“I shall learn not to question your judgment. Here, shall I open the comfits for you?”
“Only if you will share them with me.”
“If you insist.” She opened the box and passed it back to Elizabeth.
The faintly purple disks filled the room with a sweet perfume. She took one and popped it in her mouth. “I confess I had been recently considering how much I would enjoy something sweet. Thank you so much for coming to call.” She held the open box toward her visitor.
Georgiana took one, put it in her mouth, and fell suspiciously silent. Long after the lozenge would have disappeared, the stillness lingered, becoming increasingly oppressive.
Kitty had worn that expression far too often to mistake it. “Forgive me, Miss Darcy, but I cannot escape the impression that there is something you would like to say, but are reluctant.”
The young girl wrung her hands. “Well, yes, that is true. It is difficult to know where to begin, though.”
“At the beginning?”
“I know that is good advice; I am just not sure where this begins.”
“I am intrigued. If you would be so good as to help me adjust my pillows that I might recline a bit more easily, I shall be prepared to listen to however complex a tale you have to share.”
Georgiana rose and fluffed her pillows, easing Elizabeth into a far more comfortable attitude.
“Thank you, that is far more agreeable. Now, your story?”
Sitting back in her seat, Georgiana returned to wringing her hands. “Yes, my story. I suppose, I must begin with an apology. If you do not already know, you will soon, I played a role in your current situation with my brother.”
Elizabeth’s eyebrows rose. “I imagine you want to explain that a bit further? It does not signify that you would come all this way for so simple a confession, then leave.”
Georgiana giggled. “I suppose so.” She chewed her lower lip. “I just hope you will not be very angry at me, and that perhaps, you might…”
“Might what?”
“Might understand, just a little bit, and even…even…oh!” She blinked furiously and fished a handkerchief out of her reticule.
What was troubling her so?
“My brother can be so difficult, I know. But that is not who he really is. I want so much for him to be happy, but for that to happen, he needs you to love him or at least like him very well. I want you to like him, for I love him so dearly. I want you to know what a good man he is, even if he can be utterly maddening at times. But I am afraid you will not…you will not listen to me…or you will be angry at me for my own foolishness and blame him for my mistakes instead of seeing how very well he has taken care of me…” She sniffled and pressed the handkerchief to her face.
The poor dear would soon be beside herself. She certainly felt very deeply for her brother and that was to his credit. A girl like Miss Darcy would not admire him so much if he were truly as hard as he sometimes appeared. What could have happened to affect her so?
“Please, I am happy to listen to whatever you wish to tell me.” Elizabeth smoothed the sheets over her lap.
“My brother and Cousin Richard have been my guardians since our father died. They have tried so hard to care for me. They have been so good to me.” She chewed her knuckle briefly, then in rapid, hushed words poured out a tale of secret assignations in Ramsgate which then led to a near elopement more fitting for a novel than a proper young lady of the ton. ”It all happened just before he went to Hertfordshire with Mr. Bingley. That is why he was so very cross, I think. And it was made even worse when he saw Mr. Wickham there as well.”
“I am afraid I do not understand, what has Mr. Wickham to do with—”
“Oh,” Georgiana blinked, “did I not say? It was Mr. Wickham who, who…” she sniffled and covered her face with her hands.
Elizabeth gasped and pressed her hand to her mouth. “Gracious, I had no idea. He was so very—”
“Pleasing when you met him?”
“Yes, yes quite so.” Elizabeth swallowed hard. How could she have been so foolish as to have believed Mr. Wickham so entirely when he railed against Mr. Darcy. Her cheeks heated.
“So many do, so do not berate yourself for it. But I fear that he may have said things about my dear brother…” Georgiana’s brow knit.
“I…I cannot repeat the things that he said. I am ashamed—”
“That you believed him?”
Elizabeth screwed her eyes shut. “I should have never—”
Georgiana touched her hand. “I know too well how very persuasive he can be. Do not blame yourself. It is no wonder that you would have easily believed whatever calumny he might have spoken, particularly when my brother had already deported himself so infamously.”
Even so, it was no excuse. She had been far too ready to accept Mr. Wickham’s allegations with no proof to support them. Charlotte and Jane had tried to warn her, but no, she had been too proud to listen, for clearly she knew better. What an excellent judge of character she was! Oh, it was too much to be borne! She covered her face with her hands. What other mistakes—had she been equally wrong in her understanding of Mr. Darcy?
Elizabeth peeked up and met Georgiana’s anxious gaze.
“I am sorry to have upset you. I can see that I have. But Fitzwilliam regards you so highly. Please forgive me if I have been too forward. I only wanted you to know what kind of man holds you in such esteem.” Georgiana wrung her handkerchief until she could wrench it no further.
“I can see how much you care for him to share something so very personal with me. Thank you. I can see he takes his duty as your protector very seriously.”
“No,” Georgiana’s hands shook in her lap. “I mean yes, he is, but there is so much more than that and that is what I am trying to convey. You see, after it all happened he would have been well in his rights to be so very angry with me, to treat me—”
“As he does Theo?” Elizabeth whispered.
“Yes…no, that is not at all what I mean. He has been so very kind and patient with me. He does not hold my transgressions against me, when I have been such a fool.” She screwed her eyes shut and turned her face down. “If only I could convey to you how very good he has been to me when I have not at all deserved it.”
“I am pleased to hear of his kindness to you. I am afraid that leaves me all the more confused though.”
“Because he and Theo are at odds with one another?” Georgiana peeked up.
“It does seem difficult to reconcile the two very different images you present.”
She shrugged. “I am not Theo.”
“I do not have the pleasure of understanding you.”
“Do you believe the tension between them is solely of Fitzwilliam’s making?”
Elizabeth sucked in a sharp breath. “I…I cannot say I have given the matter a great deal of thought.”
“Then allow me to assure you, they both carry their share of fault.”
“Is not Mr. Darcy rather resentful—”
“Oh heavens, no! I do not find him resentful at all.” Georgiana chewed her lip and looked up at the ceiling. “I understand he appears so, but the truth is far more complex. I believe what appears to be resentment is his own frustration with himself for being unable to manage and fix everything for everyone in his circle.”
“And Theo?”
“Oh, Theo, my dear, dear brother. I know he is so much easier to like and keep company with. Theo is a delight, and I owe him nearly as much as I owe Fitzwilliam, do not mistake that. But, he is far from perfect…and that is perhaps the problem.”
Elizabeth leaned in a little closer. “I do not—”
“Fitzwilliam is a difficult role model to follow. He is successful in nearly everything he attempts—”
“Except mixing in society—”
“Except for that. In many ways it is his only fault. I know Theo has suffered in comparison to Fitzwilliam, in school, among the family. He…” Georgiana plucked at her skirt
. “Oh, please do not think ill of me, I do not wish to criticize either of my brothers.”
“I understand, I have four sisters remember.”
“Yes, I had forgotten. Then perhaps it will make sense that Theo has always resented the comparisons to Fitzwilliam.”
“My younger sisters do get tired of being told of Jane’s beauty and of failing by comparison to her graceful manners and gentle temper.”
Georgiana sat up straighter. “Yes, yes! Exactly. Do they ever speak harshly or teasingly to Miss Bennet because of it?”
Elizabeth’s brow furrowed. “Yes, I suppose they do.”
“That is exactly the case with Theo. He has always delighted in vexing Fitzwilliam, I think because he is tired of being told how perfect his brother is. And lacking Miss Jane Bennet’s disposition, Fitzwilliam—”
“Becomes defensive, angry and even critical?”
“That is exactly it. So you can understand why I feared you might not fully understand?”
“Perfectly. I…thank you for taking the time to explain so much. I have much to consider.” Was that the right thing to say to someone who had just shown you what an utter fool you have been? Elizabeth hoped it was good enough.
“You are very gracious, Miss Bennet. Thank you. I should go now. I fear I may have overstayed my welcome.”
“No, no, not at all. I am glad you have come. But I think you are right, I am tired. Please thank Miss de Bourgh for the lavender.”
“I will. She will be pleased to know you liked it.” Georgiana curtsied and ducked out of the room.
Elizabeth drew her knees up under the sheet and wrapped her good arm around her legs. How could she have been so utterly mistaken about this man who had offered her marriage? And what was she to do about it now?
*****
Elizabeth might be recovering well, a fact for which Darcy was eminently grateful, but with the concern about her health receding, his worries about whether she would finally accept his offer had returned. He was not feeling optimistic. Elizabeth had seemed pleased when he and Theo had called on her together, displaying their tentative reconciliation, but she had spoken mostly to Theo, and her aunt only allowed them a few minutes with her.
“Lizzy needs her rest,” said Mrs. Gardiner. “Only yesterday she was delirious with fever, and she has also had a long visit from your sister earlier.”
Darcy returned the next day, in hopes of a favorable reception, but while Elizabeth was pleasant enough to him, she seemed to be avoiding his eyes. Apparently reconciling with Theo had not changed her view of him. But there was little he could say, since her sister remained in the room as a chaperone. Finally, after half an hour of painfully stilted conversation, he could no longer bear it.
“I must ask you if I have in some way offended you.”
Finally, Elizabeth looked at him, her brows drawn. “No, sir, you have not.”
“You seem uncomfortable with my presence.” From the corner of his eyes, he could see Jane Bennet smiling encouragingly at him and nodding. At least someone seemed to approve of him.
“It is not you. It is…” She moved her hands around vaguely. “Everything.”
“Everything?”
She looked down at the counterpane, picking at it with her fingers. “I am aware I have misjudged you, and much of what I thought I knew of you is not true. I am not proud of that.”
Jane ostentatiously placed one of her hands over the other.
A month ago, Darcy would have ignored her hint as impudent and improper. Now he saw it for the kindness it was, and he was willing to take whatever help he was given. Tentatively he reached out and laid his hand over Elizabeth’s. A rush of pleasure filled him as she tightened her fingers around his. How beautifully her hand fit in his! The delirious sensation of her skin against his momentarily robbed him of words, forcing him to struggle to put his thoughts together.
“The fault is more mine than yours. I did not make it easy for you to know me.”
Her fine eyes lacked their usual sparkle when she finally raised them. “It was not only that Mr. Wickham told me lies about you. I believed him, for no better reason than that I wished to soothe my injured pride. There. Now you know how weak I can be.”
He felt a smile grow on his face. “Is that all? If you believe it will make me think less of you, it will not. I have had years to learn that everyone always believes George Wickham, at least at first. Sometimes, I have wondered whether he might be possessed of the black arts, given his apparent ability to convince anyone of anything. You had no reason to disbelieve him, and he is extraordinarily persuasive.”
“It does not trouble you that I believed him?”
“As long as you do not still do so, I am content. I should have warned you about him when he first came to Meryton. Your belief in him is just punishment for my pride in saying nothing of the history of our connection.”
Elizabeth squeezed his fingers again. “Thank you for understanding.”
Jane set aside her book. “If you will excuse me, I must check on my cousins. I will return shortly.”
“Of course,” Darcy said. Bingley just might have been correct when he said Jane Bennet was an angel. As she left the room, he turned back to Elizabeth. “Is there anything else troubling you?”
She bit her lip. “Nothing to speak of. I still dislike being told I have no choice about this engagement, but as Jane says, none of us can choose to abstain indefinitely from eating, either. That does not mean food is not enjoyable, or that we would not choose to eat it if we could. I am trying to bring myself around to that way of thinking, but I fear it is in my nature to resent compulsion.”
“I hope you know that, despite my wishes, I would not have chosen to force the issue in such a way.” He held his breath waiting for her response.
To his relief, Elizabeth smiled. “Yes, you are fully acquitted on that count.”
Thank heavens for that! “While I am making great progress with understanding my brother better, I admit I am still angry with my cousin, Anne, for locking us in at Rosings. Theo has done more than his share of annoying pranks, but that was all they were—annoying. I am thankful he was not the one who put you in the situation of being obliged to marry.”
Elizabeth laughed ruefully. “Yes, Anne may take all the credit; she told me about it herself and seems quite proud of her success.”
“There are moments when I could almost sympathize with my aunt’s desire to keep Anne in a more compliant state!” Darcy shook his head. “My cousin is quite the liability. This evening we are due to attend the theater with her, and she has had a vast deal to say upon the subject—and the performance—before she has set foot in the building!”
Elizabeth smiled. “Can you imagine the arguments the two of them will have now? Rosings Park may not be large enough for two such opinionated women! I suppose I should be grateful Pemberley is so far from Kent.”
Darcy sucked in his breath. Did she realize what she had just admitted? “I hope Pemberley will suit you in all ways.”
She gave another rueful smile, acknowledging his point. “All I know of Pemberley comes from Miss Bingley, though my aunt tells me the grounds are particularly lovely.”
“Your aunt?” Not the horrible Mrs. Philips from Meryton, please God!
“Yes, Mrs. Gardiner spent her youth only a few miles from Pemberley, and speaks of it fondly.”
“Did she? Where did she live?”
“In a small village called Lambton. You would not have known her; she was merely the doctor’s daughter, not part of the gentry.” There was a touch of bitterness in Elizabeth’s tone. “I hope that will not be an embarrassment for you.”
“Not at all.” He hesitated, then plunged in. “Perhaps we could invite your aunt and uncle to come to Pemberley at Christmas.” He would happily invite the entire populace of Hertfordshire to Pemberley if Elizabeth was willing to marry him.
“I think…” she said slowly, then straightened her shoulders and smiled. “I thin
k I would like that very much.”
*****
Elizabeth woke the next day feeling well rested for the first time in ages. Mr. Darcy had promised to call upon her again on the following morning, and she was determined to show him a marked improvement when he did. As such, though she felt sufficiently well to get out of bed and submit to the maid’s ablutions, she allowed Jane to help her into a simple dress to accommodate her bandages. Then, she then lay back on top of the counterpane under Mrs. Gardiner’s watchful eye as Jane took her usual place on a chair at her side.
The sudden clang of the doorbell drew her aunt from the room, but raised voices shortly followed, and to Elizabeth’s surprise the door flew open to reveal Lady Catherine de Bourgh who swept in, closing the door with a snap on the anxious face of Mrs. Gardiner.
“That is your sister, I suppose,” the lady began.
“Yes. Jane, permit me to introduce Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy’s aunt. Lady Catherine, this is my eldest sister, Jane, who is to marry Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy’s friend.”
“I suppose that is a suitable match, since both families have connections to trade. Though I understand you bring little to the match beyond the clothes on your back.”
Jane blushed, at a loss to know how to answer, completely unaccustomed to being addressed in this manner.
“Since Mr. Bingley has no objection, I hardly think that concerns anyone else, Lady Catherine,” said Elizabeth. She waved a hand towards an armchair. “Do please be seated.”
Lady Catherine threw the chair a scathing look before perching upon it, smoothing her skirts and then raising her chin as she met Elizabeth’s eye.
“This is a better house than I would have expected,” she said. “Though situated as it is in a commercial district, it must experience an unpleasant amount of traffic.”
“Coming as I do from the country, I find I enjoy the hustle and bustle of town,” said Jane, making an effort to be agreeable.
Lady Catherine did not deign to reply. She sat silently, looking about the room as if to find fault.
The Darcy Brothers Page 25
