Chapter 34 With Child
For several moments, no one spoke.
Georgiana still held Elizabeth’s hand, her attention upon Dr. Wynn.
At last, she asked, “Do you believe I am with child, sir?”
Dr. Wynn did not answer at once. “I believe it is possible.”
Georgiana began to weep.
Elizabeth offered her a handkerchief and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Dr. Wynn rose. “I should like your brother to be present before we discuss anything further.”
“He is in the next room,” Elizabeth said. “I shall fetch him.”
Georgiana’s grip tightened before Elizabeth could rise.
“Lizzy, please stay with me.”
“I will stay, if your brother approves.”
The two gentlemen entered together, and Mr. Darcy went directly to his sister.
“Georgie?”
She looked up at him, sobbing. “Dr. Wynn believes I am with child.”
For an instant, Mr. Darcy did not move. Then he sat beside her.
Dr. Wynn resumed his chair across from them.
“I cannot be certain yet. Other causes can make a woman miss her courses or suffer sickness. Taken together, however, the signs are persuasive.”
“How persuasive?” Mr. Darcy asked.
“Enough that I believe your sister is increasing.”
“I am sorry, Fitzwilliam.”
“Georgiana, you have nothing for which to apologize.”
He drew her closer as she covered her face.
Elizabeth remained seated on her other side.
Mr. Darcy looked at Dr. Wynn. “This would have occurred soon after the twenty-fourth of August, Dr. Wynn.”
The doctor’s expression altered as he said, “Then the timing is consistent with what I have observed. If matters proceed as I expect, the child would likely be born toward the end of May or the beginning of June.”
Georgiana’s shoulders shook, and Mr. Darcy held her closer.
Dr. Wynn waited until her crying eased before speaking again.
“You must understand, Miss Darcy, that I am telling you what I believe, not what I can prove today. Time will give us greater certainty.”
Georgiana wiped her face with the handkerchief. “Could you be mistaken?”
“I could.”
She looked at him.
“For now, you should eat what you are able to tolerate and rest when you are tired. If you suffer pain, bleeding, fever, or anything else that concerns you, I am to be told at once.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And this conversation goes no farther than this room.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Dr. Wynn rose, and Mr. Darcy stood with him.
“Thank you,” Mr. Darcy said.
“I shall be upstairs if you require me.”
After he left, Mr. Darcy closed the door.
Georgiana sat with her face buried in the handkerchief.
“I thought it was over.”
Mr. Darcy returned to her. “It is over, Sweetling. That blackguard cannot harm you again.”
“But I shall have his child.”
Mr. Darcy’s face tightened.
“I should have warned you about him,” he said. “This is not your fault, Georgiana.”
“Fitzwilliam, you could not have known.”
“I knew what he was. You did not. I knew what he had done before, and I allowed you to leave my protection without telling you enough to recognize him. I chose Mrs. Younge and placed you in her care.”
“We both trusted her, Fitzwilliam.”
Mr. Darcy was silent.
Georgiana reached for him, and he took her hand.
“I do not blame you.”
Georgiana looked at Elizabeth.
“You do not know what happened.”
“No.”
“I want to tell you.”
“You need not tell me anything you would rather keep private.”
“I want you to know.”
Elizabeth nodded and waited.
“I had a holiday in Ramsgate with my companion, Mrs. Younge. She introduced me to a gentleman who was very agreeable, handsome, and well dressed.”
She paused.
“I liked him. He paid me a great deal of attention and told me he loved me.”
Her fingers tightened around Elizabeth’s.
“I believed him.”
Mr. Darcy rose and went to the window.
“He asked me to marry him. I wanted Fitzwilliam to come to Ramsgate to stand with me, but he persuaded me there was no reason to wait. Mrs. Younge agreed with him.”
Georgiana looked down at her hands.
“We were married on the twenty-fourth of August. At least, I believed we were.”
Elizabeth listened, tears gathering in her eyes.
“The ceremony took place in an ancient chapel. It was beautiful, but none of it was real. The man who performed it was not even a clergyman.”
“Oh, Georgiana.”
“I did not know, Lizzy.”
“They made certain that you did not.”
“Yes. I believed I was his wife.”
Elizabeth put her arm around her, and Georgiana leaned against her, sobbing.
At length, Georgiana raised her head.
“He became drunk and knocked me down. Mrs. Younge helped me escape and brought me back to Darcy House. She explained everything to Fitzwilliam in a letter.”
Georgiana drew the handkerchief through her fingers.
“He meant to barter his silence for my fortune.”
Elizabeth held her a little closer. “Who is he?”
“Mr. Wickham.”
Elizabeth went still.
She looked at Mr. Darcy, but his attention was fixed upon his sister.
“What was his Christian name?”
“George. His name was George Wickham.”
Elizabeth stared at her.
“George Wickham?”