Page 11 of Mr. Darcy’s Forgotten Heir (Pride and Prejudice Variations #1)

“Your aunt is right,” Mr. Gardiner said gravely. “Without documentation, your claim to be Mrs. Darcy would be met with skepticism at best, outright accusations at worst.”

“I care nothing for his fortune,” Elizabeth insisted. “I only want to know if he’s alive, if he’s injured, if he needs help.”

“And that shall be our first priority,” her uncle assured her.

“I will go to Barnet tomorrow to investigate both the attack and the marriage. I’ll speak with this Reverend Michaels and seek the registry entry.

Your marriage is not binding unless approved by your father or a legal guardian.

It can be done retroactively, and we can say papers took longer to sign. ”

Hope flickered in Elizabeth’s chest for the first time in days. “Thank you, Uncle. I am more grateful than I can express. You understand why I had to…”

“Yes, any fault lies with my sister and your father. If this Mr. Darcy had not rescued you…”

“I would be truly fallen instead of Mrs. Darcy.”

“Although perhaps it might be wisest to keep your marriage private until we have verification and Mr. Gardiner’s approval,” Aunt Gardiner said. “Society can be cruel to women who claim connections to wealthy men without proof.”

Elizabeth nodded reluctantly. “I understand. But what of Longbourn? My mother will expect word of my arrival.”

Mr. Gardiner’s expression hardened. “Your mother will receive word, but not of your presence here. I will inform my sister that I’ve taken guardianship of you and extend the same offer to any of your sisters who might need protection from such… capricious parenting.”

“Edward,” Mrs. Gardiner murmured, a note of warning in her voice.

“No, Marianne. This cannot stand.” Mr. Gardiner’s voice was firm. “To cast out one’s child for exercising basic judgment about her future? It is unconscionable.”

“I don’t want to cause discord between you and my mother,” Elizabeth said, though her heart swelled with gratitude at her uncle’s defense.

“The discord is not of your making, Lizzy,” he replied. “But we will set that aside for now. Our immediate concern is your husband’s fate and confirming your marriage.”

Mrs. Gardiner squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “You must be exhausted, my dear. Let me show you to your room. A hot bath and proper meal will help restore your strength.”

Elizabeth allowed herself to be led upstairs, past the nursery where her young cousins could be heard playing. Their innocent laughter was bittersweet in her heart. Would she ever know such simple joy again? Would she ever create such a family with Fitzwilliam?

The guest chamber was warm and welcoming, just as Elizabeth remembered from previous visits. Mrs. Gardiner efficiently ordered hot water for a bath and sent for a light meal.

“I’ll have one of the maids help you change,” she said, surveying Elizabeth’s travel-worn appearance. “Those clothes have seen better days.”

“Wait,” Elizabeth said as her aunt turned to leave. “There is one more thing I should tell you.”

Mrs. Gardiner paused, her expression concerned. “What is it, Lizzy?”

Elizabeth placed a hand over her abdomen, her voice barely above a whisper. “I may be with child.”

Her aunt’s eyes widened momentarily before her face softened with understanding. “I see. All the more reason to take good care of you, then.”

“It’s too soon to be certain,” Elizabeth added hastily. “But the possibility exists.”

Mrs. Gardiner nodded. “We will monitor for signs. In the meantime, complete rest and nourishing food are in order regardless.” She hesitated, then added, “Have you considered what you will do if your husband is…”

“I cannot bring myself to think it,” Elizabeth interrupted, her voice breaking. “Not yet. Not until we know for certain.”

“Of course.” Mrs. Gardiner wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. “One step at a time, my dear.”

Left alone to bathe and change, Elizabeth allowed herself a moment of true vulnerability. She sank onto the edge of the bed, Darcy’s signet ring clutched in her palm, and wept—for her lost family, for her missing husband, for the uncertain future stretching before her .

“Where are you, Fitzwilliam?” she whispered to the empty room. “What has happened to you?”

No answer came, of course. Only the distant sounds of a household preparing for dinner, the normal rhythms of family life continuing despite her world having shattered into pieces.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Mrs. Gardiner entered, carrying a warm shawl. Her eyes softened at the sight of Elizabeth’s tear-stained face.

“I thought you might need this,” she said, placing the shawl around Elizabeth’s shoulders. “The room can grow chilly in the evenings.”

“Thank you, Aunt,” Elizabeth managed, trying to compose herself.

Mrs. Gardiner sat beside her on the bed. “Your uncle is sorting through correspondence. I thought perhaps we might speak privately.”

Elizabeth nodded, grateful for her aunt’s gentle approach.

“Lizzy,” Mrs. Gardiner began carefully, “I confess I’m trying to understand. Your mother wrote to me after Mr. Collins’s initial visit, mentioning his interest in you. She seemed quite convinced you would accept him.”

“She was mistaken,” Elizabeth said, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice.

“So it seems.” Mrs. Gardiner hesitated. “But I remember our conversations last summer. How adamant you were about only marrying for the deepest love and affection. How you laughed at Charlotte Lucas’s practical approach to matrimony.”

Elizabeth looked down at her hands, at the heavy signet ring resting in her palm. “I remember.”

“Yet now you find yourself married to Mr. Darcy—a man your mother described in her letters as insufferably proud and universally disliked by your neighbors.” Mrs. Gardiner’s voice held no judgment.

“I understand the circumstances at the inn left you little choice, but… are you happy with this turn of events, Lizzy? Truly? ”

The question pierced through Elizabeth’s anxiety about Darcy’s fate, forcing her to examine feelings she had barely had time to process. Was she happy? Could one be happy about a marriage born of necessity, even one as swiftly consummated as theirs?

“I misjudged him.” She raised her eyes to meet her aunt’s gaze. “Badly, I think. The Mr. Darcy who rescued me at the Red Lion was not the same man I thought I knew in Hertfordshire.”

“How so?”

Elizabeth considered the question carefully.

“In Hertfordshire, I saw only his pride and reserve. I interpreted his caution as disdain, his formality as coldness. But in those hours at the inn, I glimpsed a different man entirely. When he found me alone and unprotected, he didn’t hesitate to help me, despite the complications it would create for him. ”

“An honorable action,” Mrs. Gardiner acknowledged. “But obligation is not love, my dear.”

“No,” Elizabeth agreed. “But there was more than obligation in how he treated me. He listened—truly listened—when I spoke of my family’s rejection. He told me I mattered, that my happiness mattered.” Her voice caught. “Do you know how long it had been since anyone told me that?”

Mrs. Gardiner’s eyes filled with compassion. “Oh, Lizzy.”

“He could have simply found me separate accommodations, maintained proper distance,” Elizabeth continued.

“But when the storm worsened and we were forced to share that small space…” She blushed, remembering.

“There was tenderness between us. Understanding. He told me he had admired me for longer than I knew, that even in Hertfordshire, when I was determined to think the worst of him, he found himself drawn to me.”

“And did you believe him?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth said without hesitation. “In that moment, I did. He had nothing to gain by such a confession—we were already compromised beyond salvation. And the way he looked at me… ”

She fell silent, remembering the intensity in Darcy’s dark eyes and the reverent way he had touched her.

“He sacrificed everything he had formerly wanted in a marriage,” she said softly.

“His family’s expectations, a socially advantageous match, proper settlements and negotiations.

He did it to protect me, yes, but also because, as he put it, our marriage merely hastened what he believed was inevitable. ”

Mrs. Gardiner studied her niece’s face. “You care for him.”

It wasn’t a question, but Elizabeth answered anyway. “I do. It makes no sense, I know. We barely know each other. But in those few hours, something changed.” She looked down at the ring again. “Now I may never have the chance to discover what it could have become.”

“Don’t lose hope,” Mrs. Gardiner said. “Your uncle is a determined man, and he has connections throughout London. If Mr. Darcy can be found, Edward will find him.”

“And if he is found, what then?” Elizabeth asked, voicing the fear that had been growing since her flight from the Red Lion. “What if his family rejects me? I know that if Mr. Darcy weren’t injured, he would be here right now. But the fact that he’s still missing…”

“We shall see what your uncle discovers. He will leave early.”

“Oh, what if it’s too late?” Elizabeth worried the edge of the shawl. “What if he’s…”

Mrs. Gardiner took Elizabeth’s hands in hers. “Then you will face that challenge with the same courage you’ve shown thus far. You must rest and regain your strength. Your husband will need a wife in full health when he is found, not one exhausted by worry.”

The simple confidence in her aunt’s words—”when he is found,” not “if”—gave Elizabeth a measure of comfort she hadn’t dared hope for.

“Thank you, Aunt,” she whispered. “For believing me. For believing in him.”

Mrs. Gardiner smiled gently. “Family stands together, Lizzy. Always.” The unspoken contrast with the Bennets’ behavior hung in the air between them.

All Elizabeth could do was rub the heavy gold band on her thumb and kiss the signet. She was a Darcy now, but what had become of him?

“Will Uncle inquire at Darcy House?” she asked as her aunt rose to leave.

“Yes, he is sending a note, although he will not mention you or your circumstances. Not yet.”