by Kara Louise
Fitzwilliam extended his hand, and Darcy took it in a firm handshake. “Good game, Darcy. I fear the day’s journey must have worn me out.”
“I grant you that,” Darcy replied with a mocking laugh.
They played a few more games, and then spent a little time back with the ladies in the drawing room. Despite agreeing on an early morning start the next day, the two men stayed up late into the night, enjoying the deep companionship they shared.
*~*~*
The next morning, the two men left early with the dogs to go out hunting. A light mist hung suspended in the grey morning air, but that was not enough to deter them. Elizabeth and Georgiana spent some time together in the parlour, before Georgiana excused herself to practice on the pianoforte.
“Georgiana, if you do not mind, I long to hear the sound of beautiful music being played. The baby seems to enjoy it, as well.” Elizabeth gave her a teasing smile.
“Have no fear. I shall play a lullaby or two to soothe the little one into slumber.” Georgiana turned and walked to the music room.
Elizabeth bit her lip as she looked toward the now empty door. The men had been gone all morning, and Georgiana had not mentioned Richard once nor had she seemed particularly eager for their return. Maybe she misjudged Georgiana’s reaction and it was nothing.
Later in the day, the men returned. They had each bagged several birds and congratulated each other on a good day’s hunt. But even in this, Elizabeth overheard the two teasing each other about a few missed shots.
“I was beginning to wonder, Darcy, if someone bent the barrel of your rifle!”
“What were you aiming at when we were in the meadow? If anything, I think you hit a haystack in the next county!”
Elizabeth smiled at the camaraderie between the two men. They were so very different, yet the respect they had for each other was plain for all to see, even while mercilessly teasing one other. Deep down inside she knew Richard could be trusted with Georgiana and that she need not worry.
After the men cleaned up, there were still a few hours before the Michaelmas dinner would be served. The clouds had pressed on, and the sun seemed intent on pouring down its warmth before the cold north winds made their appearance. The four of them decided that nothing could be more diverting than a walk about the grounds.
Elizabeth took her husband’s arm and she watched as Georgiana took Richard’s, shyly turning her head away. On more than one occasion, she noticed Georgiana steal a few covert glances up at her escort. Was this a familial affection or something more?
The group stepped onto the small footbridge that crossed the stream. They came to a stop at the middle and looked down at the water moving beneath them.
“Remember when we used to dare each other to jump off here into the water?” Richard asked his cousin. “You never took me up on the dare!”
Darcy laughed. “I may be younger than you, but I am not stupid! I did have a desire to keep on living!”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Did you really expect him to jump from here?”
“No! I would have stopped him if he tried. I just enjoyed teasing him.”
Georgiana’s eyes suddenly lit up and she began to laugh. “Do you remember when we would have leaf races?” She turned to Elizabeth. “We would each find a leaf and drop it from the bridge, and see whose leaf would travel the farthest.”
Fitzwilliam rubbed his chin and nodded. “Yes, that was one of our less boisterous adventures.”
“In what way?” Elizabeth asked.
“No one got hurt!” Darcy explained.
Georgiana turned to Richard. “Do you remember our snowball fight?” She began to giggle. “I thought you two would kill each other!”
The men joined in her laughter, and Elizabeth insisted on hearing all the details.
Richard began, “There had been a good snow, and for several days we were confined to the house. Finally, one afternoon, I could take the inactivity no longer, and suggested we don our boots and warm clothes and venture outside.”
“Once we were some distance from the house, Fitzwilliam grabbed a handful of snow and thrust it down my collar!” Darcy added.
“Then it began,” said Georgiana, who could barely speak through her laughter. “They began throwing snowballs, tackling one another, and stuffing snow in each other’s faces!”
“And how did you fare, Georgiana?” Elizabeth asked.
“I got hit a few times, but it was when I was trying to rescue my brother that I really was in for trouble. Richard picked me up and put me face down into the snow!”
“He did not!” Elizabeth said.
“Oh, yes I did! But she deserved it, the little imp!” Richard laughed. “I was merely trying to remove her so I could get back at Darcy, but she grabbed a handful of snow and thrust it into my face, first!”
Elizabeth joined in their laughter. “Remind me never to go out in the snow with the three of you!”
They had begun to walk again, going back in the direction they had come, and wound their way around the flower gardens. They all admired the flowers that were still blooming this early autumn day.
Suddenly, Elizabeth released her husband’s arm and walked over and picked a flower. “Look! A Michaelmas flower!”
“What is a Michaelmas flower?” the Colonel asked.
“Well, it is actually an aster, but they say you can discover if your true love loves you, by picking the petals on Michaelmas!”
“Sounds perfectly rational to me!” he said sardonically. “How does the flower do this?”
“Well,” began Elizabeth, “with each petal you pull off, you say ‘He loves me’ and then ‘He loves me not’ and continue with all the petals. Whatever you said pulling off the last petal indicates how your true love feels about you.”
They watched as Elizabeth demonstrated. When she got to the last few petals, she looked up at Darcy and bit her lip, as if she might be worried what the outcome would be. But with a final “He loves me” she looked up with a smile and then leaned over and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek. “I am so relieved!”
“So am I!” Darcy replied.
Georgiana reached down and picked a flower. “I should like to try it!” she said, as she stole a glance at her cousin.
As she pulled off each petal, Elizabeth watched the scene playing out in front of her. Her husband suddenly took in a breath and held it, as he regarded his sister and then his cousin. Richard, on the other hand, was watching her with a brotherly smile on his face.
When she pulled the last petal off, she gleefully said, “He loves me!” She smiled and looked directly up at her cousin.
“Let me know who that ne'er-do-well is! I shall…” Richard suddenly stopped, as he noticed the look on Georgiana’s face. He paled and looked at Elizabeth and then Darcy, his eyes begging to be reassured by either of them that what he had just come to suspect was not true.
“You shall what?” asked Georgiana, looking up with admiration filling her eyes.
“I shall… I shall have a long talk with him, little imp.”
Richard suddenly took a step back. “Pardon me, but I must return to the house and take care of some matters before the meal.” He gave a slight bow. “If you will excuse me.”
The three watched him walk away, and Elizabeth and Darcy shared a look of concern.
“Come,” Darcy said. “I think we all need to freshen up before the meal.
*~*~*
Elizabeth and Georgiana found themselves in the dining room awaiting the two men. Georgiana had dressed in a pretty gown of rich green, accentuating her fair skin and blond hair. Aromas from the roasting goose and the spices from the baked apples filled the air.
“Oh, I am so hungry!” said Elizabeth. “I wonder where those two men are!”
“Perhaps they challenged each other to another game of billiards,” suggested Georgiana.
Elizabeth laughed. “I hope not!”
They finally heard the two men approaching the dining
room.
“Ahh, here they come!” Georgiana said with a smile.
The two walked in and greeted the ladies. They both wore sombre expressions; the liveliness that had been displayed between the two the entirety of the Colonel’s visit was noticeably absent.
“Our apologies for being late,” Darcy said. “We… lost track of the time.”
“It smells wonderful, as usual,” Fitzwilliam said.
As the food was brought in and served, conversation diminished even more. Elizabeth noticed her husband exchange glances with his cousin, and was grateful that Georgiana appeared oblivious to the change in anyone’s demeanour.
As the dessert was being brought out, Georgiana looked to her brother. “Have I told you that I wish to be presented at court next season?”
Darcy’s fork clanked onto his plate. “You have not mentioned it before. When did you decide you wanted to do this?”
The young girl stole a quick glance towards Richard and then replied, “When I was in the Lake District my friends and I discussed it. I was not quite certain it was what I wanted to do just yet, but I have finally made up my mind. You do think I am old enough, do you not?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“Do you think I am old enough, Richard? I will be eighteen next year. Do you think it is important for a young lady to be presented at court?”
The Colonel took a quick sip of coffee and then shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I… uh… well, only if you are ready.”
Georgiana let out the breath she was holding. “I think I am.” She picked up her napkin and dabbed her mouth. “It is a big step, but I think I have matured in the past few months and cannot believe I did not want to do it sooner.” Her eyes locked on her cousin’s. “In fact, I am eagerly looking forward to it. Can I count on you being there? I should like that very much.”
“Well, if I can, certainly. It depends on my military responsibilities, of course.”
“Of course.”
There was silence again, as everyone considered what Georgiana had just said. Elizabeth wondered whether this came solely from her conversation with her friends, or perhaps she hoped to impress upon her cousin that she was now a young lady.
Elizabeth was not certain, but she felt her husband and his cousin were aware of Georgiana’s feelings. The looks they exchanged seemed to indicate they did. Unfortunately, she had not had any time to speak privately with her husband about it. She could only hope that Georgiana’s feelings would diminish in time.
When they had finished eating, everyone commented on how delicious and filling the meal was.
At length, Darcy glanced at Fitzwilliam, a look of unease in his expression. “So my good cousin, is there… is there any truth to the rumours I have heard… about a young woman stealing your heart?”
A soft gasp came from Georgiana, but the two men kept their eyes on each other. Elizabeth was the only one who turned to see the young girl’s wide-eyed expression.
“Well,” laughed Fitzwilliam nervously. “So the gossipers have come all the way to Derbyshire, have they?” He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “There is a young woman whom I met while I was stationed at Bath.”
“At Bath?” Darcy asked.
Fitzwilliam took a sip of his coffee, tilting the cup up to get the very last drop. “Yes, and I look forward to going back for a short visit after I leave Pemberley.”
“Do you think she is the one?”
Fitzwilliam bit his lip and looked into his cup, as if wishing more coffee would miraculously appear. “I…” he laughed nervously, and then shook his head. “You know what I have always said, Darcy. I am a confirmed bachelor.” He paused and took in a deep breath. “But she is a very special lady.”
Georgiana stammered something unintelligible. She stood up; her face was stricken with a look of grief and confusion. She muttered a soft, “Excuse me, please.” Holding herself erect, she slowly walked out of the room. Once in the hall, they heard the sound of her footsteps quickening as she hurried away.
Elizabeth stood up to go after the young girl.
“Elizabeth, let her be.” Darcy looked at her with pleading eyes, but his voice was firm.
“She is hurting. Please, allow me to go speak to her.”
Darcy shook his head. “I presume, then, that you are well aware of the tendre Georgiana seems to have formed for our cousin…”
“I am very much aware of it, and what she heard just now has shaken her deeply! Indeed, I must go to her!”
Richard reached out his hand and placed it over Elizabeth’s. “It is better this way,” he said. “She cannot know that we suspected this. If she thinks that I was aware of her feelings, when I did not return them, she will feel uncomfortable in my presence. I would not be able to tolerate that.”
“But…”
“Elizabeth,” Darcy said, “this is something Georgiana needs to work through herself. She will have enormous feelings of embarrassment if she thinks any of us knew.”
“I cannot believe how stupid I have behaved!” Richard pounded his fist onto the table and shook his head.
“You cannot blame yourself, Richard,” Elizabeth said in a soothing voice. “It was evident to me that she had feelings for you even before you arrived.”
The Colonel continued to shake his head. “No, I acted imprudently. When she was in London this summer, I called on her twice. I even took her out in my family’s phaeton and we drove around St. James Park. I behaved just like I always did. She is very special to me, and I treat her that way. Perhaps I should have realized that at some point, she would receive my brotherly attentions in a not so brotherly way.”
Elizabeth looked at Darcy. “Did you know about this?”
“Not until after our walk. We were late to dinner because we were discussing what to do.”
“So you fabricated another woman?”
“I despise having to lie, Elizabeth, but it pains me to an even greater degree to cause her such heartache.” Richard turned his eyes to the door. “Believe it or not, every word I said to her now was true. I just said them in a way which would lead her to think there is another woman in my life – and also that I have no intention of getting married.”
Elizabeth smiled softly. “So are you a confirmed bachelor, Richard?”
He let out a long sigh. “I always said I was, so that part of it was true.” He turned back and looked at Elizabeth. “But now, especially after having seen you two together, I actually might reconsider it.”
Elizabeth looked from the Colonel to her husband. “So what do we do now?”
Darcy folded his hands in front of him and said, “We wait for the music.”
Elizabeth looked at him blankly.
“She will likely stay in her room while she cries and thinks through the situation. She will then come down and go to the music room to play on the pianoforte.”
“Does she always do this?”
Both Darcy and Fitzwilliam nodded.
“It is not often that Georgiana becomes so deeply distressed,” Darcy explained. “But in the past when something has happened to grieve her, she eventually goes to her pianoforte.”
Elizabeth slowly sat down in her chair. “And when we hear the music, we can be assured that she has worked through her feelings?”
Darcy tilted his head slightly. “That depends on the music she plays.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “What do you mean?”
“If she plays something light and soothing, she is feeling better, but if she pounds out some dreadful arrangement, we know she is still fraught with despair.”
Despite Elizabeth’s strong inclination to go to Georgiana and soothe her shattered feelings, she went with the men into the parlour to wait. It was nearly an hour later when the sound of music was heard. All three sat up and looked to the door, anxious to hear what the young girl was playing, and hoping it was a not a crushing piece.
After a few moments, Elizabeth said, “It sounds pleasant
to me. What do you think?”
Darcy slowly nodded his head. “I believe it might be safe to join her in there.” He looked to his cousin for confirmation. Richard listened intently a bit longer as he reflected on the music Georgiana played.
“Yes,” he said. “I would venture to say she has quite forgotten about me and it is safe to join her.” He stood up and clasped his hands together, smiling awkwardly and letting out a rather forced laugh. “Shall we?”
As the three walked to the music room, Darcy reminded Elizabeth in a hushed voice that she was not to mention Georgiana’s abrupt departure from the dining room, nor about her eyes if they appeared to be red from crying, or any trembling in her manner or voice. “I really do believe that it is for the best that she not suspect that we are aware of her feelings.”
The two men were able to walk into the music room and join Georgiana as if nothing were wrong. They obviously had done this on several occasions since becoming her guardians. For Elizabeth, however, this was not easy. She could readily see the pain still etched on her face, despite the meek smile and nimble fingers that played proficiently over the pianoforte keys. Everything inside her screamed to walk over to the girl and embrace her, but she sat down, and merely commented to her how lovely the piece was.
The foursome was quiet as they sat in the music room. Georgiana continued to play, speaking only between pieces to inquire whether anyone had anything they wished to hear. At length, the day ended, with the men agreeing to get an early start on the morrow for another day of hunting.
*~*~*
Three days later, Colonel Fitzwilliam departed. There were no more longing looks from Georgiana, and the friendly rivalry and banter between the cousins returned in full force.
As they all walked out to bid Fitzwilliam farewell, he thanked them for a most pleasant visit and gave each a hug before stepping into the carriage. “I shall see you at Easter, I suppose! You will have a new addition; I so look forward to seeing your new baby!” He stepped in and peered out the window. “And Georgiana, you little imp, I look forward to dancing with you next season at your coming out ball!” He gave her a heartfelt smile, and then tapped on the carriage, signalling it to leave.