Chapter Eighty-Nine
Weddings are usually the end of one story, and the beginning of another, and so it was in this case.
Mr. Darcy planned to take his new wife to London for a week or so before subjecting her to the discomfort of several days of travel north. He had written to Mrs. Layton, his housekeeper there, so that Darcy House would be ready to receive its new mistress.
To his surprise, Georgiana asked if she might spend that week with the Matlocks instead. She stammered through an explanation, saying that doubtless the newlyweds would want some privacy in their first week together.
Mr. Darcy looked to Elizabeth for her opinion; she turned to Georgiana and said, “I think you are telling me that you will be uncomfortable at Darcy House during this week. Is that right?”
Georgiana nodded vigorously, happy to be understood.
Elizabeth said, “Georgiana, I hope you understand that we would be happy to have you with us. There is no need, truly, for you to be anywhere else.”
Georgiana nodded, but said, “I would like to visit my aunt and uncle, please, Lizzy. I have not seen them in some time.”
Elizabeth looked at Mr. Darcy, who looked at his sister with a puzzled frown and said, “If that is what you wish…”
“It is, Brother.”
“Very well, Georgiana.”
The Matlocks had not attended the wedding, citing previous commitments that prevented them from traveling to Meryton, so this would be their first introduction to Elizabeth.
“I hope they are at home,” Mr. Darcy murmured.
The Earl was not, but the Countess was. “Darcy!” she exclaimed, when the three of them were announced. “And dear Georgiana! Oh, Mrs. Darcy! I am delighted to meet you! I cannot tell you how sorry I was to not be present at my nephew’s wedding.”
“We understood, of course, your ladyship,” Elizabeth replied at once, curtseying.
“No, no, none of that,” the Countess said, firmly. “It is Aunt Eleanor.”
“Thank you, your – Aunt Eleanor,” Elizabeth said, blushing slightly. “That is very kind. I am Elizabeth, or Lizzy.”
“How long are you staying in London?” the Countess asked.
Mr. Darcy replied, “About a week, Aunt Eleanor. We have not yet even arrived at Darcy House, because Georgiana just announced that she would rather spend the week with you. So we are here in the hopes that you are willing to host her for that time.’
“I would be delighted, of course,” the Countess said at once, though a surprised look crossed her face. She pulled a bell cord and instructed the maid to have the Blue Room readied for Miss Darcy immediately.
“Thank you, Aunt,” Georgiana said, quite evidently relieved.
Mr. Darcy said, “Come, Georgiana, show me which trunks are yours.”
Georgiana looked rather puzzled, as she did not think her brother required her help, but she obediently rose and followed him outside.
Mr. Darcy looked over his shoulder at his wife as he left, and she gave him a quick nod, understanding at once what was required.
Elizabeth turned to the Countess and said, “Aunt Eleanor, I am not certain why, but Georgiana seemed uncomfortable at the idea of being with us during our first week of marriage.”
The Countess shook her head. “I cannot understand it; surely she knows that there are enough rooms in the house that she need not…well, hear anything, if you take my meaning.”
“I do, yes.” Elizabeth hesitated. She could not speak of what had happened to Georgiana, but she could at least warn the Countess to allow for poor Georgiana’s somber mood.
“But I hope you will make allowances for her if she is a bit moody. It has been an eventful winter for her and it is best not to press her on the subject. But I assure you that I love her dearly and will do my very best to make her comfortable with having a Mrs. Darcy in residence.”
“She has always been rather –“ But the Countess broke off as the subject of their discussion re-entered the drawing room.
“There, I think that is everything,” Georgiana announced. “But you will come and visit me, will you not, Brother? Lizzy?”
She was reassured on that score, and so seemed content enough when Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth took their leave.
The two sat in silence for a moment as the carriage moved forward, and then they sighed in unison.
“Does it not seem to you, Elizabeth, that she was far too quiet on the journey here?”
Elizabeth nodded. “As I think on it, she has been rather quiet for some time. There was so much activity involved in planning the wedding – well, three weddings! – that I think we did not notice.”
Mr. Darcy shook his head. “Will she never be well again?” he whispered.
“It will be all right,” Elizabeth told her husband. “She will see us happy together and she will recover.” She was not at all certain that it would be as easy as that, but she did not wish to see her new husband so somber.
“I am sorry, Elizabeth,” he sighed. “I will not allow my fears to spoil our time together.”
“Our fears, Fitzwilliam, not your fears. Let us make an agreement. During the day, we will work and plan together as to how to ease Georgiana’s very natural reaction to what happened to her, but the moment the sun sets, that time belongs to us and us alone.”
“I agree completely!” Mr. Darcy said. He took his wife’s face in his hands and kissed her quite thoroughly.
***
Georgiana fell down on the bed in the Blue Room.
It had taken all her strength not to break down in front of Brother and Lizzy these past weeks.
Everyone thought her quite healed from her ordeal, and certainly she should be by now, should she not?
Certainly a stronger girl, someone like Lydia, perhaps, would have stopped thinking on it entirely!
But for Georgiana, the memories had returned, as sharp as ever, the moment she had left Longbourn. It was as if being with the other participants, Kitty and Lydia, had somehow cocooned her; but as soon as she had returned to Netherfield, the nightmares had begun again, so she was always tired.
She had difficulty eating; nausea would rise up, and she would just push her food around on her plate, hoping no one would notice.
And, in truth, no one had! Preparing for the weddings, getting the gowns and the flowers and everything just right, had taken up everyone’s attention.
She was grateful for that, as it kept anyone from knowing that she was so very weak and stupid.
The idea of being at Darcy House, knowing that Lizzy was having that done to her, night after night, was more than she could bear. Did that not make Brother as bad as Wickham? But no, surely not, as he and Lizzy loved one another and had got married, so now it was apparently all right.
But was it? Mrs. Bennet had said it was pleasurable for the woman as well as the man, but she had to say that, did she not?
Women must lie to one another, or no one would ever marry!
Might there not be a conspiracy of married women to not tell the terrible truth to the unmarried ones?
For if they did, no one would have any grandchildren! There would be no heirs to the estates!
Georgiana was hopelessly confused. She could not ask her aunt about it, for the Countess would then insist on knowing why Georgiana was asking such a thing and doubtless Georgiana would end up telling her everything.
It was difficult to resist Aunt Eleanor when she was being insistent, and she knew that it could never be known that Lydia had killed a man!
And so Georgiana knew she would have to continue to play a part, continue to pretend that all was well, when, deep in her heart, she believed she would never be well again.