Chapter 25 #2
Breakfast ended, and the ladies went to prepare for the ride. It was planned to be short, since they needed to return to prepare for that evening’s dinner.
***
Darcy and the colonel retired to the library to continue their conversation.
“I could not believe your note that said things had been settled,” the colonel said. “How? In what way? And how on earth did Miss Bennet convince Georgiana to leave her room and even go out of doors? We failed for months!”
“There are some particular details that I shall reveal to you, but the most important is that Georgiana trusted her more than any of us.”
“You know, I asked my mother why Miss Bennet and Georgiana had not seen each other for ten years. She did not particularly remember either.”
“Georgie’s governess at the time was opposed to it, Mrs Reynolds said. She did not consider the niece of a man in trade to be good enough company for my sister and did not approve of her manners.”
“Her manners? She was ten years old!”
“I find it ridiculous too. But she was quite strict about the behaviour of young ladies. Instead of being grateful that Miss Bennet saved Georgiana from drowning, she called it ‘a wild display of impropriety’.”
“That is ridiculous and stupid.”
“It is. I only learnt about it recently, from Mrs Reynolds’s letters.
By the way, although she did not say as much, I assume that Miss Bennet’s fear of horses began when she saw Georgiana falling from her pony.
Unlike my sister, she was old enough to recollect the moment and for it to make an impression on her. ”
“Very likely,” the colonel agreed. “Lady Anne deservingly approved of Miss Bennet, and so did your father, did he not?”
“He did. But my mother died shortly after that, and my father cared for little else. My sister’s governess made most of the decisions regarding my sister, some of which I did not agree with, although they were well meant.”
“Mother said that Lady Catherine was there one day in London when Mrs Gardiner tried to speak to Georgiana. She chased the woman away and forbade her from attempting any further contact with Georgiana.”
“I did not know that, but I find it easy to believe. Lady Catherine always approved of the governess’s severe style of education, which was completely unsuitable for a young girl like Georgiana.
Mrs Gardiner did not mention anything of the sort, probably out of common sense and decency.
By the way, we have Mrs Gardiner to thank as much as Miss Bennet in regard to Georgiana. ”
“Do we? How is that?”
“Prepare yourself to hear things that I never imagined speaking of,” Darcy said. “But as Georgiana’s guardian, you have the right to know. And as my best friend, you deserve the confidence of such a story.”
“This sounds awfully distressing, and I am only calm because I saw Georgiana was well. But wait, before you start, I need a brandy,” the colonel declared.
Sometime later, when Darcy had completed his narration of the events of the last few days, he revealed the reason behind Georgiana’s suffering.
The colonel never interrupted him, but when he had finished, he was almost suffocating with anger.
While he was well aware of all the particulars of the elopement and Darcy’s previous dealings with Wickham, the added details enraged him beyond his control.
“I cannot believe it! Poor Georgiana, to suffer alone for all these months! This is worse than outrageous! You should shoot Wickham, Darcy! Not to death, but enough to suffer daily in his pathetic life! And that wretched woman too!”
“I shall not shoot him, but he must suffer indeed. And Mrs Younge too. I have requested a meeting with Mr Dodge, and I shall ask him to discover her whereabouts, then I shall have a private meeting with her.”
“Good. And Wickham?”
“I have already purchased some of his debts, so I must find a way to use them against him.”
“How? Throw him into debtors’ prison?”
“I could do that, but he would then lose his position in the regiment too. I want him to suffer more than Georgiana did and not have a moment of peace but not to lose his income. I want to respect my father’s wishes as much as possible, even though Wickham betrayed him.
I know it sounds difficult to understand. ”
“It does. I never understood my uncle’s partiality for that scoundrel. He was a wise man in every other situation except that.”
“I long ago ceased to judge his choice, Richard. Now, I must think of a way to take revenge on those two scoundrels. I am ashamed of myself for being so resentful, but I cannot help it.”
“Why would you be ashamed? I am proud of you, and I look forward to hearing what you decide. And Darcy?”
“Yes?”
“What about Miss Bennet?”
“Miss Bennet? What do you mean?”
“I do not wish to be disrespectful, but I have seen the way you look at her. There is more than gratitude and friendship there. I am sure you will deny it, but you must give it careful consideration.”
“I have no wish to deny it,” Darcy replied, and the colonel’s eyes widened. “However, my main concern is to ensure Miss Bennet feels comfortable and safe while she is my sister’s guest.”
“Well, well… This is a shock indeed. A pleasant one, but still a shock. Although I have only just met her, I can understand your preference. And what of Miss Bennet? Do you know her opinion of you?”
“The beginning of our acquaintance was unfortunate, mostly due to my behaviour, and I can safely say she loathed me for a while. In time, her opinion of me improved, but I assume it was mostly due to her discovering who I was. Lately, she has been a loyal friend to me and Georgiana. I do not dare to speculate more.”
“I see… Well, well, this is unexpected,” he repeated.
“I do not wish to speculate either, but I believe if you did decide to pursue Miss Bennet, you would have a hard time explaining it to Lady Catherine and even to my family. As supportive as they might be of Miss Bennet as Georgiana’s friend, if you were involved, their opinion might differ. ”
“Richard, if such a moment did come to pass, Lady Catherine’s or anyone else’s opinion, except for that of Miss Bennet herself, would matter little to me. Please let us leave the subject for the time being. I must think of Wickham and Mrs Younge now.”