The Darcys of Pemberley (18 page)

“Unfortunately, Elizabeth, I may have to in
defense of my own interests. We cannot always choose with whom we
must associate.”

So superficial was Elizabeth’s knowledge of
her husband’s affairs, that any further inquiry seemed pointless.
However, as it continued to disturb her peace of mind, she raised
the issue again that night in the privacy of their bedchamber.

“I do wish that I understood your business
dealings better, Darcy. At times they seem to weigh so heavy upon
you, and in my ignorance, I am of no assistance whatsoever. Do you
suppose you could teach me, at least in a general way, about the
work that often keeps you so seriously occupied?”

“It is precisely because these matters can
weigh heavy on a person that I shield you from them, Lizzy.”

“Still, if you could tell me your problems,
would not your own burden be lightened? Could I not at least be of
use to you as someone you might speak to in freedom and confidence
about whatever you have in contemplation? I wish to share all your
concerns, but as it stands now, I am excluded from this important
aspect of your life.”

Darcy was taken aback. “It was never my
object to maliciously deny you admittance to my affairs. You should
know that.”

“I do! You meant it for my good, and I thank
you. Yet you needn’t feel obligated to protect me from all of
life’s unpleasantness. I am stronger than you know, and I wish to
be allowed to share your troubles as you share mine. Do you
see?”

“I suppose I can appreciate your point. If
you truly wish to know more about the business of Pemberley, I can
certainly teach you. I had no idea you had an interest in that sort
of thing. But you must trust my discretion if I judge that certain
things are still best kept to myself.”

Mr. Darcy exercised some of that discretion
the very next morning when he again went out on business without
any explanation to his wife. Elizabeth might have been inclined to
take umbrage at this setback to their new understanding but for the
fact that it offered her the opportunity to speak to Georgiana at
last. After seeing her husband safely out the door, she went up to
the girl’s room at once.

“My dear Georgiana,” Elizabeth began,
approaching the subject as gently as she could, “I hope you are
aware that your brother and I have tried to respect your privacy,
even though it has often been difficult. It has distressed us both
to see you suffering under such an obvious strain for these several
weeks past without knowing how to help you. Now that I finally have
a clue to the cause of your distress, I cannot in good conscience
turn a blind eye to it any longer. I must speak to you, dearest,
about what you said yesterday, that ‘now there are two.’”

Georgiana objected, once again claiming there
was nothing to tell. Although she went to great lengths to dismiss
the remark, she could provide no credible explanation for it.

“There is no use denying it,” Elizabeth
concluded. “The truth is that Mr. Heywood is not the only one, or
even the first, to propose to you. Is that not so, Georgiana? There
can be no other interpretation. I know you did not mean to say it,
but since you
did
say it, you must tell me the rest. Have I
not proved myself a trustworthy confidant?”

“Yes, but … Oh Lizzy, it is so embarrassing
and perplexing.”

“I have some experience in these matters. Let
me help you along a bit. I believe I can guess the identity of your
other admirer. It is Mr. Sanditon, is it not?”

Georgiana’s expression of surprise at
Elizabeth’s penetration was quickly supplanted by one of relief.
“How did you know?”

“When I understood your meaning, there
clearly was no one else it could be, although I was too blind to
see it before.”

Once released from the weight of secrecy that
had so long oppressed her, Georgiana spoke freely, unburdening
herself to Elizabeth about the courtship that had passed so
unnoticed, yet in plain sight. She disclosed that the attraction
had been growing for months, with its inception at or about the
time of the dinner party at Reddclift. The interest between them
was mutual, although not of equal force, the gentleman having
already proclaimed his steadfast affection; the lady not yet able
to do so.

“And to all this I was completely
insensible!” confessed Elizabeth. “The two of you were rarely alone
together. When did he find the opportunity to actually
propose?”

“The day Jane delivered. Do you remember? Mr.
Sanditon remained a while after you and my brother left for
Heatheridge. That is when he declared his love, and I have been in
turmoil ever since.”

“What answer did you give him?”

“I said that I was very fond of him – which
is quite true – but that I needed time to think. The day we left
Pemberley, he pressed for my answer, and I told him I would give it
when I returned. What shall I do, Lizzie?”

“I cannot be the judge. You have had more
time to consider. What is your own opinion?”

“Well, there are certainly strong points in
favor of the match. Surely even my brother would admit its aptness
and desirability. Mr. Sanditon is a respectable gentleman and very
nearly part of the family already. As for myself, I would dearly
love to be settled so close to Pemberley, and I adore the little
girls. I could never hope to find a better man as to character. And
there is no one else that interests me in the slightest.”

“Except Colonel Fitzwilliam,” said Elizabeth
gravely. “Forgive me, Georgiana, but I must ask. How do your
feelings for Mr. Sanditon compare with what you felt, or possibly
still feel, for the colonel?”

“That is not fair, Lizzy!”

“I know it is a difficult question, but I
think your answer would be quite germane. If you are still in love
with Fitzwilliam, or if your feelings for Mr. Sanditon are feeble
by comparison to what you once felt for the colonel, that
must
guide your decision. My dear Georgiana, please remember
that you lack neither position nor financial security, and you will
have a home at Pemberley as long as you wish. In your situation,
there is absolutely nothing that should tempt you into matrimony –
early, or indeed, ever – except love. Would it not be preferable to
remain unmarried all of your life rather than compromise on that
principle of singular importance?”

A State Visit

Not surprisingly, Georgiana insisted upon
complete secrecy concerning Mr. Sanditon’s proposal. Elizabeth was
once again sworn to tell no one, not even Darcy, her silence being
the requisite condition for maintaining her sister’s confidence.
She judged it, therefore, the lesser of two evils. Leaving
Georgiana without a trustworthy friend to advise her at this
critical juncture was not an option. Should Georgiana ultimately
accept Mr. Sanditon, nothing could go forward without Mr. Darcy’s
knowledge or consent, so Elizabeth saw no serious harm in
withholding the information for a short while, much as she disliked
the idea. Her irritated conscience she soothed with the balm of
pure motives; it was out of a sincere desire to help Georgiana that
she must keep these things from her husband.

Likewise, Darcy concealed his own mysteries.
When he returned from his errand of business, he was not at all
forthcoming about what had taken place. He would say only that he
had been able to complete the appointment that had failed to
transpire the day before. Yet, from his low spirits and the look of
pain – or possibly disappointment – that Elizabeth saw in his eyes,
she surmised that the meeting had not gone well or that the
business at hand had been particularly distasteful in nature.

Her attempts to lighten his mood were
ineffectual. What distressed Elizabeth most, however, was her
distinct impression that at least part of her husband’s displeasure
was somehow directed at her. That hardly seemed possible, though,
considering that only the day before they had been on the most
intimate terms, sharing the wonder of their child’s life within
her. There had been no hint of strain between them then. What could
she have said or done since to offend him? She was on the verge of
asking when Georgiana came downstairs and the opportunity was
lost.

The sight of his sister accomplished what his
wife’s attentions had failed to do, bringing a smile to Mr. Darcy’s
face. “Ah, Georgiana, tell me, what shall we do this evening? We
have no commitments, so you may have your pick of amusements, my
dear. Whatever you fancy; we shall place ourselves entirely at your
disposal.”

Elizabeth knew Darcy’s sudden display of
cheerfulness must be an affectation. Still, she was relieved that
he was able to set aside whatever troubled him, for his sister’s
sake if not for her own.

Georgiana expressed eager interest in some
kind of musical entertainment. Her genuine preference – as well as
a desire to avoid coming upon Mr. Heywood at one of their usual
locales – influenced her choice. A concert was settled on, since
there was a fine orchestra in town that they had not yet heard.

The orchestra lived up to the high
expectations engendered by its reputation. Exquisite music inspired
the better emotions of those who were fortunate enough to be in the
audience that night. Cares and injuries melted away under the
soothing sounds of strings and woodwinds, and many who had started
the evening out of spirits recovered them in the end.

There could have been no better medicine for
what ailed Mr. Darcy, and by association, his wife. They left the
concert hall feeling thoroughly uplifted, the earlier
unpleasantness all but forgotten. Georgiana was very nearly in a
state of rapture. She made no attempt to contain her delight with
the evening’s entertainment. The orchestra, the conductor, the
composer, and any other persons or circumstances that had
contributed to her enjoyment, she praised in generous measure,
regaling Darcy and Elizabeth with her effusions all the way back to
the house.

Mr. Darcy’s improved frame of mind held, as
Elizabeth observed with relief when they retired to their
bedchamber. The lines of tension had eased from his brow, and his
dark eyes bespoke only love and tenderness when he gazed upon her.
She was satisfied. Although she would have liked an explanation for
his earlier behavior, especially as it might relate to herself, she
asked him no questions. She would not have disturbed his repose for
all the world.

~*~

Inspired by what she heard at the concert,
Georgiana took to her pianoforte with renewed vigor the next
morning. Her nimble fingers danced back and forth across the
keyboard with impressive proficiency, filling the house with music.
She was totally absorbed by the pursuit for close to two hours and
unconscious of anyone or anything else.

Darcy and Elizabeth listened from the next
room, having both decided to forgo any business or social calls for
the day. As they sat in quiet conversation, the footman brought in
the post and presented it to his master on a silver tray.

“We have a letter from Fitzwilliam, and also
one from your sister Jane. Which do you want first, Lizzy?” he
asked.

“Oh, let us hear from Fitzwilliam, by all
means. It has been weeks since we had news of him.”

Darcy read the colonel’s letter aloud.

My Dear Friends,

I trust you are all three in good health and
enjoying your stay in town. You, Georgiana, must be especially
admired wherever you are seen this season. I picture you now as I
saw you at your birthday ball, dancing each dance with a new and
eager partner. Regrettably, this time I am not so fortunate as to
be one of them, although I am quite certain you are too merry to
miss your old cousin in any case.

Though nothing compared to London, Rosings is
also playing host to an uncharacteristically busy season of
activity of a different sort. There are parties, luncheons,
fittings, and I know not what. It is a great mystery to me. The
prospective groom, I find, is required to be always present but
never to interfere. There seems to be nothing of consequence for me
to do. The ladies – in this case, primarily Lady Catherine, of
course – command the attention and make every decision.

I fear that it has been a little too much
for poor Anne, whose strength seems to be flagging under the
strain. Her physician, Dr. Essex, appears to harbor some measure of
concern for her as well, but he assures me there is no real danger.
He is a fine fellow, by the way, and so solicitous of Anne. With
his care, I trust she will rebound quickly once all the fuss is
over. Still, it is a pity that she is cannot enter more into the
spirit of things,
since I believe all these events are meant
to please and honor the bride above anyone else. As it is, I think
her mother takes the most enjoyment from them.

Lady Catherine, Anne, and I are coming into
town on Friday. There is some shopping for wedding-related
paraphernalia yet to be accomplished. I believe Anne and I are to
be trusted with that. Meanwhile, her ladyship intends to call upon
you, Elizabeth. She has resigned herself to do it, but seems none
too happy at the prospect. Although she would never admit it,
Darcy, I gather that the honor is being paid to your worthy wife on
your command. I would dearly love to know what you did to humble
the great lady so. At any rate, I am selfishly glad for the
apparent reconciliation since it will clear the way for our
continued close fellowship.

I must get this to the post now so that you
may have sufficient notice to prepare yourselves for your esteemed
visitor. I only wish I could be there. One day you must tell me all
about it as I cannot depend on receiving an accurate account from
our aunt.

Yours, etc.

J. Fitzwilliam