Thursday, January 28, 1813 – London

Darcy stepped down from his carriage in front of the Johnson home. It was a fairly modern, four story building somewhat smaller than his own house and located in one of the better sections of the city. His arrival must have been anticipated because the butler had the door open before he reached it. Recognizing Darcy immediately, he bowed and then motioned a footman to take Darcy's hat and cloak saying, "Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are with the other guests in the drawing room, Mr. Darcy." He led Darcy there and opened the doors, waiting for Darcy to pass through. Darcy paused in the doorway to assess the people within the room. With a quick scan, he recognized two couples, apart from the Johnsons, that were known to him.

He saw his presence was recognized as Mr. Johnson moved quickly towards him. "Mr. Darcy, welcome." he said in a quiet voice. "As ever, we are pleased you could join us tonight."

"How could I pass up the opportunity for fine food and fine conversation? I welcomed your invitation."

"There are several people that I would particularly like to introduce to your acquaintance tonight, Mr. Darcy."

"By all means, Mr. Johnson but I would like to greet my hostess first, if I may."

"Certainly, sir. She is sitting over there." Saying which Mr. Johnson led Darcy to Mrs. Johnson with whom he then chatted for several minutes. Seeing Mr. Johnson's slight impatience, Darcy smiled and let himself be led away. For a quarter hour, Mr. Johnson guided him to several gentlemen and their wives, effecting introductions and their connection to Mr. Johnson.

Looking around Mr. Johnson said, "There is one more gentleman that I would most particularly like to make known to you. I have only become acquainted with him in the last six months or so. He has made it possible for me to expand my production by his access to markets in other countries. It has truly been fortuitous for me." Saying this, he led Darcy towards a gentleman who was talking to several young ladies as well as a woman and a gentleman only a few years older than Darcy himself.

As they approached the group, the young ladies turned in response to a slight nod from the gentleman facing Darcy. His shock was total. He heard Johnson speaking but he could not understand the words. All he could see was her face. He wondered if his was as pale.

"Mr. Darcy, are you all right, sir?"

He grasped the remnants of his self control, essayed a small smile and replied, "Perfectly, sir. I was simply caught totally by surprise." And, looking directly at Elizabeth, "A most pleasant surprise!"

Johnson was not sure what exactly had happened but obviously Mr. Darcy was known to at least one of the Gardiner party. He pressed on, "Mr. Darcy, may I make known to you Mr. Edward Gardiner, Mrs. Madeline Gardiner, Captain Stovall and Mr. Gardiner's nieces, Miss Jane Bennet and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Ladies, gentlemen, allow me to introduce Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, who is from Derbyshire."

Darcy bowed and spoke quickly, "I had the very great please of meeting the Miss Bennets in Hertfordshire while visiting a friend there. It is a pleasure to meet you both once again. Mr. Gardiner, Mrs Gardiner, I am pleased to make your acquaintance also. I seem to remember hearing Miss Elizabeth speak fondly of you both."

Mr. Gardiner responded, since both of his nieces seemed to have lost the power of speech, "Elizabeth has spoken of you also, Mr. Darcy."

Darcy raised an eyebrow and, glanced at Elizabeth, before looking at Mr. Gardiner and replying "That was most equivocal, Sir. But I suspect she treated me most justly."

He could feel Elizabeth searching his face. He turned to Jane and asked, "Miss Bennet, I trust your family are all well?"

"Yes, Mr. Darcy, my family in Hertfordshire are indeed all well."

"How long have you been in London?"

"Our aunt and uncle visited us at Longbourn over Christmas and we returned with them a few days later."

Darcy continued to become acquainted with the other members of the party and had just discovered that Mrs. Gardiner had ties to Derbyshire when conversation was cut short by the announcement that dinner was to be served and everyone began to move towards the dining room. Darcy had hopes of acquiring a seat close to Elizabeth and was only partially successful. Her place was on the other side of the table and offset by two other people. Fortunately, he could observe her and hear parts of her conversation. The uncertainty that had begun to plague him – that both his memories and love of Elizabeth were fading – was gone. He found that his admiration and longing were as strong now as they ever were, and possibly stronger. He wanted nothing more than to simply look and admire her.

"I must attend, I must behave in a civil manner with those around me." It took a conscious effort to begin to talk with the people on either side of him. He hoped he was not appearing too distracted but he knew his eyes were constantly shifting to look at Elizabeth. Mrs. Gardiner had taken the seat next to him which provided him with the opportunity to talk with her about Derbyshire and gaze at Elizabeth, who was sitting almost directly across from her aunt, with, he hoped, discretion. Having spent many years prior to her marriage in Lambton Mrs. Gardiner knew Derbyshire well and had also toured Pemberley and its grounds several times. Through her conversation, she had quickly impressed him as a genteel, elegant and intelligent lady and it was obvious that she had been a positive influence on the two eldest Bennet sisters. Good manners required Darcy to pay some attention to the lady on his other side and, after several attempts to discover a topic of mutual interest, he was able to engage her in talk about her charitable work which attempted to provide some education to children in impoverished areas. He could not help but be impressed with her dedication and enthusiasm as she expounded on the various projects that were underway, and was not reluctant to promise financial support to her efforts.

Turning to talk again with Mrs. Gardiner, he saw Elizabeth gazing at him. He gave a small nod of his head and a slight smile and was gratified to have it returned. His attention was then captured by Mrs. Gardiner who had begun to talk with the gentleman sitting across from him – a Captain Stovall, who Darcy now remembered as part of the Gardiner party. From Mrs. Gardiner's comments, Darcy realized he was a naval captain and asked, "Are you between commands, Captain?"

"No, . My ship is in sad shape and laid up being repaired. I probably will not get back into the war until the summer."

"The navy has borne a huge portion of the war burden so far and we all owe you so much. I do think that our army will now be taking on a larger portion of the effort. My cousin and his regiment are shipping out soon to join Wellesley in Portugal."

"I agree, if we are to defeat Napoleon, it will have to be on land and that is the job of the army. I wish your cousin well and hope he returns safely."

"As do we all, Sir. As do we all."

Darcy turned to Mrs. Gardiner and asked, "Mrs. Gardiner, did you ever have occasion to meet my parents while you were in Lambton?"

"Yes sir. I remember meeting and speaking with your mother several times over the years. She was always a pleasure to meet and obviously concerned about the welfare of people in Lambton. I remember her visiting the one or two poor families in the town and providing them with food and clothing for the children. A truly kind lady."

"I am most gratified to hear that, madam. I could wish that my younger sister could be here while you speak of her. She has few memories of our mother and is always eager to talk with anyone who knew her."

"I should be pleased to share the few memories that I have, should the occasion arise, Mr. Darcy."

Wishing to talk of less personal topics, they began discussing, by mutual. unstated agreement, the various events that Jane and Elizabeth had enjoyed while in London. Darcy did discover, to his satisfaction, that both sisters were expected to remain in town for several months.

Elizabeth was maintaining her composure with some difficulty. She had recovered from the shock of turning to come face-to-face with Mr. Darcy with no warning. She had felt almost like she would faint and then, when she was struggling to regain her mental balance, she had received a second shock. He had said meeting her again was a pleasant surprise. She had recognized that he had been as shocked as herself initially, but he seemed to regain his poise much quicker. His manner had changed. She could tell that he was obviously still quite reserved but he was civil, extraordinarily so to her, and that civility had extended to everyone. He was talking with everyone around him and, if his reserve was intact, he was obviously making an effort to be amiable. And he had smiled at her and his self-deprecating comment to her uncle showed a certain willingness to admit errors on his part. And he smiled at her again at the table! Did he still feel some affection for her? But, did it matter? Lydia had effectively ruined whatever hopes she could entertain with regard to Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth knew she was not behaving as was her usual wont in company. Her thoughts were too engaged and chaotic for that. She looked up at Mr. Darcy once again and noticed her aunt watching her with what looked to be a very speculative eye. Elizabeth suspected that her aunt would very likely want to talk seriously about Mr. Darcy. How much should she confide?

Before Elizabeth realized it, the ladies were rising from the table to go to the drawing room, leaving the gentlemen to their port and cigars. Elizabeth was approached by the hostess and asked to perform. This was not unexpected, although tonight it might be a little more difficult to remain composed. She could hope he did not sit where she could observe him while performing and discompose her. Given her feelings now, her composure would suffer much more than it had at Rosings Park when he last attended her performance. She was surprised at such thoughts. She had thought little of Mr. Darcy in recent months. She knew now she was not insensible to his attractions, nor to the fact that he had admired her greatly. Of her feelings, she was uncertain but admiration for Mr. Darcy seemed probable.

Darcy had risen to stretch his legs and was handed an excellent port. He saw Mr. Gardiner watching him from across the room, his face carefully bland. This seemed like an excellent opportunity to begin to 'illustrate a character' as Elizabeth had once attempted to do with him. In this case, he wanted to sketch that of Mr. Gardiner. He casually walked over and introduced himself once again, "Mr. Gardiner, I believe we were introduced but had little opportunity to converse."

"True, Mr. Darcy. Unfortunately, we were also too separated at the table to make conversation possible."

"I did have the opportunity to talk with your wife, sir. She obviously finds Derbyshire as beautiful as I do. It was an interesting conversation. Do you often visit the area?"

"We had planned to do so last summer but we had to cancel our plans at the last minute. Perhaps in a few years. We have no plans to travel this year or next."

"Mr. Gardiner, our good host was most interested in having us meet. I suspect he believes that we might have some mutual interests in business. Might I call on you to discuss such possibilities?"

"Certainly, Mr. Darcy. My place of business is on _ Street, just off Gracechurch Street."

After arranging for a convenient time to meet, they talked amiably until their attention was captured by others. After about a half hour, their host suggested they rejoin the ladies. Darcy, upon entering the drawing room, immediately looked for Elizabeth and, seeing her by the pianoforte looking through the sheet music, approached and offered to turn the pages if she were to play. He could see her blush, hesitate and then nod her acceptance. He then leaned towards her and whispered, "I cannot read music. You will have to nod your head, or kick me, to let me know when to turn a page."

"Is the choice mine, sir?" she whispered back. "Is he teasing me?"

"Indeed it is."

"I will be kind then and nod, sir."

Whereupon she sat, did a few exercises to loosen her fingers and began to play. Darcy sat beside her and when she nodded, turned a page. Watching her face was a pleasure but it took considerable self-control to not become absorbed in watching her expressions. He was not always successful and Elizabeth, on several occasions, had to repeat sections until he had gathered his wits. For her part, Elizabeth knew she was not playing as well as she usually did. She was extremely conscious of the man sitting beside her. His cologne, and a very male presence, caused her thoughts to scatter. Eventually, it was over and she received the appreciation of the other guests. She did hear Darcy say, "As always, your playing affords me considerable pleasure, Miss Elizabeth."

A quiet, "Thank you, Mr. Darcy" was all she could manage. "He had said that before. I thought he was being sarcastic. Another misjudgement on my part?" She walked over to the hostess to get a cup of tea. Darcy did likewise and seeking an opportunity to talk with her privately, gestured towards a settee somewhat removed from everyone. "May we speak for a moment, Miss Elizabeth?" he asked.

She moved to the settee, and sat. She could see her aunt and Jane watching them both. "It will be an interesting night when I get home," she thought.

Darcy sat down beside her and turning to face her, murmured, "I apologize. I suspect I am causing some concern on the part of your aunt and uncle."

"I will have some explaining to do later tonight, I believe."

"Miss Elizabeth, I cannot tell how very happy I am to meet you again. I would like an opportunity to talk with you in some privacy or as much as propriety will allow. This is not the time or place for such. May I call on you tomorrow morning?"

Elizabeth's confusion had not abated a great deal. Of what would he want to talk? Was there any purpose given the Lydia situation, but she could hardly refuse on that basis since he could not be aware of it.

Darcy viewed her obvious indecision with increasing concern and blurted, "I am sorry. My request is obviously distressing you. You need not …" And he began to rise from the settee.

Elizabeth spoke immediately, "No! Wait, please. I would be happy to receive you tomorrow morning. I…I was simply surprised by your request. I am sure I do not deserve such consideration."

Darcy shook his head, "Quite the contrary, Miss Elizabeth. You merit every consideration. Now, may I enquire as to your address?"

Elizabeth gave him the Gardiners' Gracechurch Street address, looking at Darcy to see if the location bothered him but could observe no aversion on his part. Noticing her aunt approaching, Darcy stood up and offered her his seat which she accepted. Darcy offered to refill their tea, an offer graciously declined by both ladies, after which he left, ostensibly to refill his own cup, and moved to talk with others. The rest of the evening passed uneventfully for all. Upon returning home, Darcy retired to his room with a glass of brandy and a conviction that Elizabeth's opinion of him had changed materially. Tomorrow would be difficult but he had to convince her to allow him to show that he had taken her reproofs to heart. He could hope once more.

Elizabeth's evening, however, was not over when she arrived home. She had informed them all, during the drive home, that Mr. Darcy had asked to call tomorrow morning. Her aunt and uncle were surprised, but not unduly so, given what they observed of the behaviour of Mr. Darcy. Madeline Gardiner decided she needed a private talk with her niece before either of them slept.

As she was heading up to her room, Elizabeth was detained by her aunt. "Lizzy, we must talk. I will be up in a half hour." There was no suggestion that the talk could or would be deferred. Elizabeth nodded and went upstairs to don her nightgown and robe. Jane wanted to talk over the evening also but Elizabeth indicated that her aunt was going to want an explanation of tonight's events and did not seem willing to wait. Then Elizabeth sat and waited, attempting to organize her thoughts.

When her aunt entered the room, she carried a tray with biscuits and tea. Pouring a cup for them both, she passed one to Elizabeth, offered her a biscuit and sat with her back resting against the footboard of the bed. Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow, "Is this going to be that tiring, Aunt?"

"That depends on you, Lizzy. I cannot force your confidence, but I do think that there is some important information about Mr. Darcy and yourself that your uncle and I need to know." She paused and then continued, "I know that you are used to keeping your own counsel, but this time I think you need to trust us to help you."

"It was plain to your uncle and me, and I dare say Jane as well, that Mr. Darcy admires you a great deal. This seems to contradict the opinions you expressed a year ago when you stated he disliked you. And then, there is your behaviour. Where once you were quite adamant in your dislike, I saw evidence tonight of quite different feelings. There is much that you have not told us, Lizzy."

Elizabeth stared at her hands, sighed and then moved to sit, resting against the headboard. "As usual, Aunt, you have grasped the essentials. I think I will have to tell the story from its beginnings, despite how badly I have behaved. Jane, by the way, knows everything." She then talked for almost an hour, uninterrupted by anything more than the occasional "Lizzy, you did not!" or "Oh dear!" Or "He said what?" from her aunt. Elizabeth ended by retrieving the letter that Darcy had written and handed it to her aunt who read it thoroughly, twice.

Madeline Gardiner quietly considered her niece, "So many mistakes, errors of judgement, mistaken pride. I don't suppose any couple could have done worse, if they deliberately tried to do so. If it were not for Lydia, I would think, from what I observed tonight, that a strong attachment could exist between you. Because of Lydia, I cannot see how such an attachment is possible. Mr. Darcy would face considerable censure and disapprobation, if he attached himself to you. Would he be prepared to face that consequence? I do not know. I do think you have an obligation to hear what he has to say tomorrow and I will ensure you both some privacy. Should he want to continue to see you, he will have to be told about Lydia. Do you want to do so? Or shall I? Your uncle performed the service for Jane and I would suggest either I, or your uncle, do likewise for you. "

Elizabeth considered the problem for several minutes. "It is quite likely that I will be too discomposed by our conversation to be truly coherent. Nonetheless, I think it best that I speak of Lydia."

"Very well, I will enlighten your uncle tonight about the particulars of your relationship with Mr. Darcy. And Lizzy, do not worry and fret. It will serve no purpose. "

"Thank you, Aunt." replied Elizabeth knowing that, no matter her wishes, her mind would not be easy. Before tonight, she had, for the most part, reconciled herself to the loss of a Mr. Darcy that she previously had not wanted. Now, with the possibility of his interest in her, she would lose him once more and the anguish would be greater since she now understood how estimable his character was.