by J Dawn King
“Do not go, I pray you,” she begged, inherently knowing that distance at this stage of their marriage would not be good for either of them. “Your sister needs you here. Little Jem needs you here. I need you here.”
The look he gave her melted her bones. Any animosity towards his earlier conduct vanished in his glance.
She had examined him the first day they were in the carriage while he slept. Elizabeth had admired his physical handsomeness at the time, believing it was all he had to recommend himself. However, now? It was the man he was within that sparked her heart to its current rapid rhythm. His commitment to those under his care, including herself, was the most attractive aspect of the man.
When his hand came up to cup her cheek, she leaned into his palm. Jane’s letter fell unheeded to the floor.
Then, she leaned towards him. This time, without due consideration, she knew exactly where to place her hands. One went to the side of his neck while the other rested over his pounding heart. Good! His was beating as fast as hers.
His skin was warm to the touch. As her fingers explored that narrow strip above his cravat, he groaned, sending chills from her toes to her heart. Her right hand slid around his torso to rest on his back, the muscles rippling at her touch.
His breath smelled of mint and wine.
As his lips hovered in front of hers, she recalled her mother’s wisdom. Watch out for the man who tantalizes. He is a danger.
Smiling slightly before her lips closed the distance, Elizabeth’s last thought was, ‘Indeed, he is.”
Chapter 11
Passion soared quickly. Darcy was aware of only her, the places where they touched, the scent of her, and the whispered moan as her lips met his. Elizabeth was clinging to him as tightly as he was to her, wrapped in each other’s arms. Therefore, the knock on his study door jolted him to awareness of his surroundings.
It was not until the second series of knocks that he was able to respond. At his ‘enter’, the footman opened the door and Georgiana waltzed into the room, coming to a complete stop when she realized her brother was not alone.
By then, Elizabeth was breathing normally. Darcy attempted to appear as though he had been doing anything other than the activity in which they had actually been engaged. Certainly, his innocent sister could not know what they had been up to.
“William, I need to speak with you,” she glared at Elizabeth. “Privately.”
“Georgiana!” He was stunned at the girl standing in front of him. “What is the meaning of this?”
Instead of the meek, downtrodden sister he had left behind when he went to Hertfordshire, this was a recalcitrant girl recently turned sixteen who was as bold as Brass Crosby when he stood up to the House of Commons during his father’s lifetime.
“Brother,” her head bent in what he now knew was mock humility. “Before you traveled to Mr. Bingley’s estate, you encouraged me to use my time wisely by consulting with Mrs. Reynolds to learn how to properly manage a house. I have done as you asked. Yet, you chose to ignore my efforts to apply your fine counsel by not informing me of your marriage nor your sudden return to Pemberley. In addition, our guests, this Mrs. Mansfield and her child, I do not know them. I have never heard you speak of them. You never tell me anything.”
Despite her voice remaining soft, her words were as sharp as a new sewing needle. Her implication of wrongdoing was far more painful. His first instinct was to defy her small rebellion by reminding her who was master of Pemberley and her guardian. He had not realized his hands had fisted until Elizabeth rested her palm over his whitened knuckles.
Clearing his throat to buy himself enough seconds to regain his composure, he said, “Georgiana, I am pleased to discover you have done as I asked. Whatever education and practice you have gained these past two months will forever be for your benefit.” He was unsurprised when her eyes shot to his. His response was not what she had expected. “With that said, I will remind you that I am fully in charge of my decisions for my personal life and for Pemberley’s holdings.”
“I have never questioned your authority. I am not now.” Georgiana was again looking at the floor.
“Then, what was your intention before you walked into the room, dear sister, for your countenance and your portion of this discussion appears to be a flagrant defiance of all that you formerly held dear. I fear I do not know this girl standing in front of me.”
“Does the new Mrs. Darcy know of my...my struggles?”
“She does not.” He checked to see how Elizabeth was reacting to this strange exchange. He appreciated her calm.
“Then, I beg that you do not tell her anything of Ramsgate, William.” Her chin almost touching her chest, her voice so faint he needed to lean forward to hear.
“Georgie, I will not hold anything back from my wife.” At that his sister’s head snapped up to focus her glare at him. “However, I will not speak of it unless necessary. Now, again I ask, what was your intention when you walked into the room.”
She hesitated a long time before she finally replied. “William, for as long as I recall, you have acted in the same manner. Including mention in your letters from Hertfordshire of a female was odd in itself. When you wrote of Miss Elizabeth, you also spoke of the inferiority of her position in comparison to ours. You even noted the brazen conduct of her mother and younger sisters.”
The hand covering his squeezed almost painfully, yet Elizabeth said nothing in reply to the insults. Her gaze remained fixed upon his sister.
“Therefore, I can only conclude that she has trapped you by either compromise or arts and allurements into a marriage that you truly do not want.” Georgiana’s words were pouring from her without the restraint of polite conversation. “How am I to treat her? Is she an enemy who forced her way into our estate? What was her motive? What was her goal? Was it our wealth she covets or the position of Mistress of Pemberley? I do not know, William. But I cannot welcome her as a sister or your wife if you resent your marriage. I simply cannot!”
The quiet of the room was deafening. Her words roared in his ears. He knew exactly what he wanted to say but had no clue how to do so without making the current situation worse.
He felt the pressure of Elizabeth’s hand as his mind raced to ease his sister’s concerns while sharply correcting her wrong opinions.
He must have taken too long. Elizabeth pulled her hand back. Immediately he felt the loss.
“While I fully comprehend your confusion, Miss Darcy, I will remind you of your place in our home.” Elizabeth stood and stepped around the table to approach Georgiana. “There are several facts of which you should be aware that will relieve your lack of understanding as to how and why I came to be married to your brother. Also, you should know that I have three younger sisters, two are close in age to you. Because of this, I will allow your blatant challenge to my position as Mrs. Darcy this one time only, as I have lived daily with the volatile emotions of someone your age.”
Elizabeth moved to where they were in a triangle so he could see both lady’s faces.
“Miss Darcy,” she waited until Georgiana looked at her directly. “Believe me or not, I had no desire to wed a large estate or a fortune. I had determined from my youth to marry only when there was affection and respect between myself and the gentleman. There were two reasons your brother made his offer and married me quickly, neither of those reasons had anything to do with compromise or arts and allurements. First, he became aware the night before that my father’s cousin intended to propose to me the next morning. Because our estate is entailed with him as the beneficiary, your brother felt the potential loss of me to Mr. Collins as something he would not tolerate. The other motivating factor was Mrs. Mansfield’s distress. He could not retrieve her and her child from London and bring them to Pemberley without having another female along so propriety could be maintained. It simply would not do that an honorable man like your brother could have his character questioned.”
Elizabeth continued, “From this
information you, instead of challenging Will’s decisions, should praise him for seeking the welfare of the wife of a man he long admired, Mr. Mansfield. You should praise him for waiting until he held strong affection for a lady to marry rather than accepting the duty of bringing a woman into your house who would care nothing about him or you. This is now my home, Miss Darcy, and will be until any son we bear is old enough and qualified enough to manage Pemberley when your brother and I retire to the dower house. You will have your debut in a few years where a marriage might be made. At that time, you will no longer live here. I will. It was with this future in mind that he made his offer to me.”
“There was no compromise?” Georgiana’s gaze bounced back and forth between the two of them.
“Absolutely not!” Darcy barked, affronted at the suggestion. “Where did you come up with this idea, Georgie? How could you, a young lady with little experience of the world even know the meaning of the term? I do not understand?”
“I am a woman fully grown, Fitzwilliam.” Georgiana’s chin lifted as she attempted to stare him down.
Darcy felt as if he was looking in a mirror. Had that truly been his posture while in Hertfordshire? Is this the way Elizabeth had seen him? No wonder she despised him, for, at that moment, he did not like his sister at all.
Elizabeth spoke again while he sputtered.
“If you are as you claim, Miss Darcy, then you would never attempt to interfere in a marriage not your own.” The sternness left Elizabeth’s voice. “One of the reasons I looked forward to being Mrs. Darcy was to have you as a sister—one described by your brother as intelligent, gentle, and kind. Thus, I would not miss my eldest sister Jane as much, despite living so far away from my family’s estate. Miss Caroline Bingley spoke of you often in my company. How could I not help but admire an accomplished young lady like Miss Darcy? Why, I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was to meet you.”
“Oh,” Georgiana was nonplussed.
“Unfortunately, rather than acting like my Jane, you put me in mind of my youngest sister, Lydia, who also believes herself to be as you said, ‘fully grown’. In truth, my father calls her a silly, senseless girl. Is this how you want to be referred to by adults who sketch your character?”
“I hate you!” Georgiana stomped her foot, then crossed her arms over her chest.
“You have made your opinion exceedingly clear,” Elizabeth responded calmly. “Nonetheless, you will find I am immune to fits of tempers from little girls.” Stepping closer, Elizabeth stood almost toe-to-toe with his sister. “Know this, I can be the best friend you have ever had should you allow us to come to know each other well. The decision is entirely up to you, Miss Darcy. Until your choice is clear, I will recommend to your brother that he remove you from company, including ours, until you find that kind and loving sister that he left behind two months ago.”
“Her idea is sound, Georgie. You will remain in your room until you recall the good manners you have been trained to have. You are a Darcy. You will, from this moment on, act like one.”
Once she flounced out of the room, Darcy surveyed his wife. Below her calm was a woman of strong emotions. Elizabeth appeared angry. He could not blame her. Therefore, the first words out of her mouth shocked him to his core.
“I was incorrect. She is not like Lydia.”
Darcy was relieved as the youngest Bennet was by far the most vulgar of Elizabeth’s sisters.
“No, she resembles Kitty, I believe.”
“How so?” Darcy knew little of the second youngest Bennet daughter. Miss Catherine Bennet was Lydia’s constant companion but rarely attracted attention on her own.
“Kitty has the propensity to become whomever she is around. When with Lydia, she openly ignores the strictures from Jane and me. When she is with Maria Lucas, Charlotte’s sister, she becomes much like you had described Miss Darcy, timid and quiet.”
“So, you think Georgiana is like this?”
“It would certainly explain the disparity of what I expected before we arrived in Derbyshire compared to what we have seen so far of her character.” Elizabeth reseated herself next to her husband. “She is getting her boldness from someone, Will.” Elizabeth chewed on the edge of her thumbnail, something he had never witnessed before. “What you just heard was no different from the multitude of confrontations I have had with Lydia. Where my sister was born making arrogant demands to have her way, your sister apparently was not. Thus, something or someone is feeding her false courage. Do you know whom it might be?”
He was completely confused. First, Elizabeth was not angry when he would have guessed she was. Second, he too would have guessed his sister’s personality was more like Jane Bennet’s than any other of the five sisters. Yet, he agreed with Elizabeth that she had acted like Lydia and Kitty instead. Third, the only ones in the family or of Georgiana’s acquaintance who had no compunction of denigrating another, especially those perceived of lower birth, were his cousin Henry Fitzwilliam’s wife, Miss Caroline Bingley, and the majority of the females of the ton. Nevertheless, the Viper (as Richard called his sister-in-law) viewed the Darcys as far below her, since they had no titles to their name. Miss Bingley remained with her brother in Hertfordshire. Never before had she written to Georgiana. From her constant requests to send greetings when he wrote letters to his sister from Netherfield Park, Darcy could not imagine her lifting a quill to write a letter on her own. Regarding the rest of society, Georgiana was not yet out. She did not associate with them. Other than a few friends from school, such as the one from whom she had received the letter, Darcy could not begin to guess what had caused this change in attitude.
“In truth, I do not know.” Darcy felt as though his feet were on the ground of a planet that had just tilted off its axis. “However, I do have an idea who might.”
He rang for his longtime housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds.
Georgiana Darcy slammed the door to her sitting room behind her, wondering what she was going to do next. Locking the door for privacy, she retrieved the small pile of letters received over the last three weeks from a hidden compartment in her writing desk. Pulling out the latest one that had arrived that same day, she reread, hoping for clarity and direction.
Miss Roberta Crim
Hertfordshire
Dear Georgie,
I apologize for the brevity of this note, but my duties in the militia require far more time than I desire. Your brother’s withdrawal of the living at Kympton continues to plague me. However, I do find delight in the promise of your love and tender affections, my sweet girl. When Darcy stopped our elopement, it only postponed the inevitable. I am yours always.
Speaking of Darcy, his actions lately are quite puzzling. He married Miss Elizabeth Bennet in a rushed ceremony not even her sisters attended. The youngest Bennet reported to me that Darcy had danced only once at the ball, that being with Miss Elizabeth. The next morning, they were wed only to stop in Meryton to pick up a woman with a babe. Speculation is rife that the ‘lady’ he escorted from the inn is your brother’s mistress and the baby is his.
I know you have long believed Fitzwilliam to be a man of honor. I know better. I would not tell you this, except I had spent the night on patrol so witnessed with my own eyes him climbing into the carriage with the woman rather than with his new wife. She is lovely, is she not? The mistress, not the new Mrs. Darcy. Yet, we should expect your brother to have obtained only the best.
I also know, because I heard the words from her own mouth, that Elizabeth Darcy abhors your brother. The promise of wealth must have blinded her to her new husband’s faults. Too many would do anything for money! I am so happy you are unlike them, my sweet Georgie. You have a pure heart, one which I will treasure for our lifetime.
From this I can only conclude that the activities that will be going on under Pemberley’s roof will be disreputable and will see to your ruin as you share in the reputation their vile actions will engender.
Be brave. Be courageous, dear Georgie
. Once Darcy is distracted and distressed by the outcome of his immoral choice, you can be rid of both Mr. and Mrs. Darcy and his kept woman by turning to me. As Mrs. George Robert Wickham, you will regain your good name.
I would ask you do a small favor for me, my lady. With your brother’s almost fanatic need to keep everything in its place, he will soon record his marriage in the old family Bible in the library. Would it be too much to ask, my heart, that you check the entry to see if he makes mention of the babe? If so, it would guarantee that the rumors flying through Meryton were true, and we, you and I, could then move forward with our plans for Gretna Green.
I only need a little more time before I can come to you. Until then, I will continue to write as Miss Crim, your darling school friend.
Yours forever in love,
GW
Georgiana had hoped that by confronting her brother, he would admit to his wrong. He had not. Torn inside, as if she was split in two, she considered what she had always known about William. Never had she known him to be dishonorable. Yet, the facts George had mentioned were now roaming the hallways of Pemberley.
Georgiana had sneaked into the nursery to see the babe. He had dark hair and eyes like her brother. Yes, the infant was a Darcy. Her disappointment with her brother fueled her ire.
George had never lied to her. For a certainty, after William had chased him off from his purpose at Ramsgate, she had questioned his motives. But the first letter received from her beloved had explained in detail his fear that Darcy would do her harm. Thus, he admitted to things he truly did not feel. In that way, Georgiana would remain in her brother’s good graces. George Wickham loved her with his whole heart and soul. Never again would she doubt him.
From the fact that her brother’s wife, who she refused to call by name, had stood by his side, Georgiana easily assumed it was seeing Pemberley that had spurred Elizabeth’s newfound loyalty to the man she wed. Not a fortune hunter! Hah! The woman was sly and conniving. Her brother, she now realized, was a rake.
