Chapter 4
Emily Daniels was waiting for him in the library of her brother's London house. He had to finish resolving matters with his solicitor. Emily spent the time reading and thinking about her recent visit to the museum.
"I am sorry, Emily, for keeping you waiting, but I was reviewing some important documents. Grandfather Roger asked me to fix a problem. He always says he cannot care for his business because he is too old. But I think he does it because he wants me to learn how to manage the company." Peter explained to his sister as he sat beside her. "You do not know how glad I am to see you. I hope the journey from Derbyshire to London was not so difficult; it is never easy to travel during winter."
"Do not worry, Peter. Everything was well. The only problem was our mother," Emily said resignedly.
"I can imagine. What did she do now?" asked Peter curiously.
"The day after we arrived, she forced me to go to the museum to introduce me to her new friend's nephew. Mother and Countess Matlock have not seen each other for almost twenty years, but according to her, they are excellent friends." Emily was used to her mother's constant pressure to get married. She was twenty-three, and in Mrs. Daniels' opinion, she was practically a spinster.
"And did you not like the gentleman?" asked Peter, laughing. "In any case, Grandfather Roger and I are the heads of this family, and we shall never allow our mother to marry you against your will," Peter said. He knew his mother very well and was aware that if he did not intercede to protect his sister, she would force her to marry.
"The gentleman was Pemberley's master. My mother thinks it is worth tolerating a man who barely speaks just for the privilege to be the mistress of Derbyshire's largest and most beautiful estate," Emily laughed.
"Darcy?" Peter asked, surprised.
"Yes, that gentleman," Emily replied.
"Darcy is very popular with the ladies of the first circles. For many, he is the perfect match; he is young, rich, of noble origin, and apparently handsome. I think you are difficult to please, dear little sister," Peter said, amused.
"I do not deny he is handsome but hardly speaks. I think he truly believes that he is the perfect match, so he thinks that any woman who meets him should fall in love with him. Unfortunately for him, I am not one of them," Emily explained, just as amused.
"Do not be so hard on him. I can assure you that he is an honorable gentleman, but I think he is reserved, particularly with people he does not know well. But I believe you are right. Female attention has made him vain. Also, he can be prideful and quite unpleasant to some people. I met him in Cambridge when I was in my last year, and he was in his first." Peter had a good relationship with Mr. Darcy even though they were not close friends.
Emily did not want to continue speaking about Mr. Darcy but rather another gentleman. But she did not want her brother to notice her interest in the man. "You know, at the museum, I also saw another of your friends from Cambridge, the one that Grandfather Roger liked very much."
"Albert Reed is in London? I am sorry, sister, you must have mistaken him for someone else." Peter knew Albert detested the city and avoided coming to London at all costs.
Emily could not tell her brother that she could never mistake Albert Reed for any other man. She had never been able to forget him since she met him almost seven years ago. "It may be, but I am pretty sure it was him," Emily explained.
"If Reed is in London, I am sure that we shall meet soon. But let me explain why I asked you to come. I was hoping you could spend a few days in this house with me, or rather with us. Grandfather Roger arrives tomorrow and is excited to see you," Peter explained.
"Are you certain? I am so happy! Of course, I would love to spend a few days with you, but please speak to our mother; otherwise, she will not let me come. You know that she and grandfather do not get along very well," Emily explained, a little upset.
"You are correct; do not worry. I shall take care of that." Peter would accompany his sister to his mother's house that afternoon and see that she did not object to Emily spending a few days with him.
Roger Daniels was a cheerful and energetic seventy-two-year-old man. Despite the hardships he had experienced, he knew how to enjoy life. He was the son of a minor merchant who owned a fabric shop in a small Derbyshire town. Roger fell in love and married when he was twenty, but his wife passed away, giving birth to his only son, Robert. Roger left the little boy in the care of his mother and went to London to try his fortune. After many years of hard work, Roger became wealthy, and when his son was fifteen, he took him to live with him in the city. Roger gave Robert all the best and a gentleman's education, and when he graduated from Cambridge, he bought him an estate in Derbyshire.
Robert was intelligent like his father, so he quickly learned how to manage his estate and make it productive. But despite all his efforts, many of the county's landowners, mainly the wealthiest ones, never accepted him because of his connection to trade.
Robert Daniels fell in love with Dorothy Connolly. She was the daughter of a minor landowner, without a dowry, and very ambitious. Sadly, Robert passed away quite young, leaving behind a widow and two young children. Dorothy had no choice but to accept the help of her father-in-law, whom she detested because, in her opinion, he was an ignorant tradesman.
She did not like her children associating with her father-in-law because she thought he was a lousy influence. Her son Peter had managed to be accepted as a landowner and master of a significant estate, but she believed that associating with Roger could jeopardize his social status.
Unfortunately for Dorothy, her two children loved their grandfather and enjoyed his company immensely. They had few memories of their father, and Roger occupied that place. Roger was affectionate and shared his life experiences and wisdom with his grandchildren. There was a beautiful relationship between them that Dorothy could never destroy.
P&P
Mr. Darcy did not expect to see Albert so soon and had not had time to tell Mr. Bingley that he had seen him at the museum. Of course, he did not intend to tell him that Albert was with the Bennet sisters.
"Albert, please sit with us for a moment. I imagine you remember my friend, Darcy," Charles Bingley asked Albert.
"Of course, I remember him. Do not forget we were classmates at Cambridge for four years. Also, I want to add that he could never beat me in the boxing ring in those four years," Albert laughed. "Although I must admit that he did at least try," he added, looking at Mr. Darcy defiantly.
Mr. Darcy did not like what Albert said and responded in kind. "I hope you also remember that you could never beat me in fencing, Latin, or grammar during those four years, although I also admit you tried," Mr. Darcy replied with a mocking smile.
"And in law or arithmetic? Oh, no, I was always the best student in those classes," Albert added, annoyed.
"You very conveniently forgot to mention logic and…." Mr. Darcy tried to continue talking, but his friend Bingley interrupted, laughing.
"I cannot believe that you both are still competing for who was the best student after all these years. I thought you had matured, and all of that was in the past," said Mr. Bingley with a hearty laugh. "If it makes you feel better, I was never the best in any class, but rather the opposite," added Charles to break the tension between his two friends.
Albert and Mr. Darcy understood what Mr. Bingley was attempting and decided to postpone the conversation. Mr. Darcy could not believe Albert Reed was still the same conceited fool he remembered. Humorously, Albert thought precisely the same about him.
"Reed, tell me, what are you doing in London? I know very well that this city is not your cup of tea," Mr. Bingley said as he offered Albert a glass of brandy.
"The truth is that I have nothing against the city but rather against the people who live here. You know that I do not feel particular admiration for those who do not work and waste their time on frivolities. And less for those who were born in a privileged family and feel like they are superior to the rest of us."
After saying that, he explained to Mr. Bingley that he was starting a new business in London with a new partner. Besides telling him a little about his family, and just out of courtesy, he asked Charles about his sisters, "And how are Miss Bingley and Miss Caroline?"
"Louisa is now Mrs. Hurst, and Caroline is Miss Bingley. In everything else, I can tell you they are still as you knew them. But, honestly, I do not know if that is good or bad," added Charles, amused. He knew that Albert and his family did not like that his sisters always spoke ill of people who dedicated their lives to business activities, mainly because it was what had made them rich.
Mr. Darcy was growing impatient to see if Albert would mention the Bennet sisters' presence in London to Bingley. To keep the conversation from getting personal, Mr. Darcy asked Reed some business questions because Albert said he had a date with a potential investor in a few minutes at that club.
After almost half an hour of talking business and family, Albert realized it was time for his appointment. "It was nice seeing you, Bingley. I hope we can meet another day and have more time to converse in a more private setting," Albert said, looking at Mr. Darcy before standing.
"Yes, my friend. We must meet soon." Charles gave his card to Albert so they could coordinate a future meeting.
Mr. Darcy, in order to not be rude, also said goodbye coldly, "Reed, I hope you have a pleasant stay in London."
"Thank you, Darcy. I shall try to enjoy my time here. At least I have new friends who brighten my days with their company." Albert said that especially to see if Mr. Darcy would dare to add something.
"You are fortunate," Mr. Darcy replied, barely able to contain his urge to tell Reed what he really thought of him. But what intrigued him the most was whether Elizabeth was among those friends he mentioned.
Albert was about to leave his friend when he remembered that he had to speak about one last subject. "Bingley, before I go, I would like to ask you a favor."
"Of course, Reed. How can I help you?" replied Mr. Bingley.
Albert enjoyed seeing Mr. Darcy's discomfort, but he had only a few minutes, so he decided to tell Charles what he had planned. Besides, he was not a gossipmonger to speak about things that were not of his concern. "I wanted to ask you to write a letter to your neighbors in Hertfordshire. I do not know if you remember George Wickham, but that man is in Meryton right now, and I think the people of that community should be alerted about his true character."
"I never knew Wickham, but I have heard rumors about his lack of honor. Darcy, you have always said he is a scoundrel," said Mr. Bingley looking at his friend.
"Yes," was all Mr. Darcy replied. He did not like talking about the man who abused his father's and his sister's trust.
"Do not worry, Reed. I shall send an express message to Sir William Lucas early tomorrow morning. But how do you have access to that information? Do you have business in the area?"
"No, my business is here in London. However, I recently met two lovely new friends, Miss Jane and Elizabeth Bennet, and they told me about this man's presence in the town where they live," Albert explained.
"Jane Bennet from Longbourn? Is Miss Bennet in London?" Charles asked breathlessly.
Albert did not overlook that Charles only mentioned Jane Bennet. "Yes, at her uncle's house. There, I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Bennet and her sister, Miss Elizabeth." Albert paused to look at Bingley and Darcy and saw that they were both suspiciously silent and thoughtful. "Well, now I must leave. Bingley, I hope we can meet soon to discuss old times." Albert said goodbye and promptly left.
Mr. Bingley was utterly silent for several minutes, processing what Albert had just told him. Mr. Darcy looked at him, a little concerned, but he would not say anything. "Darcy, if Miss Bennet is in London, why has she not called on my sisters and me? Does she care so little about me that she does not remember we were good friends? Perhaps she has only been in London for a short time, and she plans to visit us in the next few days. What do you think, Darcy? Maybe I should be the one to call on her at her uncle's house. What do I do, Darcy? " Mr. Bingley spoke nonstop; his words reflected how convulsed his mind was.
Mr. Darcy did not wish to continue that conversation. He hated lies and deception but could not reveal everything he knew, so he answered concisely. "Bingley, you know very well what I think about this matter. So I believe I do not have to repeat everything I told you. I can only add that I believe it is best that you stay away from Miss Bennet."
"I know..." Mr. Bingley replied, disheartened.
When other gentlemen came to converse with Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley took advantage of the moment to say goodbye and went home to process everything that had happened. Then, after much thought, he concluded that it was better if his sisters did not find out about Jane Bennet's presence in town. That way, he could have time to reflect and know what to do without their intervening in his decision.
Meanwhile, at the club, Mr. Darcy could barely hide his discomfort at hiding information from his friend, but he knew it was the best for him, which left him at peace with his conscience.
P&P
Since the Ramsgate incident, Georgiana had not been the same. She was always a timid girl who had a hard time making friends; in a way, she had always been alone. But after the experience with Mr. Wickham, she had locked herself further into her shell and isolated herself from everyone.
Most of the women who approached her did so to be close to her brother, making her believe that no one was genuinely interested in befriending her. In her eyes, her brother's figure was so great and important that it only made her feel even more insignificant.
She adored him because he had always loved and protected her no matter what. But she was not blind and could see he was a handsome, brilliant gentleman. But she had not been so fortunate because she was plain and foolish, and her only talent was playing the piano. Because of that, she spent several hours a day practicing to feel that, somehow, she deserved to be a Darcy.
The day she returned from the museum, she felt despondent. In the carriage back to the house, her brother practically did not speak to her, and she could not understand why he looked so concerned.
Georgiana often recriminated herself because she could not speak easily with people she did not know well. That day, Miss Bennet tried to chat with her, but her shyness impeded her, and she preferred not to say anything for fear of making a fool of herself.
The following day, her brother hardly spoke at breakfast and was locked in his office until dinner. But something extraordinary happened that afternoon that made her forget everything that had happened the day before. She received a letter from an old school friend she had not seen in a long time. She went to the music room, and before starting her afternoon practice, she decided to read the letter.
"What? It cannot be...!" Georgiana said between nervous and happy, dropping the letter to the floor.
After thinking for a few minutes and wiping her tears, she took the letter and ran to lock herself in her bedroom to answer it full of hope and happiness.
P&P
Many thanks to everyone who leaves supportive comments and enthusiastically follows the story.
In the next chapter, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth will meet again.
Saludos,
Yo