A Father's Sins: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (19 page)

Georgiana
had been unable to contain herself to the drawing room where her Uncle and Aunt
Matlock and the Bingley sisters were quietly awaiting news. Mr. Hurst had yet
to join them. She stood alongside Mr. Burton as the footman let the men through
the door. Her brother came in last. She could tell by the dejected look on his
face and the droop of his shoulders that he had been unsuccessful. Georgiana
said nothing; just approached him with her arms outstretched and hugged him
tightly around his waist. He returned the embrace and dropped his cheek to the
top of her head, resting there for an exchange of comfort.

“Georgie,
we will find her.” He left her abruptly and went upstairs to change.

“You
men look like you have had a hard ride and are sorely in need of refreshment.”
Looking at her nephew’s retreating back, Lady Matlock continued, “Please, did
you find out where she has gone?”

“Yes,
Mother,” Viscount Stanley answered. “She is to London. We will leave at the
first hint of sunrise tomorrow. Darcy wants to arrive at her uncle’s before Mr.
Bennet does. It is possible that Mr. Bennet and his brother, Mr. Philips, left
as soon as they found her gone from here. Our hope is that he waited until the
morrow.” He recognized his mother’s concern. “We will find her, Mother,
Georgie. We will!”

Miss
Bingley and Mrs. Hurst stayed in the drawing room while the family and their
brother discussed what was next in pursuing Elizabeth Bennet. Miss Caroline
Bingley was planning a pursuit of her own, so she was beyond delighted to have
that country nobody away from Netherfield Park. Overhearing that they would be
leaving at first light, Miss Bingley went to Mrs. Nicholls to request the
master key to the guest rooms under the guise of seeing if there were any needs
in the rooms before they left the next morning for London. Mrs. Nicholls was
not a fool. She had seen the likes of Miss Caroline Bingley several times in
her long life and knew without a doubt that the brazen lady was up to no good.
The housekeeper suspected that the deed would involve Mr. Darcy, so she debated
how to let him know that the woman had just honed in on the very large target
on his back.

That
night, Lady Catherine and her daughter, Anne, joined the others for dinner. No
mention was made about the absence of Miss Elizabeth and Lady Catherine was
pleased, whatever the reason, to not be in her company. Earlier, the Colonel
had slipped a note to Anne through her maid, who was a willing courier to her
young mistress, stating in brief the events of the afternoon and early evening.
This way, it kept Anne from inquiring about Elizabeth.

The
conversation, however, did not remain pleasant for long.

“Darcy,
Anne and I are removing ourselves tomorrow to London. I shall be meeting with
my solicitor and yours to determine the best arrangements for your wedding.
With this recent scare for your health, we will schedule the marriage to take
place before I leave for Rosings. Anne can purchase wedding clothes while in
London and return with you to Pemberley. Georgiana will come with me to Kent.
There will be no need of a honeymoon as the conception of the heir can take place
at your estate.”

This
conversation was found to be extremely repugnant to all at the table, of
course, with the exception of Lady Catherine, but especially to Anne and Darcy.
Georgiana’s mouth dropped at the mention of her Aunt Catherine’s plans. Anne’s
normally pale complexion was a deep shade of red. Clearly, her mother had gone
too far. Even the Colonel, who had seen and heard just about everything, was
nonplussed.

Lord
Matlock was the first to address his sister. Firmly, he stated, “Cathy, there
will be no more discussion of this. None! We have had a trying afternoon and
your wants and wishes are merely that – wants and wishes. As head of the
Fitzwilliam family, which includes Darcy and Georgiana, I direct that no more be
said about weddings or marriage and especially about the begetting of children.
This is
not
appropriate supper conversation.”

The
dinner guests were astonished to hear Anne de Bourgh speak up. In a crystal
clear voice she thanked her uncle. “I believe, Uncle Martin, that Georgiana
needs to be with her brother, rather than in Kent. The stress from the injuries
Darcy sustained while trying to protect her life and reputation from such a
vile man had to be tremendous and, even though she has acted as one much older
than her years, she is not yet sixteen years of age. My pride in her course of
conduct and the dignified manner in which she displays her fine qualities knows
no parallel for someone so young. I could not be more delighted to be called
her cousin and am satisfied with that role. It is not my destiny nor desire to
be her sister.”

Lady
Catherine sputtered, trying to find the words to express her shock and outrage
at her daughter’s comments. Giving such praise to such a timid girl, was
excessive. Denying her fate to become Darcy’s wife was intolerable. Her face
grew red and her hands started to quiver. Before Lady Catherine could open her
mouth and utter one word, her brother stepped in.

“Why
Anne, that was beautifully said and I believe that we are all in agreement with
you.” Her uncle praised her, Georgiana beamed, and even Darcy was thrust out of
his morose mood at her comments.

“You
are perfectly correct, Cousin Anne,” Darcy said, “and I thank you for putting
into words what is already in my heart.” He was surprised that his cousin had
picked this venue to express her true feelings. Darcy, too, was proud of
Georgiana, but he was also proud of Anne for speaking up. She had a difficult
life with her mother and was forced to find joy in life’s little victories and
rebellions.

Lady
Catherine attempted several times to speak, but was immediately cut off by her
brother. The Bingley siblings remained quiet through the meal.

The
separation of the sexes provided an opportunity for the men to strategize for the
following day. Darcy was mentally pondering all he planned and the order he
intended them to occur. While at the stables earlier, he had set in order with
John Coachman the need to be ready to depart at first light. Weather
permitting, he would have Georgiana and her maid ride in the carriage, while he
would ride on horseback. His arm had served him well today, though he had been
unable to use it to pull himself into the saddle. The more he thought about
getting to Elizabeth in London, the clearer the process became in his mind.

“Gentlemen,”
Darcy immediately had their attention. “I will be leaving for London at the
first hint of daybreak. I would ask for any of you that would be willing to
ride with me to be ready at that time. The carriages containing the ladies can
follow. Any that choose not to go with me can provide an escort and look after
their welfare. Who is with me?” He looked around the table for support.

Colonel
Fitzwilliam, the Colonel’s brother, and Bingley immediately stated their
intentions to ride with Darcy. Lord Matlock and Mr. Hurst would follow with the
ladies.

“I
suggest that we retire.” Darcy said. “It will, for me, be a long night.”

Coaching Inn, County Middlesex, 10 miles from London

The
trip from Meryton to the first coaching stop had been fraught with troubles.
Not too far from Meryton, one of the horses pulled up lame. The coachman’s
assistant walked back to Meryton to get a replacement while the three
passengers waited inside the carriage. After getting stuck in a muddy rut about
a mile further, Elizabeth wondered if she would reach London at all that night.
A broken axle on the coach just within sight of the Inn was the last straw for
the coachman. The passengers elected to walk the final distance and were
relieved to have reached a place of warmth and safety.

The
elderly woman, Mrs. Bellows, and her adult son, Peter, were the only other
passengers on the coach. It appeared from the noise that welcomed them as they
entered the Inn, the same could not be said for the final leg of the journey on
the morrow. The Inn was crowded with people clamoring for a room, food, and
drink. Barmaids were busy hustling from one table to the next, serving ale and
what looked like meat stew, and the innkeeper was busy trying to scavenge any
available space left on his premises for sleeping. Elizabeth was going to have
to share a bed with Mrs. Bellows. Her son would be sleeping in the public rooms
with the other men, on a bench, on a table, or on a chair. Elizabeth only hoped
that he could get close to the roaring fire, though the heat only increased the
smells and the presence of fellow travelers.

Elizabeth
lay next to Mrs. Bellows, who had immediately gone to sleep. The bed was small
and lumpy but the sheets were clean. Because of the weight and gravity of her
thoughts, sleep eluded Elizabeth. She was confident that leaving Netherfield
Park had been the best decision. Going to London to consult with her aunt and
uncle was also the right choice. Was marrying Mr. Darcy the right thing to do?
It was easy for Elizabeth to recall all that Mr. Darcy had been through during
the past two weeks; the pain from the gunshot wound, deep concern for the
emotional health of his sister, and seeing his older brother killed. Was he in
full control of his thinking when he stated his intention to marry her? It was
all so confusing! Elizabeth desired to discuss all that happened with her Uncle
and Aunt Gardiner. It would give her clarity of thought, and help her to make
the best choice for her future.

And,
how could she possibly have obtained shares in the Honorable East India
Company? It was ridiculous to even suppose that might be so. Certainly, Mr.
Darcy was correct; it was a clerical mistake and should have been addressed to
someone else. She chuckled to herself at the thought of some businessman
getting a letter addressed to him letting him know that he was no longer under
the authority of his father. What if he was already elderly? Would not he be
surprised? Of course, it could have been the head of a family who needed those
dividends to pay his rents or provide food for his growing family. After some
time thinking on those lines, Elizabeth determined that her best recourse was
to travel directly to Mr. Haggerston’s office to let him know of the error.
Then she could travel to the Gardiner’s household and ask her uncle and aunt
for suggestions as to her future. If she left England, it would be her first
time traveling on her own and she did not want to get to Boston, New York, or
Philadelphia only to regret what she had failed to pack. Her uncle had business
contacts all over the known world. He would be able to help her with
introductions and whatever else was necessary for a smooth transition to a new
location. Elizabeth needed to give her mind new direction, focus on the future;
a future without her family, her old friends, her recent acquaintances, and Mr.
Darcy. Her heart pained her at the thought.
When had he become so important
to her?

Netherfield Park, Hertfordshire

Darcy
had been correct. Sleep evaded him. He worried that Elizabeth had arrived at
her uncle’s home only to have him hastily arrange for her to travel
immediately. He worried that her father also had arrived at Gracechurch Street
and the confrontation had been bitter and devastating to Elizabeth. He worried
that her feelings for him did not equal his own. With that thought, he brought
his right hand up and rubbed his face in worry as he paced back and forth
across the room.

He
looked around his bed chamber. Parker had been thorough in his packing. Darcy’s
trunks were already downstairs, ready to load onto the Darcy carriage.
Georgiana’s luggage was ready as well. Laid out over the chair next to the
fireplace were his riding clothes, brushed and waiting for him to don them in
but a few hours. He knew that only the bare necessities remained in the
dressing room and they would be put into a small valise as soon as they were no
longer needed. All was ready. Only time needed to pass and he could be on his
way.

In
the past, Darcy had wondered if he would ever marry. He longed for felicity and
peace to fill the halls of Pemberley. His search for a bride amidst the ton had
been fruitless. Now, he knew that he had found what he needed and wanted in
Elizabeth. Just thinking of her lifted the weight of the tremendous burdens he
carried as Master and guardian off his broad shoulders. She would be a partner
in the truest sense. He could share his cares and know that she would
understand.

Parker,
his long-time valet, had approached him earlier about a conversation that he
had had with the housekeeper, Mrs. Nicholls. Mrs. Nicholls had inadvertently
overheard Miss Caroline Bingley planning a compromise whereby Darcy would be
forced into offering marriage. After having observed Mr. Darcy at Netherfield
Park for the past several weeks, the housekeeper determined that, if
pre-warned, he could easily outwit Miss Bingley. Miss Bingley had more greed
than intelligence. Parker knew that none of Mr. Darcy’s staff wanted the match,
and that life at Darcy House and Pemberley would be unpleasant with Miss
Bingley as Mistress. It had certainly been outside his authority to bring up
such sordid goings-on with his master, but Mr. Darcy had, in the past, approved
of Parker coming to him with anything that concerned any occupants of his
homes. Darcy, frustrated with the actions of Bingley’s sister, did indeed,
appreciate both the warning and those who bore the information to him.

Later
that evening, after thanking the housekeeper personally, Darcy, knowing Mrs.
Nicholls had known Elizabeth for years, had asked what Elizabeth’s life had
been like prior to being cast out. The housekeeper delighted in telling about
specific events and actions where Elizabeth’s kind-heartedness, intelligence,
and joy were used to help others. She told him about the time that one of the
Netherfield tenants had lost all of their possessions in a fire. Even though it
was not her responsibility to care for them, Elizabeth had gathered items that
would bring comfort to the family; toy soldiers for the boys and a doll with a
pretty pink dress for the little girl, a lace shawl and embroidered pillows for
the wife, and a new pipe and hat for the husband. The necessities had been
provided for by the other tenants, but those extras were what took a house and
made it into a home. It warmed his heart to think of how she would care for the
tenants at his estate. Many families had been there for generations and they
were just as vested in the success of Pemberley as Darcy was himself. His
sister had already benefited from Elizabeth’s attentions. To watch Georgiana go
from being so reclusive and timid to displaying determination was like watching
a rosebud starting to open and show its beautiful color. Oh, how he wished to
bring Elizabeth home.

The
hour was late and Darcy continued to be restless, his mind not allowing the
peace of slumber. Thinking that a book from Bingley’s library might be just
what he needed, a tome filled with facts and figures, or a historical or
biographical volume of someone of whom he had no interest, he headed downstairs
to the library. The clock in Bingley’s study was just chiming the hour. It was
midnight. He had just selected a book of agricultural practices that he had already
read, when the door to the library opened. Wondering who would be approaching
him this late at night, he quickly recalled the warning that the housekeeper
had given his valet. With expectations of Miss Bingley creeping into the room,
he placed himself behind the door so he could slip out just after she entered
the room. He was surprised to see long, blonde hair draped over a modest
dressing gown. It was Georgiana. He immediately left his hiding place. Not
wanting to startle her overmuch, he whispered her name. She immediately turned
and inquired as to why he was hiding behind the door.

“I
have been warned, Georgie, that Miss Bingley is going to make a move tonight in
an effort to compromise me into offering marriage.”

“Oh,
good heavens, will she not learn?” Georgiana was not shocked at the
information, just offended. Darcy had to chuckle when he saw her roll her eyes
in exasperation. “As long as I have known her, she has made her desire to be
Mistress of Pemberley more than obvious. Had she any true intelligence, she
would have figured out by now that you have no interest in that direction.”
Georgiana looked closely at her brother. “You had best take care, William. She
will not be thwarted easily.”

Just
then, the siblings heard the door handle turning. They both quickly went behind
the door and then thought better of it. With Georgiana in the room, there would
be no impropriety when Miss Bingley entered. It was Colonel Fitzwilliam.

“My,
my, cousins, but this room is busy at this hour of the night.” It did not
surprise the Colonel that Darcy could not sleep. Too much was riding on the
events that would unfold in the morning. He was, however, surprised to see
Georgiana. “Poppet, what are you doing awake at this hour?”

“Apparently,
like you, I was unable to sleep and it is just as well. We are about to partake
in a real life drama. William is the intended victim and you and I shall be the
witnesses to the crime.”

“What
is this you are speaking of?” The Colonel was puzzled.

Before
Darcy could enter the conversation, Georgiana spoke again. “Richard, tonight
Miss Caroline Bingley is going to try to trap William into marriage. We need to
have a plan of action, a strategy. Something like you would use in the
military.” Darcy could tell that his young sister was getting some sinister
delight in these circumstances.

“Into
battle we shall go!” The Colonel could not hide his pleasure at watching his
usually composed cousin facing down a hungry predator.

“Richard!
You shall wake the house.” Darcy reprimanded him.

“Hush,
please, both of you. Your voices are deep and loud and we do
not
want to
discourage Miss Bingley from coming into the library. This is just too, too
fun.”

“Georgie!”
Both men exclaimed at the same time.

“Oh,
come on you two. This is better than what the gothic novels, that I am not
supposed to read, contain. Now, hush!” she whispered. Like a general on a
campaign, she positioned them where she felt best; her and the Colonel sitting
in the high-backed chairs with their backs to the library door, where they
would be invisible to anyone entering, and Darcy standing at the fireplace. The
three cousins had just gotten into position when the door handle moved for the
third time since Darcy had entered the room. The door slowly opened and the
flicker of a candle approached.

Spying
Darcy, she assumed they were alone. “Mr. Darcy, were you unable to sleep? Is
there anything that I could do to see to your comfort? Might I, perhaps, get
you something warm to drink from the kitchen?”

“I
thank you, Miss Bingley, however, it is inappropriate for us to be in the room
together so late at night. I shall retire immediately to my room.” He started
to move past her to the door.

“No!”
Caroline Bingley was not going to allow her last opportunity to pass without
accomplishing her goal. Quickly, she placed the candle on a table and undid the
belt on her robe, pulling the front open and sliding it off onto the floor.
Darcy quickly turned his back to her when he realized her intentions.

“Miss
Bingley!” He was horrified and amused at the same time. Realizing how affronted
she would be if she only was aware of his feelings, he steeled himself not to
chuckle. This was not working out well for Miss Caroline Bingley. There were
two witnesses that she was unaware of being in the room, and her own
housekeeper had kindly and effectively warned him in advance. “Please, dress
yourself. As much as I would dislike seeing you in such a state, I am confident
that my cousin and sister would dislike it even more. Now, dress yourself.” He
repeated when he heard no sound of movement, nor any rustling of fabric.