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Their appearance at the Gardiners’ door caused an obvious shock. They presented their names to the footman, who informed his mistress, and soon Mrs Gardiner arrived with Miss Jane Bennet behind her.

Even without the knowledge from Elizabeth, Darcy immediately recognised his error. At seeing Bingley, Miss Bennet seemed unable to remain steady on her feet. She turned white, then crimson, and her lips and hands trembled, even when she clasped them together. Bingley was no better; he was pale, mumbling, gazing at Miss Bennet, whose eyes avoided meeting his. Such a strong response could only be caused by sorrow and deep, lasting feelings.

“Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley, I must say this is the greatest surprise I have experienced in many years,” Mrs Gardiner said. “I shall send a servant to inform Mr Gardiner. He is at his warehouse, but he would surely wish to welcome you into our home.”

“I hope we are not intruding,” Darcy said, while Bingley was just staring at Miss Bennet.

“No, not at all! It is a pleasure and an honour to have you here. It is just that we never imagined it could happen.”

“We are delighted to be here too, Mrs Gardiner. We should have sent a note first, but it was a rather impromptu decision. My friend Bingley just discovered yesterday that Miss Bennet has been in town all these months, and he wanted to call immediately.”

Jane Bennet stared at them, holding her breath, blinking a few times, and biting her lips.

“Darcy informed me about Miss Bennet’s presence in London,” Bingley finally spoke, “and I could not lose another moment without coming to greet you. I mean, you all…”

“How strange,” Mrs Gardiner replied. “Please, come in, let us go to the drawing room. I shall order some refreshments while we wait for my husband to return.”

They entered and each took a seat. Mrs Gardiner spoke with a maid for a moment, then returned to the guests.

“It is strange that Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst did not mention Jane’s presence here to you,” Mrs Gardiner said. “We called on them a long time ago, and they returned the visit.”

“I just became aware of these details yesterday, when Darcy returned from Kent,” Bingley said. “I hope you believe me when I say that, had I known earlier, I should have called on you a long time ago.”

“Better late than never, Mr Bingley. I am glad the misunderstanding was clarified,” Mrs Gardiner replied in a calm voice.

“Lizzy is in Kent too,” Miss Bennet whispered, as if trying to change the subject. “She mentioned meeting you there, Mr Darcy, and your cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam.”

“Yes…it was a fortunate coincidence that we happened to be visiting my aunt at the same time,” Darcy answered, wondering whether the others noticed the tremble of his voice. “Lady Catherine is my late mother’s sister.”

“I had the pleasure of knowing Lady Anne, as well as your father, Mr Darcy,” Mrs Gardiner said, puzzling him exceedingly.

“Did you? How delightful. May I ask how?”

“I lived in Lambton until I was twelve, then we moved to London.”

“Lambton? But that is only five miles from Pemberley!” he said.

“Indeed. I have many fond memories of Derbyshire, and Pemberley is still the most beautiful place I have ever seen in the whole of England,” the lady concluded enthusiastically.

“I cannot thank you enough for your kind words, Mrs Gardiner. How wonderful to meet someone who knew my parents. What a lovely coincidence!”

“You do not need to thank me, Mr Darcy. It is wonderful to simply have you here.”

As they were speaking, Mr Gardiner entered, welcoming them joyfully. He seemed surprised too, looking at the guests with curiosity. Knowing Mrs Bennet was his sister, Darcy expected to notice some similarities in manners, but there were none. Mr Gardiner soon proved himself to be a clever, educated man, well-mannered and amiable. His wife was handsome, elegant in appearance and behaviour, and they made a truly pleasant couple. Although he had come only to support Bingley, Darcy did not regret his decision. However, he could not help wondering what Elizabeth would think about his presence at the Gardiners’ and what they would have to say if they knew about his proposal.

The visit lasted another hour after Mr Gardiner joined them. By the end of it, Jane Bennet seemed to have recovered some composure, and Bingley more closely resembled his usual self. As for himself, Darcy was pleased that he had met the Gardiners, but there were many things that prevented him from enjoying his time in their house.

“We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you again soon, gentlemen,” Mrs Gardiner said as they rose to leave.

“My cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam has expressed a desire to call on Miss Elizabeth when she arrives in London.”

“We would like that very much, sir, and I am sure Lizzy would too. If you have no other more important engagements, we would be honoured to see you again as well.”

“Darcy is very busy, but I have no fixed engagements in the near future,” Bingley replied with apparent uneasiness. “If it is agreeable to you, I might call again in a few days…”

Jane Bennet’s cheeks coloured, and a little smile finally lit up her face.

“Mr Bingley, please know you are welcome at any time. Nothing would be more agreeable to us than to see you again soon,” Mr Gardiner assured him.

“Thank you, that is very kind of you,” Bingley said, his face glowing with joy as he gazed at Miss Bennet. She was still quiet and timid, but though her joy was not so obvious, it was impossible to miss.

On their way home, Bingley spoke animatedly, mostly about Miss Bennet, asked questions but did not wait for answers, wondering when he could call again without it being too soon.

“I hope Miss Bennet was not upset with me. She looked so surprised and confused to see me. I wonder what Caroline and Louisa told her.”

“Bingley, I dare say Miss Bennet was delighted to see you, even if she appeared quiet and restrained. Hopefully, on your next visit, she will be more open to conversation.”

“I must thank you, Darcy! Without you, I might not have seen Miss Bennet again.”

“I do not deserve your thanks, Bingley. Without me, you might not have left Netherfield at all, so I have done more damage than good.”

“Perhaps. But I thank you nevertheless,” Bingley insisted, then continued to speak about Jane Bennet until the carriage stopped in front of Darcy’s house.

***

Darcy greeted Georgiana, then asked after his valet.

“Brother, Porter is not at home. He said he had some business to attend to on your behalf.”

“He does. I was not certain whether he had returned or not.”

“Brother, may I ask how your visit was?”

“Exceedingly pleasant, actually. More so than I expected. Can you believe Mrs Gardiner grew up in Lambton and remembered our parents?”

“Truly? How lovely! Do tell me everything, Brother!”

Darcy indulged his sister and related the visit with all the details; he was not a good narrator as every other word reminded him of Elizabeth. Besides, he wondered about Porter, curious to hear his report about the mysterious Mrs Crawford.

Eventually, Georgiana went to practise the pianoforte, and Darcy retired to his chamber. Another hour passed before Porter returned; it was already late in the afternoon.

“Well?” Darcy enquired directly.

“It is a sad tale, sir. Mrs Crawford has two daughters. The eldest, who is barely sixteen, gave birth to a baby boy. They are both ill. I fetched the doctor, and he examined them and gave them some medicine. He will visit them again tomorrow.”

“So, did you find out who they are?”

“They would not tell me, sir. Mrs Crawford said she will only disclose that to you. She cried most of the time, and she kept thanking you for helping them.”

“Do they live far from here? I would like to visit them.”

“Far enough, sir. Maybe three miles, I would say. And the house is…they barely have a roof over their heads.”

“Porter, did you take them some food? A young mother needs nourishment to recover.”

“I did not, sir.”

“Then please rest a little, then ask Mrs Gibbs to prepare a large basket with meat, fruit, bread, and some cheese and take it to them. Take the carriage, of course. And tell them I shall visit them tomorrow morning.”

“Very well, sir. I do not need to rest. I shall go immediately, if you do not need my services.”

“Not at all. We shall talk again later, when you return.”

The valet left, and all sorts of thoughts and worries troubled Darcy again. Thoughts of the young mother and her infant gave him shivers as he imagined Georgiana might have been in the same situation if she had eloped with that scoundrel Wickham. Who could this Mrs Crawford be? He had to find out the next day; he was too impatient to wait any longer. Whoever they were, their need for help was desperate, and he could not disregard them.

Elizabeth had called him arrogant and disdainful of the feelings of others. Was he truly so, or had resentment and anger induced her to exaggerate his flaws? How could he stop thinking of her or judging himself through her eyes?

In regard to Jane Bennet and Bingley, Elizabeth’s accusations were just, based on his observation and estimation during the visit to the Gardiners’. Beyond a doubt, both of them had been miserable after the separation, and their feelings had survived all obstacles. Hopefully, their reunion was the first step in correcting his error.

One more thing needed to be resolved: Wickham. The more he thought about it, the more decided he was that he should not allow that wretch to deceive and hurt any more people. Apparently, with Elizabeth, Wickham had found little success as his deception had no consequences. But others would certainly not be so fortunate.

Darcy began to prepare for dinner, despite not being hungry. Besides Georgiana and Mrs Annesley, Bingley and the colonel were expected to attend. He was not particularly in the mood to entertain, but he could not cancel the engagement either.

He was ready to go downstairs when Porter returned.

“Well? How was it?”

“Very sad, sir. The woman’s happiness when she saw the basket of food was hard to watch. I believe the food helped them even more than the doctor.”

“Good. We shall go together in the morning. You may rest now, Porter. I shall manage without your services tonight.”

“I do not need rest. I am not tired at all. I shall help you prepare for the night, as always.”

“As you wish. Then go to the kitchen now and have some dinner yourself.”

“Sir?”

“Yes, Porter?”

“You are an excellent man, sir. People say that with good reason.”

“Thank you, Porter. Of course, you are partial to me, but I appreciate it nevertheless,” he said with a smile. Then he went down to join his sister and friends for dinner.

***

After breakfast, Darcy informed Georgiana that he had some business to attend to and would likely not return until dinner. Then he and Porter left.

Darcy was curious and somehow anxious to meet Mrs Crawford and her family. He looked out of the carriage window, recognising the area they were travelling towards.

“We should be there shortly, sir.”

They stopped after a ride of no longer than half an hour. It was not a house but a building in a shocking state, revealing the poor living conditions. Children’s cries could be heard from many windows. Porter knocked on a door, and it opened. The woman behind it was a stranger to Darcy, which puzzled him even more.

“Mr Darcy? Thank you, Lord!” she whispered tearfully.

“Mrs Crawford, I assume? Have we met before, ma’am?”

“No, sir. Please, do come in,” she invited them. Inside, Darcy was stunned by a heavy smell, though the room looked as clean as such a place allowed.

“How are your daughter and grandson? I understand they are ill?”

“They are better, I think, sir. My daughter ate a little last night, and she fed the baby. The fever has gone down, I think. The doctor said he would visit again today.”

“Good. Now, Mrs Crawford, before we go any further, you must tell me why you searched for me. I mean, it is obvious you need help, but how do you know me?”

The woman looked about, hesitating.

“You may speak in the presence of Porter, ma’am. I have no secrets from him.”

“My cousin, Martha Rollins, lives in Lambton, Mr Darcy,” she eventually said. “We visited her last year. That is where we met Mr Wickham.”

“Wickham?” Darcy repeated with a pain in his chest. “Do you know Wickham?”

“Yes, sir…he is the father of my grandson, and he is the cause of our tragedy.”

Tears fell down her face, and she sat for a moment, then stood up again in front of Darcy.

“We met Mr Wickham last April, on our way to Lambton, at an inn where we stopped,” the woman continued. “He told us he grew up at Pemberley and that your father was his godfather. He was so polite and charming that even I liked him. We were travelling by post, but he offered to take me and my daughters the rest of the way to Lambton in his carriage, which of course we gladly accepted. We arrived in Lambton, and we did not see him again for a while. But a month later, when we were due to return to London, he offered to convey us in his carriage again. He said he would spend the summer in Ramsgate, and I was sure that was the end of our dealings with him.”

The woman paused before she continued. “However, in the autumn, my daughter fell ill, and only then did we discover she was with child. I did not even know when and how it had happened, but she told me — and I believe her — that she had never known any other man but Mr Wickham. I have been trying to find him ever since. I wrote to my cousin Martha, but nobody knew anything about him. Martha told me our only hope was you. She insisted I should apply to you and ask whether you knew where to find Mr Wickham. He must know he has a son. He must take responsibility for it. My daughter has been ill since she gave birth, and the boy is not well. I fear they both might die! I have wasted my meagre savings on doctors. I have nothing left. I do not know what to do,” Mrs Crawford said, apologising for the tears that overwhelmed her.

“Mrs Crawford, you did well by looking for me,” Darcy said, hardly controlling the tumult of emotions. So Wickham had been in Derbyshire last April. How was that possible? Had he plotted then with Mrs Younge to deceive Georgiana? That was very likely, indeed. His head was spinning, and he could not think properly. He finally looked about and, on impulse, said, “Mrs Crawford, Wickham is a wretch who does not deserve to be a father. I shall find him and hold him responsible. But until then, you cannot remain here. You and your daughters and your grandson will be moved into my house. The servants’ quarters are large, and there are several spare rooms. My housekeeper will take care of everything, and you will be provided with everything you need.”

Mrs Crawford stared at him in disbelief, without even wiping her tears.

“If you agree to this plan, of course,” Darcy added, and the woman nodded. Then she suddenly took his hand and tried to kiss it in gratitude.

“Mrs Crawford, for heaven’s sake, do not do that. There is no need, really. I must leave now, but Porter will return very soon with a maid to help you all move. Take only things you value. Everything else will be provided.”

With that, he bowed and left the house, taking a moment to breathe in front of it and calm his rage. Lives were continuing to be destroyed by Wickham because Darcy had not exposed the scoundrel. It was time for drastic measures.