Page 27 of The Governess of My Heart
“I am truly sorry to hear what happened and so angry with your parents. How could they do this to you?” Mrs. Gardiner cried with equal emotion.
Charlotte did not intervene. She realized something was amiss with Elizabeth’s return, and Elizabeth fought hard and controlled her tears. All she wanted was answers from her aunt.
“How are you here?” she asked her aunt.
“I returned along with the children yesterday. There was a letter waiting for me from your friend, and I cannot explain how I felt understanding what transpired in Longbourn. Lizzy! I am truly sorry. We should not have trusted them.”
“I have been most anxious to see you since I learned the truth. Please tell me what happened to my mother and who my father is.”
“Whatever you heard from your parents is true. You were born to Edward’s youngest sister, Sarah.”
“Is she truly dead?”
“Yes! I am so sorry to say this,” Mrs. Gardiner said with regret.
“What about my father? They had so many accusations about my mother. They said she was unmarried when she was pregnant with me.”
Mrs. Gardiner looked at her niece with sadness.
“Lizzy, everything I say now is what I have learned from your uncle. Your grandfather, Mr. Stephen Gardiner, was an established tradesman in town. He raised his three children by himself, as your grandmother passed away soon after her youngest was born.”
Elizabeth listened with intent.
“Your mother, Sarah, was the youngest. Edward told me that his father adored her, and she was Edwards’s favorite sister too. When your mother was around eighteen, your uncle left overseas to learn business. She fell in love with someone in that period, and I do not know the particulars. When he returned, your mother was already with a child. She has refused to disclose who the father was and…”
“So, she was never married?” Elizabeth asked with a quivering voice.
“That is what Edward told me, and unfortunately, she died after your birth. Your grandfather passed away within a month of her demise. Mrs. Bennet was carrying Jane around the same time, andthey offered to raise you as their own.”
“I do not understand. So, Jane is younger than me?”
“Yes, dear!”
“After Jane was born. They established themselves in Hertfordshire, where no one knew them, and it was easy for them to raise you as sisters. Edward was unmarried then; already burdened with the fallen business of your grandfather, he thought it was a wise decision as well. I am not revealing this out of pride, but your uncle bears the expenses for raising you, and your parents have not refused the money we sent to date.”
“You could have revealed this to me at some point,” Elizabeth said with sadness.
“It was done to protect you.”
“Protect me from the truth?”
“To give you a good life with a family, Lizzy, and I never realized they treated you so poorly. I am certain your uncle would be enraged.”
“Please tell me honestly. Did Uncle Gardiner detest my mother because of what she did? I know how my parents feel about her as they were vocal in their sentiments about her disgrace.”
“He felt betrayed. I must be honest. Her condition devasted him. As a brother, you could expect how he felt as she refused to reveal details about your father when she was alive, which angered him. But he sincerely wishes he had done things differently and been more supportive of her needs.”
Tears streamed down Elizabeth’s eyes.
It is true; I was born out of wedlock.
Charlotte held Elizabeth’s hand.
“Lizzy, please do not be upset,” she said, unable to bear her distress.
Elizabeth did not reply. She had always hoped her aunt and uncle would have answers to all the questions about her past, but the harsh reality was that the details her aunt revealed only affirmed everything her parents had said.
“So, this is the truth. Everything my parents said about my mother was true. Does he hate her too?” Elizabeth asked her aunt.
