Chapter 13 #2
How could he fault Georgiana as he had, when he too had been forced to marry under duress?
Of course, she had chosen her marriage, but she had been naive — taken advantage of by a man whom she had known since earliest childhood, whom she ought to have been able to trust. His marriage to Elizabeth had been an unfortunate accident, a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
However, he was quickly coming to see her as a blessing, one that he did not deserve.
If they could make their unique circumstances work, was there a glimmer of hope for Georgiana and her situation?
It was difficult to believe, for it would surely require Wickham to find some hint of character and integrity.
He strode out of the room and went to walk in the garden to clear his mind, half-wishing he might run into Elizabeth there. But though Darcy did encounter company as he exited the house and strode through the winding paths, it was not the woman he had hoped to meet.
“Cousin Anne?” Darcy said in surprise. Anne de Bourgh was rarely seen out of her mother’s company, much less out-of-doors.
The young woman, dressed all in black, turned around and gasped in surprise. “Darcy,” she exclaimed. “I did not see you there.”
“Forgive the intrusion,” he said, raising a brow in consternation. His cousin rarely left the confines of the house. Indeed, he had rarely seen her anywhere but plastered to the side of the hearth.
“My mother is sleeping,” she said, as though that explained everything. Perhaps it did.
“Is it not too chilly to be out in the garden?” He glanced at the sky, which had been a swath of grey clouds all afternoon. “You will catch your death, will you not?”
“Oh, yes, I suppose so. Please excuse me,” she said and started to head toward the house with her slow steps.
He silently chastised himself and quickly caught up to her. “I did not mean to imply that you were unwelcome in the gardens, Cousin. I merely worry for your health. May I retrieve another shawl for you?”
She seemed relieved to be allowed to wander outside for a few more moments. “No, thank you, I am quite well.”
He and Anne had never been close — not as he and the colonel were. Now that he no longer needed to guard against an unwanted engagement, perhaps it was time for that to change. Darcy cleared his throat and offered his arm. “Would you care to take a turn about the fountains with me?”
Anne’s face brightened, a hint of light coming into her eyes. “Oh, yes, thank you.”
She took his arm, and they started toward a section closer to the house where there were several fountains. They had been drained in preparation for the winter months, but they still held a quiet dignity.
“How do you find Pemberley? It has been several years since you last visited. I have changed a number of things; I hope not for the worse.”
“Yes, it has been nearly a decade,” Anne agreed.
She leaned heavily on him, perhaps out of habit as much as genuine necessity.
She was so young, younger than he was. Darcy wondered, as so often before, how much of her weakness was inevitable, and how much was caused by Lady Catherine’s self-fulfilling prophecies of frailty and incapability.
“It is just as I remembered it, a sanctuary from the rest of the world.”
“And Rosings Park is not?” he asked.
She gave a wry smile. “Mama is at Rosings.”
It was all she needed to say. He nodded and chuckled. “Well, I hope your stay will be a welcome respite. I did not mean to convey that you should not walk in the garden. How is your health as of late?”
“Oh, it is as it has always been. Mama thinks I am growing more frail by the day. However, being here has greatly improved my strength.”
They walked on for some moments in silence, enjoying the rustling of the bare branches as the wind moved through them, creating a kind of symphony all around them.
Looking up at him curiously, Anne spoke slowly, as though uncertain whether her words would be welcome. “I am much impressed with your wife. She seems able to hold her own against the tempest that is Mama.”
He smiled and nodded, looking down at his feet. “Yes, I have found her to be quite remarkable.”
“I agree. She is different from the other women who have tried to win your affection.” She hesitated. “I noticed that the first day we arrived. She was able to calm you when you might have lost your temper with Mama. She is good for you.”
Anne was disconcertingly perceptive, and disconcertingly willing to speak of what she saw. Darcy hardly knew what to say in response and therefore said little. They walked around the fountain nearest the terrace steps, and she let go of his arm there.
She looked at him, her face surprisingly serious. “Do not let her go, Darcy.”
Darcy was stunned silent for a moment. “Anne…” he said at last. “Anne, perhaps I should not ask, but I find I must. You are not disappointed that matters did not turn out as your mother wished? She has made no secret of her intention that you and I should wed.”
Anne gave him a crooked smile. “I should like to marry and leave Rosings, it is true, but I do not think you and I would suit. Though I might have been prepared to compromise on that point, I suppose, if it had come to it.” Her breath hitched, and she looked at her hands.
“In the end, I am glad that it happened as it did. Mrs Darcy seems your perfect match in every way.” She gave him a smile, tight-lipped and unhappy, and turned to walk away.
Darcy did not follow her. It had never been his intention to hurt her, and yet he suspected that was exactly what he had done. “Thank you,” he said softly, too softly for his cousin to hear.