume in yours that would include Miss Bennet and possibly the Gardiners. For obvious reasons, none of this should even be hinted at in a letter, not even a letter to someone trustworthy."
The three women nodded again. Lizzy understood the subtext. He might believe Mary or Mr. Bingley to be trustworthy, but putting anything in writing was unwise because paper could travel outside the control of the person you trusted. He turned directly to Lizzy again as he made his next comments.
"As you no doubt gathered, Wickham attacked my sister in hopes of forcing a marriage to gain her dowry and to spite me because I would pay him any more than what my father designated for him in his will - Wickham was my father's godson and received what any normal man would consider a generous bequest. Fortunately, Richard and I interrupted him before he could do her any harm more serious than he did to you. We happened to arrive when we did because we were tracking Jamison after he made a similar attack on our cousin, Anne de Bourgh, that we also interrupted at about the same point, although she was choked nearly unconscious and suffered more lasting effects than either you or Georgie did. It has left her frightened of all men and her recovery will be slow."
He turned to look at his sister. "Georgie, as you have no doubt gathered, Wickham also attacked Miss Elizabeth. She fought him and prevented him from doing any more harm than giving her a serious fright and some bruises before I arrived and pulled him away from her."
Mr. Darcy reached over towards Lizzy. Before she knew what he was about, he had gently taken her hand on the side nearest to him. Brushing aside a little of her black shawl and sliding the edge of her long sleeve back, he exposed the remains of the bruise on her wrist just above the cuff of her glove. The bruise was fading well, but the mark was still obvious. Lizzy saw Miss Darcy look towards her own hands, but the young woman did not dislodge Kitty's comforting grip to rub at them as she might otherwise have done. His point made, Mr. Darcy released Lizzy's hand, although she sensed he did not really want to do so.
"Georgie," he said, turning back to his sister. "You, Anne and Miss Elizabeth were attacked by unscrupulous men through no fault of your own. You were in places where you thought you were safe. In your own case, you were under the care of a companion who should have protected you but who betrayed you instead. I know you feel guilt, but the primary responsibility belonged to others. I hope that being in the company of women who know what happened but will not judge you harshly will help you recover from your fright and feelings of guilt. I also hope the three of you, plus the addition of Miss Bennet and Mrs. Bingley, will be friends."
Lizzy heard the implications in his statement clearly, especially when combined with the hopeful look he now gave her. This was not just about his sister's recovery, or hers for that matter. She knew Aunt Madeline would crow about having been right. This man was clearly saying that despite all the drawbacks of her family and station, even despite knowing she had been working for pay, he considered her good enough to be a friend to his sister. It was no great stretch from there for her to also be considered an acceptable marital prospect.
Once again she was caught without a ready response. Once again, Kitty offered comfort to Miss Darcy first.
"I would be honored to be your friend, Miss Darcy," she said. "My sisters are very kind to me, but it would be so nice to have someone who is about my age to talk with. I left my only friend of that kind behind in Meryton and I miss the company."
"I would like that," Miss Darcy said in the softest of whispers. "I do not have any close friends. I met some girls at school, but most of them looked down on me because my brother and I are not titled. None of the others seemed to want to keep in contact."
Lizzy thought Mr. Darcy was surprised by his sister's admission. He recovered quickly, nonetheless.
"If you two would care to deepen your acquaintance on that side of the carriage, I will leave you to it, since I wish to speak quietly with Miss Elizabeth over here."
Both Kitty and Miss Darcy smiled at her in a knowing way. It made Lizzy wonder how much Mr. Darcy had told his sister. She already knew Kitty's opinion. The two younger women very deliberately turned to face each other, giving Lizzy and Mr. Darcy the illusion of privacy. They returned to a whispered conversation.
Mr. Darcy smiled at their reaction as he turned his body to face Lizzy even more. Once again, she mirrored the movement. When he spoke, it was so softly that she had to strain to hear.
"Richard and I had planned to call on you and your sisters at the Gardiner home tomorrow. He will be terribly jealous when he hears I met up with you first and almost by chance."
She replied equally softly. "You would have been out of luck. My sisters and I have set up a small establishment of our own, although I am sure my aunt would have arranged a time with you when we could join you at her home. I expect a dinner invitation would have been forthcoming. What do you mean, almost by chance?"
"I do not normally accompany my sister or aunt to the modiste. However, when my aunt mentioned they were visiting Madame Gaillard, I had thought to learn something about how the embroidery on Miss Bingley's favorite new gown was related to the even more special embroidery on Mrs. Bingley's wedding dress. I realize now that I might have accidentally caused trouble for you had we not run into each other on the sidewalk."
Lizzy nodded. "As you have clearly guessed, I do embroidery work for Madame Gaillard. Jane has done work for her as well. We use the Gardiner name, having had no desire for word of what we were doing to reach Longbourn. I am afraid it could have been very embarrassing for me had you started asking Madame questions about the work. I do hope your aunt will be discreet."
"She was born discreet. We joke that she kept it all to herself which is why Richard is often anything but, although that is only a joke. I am certain she will not even suggest she knew the gown was ready, let alone mention anything about you. Tell me about your establishment, please. Why are you not living with your aunt and uncle?"
"They would be perfectly happy to have us there, but even as occasional guests, Jane and I have often felt that we are crowding them. Their children are still young but they will need more room soon. We have been determined that once we were able to leave Longbourn, Jane and I would take rooms of our own. With Kitty along, it became even more important. We were fortunate enough to find a respectable place to let just a few blocks from our aunt and uncle's home that was available immediately."
"I know Mrs. Bingley managed to save a decent sum from her allowance over the years. Would I be correct to assume you and Miss Bennet did the same, so you are in no financial hardship while you wait for the first interest payment from your trust fund?"
"That is correct. And, as you have no doubt surmised, over the course of several years, Jane and I have also been selling our skills at needlework to build a fund for our futures."
There, she had said it. Now he could have no doubts that Lizzy had set aside her status as a gentlewoman to take up a trade and that the situation was one of long standing. To Lizzy's surprise, he smiled at her again.
"That was wise of you, although it is a shame you and your sisters had to do the planning and preparation that should have fallen to your father's lot. I understand he could be very stubborn and resisted doing anything people told him he ought to do, like prepare for his family's future. You should feel proud of yourselves for having found honest work. I find your skill at embroidery exceptional, as do many ladies of the Ton, if the reactions of Miss Bingley and my aunt are representative of the demand for the work. Mrs. Bingley's gown was something she could be proud to wear at any special event."
"Thank you," Lizzy said. It was all the reply she could come up with. Where she had expected at least some level of scorn, if not a boot to help her out the carriage door, he offered only praise.
"Speaking of Mrs. Bingley, I have a letter for you. It was to have been the pitiful excuse for our call tomorrow."
He chuckled softly as he reached into his greatcoat and drew the folded and sealed letter from an inside pocket. He handed it to her and Lizzy quickly placed it in her reticule.
As she did, she said, "Thank you. If you will tell me what time you and your cousin plan to call, Jane and I will be at the Gardiner home to receive you. I know my aunt and uncle are looking forward to meeting you both. If you bring your sister as well, Kitty would enjoy more time with her."
"Is ten o'clock too early?" He asked.
"Not in a tradesman's house," she smiled as she said it, mostly to cover her nervousness. She wanted to be sure he knew the status of the people on which he was proposing to call.
"Perhaps that is why Bingley preferred to shift to the life of a gentleman," Mr. Darcy teased. "He never did like early mornings. I had not the heart to tell him that I am usually up before the sun just to carve out time for myself before taking on the duties of the day."
"At Longbourn, Jane and I usually managed an hour or two of work before the rest of the household began to move around. We had to hide our work there."
"Like the lace in that cleverly hidden tree house?"
Lizzy could see he was both pleased at having figured out what she was doing and nervous about how she might react. She might have felt upset that he had apparently spied on her work. However, the knowledge he had gained led him straight to her location on that terrible Monday a week previous, so she could easily forgive any prying he had done.
"Finding a safe place to work during the day was difficult and having an excuse to be out of people's sight even more so. I built my hut even before I started doing work for sale. It was an escape from the house and gave me a sheltered place to sit and read. I modified it over the years to turn it into an acceptable, if cramped, work space. Of course, I would not have gone there if I had realized..."
She let the comment trail off, not really wanting to go over that topic or memory again. He seemed to pick up on that, instead explaining how he had found it.
"I had visited Longbourn hoping to make your father's acquaintance the first week of my visit, having only heard that he was somewhat ill and thinking he might want some company. He did not feel up to accepting my call. When I retrieved my horse, the groom pointed out a storm on the way and directed me to the path. As I rounded the curve beyond the spruce trees I spotted you leaving them. I am afraid my curiosity got the better of me and I turned back to investigate why you had been in the woods. I tried not to disturb what was clearly a special place for you. However, I was very surprised to find your lacework. I have an old memory of my mother showing me a piece of lace she prized, and I recognized your work as being the same pattern she carefully pointed out to me. I kept meaning to ask you how you had learned what she said was a pattern specific to our neighborhood, but the time was never right. I did not want to betray any of your secrets in company. I only recently worked out that your aunt must have made that lace I saw so long ago and she taught you."
"Did my father hint to you that he had been to Pemberley before?" she asked. If he had learned about the lace, he might have also learned about her father's visit. He had not seemed to have known about it before, but he would have been still in the nursery when it happened.
"In hindsight, having learned about his visit from Aunt Susan just on the ride here today, I can see that he was hinting at it during some of our discussions. I never would have known about the multiple connections between our families without a great deal of guesswork and the recent confirmation from my aunt. I take it you only recently learned about these connections as well?"
Lizzy nodded. "When my sisters and I arrived so suddenly at our aunt and uncle's home, we had to explain the situation. My uncle made several comments that hinted to prior knowledge about your family. In my last interview with him, my father had done the same. I finally connected enough pieces that I could ask my uncle and he told us how your father had saved my mother from ruin with his purchase of the Gardiner family estate."
"I have offered that estate to my cousin Richard. He intends to purchase it from me if all goes as he would like."
Mr. Darcy's look said even more to Lizzy than just the words. He had already hinted that his cousin wanted to call on Jane, and she knew Jane wanted him to call. Now, he was telling her that the Colonel had more than just whatever home an officer could normally provide. She could also see he was amused that his cousin might bring Jane to what had been their mother's original home if a match between them was made. His next words confirmed more than just that.
"We...well, I suppose I should just say I, wanted to call for far more reason than just to deliver your sister's letter. Miss Elizabeth, I know we have not spent much time directly in conversation, but we have still learned a great deal about each other over the last few weeks. What I have learned of you appeals to me more than I can say. What I hoped, what I hope right now, is that you will consent to a courtship from me, leading, if we both agree, to marriage. That is why I wished to call – to find out if you would..."
Lizzy could sense he was very nervous and his words were not coming out at all as he had hoped. She remembered Charlotte's description of how she and Mr. Carlson had tried to declare themselves while protecting themselves as well, and how plain speech was truly needed. She also remembered her aunt's comment about not letting her doubts push her into a corner where she could not accept the love of a good man. It was funny that she was sitting in a corner and letting go of all those doubts instead. However, just as it seemed he would ask his question so she could give a plain answer, the carriage door opened and all four occupants broke off their conversation to turn that way.
One of the footman had opened the door. He now handed Lady Matlock in. With a smile for Lizzy and Mr. Darcy, she motioned for her niece and Kitty to slide closer together so she could sit next to the girls.
"I am glad to see you waited for me," she said. "My new gown is truly lovely. I shall have to put it on this evening after it is delivered just to enjoy it for a time. Now, where are we delivering you to? I am looking forward to seeing your aunt and uncle again after all these years."
"I had not expected you to take us home," Lizzy said, although she realized she should have.
"Nonsense. Why should you take a hack when I have a perfectly good carriage that will fit us all. I am not afraid of the trade district."
Mr. Darcy had recovered from the confusion of having his declaration interrupted. He gave Lizzy a heartfelt look, but then resolved her own confusion by replying to his aunt.
"Miss Elizabeth is not quite sure how to respond to your request since she and her sisters have formed a separate establishment and are not currently staying with their aunt and uncle. I understood that both homes are very close to one another, however, and she might prefer we speak to her aunt and uncle first."
Lady Susan looked at her in what Lizzy hoped was approval. "Not wishing to be a burden? Well, we can take you to whichever location you prefer, but I do intend to renew the acquaintance with your relatives."
"Our older sister will worry if we are gone too much longer..." Lizzy started to say. She was surprised at how Lady Matlock brightened at the mention of Jane.
"Ah, then we must start at your new home. It would not do to have your sister worry. What is the direction?"
Kitty provided the street name and house number before Lizzy had a chance. Lady Matlock passed the instruction on to the footman who was still waiting at the carriage door. He nodded acceptance of her orders before closing and fastening it. A few minutes later, the carriage lurched into movement.
Lady Matlock looked ready to take over the conversations, but Lizzy knew she could not let her moment pass. She quickly turned to Mr. Darcy, moving her hand to rest atop his to get his attention.
"Mr. Darcy, the question you were just asking, my answer is yes," she quietly said. It did not matter if she was agreeing to courtship or a marriage. Whatever he had asked of her, the answer was yes. Judging by his smile, 'yes' was the answer to all his prayers.
