Darcy in Want of a Wife

Chapter 1

Longbourn

February, 1812

Elizabeth Bennet tied the ribbons of her bonnet under her chin, accepted a basket of food from the cook, and marched out of the side door of the kitchen into a chilly but clear morning. The cold air bit at her exposed cheeks as she made her way towards the carriage that waited at the bottom of the steps. The horses stamped impatiently as she neared, their breath fogging in the air and catching the light of the early morning sun.

The carriage creaked as she settled onto the padded seat, and she turned to gaze out at the eastern sky as the vehicle lurched into motion. There were wisps of clouds far off in the blue, painted yellow by the last rays of dawn, and Elizabeth wondered if it was this clear over London. The thought caused a pang of loneliness as she was reminded of her elder sister’s absence.

Jane Bennet had gone many weeks prior to visit their uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, in their home in London. While Elizabeth was thankful to her relations for giving Jane the opportunity to relax and enjoy London society, especially after her recent heartbreak over the handsome Mr. Charles Bingley, Elizabeth sorely missed her companion, the closest of her sisters.

She hoped that the business of Town would keep Jane occupied for the duration of her stay. Her sister had a tender heart, and for the man whom she loved to leave abruptly, and without a proper farewell, had wounded her greatly. Though Mr. Bingley was living in London as well, along with his sisters and his friend, the pompous Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth thought it unlikely that the two would encounter one another. London was, after all, a large and busy place.

With Jane away, it was often difficult for Elizabeth to keep up her spirits. It was cold and frequently muddy outside, and inside her company; composed of her nervous, anxious mother and boisterous younger sisters; was rarely congenial Elizabeth had no brothers, so the estate would go to a distant cousin, Mr. Collins, when Mr. Bennet died, and Mrs. Bennet, after two disappointments the prior autumn, was inclined to fuss and wail even more than usual about her uncertain future.

Elizabeth had met the heir of Longbourn, a Mr. Collins, the previous autumn when he came to visit. After an acquaintance of little more than a week, the man had fixed Elizabeth as his desired bride, and had been shocked and outraged she rejected him out of hand. Mrs. Bennet, too, had been outraged and distressed, until turning her hopes on Mary, the third of the Bennet daughters.

Instead, Mr. Collins had courted, offered, and then wed Elizabeth’s close friend, Miss Charlotte Lucas, now Collins. Elizabeth had been horrified, but Charlotte; seven and twenty, plain, and poor; had declared that a clergyman husband, even a foolish one, was far better than spinsterhood. Now Charlotte was in Kent, where her husband held a valuable living.

This left Mrs. Bennet in a pitiable state, especially after Mr. Bingley’s departure, and the lady repeatedly, obsessively, told her daughters that it was crucial for them to marry to avoid being thrown to the hedgerows when her father passed away.

Unfortunately, this urgency seemed to have had an adverse effect on her two youngest sisters. Kitty and Lydia Bennet, while both pretty, were foolish and often indecent, spending much of their time tittering and gossiping with the red-coated militia officers, who were currently stationed in the town of Meryton. While Elizabeth herself could not deny the officers’ charms, especially those of a certain Mr. George Wickham, a military man would not have the income necessary to sustain the lifestyle that she, as a gentleman’s daughter, was accustomed to.

Elizabeth rested her chin in her palm, gazing forlornly through the carriage window. Even though she realized that she and Wickham would never make a suitable match because neither had much money, she could not help but be saddened that his attentions had shifted from her to Miss Mary King, who had recently come into an inheritance of ten thousand pounds. Elizabeth considered herself a sensible girl, and she knew that even men of his God-given beauty and charms needed money to live on. Still, it had been quite nice to enjoy Mr. Wickham’s attentions the previous months.

Elizabeth attempted to banish all thoughts of Wickham from her mind, focusing instead on the task ahead of her. She was at present traveling to one of the tenant farms on the Longbourn estate, that of the Cooper family. The Coopers had served the Bennets faithfully for many years, and they were prudent, honorable, and diligent in their work. Elizabeth had recently received word that some trouble had stricken the family and, though she did not know the details, had taken it upon herself to learn more and help, if at all possible. That was far more important and useful than pining over an impoverished, but incredibly handsome, lieutenant.

/

Mr. Gardiner’s Warehouse

Gracechurch Street

Cheapside

Morning

Edward Gardiner sat in the high-backed chair in his office, his quill scratching the paper in front of him. The sunlight streaming through his windows illuminated shelves and cabinets stacked with books and business ledgers. The furnishings were far from grand, but that was how Gardiner liked it; his office was neat, tidy, and practical.

He was interrupted from his work by the creak of the door, and he looked up as a clerk entered his office with a calling card on a tray. Mr. Gardiner was intrigued, having not been expecting any visitors this morning.

“A Mr. Bingley here to see you, sir,” the clerk said as he stopped beside the desk. Gardiner took the card to examine it, and his brows arched as he studied it.

“Bring him in, Sinclair,” Gardiner ordered his clerk, who nodded, retreated, and a minute later, reentered the room with a gentleman at his heels.

Mr. Charles Bingley was young, with a handsome countenance and an amicable smile. He was garbed in morning attire with a blue coat, which set off his eyes of the same color, and his cravat was neatly tied. He bowed as he stopped before the desk, and the clerk departed on silent feet.

“Please, sit down, Mr. Bingley,” Gardiner said coolly, “and tell me how I might serve you.”

Mr. Bingley took a seat, his genial face stretched in a cheerful smile, and said, “Thank you, Mr. Gardiner, for seeing me. I am not certain if you knew my father, Mr. Christopher Bingley, who earned much of his fortune from the tea trade. I am not directly in trade myself, but I have come to the conclusion that it would be sensible of me to diversify my fortune; at the moment, I am mostly invested in the four percents, but believe I could improve my returns. I have called on you to learn whether you might be interested in partnering with me in some fashion.”

Mr. Gardiner stared at the younger man gravely, and then said, “Am I correct, sir, that you are the Charles Bingley, who recently leased Netherfield Hall near the town of Meryton in Hertfordshire?”

Bingley blinked at him, obviously startled. “Yes, I am.”

At this, Gardiner stood. “Then I am afraid that any dealings between us are entirely impossible. I will have nothing to do with the man who gave my beloved niece such grief.”

“What?!” Bingley cried out, clearly shocked by this proclamation. “Of what do you speak? I can assure you that I would not willfully harm any young lady.”

“I speak of my niece, Miss Jane Bennet, with whom you met during your time at Netherfield,” Mr. Gardiner responded sharply. “She had become very fond of you and had thought you shared her sentiments; indeed, based on your behavior, she had every reason to expect an offer! Then you left Netherfield abruptly without even saying goodbye.”

“Fond?” Bingley sputtered in shock. “But I … I was advised by my sisters and my most trusted friend that she had no such feelings for me. Truly, I enjoyed her company very much. I did not imagine that my leaving would cause such sorrow.”

“Believe me, my good sir, it did,” Gardiner said. “You had the heart of the most kind and angelic girl in all of Hertfordshire, nay, of England itself, and you cast it away. Given your crime, I am entirely unwilling to do business with you.”

Poor Mr. Bingley turned altogether pale.

“Then I have committed a grave sin,” he croaked, and his hands trembled. “I must return to Netherfield, indeed I shall, immediately, and attempt to mend the rift between us. For I love Miss Bennet dearly; she is the most beautiful and wonderful young lady that I have ever known, and if she will have me, I will make her my wife.”

“If that is the case, you need not go as far as Hertfordshire,” Gardiner told him. “My eldest niece currently resides with myself and my wife, not a mile from here.”

“What? She is here in London?” Bingley exclaimed. “Why, then, did she not call upon my sisters?”

“She has, and they told her that you were far too busy with your friend Mr. Darcy and his sister to have any time for her.”

Bingley’s face turned an interesting shade of purple. “I was never informed of her presence. Do I have your permission, sir, to call upon her this very hour?”

Gardiner stepped around his desk to collect his coat and hat. “My all means.”