An Unexpected Introduction

Madeline Gardiner's memories of Lambton where not all pleasant. She departed there in haste without any reason or desire to return. But when the Gardiners are included in the invitation to the Netherfield Ball, an unexpected introduction brings changes to her and several others lives.

At the Netherfield Ball, 1811

Neither Jane nor Elizabeth Bennet had ever learned exactly where their beloved Aunt Madeline Gardiner had hailed from prior to meeting their Uncle Edward in London. They had a vague idea that she had once lived somewhere in the north of England, but knew no more. And since she had been reticent on the details, they had never pressed the issue.

As a result of this, neither young lady had ever mentioned the name Fitzwilliam Darcy in any of their letters to Madeline. Jane was too enamored of Charles Bingley to think of his friend's name while writing. Elizabeth was still too angry at the man's insult and his subsequent arrogant behavior to write his name on paper... even though his name passed through her mind with alarming regularity.

Caroline Bingley, for her part, had been so pleased at the embarrassing spectacle made by the Bennet's cousin, Mr. Collins, that she was more than happy to add to that embarrassment. So when Jane mentioned that her uncle and aunt would be visiting right at the time of the Netherfield Ball, she was quite happy to pen a quick invitation to the couple. After all, they lived in Cheapside! That by itself presented all manner of opportunities to humiliate the Bennet girls and exert her own superiority!

It would be a falsehood to suggest that Caroline Bingley was watching for the Bennets with great anticipation on the night of the Ball. The truth was that Mr. Darcy had yet to secure the first dance with her and she feared that his odd fixation on Miss Eliza and her "fine eyes" would somehow still ruin her evening!

So when the family did arrive, she was less sanguine than she wanted to be. Mr. Bennet looked dignified and sober. Mrs. Bennet was her usual embarrassingly effusive self. Jane, bless her soul, was as beautiful and vapid as ever... she and her brother would be a problem. Eliza, curse her, had somehow managed to look both stylish and curvaceous, a situation which forced Caroline to quickly survey the room in hopes that Mr. Darcy had decided to remain above stairs. The other girls were as expected. Caroline could only hope that the two youngest with their fixation on the officers would make fools of themselves and their family before the night was done.

The Gardiners were not what Caroline had expected or hoped for. Mr. Edward Gardiner was alarmingly dignified and handsome. Worse, he seemed well spoken and highly educated. Caroline hoped for something less from his wife, Madeline Gardiner, but she looked like a fashion plate and carried herself like the daughter of nobility! This would not do at all! Caroline's only hope was that Mrs. Bennet and her two youngest would imbibe so much that they made a spectacle!

Some fifty minutes later, after Mr. Collins had humiliated Elizabeth through the first two dances of the night and potentially ruined her toes forever, she suddenly found herself responding to Mr. Darcy's question in the affirmative. Cursing inwardly at her momentary confusion, Elizabeth asked her friend Charlotte, "Did I just agree to dance the next set with Mr. Darcy?"

Charlotte, who had long believed that Mr. Darcy cared for her friend, smiled and nodded, "Yes, and I expect you to be civil to him. To the best of my knowledge, he has not danced with any other woman in the neighborhood except for the Bingley sisters on that first night, and this is his second time requesting a dance with you."

"The third," Elizabeth mumbled, then realized that it was too late to backtrack as Charlotte's expression demanded answers. "He asked me once while I was here taking care of Jane... but I am certain that he did not mean it."

"Elizabeth! Open your eyes and let go of your grievance against him. If he has asked you three times since that first night and nobody else, perhaps he is sincere!"

Madeline Gardiner had just left her husband to speak with her niece when Mr. Darcy returned to collect Elizabeth for the set. As he extended his hand, his expression became first confused and then speculative, but he was not looking at Elizabeth. She was too overcome by the fact that she had agreed to dance with him to notice.

They danced for the first five minutes of the first dance in silence, she began to imagine that their silence was to last through the two dances, and at first was resolved not to break it; till suddenly fancying that it would be the greater punishment to her partner to oblige him to talk, she made some slight observation on the dance. He replied, and was again silent. After a pause of some minutes, she addressed him a second time with: "It is your turn to say something now, Mr. Darcy. I talked about the dance, and you ought to make some sort of remark on the size of the room, or the number of couples."

Mr. Darcy seemed to shake himself out of his inner thoughts and surprised her by asking, "The older woman who was standing with you just now. Do you know her? She seemed so familiar."

Elizabeth thought back for a moment, then said, "Do you mean my aunt, Madeline Gardiner?"

She was shocked again as Mr. Darcy suddenly smiled, the first real smile she had ever seen on the man's face. It made him look very handsome, which unsettled her greatly. Then, as they continued to dance, he seemed to lose focus again. She did not mind because she was trying to still her heart.

When the music for the first dance was ending, Mr. Darcy gave her the most sincerely apologetic look and said, "Miss Elizabeth, might I make a request: Could we set aside the second dance of this set and instead go and speak with your aunt. I must establish her identity and, if I am correct, I must warn her that Mr. Wickham is in the neighborhood."

That final statement baffled her, but the genuine concern in his tone kept her from challenging him. Confused and unsettled, Elizabeth nevertheless led the man across the crowded ball room to where she could see her uncle and eventually her aunt. Edward Gardiner smiled as she approached. Madeline did as well, with her look becoming speculative as she saw her niece leading a very tall and handsome man toward them. Then Madeline's face changed to one of confusion and then worry. Elizabeth saw all of this and did not know what to think.

Mr. Darcy, upon being introduced, spoke quickly to quell Mrs. Gardiner's evident alarm, "Have no fear, Lady Madeline, that I am approaching you with any intent to expose you or offer harm. Quite the opposite, in fact. I am actually in possession of information that may please you greatly and be a boon to your family."

Mr. Gardiner saw his wife's ashen face and glared at the man. Not wishing to draw attention, he demanded softly, "What is this about, Sir?"

"As your wife recognizes, I am Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley. Although I have not seen your wife for many years, I do remember her. What neither she nor you know is that the circumstances which caused her to flee Lambton have greatly changed... in fact the information that I must pass on to both of you may effect your lives for the better. This I swear is true. Perhaps we could adjourn to the Library. But there is still a danger in this neighborhood that you must know of. Miss Elizabeth is, of course, welcome to join us."

There was no question on Elizabeth's mind that she would be in the library. She was prepared for a challenge from either her uncle or aunt, but the pair were too concerned with Mr. Darcy's information to even think about excluding her. She took the lead to the library, followed by her relatives and finally Mr. Darcy.

Once they were inside and sitting comfortably, with the Gardiner's sitting together and her Uncle Edward holding his wife close, Mr. Darcy finally spoke, "First of all, may I say that I am very pleased to find you well, Lady Madeline." This was the second time that Elizabeth had heard this form of address, but the first time that it had caught on her mind. Yet her aunt was not correcting Mr. Darcy, so she remained silent on the matter.

"And I must apologize that my family failed yours so grievously. You should know that my father challenged the new Lord Melton as soon as he heard what had happened, even going so far as to place guards on Headley Abbey. But then my mother passed suddenly in childbirth and I am afraid that he could think of little else."

My father passed away five years ago, having never fully recovered from the loss of my mother. While he was still living the Earl did not have the courage to challenge him over the estate, but a year after his passing he challenged me. Thankfully I had all of the necessary documents, collected by my father, to prove that Headley Abbey was not bound to the title, and that you, not the Lord Melton, are the rightful heir to the estate. I employed several men to look for you, but we had no idea of where you might have fled."

Elizabeth listened in shock to this, realizing that her aunt was not only born to nobility, but the rightful owner of an estate. The Gardiners shared a long look and then her Aunt Madeline seemed to relax, "That must have been why my second cousin was so determined to marry me off to his son. He knew that the estate and the title were separate. This is certain? The estate is mine?"

Mr. Darcy smiled again and Elizabeth found her chest constricting. The insufferable man should not be allowed to smile!

"Oh, but there is more. Do you have a son?"

Mr. Gardiner nodded, "Two. James and Michael. Why do you ask?"

"Because Albert Dowell was slain in a duel seven years ago and Lord Melton passed away five months ago, most likely due to excessive drinking. This means that not only is the Headley Abbey yours, but the title of Earl belongs to your eldest son. Thankfully I found you before the six-month time window has closed. The title might have been reclaimed by the Crown had that happened."

While the Gardiners labored to process all of this, Elizabeth fixated on something else Mr. Darcy had said, "Mr. Darcy, what does any of this have to do with Lieutenant Wickham?"

Had the Gardiners not been in her line-of-sight to Mr. Darcy, she might have missed the sudden jerk of her aunt's entire frame. This time it was not fear, but anger. "How do you know that name, Elizabeth! Tell me now!"

Mr. Darcy surprised everyone by moving to place a protective hand on Elizabeth's. She was too bewildered by her aunt's bitter demand to react at first... and then she found his large warm hand to be a comfort, even through her gloves. It was he who answered, "Miss Elizabeth does not know of Mr. Wickham's true character, but in answer to you question, he is currently an officer in the Brighton Militia, which is encamped nearby."

Mr. Gardiner demanded, "Is he here tonight?"

This time Elizabeth answered, "He is not." She looked up at Mr. Darcy in confusion, still ignoring his hand over hers, "He claimed that he did not want to cause a conflict with Mr. Darcy here this evening, but in a previous conversation he claimed that he would not allow Mr. Darcy's presence to drive him away. I am in some confusion here. Why is everyone so angry about his presence in the area?"

Her aunt answered, "Because he was responsible for my father's death, though I could not prove it. My father had evidence of the boy's wrongdoing. Then my father's horse went mad and threw my father, breaking his neck in the process. The groom found several sharp rocks under the saddle which could only have been placed there by human hands. And then he colluded with my second cousin to lock me away so that I could be forced to marry his son. I do not know why your father and you continued to protect that boy, Mr. Darcy?"

As Elizabeth looked up, she saw the pain in his eyes. It was odd, but she found herself wanting to defend the man from her aunt. Then he replied, "My father would not accept that the son of his closest friend could be so evil, while I continued to protect him for my father's sake, to my own and my sister's detriment." Everyone in the room seemed to realize then that Wickham had done something to harm his sister.

Aunt Madeline asked softly, "And now? Will you still protect him?"

"Never again."

The four of them agreed to leave the library for the evening and return to the ball. While the Gardiners sat in a corner working to process their sudden change in fortune, Mr. Darcy reminded Elizabeth that she still owed him another dance. "Perhaps, instead, I could request your supper set?"

This time Elizabeth found it quite easy, even pleasing, to grant the tall man that place on her card.

The following morning Mr. Collins had intended to propose to Elizabeth. To the frustration of both him and Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth was sequestered in her father's book room with her father, the Gardiners, and someone else for most of the morning. When they emerged Mr. Collins had intended to rush forward and demand Elizabeth's full attention, but he lost focus when he saw Mr. Darcy. By the time that he finished bowing and scraping to the man, the rest of the book room occupants, save Mr. Bennet, had climbed into the Darcy carriage. After Mr. Darcy followed, the group departed without any further explanation.

When Mrs. Bennet realized what had just happened, she complained loudly, "Mis-ter Bennet! You must get Lizzy back here right now! Mr. Collins has waited all morning to make his proposal to her!"

Mr. Bennet's eyes went wide, "Proposal? To my Lizzy? Mr. Collins, are you so lost to propriety that you have forgotten that you must speak to the father before making such an offer? You have been in this house for over seven days and I do not remember any such conversation."

"Mr. Bennet, how can you be so tiresome!" Mrs. Bennet objected, but he shut her down with a glare, then addressed Mr. Collins again, "Let me make myself clear. I am still the head of my family, not my wife. And I do not give you permission to pay your addresses to any of my daughters without first speaking to me... and I do not give you permission to propose to Elizabeth. She had another suitor."

"Another suitor?" both Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins demanded.

Mr. Bennet smirked at the irritating pair, "That will be revealed in time."

That morning Mr. Darcy carried the Gardiners and Elizabeth Bennet to London. Jane and Mary, having been addressed the previous night in private, agreed to take care of Gardiner children for the day, except for the eldest, James Gardiner, who had already been waiting in the carriage when the others stepped out. He was the only one who did not understand what was happening, but they took turns explaining on the long morning jaunt.

The Darcy carriage went straight to Matlock House, where they were pleased to find that Lord Matlock was at home. Parliament was not in cession that day, so he was able to escort them into the Office of the Chamberlain, where he and his nephew testified that the lady with them was, in fact, Lady Madeline Gardiner, nee Fullbright, and that her father was the Fourth Earl of Melton. The Gardiners then testified that James Gardiner was their first born son.

Meanwhile, at a jewelers in London, Charles Bingley spent several hours selecting a ring to give to Miss Jane Bennet, should she accept his proposal. He had already spent the morning with his solicitor, drafting settlement papers. He had not even stopped at his home since riding by carriage to London that morning.

Unbeknownst to either Charles Bingley or Fitzwilliam Darcy, Caroline Bingley was in the process of breaking every trinket in Netherfield. Not only had her brother departed for London early that morning for London, but then Mr. Darcy had also taken his own carriage to London without consulting her! She had planned on closing up Netherfield and spending the afternoon persuading her brother to drop his ridiculous obsession with Jane. But now both carriages and both men were gone, not even leaving a horse behind! What was she expected to do? WALK TO LONDON!? Her hand found another trinket and it was instantly dashed on the far wall. This time she strained a shoulder in the throw, making her cry.

Outside of the sitting room Mrs. Nichols was jotting down a record of everything that Miss Bingley broke. The items belonged to the estate, not the the Bingleys. Many of the trinkets had been purchased in different parts of the world before the little Corsican tyrant made travel unsafe. Mr. Bingley was not going to be pleased when the bill came due.

Charles Bingley traveled back to Meryton on the following day, having found that his other business was more easily handled than he had expected. Feeling anxious, he directed his man to go straight to Longbourn instead of stopping at Netherfield Park. Jane and Mary had the Gardiner children playing in the garden. When Charles saw his beautiful angel he almost hurt himself stepping out of the carriage before it came to a complete stop. Then, forgetting himself, he hurried over to the woman who dominated his every thought and swept her into a kiss.

From the house could be heard a shriek, a denouncement, and a chuckle. Mary stayed uncharacteristically silent as the Gardiner children giggled around her. Jane had no breath to speak, but when her beloved Charles finally released her and asked, "Marry me?" she somehow found enough breath to render a very tearful and happy, "Yes!"

There was much celebration that day at Longbourn, though Mr. Collins was not best pleased. He had thought that the beautiful Bennet girls were his for the choosing, but nothing had gone as he had planned.

When Charles learned that his friend Darcy had gone on a mission to London, he decided that cowardice was the better part of valor and chose to remain the day at Longbourn rather than reporting at Netherfield.

Back in London the Gardiners and Elizabeth went to the house on Gracechurch Street, but not before Fitzwilliam Darcy arranged for his carriage to retrieve them for a meal at Darcy House that night. While the Gardiners talked privately about what would happen next, Elizabeth walked around the local park and tried to make sense of everything that had happened... and her bewildering feelings for the man she had intended to hate for life.

That night she met Georgiana. The two ladies formed an instant bond, though Elizabeth became even more discombobulated when the younger girl accidentally revealed that her brother had written about her in several of his letters from Netherfield.

Darcy had known that he was lost from the moment he had protected Elizabeth in the library. Though he was a man of deep thought, when he reached a decision he became a man of action. That night he devoted himself to wooing Elizabeth from the moment that she arrived until the moment he regretfully watched her depart.

The Matlocks were there as well, both Lord and Lady Matlock plus their second son, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. When he learned that George Wickham was to be found in the Militia at Meryton he gladly accepted the task of riding there on the morrow to collect the man and send him to debtor's prison. It was a mark of the Colonel's self-control and good character that Wickham made it to Newgate alive.

After the Gardiners left, the Matlocks quizzed Darcy on his attentions to the lovely Miss Bennet. They were surprised and surprisingly pleased when he declared that he intended to win her heart and her hand. He even admitted to some of his mistakes concerning her over the past month. This gave everyone a good laugh at his expense, but the Matlocks also gave their blessing.

The next day at a reasonable hour the Darcy carriage collected the Gardiners from Gracechurch Street and began the journey back to Meryton. If Fitzwilliam Darcy spent the four hour trip continuing to flirt with Elizabeth, the rest chose not to notice... or at least to hide their smiles.

Elizabeth would later wonder when she had stopped hating Mr. Darcy and began loving him. The transition was so subtle that she was in the middle of it before she even knew it. But by the time that the Darcy carriage pulled to a stop in front of Longbourn, she knew that her heart was lost.

They were all surprised when the family announced that Mr. Bingley had proposed and been accepted. Darcy, who might have questioned the match at one time, saw the love in Jane's eyes clearly and only offered his warmest congratulations.

It is at this point that one must extend Mr. William Collins a certain begrudging credit. When he saw the looks that passed between Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth, he did not instantly rush to the post to notify his beloved patroness. Instead he went out to the Garden where Mary had remained even though the Gardiner children had rushed to greet their older brother and parents.

Mary saw him coming and forestalled any declaration, "Mr. Collins, if you are coming to propose to me, please do not. I may not be the prettiest among my sisters, but I still expect a proper courtship before I will consider anyone for marriage."

Collins closed his mouth, but contemplated her words. Then in a shockingly succinct manner he asked, "Does this mean that you might entertain the idea of a courtship with me?"

"That will depend. You do realize how angry your patroness will be when she discovers that her nephew is in love with my sister, do you not?"

He expelled a deep breath and his shoulders fell, "It will be very unpleasant in Hunsford for many months to come. And she will be the angriest at me for failing to stop the match. But I will not interfere."

Mary regarded him, then nodded, "I wonder. From what I have heard, Mr. Darcy's holdings are even grater than those of your patroness. Perhaps he has a living available?"

"And would you consider a courtship in such a case?"

"My answer is not conditional with that. At first I thought we would not suit, but your answers today have revealed much more about your true character. I would accept your courtship even if you must return to Rosings, so long as you remember that a living cannot be taken away except by the Church. You do not have to always bend to that woman's will. A man cannot have two wives, and I will not play second fiddle."

Matters were not so pleasantly settled at Netherfield. Caroline first cajoled, and then demanded that Charles abandon his engagement. When he refused and she attacked him with one of the few remaining trinkets, she found herself in a leased carriage being shuttled to her aunt in the far north. The Hursts remained behind, having accepted Bingley's choice and being thoroughly sick of their sister.

The rather large bill for the many broken items was paid directly out of Caroline's own dowry.

It would take a month of investigation by the Chamberlain's Office to verify everything to the satisfaction of Parliament, but in Mid-December Lord James Gardiner, Sixth Earl of Melton, made his bow before the Regent, George, Prince of Wales.

To speed matters along so far as Healey Abbey was concerned, Mr. and Miss Darcy invited the entire Gardiner family to spend Christmas at Pemberley, which was only twelve miles distant from the the Gardiner's restored estate. The former earl and his son had left the place in poor repair and the servants, who hated both men, had stolen anything not bolted down. It would take two months and a considerable sum to fix the place up, but Fitzwilliam Darcy had committed himself and his entire staff to help. After all, his fiancee was the Gardiner's dear niece.

Elizabeth tried to remain cheerful that holiday season, but it was not easy when her relatives were with the man she longed for with every fiber of her being while she had to participate in endless wedding plans with her mother and sister. At least she and Jane were sharing a double wedding.

Happy was the day that Fitzwilliam Darcy, his sister, and the Gardiners returned to Meryton. Happier still was the day, ten days later, when Mr. Bennet walked his two eldest down the aisle to their grooms.

It would be two more months before everyone returned again to attend Mr. Collin's wedding to his beloved Mary. As it turned out, while Fitzwilliam Darcy had no open livings at his disposal, the new Earl of Melton did. The living was in Nottinghamshire and it was a very pleasant community indeed. Under the loving and gentle guidance of Mary, Mr. Collins became a true credit to his profession. Though he was never eloquent, his sermons also no longer caused indigestion. Best of all, he and Mary came to know each and every family in their parish and became a great help to one and all.

While Caroline Bingley could never remember the Netherfield Ball with any fondness, Madeline Gardiner would always view that night as the turning point in her and her family's lives. Elizabeth was not as firmly fixated on the event, but she did praise her maker every day that she learned the true character of her Mr. Darcy.