Page 8 of Searching for Elizabeth
“No, no, nothing like that.” Darcy tried to look pleasant. “Yesterday, when I asked you if I could call on Miss Elizabeth, you told me that, for now, she is living with the Phillips. But when I called on Mrs. Phillips, she denied that your daughter was there, and she seemed entirely unaware of any plan for her to live there. I know you to be an honorable man, Mr. Bennet—” although, Darcy thought to himself, it was a hope, not sure knowledge “—so I have to admit that I am mystified at myinability to ascertain where the young lady is residing so Imaycall upon her.”
Mr. Bennet frowned. “What are your intentions towards my daughter?”
Darcywas sitting very upright, already, but he stiffened a bit more at the question. “My intentions are honorable. I find Miss Elizabeth everything lovely, and I would like to get to know her better, to see if we suit. If we decide we do, I would make her an offer of marriage.”
Mr. Bennet looked surprised, which in itself was surprising, and he just stared during a substantial pause. Finally, he said, “Well, Mr. Darcy, I am afraid I have bad news for you, sir.”
Hisjaw clenched,Darcy’s stomach dropped, and he shut his eyes against the agony of her father saying the wordsbad news. Was Elizabeth badly injured?Surely notdead?
Mr. Bennet must have read the despair on Darcy’s face and swiftly said, “Oh! Not that kind of bad news! Apologies. I just meant that I do not know where Lizzy is.”
“You do not know?”
“No, I am not sure of her location. She left yesterday with her trunk, and I believed that she was walking to her aunt’s house. Later, you put a bee in that lady’s bonnet, and when I realized that I did not know where Lizzy had gone, I also realized that you had alerted the biggest gossip in Merytontomy lack of knowledge about her whereabouts.”
Darcy just stared at the man. He was contemplating how to answer what sounded like an accusation, but the long silence was too much for Mr. Bennet. With sarcasm in every syllable, Mr. Bennet finally said,“So, thanks for that.”
“Sir,” and Darcy could hear that his voice had gotten softer and gone down in pitch, “you told me that Miss Elizabeth was living at her aunt’s house. You were very specific, you gave the name Phillips, you said her uncle was a solicitor, and you even explained that she lived close to the center of Meryton.” He pinched the top of his nose, feeling a slight headache coming on. “Naturally, since I informed you that I wished to call on Miss Elizabeth, I went to that house. It is not my fault that she was not there, nor is it my fault that you directed me to someone who loves to gossip.”
Elizabeth’s father seemed to deflate. “Quite,” he said. He shuffled a few papers around on his desk and then repeated, “Quite.”
“Since you do not know where Miss Elizabeth is, might I ask what you have done so far to attempt to locate her?”
“Locate her?” Mr. Bennet asked.
Darcy was perplexed. “Yes! I could help you look for her. What if she is injured or in need somewhere?”
Mr. Bennet winced and said, “I just thought she was being independent and impertinent, not following what I asked her to do.”
“And you say she walked? Whilst carrying a trunk?”
“She is not of your social circle, sir,” Mr. Bennet said. He sounded a little sniveling, like a child making excuses for a misdeed. He went on, “She does not have very many clothes, and her trunk is quite small.”
Darcy stood. “So I am to understand that your 20-year-old daughter left here, alone and on foot, with all of her earthly possessions, and she simply disappeared, and you have no ideawhere she went. And that you are making zero effort to discover where she is or what, if anything, befell her?”
Perhaps Mr. Bennet did not like being towered over while he was being scolded, for he also stood. However, Darcy was taller by four or five inches, so he still looked down on the older man.
Who, it turned out, did not try to answer Darcy’s question.
Not answering was, Darcy supposed, a tacit agreement with his summary of the situation, and Darcy asked, “May I ask what precipitated Miss Elizabeth’s leaving of her home?”
“No, actually, you may not!”
Darcy bowed minimally, with no farewell, and he saw himself out. Since Mr. Bennet did not follow him, Darcy closed the door to the book room and looked into the parlor. He sawMiss Maryand cocked his head as if he was pointing to the front door.
Miss Maryseemed to understand, although she did not immediately rise.
Darcy went out the front door and hovered nearby, hoping thatMiss Marywould come talk to him.
She did.
“I am hoping you are the one person who knows where Miss Elizabeth is,” Darcy said. He thought he would lead with a statement, not a question, because he was not sure thatMiss Marywould answer any questions.
Miss Marynodded, which Darcy took to mean that she did know her sister’s location.
“I prayshe is somewhere indoors, out of the chilly weather and nighttime freeze. Somewhere with a fireplace and wood or coal?”
Miss Marynodded again, so Darcy continued: “I hopeshe has access to food and drinks.”
