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Before Mr Gardiner left for his office, Elizabeth felt she owed her relatives at least partial honesty, since they had been so supportive. Therefore, she related to Jane, as well as her uncle and aunt, more details about the objects in the pawnbroker’s shop.

“I had reason to believe that watch belonged to the Darcy family and that Mr Wickham was not its true owner. That is why I wrote Mr Darcy a note and Uncle Edward delivered it. Mr Darcy confirmed my assumption was correct.”

“But Lizzy, surely Mr Wickham did not steal the watch!” Jane replied, clearly appalled.

“I am not sure. But I am quite certain that Mr Wickham is not the sort of man we believed him to be. In fact, I was wrong in judging his character. You, my dear Jane, counselled me to be more prudent in trusting him. Well, you were right, and I was wrong.”

“I must admit that your aunt and I were a little worried when we visited Longbourn at Christmas. You seemed quite infatuated with Mr Wickham. We only hoped you would be wise enough not to attach yourself to a man with so little means of providing you with a comfortable life,” Mr Gardiner said.

“I do not believe I was infatuated, Uncle. I was certainly not in love with him, since the news about him courting Mary King hardly affected me at all. But I found him charming, and I enjoyed his company. I was flattered to be the lady he seemed to prefer. Since he appeared to admire me, and Mr Darcy always criticised me and others, I readily assumed the flatterer was a better man than the critic. It was my vanity and prejudice that turned me into a laughable simpleton.”

“But Lizzy, may I ask, what did Mr Wickham do that was so wrong?” Mrs Gardiner asked.

“He has probably done many things, but I only know of a few, which involve him lying about Mr Darcy and betraying his godfather’s affection.”

Choosing her words carefully, Elizabeth revealed the financial transactions between Mr Darcy and Mr Wickham, while the others listened in amazement.

“Poor Mr Darcy!” Jane exclaimed. “To be so betrayed by his father’s godson. What a disappointment. And poor Mr Wickham! He has such an appearance of goodness but not enough strength of character to act in an honourable way. Such behaviour cannot lead to anything good.”

“I cannot pity Mr Wickham, Jane,” Elizabeth replied.

“He was offered all the support and means to live as a gentleman, but he willingly chose deception, depravity, and betrayal instead. He must live with the consequences of his choices. And I must live with the guilt of knowing what a simpleton I have been and how easily fooled by a scoundrel.”

“Do not be so hard on yourself, Lizzy. How could you have known? I am glad that, in the end, you realised the truth,” Mr Gardiner said.

“But to me, it was not a surprise. I spoke to your father about it at Christmas, and we both agreed that a man like Mr Darcy would not refuse to grant his father’s dying wish without good reason.

Besides, a man complaining about his misfortunes to a woman is nothing but pitiful to other men. ”

“That is precisely what I meant. You all guessed the truth — only I was a fool,” Elizabeth concluded. “At least I have now done something good to remedy my wrong by informing Mr Darcy about the items at the pawnbroker’s.”

“If that watch was stolen, Mr Darcy could easily throw Wickham in prison, and he may even face the noose,” Mr Gardiner said. “But if he did steal it, could he have been such an arrogant fool as to pawn it?”

“Perhaps he lacks wit as well as honour,” Mrs Gardiner added.

“Or is in desperate need of funds,” Mr Gardiner suggested. “Either way, Mr Darcy looked shocked and then enraged. I do not envy Mr Wickham at their next meeting. Now I must leave you, ladies. I shall see you again later.”

After Mr Gardiner left, Mrs Gardiner attended to her children, and the sisters continued the conversation.

“Lizzy, I was wondering… When you saw Mr Darcy in Kent…did he happen to mention Mr Bingley? I only wish to know whether he is in good health.”

“I was about to speak of this. Mr Bingley has been out of town visiting a friend for more than a month. Mr Darcy said he expects him to return at the end of this week.”

“Oh… I see…”

“Jane, I know nothing of Mr Bingley’s intentions, but I have reason to believe he was not aware of your presence in town. Mr Darcy said he would inform him as soon as he sees him.”

“What do you mean, Lizzy?” Jane asked, pale and distracted. “I was in his house. I visited his sisters. They told me he knew of my visit but was busy with other engagements.”

“Yes, yes, I remember. They suggested he was busy with Miss Darcy, which I can tell you without a doubt was a cruel falsehood. If I tell Mr Darcy what sort of lies Miss Bingley is spreading about his sister, he might be just as angry with her as he is with Mr Wickham. That lady surely deserves such a confrontation!”

“Please do not say anything, Lizzy. Let them be. But are you sure? That Mr Bingley did not know, I mean?”

“That is what Mr Darcy told me. Mr Darcy might have many faults, but he is not a liar, I am certain. He had no reason to deceive me.”

“Dear Lizzy, I cannot believe it. All this time, I thought he knew I was in London but had no wish to see me again. Could it be true?”

“Dearest, it pains me to see your grief, and I do not want you to raise your hopes and witness your disappointment. We shall have our answer soon. Mr Darcy will tell his friend about your presence. What will happen next depends on Mr Bingley. Then you will know, beyond any doubt.”

“You are right, of course, Lizzy. I do not expect anything from him. But we were good friends, and I struggled to understand what I did that was so wrong as to prevent him from calling.”

“At least you know that he is not guilty of that. For the rest, we shall see. Now, come, let us find our aunt.”

***

Elizabeth expected that Mr Darcy might call on them — unless he changed his mind — in the next few days. Secretly, she hoped Mr Bingley would join him, but she did not mention it to Jane.

Therefore, she was utterly bewildered when Mr Gardiner returned home a few hours later in the company of Mr Darcy himself. So affected was she by the gentleman’s sudden appearance that Elizabeth needed a moment to steady herself.

“My dear, look who was so kind as to visit me at my office and accompany me home! I can hardly believe it! Allow me the privilege of introducing Mr Darcy to you,” Mr Gardiner said.

Elizabeth noticed that her aunt and her sister were also anxious, though for different reasons.

Mrs Gardiner — always calm and composed — looked exceedingly nervous.

“Mr Darcy, this is my wife, Mrs Madeleine Gardiner. You already know my nieces.”

The guest bowed elegantly. “Mrs Gardiner, it is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance. Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, I am delighted to see you again,” he said in a friendly voice. Elizabeth noticed he was not perfectly composed when their eyes met briefly.

“Mr Darcy, I am truly honoured to have you in my home,” Mrs Gardiner said. “I am not sure whether my husband mentioned it, but I grew up in Lambton, only five miles from Pemberley, and I have always held your family in the highest esteem.”

“In Lambton? I did not know! What a wonderful coincidence, Mrs Gardiner,” he said, finally sitting down.

“Truly wonderful. Till this day, Pemberley is still the most beautiful place I have ever seen.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I believe the same, but of course, I am biased. Did you leave Lambton long ago?”

“About ten years ago. My father owned a shop in the town, and when he moved his business to London, we all came with him.”

“I see. If you happen to visit Lambton, please know you are welcome to visit Pemberley too.”

“That is very generous and kind of you, Mr Darcy, thank you.”

“Not at all. It would be my pleasure to host you,” he said politely.

Then he paused a moment and finally turned towards Elizabeth.

“Miss Elizabeth, I cannot go further without thanking you for your keen observation and wise decision. Recovering the watch was of great importance to me and my family.”

“You have already thanked me, Mr Darcy. I assure you there is no need for more. I am glad I could be of some help. It was the least I could do to compensate for my foolishness in trusting Mr Wickham.”

“It was my fault that I did not expose Wickham as he deserved and allowed him to deceive more honourable people. This is another error I shall immediately correct.”

“Mr Darcy, I hope you do not mind — I told my sister and my uncle and aunt about your financial dealings with Mr Wickham. About how he demanded compensation for the living and then continued to ask for more.”

“Oh…no, of course, I do not mind.”

“Apparently, Mr Wickham’s deceptive character was no surprise to my uncle or aunt. I was the only fool,” Elizabeth continued.

“Stop blaming yourself, Lizzy,” Mr Gardiner said. “The whole of Meryton was charmed by that man, so you may take some comfort in knowing you were not alone in your foolishness.”

Elizabeth laughed nervously. “That is comfort indeed. I am sure Papa will mock me on this subject for a few months at least.”

“You may depend on that,” Mr Gardiner replied with a laugh. Mr Darcy seemed slightly confused by their teasing exchange.

Mrs Gardiner ordered refreshments, while Mr Darcy continued, “Since you so generously helped me, I owe you a few more details. That watch belonged to my grandfather. It was one of only a limited number of similar pieces made in England. The young woman whose portrait is inside the watch is not my sister but my grandmother. Her name was Georgina, and my grandfather’s name was George, the same as my father. ”

“Oh dear,” Elizabeth whispered. That was certainly an unexpected turn of events.

“The watch was in my sister’s possession last summer, in Ramsgate.

She is very fond of a few family heirlooms, and she carries them with her.

They are never taken out in public, of course, but held privately, and nobody outside the family knows about them.

I have told her many times that it is not wise and that travelling with such valuables could expose her to danger, but they are hers, after all, and I cannot forbid her.

She discovered the watch was missing last August, but she did not mention it to me until yesterday, when I asked about it. ”

As he spoke, he looked troubled, struggling for words and hardly meeting their eyes. Elizabeth could not help but wonder whether the story was true or simply an attempt to disguise the truth and protect his sister’s reputation.

“This is shocking! It is theft, nothing less. Such a thief belongs in prison,” Mr Gardiner said.

“He does. I shall take care of that. The watch’s monetary value is high, but much more important is its sentimental value. It is irreplaceable.”

“I apologise for my bold question,” Mrs Gardiner interjected, “but I wonder how Mr Wickham was able to steal the watch from your sister? He declared he had not seen you or her in several years.”

The enquiry clearly took Mr Darcy by surprise.

Disconcerted, he paused for a moment, looked at Elizabeth, then said, “Wickham lies with every breath. He saw my sister last summer in Ramsgate. My sister’s companion, Mrs Younge, was seemingly a close friend of Wickham’s, and their acquaintance continued even after I forbade Wickham from having anything to do with my family.

As soon as I found out, I dismissed her, but she had caused enough damage already.

I have no proof yet, but Mrs Younge must have been involved in the theft. ”

“What a terrible story! To be surrounded by people you cannot trust and betrayed by those you confided in. If they are at fault, they certainly deserve harsh punishment!” Mrs Gardiner said.

“I blame myself for being too forgiving for too long. I shall certainly not persist in this mistake. Our good fortune was Miss Elizabeth’s perceptiveness.”

“We are grateful for this positive outcome,” Mr Gardiner concluded. “Even more so as it offered us the opportunity to finally make your acquaintance, Mr Darcy, since we have heard so much about you.”

“Not too many good things, I assume, and for sound reasons,” he replied, attempting a smile that puzzled Elizabeth.

“No, not many good things,” Mr Gardiner admitted, half in jest. “But we have just begun to form our own opinion, which is quite favourable, Mr Darcy.”

“I am pleased to hear that, sir,” Mr Darcy said, casting a quick look at Elizabeth.

The rest of the visit passed in pleasant conversation, and in a little over half an hour, Mr Darcy took his leave.

“If I am not asking too much, could I call again in a few days?” their guest enquired.

“It would be a great pleasure and honour, Mr Darcy,” Mr Gardiner said.

“Excellent. I might bring a friend next time if you do not mind,” the gentleman added, glancing at Elizabeth again.

“Not at all, Mr Darcy. Any friend of yours is welcome in our home,” Mrs Gardiner assured him.

He thanked them again, bowed, and left, while the family debated his visit until dinner time.