by Wendi Sotis
When his father had come to see why they had not returned to the house they had leased for the summer, the governess explained what had occurred. Mr. Darcy then had walked the length of the beach for a time in search of her parents, returning with the girl’s father. Darcy remembered the little girl’s brilliant smile when she first spied her father’s approach. She had run to him, and he scooped her up, his relief at finding her at last plainly displayed across his countenance as he embraced his daughter. She had cajoled him to examine her sand castle before her father thanked Mr. Darcy and him for their kindness. The girl had then made her goodbyes with a clumsy but adorable curtsy. He recalled seeing tears running down her sweet cheeks as she waved to him over her father’s shoulder whilst he carried her away. His own father had then hurried him and his governess back to the house, and they had left South End in a frantic whirlwind of activity.
The young girl had told me her name was Lizzy...
“How interesting that we were at South End at the same time!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Jane and I had recently discussed the fact that I did not remember anything of our holiday, but I believe I just now remembered something of it. I was at the seashore, and I could see such a large number of ships in the water that seemed to have no space between them. Even at the tender age of five, I knew there was something wrong. Later, I recall crying because Papa took me away from a new friend who was teaching me how to build a castle with the sand... and then there was an exceedingly long carriage ride home.”
Darcy was glad it was dark within the coach, for it was better that the ladies could not clearly make out his shocked expression. It had been Elizabeth after all!
“Yes; Papa had heard the news of the mutineers coming ashore and came to get us so that we could flee, but you had wandered off—much like James does now!” Jane laughed. “Some kind souls had kept you safe until Papa could find you. We left town immediately.”
Silence again settled over the occupants of the coach as all three were lost in their thoughts. By the time Darcy had recovered from his amazement well enough to speak, it seemed too late to reveal that Elizabeth’s friend in South End had been him.
The coach wheels hit a shallow rut. His heart lurched when his knee brushed against Elizabeth’s leg. A bittersweet ache filled his chest as Elizabeth turned both knees towards the door, away from any chance of another such intimate, though accidental, touch.
The coach stopped before a modest house in good condition.
He handed down both ladies and escorted them to the door. When the maid answered, Mr. Gardiner stepped into the hall and invited him in, asking Darcy to join him in the study for a glass of brandy.
Darcy stepped through the front door into the hallway. “I thank you for the invitation, but I cannot stay this evening.”
“Mr. Darcy has only just arrived from London, Uncle,” Elizabeth informed him.
“It was very kind of you to see my nieces home, sir, especially when you must be so tired from travelling.”
“It was no trouble, Mr. Gardiner.”
“It is my belief that your sister will dine with us tomorrow—you are welcome to join her.”
Seeing Mr. Gardiner brought back the easiness he had felt in his presence before, and Darcy realized he would, in fact, enjoy spending time with him again. “My sister and I will see you on the morrow.” He bowed to the gentleman and ladies and wished them a good night.
~%~
When Darcy returned to the house, Barnes notified the master that his sister was waiting up for him in her sitting room.
Upon entering the room, Georgiana greeted him. “I am so glad you came to see me before removing to Pemberley, Fitzwilliam!”
“I am happy to see you, as well. Have you been having a pleasant time at Ramsgate?”
Georgiana wrung her hands. “There is something I must speak to you about, but first, I must apologize that I did not wait longer for your permission to extend an invitation to the Bennets. It was not particularly obedient of me. It is just that I felt the need to speak to someone, and they are so friendly and helpful.”
“I do not understand; I had given permission for you to visit with them before I left.”
“But—then you did not receive Mrs. Younge’s note, after all?”
He seemed confused and shook his head.
“I thought you might not have seen her letter when you wrote without mentioning the Misses Bennet or the Gardiners. I would have written to you of the subject myself, but Mrs. Younge told me to practice patience.”
“Georgie, you should know by now that if I knew you were waiting for an answer from me about any question, I would always mention the subject in my letter, even if I had not yet come to a conclusion. About what were you waiting to hear?”
“Mrs. Younge felt that you would not approve of them as my friends, because Mr. Gardiner is a tradesman, and she wrote to ask your opinion on the matter.”
“I have no problem with being more closely associated with either of the Gardiners. I well remember Mrs. Gardiner from her father’s shop; she is not much older than I am. In fact, she was always quite genteel, like her father. As to Mr. Gardiner, he and I had spent quite a bit of time together discussing a matter of magistrate business concerning Lambton, and once he even came to dine with me. His manners were so much like those of a gentleman that I would have mistaken him as such had I not already known him to be a tradesman.”
“I was told all about the circumstances surrounding your acquaintance with Mr. Gardiner,” Georgiana proclaimed solemnly.
“I am not sure I understand your meaning.”
Georgiana paled significantly and averted her gaze. “I saw Mr. Wickham whilst you were in London.”
Darcy’s eyes flashed. “Here? In Ramsgate?”
She would not look up from the carpet. “In this house.”
“WHAT?” It felt as if his stomach had risen to his throat. What has that brute done to my sister? “What do you mean, in this house? You should know better, Georgiana!”
“I did not know anything more of Mr. Wickham than what I had witnessed myself as a child. Our parents looked upon him with affection, and he was your good friend,” she said so quietly, it was almost a whisper.
Darcy rose quickly from his seat. She is correct—how could I expect her to be on her guard when I never told her what he became?
“He came every morning and spent his days here, and then he would return to dine in the evening.” She dared to glance up at her brother, who was now pacing the floor.
“Go on,” he said too loudly.
“After seeing us together, Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Bennet, and Miss Elizabeth came for a visit the following morning and cautioned me against him, saying that Mr. Wickham was not what he seemed to be. I did not wish to believe what they said, but—”
“But?”
She whispered, “Their opinions were proven correct.”
He stopped pacing, his hands curled into fists. “Tell me.”
“He asked me to marry him—to run away with him to Gretna Green.”
Darcy realized he was trembling, whether from rage or fear, he could not be certain. “Did he... harm you in any way, Georgiana?”
She burst into tears. “I loved him!” she sobbed.
Lord, no! Darcy kneeled before his sister, taking her into his arms.
Between sobs, she was able to tell her story. “He told me he loved me and kept speaking of our mother and father in such affectionate terms. He said he cared for you as a brother, but you had wronged him. He said such lovely things about me; I wanted so much to believe that a man as handsome and charming as he could love me! I am so ashamed, Fitzwilliam. In my vanity, I believed all of his falsehoods.
“When he asked me to marry him and insisted that we elope because you would not approve, I told him of the condition on my dowry. He had claimed such love for me that I honestly believed that he would accept the condition willingly! Instead, he became so angry and said such horrible things about
me—about Mama and Papa, and you, too. Then he admitted that all he had said before were lies and he only wanted my thirty thousand pounds.” She sobbed louder. “He never loved me, Fitzwilliam!”
After several minutes, she calmed, and as he held her at arm’s length and spoke gently, “Georgie, you must tell me. Did he...” He swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat. “Georgiana, did Wickham dishonour you?”
Her face paled further. “He did not harm me the way he did that the poor girl from Lambton.”
Darcy’s eyes widened. “What do you know of this subject?”
“After I had already refused to accept that Mr. Wickham was not to be trusted, Mrs. Gardiner told me that the young lady’s reputation had been ruined by Mr. Wickham.”
“Do you... do you understand what is meant by a woman being ruined?” When does one tell a girl these things—and how? I do not think I can survive having to explain what is meant by that statement just now, but if she has been—NO! I cannot think it.
Looking down, she blushed deeply and nodded.
He froze in fear of finding out just how she knew. Had Wickham taught her?
“Brother, you have never been in Aunt Adelaide’s drawing room when there are only ladies present, so you do not know of what they speak. I am usually so quiet that they forget I am present and speak quite openly. Aunt Adelaide says that it is for the best since a young lady cannot be expected to protect herself from such things if she does not know what they are. I am certain that this has not happened to me.”
Thank you, God! He sighed in relief. “Where is Wickham staying?”
“I had no knowledge of where he was staying, but it matters not. I am certain Mr. Wickham has left Ramsgate.”
“Where was Mrs. Younge during all this?”
Georgiana did not want Mrs. Younge punished for something she had done herself. “Mrs. Younge had no way of knowing what kind of man he was. I had explained what I knew of our family’s relationship with Mr. Wickham, and when we were together, we talked of so many pleasant times from our childhood at Pemberley that he could not have appeared to pose a threat. Mrs. Younge never left us alone except for a moment yesterday, and that was my error. I gave her permission to retrieve some thread from her room.”
“He had most likely been waiting for a chance like that one.”
“That is when he asked me to elope with him.” Georgiana hesitated and then said, “Mrs. Gardiner, Jane, and Lizzy tried to help me to understand that Mr. Wickham was misleading me, but as I said, I wanted to believe him. He had told me a story of father’s will—he said that you denied him his due. Lizzy advised me that I should remember how I thought of you before becoming reacquainted with Mr. Wickham and think of whether the brother I had known all my life would do such a thing. She suggested I ask you what happened before taking the word of a man that I had not seen in years.”
That his sister had shared their personal business with others rankled him to the core, but he thanked the good Lord that their advice had been sound. “And what was your conclusion?” He held his breath for her answer.
“I think there must be much more to the story than he told me.”
He hesitated a few moments before he launched into his speech. “I must say that I have been wrong to continue treating you as a child, and I can do so no longer. If you are not to be protected from the ways of the world as if you were a child, let it be known that as of now, your responsibilities will be taken more seriously, as well. You must be more careful—you cannot expect to invite single gentlemen to dine when I am not at home, unless there are others invited as well, even with a companion present. Whether he is a friend of mine or was a close friend of our parents no longer matters once you are old enough to think seriously of marriage—even dining alone with your cousin Richard, one of your guardians, might elicit gossip among the ton. It is fortunate you have done this here in Ramsgate and not in London.”
Darcy watched as her eyes filled with tears, and he was afraid she might begin to cry anew, but she only nodded.
“Wickham’s story is correct in a sense—he did not receive the family living that Father had set aside for him in his will on the condition that he took orders. When father passed on, Wickham informed me that he did not foresee employment in the church as part of his future and wished to study the law instead. He was compensated quite generously. Before long, he went through all his money and returned to say that he had changed his mind and wanted the living after all. I refused, after which I soon found myself rejecting his request for additional compensation as well.” Darcy’s nostrils flared. “He said he would seek revenge, but I had not thought—” He looked at his sister. “I had not thought he would attempt such a thing as harming you.”
Georgiana turned to stare at the fire.
“Did you hear what I said?”
She nodded, without looking at him.
“Georgie? Are you well?”
Her only reply was shaking her head in the negative. Georgiana’s colour faded further over the next few minutes as she sat still as a marble statue. His attempts to rouse her went unanswered.
Just when he was about to call the housekeeper or Mrs. Younge for assistance, his sister spoke, “How could I have wasted so many years pining for a man who could do all these things?”
Darcy gasped silently. “Years?”
“I have always loved him,” she whispered and continued to stare at the fire without moving for several minutes.
Not knowing what else to do, Darcy said, “I will ask Marie to help you to your bedchamber, Georgie. A good night’s sleep is what you need most.”
She grabbed hold of his hand as he passed her, looking up at him with an expression filled with such sorrow that his heart nearly broke.
“Fitzwilliam, please, do not hate me for what I have done.”
“Hate you?” he breathed. His brow furrowed, and he dropped to his knees once more. “No, Georgie; I might become angry with your actions at times, but no matter what you have done, I could never hate you. This was not your fault—”
She sighed deeply, her tone chilling when she declared, “We both must face the truth, Brother. It was entirely my fault. After all you and Aunt Adelaide had taught me, and all that I had learned in the drawing rooms of London, I should have known better. It is frightening to think that had it not been for your accident with Lizzy on the walkway as we arrived in Ramsgate, I would have agreed to Mr. Wickham’s proposal without a second thought, but I must own to it. If not for the concern that Lizzy, Jane, and Mrs. Gardiner felt for me... What they told me made me question his intent. If I had not known them—not confided in them—I would not have thought to tell George about the condition on my dowry. George Wickham and I would have left for Gretna Green before you arrived today, Fitzwilliam. Do not doubt it.”
Georgiana did not straighten her slumped shoulders as she rose and left the room through the door to her bedchamber.
Chapter 7
August 4, 1811
Darcy awakened with the sun. For a moment, he had forgotten all that had been discussed the previous evening, but then it came crashing in on him. After travelling for days and then barely sleeping all night, he expected to be tired, but the type of exhaustion he was experiencing went much deeper.
Thinking of the numerous ways in which he had failed his sister was agonizing. Nothing was more important to him than was Georgiana, and yet he had left her in an unfamiliar town alone, with a companion she hardly knew. At least in London she had her aunt and uncle to look after her when he was required to be away from her, but here—here she had no one but hired staff. He should have made the time to attend her until their aunt and uncle arrived. Instead, he had returned to London to tend to business that seemed urgent at the time but could have waited. One of the worst scenarios he had ever imagined for his sister had almost become reality—and would have come to pass if not for the kindness of strangers!
Not strangers—friends.
The words came
unbidden to his mind, as if placed there by another.
Were they friends? Who else would stand by his sister, knowing what she had almost done? If the knowledge of his sister’s behaviour had come to the awareness of almost any lady with which he was acquainted in London, he might have counted on their using it against them—to gain something from him or else to harm Georgiana’s reputation by spreading an amusing rumour. Judging by what these ladies had already done for his sister, he hoped they played by different rules than most of those he had known all his life.
Not able to stand the thoughts churning through his mind any longer, he launched himself from his bed. Doubting his own judgment more than he ever had before, he would seek advice from Aunt Adelaide at their estate at Matlock.
Dear Aunt,
Since your plans to visit Ramsgate were based solely on Georgiana’s presence here, I must inform you that she and I will soon away to London, and then to Pemberley. Before heading home, I would like to join you at Matlock so that we may discuss a situation that has arisen, but I hesitate to do so until I have heard your plans. Please write of your wishes post-haste. My man will wait and bring your response to me at Darcy House in London as we anticipate remaining here at Ramsgate only a few more days.
Yours, etc.
FW
As Darcy looked over his letter, he was confident that he had said enough to inform his aunt of the urgency of the matter whilst revealing too little to give the situation away if prying eyes should see it. It would not do to have their early departure from Ramsgate paired with Wickham’s retreat. He would delay their trip for one week. It would take longer than that for his messenger to return from Matlock.
Waiting until the number of chimes from the clock assured him that his staff would be awake, he pulled the cord for the butler.
“Barnes, will you ask James, the footman, to deliver this letter to Matlock the moment he can be ready to leave? He should await an answer from the countess and return it to our house in London. Have the staff prepare to leave Ramsgate one week hence. And Barnes, send Holmes to me at once, please. That will be all.”
