Assumed Engagement (20 page)

What are the chances
… thought Georgiana,
that my brother would allow the wedding breakfast to be held here?
She grimaced as she considered what he would say.
This may be asking a little too much from him, but oh, how I wish we could offer them the use of
Pemberley
!

Later, when her brother came in from riding, he entered the front door, removed his hat and gloves, and was met by Georgiana. "William, I have something to tell you, as well as something to ask."

He walked over to her and took her hand, squeezing it. "Yes, my dear. What is it?"

"I was just now informed that last night the Lambton Assembly Hall had a small fire. It was not too large, but it did enough damage to prevent the wedding breakfast from being held there." She squeezed his hand back and looked at him with big, wide eyes. Darcy drew back and he gave her a furtive glance. "The only other place that they can have it is at the
Inn
, but that is quite a bit smaller, and not as nice."

"I am sorry to hear that," Darcy said, releasing her hand.

"William, is there any possibility we can have it here?" she asked quickly, not letting herself look at him.

"No!" The word was out of his mouth barely before Georgiana had finished asking the question. "I am sorry, Georgiana, I cannot allow that. That is out of the question." She could easily see that he was agitated, that the thought was truly bothersome to him. "Did they ask to use
Pemberley
?"

"No, of course not, and I did not offer. I thought it would be a nice gesture."

"There are just some things you do not understand. I hate to have to be so adamant, but it cannot be!"

Darcy could tell his sister was disappointed, but he did not see how he could allow it. He knew there would be much work that would have to be done, although he knew his staff to be most capable. He also judged it very imprudent to host a houseful of people from who knows what connections. But he also wondered how he would ever be able to handle being congenial throughout the entire event. He would be obliged to be amongst them the whole time. No, this was simply out of the question. They would have to go ahead as they now had it planned and have it at the inn.

That morning gave way to afternoon and the afternoon slowly dragged on, with Georgiana becoming very quiet and not knowing what to say to her brother. Darcy reciprocated the silence. They each took refuge in their favourite room; Darcy in his study, Georgiana in the sitting room. They each tried to read but with little success. Darcy was not happy that Georgiana was distressed about his decision, but he could not change his mind.

Georgiana knew it had been a major request, but was inwardly hoping that he would have allowed it. How much it would have said to the people. How she prayed something would change his mind!

*~*~*

The next day Fitzwilliam and Georgiana Darcy stood in the entry to their house waiting as the first wedding guests arrived. He stood stiffly, shaking his head at the turn of events that brought this about.

His house had been in a flurry of activity late into the evening yesterday and early this morning. But thanks to his excellent staff and those who had originally planned to put on the dinner at the Assembly Hall, things were ready just as the first guests pulled up. Darcy was convinced that more people attended this wedding than usual, as word spread throughout the area that the
Darcys
had agreed to host the wedding breakfast at
Pemberley
.

He shifted from one foot to another, feeling that natural tendency he owned to draw away; be left to himself. But he could not, and would not, for his sister's sake. He thought back to the alternative that presented itself the day before and wondered which would have been the greater of the two evils.

Yesterday afternoon, Darcy and Georgiana had gone their separate ways, both with strained feelings toward the other. Darcy locked himself in his study and Georgiana found herself in the sitting room. Both had books in front of them, but perceived very few words.

Georgiana was stirred by the sound of a carriage pulling up front. She wondered if it could be someone again regarding the
Bostwick
wedding. She heard the door open and began to stand when she heard a very familiar, harsh voice say, "Where is my nephew?"

Georgiana began to shudder as she instantly knew it was her aunt, Lady Catherine. Her heart sank as she suddenly realized this could be disastrous to her plans to get her brother to even attend the wedding. She sat back down, frozen to the chair.

"Darcy, where are you? Where is my niece? Georgiana!"

Mrs. Reynolds quickly came into the sitting room, saw Georgiana, and looked at her helplessly. "You aunt is here Miss Darcy. Why do you not wait until your brother sees her first? There is no sense in you having to deal with her on your own. She is terribly upset!"

Georgiana gratefully nodded.

Darcy heard his aunt's voice and closed his book. With his elbows on the desk, he put his head into his hands. He was not in any disposition to deal with his aunt.
Why did she have to appear now?
Mrs. Reynolds came in and Darcy looked up.

"I heard."

She nodded and quickly backed out of the room. Darcy took his time, wringing his hands together as he walked toward the door. Before reaching out to grasp the door handle, his hand took a little detour to his pocket. He pulled out the handkerchief and fingered it gently between his thumb and finger. Then he slipped it back into his pocket. "It is now or never!" he said to himself in a frustrated tone.

He walked out and met his aunt in the drawing room. He saw immediately that she was upset. Her body was tense; she was sitting upright, her head cocked to the side. Her hand tightly gripped her cane, as if she was ready to pound it for emphasis. Darcy toughened his nerve as he walked in.

"Good afternoon, Aunt. This is a surprise. How are you?"

"Not well at all! I have had the most distressing news, and I do not know how I can bear it all!"

Georgiana walked in meekly, keeping herself at a distance, behind her brother. "Good afternoon, Aunt." She curtseyed.

"Georgiana." Her response was very short.

"May I ask what brings you here today?" asked Darcy.

"It is insupportable! How is it to be endured? A report of a most alarming nature reached me." She turned her head to glare at Georgiana. "Why was I not informed of my nephew's accident, considering how seriously injured he was? I have not been accustomed to being neglected like this! Georgiana, what have you to say for yourself, girl?"

"I… uh…" Georgiana stepped even further behind her brother, holding on to him as she felt herself growing weak.

"Aunt Catherine, I beg you to not address my sister in that manner."

"But such thoughtlessness! It makes me wonder, Nephew, of her upbringing. I cannot help but think she would have been better off if she had been put in my care when your father passed on. Having had no mother from an early age, and then to be raised by a brother! I do not believe you have exercised the most prudent wisdom in her upbringing!"

Darcy, furious by now at his aunt, but concerned for his sister, turned to Georgiana. Her eyes were swelling with tears at her aunt's words. "Georgiana, go to your room, right now," he said to her in a firm voice.

"But William…"

"I do not want to talk about it now. I want you there immediately!"

When she left the room, Darcy turned back to his aunt. "I have never heard such absurdities in my life. I will
not
allow you to talk about her like that. Georgiana is young, and she did what she thought was best when I was ill. It would not have done me any good to have you here; there was nothing you could have done!" Darcy pondered how disastrous it would have been if she had come. To have had her here without his presence of mind to ward off her tirades, Georgiana would have not have fared well at all.

"Nephew! You are missing the whole point! I am your closest family! I should have been informed!" She stood up and stormed across to the other side of the room. "But this is not the only thing of which I have become aware that she has done. It has been brought to my attention that she is mingling with the most inferior…"

Darcy turned away from her and tried to cut her off with, "That is enough, Aunt Catherine!"

"I will not be interrupted! The disrespect you show!" She looked at him through piercing eyes. "I understand that she has been associating with those of the most inferior station and connections, actually going into their homes. And now I come to hear that she has been taking you along with her. Darcy, you know that such associations must not pollute our family. And I will not allow you to continue to do such a thing, knowing that such behaviour would be polluting my own daughter when you marry her! This is…"

Darcy turned on her in anger. "Aunt Catherine! We have been through this again and again! I have no intention; have never had any intention of marrying your daughter!"

"But Nephew, you must! It was your mother's favourite wish as well as my own, intended from your infancy. You cannot go against your mother's wish!"

Darcy drew in a very raspy breath. He knew he had to calm down, but had little hope of doing so on his own. "I have only heard from you that it was her wish. I never heard of any such thing until after her death. I cannot believe my mother would have been a part of such a scheme. Even in her own marriage, she married for love. I could not marry for anything less!"

"This is not to be borne! I never thought I would hear such words from you! Who you marry is of utmost concern to me… to the family name!"

"Aunt Catherine, you have no say in whom I marry. If I choose to marry someone of the poorest connections, that is my business, not your concern at all, but I am not marrying your daughter!"

"Oh! You are just as insolent as your sister! But let me be rightly understood, in this other matter of your consorting with those inferior to our name. I do not know what has befallen you, but I must insist that it stop! If you were sensible of the sphere in which you were brought up, you would discontinue these disgraceful associations immediately!"

"We have no intention of stopping them, and now I am afraid that I must ask you to leave. Immediately! I will not have you remain in this household as long as you continue in this way."

"You are turning me out? I will not be trifled with! I have every intention to remain here at
Pemberley
as long as I wish!"

"You will not, Aunt.
Pemberley
is my home and I am asking you to leave."

"Darcy, you are not serious. You cannot put me out at this time of day!"

"Granted, Aunt. You are correct. I am not that inhospitable. I will have the kitchen staff prepare you a meal and then you must be off."

"This is a disgrace indeed, Nephew. I see the shades of
Pemberley
are already polluted. But," she suddenly decided to change her tactics, "let me appeal to your sense of family, of goodness, and allow me to remain on. Only for a few more days to see for myself just how Georgiana is coming along."

"No, Aunt. You are not to see Georgiana. I am sorry, you must leave today."

"I cannot believe that you are so stubborn. I will leave when I am ready!"

By now Darcy was frustrated, but knew he could not allow his aunt to remain here, if not for his sake, for Georgiana's.

He suddenly had an idea. "Aunt Catherine, if I were you, I would make plans to leave as soon as possible. I cannot guarantee that you will not be polluted yourself by what is taking place here tomorrow.

"And what would that be?"

"Tomorrow is a wedding that Georgiana and I will be attending. Then everyone from that wedding, people who would be considered by you to be most inferior to yourself and your station, will be coming to
Pemberley
for the wedding breakfast! In fact," Darcy pulled out his pocket watch, "they will be arriving at any time now to start preparing for it!"