Chapter Twenty-Two
Darcy
I t took some time for Darcy to regain his composure as he took in all the new information. Outside, business at Pemberley continued quietly but inside he was in turmoil. He was still in complete disbelief that Lydia wasn’t the woman they should have been investigating or that he had entirely ignored the possibility of Charlotte being the one who had caused him and Elizabeth such grief. Yet now he was faced with the consequences of his own actions or inactions. Worst of all, he knew he would have to discuss this with Elizabeth and he knew she would be crushed. Elizabeth thought the world of her friend and to discover that Charlotte had not only betrayed them, but she had also never come forward with this deception would be difficult for Elizabeth.
He could just about hear the sounds of Lydia and Elizabeth talking if he strained his ears, but he was not interested in eavesdropping any more than he had done. A moment later there was a small knock on his study door which brought him out of his thoughts.
“Come in,” Darcy replied hesitantly.
The door slid open, and Georgiana walked in, her countenance full of apprehension. She quietly closed the door behind her and sat in front of him.
“Why is Lydia here?” she asked quietly.
“She is in need of Elizabeth’s assistance. I will be discussing her sister’s visit with her shortly,” Darcy replied, doing his level best to not show his own trepidation.
“Will she be staying?” Georgiana asked, as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap. Darcy knew his sister well enough to know that his sister was not comfortable with the idea of an unannounced guest after Lady Catherine had far overstayed her welcome earlier this year.
“If so, it will not be for long. Her condition will require her to return to her parents’ care, not ours,” Darcy said firmly. Georgiana nodded before looking down.
“It is not that I wish us to turn away a person in need or be ungracious hosts…” Georgiana whispered softly. “However, I can see how her presence affects you and Lizzy. I do not wish us to all feel stifled and distressed again because of the guest in our home.”
“I feel the same Georgiana. My priority is keeping a harmonious home for yourself and Elizabeth, and I do not wish for that to be disrupted by anyone, not even by a member of our family. Not again.”
Georgiana nodded and let out a soft sigh of relief. “Thank you, Fitzwilliam. I am most relieved that we will not be in that situation again.”
“You are welcome, please make yourself ready for dinner. We will dine together and I hope that after dinner we will be able to begin to resolve the situation,” Darcy responded warmly. Georgiana nodded before standing and leaving him alone in his study.
He slumped in his seat, wiping a hand down his face. In truth, he did not know how dinner would play out, nor did he know how Elizabeth would react to his new information. Unfortunately for him, dinner would not be able to wait for him, and he would have to face his wife and her sister. As the sun slowly began to set, he could not quiet his still-beating heart, and he could only pray that this evening would go in his favour.
***
Walking towards the dining room he could hear Elizabeth and Georgiana speaking over the dinner table but he could not hear Lydia. Some small part of him desperately hoped that she had left, however, this was proven to be a false hope when he walked into the room. Lydia was sat quietly at the table, her eyes looking somewhat downcast as the other women spoke. She did not seem to wish to be in the conversations unless she was directly spoken to.
Darcy sat at the head of the table and dinner was shortly served to them all. Elizabeth and Georgiana were speaking and eating in a manner that was usual. Lydia remained quiet. Once dinner had concluded, Elizabeth began walking Lydia upstairs towards a guest bed chamber.
A while later Darcy found himself outside of Elizabeth’s bed chamber. He gently knocked on the door.
“You may enter,” Elizabeth replied from inside the bed chamber.
Darcy pushed open the door and looked around. The last time he had been in here it was several months ago, when the chamber was much less Elizabeth’s and just a guest room. Now, she had made the chamber her own. The changes were subtle, her clothes in the wardrobe, her jewellery and writing equipment on the desk, her bottles of perfume on the dressing table, which softly permeated the room with their delicate aroma.
“Darcy? What are you doing here tonight?” Elizabeth asked as she stood up from her desk, before walking towards him.
“We have much to talk about,” Darcy murmured softly. “Primarily Lydia.”
“I see. That weighs heavily upon me as well,” Elizabeth said with a nod, gesturing for Darcy to sit at the chair near her writing desk before sitting on the edge of her bed. “I can only apologise for my sister’s actions. I truly did not anticipate her arrival here.”
“I understand that, Elizabeth. You cannot take the blame for the actions of your sister. Especially when they are so unprecedented,” Darcy replied calmly.
“Yes, but it is still an imposition upon yourself and Georgiana. I do not wish for you to feel any resentment towards me or my family for this,” Elizabeth said softly.
“I could never resent you, Elizabeth. Not again,” Darcy murmured softly, placing a hand on top of Elizabeth’s hand. She smiled warmly in response.
“I am glad you feel this way, Mr Darcy,” Elizabeth sighed with relief. “Now, what are we to do about my sister?”
“She can’t very well stay here,” Darcy stated firmly, not wanting Elizabeth to be under any allusions to the contrary. “It is not right. People will talk and we’ve had enough of that as it is. We are trying to distance ourselves from one scandal. There will already be talk about her travelling on her own as she did.”
“I concur. Whilst my sister means a great deal to me, looking after someone in her condition, let alone a child, is not something you or I or the staff are prepared to facilitate at this time. Especially not if we are to consider the fact she could be here well into the winter months.”
“And this all assumes that Wickham would not follow her or find her here. I will not permit that man to be in Georgiana’s vicinity. I do not care for him, but I do not think him the type to abandon his wife entirely, especially not when she is with child. He will come looking for her —once his mood has softened. That cannot happen,” Darcy firmly replied.
“With what Georgiana has said of her interactions with that man, your concern needs no explanation,” Elizabeth said calmly. Darcy felt somewhat relieved that he did not need to explain that problem to Elizabeth. He did not want to discuss it as despite the time that had passed it still upset him so. “I also would not wish my sister’s habits or mannerisms to leave an impression on Georgiana.”
“What is it you are suggesting?” Darcy asked, raising an eyebrow at Elizabeth’s words.
“Georgiana is a sweet, kind, intelligent, and proper young lady. I do worry that Lydia’s presence could affect that, should Georgiana be left with someone similar to her in age who acts with little propriety,” Elizabeth explained. Darcy felt a cold shiver run down his spine at the thought that Georgiana could possibly emulate Lydia in any way.
“Indeed. Let us make sure that cannot happen,” Darcy responded.
“To that end I have already written a letter to my father detailing our current situation. If we send it by express then my parents could be here within the week to collect Lydia, ensuring that she is safe and also that she is hastily removed from our presence,” Elizabeth said, indicating towards the letter on her desk. Darcy turned and picked it up, reading its contents quickly.
“This is more than satisfactory. I shall ensure it is dispatched at first light,” Darcy stated as he started to fold the letter.
“I am glad that matter is resolved,” Elizabeth sighed. “What else was there for us to discuss?”
Darcy hesitated. For a moment he recognised he could simply not discuss this with Elizabeth and leave it for another time when they did not have so many complicated happenings… Alas, he was aware that the longer he left this the more painful it would be when she learned the truth.
“I have news about who I believe could have been the one to have been at the inn if it was not Lydia.”
“Ah, so you were eavesdropping outside the room,” Elizabeth chuckled and shook her head.
“I confess that I was. I apologise, I am aware it was discourteous and rude but—”
“You were concerned for me Mr Darcy, I do understand.”
Darcy smiled and his shoulders sagged in relief.
“I am most fortunate to have a wife as understanding as you are…” he murmured softly before all at once he found the tension returning to his body. “However, you may not be so understanding in a moment when I tell you of my suspicions.”
Elizabeth looked confused as she waited for him to elaborate.
“Elizabeth… I believe I have good reason to believe that it was Mrs Charlotte Collins who has caused us so much misery,” he explained carefully, but even as he did he could see the shock and hurt taking over her expression.
“No—”
“Pray, let me finish what I have started before you question me,” he pleaded. “I am not basing this on a whim, but I am basing it on your words and a letter Mrs Collins sent me herself.”
“My words?”
“Lizzy, pray, recount for me, as you have done before, how long Charlotte was at the party for,” Darcy said plaintively.
“Charlotte was with me, she…” Elizabeth’s words trailed off and Darcy could see the dawning of understanding in her eyes, her shoulders tensing as she, like Darcy had done before, began to understand the plausibility of having Charlotte as the main perpetrator. “I met her and Mr Collins at the door. We spent much of the evening together. However, she left early. I would say eight in the evening for she and Mr Collins were to be away in the morning. They had been in Meryton for a few days already in anticipation of the ball and to see her family of course.”
“I see,” Darcy said. “So the Collinses left together?”
“No,” Elizabeth replied. “Mr Collins remained a while longer. He shared a carriage back to Lucas Lodge with Sir William. Charlotte returned home in the Collins carriage early for she wished to call on a mutual friend of ours, Miss King. Miss King was not at the party as she is not an acquaintance of Miss Barnes’s, and Charlotte had not had a chance to see her yet.”
“Have you confirmed this with Miss King?”
“No, I had no reason to. Miss King was not involved in the scandal nor the rumours about us—other than spreading them, I am sure. I can write to her,” she suggested but the discomfort was clear in her voice. “But I will ask her if Charlotte did visit her. For if she did not…”
“If she did not then that would have given her time to go to the inn and then return to Lucas Lodge before her husband returned and he would have been none the wiser as to her actions that night,” Darcy elaborated, trying to explain his thought process.
Elizabeth nodded, clearly not wanting to believe her friend would have been capable of such treachery.
“There is a logic to what you say…” she replied quietly. “But she is married to Mr Collins, a member of the clergy, and she is also one of my dearest friends. For her to have done such a thing is unconscionable. She voiced her objections loudly when I first was faced with accusations, she fought for me. If it had been her, she would have spoken up.”
“And yet, it is distressingly plausible. Especially if by speaking up she would have exposed herself to scandal. She saw what happened to you—an innocent woman. Imagine what they would have done to her, a married guilty one,” Darcy said. “Of course, I do not have any evidence to truly prove that she is truly the guilty party—”
“And until such a day might come, we are going to keep these revelations between ourselves,” Elizabeth insisted. Darcy was surprised initially but then his features softened. He stood up and helped Elizabeth to her feet. “I will speak to Miss King when next we are in Meryton and ask her about Charlotte’s visit.”
“Ought we not write to her now? Or to her guardian?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “We will be there soon enough, it should not matter if we find out now or then. In any case, I cannot believe Charlotte would have lied to me in such a way.”
“I understand. I will do as you say my dear wife, but I am going to keep investigating until I find the truth. Is that agreeable?” He asked her softly.
“I can agree to it,” she whispered back, before resting her head on his shoulder.
“Very well. I thank you for trusting me in this matter Lizzy. I will endeavour not to let that trust be displaced,” Darcy murmured softly. “I should let you rest. It has been a long day with many revelations and I can only imagine that you are quite fatigued.”
“I am indeed…” Elizabeth sighed into him. Darcy nodded and gently kissed the top of her head, which he hoped would provide her some modicum of comfort in this moment.
“Then you shall have your rest and I will see you in the morning Lizzy. Until then,” he said before disentangling himself from her. He gave her one last smile before leaving her in her bed chamber.
He quickly went to his study, he sealed and addressed the letter to Longbourn, before handing it to his footman to be sent by express. The sooner it arrived in Longbourn, then the sooner life could start to return to some semblance of normality.
Once he had that matter settled he walked towards his own chambers. For some peculiar reason, on this night, the walk felt longer than usual, and despite being at the height of summer it felt colder than Elizabeth’s room had done. He could only speculate on why that may have been as he performed his ablutions before settling in to sleep.