Chapter Twelve
He returned home, still shaken by his encounter with Mr. Wickham. Shutting himself off in his study, Darcy had first constructed a letter to send by express to Georgiana in Bath, who was to arrive at Darcy House on Saturday. Though he did not expect Georgiana to encounter Mr. Wickham, he meant to warn her of the man’s presence in London. Though Darcy did not believe Wickham knew of his sister’s residence nor did he believe Mr. Wickham would ever be able to “sweet talk” Mrs. Annesley, Georgiana’s companion, he could not take the chance.
He had finished the letter and had asked Mr. Thacker to have it delivered immediately, when the knocker was released. Thacker responded quickly.
“Mr. Hurst, come in, sir.” Darcy stopped upon the steps rather than returning to his study. He asked, “Hurst, has something happened to Bingley?” Darcy would never forgive himself if Mr. Wickham had attempted to “rob” Bingley or worse.
“No, sir,” Hurst said as he swayed in place. “Have not talked to Charles today.”
“Come in, sir,” Thacker encouraged the man who was brother-in-marriage to Charles Bingley.
“I see,” Darcy responded, though he wondered what could bring the man to Darcy’s door. Assuredly, Hurst and Darcy had periodically been in each other’s company, though since Miss Bingley had set her sights on Darcy, their time together had been less so. “Then join me in my study. I assume your business requires privacy. I just asked Thacker to bring me a small meal and tea. Might you care to join me?”
Though he had not asked Thacker for a meal, Darcy knew Hurst required one. The man smelled of too much alcohol, especially as the day was still quite young.
“Sounds good, but might I have coffee instead of the tea?” Hurst asked.
“Absolutely. Come along, Hurst.” Darcy adjusted his step so as not to leave the man behind. Once they were settled in the chairs before an empty hearth, Darcy asked, “How might I be of service, Hurst?”
“Do not rightly know how best to proceed now that I am here,” Hurst began. He started to rise, but Darcy motioned him to remain. “Bingley would be furious if he knew I was here. So would be Louisa and Caroline.”
“Just say what you mean to say. I promise not to speak of this matter to any of the Bingleys. It will be our secret.”
Hurst swallowed hard. “Suppose I have no choice. I’ve made a cake of myself already.” A heavy sigh followed. “I will just say it outright and be done with it: I do not believe you are aware, but Bingley is in love with your Miss Bennet.”
“In love with my betrothed?” Darcy asked in dumbfounded astonishment, but, instantly, he knew Hurst’s words to be true. Bingley’s standoffishness of late finally made sense.
“I fear so. But Charles cannot say this, for his honor knows what your friendship has done for him and his family. My family also,” Hurst explained.
Darcy said, “I have already proposed and been accepted by the lady. If I chose to call off now, my actions would destroy Miss Bennet’s future. Even Bingley, if he wishes to continue to steer his family into the gentry class, could not propose to the lady if I abandoned her. Miss Bennet, and likewise her family, would know ruin. The only means out of the marriage would be if the lady called it off, and, even then, gossip could easily surround both of us.”
Mr. Hurst started to respond, but Darcy waved the suggestion off.
“The Bennets have already had one sister who married below their place in society. The girl’s evident desire to be the first to marry had her creating a cooked-up affair that has cast shade on the whole family. Miss Bennet means to restore her family through our marriage. Even if she, too, loved Bingley,” which Darcy could now view as a possibility, “an end to our contract would cast more ‘social mud’ about her family’s reputation. If the lady wished to be released, I would honor her request, but I cannot, in good conscience, move against her. Doing so would do her more harm than good.”
“William!” his sister called as she rushed across the foyer to launch herself into his waiting arms. Darcy inhaled the scent of her and sighed. He had adored Georgiana Darcy from her first breath. The midwife had handed Georgiana off to Darcy while his father had rushed into Lady Anne’s quarters, fearful for his wife’s life. Darcy’s mother had suffered greatly, not only with Georgiana’s birth, but from several miscarriages between Darcy’s birth and that of his sister.
His mother had not passed from delivering Georgiana. In fact, she had lived for another two years, but Lady Anne’s health had never been the same. Neither had been the true “love” between his parents. Lady Anne blamed herself for not producing a “spare” for Pemberley’s legacy, and George Darcy had blamed his “lust” for stealing away Lady Anne’s years. Like his wife, George Darcy also had never been the same. He became a man who feared love. Darcy had always promised himself he would be a better version of his father, but he held no expectations Miss Bennet would add to his life. All he could hope to know was a son to whom he could relay his vision for Pemberley and life in general.
Darcy had stood witness to it all, and, through those years, he had protected Georgiana. He had come close to failing her once, but he would never fail her again. “How is my favorite sister?” he asked as he set her from him.
“I am your only sister,” she responded with a grin.
“Then you must assuredly be my favorite,” he told her as he claimed her hand. “Was your journey pleasant?”
“I would say so, would you not, Mrs. Annesley?” his sister addressed her companion.
“Good roads, sir. The turnpikes from Bath are superior to England’s country roads, which shake a person right out of his or her seat.”
Finding Mrs. Annesley had been a godsend after the disaster with Mrs. Younge’s and Mr. Wickham’s failed attempt to convince Georgiana to elope with the man.
“Your quarters are prepared, Miss Darcy,” Thacker told them. “Yours also, Mrs. Annesley.”
“Then we should freshen our things,” Georgiana announced. She rose on her toes to kiss Darcy’s cheek. “I am excited to learn more of your Miss Bennet. At last, I shall have a sister. I pray she makes you happy, William. You are too hard on yourself. You require someone who cares for you and not the Darcy fortune.”
“In England, marriage is often as much a contract as it is a matter of the heart,” he cautioned.
“Do not say your proposal was more ‘contract’ than affection,” his sister said in dismay.
“I only said often both were involved,” he remarked. “And at different times one or the other is prevalent.” Yet, Darcy knew affection was not part of his bargain with Miss Bennet and, likely, never would be.
The colonel had joined them for supper, and his sister had spent the evening practicing dancing with one or the other of them, while Mrs. Annesley played on the small pianoforte. Darcy had laughed as Georgiana attempted to correct their purposeful mistakes, until she realized he and Fitzwilliam had been teasing her.
“You must play for us, Georgie,” his cousin had instructed as he poured himself a splash of brandy into a glass. “Darcy and I adore listening to you play.”
Mrs. Annesley relinquished the instrument, and Georgiana rushed to do their cousin’s bidding. “Does Miss Bennet play?” his sister asked as she searched through the stack of music sheets.
“No,” Darcy answered. “At least, not in the way you mean. The lady is capable of performing, but she is not proficient. None of the Bennet sisters had a governess. Mrs. Bennet simply permitted them to pursue what most suited their natures.”
“Then none of them play?” Georgiana asked with a frown.
“Miss Mary appears to prefer the pianoforte,” Fitzwilliam explained. “When she first played for us, it was, how do I say this kindly . . .”
“Torture,” Darcy supplied. “She attacked the keys.”
“But something happened the night Mr. Bennet and Miss Elizabeth and Miss Mary did not attend the supper at Lucas Lodge. When we returned, it was quite magical how Miss Mary and Miss Elizabeth entertained us the next day.”
“Miss Elizabeth?” Georgiana asked. “I must learn which is which beforehand.”
Fitzwilliam explained what Darcy could not for fear his voice would relay his growing feelings for Elizabeth Bennet. “Miss Jane Bennet is the eldest and the most fair of face. Taller than the others as well. Blonde of head and eyes of blue.”
Darcy wished to add the words “empty” and “dull” to his cousin’s description, but all he said was, “the ideal of the English countryside.”
“And Miss Mary?” Georgiana asked.
“The third sister,” Fitzwilliam said as he joined Georgiana on the bench before the instrument. “A bit mousy. Her hair is unremarkable. Nice eyes, but they are hidden by spectacles. Kind of heart, but possesses a bit of mettle in her backbone. Quotes Fordyce’s too often, but she should make Mr. Ericks a fine wife.”
“Our Mr. Ericks?” Georgiana asked. “You did not tell me, William.”
“The Bennets’ uncle is married to Samuel Ericks’s younger sister Madelyn. I realize you likely do not recall the woman, for she and her mother left the area when I was, about sixteen or seventeen. Mrs. Gardiner was the only daughter after several sons to the late Mr. Ericks,” he explained. “Miss Elizabeth says her sister Mary and Ericks have been presented with permission by Mr. Bennet to correspond. Though no proposal has been spoken, an assumption of one remains.”
“That would be pleasant not only for Mr. Ericks to claim the rectory and a wife, but also for your Miss Bennet, William, to have her sister so close,” Georgiana observed.
“Ericks would be a good match for Miss Mary,” Darcy replied. “Ericks would have a wife who could assist him in tending to those in the parish.”
“Who else, Colonel?” Georgiana demanded.
“There is Miss Catherine, who the family affectionately calls ‘Kitty.’ She is the fourth daughter. The girl loves her fashion plates, but not in a ‘silly’ manner. She possesses an excellent eye for design and style. I understand she will make Miss Bennet’s wedding dress so, at the wedding, you will see what I mean. She is the closest to your age. Bubbly. Blonde like her elder sister. Blue-green eyes.”
“Miss Jane Bennet, Miss Mary, and Miss Catherine,” Georgiana repeated. “Who did you omit?”
“Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy said before Fitzwilliam could respond.
“The second sister?” Georgiana asked.
Darcy could not answer. Fitzwilliam must have understood for he quickly added, “A spitfire. Miss Elizabeth, as she likes to remind everyone, was to be the son to inherit her father’s estate. While Mrs. Bennet caters to her eldest, Miss Elizabeth is the product of her father’s influence. She is better read than many Cambridge and Oxford scholars, knows a great deal about estate management and crops, but she also possesses the voice of an angel, would you not say, Darcy?’
“Agreed,” he murmured as the image of the woman rising from the floor the last night he had spent at Longbourn easily formed in his memory. “ My sister is of such a sweet nature, I am confident she shall forgive all your transgressions. I, on the other hand, owe you nothing of the sort. I shall never forgive your unkind thoughts and words regarding Jane. ”
“That is four daughters,” Georgiana said, “and Miss Bennet will be the first to marry, as is appropriate.”
The colonel shot a look of concern to Darcy, “You did not tell her?”
“Tell me what?” Georgiana looked to Darcy in concern.
“There is a fifth sister,” he said as he rose. “The youngest, Miss Lydia Bennet, was made to marry a man who compromised her. The man was part of the militia stationed in the nearby village. She was only fifteen when she became Mrs. George Wickham.”
“I cannot see him again,” Georgiana pleaded, tears immediately forming in her eyes as the colonel pulled her into his embrace. “You cannot think of making Mr. Wickham your brother.”
While his sister continued to cling to their cousin, Darcy made her a solemn promise. “I was unaware of the situation when I made my proposal, and, obviously, Miss Bennet could not know of our family history with Wickham when she accepted my offer. If I call off, not only is Miss Lydia ruined, but so will be Miss Bennet, more so, for at least Miss Lydia was made to marry. The Wickhams live in Newcastle where Mr. Wickham has purchased a lieutenancy in the Regulars.
“I have warned the Bennets that they may support the Wickhams as they choose, but I will not provide the couple even one penny. I will not welcome the pair into Darcy House or Pemberley. I am a man of honor, Georgiana, and I cannot in good conscience walk away now. Moreover, you and the colonel must understand, I require a wife and an heir or Bertram Darcy means to claim a large chunk of Pemberley. I do not have the luxury of time to break one engagement and woo another lady. In a little over fifteen months, I will lose prime land from our father’s estate.
“I must produce a son to inherit by my thirtieth birthday or Bertram claims one-fourth of Pemberley Estate.”
“Does the earl know?” Fitzwilliam demanded.
“Matlock is the one who presented me the letter from Bertram, where our cousin expressed his intention to know the fruit of all my labors.”