Cruising along in writing again.


38. Unwelcome Visitors

Mrs. Johnson made for a most unwelcome visitor just after the cobbler had left, not because of herself but because of the news she brought just as I was leading my wife toward the back of the house, to show her our small garden in the city. It was not so fine as Lady Henrietta's garden, for there was less space, and there were only some well trimmed shrubs and a walking path paved with brick that wound around a large oak tree with a stone bench beneath it. It was peaceful in the midst of the city.

Once, it had rose bushes instead of shrubs, but my father had our gardeners dig them all out of the earth at both of our homes after my mother was gone. He was not fond of thorns and preferred a more masculine design once there was no one to please but himself. I do not even think he considered how it would hurt me to see all traces of my mother erased.

Georgiana had no interest in gardens, so with no real impetus to change my father's design (for I could not return it to what is was before, only a simulacra), I had let it be once he was gone. I had been planning on offering for Elizabeth to take charge of the gardens as she saw fit, determined to give her free rein as befit her status as my wife.

However, we had not even reached the back door when Mrs. Johnson scurried near, looking vaguely in our direction with her rummy eyes. For not the first time I wondered what she could see through them. Now was it all vague shadows? A permanent fog?

I was quite fond of Mrs. Johnson, who was more a beloved aunt than a servant; she helped to make my house in town a home. I had not such a personal attachment to my butler. As much as I would have liked to have her stay perminently, I was not keeping her there simply for my own benefit, thought her much deserving of a reward. I would have provided for Mrs. Johnson still in gratitude to her life-long devotion to my family if she could have been persuaded to be pensioned off, but she always exclaimed "While I can walk, do and think, I prefer to be useful."

Typically, Mrs. Johnson did not have much to do as I was seldom in town, but from the butler's reports, she came alive when Georgiana and I were resident there. I had also seen further bursts of activity from Mrs. Johnson with her welcoming the new mistress and trying to cater to her every need, finding purpose in service.

"Pardon, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy," Mrs. Johnson interrupted, bobbing a quick curtsy, "but some of the missus's relatives have come to call. I told them you were not receiving callers but the woman insisted. After what occurred earlier, I was not sure where to place them, whether to welcome them in at all, so they stand now at the door." She extended her hand with a calling card.

I retrieved it and read aloud "Mr. Edward Gardiner."

I glanced up to see joy upon my wife's face, and a soft and open look in her eyes that I had never seen before, except perhaps directed at her sister Miss Bennet. "Oh, Uncle and Aunt Gardiner, how I long to see them!"

In seeing Lizzy's expression when she raced toward them, I felt the green eyed beast within me, for I wished to be the one to give her such happiness, not them. I also felt a swell of anger, for this was the uncle that had most probably left her in poverty.

Without even waiting for me, my wife dashed to the front door. I followed her at a more sedate pace, and so heard rather than saw her welcome them inside. I was in no hurry to greet them myself as I was determined to use these few additional seconds to master myself. I had no wish to give Lizzy any reason to think the demanding, unreasonable man who had proposed to her was my true self. He was indeed part of me, but less useful to me now while I was endeavoring to earn her trust and dare I hope love.

I met the Gardiners just outside the family parlor. Mr. Gardiner was a pleasant enough looking man, with the beginnings of a splendid corporation which was not that unusual for a man of his age. However, his wife's middle was much larger than his and in recalling seeing my mother in a similar state when carrying my sister shortly before the birth, I immediately judged Mr. Gardiner for allowing Mrs. Gardiner to appear at my home during such a time. All propriety required that she should have properly been confined; it was untoward to subject all and sundry with the proof of her carrying out her procreative duties to her husband. Yet I also studied Mrs. Gardiner's form (doing my best to not be obvious about it), noting she still had a bloom of health in her countenance, while mother seemed quite diminished as my sister grew. Perhaps, then, my mother's frail constitution (not too disimilar to that of her namesake) had been as much to blame for her perishing as anything else.

I opened the door to the parlor myself before Mrs. Johnson could and ushered them all inside, even though I would have much preferred they be shown to either the outsiders or guest parlor. But I did not make my feelings known, no indeed.

Lizzy introduced them to me and as a proper hostess bid we all sit down and then ordered tea. Mrs. Johnson left to do her bidding, being so fleet of foot as to belie her age. My next impression of the couple was that they were people of fashion and dressed well, but her uncle had less confidence than I would have expected for someone in his position in life and his wife had tension lines through her forehead. I did not count it in their favor how well they were attired, for in each garment I wondered if it was paid for with the money that should have gone to the Bennets.

Elizabeth was so happy to see them, that perhaps she missed what I could clearly make out. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner did not seem to be in accord. While they both were talking with my wife with ease and Mr. Gardiner's wife was quite warm to mine, she sat further from her husband than I would have expected from a married couple. Mr. Gardiner kept glancing at his wife as if checking with her about something, and Mrs. Gardiner seemed resolute, determined each time he did so.

I let Lizzy carry the bulk of the conversation, which was mostly between her and Mrs. Gardiner, Mrs. Gardiner expressing her surprise at the precipitous wedding, which intelligence they had received from Mrs. Bennet. They spoke of the details of the wedding, details that men never care overmuch about. I noted that the conversation stayed on simple facts and not on whatever her feelings might have been to marry me. Lizzy had what I can only term as forced cheerfulness about her in explaining what she wore to be wed in, who attended and that Mr. Philips had been the one to give her away.

This last bit of intelligence seemed to rouse Mr. Gardiner a bit. "I should have liked that honor though of course better yet if your father could have done it."

"Yes," Lizzy's face drooped. I recalled then overhearing a little of what she had said to her father's grave in the church yard as she bid him goodbye before our wedding.

I wished to shake the man for reminding her of her loss, but restrained myself. I was determined to be polite if not welcoming or verbose.

A few moments later, a servant arrived with the tea. We gathered about by the tea service and I was pleased to take my cup from my wife's own hand. After the tea and biscuits were distributed, I saw Mrs. Gardiner elbow her husband, which he patently ignored. She glared at him and then cleared her throat. Still, he remained silent. I saw a look of curiosity on my wife's face as we all waited for Mr. Gardiner to say whatever his wife had been prompting. When he said naught, his wife herself threw herself into the breach and began.

"Today it has come to my attention that my husband has not acted as he ought, for he has retained money that by all rights was never to be his, but rather entrusted to him to do right by your family."

"I do not understand," Lizzy replied. She looked to her uncle, and when he said nothing, to her aunt.

Rather than respond to her niece, Mrs. Gardiner turned to me. "Mr. Darcy, was it you who provided my husband funds to obtain Lydia's freedom and aid the Bennet family?"

I nodded. I did not trust myself to speak, knowing as I did how probable it was that Mr. Gardiner had misused my funds.

Mrs. Gardiner gently placed her reticule on the table and withdrew from it a heavy purse. She flung it on the table, the coins thudding, and then slid it across the table toward me. She announced "He gained Lydia's release for a pittance, and as I understand you have already provided for the Bennet family, it is yours to now do with what you will."

I stared at the purse, dumbfounded. It hardly looked different than when I had sent it to Mr. Gardiner, its true nature well concealed in a box, with a loyal servant I trusted above all others.

I did not expect what happened next anymore than I had expected the purse to be returned to me. First, Lizzy embraced me from the side, pulled my head toward her and brushed her lips against my cheek. "So it is true, what you said before. You really did care for me and mine."

Before I could even enjoy the sensation of my wife voluntarily touching me in a spontaneous burst of affection, Mr. Gardiner declared, "Please, Mr. Darcy, you do not need this money, let me keep it for the sake of my children."

"No, indeed!" Mrs. Gardiner stood up all of the sudden, scraping back her chair, grabbing to restrain the arm her husband had extended. "No Mr. Gardiner." She scolded as one would a child reaching for a forbidden sweet.

And then to me declared, "We could no more keep this money than trade in slaves!" Perhaps then understanding how her outburst sounded, she amended, "I am sure your money is pure, but we will not keep what was never meant to be ours, anymore than someone should steal another's labor and independence."

Mr. Gardiner made a sound then, something between a forced chuckle and a whine.

I jerked the purse the rest of the way over to me, more than willing to take back the funds. I felt a grudging respect for Mrs. Gardiner's fortitude and independence, even while I would not have liked my own wife to openly be at odds with me in company, even family, as Lizzy had done the night before with my Fitzwilliam relatives. I was disposed to forgive my wife's lapse, given her apology and the night that had followed, but noted to myself that I needed to make sure my wife knew what I expected of her, the decorum she must henceforth exhibit as Mrs. Darcy.

"Why do my cousins need my husband's money?" Lizzy asked no one in particular.

"They do not," Mrs. Gardiner insisted, her voice overlapping with that of her husband.

Mr. Gardiner asked "Mr. Darcy, may I speak to you alone?"

I felt quite put upon, that this stranger who had invaded my home now wished to invade further my private spaces. But soon enough I realized there was no need to invite him to the same places that I did Fitzwilliam and Bingley, my library, my billiards room. No indeed.

I answered with a curt nod, not trusting myself to voice some part of my discontent. Recalling how my wife had made a point before Richard to suggest I kiss her on the cheek before we separated, I leaned over, gently turned her face toward me and pressed my lips to her warm skin. Then, with a lingering touch, I drew my fingers across her neck.

As I withdrew and arose to leave, I saw her cheeks had grown rosy. In that moment, I dearly wished I could whisk Lizzy upstairs and have my way with her again. But instead I was left having to listen to Mr. Gardiner making his case to retain what he never should have kept.

In my pique, I considered taking Mr. Gardiner to the outsider's parlor, but settled on the guest parlor instead. Once inside, with the door closed, I was not of a mind to listen to aught Mr. Gardiner planned to say and sat idly tossing the purse from one hand to another, taunting him, I suppose. I let my mind drift when he remained silent, apparently trying to muster his courage again.

I found myself imagining what the wives might be talking about. Would they discuss our marital activities? If so, would they couch it in genteel terms or be frank with the bawdy talk as men would be?

Finally, perhaps realizing that the silence would not be broken by me, Mr. Gardiner gave a small sigh and then began to speak. "Mr. Darcy, I will not pretend to be a wise man or a generous one. I have worked hard for all I have, but wanting better for my wife and children, I saved until I could buy my own warehouses and then saved again until I could purchase my own ships. Perhaps I soared too close to the sun, was too reckless, but I thought the risk worth the reward. Yet on their maiden voyage under my ownership, my ships, my wealth has sailed away and not returned. They are so overdue that I doubt they shall be seen again.

"You are a man of wealth, and clearly generosity. Thank you for providing for my niece and her family. Please let me keep this money, for the sake of Lizzy's cousins, so I can build up the business again. You would not want to see my four little children, soon to be five, go hungry, would you? To see your new relatives diminish in consequence further?"

Mr. Gardiner fell silent then, staring at me with a look of hope. When a minute passed, it became evident to me that he had said his piece and would say no more until I responded.

But I did not reply just then, for the anger that had been simmering in me began to boil in knowing the conditions in which my darling wife and her whole family had been left. I wished to scream and rant, to simply refuse and order him out of my home. But I knew that I could not do that, would have to seriously consider his request, not for his sake but for my wife's. Still, even as I made my decision, I saw no reason not to shame him thoroughly first, to give him a taste of what true hopelessness felt like.

"Mr. Gardiner, you speak correctly when you say you are not a generous man, for you did nothing for the Bennets in their distress than return their shame to them. Have you no notion in how they have lived since Miss Lydia returned to the family bosom and their father died? How they have worried and scrimped to survive since they learned that their mother's funds had somehow all been spent?"

Mr. Gardiner hung his head at that last detail, and I could not decide if he did so from mortification of my castigation or some more personal shame connected to these lost funds. Could he somehow be involved in that? I put that notion away to consider it later, for the rest of my words were quite eager to burst out.

"I understand that you helped them sell all their worldly possessions, so you must have some notion of their desperation, but I hear tell that besides selling these items you did nothing else to help them, that you lied and claimed that you could ill afford to having paid dearly to obtain Miss Lydia's release.

"How could you blithely lie like that, with nary a prick to your conscience? Mr. Philips aided them far more than you. Did you never consider how having each part of their previous life taken away harmed each and every one of them? You ask for my pity, for those not of my blood, while you showed little pity to your own fatherless relations.

"Have you not noticed how spare Lizzy is? How she must wear a tucker? Draw the ribbon tight around her waist, a waist I can nearly span with just my hands? Have you not seen the prominence of her collarbone, the sharpness of her cheeks, the slimness of her neck, how her upper arms are hardly a bit thicker than her lower ones? She has nearly starved, along with Jane and Mary. For they gave what they could ill afford to give to keep Lydia well fed.

"Are not men to reap what they sow? Had you helped them with the money entrusted to you, I would certainly be feeling more generous toward you and yours now."

Mr. Gardiner nodded, from understanding or agreement I knew not. In a pleading tone he said, "I must throw myself on your mercy, as a great man who has married into my family."

I considered the matter. I would not be rushed. As has occasionally happened, though less often than I would wish, a sudden inspiration came to me, as if someone from above had simply told me what to do. It was apt, very apt, to make Mr. Gardiner take on the respinsibility that he always should have had. But perhaps rather than being some sort of divine revelation, it was simply a culmination of my mind putting things together, a ruthless part of me seeing the pieces that made up the whole with clarity and how I could free myself in part from a most unwelcome responsibility.

I was instantly resolute, knew just what I should do. My life with my new wife would be much improved if I myself did not need to do much myself to keep the Bennets in comfort, kept the managing of them far away from being our concern. I would supply the money and some oversight but not much else.

Although I had no reason to believe our wives might be just outside the door, I dropped my voice low. I had no intention in giving something for nothing, and as someone employed in trade I suspected he was well used to bargaining, expecting a quid pro quo. I would get him to accept and then twist the knife a little in a manner designed to humiliate.

"Mr. Gardiner, fortunately for you, I am not nearly so callous and cruel as you. But my assistance will not come for free, will come with specific conditions."

He nodded and waited.

"Mr. Gardiner, I will help your family, but at a price." I ticked off my requirements on my fingers. "The terms are these: First, you must agree that I will have your absolute loyalty, above that which you owe to any other, will never speak anything but praise of me."

I saw how Mr. Gardiner stiffened, but he said nothing. It was as I thought then, he could not afford to quibble, was too scared I would decline any help at all. I felt both a triumph and a disgust at him; truly he was but half a man and my beloved had been owed so much more.

I decided then, that I had great disgust for most all of Lizzy's family in the generation above her. Neither of her uncles were worthy of much respect, nor was Mrs. Bennet and her sister. Mr. Gardiner was by far the worst, and Mrs. Gardiner perhaps the only one I might respect. But that did not mean that Mr. Gardiner could not be useful. Not if he could be bought and stay bought.

If I could have excised these members of her family (along with Miss Lydia and her son) from being my wife's relations, like a surgeon cutting off a mangled limb, I would have. The only reason I could not is that doing so would hurt my wife also, damage our marriage.

I would not prevent Lizzy's correspondence with her family, whatever interactions she desired, but neither would I encourage it (excepting of course the sisters that bookended her). I hoped that the three day journey which would soon separate us from them all would result in a gradual lessening of the bounds that tied her still to her former uncouth relations.

If I could but get Lizzy with child soon (although this might not be likely before she had gained more meat upon her bones) and then give her two or three more in quick succession, she would likely be too occupied to keep up with her past family beyond an infrequent exchange of cards. Removing to Pemberley as soon as we had satisfied Lady Henrietta's expectations appeared more and more appealing all the time.

I was willing to pay such a price to society to have its sanction for my union with my wife, to have Georgiana with us. How delightful to have both my wife and sister with me, the people most precious to me of all, for however long I could have them both. If I had my druthers, hopefully when it was time for Georgiana to wed in a few short years, she might find herself an agreeable man from Derbyshire and settle an easy distance of us. Perhaps our children, these cousins would grow up together.

Surely with such a good sister as Georgiana, the duties of the estate and her own brood, my wife would have no cause to repine any loss of those who only served to plunge her in the mud, put a millstone around her neck. Too, I planned to keep Lizzy well occupied in serving my needs and keeping her own passions stoked. How pleasant in my imaginings it all seemed.

Having made Mr. Gardiner wait amply for me to finish explaining my first condition, I finally continued. "Should my wife ever express any discontent with me, you shall take my side and do your best to persuade your wife to do likewise. I have no intent to do anything untoward regarding her, but our marriage is very new."

Mr. Gardiner nodded, said nothing to challenge me. I found his silent agreement to raise in my a loathing of him. I understood how he must have no true care of what he owed his wife (From his marital vows should she not be first in his loyalty?) and niece (From their common blood and close relationship which had spanned the whole of her life should he not wish to protect her if I proved mean?) to be willing to agree to such condition without even a tiny quibble. I wondered if he would just have nodded along if I told him I planned to beat her for any infraction and told him he must support me in this. Truly, he was a weak-willed man.

Yet, Mrs. Gardiner had impressed me. I believed I could trust her over him. The two of them combined were certainly an improvement over Mrs. Bennet, the youngest and her brat. I would use this to my advantage.

"Second, I will pay you an ample allowance to keep your family in comfort, if you earn it by hosting in your home any of the other Bennet sisters, by that I mean Miss Bennet, Miss Mary and Miss Catherine, any of those three who choose to live with you. You shall earn more with each of them you host, far more than the cost of their upkeep, but I shall also provide pin money just to them."

"My home is small for hosting three more women, but I am certain we can make it work for appropriate recompense," he responded.

I did not clarify what I planned to pay, bur he must have assumed my definition of "ample" would be generous indeed. At this time he was eagerly leaning forward as he awaited my other grants of favor and conditions, a slightly triumphant smile on his face. Oh how I wished to wipe it from his face with a well-placed blow to his jaw, though I was not one to engage in fisticuffs, had not fought with my fists since I was a boy.

"Third, in addition, I will provide you with a gift of five hundred today."

A mullish look came over Mr. Gardiner then but he remained silent as I explained further.

"From time to time I may, perhaps, provide additional funds through loans of similar or smaller amounts, should the sisters prove to be happy with the arrangement. These loans shall be properly memorialized and you will accept the terms as provided."

"But that will not be enough to rebuild the business properly!" Mr. Gardiner exclaimed. "You know estates but not trade. I must have more. Let me at least have what remains in that purse."

I wished to yell at him then, forcibly remove him from my house without a single pence. It would serve him right to punish him in such a way for his guilt. But I took a deep breath instead, forcusing my thoughts on how doing so would cause a rift between me and my wife, given the love she bore for Mr. Gardiner despite how little he deserved it.

I told myself that it was to my advantage to see his true colors then. He was at heart a greedy man. Despite the fact that I had already prevented any supposed chance that his family would go hungry, provided for him so very well, so much better than he had done for my dearest, most precious wife, he felt entitled to more.

"Mr. Gardiner, you are operating under a misapprehension if you believe these terms are subject to negotiation. You shall agree or not in toto as it pleases you. I owe you nothing. Shall we continue or shall I show you the door?"

His jaw snapped shut and he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed above his belly.

"Fourth, you and Mr. Philips shall manage everything regarding Mrs. Bennet, Miss Lydia and the child's living arrangements, while I provide the funds. Mr. Philips will receive the money for such responsibility but you shall both bear the burden. Once they depart Hertfordshire, they are never to return and they are never to come to London or Derbyshire either, not because I forbid it, but because you will protect me and mine from being shamed by their presence by any means necessary. I have planned for them to live in Bath, but where they live I truly do not care."

"Shall you pay me for this as you shall with the girls?"

Again I was reminded of his greed. I replied as I had always planned, "No, not at all. For in helping them you will be doing what you always should have done had you the means to do it. What you should have done before with my means."

"Is that all?" Mr. Gardiner asked.

"No, indeed," I replied. "I have one final condition, or perhaps it is but a modification of all that has come before. Fifth," I extended the final finger of my right hand, ready to twist the knife, "once any come to stay with your family, you will write me monthly letters explaining how you have spent the funds I have provided to you to support all of those in your house. But because I cannot trust you with money, not truly, given what you did with my money before and your aparently foolish buying of unseaworthy ships or hiring a worthless crew . . ." he redded then and I waited a moment to see if he would make any comment, "Mrs. Gardiner shall be given oversight of all these funds and as proof of that, I shall instruct her with checking on what you do, reading your reports, providing any additional clarification and signing off on these same reports in her own hand. It is the only way I can be satisfied that you are not siphoning off funds that should be expended on them and your family for a business use."


A/N: Boy this was more than I intended to write and there is plenty I have planned beyond this that just couldn't make it into this chapter. I'd love to know what you think. Was Darcy being fair? How will Mr. Gardiner react? How much will Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth be told? What have the ladies been up to all this time do you suppose? Should we stick with Darcy's POV or see someone else's next? Oh, coming up in the next chapter or two we will see the Colonel again and Darcy will misinterprete their interaction; I can't wait to write it all.