Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
S oon after Darcy and Georgiana departed, the Hursts and Miss Bingley did likewise. Mr Bingley informed the Bennets that his family had received an invitation from Mr Hurst’s elder brother that they had accepted. Elizabeth suspected there was more to the story, as Mr Bingley was in a foul mood for several days, only appearing his usual self when he was with Jane. The couple had grown closer, and Elizabeth anticipated they would be engaged before long.
If he proposes soon, Jane and I might have a double wedding, just as we used to dream of as girls! The minute Darcy was at Netherfield again, she was determined that they would make arrangements for their wedding.
Thanks to their frequent exchange of letters, Elizabeth was aware of his travel plans, and she slipped out of the house the morning after he expected to reach Hertfordshire, hoping they would meet out of doors where they could be alone. Sure enough, midway between Longbourn and Netherfield, she saw him. Her heart raced, her cheeks hurt from grinning so broadly, and she ran towards him, throwing herself into his waiting arms.
“Oh, my darling, darling Elizabeth,” he whispered. “I have missed you.”
“Not nearly as much as I have you!” To her surprise, tears pooled in her eyes, and she blinked to banish them.
Further words had to wait, and for a delightful interlude, they stood as they were, wrapped in each other's arms, lips pressed together, as they silently expressed their devotion. When they broke apart, she noticed the rosiness of his cheeks and imagined her complexion likewise showed how heated she felt.
“Let us find somewhere to sit,” Darcy said.
They held hands and walked along the path for a few minutes until they found a fallen tree that was dry and sturdy enough to bear their weight. Their hands remained clasped as they spoke of what had happened during their time apart, much of which they had already shared in letters.
“I have spent more time at my correspondence than ever before,” she said. “Beyond you, I have been writing to Rebecca, and Georgiana and I have exchanged two letters. I promise that you received the longest, most carefully written ones, however.”
“It is good that you added that. I was on the edge of being jealous.”
She giggled at his joke. “Did you and Mr Potter finish all your work? Are you satisfied with how you left everything at Pemberley?”
He nodded. “I almost departed a week ago, such was my anxiety to be with you again, but I convinced myself to remain until I was certain there would be no further trouble. Promise me that once we are married, we shall not be apart. ”
She lay her head on his shoulder. “I hope there will be no occasion for such separations. At least not until we have been man and wife for a decade, and you have become fatigued of my company.”
He scoffed. “That could never happen. You have added so much to my life already. I do not feel complete without you.”
“I feel the same,” she whispered.
They shared a tender kiss, and then he requested she tell him the latest news from the neighbourhood. “I asked Bingley last night. All he wished to talk about was your sister. I recommended he propose, if only so that he will cease to speak endlessly of wanting to but not being sure if Jane was prepared to hear his offer, wondering what he would say, et cetera.”
“Having seen them together lately, I assure you, it will be soon. Perhaps at the assembly. That is the current chief subject of conversation at Longbourn. It is only a fortnight away, and Lydia and Kitty are full of both great enthusiasm and impatience because it is the first one since July. I wondered if you would allow Georgiana to attend, perhaps with the agreement that she will not dance. It would be hard for her to be the only young lady required to stay home. I assume you will bring her back to Netherfield soon.”
It must irk Georgiana to be considered a girl, while Lydia was an adult, albeit a young one, and of sufficient age to be out in Meryton society. But Meryton society was much smaller than that of London, which was an important difference.
“I shall think about it, and yes, I intend to go to Kent before long. I needed to see you first, and in her last letter, Georgiana encouraged me to come here for a few days.”
“I trust that means she is well and enjoying her visit with your aunt and cousin. ”
He nodded, then furrowed his brow. “Do you know, I believe it has been a week since my last letter from her. I imagined I would find one waiting for me, but Bingley said none had come.”
“She might have mistook the date you meant to leave Pemberley and sent her latest missive there. Or it might be a sign that she has been too busy amusing herself and did not realise how long it has been since she last wrote.”
He kissed her hand. “I knew you could prevent me from worrying. Your explanations are both reasonable.” He sighed. “I hope she has enjoyed herself. I do not find Anne easy to be with, but the two of them have always been friendly. My aunt is unpleasant to everyone, but Georgiana knew that before she asked to go to Rosings. I shall see her soon enough and can assure myself she is well.”
“When will you go?”
“Friday. I ought to write to let her and my aunt know when to expect me and make it clear I do not intend to remain more than one night. I do not want to be away from you. Our recent separation was too long.”
“You have no notion how much I agree,” Elizabeth said before pressing her lips to his once again.
Darcy sent notes to both his sister and aunt the same morning, proposing to go to Kent in two days’ time. As he had told Elizabeth, he was anxious to see Georgiana again, and he anticipated reuniting her with Elizabeth. Once that was done, he would speak to Mr Bennet about proceeding with the arrangements for their wedding. He would take his beloved home to Pemberley in time to celebrate Christmas.
The task completed, he immersed himself in being where he was, spending the afternoon and evening with the Bennets and Bingley.
When he received a letter in Lady Catherine’s hand the following day, he regarded it with surprise. Why would she write when he would see her the next day? It could only be to tell him to leave Georgiana where she was; it would not be a request, but rather an order. Likely, his aunt would have added a few sly, insulting comments regarding Elizabeth and her influence on his sister. Expecting the missive to be disagreeable, Darcy almost set it aside to read at a later time, perhaps only as he was on his way to Rosings so that he was familiar with the contents lest his aunt mention something she had written, such as a dinner party she intended Georgiana to attend. But he decided he might as well complete the disagreeable duty at once.
Nephew,
I fail to understand the meaning of your note. If you think to play some sort of trick on me, it is unbecoming of a gentleman of your standing. I suppose I should not wonder, given the alliance you have chosen to make. Come to collect Georgiana and return her to Hertfordshire? As you well know, she is not here. You might not have been pleased by my response to your unfortunate news, about which I have not changed my view, but an attempt to raise my alarm in such a manner is unconscionable! Has that girl you have shackled yourself to addled your brain? You sent for Georgiana a fortnight ago, informed her to return to Derbyshire at once, wrote something about helping to prepare Pemberley for that girl you intend to make your wife.
I am not sure why you demand she leave Rosings so soon after arriving. Anne and I both found her company especially agreeable. I suppose you conceived of this notion to remove her from us as soon as she wrote to you of Mr Wickham’s presence in the neighbourhood. You ought to have ended your inappropriate friendship with him years ago, no matter how much my brother-in-law favoured him.
Naturally, she and Mrs Younge departed as directed. Knowing you had written both of them and Mr Wickham, what choice did I have but to let them go? You should have written to me directly. I might have arranged everything just as well as him, and I have a greater right to see to my niece than he does, despite being your intimate companion. I ought to be satisfied you thought to ensure your sister had a gentleman to escort her, but I hardly know you any longer, Darcy. Your mother would be ashamed that you did not collect her yourself, even if it meant travelling here from Derbyshire to do so.
Lady Catherine
Darcy was at breakfast with Bingley, and his shock at what he had read made him push away from the table roughly, causing the dishes to rattle. He stood and was overcome with dizziness. Clutching the table to avoid falling to his knees, he desperately tried to pull air into his lungs. He must be mistaken; he had surely misunderstood. Faintly, he heard Bingley say his name, believed he even felt his friend’s hand on his arm, but Darcy could not be sure. He was too occupied with attempting to read the letter again; it was difficult given how blurry his vision had become .
Somehow, he was sitting, and his mouth was full of wine, which he swallowed before he began to choke.
“What is it?” Bingley asked urgently. “Darcy! What has happened?”
Darcy grabbed the glass his friend was still holding and swallowed the contents in one large gulp. “Oh, dear lord, this cannot be true. It must be a mistake or a very poor attempt at a joke.”
“May I?” Bingley said.
Darcy sensed him tugging at the sheet of paper and released it. While Bingley read, Darcy leapt to his feet and said, “I must depart at once. Go to Rosings. Only there will I find the answers I need.” He was halfway to the door when he stopped abruptly and turned back to his friend. “Elizabeth!”
Bingley, his complexion ashen and expression confused, regarded him. “I shall send for her directly and have my carriage bring her here. You must explain your sudden departure to her before you go. I will also have your carriage readied. Pack or do whatever you need. You will be on your way to Kent before long, and a slight delay to speak to her will do you good. Try to calm yourself, Darcy. Everything will be well, I am sure of it. Should I go with you? I should?—”
“No.” Darcy ran both hands roughly over his face. “Stay here, I beg of you, though I appreciate the offer. Georgiana knows to find me at Netherfield, and she might be making her way here herself. I do not understand why, or what role that man ”—he spat the final words—“might have in this, but… Say nothing of it to anyone, please. I shall ask Elizabeth to keep it to herself too, until I discover what has happened.”
Bingley agreed, and Darcy hurried to his chamber to demand his valet pack a bag. While he waited for Elizabeth, he wrote a note to Fitzwilliam; he had to be informed of the odd goings-on. Even should it end up being nothing but a misunderstanding or some largely innocent prank—which he prayed it was while recognising that was exceedingly unlikely—it involved Georgiana, and as her guardian, Fitzwilliam needed to know. With Wickham involved, Darcy had a dreadful feeling that everything was far from well and would remain so for a very long time.
Elizabeth was as close to frantic as she ever had been when she entered Netherfield and was shown into the drawing room. Jane had accompanied her, almost as alarmed by Mr Bingley’s request that she come and see Darcy at once as Elizabeth was. The sisters had been walking along the road towards Meryton, intending to call on an elderly neighbour, when Mr Bingley’s coachman had seen them. It meant none of the other Bennets knew there was trouble.
As soon as he saw her, Darcy walked towards her; he led her to the window, leaving their companions to their own conversation.
“I have just had a letter from Lady Catherine with such dreadful news, though, fortunately, I do not believe she understands how terrible it is,” Darcy said before Elizabeth could ask. He gave her a sheet of paper, and as she read the note, he continued. “I am leaving for Rosings at once. I can only discover what has happened if I am there. As you know, I did not send for Georgiana, and I have no notion where she has gone or why. If my aunt has misled me, I shall—I do not know what, but I will never speak to her again.”
“Who is Mr Wickham?” she asked .
He clenched his jaw and shook his head so vigorously she worried he would injure himself.
“Darcy, you must collect yourself. You will do your sister no good like this.” She ran her hand over his arm soothingly.
After several deep breaths, he said, “Wickham is a childhood friend, the son of the man who was Pemberley’s steward before his death six or seven years ago. I shall tell you more of him another day. I cannot think of him now without going mad. It is enough to say he is a reprobate, the sort of man I do not want near my sister, who ought not to be near any respectable lady. I do not understand what he was doing in Kent, or what role he might have played in convincing Georgiana that I wanted her to go to Pemberley. She knew I was returning to Hertfordshire, and it would be extremely unlikely that I would ask anyone—even someone she thought I viewed as a friend—to escort her on such a long journey. What was Mrs Younge thinking?”
“Of course, you must go and speak to your aunt. I am confident this is all a misunderstanding. Perhaps Georgiana and your aunt argued. Lady Catherine is unhappy about our engagement, and Georgiana might have found she was uncomfortable remaining there. Do you not think Mrs Younge might have removed her to London, under that circumstance?”
Darcy shrugged. “Whatever has transpired, I shall not forgive my aunt for not taking better care of her.”
“I know you wish to depart, and you should. Please, write to me as soon as you learn anything. I shall not rest a moment until I know all is well. Promise me you will return here unless there is a compelling reason to go elsewhere.”
Darcy nodded, rested his forehead against hers for a long moment, and then said his goodbyes.