Chapter 9
“I am well enough, Bingley,” Darcy said, smiling with relief at the sight of his friend. He made as if to rise, only to be pushed down by a firm hand.
“Now do not get up, Darcy,” Bingley ordered before turning to his guests. “Mr. Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, my apologies for not greeting you appropriately. Good morning!”
“Good morning, Mr. Bingley,” Mr. Bennet responded, standing up and holding out his hand to assist Elizabeth to her feet.
“We called to see how Mr. Darcy is faring after yesterday’s distressing events, but will leave you now.
I am sure you both have much to speak of.
Mr. Darcy, we are glad to keep Phoenix for as long as is needed and are taking excellent care of him.
The veterinarian, Mr. Simon, is quite certain he will heal well. ”
“Thank you, Mr. Bennet,” Darcy said. “I am most appreciative of your care of my stallion.”
“Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley,” Bennet said with a nod, while Elizabeth curtsied.
“Oh,” Bingley said suddenly, holding out a staying hand. “My two sisters have chosen to stay in London, so I do not have a lady of the house at the moment. I regret exceedingly that I am unable to invite you to dine and, well...”
He floundered to a stop, his eyes shifting to Darcy’s injured arm.
“The situation is complicated,” Bennet said diplomatically. “I am certain that Mrs. Bennet will be inviting you both to dine with us at Longbourn, though I am not certain whether you will be well enough to visit, Mr. Darcy.”
“We will see,” Darcy said.
“I hope that the rest of your family is well?” Bingley inquired worriedly.
“We are well,” Elizabeth said, and then continued boldly, “My sister Jane received a letter from Miss Bingley indicating that you were also intending to stay in London for the duration of the winter, Mr. Bingley. I know I can speak for us all that we are pleased that you have returned.”
Bingley’s face darkened at these words, and he said decidedly, “I would never leave Darcy here alone at Netherfield, and I am most eager to continue my acquaintance with all my new friends in the area.”
He glanced briefly at Darcy and then turned back to say nervously, “I hope you will assure Miss Bennet that I look forward to seeing her soon and have no intention of decamping for London.”
Elizabeth could not help but smile broadly. “I will tell her. I know Jane will be very pleased.”
***
“Well, Darcy, now that our guests have departed, tell me the truth. How badly are you hurt?” Bingley demanded as the door shut behind Mr. Bennet and his daughter.
“I am quite sore, but Mr. Jones says I will recover,” Darcy responded, and then added gratefully, “Thank you for returning, Bingley. I confess that I feel much better having you here with me.”
Bingley huffed and sat down across from his friend. “There was never any doubt of that, I assure you. My sisters are mad indeed to think I would abandon you here alone after such a terrible experience. Are you willing to tell me exactly what happened?”
For a wild moment, Darcy considered telling the other man the actual truth, but of course he could not.
He trusted Charles Bingley as much as any man in the world, but what had happened on the cold path on the northern edge of Longbourn had the capacity to ruin many lives; he had pledged his silence on the matter.
All the same, he could tell Bingley an expurgated version of the events; indeed, practicing for the inquest was an excellent idea.
He began, “I was riding Phoenix...”
***
“Father?” Elizabeth said as the carriage rolled toward Longbourn.
Mr. Bennet, who was thinking hard, turned an inquiring look on his favorite daughter. “Yes, my dear?”
“I know I cannot be at the inquest...”
“Certainly not!”
“I know, Papa, I know. But please promise me that you will speak up if Mr. Darcy ... if he is in danger of ... of...”
Mr. Bennet regarded his daughter with a mixture of affection and guilt.
Elizabeth had always been his most intelligent child, and he loved her for it, but he knew that he had been an indifferent, indolent father.
His heart clenched within him again – he had been lying in bed, sleeping the morning away, while a rogue had assaulted his daughter on his own land.
His intellect informed him that he could not have known that Lizzy was in danger, and that was true.
Still, it was all of a piece, was it not?
His daughters came and went, mixing with gentlemen and rogues, while he sat in his library, content to let them wander so long as he was left in peace. He was quite despicable.
He observed her growing distress and hastily reached out a hand to her.
“My dear Lizzy, please do not worry! I assure you that I am as appreciative of Mr. Darcy as you are for coming to your rescue. If he were a different man, with fewer connections, he might be in danger. But given his former interactions with Wickham, along with his connection to the Earl of Matlock, I am confident that he will be well. I urge you not to worry.”
***
“Colonel Fitzwilliam, an express has arrived for you.”
Richard Fitzwilliam, colonel in the Regulars, looked up in surprise at the butler of Matlock House, where he always stayed when his military duties brought him to London. “An express? From whom? From where?”
“The express is from Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, and he sent it from the estate of Netherfield in Hertfordshire.”
Richard reached out a hand to the man and dismissed him with a nod.
He turned his attention on the missive with grave disquiet.
Darcy was at heart a moderately frugal man in spite of his great income, and he would not send an express without reason.
He quickly broke the seal and shifted so that the sunlight from the window fell upon the page.
Netherfield Park
November 28th, 1811
Richard,
George Wickham is dead. We encountered one another yesterday morning while I was riding my stallion Phoenix, and he said something which provoked me to strike him in the jaw.
He responded by attempting to stab me with a knife; fortunately, I was able to dodge such that he merely cut my left arm, though he was definitely aiming for my heart!
In the subsequent seconds, he lunged and then fell, striking my horse with the blade. Maddened by his injury, my stallion trampled and killed the man.
I assure you I am well enough; the injury is not very serious and I am under the care of a most experienced apothecary. Phoenix too will recover, thankfully.
The problem is that an inquest will be held concerning the death of Wickham.
I am the sole survivor of our disagreement, and sadly I am not well liked or trusted here in Meryton.
That is partially Wickham’s fault, and partly my own.
You know that I can seem arrogant to others on occasion, and I fear that I successfully alienated many of the people here.
I have sent an express to Darcy House to secure the agreement Wickham signed concerning the Kympton living; naturally, the lowlife has been slandering me to all and sundry here, claiming that I refused him the living with no mention of the compensation he requested and received.
I am hoping that you can bring it with you to Netherfield as quickly as possible.
I know that you are not fond of Miss Caroline Bingley, and I am pleased to tell you that neither she nor her sister are in residence; they left for London this morning, and Bingley returned to keep me company only an hour ago.
I know Georgiana is residing at Matlock House; do not tell her anything of what has come to pass. It will only worry her.
Fitzwilliam Darcy
“Richard?!”
Colonel Fitzwilliam looked up with a start, dimly aware that someone had called his name before. Georgiana Darcy, only daughter of George and Lady Anne Darcy, stood a yard away, dressed in a simple pink muslin dress, her blond hair piled in a simple knot on her shapely head.
“Georgie, I am so sorry!” he told his young cousin, folding the letter and pasting on an unconvincing smile. “I was woolgathering.”
Georgiana Darcy took a step closer and narrowed her eyes menacingly. The colonel swallowed, uneasily reminded of the look in his commanding officer’s eyes when he was particularly unhappy. Georgiana was not pleased.
“Do not lie to me, Richard. I know that Fitzwilliam wrote to you from Netherfield and sent it by express. Something is wrong. Is my brother hurt? Tell me!”
The colonel cogitated for a full minute and then patted the seat next to him on the couch.
“Sit down, my dear.”
She obeyed, her posture erect, her azure eyes grave with concern.
Richard handed over the letter and said, “Your brother is injured but not dangerously, Georgiana. Do read it, but prepare yourself for quite shocking news.”
She opened the paper impatiently and scanned it hastily, while Richard sat back and watched her carefully.
She blanched as she read the first words and briefly lifted her eyes in amazement toward her cousin, then looked down to read the rest of the missive.
When she was done, her eyes flicked upwards again and she read the entire letter again before lowering her hands.
“Do you truly believe my brother is not badly injured?” she demanded urgently.
“I am certain. He might diminish his wound when reporting to you, but not me.”
She smiled tremulously and said in wonder, “My brother did not wish you to tell me what happened. Why did you do so?”
Richard blew out a breath slowly and reached out to grasp her hands in his own larger ones.
“Georgiana, Darcy still feels responsible for protecting you as his sister, which is appropriate enough, but I think he forgets that you are growing up. I am your guardian as much as Darcy is, and I think it is better that you know what happened in Hertfordshire.”
“Thank you. After what happened at Ramsgate, I suppose I deserve to be treated like a child, but I am sixteen years old, not a baby.”
“You were not at fault at Ramsgate, my dear. Wickham was the true villain of the affair, but Darcy was in error as well, for not telling you the truth earlier about the man.”
Georgiana moaned as her eyes filled with tears. “I was taught better than to elope with a man, however charming he might be.”
Her older cousin leaned back in his seat, considered, and then said cautiously, “Georgie, it may be that your agreement to elope saved you.”
The girl frowned in confusion. “Save me? Whatever do you mean, Richard?”
He hesitated again but he had already come this far.
“My dear cousin, you know as well as I that a woman’s reputation is a delicate thing.
If you had refused to move forward with the elopement, it may be that Wickham would have .
.. have forced a situation which would have required you to marry him. ”
For a few seconds, she continued to look hopelessly bewildered, but then understanding dawned, and her pupils dilated in shock.
She swayed in place, and he wrapped an affectionate arm around her.
“It is hard for you to hear that, I know, but given Wickham’s character, it is not out of the question.
He wished for a willing bride, most definitely, but he is, or was, an incredibly greedy man, and he hates – hated – your brother.
I am not saying he would have assaulted you, but it is possible.
I am sorry if that is overly distressing. ”
Georgiana turned to stare out at the cloudy sky through which the winter sun glimmered feebly, her eyes strangely blank.
Two minutes passed in complete silence before she turned back to her cousin.
“It is distressing, but I am very glad you told me this. I have blamed myself so much for Ramsgate, and now, well, as you said, something worse might have happened if I had refused Wickham’s overtures.
But come, enough of that. Are you going to Netherfield? ”
“As quickly as possible, yes. I need only collect the agreement regarding the Kympton living from Darcy House.”
“I want to come with you.”
He blinked in astonishment. “To Netherfield?”
“Yes, of course,” Georgiana said impatiently. “My brother is injured and in trouble, and I love him. I wish to comfort him. Please do let me come, Richard! I cannot bear to be left behind; I will worry incessantly!”
Richard Fitzwilliam stared into his ward’s pleading eyes and sighed. “Very well. I daresay Darcy will have my head, but I cannot doubt that your presence will be an encouragement to him.”
“Thank you. When will we leave?”
Richard cast an experienced eye at the afternoon sky and said, “It is too late to depart tonight, but we will plan to leave early in the morning for Netherfield Park.”