“Good God! So it is,” Daniel exclaimed, but Rachel was less concerned. “Surely, Mama, he will not be able to appear uninvited at Ashford Park and continue his advances to Virginia in Mr Bingley’s house?”
“I am sorry to have to say, Miss Rachel, that he is quite capable of doing exactly that. He will use his charm to get himself invited, and if Virginia wishes to see him, Mr and Mrs Bingley may not have any reason to object, since they know nothing that discredits him,” said Daniel.
Caroline agreed. “And we must remember that Mr Bingley is not in the best of health and Jane is unlikely to have a great deal of time to be entertaining visitors, so Fraser will spend most of his time with Virginia. It is most unsatisfactory, and yet there is very little we can do about it. I have already sent a note with this information to Lizzie, and we can only hope that they can intervene in some way to thwart his schemes.”
The arrival of the maid with tea and scones, and the eagerness with which Daniel and Rachel, who’d eaten nothing since breakfast, reached for the food brought an abrupt end to the discussion and a concentration upon more pleasurable pursuits. Caroline was especially happy to hear Daniel’s praise for the little church at Riversleigh.
“I was enthralled. Never have I seen such a treasure in a small parish church, nor have I seen a church so happily situated in its environment,” he said, and Caroline was keen to agree.
“Riversleigh is a beautiful old church, even without its superb altarpiece; I am so very sorry to see it neglected. I cannot think why; the rectory is very comfortable, too. I believe Mr Darcy had it refurbished some years ago for the last incumbent. It’s a great pity that it has remained unoccupied for almost two years because the congregation is too small to support a clergyman with a family if he has no other income.”
“Cassy did say the living was not very valuable, but having seen Riversleigh, I would have to disagree. I would say with that church, in its exquisite setting, it should be one of the most sought after parishes in the county,” replied Daniel.
Caroline laughed and said, “What a pity you are not a clergyman, Daniel. I am sure Mr Darcy would have been delighted to appoint you to the living.”
At this, Daniel laughed too, but not as much as he might have been expected to in the circumstances. Indeed he had reddened and looked rather embarrassed. Perhaps, thought Rachel, as she went to get more tea and scones, he was not very amused by ecclesiastical banter. She recalled his rather stern reaction to her remark about walking on water. Surely it wasn’t possible that Daniel Faulkner was stuffy about religion? She pondered the question as she poured out his tea, and when he smiled and thanked her so nicely, she discarded the thought right away.
* * *
Meanwhile at Pemberley, the evening brought an unexpected and far more intractable development. Georgiana had received a letter, delivered to the door by a rider come from Ashford Park. On opening it, she found within a note from her daughter, Virginia, announcing her engagement to Mr Adam Fraser.
At first, Georgiana was so surprised that she stood in the hall, the note in her hand, unable to say a word, until Elizabeth called to her, “Georgiana my dear, what is it?”
When she returned to the drawing room, Georgiana, walking as if in a dream, brought the note to her sister-in-law and said, “There, I always knew Mr Fraser was not as bad as everyone said he might be. He is an honourable man after all. I should have wished, however, that he had approached me first; I am Virginia’s mother, even though she is nearly thirty years old. I should have been asked first.”
Completely bewildered by her words, Elizabeth reached for her glasses to read the note.
My dear Mama, wrote Virginia in a bold hand.
Earlier this afternoon, Mr Adam Fraser, who had called on us yesterday and again this morning, made me an offer of marriage, and I have accepted him.
We are engaged, and I hope you will wish us happiness.
I am writing this now, and Mr Fraser will arrange to have it carried to Pemberley tonight, because I shall have to tell Mr and Mrs Bingley tomorrow morning, before Mr Fraser arrives to take me to Derby to choose a ring. I do hope they will not make a great fuss and refuse to let me go with him. I do believe that I am well able to look after myself and shall say so, if need be.
Mr Fraser wishes to apologise for not having applied to you first, but as he said, he wanted to assure himself that I would accept him and so asked me first. After that, there was little more to be said, except to inform you of our engagement.
Please convey the news to my uncle and aunt Darcy; I know they will both wish me happy. Do you suppose we ought be married at Pemberley? Would that not be a good thing, since Papa and you were also married there?
Your loving daughter, Virginia.
Elizabeth was not just struck by the sheer insouciance of Virginia’s note and the sentiments it conveyed; she was almost as astonished by the coolness with which Georgiana appeared to receive the news.
When having read it through twice, she handed it to her husband, and she wondered how he would respond, when only that morning he had listened to a recital of Fraser’s misdemeanours and reached the conclusion that he needed to persuade his sister to treat this man with a greater degree of caution and urge her daughter to do likewise.
Mr Darcy’s countenance gave little away while he perused Virginia’s note; he was not entirely surprised by her news, but he had been astonished by his sister’s ready acceptance of it.
When Elizabeth asked, “What can we do?” he replied, “Nothing, my dear.Fraser has proposed to Virginia, and she has accepted him. Not only is she thirty years old and well able to make such a decision, it would appear that her mother has no objection to it. Am I not right, Georgiana?”
With the question addressed directly to her, Georgiana appeared uncomfortable and took a while to answer. When she did, her response included an explanation which Elizabeth found to be puerile. “I know that you do not all approve of Mr Fraser, but I do not believe that anyone can understand, who has not been in my position, the anxiety that I feel about Virginia’s situation. Whilst ever I am here to ensure that she is provided for, she will be all right, but there is no certainty in life, and if I were to die and Virginia were still unwed, who would care for her?”
Elizabeth was about to ask why Virginia, who was thirty years old and would surely inherit a good portion of Georgiana’s considerable fortune, would need someone to care for her, but seeing Mr Darcy’s sceptical expression, she held back and let Georgiana continue. “Perhaps I have not been as strict with Virginia as I was with my older children; it may be that Francis and I both indulged her a little, being our youngest child; whatever it was, I know that she has not the capacity for discrimination and judgment that I would have hoped for. She needs the guiding hand of a husband, and if she has chosen to accept Mr Fraser’s offer of marriage, I do not see how I can countermand it.”
Mr Darcy’s voice was grave when he asked, “And you are content to trust Mr Fraser to provide that guiding hand for your daughter?”
Georgiana looked somewhat discomposed. “I do not know that I do, but if Virginia does, how should I object?”
To her amazement, Elizabeth then heard her husband say, “Very well then, if that is what you and Virginia both want, you may tell her that if she wishes to marry at the Pemberley Church, she may do so. You will need to ask her brother Frank to marry them.”
Georgiana was overjoyed. She had expected much more in the way of objections to the match and had been quite surprised that her brother had agreed to the wedding at the Pemberley Church. She could not quite understand how it had come about, but was glad it had turned out as it had. She was not going to ask any questions.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, had to know and later that night, when they were alone, she asked her husband the question that he had known all evening was coming. “Darcy, am I mistaken or did you decide not to tell Georgiana all that Caroline and Daniel have revealed about Fraser, because you believe
d it was too late?”
His expression was quite serious when he answered, “You are partly right, my love; I had intended to speak to Georgiana and reveal all we had learned about Fraser, but when I saw Virginia’s letter, I realised not only that we were too late, but that I should only be making my sister even more miserable than she is, with all those dreadful tales about the man who is to marry her daughter. What good would it do? Virginia is old enough to make her own decisions and she has just made what I consider to be a bad one. Why should I make her mother suffer for it, eh, Lizzie?”
Elizabeth asked, “Have you no concern for Virginia? If she marries this man and he is in truth such a man as he is reputed to be, what hope has she of happiness?”
“Very little, I would have to say, but, Lizzie, there are times when people do things that are impossible to unravel. At the risk of arousing memories painful to you, my dear, may I remind you of the debacle of the elopement of your sister Lydia and Wickham? I would have given anything to undo what had happened, but the fatal step had been taken by them, and all that was left for me to do was to ensure they did not, by their rash behaviour, destroy your happiness and mine as well. To that end, I did all I could to get them to the altar, although I knew there was no certainty of happiness in their marriage. Your uncle Mr Gardiner agreed with me, and we were both to be proved right. But what alternative was there? Let us at least be thankful that Fraser has not persuaded Virginia to elope!”
Elizabeth understood, but was no less depressed by the situation. “I still cannot help thinking this is a dreadful result. If Virginia were our daughter, how should we feel?”
“I thank God she is not, Lizzie, but sadly, I think her father’s illness in the last few years and Georgiana’s concentration upon her husband has deprived Virginia of the guidance she needed, making her rely upon her own judgment,” said Darcy.
Elizabeth was scathing. “Which is clearly deficient, as has been amply demonstrated by her actions and that letter! I fear I can see nothing but misery flowing from this decision.”
Her husband was more hopeful. Putting an arm around her, he advised, “Do not upset yourself, my love. Since it is not a matter that we can influence, it is best left to run its course. Sleep on it, Lizzie; it may not look quite so bad in the morning. Better still, either Virginia or Mr Fraser may have suffered a change of mind,” he said.
“You cannot be serious,” said Lizzie. “I do not doubt that Mr Fraser has calculated that he will benefit considerably from this match and is unlikely to change his mind.”
Mr Darcy’s voice had a hint of laughter. “No, but Virginia might, when she discovers she will be moving to live in New South Wales. He has no home here; all his prospects, such as they are, lie on the other side of the globe!”
But, on the morrow, no such redeeming change appeared. Instead a note was received from Jane.
Dearest Lizzie,
I have the most extraordinary news. Virginia and Mr Fraser are engaged and gone to Derby to purchase a ring. Virginia told us this morning at breakfast that she had accepted an offer of marriage from Mr Fraser and they hoped to be married in the very near future.
She says she has already written to her mother to give her the news.
Jane was clearly discomfited and Lizzie felt for her sister, since Virginia had been the Bingleys’ guest when this engagement had come about. She was sure Jane would feel responsible and miserable with it, fearful that Georgiana would blame her for what had happened at Ashford Park. “Should I go to Jane and reassure her?” Elizabeth asked. “She is plainly unhappy and probably feels she will be blamed for this mess.”
Her husband was not certain that the situation called for Elizabeth, who had been recently unwell, to travel twenty miles to comfort her sister about a decision made by her guest, but he did not wish to sound uncaring. Besides, he was genuinely concerned that Mr and Mrs Bingley, for whom he had a great deal of affection, should not be put upon by Virginia and Mr Fraser. So he offered to go himself.
“It is I who should go, or rather it is Georgiana who should go, and I shall accompany her. This mess, as you call it, Lizzie, is nothing to do with you or Jane or Bingley. It is Virginia who has decided to marry Fraser, and her mother should go to Ashford Park, meet the couple, and give them her blessing, if she so desires. I shall send for the carriage, Lizzie, if you would please inform Georgiana that we shall be leaving at half past ten.”
After they had left, Elizabeth sat at her writing desk in the morning room and wrote to Caroline.
My dearest Caroline,
There is no easy way for me to give you the bad news, for despite the best efforts of yourself and Daniel Faulkner and the avowed intention of Mr Darcy to reveal to his sister the truth about Mr Fraser, we learned last night that Virginia has already accepted his offer of marriage. Indeed, at this very moment we believe the pair have gone to Derby to purchase an engagement ring.
Incredible as it may seem, Georgiana, who learned of the engagement from a note sent by Virginia from Ashford Park, will accept him as her son-in-law, and in view of this, Mr Darcy has agreed to let them marry at the Pemberley Church.
He and Georgiana have only just left to travel to Ashford Park to meet the pair and reassure poor Jane that she is not to blame for this, although it does appear that Fraser has cunningly managed to invite himself to Ashford House in order to propose to Virginia.
It is, to my mind, the worst of all possible outcomes, for we know nothing good about the man, and yet Mr Darcy seems to believe that since Virginia is thirty years old and has an independent mind, she should be permitted to make her own decision even if it is unarguably the wrong one. It is an assertion that is quite incomprehensible to me, but there is nothing I can do.
I am sorry, Caroline, I find it difficult to say more at this time except to apologise to you and to Mr Faulkner for failing to accomplish what I promised I would do when you visited us yesterday. It seems that, on this occasion, we have been defeated. Our good intentions have been trumped by Stupidity! Please be so kind as to convey my regrets to Daniel Faulkner also.
I trust you and Rachel are well; how thankful you must be that she is such a sweet, sensible young woman. She must be a real comfort to you.
Your loving cousin,
Lizzie
Caroline’s discomposure on reading Lizzie’s letter was immeasurable. It was, to her, beyond belief that Georgiana Grantley could have accepted, without objection or any attempt to disabuse her daughter about his character and reputation, the man she had decided to marry. That Virginia’s own disposition was so contrary made no difference; she was not much older than Rachel, and Caroline could not imagine that she could have been half as sanguine had her daughter done something similar.
In the absence of anyone else, Caroline expressed her sense of frustration to Daniel Faulkner, who had arrived that morning to take tea with them and view Colonel Fitzwilliam’s collection of artifacts from the Asian colonies.
While Rachel had gone to order tea, Caroline complained of Georgiana’s inaction.
“Could she not have, at the very least, sat her daughter down and talked to her about the risks implicit in marrying such a man and moving to the other side of the world? I am not certain that Virginia understands what she will face if she marries Fraser and goes with him to New South Wales.”
Daniel agreed. “If one were to hazard a guess on the basis of Fraser’s past conduct, he is unlikely to have troubled her with any details of life in the colony. The young lady is probably unaware that life can be exceedingly hard for women, most particularly those who are unaccustomed to doing their own housework. Unless they have a good deal of money to spend on hiring trained servants, who are not easy to come by, Miss Grantley will find life on a sheep station very different to her present situation,” he explained, and his words did nothing to alleviate Caroline’s melancholy mood.
Unused to admitting failure, she suffered badly from the knowledge that nothing she could do or say wo
uld change what was about to happen at Pemberley.
Reading Lizzie’s letter again, she drew some comfort from her reference to Rachel. Caroline had never been concerned about Rachel, only because Rachel had always been a model child who, except for being somewhat accident prone, had given her parents no anxiety whatsoever. So much so, they had assumed she would always be there and for almost thirty years she had been: reliable, steady, always predictable.
Since the colonel’s death, Caroline had come to depend upon Rachel for company, and Rachel, who had been something of a solitary soul, had responded warmly to her mother’s need. Those who knew them well understood the closeness of their relationship had been born of their mutual desire for companionship and comfort since the death of a beloved husband and father.
In the last few days, Caroline had noticed an almost imperceptible change in her daughter. Concerned with Virginia and Mr Fraser, it had slipped past her unnoticed until last evening, when Daniel Faulkner was bidding them good night.
Rachel had agreed earlier to show him her father’s collection, and for a brief moment, as he turned to Rachel and told her he was looking forward to seeing her on the morrow, Caroline noticed an expression on her daughter’s face that she recognised, because she knew exactly what it meant, and Caroline’s romantic heart was riven, unable to decide if she should rejoice or weep. It was quite clear to her then that Rachel, whether she knew it not, was falling in love.
Chapter Ten
The news of Virginia’s engagement to Fraser, though it did disturb Rachel, did not distract her from her mission, which was to lay out and explain some of her father’s amazing collection of exotic artifacts to the only person who had expressed any interest in them in years.
Legacy of Pemberley (The Pemberley Chronicles; Pride and Prejudice Sequel Series) Page 25
