Page 74 of Mr. Darcy's Runaway Bride
“His interference in Jane’s prospects was the final blow,” Elizabeth concluded. “To learn that he separated her from Mr Bingley, that he judged her sentiments wanting based on such limited acquaintance—how could I reconcile this with the man I had come to respect? How could I trust my own judgement again, when it had proved so faulty?”
Silence followed her recitation, broken only by the gentle tick of the mantle clock and the distant sounds of London filtering through the windows. Mrs Gardiner poured fresh tea from the pot.
“What a remarkable tale,” she said at last. “Few novels could present such extraordinary circumstances. It is almost as though it had come from one of your books.”
Elizabeth managed a faint smile. “I have often thought the same. My life these past months would strain credulity in fiction, yet here I sit, having lived it.”
Mrs Gardiner placed a comforting hand over her niece’s. “You have conducted yourself with courage throughout, Lizzy. Few young women would have demonstrated such resolution in similar circumstances.”
“I fled my wedding day, ran off with a stranger, concealed my acquaintance with a man who was of low moral character, and now have abandoned my husband at his aunt’s estate,” Elizabeth replied. “I hardly think resolution the appropriate term.”
“You removed yourself from a marriage that would have crushed your spirit,” Mrs Gardiner corrected. “You chose a path that offered you freedom. And you are here now because youvalue honesty and fairness—qualities that were threatened by recent discoveries.”
“Discoveries that have thrown the future I was certain of into upheaval, for how can I ever trust him again.”
As she spoke the words, she wondered if he had felt the same when he discovered her prior connection to Wickham and her concealment of the same.
The sound of the front door interrupted their conversation. Then Mr Gardiner entered, his kind face alight with concern.
“Lizzy, my dear!” he exclaimed, crossing the room to kiss her cheek. “What brings you to London unaccompanied? Is Mr Darcy with you?”
“No, uncle,” Elizabeth replied. “I have left him at Rosings Park. I- I could not remain.”
Mr Gardiner raised his eyebrows but took a seat without pressing further. “I see. Well, you are welcome here for as long as you require.”
Mrs Gardiner quickly acquainted her husband with the substance of Elizabeth’s story, her succinct summary sparing her niece the pain of repeating it.
“So, you fled Rosings when you learned of Mr Darcy’s interference in Jane’s attachment to Mr Bingley,” Mr Gardiner mused, his expression thoughtful. “A disappointment, certainly, but perhaps understandable when viewed through a certain lens.”
“Understandable?” Elizabeth repeated, astonished. “He deliberately separated two people whose mutual affection was evident to all who observed them. He caused Jane profound unhappiness through his unwarranted interference.”
“I do not defend his actions,” Mr Gardiner clarified. “But consider: Mr Darcy had scant opportunity to know Jane’s character. His observations were limited to a few social gatherings, during which your sister’s natural reserve might easily be misinterpreted as indifference, particularly by a stranger unacquainted with her temperament.”
“But—”
“And consider further: he arrived at Longbourn to witness your mother’s rather vocal aspirations regarding her daughters’ marriages. Her manner—forgive me, my dear, but we must speak plainly—her manner can appear greedy to those unfamiliar with her maternal anxieties. I adore my sister, but she has always been rather too vocal for her own good.”
A reluctant blush rose to Elizabeth’s cheeks. “I know well how Mama’s manner might affect someone of Mr Darcy’s sensibilities. And yet, his family is no more welcoming or considerate. They made it very clear I am not wanted there and beneath their notice. How can we live a life together when both our families always look at us with disdain or want? That is to say if I could ever forgive what he did, which I take it you think I should.”
“Not at all,” Mrs Gardiner interjected. “But perhaps his error was one of judgement rather than intention. A grave error, certainly, but not an unforgivable one if properly addressed.”
Elizabeth considered this possibility, turning it over in her mind. “You sound as if you admire him.”
“We have not had the pleasure of meeting your husband,” Mr Gardiner said. “But his actions, while flawed, speak of a man who values those he loves enough to risk misunderstanding in their defence. That is not an entirely unworthy quality, though it requires tempering with wisdom and restraint.”
“I will add I never heard a bad word about his character. There is another consideration,” Mrs Gardiner added. “You and Mr Darcy married before either of you had opportunity to know each other’s families. That isolation at Pemberley may have been a blessing in disguise, allowing you to form an attachment based on your own merits rather than familial connections.”
“You mean to say, had Mr Darcy encountered my family before our marriage, he might never have offered for me at all,” Elizabeth said with a wry smile.
“I mean to suggest that both your families present challenges,” Mrs Gardiner replied. “Your own—loving but often overwhelming to strangers—and his, seemingly cold and obsessed with status, though perhaps also concerned with protecting traditions they value. The question is whether those challenges are insurmountable.”
Elizabeth gazed into the fire, contemplating her aunt’s words. “I confess, if I encountered my family as strangers, I might find them rather off putting myself. Mama’s nerves, Lydia’s wild spirits, Mary’s pontificating—they are dear to me, but I understand them through years of intimate acquaintance.”
“As Mr Darcy understands his relations, no doubt,” Mr Gardiner observed. “His position cannot be an easy one, caught between love and familial expectations.”
“Love?” Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “I never said—”
“Did you not?” Mrs Gardiner asked. “Not in those precise words, perhaps. But your face speaks volumes when you describe your time at Pemberley.”
