Chapter 16

Elizabeth stared out of the window of Mr. Darcy's roomy and luxurious carriage as they came upon the outskirts of town. Her thought dwelled upon the dissimilarity of this journey from her last when she had last traversed it with her aunt and uncle. She had been so angry at Lidia and certain that she had lost Mr. Darcy forever.

She stole a glance at him sitting across from her in the carriage and was surprised to see him observing her. She met his glaze and felt a warmth spread through her chest. His gaze was intense, and she could see his emotions reflected in his eyes. She could only hope that her own feelings were as obvious to him as his was to her. The last few days had been emotional for the both of them and she spent much time ruminating on what they meant and where things were headed for the two of them.

When she had come upon Mr. Darcy beaten and only barely conscious in the square, she had feared the worst. When he held her face though and used her Christian name her heart had nearly stopped. Then again the next day when he begged her to acknowledge his feelings for her.

It had pained her to see the look on his face and not be able to offer some relief for his internal turmoil, but the guilt of Lydia's demise still weighed so heavily on her. His reassurance that he would wait for her did little to quell her anxieties, however. As they headed into London for Wickham's trial, Elizabeth knew that Mr. Darcy would be reminded of all of the reservations that had clouded his judgment when he had first proposed to her. With her family in close proximity, the situation was bound to be a difficult one.

"It must be very comforting, Lizzie, to be able to see your family soon," Georgiana reflected from where she sat next to Elizabeth. "I look forward to meeting them."

Elizabeth tore her eyes away from Mr. Darcy's to glance at his sister. "Yes. It will be nice to see them again," Elizabeth replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "And I am sure they will be delighted to meet you, Georgiana."

"I know they will enjoy meeting you as well," Mr. Darcy said warmly. "I myself look forward to seeing them again although I wish it were under different circumstances."

Elizabeth looked back at Mr. Darcy and was somewhat comforted by the look of reassurance that he wore. Was it possible that he had been able to guess the insecurities she was facing about this visit? He smiled a small smile as if to confirm her thought and she turned her gaze back out the window.

They arrived at the Darcy's residence and were met by staff waiting to unpack the carriage and help welcome them to town. Mr. Darcy exited the carriage first followed by Georgiana. When it was Elizabeth's turn she took Mr. Darcy's offered hand and was surprised when he squeezed it gently.

Elizabeth glanced up at him just as he said almost under his breath, "Calm your worries, Miss Bennet. All will be well I assure you."

Elizabeth's heart swelled. "Thank you, sir. I will make every effort to do so."

Mr. Darcy released her hand and together they walked into the impressive home. True it was nothing to Pemberley, but it still would cast quite a shadow on Longbourn.

As she was shown to her room the unease only grew. Did her mother still blame her for what happened to Lydia? Would she cast that blame onto Mr. Darcy and Georgiana as well? Her head began to ache from the many scenarios she imagined.

She laid down on the bed, deciding that she needed to rest before the evening meal when her family was expected to visit. Her sleep was fitful at best and was dominated by the memory of the painful reception she had received from her mother just over two months previous.

Mr. Darcy did not have the luxury of resting after their long journey. He felt immediately obligated to pay a visit to Elizabeth's relations and assess their preparations for the upcoming trial. Although if he were being honest he also wanted to try to determine how much discomfort Elizabeth would be facing when her family came to visit.

He had been surprised when the magistrate told him that Elizabeth's parents would be expected to testify in Wickham's trial. He could not ascertain what was meant by it, but he knew that the last time Elizabeth had met her mother it had caused nothing but pain for her. He was determined to do what he could to mitigate that for Elizabeth at any personal cost.

Mr. Darcy was shown into the Mr. Gardiners's study where both Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Bennet was seated and rose as he entered.

"Mr. Gardiner," Mr. Darcy said warmly as he extended his arm to shake. "It is good to see you again. I hope you are well?"

Mr. Gardiner nodded. "I am, sir. You are looking remarkably well despite your recent injuries."

"Pray, you ought to have seen me the day after," Mr. Darcy scoffed as he turned his attention to Mr. Bennet.

"Mr. Bennet, how are you fairing? I trust the journey from Longbourn was agreeable?" Mr. Darcy inquired cordially, shaking his hand as well.

Mr. Bennet nodded. "I am making do, sir." He replied solemnly as he gestured for them all to sit. "How is Lizzie? I pray she is much recovered since your last letter."

"Miss Bennet is doing quite well, sir. She is a very resilient young woman," Mr. Darcy replied careful to not allow the depth of his feelings be revealed. "I fear she has many anxieties in seeing Wickham again after all he has done."

"As do we all," Mr Gardiner spoke up.

"Has everyone been able to review the charges and the documents my solicitor has provided?" Mr. Darcy asked.

Mr. Bennet stood and poured them all glasses of wine as he spoke. "We have and I believe we are ready. I must inform you though that Mrs. Bennet did not accompany me from Longbourn. I hope that will not have a great impact on the trial."

Mr. Darcy raised his eyebrows. "I do hope that Mrs. Bennet is not unwell?"

Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner exchanged a look. "I am sorry to say, sir, that she remains at Longbourn because I would not allow her to come to town." Mr. Bennet replied with a sigh. "If I may be frank with you, sir, I did not wish for her to come and be a further source of distress for my Lizzie."

Mr. Darcy's stomach dropped. "She continues to blame Miss Bennet for what happened to Miss Lydia? I wonder, sir, would it help allay her anger if she knew that it were my sister that Miss Bennet had been protecting and my confidence she was holding?"

"I fear that would only serve to bring discredit upon you, sir," Mr. Gardiner said sadly. "My sister enjoys her gossip and will use any leverage she can gather to help her appear victimized."

"Mr Gardiner is right, I am afraid," Mr. Bennet replied. "She and Mrs. Phillips already has half of Meryton believing that Lizzie is part demon and that she conspired with Wickham to entrap Lydia."

Mr. Darcy stared in disbelief. He felt himself growing angrier and angrier. He stood and began pacing the small room. "What is being done to protect Miss Bennet's name? How are these rumors to be ended?"

"Mrs. Phillips is not being received at Longbourn and Mrs. Bennet does not leave her room, but I fear that the damage has already been done," Mr. Bennet countered. "Although I have half a mind to toss Mrs. Bennet out on the street to see how she fares."

Mr. Darcy took a deep breath and tried to quell his rising anger. He knew that getting angry would not solve anything. "Perhaps there is something I can do help. My family's connections in London and the wider society can be of some use. I can speak to some of my more influential associations and then spread words of truth."

Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Bennet looked at each other and then back at Mr. Darcy. "That would be most appreciated, sir," Mr Gardiner said with a small smile. "But we also must be cautious. We do not want to make matters worse for Lizzie."

"Of course," Mr Darcy nodded. "I will make sure that this is done discreetly." He paused a moment before continuing. "If it is agreeable to you, sir, considering the circumstances, I would like to offer to continue to keep Miss Bennet under my care."

Mr. Bennet sighed. "I am afraid that would likely be the best option for her, if it is not an inconvenience for you."

"It would be my pleasure," Mr. Darcy started with a slight tremor in his voice. "Although I feel I must be entirely forthcoming with you, sir. It is my intention once Miss Bennet is released from her mourning period and the trial is over, to make an offer for her hand."

Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner exchanged shocked expressions before Mr. Bennet finally said, "I see. This is most unexpected. Have you spoken with Elizabeth about this?"

Mr. Darcy shook his head. "I confess I have not. I did not feel it was yet appropriate to do so while she is still in mourning for Miss Lydia. Although I do believe she must be aware that I care for her deeply."

"I am pleased to hear this, Mr. Darcy," Mr. Gardiner spoke up. "Elizabeth is a wonderful young woman, and I believe that you would make a good match."

Mr. Bennet slowly nodded. "I must admit that I am still a bit surprised by this, but I must say - I have always respected you, Mr. Darcy. You have proven yourself to be a man of good character and integrity. If Lizzie were to accept your offer I would not object."

Mr. Darcy was nearly overwhelmed with relief. "Thank you, sir. Your words mean a great deal to me."

There was a moment of silence before Mr. Gardiner spoke again. "It seems that we have much to discuss before the trial begins. Let us see what progress can be made before Mrs. Gardiner returns and we make for the Darcy house for dinner."

The three men discussed the upcoming trial and the expectations for the weeks to come. Mr. Darcy made mental notes of things to remember and offered advice where he could. When Mrs. Gardiner returned they made for the carriages with the Gardiners traveling together in theirs and Mr. Bennet riding with Mr. Darcy.

The conversation was easy and Mr. Darcy could not believe that he had previously had any reservations as it pertained to Mr. Bennet. He was, for the first time in a couple of months, looking forward to a nice dinner with good company.