Page 22 of Miss Gardiner
In the next boxes to be opened, Miss Gardiner and her workers found several bottles of wine and port wine. The workmen were interested but Elizabeth discouraged their excitement.
“This room is certainly too warm to store wines,” she explained.
With a request for his presence again in the ballroom, Mr Darcy and Mr Banks came through the door about fifteen minutes later and the two men quickly examined the bottles.
“I imagine you are correct, Miss Gardiner. The top of the house is entirely too warm in summer to store wine. Have your workmen carry them to the kitchens,” Darcy stated. “If they are vinegar, Cook can make use of them with vegetables and salads. Mr Banks will know as soon as he opens a bottle if the vintage is good.”
“Forgive me, Mr Darcy, but since Miss Bingley broke my nose, I have questioned my ability to smell,” the butler replied. “Young Denver has been my understudy with the wines for the last two years…”
“I am certain your sense of smell with return, Banks. Until then allow Denver to help you with dinner wines.”
Darcy noticed Miss Gardiner standing beside the portrait of Lady Anne as the workmen carried out the crates of wine. He could not help but compare the two women and found that Miss Gardiner matched his mother in natural beauty and carriage. As the crates disappeared down the stairs, the young woman noticed the man staring at her.
Elizabeth blushed and said, “We endeavoured not to scuff or scratch the floors Mr Darcy.”
With a smile on his face, Mr Darcy replied, “Miss Gardiner, I must confess that your workmen have performed an additional service of me without cost. They carefully removed these boxes, trunks, and cases over these past weeks without knocking holes in any of the walls, breaking any windows, and with few scratches upon the floor. Mr Banks and his footmen would have taken thislong to accomplish the work of simply moving the boxes about and neglected their other duties. I shall add a bonus in my payment to your uncle to pass along to each man.”
“That is very kind of you, sir.”
“Now, I must tell you that I am leaving town for a time. Mr and Mrs Banks, and Mr Clemmons are instructed to follow all your commands concerning the inventory and movement of the items. If you find any items of particular interest, provide Mr Clemmons with a note and he will forward it to me.”
Pleased that Mr Darcy recognized her abilities, Elizabeth smiled. “I shall give Lady Anne’s treasures the attention they deserve.”
Hesitating for a moment, the young woman asked, “When will you return?”
Surprized by the question, Darcy smiled as he teased, “Are you not curious about my destination? Or will you simply miss my presence, Miss Gardiner?”
“Not in the least, Mr Darcy,” Elizabeth replied. “I…Miss Darcy…”
Flustered Miss Gardiner simply curtsied and vanished into one of the small rooms outside the door set aside for ladies to refresh themselves. Now Mr Darcy paused a moment before he exited the room, his mind perplexed by the young woman’s actions though he was honest enough to admit she was certainly the finest woman of his acquaintance.
As he walked down the many flights of stairs back to the ground floor and his office, Fitzwilliam Darcy realized he wished to know Miss Gardiner better.
‘I wish I had not promised Charles to help him with Netherfield this fall,’he decided.‘Mrs Annesley is proving to be a good companion for Georgie, and I could find excuses to talk to Miss Gardiner.’
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At the Hurst home in another part of London, the Bingley siblings discussed their new adventure into being members of the gentry with Miss Bingley dominating the conversation as usual.
“And Mr Darcy will come with us into Herefordshire?” Caroline asked.
“Yes, Mr Darcy will be our guest until Christmas. But we are going into Hertfordshire, not Herefordshire,” Charles corrected his sister.
“How different can one farm be from another?” Caroline asked growing agitated with the descriptions of country life.
“The house is grand enough and I shall be pleased to entertain the locals,” Charles continued. “We shall have dinners and fox hunts.”
Caroline Bingley’s interest in this venture into life on an estate grew dimmer as they examined a pamphlet that discussed the normal pace of life in the country. It was only the promise of Mr Darcy being present within the same house–where she would be hostess–that kept her temper under control.
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In the second week of September, Elizabeth gave a note to Simmons to send to Mr Darcy that she had uncovered a locked jewellery case in one of the last trunks. She entrusted the case to Banks to keep it safe until Mr Darcy returned. In the third week of September, at the end of day on Saturday, Miss Gardiner and the workmen descended the final staircase into the entrance foyer of the house just as Banks was once again thrown back from the door as two men pushed their way into the Darcy home. They were followed by an imposing woman, dressed in out-dated fashions, but with a loud voice and commanding presence.
“Where is my nephew?” the woman demanded to know. “He must come out of hiding and marry his cousin this month! I shall not have him ignore my wishes another day!”
Mr Clemmons, Mrs Banks and the other Darcy footmen appeared from deeper in the house and the men immediately began grappling while Mrs Banks grabbed the woman’s arms and pushed her toward the door. Elizabeth sent her workmen to help the Darcy footmen push the two invaders from the house. Two of the cleanest workmen aided Mr Clemmons and Mrs Banks to ‘gently’ push the woman through the door which was promptly locked.
Then Mrs Banks stood beside her husband as he was helped to his feet and seated in a chair. Turning to the Darcy footmen, Miss Gardiner asked, “Gentlemen, I am certain Mr and Mrs Banks would instruct you to secure the other doors and all windows on this floor.”
