Mr. Darcy's Daughter (44 page)

"Every
day's delay can mean less hope for Josh Higgins. At the time we left
Derbyshire, the police were very sure he was their man," he said, hoping
to impress upon their host the urgency of their cause.

Their
conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Jonathan Bingley's eldest
daughter Anne-Marie and her husband Mr. Colin Elliott, who were to dine with
them. Mr. Elliott was the local Member of Parliament, a man much admired by
young Darcy Gardiner. Together with his wife and their young son, he had moved
earlier in the year to live at Longbourn, the property which had originally
been the home of the Bennet family.

Through
a series of fortuitous circumstances and one sad mischance, the sudden death of
Mr. Collins, heir to the estate by entail, Longbourn had ended up in the hands
of Jonathan Bingley, who had gifted it to his daughter Anne-Marie on her recent
marriage to Mr. Elliott.

Mr.
Carr recalled meeting the remarkably handsome couple briefly at the wedding of
her sister Teresa to Mr. Frederick Fairfax, the architect. He noted also the
remarkable resemblance between Anne-Marie and her cousin Lizzie Gardiner, who
was soon to be his wife. In general appearance, he thought, they were so alike,
one might have mistaken them for sisters, except that Mrs. Elliott was older,
more self-assured, and had an air of independence that he could not but admire
in a woman.

Lizzie's
attraction was the charming freshness and enthusiasm of youth, which she
brought to all her activities and relationships; Carr had found it
irresistible. As his thoughts returned to her, he felt suddenly alone amidst
all these people who knew each other so intimately. He missed her terribly and
wished he were back in Derbyshire, where she was but half an hour's ride away
from his home.

He
forced himself back to the present, wrenching his thoughts away from pleasanter
prospects, to join in the conversation around the dinner table.

Mr.
Elliott had been applied to, by Darcy, for advice on their difficult
undertaking. Having had some dealings with the intractable Mrs. Wickham, on a
previous occasion of similar difficulty, Mr. Elliott agreed that it was
certainly a daunting prospect, but he held out some hope. "At least with Mrs.
Wickham, one knows what one is dealing with," he said. "While she
protests that she has some tender feelings, some sense of outrage about the way
in which the world in general and some people, in particular, have treated her,
and claims to have strong bonds of family loyalty and filial affection, all
these may be immediately discounted, if sufficient money could be found to
assuage her present discomfort."

Everyone
chuckled and Anna Bingley even protested that the poor woman was surely not
that bad. But Anne-Marie swiftly defended her husband's account of Lydia
Wickham. "Unlike most ladies, she makes no pretence of having contempt for
money; in fact, she has a great respect for it, which over-rides all other
feelings," she said, to which Mr. Colin Elliott added, "Indeed and
she is quite open about it. When you approach her, Mr. Gardiner, do so with
your pocketbook well stocked with cash."

Like
Jonathan Bingley, Elliott also recommended Mr. Bowles.

"If
anyone can help you find Frank Wickham or get information from his mother, Mr.
Bowles can," he said, promising to send him round to meet them on the
morrow, so they could plan their campaign.

Later,
after the ladies had withdrawn to the drawing room, where they were joined not
long afterwards by the gentlemen, Anna Bingley and Anne-Marie entertained them
with music and song. Though Mrs. Bingley was undoubtedly the superior
performer, having studied in Europe and acquired a high degree of proficiency
and style, she was nevertheless well supported by Anne-Marie, who had recently,
with the encouragement of her husband, started to take singing lessons.

As
the mood of the company changed, softened by the music and the wine, the
conversation moved to other matters. The ladies wanted Mr. Carr to tell them
how preparations were going for the wedding, to which, he was warned, they were
all coming.

"Lizzie
is Mr. and Mrs. Darcy's first granddaughter and you may be sure there will be a
great party for her," said Anna, and Anne-Marie asked to be remembered to
her young cousin. "Lizzie is a great favourite of ours; we are looking
forward to seeing her as a bride," she explained.

Mr.
Carr tried to satisfy their curiosity to the best of his ability, but he knew
very little of the wedding plans and could not give them much detail, except
that Lizzie's sister Laura Ann was going to be her bridesmaid. He was, however,
able to tell them a good deal more about the refurbishments he'd made at the
farm and Lizzie's role in helping him make all the right choices for drapes and
accessories.

"It's
a fine, handsome old house and needed only the right touches to restore it to
its former dignity. With Mrs. Gardiner's excellent advice and Lizzie's good
taste, I think we have done well," he said and Anna, who had a keen
interest in these matters, said she looked forward, very much, to seeing it.

Darcy
and Colin Elliott, meanwhile, recounted some harrowing accounts of the loss of
the vote on the Reform Bill in Parliament and the consequent resignation of
Lord Russell and his government. Neither could believe that a few intransigent
Liberals had contributed to the downfall of their own government.

"Mr.
Gladstone must be furious!" said Darcy, and Mr. Elliott confirmed that
indeed he was. Jonathan introduced a somewhat more serious note, remarking upon
the increasing number of violent demonstrations that had erupted around the
country, especially in London and some of the larger towns, in the wake of the
resignation of the government and the collapse of some large financial houses.
Darcy had plenty to say on the subject, too.

Mr.
Carr, when the ladies went to attend to the tea and coffee, set out to get to
know Mr. Jonathan Bingley better. He knew from Lizzie and her mother that
Jonathan was one of the most highly respected members of the family, ranking
together with Richard Gardiner in the affections of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy.

His
record of service to his party, the Parliament, and his local community was
quite remarkable. He had twice been the recipient of significant civilian
honours, yet, he was invariably modest, unassuming, and considerate of others.

Knowing,
as he did, Mr. Bingley's achievements in politics and community leadership, Mr.
Carr was genuinely surprised by his total lack of self-congratulation or
complacency, two attributes that had characterised most American politicians he
had observed.

Their
conversation was both amicable and interesting. Congratulating Mr. Carr on the
purchase of the farm and stud at Rushmore, Mr. Bingley said, "I was happy
to hear that you intended to live on the property and improve upon it. I know Mr.
Darcy is, too; it is the only way to protect the land and prevent its
fragmentation by developers. They dispossess the village people and sell to
absentee landlords, who have no interest whatsoever in the community."

Mr.
Carr agreed and revealed that he had also received a couple of offers for the
stud. "There seemed to be several people interested, yet reluctant to come
forward themselves," he said. "Approaches were almost always made
through a third party."

Jonathan
laughed heartily. "Ah yes, of course," he said, "because they
want nothing to do with the land or the community that has worked it for
generations. Their only interest is in the profit it will bring in when it is
resold. You are wise, Mr. Carr, not to become involved with these men. They are
mainly from London or some large commercial city and have a keen eye for the
money they can make from land. Some farmers are going through hard times and
will sell to anyone who offers them a decent price. To these men, a property
like the Camden Stud will be a veritable gold mine."

Mr.
Carr was adamant. "I certainly have no intention of selling, Mr. Bingley.

I
am very happy in the area and intend to settle there permanently. I have said
so, many times, but they are very persistent."

Anna
came over to join them, seeking to "interrupt their shoptalk," she
said, and having offered Mr. Carr more coffee, proceeded to ask after Cassandra
Gardiner.

Mr.
Carr, whose love of Lizzie was equalled only by his admiration for her mother,
told her as much as he knew of Cassandra's efforts to help manage her father's
estate, Pemberley, while still coping with all the demands of her own family.
"I have to say, Mrs. Bingley, that I have never before encountered a lady
who worked so hard and with such complete uncomplaining dedication," he
said, and both Mr. and Mrs. Bingley agreed.

Jonathan
declared that he had had a similar account from his mother, Mrs. Jane Bingley,
who was familiar with the situation at Pemberley.

"I
understand that in Mr. Darcy's absence, Cassy took over the management of
Pemberley and did it so well, her father is now keen for her to continue."

"Indeed,
sir, and while I know she would like to spend more time with her family at
Matlock, she never complains. Miss Gardiner tells me that her mother believes
it is her duty to support her father in the absence of her brother
Julian."

"Cassy
Darcy," said Jonathan Bingley, "is a most extraordinary woman and,
one might say, a fortunate one. Her husband, Dr Gardiner, is not only an
eminent physician, he has achieved what was thought to be quite impossible,
convinced the hospital board to spend more money on research! He is also one of
the finest men I have known."

Mr.
Carr was, by now, convinced that the family he was joining was not only a
distinguished one, it was remarkable also for the concern and support its
members showed for one another. But just then, as if to remind him that every
family, however well regarded, had its black sheep, Darcy returned to remind
him that they should have an early night, since they expected to rise early on
the morrow and go forth with Mr. Bowles in quest of the elusive Frank Wickham.

Mr.
Carr sighed. It had been an exceedingly pleasant evening and he was sorry it
had to end. "Perhaps," he said to Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, thanking them
for their gracious hospitality, "when all this is over, you will be my
guests at Rushmore Farm?"

The
invitation was accepted with enthusiasm.

The
visitors, still weary from their long journey, retired early in preparation for
what might prove to be an arduous day to follow. They did not expect to achieve
their goal with ease and feared they may be hindered by the machinations of Mrs.
Wickham. Shortly afterwards, Anne-Marie and Mr. Elliott took their leave.

Jonathan
remarked to his wife that Anne-Marie was clearly a very happy woman. Anna, had
no reason to disagree with her husband on this point. Her affection for
Anne-Marie had led her to hope that she would one day be more happily wed than
she had been to the dour and dull Dr Bradshaw. In marrying Colin Elliott, it
was quite obvious that they had both found that happiness.

There
was certainly no mistaking the warmth of their affection for one another.

"I
think you are right, dearest," she said and added, "From what I can
make of Mr. Carr, it would seem that young Lizzie Gardiner is soon to be
similarly blessed."

Jonathan
took his wife's hand and kissed it, recalling how much he owed to her love and
understanding. She had been a tower of strength, his defence against despair,
when he and his children had most needed affection and hope.

"That,
my love, is what we must all pray for," he said, as they went upstairs.

*

After
breakfast on the morrow, Mr. Bowles arrived to meet with Messrs Carr and
Gardiner. Mr. Elliott had already explained the purpose of their visit and
Bowles was well prepared. Although he had served the family for many years, it
was his practice not to become embroiled in the conflicts and squabbles that
occasionally erupted even in the best-regulated families and disrupted the even
tenor of their lives. He had maintained some contact with the Wickhams and,
since the death of Mr. George Wickham, Senior, he had, with the permission of
his employers, taken over the occasional hamper of farm produce, a ham, fresh
fruit, or game for Mrs. Wickham and her daughter. It was clearly appreciated.

With
her husband dead and her elder sons living almost permanently in London and far
too selfish to offer her any assistance, Lydia Wickham was hard put to support
her often self-indulgent lifestyle on her small annuity. Despite her best
efforts, and no one could have tried harder, she had not as yet succeeded in
persuading any wealthy gentleman to marry her daughter, whose strong
resemblance to her mother must have proved less than advantageous.

Consequently,
she was forever applying to her sisters Elizabeth and Jane for money to pay her
bills and would even call upon Mrs. Collins at Longbourn for a
"loan," although there was very little chance of the money being
repaid. She would run up debts with the local stores, and when she had no more
money to pay them, she would close up the house and disappear for some weeks.
On her return, she would write pathetic letters appealing to her sisters for
help, warning that if they did not help her she would go to jail and disgrace
them all!