Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and The Scarlet Pimpernel

by Denise O'Hara

  Fitzwilliam, having just returned from helping the young Montego family to safety, was feeling both exultant and appreciative to be surrounded by his own family. He could use an interval from seeing fear in the eyes of seven-year-old little girls who should not endure the horrors which were taking place in France. When he arrived two days before the couple departed for Italy, Georgiana was able to see firsthand her cousin’s eyes light up when he saw her friend. He was still the good-humored storyteller, but she caught him several times staring at her friend longer than was necessary. Yes, she was convinced that there was something between Fitzwilliam and Kitty that had not been there before.

  Chapter Five

  The days flew by far too fast. It seemed they had only just finished being welcomed home when it was time to leave out again.

  Georgiana felt a pang in her heart as she said her farewells to each person on the lawn of Pemberly. It had taken a lot of persuasion to convince them to see them off at Pemberly instead of traveling first to London and then all day on the dusty roads to the crowded dock. But Georgiana wanted to remember things just this way, seeing all her loved ones gathered at the home of her youth.

  “You keep in touch,” Darcy, said as he gave his sister, Georgiana, a crushing hug. He then gazed over at Alex. “You take good care of her over there.”

  “Of course,” Alex replied and then smiled at him. He held out his hand in offering, and the two men shook hands in farewell.

  “Are you sure you do not want us to accompany you?” her cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam asked mischievously as he gave his own farewells to the lovely couple. Georgiana gave him a smile.

  “We will be fine,” she assured him.

  “They are probably worried that you will sneak a monkey into their luggage,” Kitty interrupted and then gave Fitzwilliam a naughty grin. “Find it escaped to the captain's quarters.”

  The colonel looked at Kitty, seemingly surprised and confused at the mention of that incident and at the poorly hidden looks of amusement all around. He turned to his friend Alex, giving him a dramatic look of feigned shock, although he already knew who the source of the information was.

  “You told them about that?” he asked. Alex gave a sheepish grin and a half shrug as he took his wife's hand. Georgiana lovingly held Alex’s.

  “It is hard not to tell this one anything she wants to know,” Alex said, pointing to Kitty. Kitty feigned innocence, but in these cases, everyone knew that Kitty drawing out the story must have been her doing.

  “It was his entire fault, mind you,” Richard said to their audience as he pointed to Alex. Alex gave his friend a disbelieving look.

  “Funny, but that is not how we heard it,” Kitty teased with a grin. Alex hooted in laughter. Georgiana softly hit her husband’s shoulder to keep him from taunting her cousin. Fitzwilliam, on the other hand, was not the least bit offended at Alex’s verbosity.

  “Well, after these two have gone, you shall have to hear the factual account from me. I insist on redeeming myself,” Fitzwilliam said with such exaggerated solemnness that everyone burst into muffled laughter. Kitty, among others, was the most excited person to hear his story -– it would mean that he would be staying longer at Pemberley instead of leaving when the du Ponts left. She glanced at Georgiana, who gave her an encouraging smile and a barely discernable raised eyebrow.

  Georgiana cherished this moment. This was a moment they could not have had on a busy dock side, where propriety and public eyes would have interfered. She then looked around the estate, her home since she was a child. She was not quite sure how to explain her feelings about leaving the home she loved and probably not seeing the estate and her family in the next year or so. She would miss these moments dearly, though she readily welcomed the adventure.

  The embraces she got from the ones she loved but was leaving behind caused tears to pool in all of the ladies’ eyes. When the couple finally made their way down the road for the final time, Georgiana turned in her seat to watch the grand estate grow smaller. Family and friends still stood, watching their departure. She could see Elizabeth move to dab at her eyes. Darcy wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders as he waved a hand in the direction of their carriage. She waved a gloved hand back, wondering if they could still see her as clearly as she saw them.

  “We will write them the instant we get to port.” Alex assured her in a warm voice.

  “I will look forward to telling them everything.” Georgiana turned and settled back into her seat, resting her head against him. She smiled as she felt him pull his arm around her shoulders. “I love you, Mr. du Pont.”

  “And I you, Mrs. du Pont,”

  It had been years since Georgiana was so excited about something. She had nearly allowed herself to faint at the thought of joining Alex in Italy for a year while he oversaw a new business arrangement for her brother. It felt like their honeymoon was still continuing. "I want to show you what I've done, my dear," he had told her. "I want to whisk you away for a few special places to have you experience just a few of the things that I've done and seen. Would that be to your liking?"

  One thing that Georgiana loved about Alex was the fact that he always asked if he could do something with her permission. He had already planned this trip, but he wanted to make sure that she was alright with it before they set out on it.

  Georgiana had traveled more than most women her age, but she knew it was not to the same places as Alex had. He explained that he had arranged for a friend of his to take them to the small village of Camogli. He travelled there during his years at sea and wanted to show Georgiana what he witnessed When Alex entered her life, she didn't think that he would be the one to talk of places she had only read about and actually invite her to join him on those journeys.

  "It is certainly to my liking, my dear," she had replied.

  Now the day for their departure had arrived, and Georgiana was getting restless.

  With a coy smile on his face, he asked her, "Are you ready for an adventure, my dear?"

  Georgiana could not get onto the boat fast enough.

  Chapter Six

  The trip lasted a few days, and, surprisingly, Georgiana did not feel ill while on the journey. Alex had warned her that she might feel dizzy and nauseous while the boat was in motion and had even taken the liberty of packing some ginger root with him to settle her stomach. However, she loved the salty smell that assaulted her from everywhere, the small spray of water that would wet her face when a wave broke against the hull of the ship, and the seabirds that would circle overhead, looking for scraps of food. It was a new experience, but it was a pleasant one.

  While on the boat, Alex explained that Camogli was a fishing village along the coast of Italy. He had stayed there for close to two months when the ship was running low on provisions. He knew an older couple who lived in a small cottage along the water that was allowing them to stay for their trip. He was animated when he told her of his adventures, and the excitement that radiated from him this time was not from instances of the past, but anticipation of the future. Their future. They made port, and from what Alex had told her, they might well need the full year in order to do everything he had planned for her.

  Their first few weeks in Italy were busy ones. Alex had appointments most days involving business, and Georgiana wanted to get settled and become familiar with the new surroundings as soon as possible. She had been to this very town in Italy with her brother when she was just thirteen. But this time it felt so different, and not just because she was older and married. For the first time in her life she felt quite independent.

  She hired a local young woman near her age as a companion to escort her around town for sightseeing. Unlike her other much older companions, Gina was outgoing and full of life. She wore colorful scarfs and was talkative as they shopped, tasted the local food, and stopped to bargain in the market. Georgiana loved it and, before the year was up, was known to the locals as the happy English lady.

  After nearly a month, Alex and
Georgiana settled into a routine. He would schedule all of his business at the beginning of the week, and once it was taken care of, the newlyweds began to venture out to all the places Alex had told her about. They headed into the small village on their first such outings. As the sun was already beginning to set, they made their way to the cottage and Alex knocked loudly on the door.

  An older woman answered, her face lighting up when she saw Alex. Georgiana could understand some Italian, but even if she could not, it would have been clear that the woman was very fond of Alex and fussed over him as they entered. When she noticed Georgiana standing in the doorway, the woman's face broke out into a huge smile. She gathered the young woman into her arms into a tight hug and began whispering in broken English about how “He finally finds a girl he love." Georgiana blushed and saw Alex sharing her expression. The old woman ushered them further into the house, showing them where they were to sleep and eat. The three of them shared a small meal together, and then the young couple retired to their sleeping quarters.

  The room they were in overlooked the ocean, and Georgiana could help but stand by the window and look out at the sea.

  "What do you think of it, darling?" Alex whispered.

  "It is beautiful." The seaside was gorgeous in the fading light, the pinks and reds painting the waves a deep purple that looked unnatural, but they enchanted her all the same. The wind had picked up a bit, but it was blowing a balmy heat that was more than comfortable for her. She could feel Alex settle behind her, his hands resting light on her shoulders. For a moment, they stood there in silence, save for the sound of the waves crashing against the beach. Then, Alex spoke up. "Now that we are here, what would you like to do? I have a few things planned for us before the month is through, but I want to know if you had any ideas or suggestions."

  Georgiana wondered what sort of surprises Alex had in store for her. She turned to face him, her face alight with a grin. "For now, I think a walk on the beach is in order," she said. “Afterward, we can celebrate making it here on such a glorious evening.” She felt her face heat up, hoping that she was not being too forward with what she had planned.

  One of Alex's hands left her shoulder, and he put his hand under her chin to lift her face towards his. He had a mischievous grin on his face that made him look more like a schoolboy than a sailor recently turned businessman. “Well, let us not delay, Mrs. du Pont."

  ******************

  The next morning, the couple untangled themselves from their embrace that left them tangled in the sheets and got dressed. The owners of the home had left them loose clothing more fitting for the hot weather that was assaulting the coast. Georgiana had never been in something so loose next to her sleeping clothes, and though she was glad for them, they still felt strange against her skin. Alex looked comfortable in his clothing, and she wondered if he had worn something similar while he was working on the ship.

  They went around the town, walking slowly to take in the sights. Georgiana had never felt more relaxed, browsing the wares that some of the corner marketplaces sold. The town might have been small, but it was a bustling port that had items from all over the world. Georgiana marveled at a stall that had small pieces of pearl jewelry on display, astounded that they came in so many different colors. The ladies in the town had at least one piece of pearl or shell jewelry on their person. Georgiana was surprised to realize that they also moved about alone without a chaperone. Realizing her astonishment, Alex explained,

  "Things are different on the continent; not bad or good, just different, my dear." Georgiana agreed with him, watching the ladies as they moved around the beach.

  They came upon a small stall with an assortment of different candies and confectionaries. As Georgiana was selecting a few of them, she heard Alex greeting someone who was also at the stall.

  "Georgiana, this is Julio. He was one of the men that I was at sea with. We have travelled many a place together as shipmates."

  Julio was a handsome man, tall and tanned, and Georgiana found herself blushing at the sheer amount of skin he was presenting. He nodded to her and took her hand to kiss it, which nearly had her fainting right there in the street. Again, Alex explained that the people here were a bit more forward than those at home.

  Georgiana, having had enough excitement for one day, looked longingly out at the beach next to the town. Alex saw her gaze moving towards the water and grinned. "Care for a dip?" he asked. Georgiana could not help but laugh at his enthusiasm, even though she had merely wanted to walk along the shore.

  They ended up coming to a happy medium, seated on the edge of the water, letting the tide run over their bare feet. They were silent, save for the small gasps Georgiana would make when the water threatened to rise to her ankles. Alex laughed when she did so, putting his hands under her legs to lift her feet out of the tide until it receded.

  Georgiana had never expected to marry a man who would be so...informal. She realized that he was not only showing her the world that he knew, but, even more importantly, he was also allowing her to be who she truly was. She could tell that he liked this side of her and wished that she didn't feel the need to hide it. He was teaching her that she could still be a perfectly respectable, polite and well-mannered woman while enjoying herself at the same time.

  She allowed her hand to slip into his when a particularly high wave made it up to her knees. Alex looked at her, a bit of uncertainty on his face, but she merely grinned back at him. Maybe she wasn't used to all of this yet, but she could learn to love it. She allowed herself to move closer to him, careful that the sand didn't settle on her skirt. He took the cue to wrap an arm around her back to rest on her hip and keep her close. Georgiana blushed at the contact and rested her head on his shoulder. They remained like that until the sun began to set.

  Chapter Seven

  “Oh, her life sounds so exciting! I could die from the envy!” Kitty gazed at the letter in Elizabeth's hands as she laid it aside. It took all of the young woman's willpower not to beg to hear it again. How ironic it was. Quiet, shy Georgiana was out there seeing the world, touring the wonders of Italy with the man of her dreams. And while she was happy for Georgiana, of late she could not help but feel a little jealous of her friend. She had nothing interesting to write back to her friend, as even Darcy had not heard a word from Fitzwilliam in over two months.

  “Your life is hardly dull, Kitty,” Elizabeth said with an amused smile as she set the letter on the table beside Kitty's. Georgiana's letters came in like clockwork. How she managed to find the time to write everyone, Kitty could scarcely figure out. She always seemed to have a new experience to tell them about, a new face she had met.

  “It is not very romantic either,” Kitty pouted.

  “I am sure you will find your romance when you least expect it. How are your lessons faring?” Elizabeth smiled, unaffected by young Kitty's woes. She held up a small shirt, carefully inspecting the little bird she was embroidering for her young son.

  “Well enough, though the instructors are lamenting the loss of their star pupil.” Kitty tried not to stare too openly at the elegant stitching. Elizabeth and Georgiana practically dripped with domestic talent. And according to Kitty's etiquette teacher, she was raised by wolves with a monkey for a governess. Not that she minded what they said. When she first came to stay for long stretches of time at Pemberley, she had looked for rules just for the sake of testing them… all in all, harmless fun of course. Life could be so dull and lifeless if one was not careful.

  “Have you made any progress on your piano piece? The concerto, was it?”

  “I would burn the thing if Georgiana were not so fond of it.” Kitty gave an exaggerated sigh, and widened her eyes with sudden inspiration. “Perhaps we could ship it to her! Imagine the look on her face to see her piano at her doorstep.”

  Elizabeth gave a soft laugh and shook her head. She was well used to Kitty's sudden inspirations and ideas, especially when they were alone and could afford to drop decoration
and decorum for a short spell. “I doubt it could survive the trip.”

  “Then I could travel with it.” Kitty smiled to herself as she imagined sailing to Italy to meet with Georgiana. A whole year away from home could be such a dreadfully long time. She could hardly believe stiff, overprotective Darcy allowed his baby sister out of his sight for that long, even if she was in the care of her new husband. Particularly with all the effort he put into thwarting Georgiana's last attempt to travel off with a man who caught her fancy. Did a wedding ring really make that much difference?

  “You and the piano are better off here.” Elizabeth said with quiet amusement.

  “You could at least pretend to consider it!” Kitty said in mock indignation, missing Georgiana all the more. The gullible girl would have stared at her in wide-eyed worry, trying to deduce whether or not she was serious. Elizabeth, on the other hand, could see right through her random pondering. After all, there was the matter of finding a suitable escort her guardians would approve. That was no easy feat.