Chapter 14

That evening, once again, Mrs. Murray and her son had dined at the Gardiner's. Mrs. Gardiner liked the Murrays but was a little more concerned because she did not know Mr. Murray's intentions with Jane. He seemed interested in talking to her but more as a friend than a suitor.

While Jane was chatting with Mrs. Murray and her son across the room, Mr. Gardiner talked to his wife about something very important. "My dear, this morning I received a letter from Thomas, and as I was busy, I could only read it before dinner."

"I imagine he wants to know if you have any information about Lizzy's whereabouts," Mrs. Gardiner replied.

"It was something related to Lizzy, my dear. Honestly, I am a little confused because he asked me for assistance finding Lizzy. But after he and my sister tried to force her to marry that buffoon to solve their problems, I do not trust Bennet anymore."

"I understand, dear. I do not trust them either, and I am afraid they might want to know where Lizzy is to insist on marrying her to that gentleman. I believe she is trying to resolve her life, and for now, it is best to keep her parents away," Mrs. Gardiner explained.

"I am also concerned about Lizzy, my dear, and I have also thought about doing something to locate her if, in her future letters, she does not tell us where and who she is with. However, I intend to respect her decision to maintain employment if she wishes. Otherwise, I shall offer her our protection. I shall not allow her to live with her parents again," Mr. Gardiner said. He felt guilty about Elizabeth's situation and for not offering his assistance when she most needed it.

"Everything will be well, dear husband. Lizzy is an intelligent girl with courage and strength that few have. But you have not told me what you plan to tell Thomas."

"I will tell him I have neither the time nor the resources to assist him. Surely, when he realizes that he must pay for everything, he will change his mind," Mr. Gardiner said and kissed his wife's hand.

At this point, Mrs. Murray came over to chat with Mrs. Gardiner, and Mr. Gardiner took the opportunity to pour himself a glass of brandy. Then, he joined the conversation of the ladies who were talking about friends they had in common.

Jane noted that Mrs. Murray had looked for any excuse to allow her to talk more privately with her son. She noticed Mr. Murray was very reserved, and she did not know what to say. Fortunately, it was he who broke the silence.

"Miss Bennet, when do you plan to return to your home in Hertfordshire?" Arthur asked, not knowing what to say.

"I do not know quite yet, but I intend to stay for the entire season," Jane replied. She was becoming increasingly uncomfortable seeing Mr. Murray nervous and uncomfortable.

"I understand."

"Excuse me, Mr. Murray, but I get the impression that you are not feeling well," Jane said, trying to help.

Mr. Murray took a deep breath, and seeing Jane's sincere concern, he explained, "Today is my dear Margaret's birthday. If she were here, we would have celebrated with our children... but, you know, life is so unfair..."

Jane was sad to see how gloomy Mr. Murray was, and she said softly, "Mr. Murray, if you do not mind, you could tell me about your wife."

Mr. Murray smiled and began to talk about his dear Margaret without stopping. Without realizing it, he was happy to remember all the beautiful moments they lived together and confessed to Jane that he missed her very much. "Miss Bennet, my mother and sister always tell me that I should forget and find a good woman to help me with my children, but I…"

"You feel like you are not ready yet!"

"Precisely, I want to have time to spend with my children and to be able to recover from this great pain that I still carry in my heart."

"Mr. Murray, do what you feel is best for your family. Your mother and sister are very good and kind; I am sure that if you explain to them how you feel, they will help you."

"Thank you for your advice, Miss Bennet… And I am very sorry that… If the circumstances had been different, I am sure that…"

"Do not worry, Mr. Murray, you do not have to explain anything to me; I completely understand how you feel," Jane said, smiling.

Mr. Murray managed to settle and told Jane about his plans to take his children on vacation to the beach. They spent several minutes talking about their families, much calmer, and did not notice how time had passed.

Once the Murrays left, Jane retired to her room, happy for having helped that man but worried at the same time. Mr. Murray was undoubtedly excellent, but he was not the man for her.

'My dear Lizzy, where are you? You don't know how much I need you,' Jane said, unable to avoid shedding a few tears. Then she knelt before her bed, prayed, and asked God to protect her dear sister.

P&P

Mr. Bingley dined with the Lewis and was excited about living with them. Without a doubt, things were going better than he had planned, and he hoped he would soon be able to visit his angel and show her that he was willing to be the man she deserved. But his joy vanished because as soon as he returned to his brother-in-law's home, he heard Caroline's voice.

"Charles, could you explain why your valet and Johnson are packing your belongings? Are you traveling? Will you visit Pemberley? If you are visiting Mr. Darcy, I should accompany you. I have not seen my dear Georgiana for so long, and you know how much she must miss me. Besides…"

Caroline would not stop talking, but Mr. Bingley no longer had the patience to listen to her nonsense. "Could you explain to me what you are doing up so late? Louisa, you should be with your husband, and you, Caroline, in your room, ready to sleep."

"Charles, will you answer Caroline's question? It seems like you are avoiding telling us what you are plotting," Louisa said indignantly.

"Well, I shall answer Caroline's question, but after that, I want you to leave me in peace. I am tired, and I want to sleep. Tomorrow I have to wake up early. My servants have been packing my belongings because I will live with Aunt Amanda."

"Why? For how long?" Louisa and Caroline asked in unison.

"Because in this house, I shall not have the peace I need to do everything I have to do. Besides, I shall only be there for a month. After that, I shall return to Netherfield to fulfill my responsibilities."

"WHAT?" Louisa said in horror.

"You are out of your mind if you think we will allow it," Caroline added.

"I do not have to ask your permission to make my own decisions. Finally, before going to rest, I want to let you know that I plan to resume my friendship with Miss Bennet in the hope of winning her heart. Now, if you will excuse me, good night!"

"But Charles… You cannot be so irresponsible," Caroline and Louisa continued lamenting, but Mr. Bingley retired to his room and left them talking alone.

Caroline could not control her anger and kept complaining non-stop. "We need to locate Mr. Darcy; he is the only one who can convince Charles that returning to that place full of savages is a dreadful idea."

"Caroline, Mr. Darcy is probably in Pemberley, so we cannot count on his help. I suppose we shall have to solve this problem ourselves."

"But how? "Do you know what to do? Charles is unbearable and does not want to listen to reason. Indeed, Aunt Amanda's support makes him feel assured."

"No, but I believe we should find Jane Benner and pay her a courtesy call," Louisa said thoughtfully.

"You are right, dear sister. We must cajole silly Jane away from our brother. We have to convince her that if she does not get away from Charles, she will lead him to ruin, and he will lose all his friends," Caroline said, smiling.

"Excellent idea, Caroline," Louisa said and hugged her sister.

"You will see how easy it will be to manipulate Jane Bennet," Caroline said happily.

The sisters planned and laughed without knowing Mr. Hurst was listening to everything they said outside the room.

'Dear Louisa, very soon you will realize that you cannot continue harming your family members without assuming the consequences of your actions.'

P&P

Mr. Darcy was paralyzed. When he knocked on his wife's door, he never imagined that she would answer the door wearing only a nightgown and with her beautiful loose hair that reached almost to her waist. She looked lovely and so natural. He could not stop looking at her, even though he knew it was incorrect.

"Did something happen to Georgiana, Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth asked, concerned. To her, the only reason her husband could have knocked on her bedroom door had to be an emergency.

"No, please, Elizabeth, do not be concerned. Georgiana is well and sleeping," Mr. Darcy replied, a little embarrassed. He could not take his eyes off his wife's face, although he knew he should not take advantage of the circumstance.

"Good, Georgiana is well," Elizabeth said, and for the first time, she remembered that she was only wearing a nightgown. So, she blushed and searched for a shawl to cover herself. Also, as best she could, she fixed her hair in a braid.

"I am so sorry I alarmed you, Elizabeth; please forgive me," he said when he saw his wife so embarrassed.

But Elizabeth would not allow that man to intimidate her like he had done a few weeks ago on the terrace. "Do not worry, Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said. Then she turned and added, "Please let me know what is so urgent that you could not wait until tomorrow."

"Well, the truth is that I could wait until tomorrow, but tonight is cold, and I wanted to give you this now." Mr. Darcy extended his hands and handed a package to his wife. Elizabeth had no choice but to accept it, so he added with a trembling voice, "It is a present for you; I hope you like it."

Only at that moment did Elizabeth realize that her husband was carrying something in his hands, and she did not realize how she received it and opened it. She was confused because she would never have imagined that Mr. Darcy would give her a present, especially at that time.

"Thank you, Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said when she saw that the present was a dressing gown made of a thick, very soft fabric with the initials ED embroidered. "It is very pretty, thank you, sir."

"I am glad you liked it, Mrs. Darcy. I ordered it from London, and it arrived this morning. I guess I could not wait until tomorrow. The nights are so cold, I thought you might need it, especially if you want to go out on the terrace…" Mr. Darcy could not stop talking; he was so happy to see Elizabeth excited about his present that he did not want to return to his room.

Elizabeth was very uncomfortable with the whole situation, but seeing Mr. Darcy's beautiful presence, she could not help but feel special. The fact that he had taken the trouble to order that nightgown from London, especially for her, made her feel grateful. Perhaps it was a way to apologize for the incident on the terrace. Elizabeth knew that she could not refuse his gesture of friendship. Furthermore, she realized that, like her, he was dressed very informally because he did not have a cravat around his neck, and apparently, he was only wearing a shirt and trousers under his robe.

"Would you like some tea, Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth asked, not knowing much about what to do.

"I would love to, thank you very much, Mrs. Darcy," Mr. Darcy replied cheerfully.

Elizabeth's room had a small table with two chairs next to the window leading to the terrace. Elizabeth had asked her maid to bring her tea because she planned to write late. But now that her husband was there, she should change her plans.

For several minutes, they talked about inconsequential topics; Mr. Darcy told Elizabeth that his grandfather built the family wing of the mansion and that the family rooms had previously been on the ground floor. For her part, Elizabeth told Mr. Darcy that the Bennets had lived in Longbourn for six generations and that Mr. Collins would be the first heir not to carry the Bennet name.

"It is a pity that you or Miss Bennet could not inherit your father's estate, Elizabeth. I am sure they would be better for Longbourn than that fool Collins," said Mr. Darcy, smiling.

"Anyone could be better than my father's cousin; what Mr. Collins lacks in common sense, he has in arrogance," said Elizabeth, also laughing.

"We also cannot say that he is a great dancer. I still remember when you danced at Netherfield and how uncomfortable you looked."

"I could have made some excuse not to dance with him, but my mother would not have let me enjoy the rest of the evening."

"And you could have not danced with me," Mr. Darcy said, looking Elizabeth in the eyes. He was convinced she wanted to dance with him as much as he wanted to dance with her.

Elizabeth preferred not to talk about that and told Mr. Darcy what she was doing before he knocked on her door. "You know, sir, I was writing a letter for Jane and my Aunt Gardiner; I know they must be concerned about me, and my letters probably help them to comprehend that I am well."

"I understand. Are you planning to tell them about our wedding?" Mr. Darcy asked worriedly.

"No, and before I do, I want to consult with you," Elizabeth replied.

"I appreciate your consideration. I believe it is a decision that we must make together. But when do you think we should do it?" Mr. Darcy asked.

"We should do it when Georgiana is recovered and she can travel. We cannot leave her alone after everything that has happened; she needs our company and affection to heal. Probably in another month, she will be able to travel, and then we shall be able to announce that we are married."

"What you propose seems very reasonable to me. I imagine you know that we shall have to face questions, comments, and censure from some people in our family, friends, and society."

"What society thinks does not matter to me, and as for my family, I am only interested in my sisters and my uncle and his wife. My parents did not mind sacrificing my happiness to correct their negligence, so I do not think I have to explain anything to them," Elizabeth said.

Mr. Darcy noticed a little sadness in Elizabeth and said to her in an emotional voice. "Do not forget, Mrs. Darcy, you have a new family now. Georgiana and I shall always be grateful for helping us through such a difficult time… Elizabeth, I want you to know that you can always count on my protection, always," Mr. Darcy took his wife's hand and kissed it gently.

Elizabeth felt a strange sensation. Her husband was not wearing the elegant clothes he always wore, nor was his hair impeccably groomed. However, this made him look more handsome. But also, perhaps for the first time in her life, she felt someone's true protection, which made her feel at peace. "Thank you very much, Mr. Darcy, but I want you to know that all these weeks with Georgiana have created a great bond between us and that I shall always do everything possible to care for her, as I have done with my four sisters."

"I know, Elizabeth, and for that, I am so grateful," Mr. Darcy said in a very soft voice. "Until a few weeks ago, my poor sister was all I had in life… and now, well, now I have you, my wife."

Elizabeth felt she could not breathe and had to look away from her husband. She was nervous and did not want the conversation to continue in that tone because she did not know how to deal with the feelings that Mr. Darcy was awakening in her. So she took the nightgown and said, "It is very soft, as soft as the one that belonged to your mother."

Mr. Darcy noticed Elizabeth was uncomfortable and scolded himself for putting her in that situation. He knew that despite the immense attraction that had always existed between them, his wife was an innocent and discreet woman, and he had to respect her time and space. So he got a little nervous, and to mask his nervousness, he did what he always did, speaking like a self-sufficient and proud man.

"Elizabeth, you are now a Darcy, and that is why you will always have the best. As I told you before, as soon as we get to London, I shall ask my aunt Esther to take you to the best modiste in London so she can make you a new wardrobe according to the latest fashions. Furthermore, I shall give you the jewelry that belongs to Mrs. Darcy, and I shall have a set of jewelry made especially for you…"

While Mr. Darcy talked about all the material things she would gain from marrying him, Elizabeth came to her senses. This was the Mr. Darcy she knew, the one who humiliated her in public because he did not want to dance with her, the one who looked down on her at Netherfield, and the one who spoke with such contempt about her family. "Thank you very much, Mr. Darcy, but I think we better talk about it when necessary. Now, if you will excuse me, I am a little tired..."

"Of course, it is time to sleep. Thanks for the cup of tea and the conversation.

Mr. Darcy stood and went to his bedroom, closing the door that joined the two rooms. He was pleased with the situation because he had spent almost an hour chatting pleasantly with Elizabeth, although he would have preferred not to make her uncomfortable.

'I must learn to keep my distance. For now, we should focus on Georgiana and getting to know each other better,' Mr. Darcy thought before falling asleep.

For her part, Elizabeth was confused, and she could not understand who the man she had married was. Sometimes, he seemed to be the gentle and concerned man who cared for his sister, and other times, the cold and spiteful man who had betrayed the memory of his father and reduced a good and honest man like Mr. Wickham to poverty.

'I guess I should try to get along with him, although tolerating his sentiment of superiority is difficult,' Elizabeth thought before falling asleep.

P&P

Thanks to everyone who follows the story with enthusiasm and leaves comments.

In this story, I wanted Elizabeth to interact with Mr. Darcy so that they could get to know each other better. If they are married and live together, it is natural that they spend time and converse about different topics.

But remember that both have prejudices regarding the other, which is why a big fight will occur between them, just like in the book.

In the next chapter, the Hunsford moment and the end of the first phase of this story.

See you soon!

Saludos,

Yo