Memory: Volume 3, How Far We Have Come, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (Memory: A Tale of Pride and Prejudice) (78 page)

Mr. Gardiner stepped back from his warehouse door and shook the extended hand with a smile.  “Martin, how are you?”

“I am a man in turmoil.”  Shaking his head, he rolled his eyes.  “One daughter engaged; the other, well who knows what she is doing.  You are in touch with the Darcys, what word have you had about Mr. Bingley?  Any indication of where his heart lies?  His intentions?  Anything?”

“I am sorry, Martin, other than knowing that the Darcys are indeed visiting and that Miss Martin has come to enjoy one afternoon at Netherfield . . . well I know that his mourning ends next week and he will be free to court.”

Mr. Martin moaned.  “But will he?  My sister, Mrs. Long, sent a letter claiming that he is willing, and made some thinly veiled overtures, but noted that he is marked as a target of affection for half the women of Hertfordshire, some quite prominent!  The cats got a whiff of a mouse and they are on the hunt . . .”

“What worries you?  If Mr. Bingley has stated his interest, I would believe him, even when he was courting my niece, he was most sincere.  It was her decision to end any possibilities of a future with him.”  Mr. Gardiner studied the worried man.  “Truly, do not worry for his constancy, he is well-versed in being the fox, he is no novice to the ways of the marriage mart.  Hertfordshire is nothing to London.”

“I don’t worry for that, I worry that he will be too distracted to continue courting her, perhaps I should promote this other man, Robinson, oranges are safe, he needs a mother for his child . . .”

“I do not understand.  You behave as if you expect Bingley to abandon her before they have even begun.”  Gardiner looked around.  “Come on, we should not be discussing this in the street.”  They walked down to the fabric store and entered.  The clerk appeared from behind the curtain and just as quickly disappeared. 

Mr. Martin lowered his voice.  “I am hearing things, up north, the luddites are coming together.”  He glanced around at the bolts of fabric.  “Bingley just decided to put in the mechanized looms, his factory is sure to be a target.”

“Target for what, exactly?”

“Lord knows, but I am hearing that they are going to go in and destroying the new looms, they are replacing a great many men, apprenticed boys are going to lose their places.  It will be a very hard time up north.  If Bingley is struck, I do not see him being in the mood to court, let alone marry.”

“You are making a great many assumptions, sir!  If he courts, if he abandons her, if he goes north, if . . . and perhaps if indeed he is struck, he will want a good woman by his side to recover.”  Mr. Gardiner put his hand on Martin’s shoulder.  “I think that you should leave these young people to determine their paths with no interference from you.” 

“That is my position, to look after her.”  He shook his head and stared out at the street.  “She has not trusted me with her secrets since I nearly ruined everything the last time.  I have no idea what she feels.”

“Do you trust your sister?” 

“Of course.”  Mr. Martin sighed.  “Of course I do.” 

“Then just let it play out, they have had no opportunity for anything yet.”  He smiled and held out his hand.  “I will tell you this; I owe my niece a letter.  I will tell her your concerns.” 

“Please beg her to be careful when she speaks to Abbey, I do not want her to know of my interference.”

“I was thinking that she should speak to her husband, who might interview Bingley.”  Mr. Gardiner gave his shoulder a squeeze.  “I think that you are working yourself up over nothing.   I am on my way home now; I will have the letter posted this evening.”

“Thank you.”  Mr. Martin wiped his brow.  “Just wait Gardiner, wait until it is your turn!”

Mr. Gardiner left the shop and strolled home, entering his house to be greeted by the sound of his children playing noisily upstairs.  “Mrs. Gardiner, our children are happy.”

“Our children are enjoying relief from their studies.”  She kissed him and they walked back to the sitting room.  “I just finished my letter to Lizzy.”

“Hmm, I might need to add a codicil.”  He chuckled at her raised brows.  “I will explain.  So what is the verdict, what have you told her about my sister?”

Mrs. Gardiner sighed and sat down beside him.  “I told Lizzy the truth, how many times over the years have I spoken to her mother in the most serious manner about her behavior?  And you, doing the same when she was a girl?  Well, I told Lizzy that I wrote to her mother, representing to her all the wickedness of what she had done, and all the unhappiness she had brought on her family. If she heard me, it was by good luck, for I am sure she did not listen.”  Mr. Gardiner shook his head sadly.  “No, I have no quarrel with Mr. Darcy for his decision, if anything I admire him more for his goodness and for caring for our Lizzy so much as to protect her from her mother.  His punishment to exclude her from Pemberley and Darcy House is quite right, and I do hope that Lizzy does not hold it against him.”
¹⁵

“I sincerely doubt that will happen.”  Mr. Gardiner laughed.  “Even if she did, I do not see her remaining angry long with him.  Now then, my dear, I need your advice on a most delicate question.”

“Oh.”  She sat down and smiled.  “Is it about love?”

“How did you ever guess?”  He chuckled and sat beside her.  “Silly question, I know.”

“WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!”  Bingley cried, “It is my turn!”

“It is not, it is Rosa’s turn.”  Darcy growled.  “Ladies first!”

“Ladies first, my left foot!  You just want to get yours going again!”  De Bourgh wrapped a string around his bright red top and sent it spinning.

“Hey!”  Darcy immediately sent Rosalie’s top flying and bent down to the baby seated between his legs.  “Watch little love, ours will take his out.”  He pointed and kissed her.  “See!” 
CRACK
Rosalie’s top smacked into de Bourgh’s and sent his skittering out of control across the polished floor while hers remained upright.

“Wheeeeee!”  She squealed and clapped.  “More!”

“Well done!”  Hurst cried and set his own top spinning.  “Come on Wallace, you cannot have a girl beating you!”

Wallace howled and tried to crawl across the floor to get to the fascinating spinning toy.  Robinson grabbed his legs and pulled him backwards, sending the baby into paroxysms of giggles.   “Whoa there, Son!”

“Whoa!”  Rosalie cried and looked backwards at Darcy.  “Whoa!”

“That is you!”  He kissed her nose and laughing, picked up another top, this time when it started moving, a loud buzzing sound filled the air.  Rosalie clapped and laughed and Wallace’s eyes grew wide as saucers.  Immediately he climbed Robinson’s lap for the safety of his father’s arms.  The man beamed with pride.

“Oh, a BUZZER!”  Bingley dropped his toy and reached for Darcy’s.  “I had one of these!”

“I think we all did at one time or another.”  Hurst grinned. 

“I remember spinning acorns on flat rocks at Pemberley.”  Darcy said quickly when he saw Robinson’s face go blank.

“That was more my experience.”  He looked up to him with a smile.  “When we were not fighting the pigs for them.”

“Papa!”  Rosalie demanded his attention and all the men turned to look at her.  She had the yellow top in her hand and gave it to him.  “More!”

“Pardon me, dear.”  He laughed and got it going, then kissed the top of her head.  “I neglected you.”

“I sincerely doubt that little girl will ever tolerate anyone neglecting her.” 

“Are you calling her spoiled, de Bourgh?”  Darcy demanded.

“No.  Don’t raise your hackles.  I am calling her a girl who will be very confident, her mother will see to that.  She will have no miserable past to overcome as some ladies do.”  He smiled and saw Darcy relax and nod in understanding.

“I pray not.”  Closing his eyes, he hugged her tightly until she protested and crawled off to join Wallace, free from his father and curious again.  She tried to make the tops spin on her own and Darcy determinedly resisted helping her. 

Hurst lifted his chin to him.  “Um, how did you . . . Louisa will be due in a few months.  I know that I will not be delivering her under a tree alone . . .”

“It was a wonderful experience.”  Darcy smiled to see him blanch.  “All right, perhaps not for every man, but I do feel that you must be there with her, there is nothing to fear.”

“You say that now.”  Bingley grinned. 

“Yes, well . . .”  He shrugged.  “You fear for her life?”

“Yes.”  Hurst sighed.  “I cannot help it.”

“I fear for my Elizabeth every day, carrying the baby, delivering, recovering, it is never far from me.”  He watched Rosalie trying to persuade Wallace to play with her.  “I just do not let on about it.  It does me no good and her even less.  We travelled that road the first time, it was terrible.”

“I would think that you two talked about it.”  De Bourgh regarded him curiously.  “You are so exceptionally open with each other; I admit I have speculated what your conversations are like when you are truly alone.  Oh to be a fly on the wall.”  He smiled to see Darcy’s brow crease.  “Forgive me, I admire you.  Now have you discussed this sort of thing?  I will face it one day.”

“We write about it.”  Darcy said softly.  “Then if there is something to be addressed, we will.  Write Mrs. Hurst a letter.”

“Ohhhhh.”  Hurst shook his head.  “No.”

“If I were allowed to write letters I would.”  Bingley finally spoke up.

“Legible ones.”  Darcy laughed and relaxed.

“Thanks to your sister’s persistence, yes.”  He grinned.  “How is Miss Darcy?”

“Well.”  Darcy smiled.  “She has thrown herself into her music, she has several friends.  I have no desire to see her grow up, but then here I am, hating seeing my Rosa grow up.  I love and despise each milestone.  I dread the day I must let some man court her, either of them.  But that coming out ball is looming for Georgiana, and the next few years will be gone in the blink of an eye, and soon enough so will she.”

“So speaks the concerned father.”  De Bourgh grinned and looked at Bingley who was playing absentmindedly with the top.  “Feeling the pressure to do well in your courting?”

“Hmm?  Oh, I am seeing the other side of it.”  Bingley shrugged and laughed when Rosalie approached him and stood at his eye level regarding him seriously. “Why do I feel all of womankind glaring at me to do well through this beautiful baby’s eyes?”

“They are her mother’s eyes, even though they are blue.”  Darcy smiled. 

“Ah that explains it!  I am being glared at by Mrs. Darcy, now that is something I can understand.”  Suddenly Rosalie hugged Bingley’s head, holding on and mouthing his hair.  After several long moments, she let go and kissed his cheek, then ran across the floor to Wallace’s side, plopped down, and put a top in his hand.  Bingley blushed bright red while the men laughed.  “Why am I embarrassed?” 

“Because that is the best kiss you have had in a long time!”  Hurst chuckled and the rest of them laughed.

“You know, Darcy, we will have to mention that Bingley was kissing a girl when the ladies arrive.”  De Bourgh winked.  Bingley groaned.

“Definitely.  A raven-haired beauty.”

“And she embraced him, too.  Most ardently.”  Hurst reminded them.

“Mr. Bingley, who were you embracing?”  Elizabeth asked from the doorway.  Beside her stood Abbey, her hand to her mouth as she watched the men scramble to their feet from amongst the toys. 

“Miss . . . Miss . . . Miss Martin.”  He blushed and bowed.  “Please do not take them seriously.  I was not embracing anyone!”

“No, she was embracing you.”  De Bourgh winked.  “And that kiss . . .”

“So beautiful.”  Hurst said seriously.

“Heart-stopping.”  Robinson agreed.

“Frightening.”  Darcy sighed. 

“Frightening?”  Elizabeth demanded.

“Rosa kissing a man!”  He waved his arm at their daughter who was now staring determinedly at Wallace.  “Look!  She is going to do it again!” 

They watched as she kissed Wallace, then proceeded to pull his hair when he would not give up the top he was mouthing.  Hurst started laughing and was joined by the rest of the men when Wallace yelped.  “Well there you go; it only proves that it is ingrained.”

“What is?”  Elizabeth asked and looked at Darcy.  “Well?”

“Oh dear.”  He scooped up Rosalie then walked to Elizabeth and took her hand.  “Come love; let me explain how ladies use their sweetness to get their way.”  Hearing her groan, he chuckled and kissed her cheek.  “It is a fascinating tale, and can only be learned by taking an extended walk with an appropriately educated man.” 

“You?”

“mmmhmm.”

“And our daughter?”

“Will be occupied elsewhere.”  He bowed to Abbey.  “Excuse us.” 

“I think that I hear my wife calling.”  Hurst put his hand to his ear.  “Ah yes.”  Bowing to Abbey he disappeared.

De Bourgh laughed.  “I will not pretend.  Excuse me.  We will see you soon enough.” 

Bingley and Robinson looked at each other.  “Well, I think that my son could use some time with his nanny.”  Robinson picked up Wallace and walked to Abbey.  Instantly the baby demanded that she hold him.  She took him up in her arms and cooed, stroking his hair and kissing his cheek.  Robinson smiled softly.  “It is such a pleasure to see you again, Miss Martin.  I hope that you enjoy your visit.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Robinson; I am sure that I will.”  She handed Wallace back to him.  “He is growing so quickly.” 

“He is.”  Robinson smiled and looked back at Bingley.  “Excuse me.” 

Bingley bit his lip and then stepped forward to extend his hand.  “Miss Martin, I cannot express how happy I am to see you at last.  Alone.”  He kissed her fingers and started to laugh.  “Good heavens, we are alone!”

“Not for long, I am sure.”  She blushed and smiled.

“Hard to say with this group.”  He drew a deep breath and held out his arm.  “The day is fine; would you care for a stroll in the garden?”

“That sounds very nice.”  They walked through the hallways quietly, sending little glances at each other until they gained the garden.  “My aunt was hesitant about me coming without her, and I assured her that there was a houseful of chaperones here!”  She laughed and he chuckled, pointing so she saw that indeed, they were not alone.  Mary and de Bourgh were following them and Hurst and Louisa were seated unobtrusively on a bench.  “Well, even if we were alone, I can honestly say that you would not make me nervous, Mr. Bingley.”