Chapter Twenty Five
Darcy began the next day by attending to an urgent matter – he had a letter of great import to compose.
Unfortunately, as he entered the parlor he shared with Richard, he found both of his cousins and Bingley lounging idly there.
Richard looked as if he had been up rather late, but he was chipper as ever, if a bit disheveled.
He went to the sideboard and poured a small dram of brandy. “Hair of the dog, Darcy?”
“I do not think he had been bitten by that particular dog – though he would like to be.” Rebecca looked up and grinned at Darcy.
She was draped indecorously on the sofa, idly stroking Bingley’s hair.
Bingley laid across the sofa, his knees bent over the arm rest and his legs dangling; his head was in Rebecca’s lap.
Darcy raised his brows but did not gratify them with a comment.
Darcy waved away Richard’s offer. “It is ten in the morning.”
Richard shrugged and threw himself into a chaise, glancing round as Darcy sat down at the desk. “What matters of business could you hope to attend to, in the presence of these two idiots? They have kissed and made up, and now they shall be insufferable.”
“I am not an idiot,” Rebecca protested.
Bingley lifted his head just a little. “I am not insufferable!”
Darcy ignored them, ready to put pen to paper. “Miss Elizabeth has allowed me to be use of use to her, and I believe I must act quickly, for it is a matter of some delicacy, requiring urgent attention.”
Rebecca murmured knowingly. “The business with Wickham.”
Richard shot up out of his seat, nearly toppling his brandy. “WHAT?”
Darcy considered what he ought to say, not wishing to speak so ill of Elizabeth’s sister that he must imply she would eagerly succumb to the villain’s charms. Rebecca was faster, and she explained Elizabeth’s apprehensions about her sister and the regiment coming to Brighton.
“Darcy, why did you not tell me sooner? At, but let him come – I shall be waiting for him,” Richard said with a sinister flourish.
“I thought you and Brandon might speak with Colonel Forster when the regiment arrives; discreetly give the man some warning, and let him comprehend that Miss Lydia is far from unprotected.”
Richard nodded. “I nearly wish he would give me another reason to run him through! I shall see Wickham run out of town, at least. I know Forster – I will make sure the girl is watched and looked after.”
Darcy nodded. “If it could happen to Georgiana, it might happen to anybody. I cannot bear for Elizabeth to worry – not when my own silence has allowed Wickham to insinuate himself into her family’s inner circle.”
“And have you… insinuated yourself into Lizzy’s inner circle yet?” Rebecca gave him an arch look; Bingley choked on his own laughter.
Darcy glowered at her. “Good God, Rebecca. You may be as indecent as you choose behind closed doors, but I will not hear such talk of Elizabeth.”
“She is particularly scandalous today, but at least she is in a better mood,” Richard observed.
“Pah, who wishes to talk about me, when Darcy is finally doing something interesting? I take it you will write to the Bennets to discourage this folly?”
“I intend to present the facts – without explicitly naming my sister – and urge them to consider the matter more carefully. I also intend to apologize most humbly for my proud and disagreeable behavior when I was in Hertfordshire, and assure them that I look forward to meeting them again in perfect friendship.”
Rebecca perked up. “Are you going to ask her father for her hand?”
A pang of envy tugged at his heart. Captain Wentworth was riding to Longbourn today to speak with Mr. Bennet, and he had agreed to carry Darcy’s letter, but Darcy was not yet confident that it was advisable to reveal his feelings.
He only wished to make amends, without placing any expectation upon Elizabeth.
He might hope – he could hardly help that – but he could not afford to be a fool for a second time.
“I do not think she is yet ready to receive my addresses. She has come to understand me better, and we have mostly done well this last fortnight, but there is often a wild look about her, as if I might say the run thing and cause her to flee.”
Richard nodded his agreement. “After what Miss Bingley said at dinner the night she was boasting of her betrothal, I can well understand why she might fear that her relations remain an obstacle.”
Darcy gave a little grunt of agreement as he scrawled a few lines on the paper. “I feared as much. Bingley, is your sister angry with me for coming to your aid during her… ordeal?”
“Probably. But not as angry as I am with her. If word of her scandal ever gets out, no decent woman may ever want me.”
“No decent woman does,” Richard drawled, giving his sister a look of challenge.
“How dare you,” Lady Rebecca scoffed. “I am more chaste a creature than Lady Blanche.”
The siblings exchange an odd look – Darcy decided he did not want to know. What he wanted was to kick all three of his companions out the window, but since he could not do that, he continued composing his letter.
“It is ironic,” Richard mused. “Afterall, look at our family.
“Lady Catherine is a gorgon of unreasonable obstinacy and backward opinions. My father thinks it is seventeen-seventy-six and he is about to be shipped off to the colonies, my brother buried in work and brandy since managing the earldom and never shows himself in society, and my mother might just as soon break a bottle over your head in a back alley brawl as curtsey to the queen.”
Bingley chortled. “That is why I have never been frightened of you,” he told Rebecca with a look of admiration.
“And Rebecca!” Richard laughed. “She never denies being a witch, you know, and now it seems you shall soon be calling Bingley cousin.”
“We are only courting, brother. You cannot expect me to make it easy on him.”
Darcy continued to ignore them, but privately he was glad that Bingley and Rebecca had ceased their years of dancing around the matter.
It likely would have happened sooner, had not Miss Bingley been such a loud proponent of a possible match between them.
He smiled, thinking how it must chafe Rebecca to gratify her nemesis.
After a few minutes, their banter ebbed, and Rebecca stalked over to him. “I have some thoughts, Darcy, since you are writing letters this morning.”
“He must be amazed,” Richard drawled.
He grimaced up at her, ready to be affronted by whatever scheme she had concocted.
“Darcy, I have been thinking about what the fortune teller said to you – the bit about sage counsel.”
“I knew you would not let that rest.”
“And did you hear what she told Lizzy? A visitor she does not know…. Perhaps I may sagely counsel you to invite Georgiana here.”
Darcy dropped his pen. “Are you out of your mind? If we ignore the fact that this party has been entirely debauched and even indecent at times – and that is a big if – there is also the matter of George Wickham coming into the area.”
“Better that she should be looking over her shoulder the rest of her life, I suppose,” Rebecca parried.
“If it will keep her safe, yes.”
“You and Richard will keep her safe. You have every advantage; society will always favor the word of the wealthy over the ramblings of an impoverished nobody. Especially since he is prone to exposing his true character wherever he goes. And when you consider that the Gouldings have managed to prevent any besmirching of their reputation despite the nature of their parties, I should think Georgiana more than adequately protected here.”
“Yet not as safe as at Matlock House with your mother.”
Rebecca threw up her hands. “Are you going to keep her locked in a tower all her life?”
“At least until she comes of age,” Richard said.
“Ugh! Papa was quite severe upon me in my youth, before he was too mad to notice what I got up to – and look at me now. I shall rebel at every turn, and I might have taken a lover if Charles were not entirely the gentleman.”
Richard made a loud gagging sound. “Rebecca, really.”
“I did not realize that sort of thing was unpalatable to you. But listen, Darcy. I love Georgiana dearly – I would not endanger her. I simply do not perceive any danger in bringing her amongst us. You may certainly inform the Gouldings that she is not out – say that she is coming for Caroline’s wedding.
You may exclude her from any events that turn as debauched as Shakespeare Night, or send her to bed early.
The poor girl is so desperate for even a taste of society that she will be grateful to participate in half our festivities.
Besides, there are really no gentlemen present who would be a danger to her.
Brandon and Sir Walter have given Willoughby the fright of his life, and I daresay Georgiana has learned the hard way not to trust any man so smooth and glib. ”
Darcy tried to consider her words, but every instinct balked at the idea. “I understand your intentions, Rebecca – after what the fortune teller told Elizabeth, Georgiana’s visit would be fortuitous indeed.”
“She would praise you to the skies, and soften Miss Elizabeth’s heart toward you,” Bingley cried.
“But it would not be right to put her at risk for my own selfish purposes. Besides, in acting to make the prediction come true, I feel I would be playing a mean sort of trick on Elizabeth.”
Bingley laughed drily. “I have every hope Rebecca never ceases playing tricks on me. For those of us with a sense of humor, it is most amusing.”
“I do wish the two of you would endeavor to be less sickeningly infatuated,” Richard quipped. “It must be very hard on poor Darcy, for both he and his lady love are determined to take the difficult path.”
Rebecca peered down at Darcy with an inquisitive look. “Has she spoken to you, or given you any indication that her feelings toward you are now different from what they were?”