Page 14 of Unwillingly Mrs. Darcy
She stopped, drawing a slow, shaking breath. The silence that followed seemed heavy with unspoken fears. Darcy frowned, swallowing a growing unease. Bingley, his face unusually grave, murmured soft condolences, while Mrs Gardiner clasped her hands in her lap as if to steady herself.
“I understand the challenges must be immense,” Darcy said after a moment. “If there is any way we might be of service—anything at all—please say so.”
Her eyes flickered with uncertainty, and she hesitated. “You are very kind to offer, sir, but the situation is complex. There are many factors to consider.”
Bingley interjected gently, his concern evident. “Perhaps some assistance can be rendered? I—”
“Mr Collins has already interposed himself,” Mrs Gardiner interrupted with evident reluctance, “and has offered his assistance to the family. He insists he is acting out of duty, but I fear his presence has brought more strain than comfort I am afraid.”
At this, Darcy stiffened. Collins was precisely the sort of officious fool who would exacerbate rather than alleviate a crisis. Bingley frowned, sharing his friend’s unease.
“Excuse me if I am blunt but I wish Mr Collins would leave them in peace,” Mrs Gardiner admitted, her quiet exasperation escaping in a sigh. “With Mr Bennet so unwell and Mrs Bennet quite overcome, his presence serves only to complicate things. He is…” She paused, evidently struggling for a delicate term. “…rather insistent in all matters.”
Darcy’s disapproval deepened, and though he did not speak, Mrs Gardiner seemed to intuit the direction of his thoughts.
“The estate is entailed upon him, is that correct?” Bingley asked.
“Indeed. It is a shame my sister-in-law and her husband never had any sons, or that Mr Bennet managed to break the entailment, but I am afraid such is life.”
Darcy pressed his lips together. If Elizabeth had accepted his proposal—and perhaps if he had made his proposal in a manner that was less insulting to her family—he could have helped. None of this needed to have happened.
His past proposal to Elizabeth had been unequivocally refused, and their ensuing interactions had left him with little certainty about her regard. Yet the dire circumstances of the Bennet family seemed to demand action, regardless of the personal risks involved.
“I may be able to help when it comes to Mr Collins. He and my aunt are close, and I know him somewhat. I might be able to persuade him to leave Longbourn for the time being. A letter informing him he is needed at Rosings ought to suffice.”
Mrs Gardiner looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and concern. “You are a man of honour,” she said softly. “If there is hope for their protection, perhaps you are the one who can secure it. At least for the time being. However, if my brother-in-law should fail to recover, or worse still, then I do not think such a reprieve will last long.”
“I had a mind to contact Ja… Miss Bennet. Through the proper channels of course. I wondered, would you be able to write to her and let her know that I am available, should she wish to … that is to…” Bingley looked at his hands as his words trailed off.
Darcy felt a wave of sympathy for his friend, followed by another of pure guilt for he knew he had caused all of this.
“I shall write to her and tell her you called and enquired after her,” Mrs Gardiner said, putting Bingley out of his misery. “As for your offer regarding Mr Collins, if you could be ofassistance, that would be helpful. The situation is rather dire I am afraid. A physician with some experience with apoplexy is coming soon and we hope he can help, but there are of course other considerations connected to that.”
Financial considerations, Darcy understood at once. But of course Mrs Gardiner could not say this out loud. Still, it was understood.
Darcy was not sure what else he could do beyond inspiring Collins to depart, but he vowed to think of something. There had to be some sort of assistance that could be rendered. Perhaps between he and Bingley they could offer a loan—but would the Bennets take it from them after everything that happened?
It did not appear as if Elizabeth had shared with Mrs Gardiner what transpired between them, but then again, she surely had other matters on her mind. But the rest of the family? Did they know what he’d said about them? And if they did, would they be willing to accept his help?
As they left the Gardiner residence and returned to their carriage, Darcy’s mind churned with thoughts. His sense of duty, intertwined with an undeniable regard for Elizabeth, urged him forward. Even so, he could not ignore the immense challenges of the path he had chosen. Elizabeth’s independence, her disdain for his charity, and her fierce loyalty to her family would make this undertaking no simple task.
He had been about to get into the carriage when Mrs Gardiner called after them. Darcy looked back, expecting her to have thought of something else related to her nieces but alas, it was not that at all.
“I almost forgot to give you my sincere congratulations on your impending nuptials, Mr Darcy.”
His stomach dropped. This again.
“Thank you,” he said and turned to leave. He had to take care of this inconvenience, sooner rather than later. A glance at his pocket watch revealed it was almost time to meet with his uncle. Perhaps Lord Matlock would be able to talk sense into his sister and get rid of at least one issue for Darcy, for as it was, things were piling up and he could not wait to be done with this troublesome situation.
Chapter 8
Darcy
“William, I do not know why you act so. Anne is not such a terrible match. And she is a respectable young lady, yes, she is sickly and she’s getting on a bit in years, but she is lovely. Handsome to look at when she makes an effort. Well accomplished. You could do worse.”
“I do not doubt my cousin’s accomplishments or virtues, Uncle,” Darcy said, a little exasperated now. “But that does not mean I wish to marry her. She does not wish to marry me either,” he said, though he said this carefully, not wanting to give up Richard and Anne’s secret.
“Does she think she can do better?” said Uncle Matlock, and Darcy swallowed hard.
