by M-C Ranger
‘Fitzwilliam, guess who has come to visit?’ Georgiana Darcy exclaimed joyfully, as she entered the room.
‘Richard! I didn’t know you were still in London. I hope you will stay for dinner. Unless Lord Matlock has requested your presence for a meal with the family.’
‘I came by as I shall be leaving for some time, and I wanted to be sure that our young lady is doing well. So yes, I accept your offer, and no, the obligatory family meal took place yesterday, so I am free until early tomorrow morning!’ said the Colonel, winking at his young cousin. ‘But what have we here? Is this not one of the famous paintings by the artist you told me about some weeks ago?’
‘This is one of Mr. Constable’s works,’ Georgiana explained, ‘and Fitzwilliam is planning to hang it in the small music room at Pemberley. I feel it will be perfect there, particularly as we spend almost every evening there.’
‘Well, Fitz, it must be of immense importance to you, if you wish to have it before you it so often. I don’t know much about painting, but I must admit that I detect, how shall I say, a certain fluidity; one would say that the colours in the landscape appear to be gently moving. However, allow me to express that I find the painting’s subject somewhat .... simplistic.’
‘True! It is the painting’s simplicity that touches me, among other things. It is without artifice. You see, Georgie, our cousin is not as boorish as one would be led to believe!’ exclaimed Darcy, turning towards his sister.
‘You are correct, Fitzwilliam, if one is even slightly attentive, one might discern that Richard has a certain artistic flair! We should perhaps mention this to the Earl of Matlock; this might give him the opportunity to see his son in an entirely different light. What do you think?’
‘Consider it done!’ replied Darcy, joining in his sister’s fun.
‘Could it be that you are mocking an officer of the King’s Army? If that is the case, young lady, I no longer intend to give you the letter I have for you,’ whereupon the Colonel brandished the letter, holding it up out of Georgiana’s reach. A pursuit around the desk ensued and Darcy, happy to see his sister return to her girlish, mischievous self, did not intercept the coveted object until the butler entered to announce that dinner would soon be served. Out of breath but greatly amused, Georgiana opened the letter her brother held out to her and read it quickly, a smile on her lips.
‘Fitzwilliam, it’s Aunt Victoria and Uncle James, inviting me to spend a few weeks in Matlock! They are leaving the day after tomorrow and will return at the end of June. Furthermore, they are bringing Violet and Benjamin. I think that I would like to go.’
‘And there you are, this is one of the reasons for my visit today,’ said the Colonel, smiling at Georgiana. ‘I hope that your curmudgeonly brother gives his approval!’
‘What do you mean, curmudgeonly?’
‘Gentlemen, please don’t argue! Dinner shall soon be served. I will go upstairs to change and we shall discuss all this over our meal,’ declared the girl, in an exaggerated authoritarian voice that made the two men laugh.
She turned on her heel and disappeared.
‘Richard, I believe that the Georgie we once knew is gradually returning, wouldn’t you say?’
‘You are correct, I feel reassured. You will allow her to leave with my parents, will you not? She seems to be in favour of this, whereas the last time she received an invitation from them, she refused under some pretext or another. Yes, she seems to be doing better all the time.’
‘She still feels guilt at times, as I discovered recently, but I must admit that I was somewhat to blame.’
‘Fitz, you have to stop feeling as though you’re at fault each time there’s a relapse. And to change the subject, may I point out that I saw you laugh at our antics today and I must admit to you that I have not seen you so relaxed since - well, since the end of our stay in Kent. You seem to be ruminating over sombre thoughts.’
‘Richard, I am well, do not worry about me,’ Darcy hastily replied. ‘As for Lady Matlock’s invitation, this can only do Georgiana some good. She will find great pleasure in taking care of your brother’s children. Aunt Victoria has always been kind to us and she must have been somewhat disappointed at Georgiana’s refusal in December, so everything is for the best, is it not?’
The Colonel did not point out that not “everything” was for the best, that there was a party who did not appear to be doing as well as his cousin implied; knowing him well, he knew that he would not get any information from him, at least not for the moment.
‘I agree with you, Richard,’ said Georgiana putting down her water glass. ‘Fitzwilliam seems less spirited than usual; perhaps the air in this particularly warm late-spring in London is to blame.’
‘No, I assure you, Georgie, he was already morose when we left Rosings two weeks ago. Never mind the winter we just had...’
Darcy, feeling rather exasperated, followed the conversation; the two were talking as though he was not in the room. He was preparing to intervene when his sister took the lead in the most unexpected of ways.
‘Richard, we could at least agree on the fact that my big brother seems to need a little distraction in order to clear his head,’ said the girl, turning towards Darcy and discretely winking at him.
The “subject” of the discussion took a sip of wine and waited to find out what his younger sister had devised, at this point choosing to not intervene in the conversation.
‘Well,’ Georgiana began shyly, suddenly aware of her intrusion, likely unwelcome, in her brother’s private life. ‘I... I propose... No, I suggest...’
Who did she think she was, telling her brother what to do? She, who had been unable to control her own behaviour, wanted to preside over that of the Master of Pemberley. No! She simply wanted to help him relax and forget the injurious words that had so deeply scarred him. He himself had recently highlighted the importance of remaining attentive to one another.
‘Don’t hesitate, Georgie, I’m certain that Fitz will be happy that you are providing him with advice. After all, he may not have completely healed from his heartache. And if that is the case, I should discuss this with Lady Matlock. She is so quick to worry about him,’ stated the Colonel, his tone teasing.
Seeing Georgiana’s look of unhappiness and his cousin’s face, which had suddenly become pale, he realised that he had blundered, but he did not know in what way.
‘I suggest, if it is Fitzwilliam’s wish,’ said the girl, regaining her composure, ‘that once he has taken care of his affairs here, he pay a visit to...’
‘George Knightley,’ continued Darcy, smiling at his sister.
‘Yes,’ she replied, returning his smile. ‘Since you received his invitation, why not take advantage of this? You both get along well. And thus I will not be leaving you alone in London while I am with Aunt Victoria and Uncle James. I would feel better knowing that you are keeping good company, far from your worries.’
What wouldn’t a big brother do to please his little sister, particularly if he had already decided to accept the invitation? Nevertheless, he left Georgiana the pleasure of having taken the initiative to relieve him of the weight of his reflections.
Richard Fitzwilliam then became aware that there were a few explanations he was lacking. However, aware of the complicity between his two cousins, he concluded that he could live with his ignorance, for the time being.
‘Fitz, unless I am mistaken, it seems to me that you went there last year, at around this time.’
‘No, George had remembered this and decided to invite me again. I shall leave in ten days, the time it will take me to finish my work here.’
What both siblings remembered at the same time was that Darcy, returning from Donwell Abbey, had intervened in his sister’s unfortunate adventure at Ramsgate. They had probably both needed to avert their bad luck and the best solution had been to surround themselves with welcoming and loyal friends.
‘And Derbyshire? Will you be going there soon?’
/> ‘Oh, yes! I shall return to London to resolve a few business matters, I will come by your parents’ to pick up Georgiana, and then we shall go to our estate in the third week of July. If I remember well, by then Mrs. Annesley will have returned from visiting her family.’
‘Indeed. In addition, do not forget, Fitzwilliam, that we will have several guests on our arrival at Pemberley. So, you see, Richard, you can leave with peace of mind. We will have a beautiful summer this year, of that I am certain,’ concluded the girl, blushing slightly.
The Colonel was touched by the girl’s allusion. He could not forget the distress and anguish that they had suffered for several arduous weeks after the painful experience at Ramsgate. Benevolent Georgiana, who insisted on reassuring him prior to his departure, even though the agony of the wound inflicted by cursed Wickham had not fully healed. He smiled at her tenderly.
*****
Elizabeth had left Finsbury Square, happy to have found what she was looking for at Lackington’s; she could now look forward to hours of reading, not taking into account the purchase of an edition of four volumes of Don Quixote. The stories of this hidalgo, who saw himself as a righter of wrongs and who was ignorant of the extremely rigid social conventions of Spain at the start of the 17th century, could only delight a spirit such as Thomas Bennet. He had already read the first part during his studies, and Miguel de Cervantes’ satirical style had instantly delighted him. It wasn’t until recently, thanks to his encounter with William Collins, that he had remembered this masterful work. He found great pleasure in the pompous, ridiculous characters, who were completely devoid of good sense. He had then asked his second daughter to find him the full edition, to lift his spirits during his long hours in his lair where, away from the family hubbub, he would savour both literature and port wine in equal measure. The impressively large book shop had enraptured Elizabeth, and she made a vow to return the next time she came to stay with the Gardiners. She turned onto Gracechurch Street, walking briskly, followed by a young servant carrying her purchases. She removed her straw hat immediately on entering and joined her aunt and her sister, who appeared to be deep in discussion in the drawing room. On her arrival, a young man stood and bowed politely. She recognised him immediately.
‘Mr. Morland, what a pleasure to see you again! I hope that you are doing well.’
‘Miss Elizabeth, the pleasure is all mine. I am doing... well enough, thank you. And you, you seem to be doing very well.’
‘I’m returning from the book shop, where I made a few purchases that I will take back with me to Hertfordshire.’
‘The timing is good,’ interjected Jane, ‘as Mr. Morland came by to give us news about his family and to kindly ask us if we could take this letter and parcel for Uncle Philips.’
‘Of course!’ exclaimed Elizabeth, ‘It will be easy for us to drop off everything when we go through Meryton.’
‘In that case, I will be able to leave with peace of mind. Mrs. Gardiner, I would like to thank you for the tea, but particularly for your understanding and kindness. Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, please give my regards to my aunt and my Uncle Philips and to your family. I hope that we shall be able to see each other again one day. I must leave, the stagecoach is leaving soon, and Fullerton is not around the corner. Thank you again for being so welcoming!’
This was responded to with sincerity by the hostess and her two nieces.
James Morland had hardly crossed the threshold when Madeline Gardiner asked Elizabeth to pour herself a cup of tea and take a seat beside her.
‘Lizzy, you arrived just as James was preparing to leave, so you did not hear the news that he shared with us,’ said Jane, quietly.
‘And yet I noticed that you were both clearly exhibiting a great deal of sympathy. I hope that there has been no misfortune in Fullerton,’ inquired the young woman, sounding worried.
‘No, Catherine’s family is doing well,’ Mrs. Gardiner reassured her. ‘Some time ago, I received a letter from your Aunt Dorothy informing me that James was engaged.’
‘Engaged!’
‘Yes, Lizzy. And when he presented himself, Aunt Madeline congratulated him,’ her older sister continued. ‘James became pale and embarrassed. In the end, he admitted to us that he had broken off the engagement.’
‘Poor James! He must be truly unhappy!’ exclaimed Elizabeth, empathetically.
‘Yes, this goes without saying. In fact, he is rather relieved,’ added Mrs. Gardiner. ‘Based on what Jane has confided in me, you both know the person in question.’
Elizabeth abruptly turned towards her sister, dismayed by what her aunt had just said. How could she know a young woman such as this? And for James to have broken off the engagement, the reason must have been considerable.
‘By all accounts, Lizzy, you will not be that surprised,’ stated her sister. ‘James was engaged to Miss Isabella Thorpe.’
‘Isabella Thorpe?! In hindsight, you are correct, I am not that surprised. She exhibited an obvious lack of restraint at the Meryton ball. But I must admit,’ Elizabeth added, addressing her aunt, ‘that she is a very seductive young woman and that several men had noticed her that evening. Lydia was so entranced by her that she repeated two or three times that she would have liked to look like her and spend time with her.’
What Elizabeth did not clarify was that a certain gentleman had quickly seen through the young woman’s game; it must be noted that he probably had a lot more experience in matters such as this than poor James Morland. But why did this come to her mind? What was Mr. Darcy doing in her thoughts? She shook her head to dispel these memories and focused on the conversation.
‘In my opinion, your young sister’s words should not always be listened to, and even less, followed,’ Mrs. Gardiner pointed out.
‘You are correct, Aunt Madeline, we could provide you with so many examples of the unenlightened comments uttered by our younger sister,’ signed Jane.
‘Do you know the reason for this dissolution?’
‘It appears that a certain captain attracted the attention of Miss Thorpe to such an extent that she found herself compromised. Even though she was engaged!’ Mrs. Gardiner concluded. ‘Catherine is said to have received a letter from her begging her to believe that she was still smitten by James. How could this young woman have acted in such a reprehensible manner, all while insisting on securing James’ feelings? I am beside myself.’
‘Perhaps this is no more than a dreadful rumour,’ suggested Jane, ‘and that there is an explanation and a possible reconciliation. At least this is what one could hope for.’
‘I acknowledge your benevolence, my dear sister, but perhaps one needs to consider that if James had to go so far as to dissolve this match, there must have been some very significant reasons.’
‘In fact, it seems that Catherine, who spent several weeks with this young woman, did not reply to her letter and, through this very deed, supported her brother’s decision.’
All three remained quiet for a few moments. Elizabeth remembered receiving news from Anne Elliot, who had confided in her the concern she had regarding the company the naïve young woman was keeping, and whose acquaintance she had made during her stay in Hertfordshire. Her friend had therefore been correct, but it was the brother who had been the victim, and not his sister.
‘Let us hope that Catherine keeps her distance from this opportunistic young lady and that James quickly recovers from his disappointment.’
Her hopes came true to a great extent, because Catherine, who was visiting Northanger Abbey, had all the reasons in the world to not think of Miss Thorpe. As for James, who was warmly welcomed by his family, he was invited by his father, Reverend Richard Morland, to visit with his alma mater, to once again see some of his fellows. The young man was quick to take advantage of this and headed to Oxford the following week, his spirit somewhat brighter and his heart somewhat less scarred.
*****
Mr. Bennet was probably the one who was the happiest about t
he return of his two eldest daughters. He believed he detected a certain lack of sparkle in their eyes. Was this due to the prospect of having to survive the upcoming departure of the regiment and to suffer the fact that the delicious Mr. Wickham, whose engagement had been broken off, would murmur sweet nothings elsewhere? Or perhaps it was due to the sad memory of some gentleman who had departed. This intelligence, alas, was only temporary, yet it could perhaps be advantageous, knowing that he certainly held Jane’s and Elizabeth’s happiness dear. However, it was not in the nature of the master of Longbourn to contemplate for very long; incidentally, he quickly forgot this first impression on seeing the volumes of Don Quixote, which his second daughter had placed on his desk.
She retraced her steps when she heard the voice of Lady Lucas, who had come to fetch her daughter and hear the travellers’ news.
‘Mother, you will never imagine all the extraordinary things I experienced since leaving home!’ exclaimed Maria, hugging Lady Lucas.
Everyone began to laugh in response to the girl’s candour and the discussion became so dissonant that Elizabeth and her older sister exchanged glances and sighed; they had forgotten what a gathering of just women at Longbourn could become. It is for this reason that anyone with good sense would soon feel a great deal of sympathy for the master of the estate, as the only man on board. But the admiral had withdrawn to his quarters, leaving the crew to hoist the sails and sail upwind. One could even add that the seas became rough when the topic of Miss Isabella Thorpe arose: some criticised her outright, others admired her outright. It was Lady Lucas who guided them all ashore by waving a letter from Charlotte in the air. The announcement made some smile and others sigh, thus contributing towards creating a certain state of calm.