Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (72 page)

“Richard . . .”

“Secure the estate.”  Judge Darcy fumed, still focussed on his niece.  “And I suppose that Georgiana will be married off her first Season.”

The two cousins exchanged glances.  “If a suitable man is found . . .” Darcy watched him rubbing his forehead. “Sir, that is years from now.”

“Sooner is better than later, do not let her sit and moult like Cathy has been doing.”  Richard took a drink and gestured to Judge Darcy.  “Sir, I assure you, Darcy and I are not attempting to marry her off, but the girl does need to prepare for the inevitable.  After all what is behind all of this schooling she received?  To make her appealing to some man, and make him think she will be just fine to entertain him, run his house, and produce his heirs.   She will need to marry, and Darcy does need to get on with his life and produce his own brood.  If Uncle George had lived . . .”

“Richard.”  Darcy stopped him and turned to his uncle whose face had become unreadable.  “Uncle, I admit that I would prefer to deal with this whole wife-finding process without Georgiana here to witness my . . . undoubtedly varying moods as I fight my way through it.  But sending her to Ramsgate is a favour to her; I am sparing her looking at me.”

“And she will have Mrs. Younge with her.  We are not sending her off on a horse with a purse full of money and no direction.  Let the woman earn her keep!”  Richard added, watching the judge curiously.

“I have rented a lovely cottage.”  Darcy added.  “I would have asked you and Aunt to look after her but I thought that you might like to enjoy some of the Season together . . . Samuel is graduated and out of the house, perhaps a . . . second honeymoon . . .”

“Ah, there you are!”  Richard beamed. 

“Of course.”   Judge Darcy said tonelessly.  “Of course.  We are completely alone now.  Our babies are all gone.” 

“Uncle, are you well?”  Darcy stood and touched his shoulder.  “You know that I only want the best for Georgiana, I promise you that I want her to be very happy with her life.  She is shy, but she knows her place and what is expected of her.  I will not marry her off just to be free of my responsibilities, I take them very seriously.  I love her and want her with a good man, one I can trust when I place her hand in his one morning in church, hopefully in the chapel at Kympton.”  He smiled a little.  “Mother and Father are there.”

“Yes.”  Judge Darcy stared into the distance. “That is where my little girl shall marry.” 

Darcy understood at last, “I know that you see her as a daughter, Uncle.  You have felt a bond with her from birth that as her brother and guardian I could never imagine.  I am grateful that I could turn to you and Aunt to help me when Father died so suddenly.” 

“Yes.”  Judge Darcy shook his head and focussed on his nephew’s concerned expression.  “Forgive me; I become emotional when it comes to Georgiana.”  He shook Darcy’s hand and nodding to Richard, walked to the door.  He grasped the handle and looked back to his nephew.  “Should I find a young man that I deem appropriate, would you accept him?”

“It would not be for years but . . . I would need to meet him, and know him well.  We both want her to be happy and safe; but of course, I trust your judgement as I would my father’s.” 

December 1811

 “I always wondered why you were so angry that day . . .  Did you sense what was to come?” 

“Sir?” 

Darcy blinked and sat up in his chair.  “Forgive me, Barnes, my thoughts wandered as you were toting up the rents.”  He cleared his throat.   “How do we stand?”

“Very well, sir, everything is collected and I expect to pay the taxes and bills for you in good time for New Year’s.”

“Excellent.”  He noticed that the lease had disappeared and concentrated on the rent book placed before him.  “And with the improvements you have outlined we should have a productive season.”

“If the weather cooperates.”  Barnes smiled.

“Ah yes.”  Darcy shook his head and handed the ledger back.  “Well that is why we continue to diversify.  The price we got for the pasture in the north . . .”

“As you planned, it fully funded Mrs. Darcy’s settlement, with some to spare.”

“Add it in.”  He met his steward’s eye.  “She will be protected no matter what comes in the future, as will our children.”

“Yes, sir.”  Gathering up his papers, he stood.  “I should return to the estate.” 

“I will be out soon.  The gristmill and the groves?”

“And dredging the channel . . .”

“Ah yes.  Thank you, Barnes.  I am pleased with your work.  You have been an enormous help to me and I am glad that I have put my trust in you.”  He smiled and saw the pleasure in his steward’s eyes and heard the surprise in his voice as he thanked him and bowed.  Darcy’s brow furrowed as he watched him go.  “Surely I have thanked him before?” 

He thought of a pair of sparkling eyes and heard Elizabeth’s laughter.  “Dearest Elizabeth.  What have you done to this aloof beast you married?”  He picked up a pen and as he played with it, his thoughts returned to the scene in his study at Darcy House seven months earlier and his smile faded.  “If I had not hired Mrs. Younge, if I had not taken Georgiana to Ramsgate, if I had stayed with her, if I had not felt pressured to find a wife . . .” He looked down at his ring and read the initials there.  “My sister would not be ruined and I would not have my Elizabeth.” 

Your sister chose to disregard everything she has ever been taught.
  He heard Elizabeth’s voice in his mind. 
This is not your fault.  Stop this!  If nothing had happened, you still would have come to Netherfield and found me!
.  He pinched back the blur in his eyes in an effort to contain his emotion.  Standing, he walked around the room with his hands clasped behind his back and arriving at the window, imagined Elizabeth’s reflection in the glass.  “I still would have met you.”  His fingers closed over the ring.  “I would have fallen in love with you; I would have married you, dearest. I must believe that.”

Darcy drew a long breath and blew it out.  “But it did happen and we must address it now.  How would I bear this without you?”  He whispered and contemplated the chair where Georgiana had sat and sobbed as she learned the truth of her situation.  She had been nearly mute since then and upon Elizabeth’s advice, they had not pressed her.  Hearing the pianoforte, he looked towards the door.  “That sounds terrible, who is playing?”   

“OH.”  Georgiana said softly when she entered the music room, and finding Elizabeth seated at the pianoforte looked backwards, seeking escape.

Elizabeth spoke before she could move. “Fitzwilliam is talking to Mr. Barnes so I was just looking over the selection of music you had.  I hoped that I might find something to entertain our guests during their stay.”  She sighed and looked at the stack.  “I am afraid that I am doomed.”

“Doomed?”  Georgiana stepped inside of the room.  “Why?”

“Oh, they are far too difficult for me.”  She opened up a piece and slowly started to pick out the right hand; and then carefully added the left.  “I knew I should have brought some familiar music from home.  Your brother labours under the ridiculous impression that I can play.”  Laughing softly, she struck a bad note and shook her head.  “Silly man.” 

“He wrote to me that you play quite well.  He would not say that if it were not so.”  Georgiana came a little closer and watched her hands move deliberately over the keys. 

“Shakespeare says repeatedly that love is blind.  He forgot to mention that it is deaf as well.”  Elizabeth looked up at her.  “Would you show me how it should be done?”

Hesitating, she at last responded to Elizabeth’s smile.  “If you like.”  Taking a seat, she looked down at the keyboard, but kept her hands in her lap. 

 Deciding that a push was in order, Elizabeth gave her one.  “Tell me, was your brother’s opinion always something that you viewed as infallible or is this something that you have taken up recently?”

“I do not understand.” 

“It was only a few days ago that you inferred he had been gravely in error when he chose me as his wife.  And from what I understand, it has been a warmly addressed topic over the past weeks since you learned of our engagement and marriage.”  Elizabeth turned back to the keyboard.  “I wonder if your objection to me has been a way of deflecting attention from yourself.”  From the corner of her eye, she spotted Georgiana’s mouth opening.  She worked through the tune, then turning the pages back to the beginning, started over.  On the third time through, Georgiana finally spoke. 

“I . . . I apologize for my behaviour towards you.” 

“Thank you.”  Elizabeth stopped and turned to her.  “I think that some of it is understandable.  I am a stranger coming into this safe world you have here.  And I am taking your brother’s attention just when you are learning that your life is completely changed from what you thought it was, and perhaps at last you are grasping the weight of what you have done.  Just remember though that your life is not the only one affected and that as much as you need Fitzwilliam, he needs me, and I truly do love
him
, not what he owns.  He has my care and my respect; I will not allow anyone to hurt him.”  Elizabeth returned to the keyboard to play as she felt the girl stiffen, “I hope that one day you will decide I am not so terrible.”

Georgiana heard the smile in her voice but kept her eyes on the keys.  “Fitzwilliam would not have married you if you were.” 

Elizabeth sighed to herself; the girl had no opinions of her own.   “That is true.  Otherwise he would have married Miss Bingley, would he not?  That would certainly have proven his fallibility!  That woman is a master manipulator if ever there was one.”  Elizabeth caught her eye for a moment before continuing with the song.

“Do you think that she . . . worked on me?”

Laughing, Elizabeth looked at her.  “Of course!  She used your name constantly to your brother and spoke of beautiful, accomplished, wonderful Georgiana . . . Oh dear, it was laughable how she tried to imply this great friendship with you to try and gain his favour!   He saw through it, of course.”

“I did not feel we were great friends, tolerably friendly, I suppose . . .” Elizabeth’s eyes looked heavenwards as she heard Darcy’s voice in her head.  “I will have to think about my conversations with her.”

“Good, that would be excellent practice for you.  Undoubtedly you will encounter others who will be similarly minded.” 

Georgiana’s posture relaxed slightly.  “I . . . I reread all of Fitzwilliam’s letters last night, but this time I . . . I tried to read them without prejudice.”

“And what did you find?”  Elizabeth stopped and tilted her head.

“He . . . was different.  Happy.”  Elizabeth smiled.  “I asked him to tell me about your courtship and wedding.  It sounds like it was miserable.”  She looked up quickly when Elizabeth laughed. 

“That it was.  But it had its moments of absolute joy, as well.  Your brother is the dearest, loveliest gentleman, and I am blessed to have him as my husband.”  Georgiana studied her and Elizabeth met her gaze.  “We were so looking forward to coming home and just finally being able to relax.  He deserves that, and I hope to give him the happiness he needs.”

“He said that he regrets not giving you the honeymoon you deserve.” 

Elizabeth smiled softly and she looked down to her lap.  “Dear man.” 

“Dearest wife.”  Darcy’s hands rested on her shoulders and both ladies looked up in surprise.  “What is this tinkling I hear on the keyboard?  Was there a child playing?”  His brow rose and his eyes twinkled.  “Your skill is not so poor, Mrs. Darcy.”

Elizabeth smiled when he bent to kiss her cheek.  “It is not so great, either.” 

“Georgiana, you will have to hear my wife play and sing this evening.  But not on this instrument, I am afraid that it is truly in need of replacement.”  He ran his hand over the beautiful case.  “Ah well, perhaps the workings may be replaced, I have fond memories of Mother playing this instrument and I would hate to see it discarded.  In the meantime, I will ask for the pianoforte from the ballroom to be moved into here.” 

“But you are purchasing a new pianoforte, are you not, Brother?”

“Not if this one may be repaired.”  He smiled at her and looked at Elizabeth.  “I have been reminded by my thrifty wife to mind my purse and not make unnecessary purchases.” 

“Blame my upbringing.”  She laughed and took his hand.  “Father never saved, I am afraid that I will madden you with my compulsion to do so in his stead.” 

“But . . .” Georgiana looked at him and frowned.

“I spoke too hastily when I mentioned purchasing a new instrument to you.  I may have a brood of children to care for one day.”  He gently kissed his wife and smiled at Georgiana.  “And the tenth shall not be left wanting.” 

“Tenth!”  Elizabeth laughed; and feeling Darcy’s hand squeeze hers she easily changed the subject.   “I thought you would be trapped with Mr. Barnes all morning.  You have been absent for so long, there must be a million things to address.”

“There is a great deal, but we exchanged letters weekly.  He just needed to inform me of some new issues.  It is December; love, not a terribly busy time on the estate.  However, there are things that I need to look at in person.”

“So you are going out with him?”  

Darcy smiled and shook his head, and was about to answer when he noticed Georgiana’s fixed attention on his hand.  “What is it, dear?”

“I do not know that ring.  Do you not wear Papa’s ring anymore?”

“Oh.”  Darcy let go of Elizabeth and held up his right hand to display the signet ring.  “Of course, here it is.  I could not answer my correspondence without it, could I?”  He looked at the ring on his left hand.  “This ring, is . . . well, it is my reminder of Elizabeth.”  He took up her left hand and placed it on his.  “You see, the engravings match?” 

“And our initials are on yours.”  Elizabeth smiled up to him and caressed his cheek.  “You are a tender-hearted fool, Fitzwilliam Darcy.” 

“I will only admit that between you two.”  He smiled and tugging her hand, pulled her up to stand.  “Come.”