“Would Miss Lucas even agree to such a meeting?”
“I believe she would,” Fitz answered.
A knock on the door interrupted the two, and Fitz answered it to find Bingley standing there, a huge smile on his face. “I take it the meeting went well?”
He followed Fitz into the room, “Very well indeed. We have come to an agreement, and if everything goes well, in about a month I will be the owner of Buckley Hall.” He saw Darcy sitting there and went over to greet his friend, “I did not expect to see you here today.”
“I had news to discuss with my cousin, but it seems your news is much better than my own.”
“Oh? Is there something wrong?”
Darcy did not know what Bingley knew of Miss Lucas or her situation, so he looked to Fitz.
Fitz saw the look and answered, “He is aware of the situation.” He then turned to Bingley, “Darcy has been in contact with the child’s father, and it is as we feared—it is Wickham. He is refusing to marry Miss Lucas without a large cash settlement and the assurance he can be assigned to any regiment he wishes within the militia. Even if I had such connections, I refuse to use them on such a cur.”
Bingley sat and accepted the tea from Fitz. “With such a man, this is probably for the best then.”
“In some ways that may be,” Darcy answered, “but what is to become of those he has abandoned? Will we be forced to take the child in when it is born? I cannot see letting it fall to the poorhouses of London. What of Miss Lucas? Where will she go? Will her family ever accept her back in their home after all this?”
“We have spoken with her, and she has not made any decisions about the future, but if necessary she can stay with us for a while longer. We do not wish to throw her out, and the few letters she has received from her sister indicate that her father is not willing to have her back at home. He blames her for the ruination of their family.”
“It is as I feared,” Darcy said. “We should not be held responsible for her—she is no relation to us.”
“Whether she is a relation of ours or not,” Bingley said firmly, “it is our Christian duty to not turn her out. If I could, I would support her, but you know how that would look.” Bingley felt his heart break for Maria. Over the last few days he had become quite attached to her, and he could not see her life being dictated in such a way because of someone who fooled her into thinking he cared for her when the opposite was true.
“What of Georgiana? Should she be told of this,” Darcy said, holding the letter up.
“I say yes, Mrs Annesley says yes—it is only Darcy here who is holding out,” Fitz explained to Bingley.
“Before the subject of telling Miss Darcy is even decided, ought we not ask Miss Lucas her opinion?”
“Yes, you are correct,” Fitz replied. “I do not think it will be a problem though. She can be trusted with the knowledge of who Wickham is to our family, and I dare say she will have compassion on my young cousin that I myself find very hard to have for her these days.”
“I will talk with Elizabeth,” Darcy said, then he stood. “I must return home. Good day gentlemen, and Bingley,” he turned to his friend with a slight smile, “I will be happy to have you as my newest neighbor, Bingley.”
With Miss Lucas’ time coming closer, Mrs Annesley had recently begun visiting the girl every week on her day off. She was to do so again today. When she descended the stairs she was met by Miss Darcy, Mr and Mrs Darcy, as well as the young Miss Darcy in her father’s arms. They were all preparing to go somewhere, and she smiled at the family that stood before her.
“Mrs Annesley,” Darcy said, “I am glad you have not left yet. We are to visit my cousin today. Would you like to go with us?”
She saw the look he gave her and knew they had taken her advice to heart and thought it best to let the two young ladies meet. With a nod, she replied, “I would like that, sir. Thank you.”
With that they all left together for the short ride through Pemberley’s lands, beyond the town of Lambton, and on to Rose Bluff. When they arrived they were led through the house and out into the garden, where greetings were exchanged by all.
“We have a lovely repast for everyone,” Fitz said, leading them to a table set up under the shade of a tree. “Our other guests will be with us in a few minutes,” he offered when everyone was choosing a seat.
“Other guests?” Georgiana questioned.
“Yes, we have two visitors staying at Rose Bluff, and they will be here shortly. They chose to take a stroll through the garden just before you arrived.”
Having been sequestered with her Aunt Edith or at Pemberley for most of the last year, Georgiana was eager to discover who these visitors were. “Do I know your guests?”
“I believe you do,” Fitz answered as he held the chair out for his young cousin. “Mr Bingley is here, as well as Miss Lucas, whom you should have met last year when we were visiting Hertfordshire.” He turned around, “Ah, perfect timing. I was just telling my cousin who was visiting,” he said to Bingley and Maria as they joined the others.
When Georgiana turned to greet them, her eyes immediately went to the expanded mid—section of the girl and her hand went, in shock, to her mouth.
Bingley turned to the lady who held his arm, searching her eyes to see that she was ready for this discussion. When he saw the determination in her features, his heart beat harder in admiration.
With a decided lift of her chin, Maria let go of her companion’s arm and stepped up to the table, “Miss Darcy, it is good to see you again. We met last year when you were visiting my family’s neighborhood.”
Georgiana mumbled, “I... I do not recall meeting you.”
“No, I dare say I would not have made much of an impression on you as it was only in the milliner’s shop that we saw each other, but I remember it very distinctly. You were pointed out to me before that by a mutual acquaintance, but we hardly exchanged two words with each other that day before you left with Mr Bingley’s sisters,” she nodded in his direction.
“We could not possibly have a mutual acquaintance,” Georgiana replied harshly, looking pointedly at the girl’s obvious condition.
“Actually, you do,” Mrs Annesley said as she stepped up to take Maria’s arm and help her sit. “She is, that is, she was an intimate friend of Mr George Wickham”
Chills ran down her body and she could not think. “No... no it cannot be. He did not tell me of any acquaintances except...”
Bingley now stepped closer, “Except the maid Becky?”
Her eyes grew wider and she sucked in a shallow breath.
Darcy now sat beside his sister and reached for her cold and shaking hand, “Georgiana, we have all tried to tell you for well over a year now, and you have not wanted to hear what we had to say. I even questioned bringing you here today, but I see the good that could come from this, and we must tell you all that you do not yet know of Wickham.”
She looked around at those faces that surrounded her, still shocked at what she assumed to be the news they would say. She knew she had to hear the words though. With a simple nod, she replied, “What do you want to tell me?”
Darcy took a deep breath, then began. “Miss Lucas has been staying here since we removed from Town after Christmas. She had nowhere else to go and her own family turned her out. We could not see turning such a sweet young lady to the streets, and when we found out about her situation Mary insisted Miss Lucas come and stay here with them.” He saw Georgiana look over at Mary with an odd expression, almost as if she was confused by such knowledge. “Georgiana, it has been many months now that we have been searching for the father of this child that is to come soon, and we recently heard from him.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter from Wickham. “I know this will be hard for you, but you must read this for yourself.” He placed the letter on the table, then let go of her hand, stood, and walked away.
The others followed as well, except for Maria Lucas, who remained seated beside Geor
giana. Tears were already welling in Georgiana’s eyes, but she knew she had to stay in control. So with a shaky hand she reached for the letter. She recognized the familiar handwriting immediately and her heart sank just a little more. She unfolded the pages and read, gasping when he made a slight mention of her and how he had played her for a fool more than once. His greed was made evident in the requirements he had for marrying Maria. It was obvious he knew he was the father of the child, though he did not make a specific acknowledgment of that. He was quite crafty in his wording. He refused to do anything about the shame it would bring upon the Lucas family if he was not given a dowry equal to that of Georgiana’s own, which had been kept from him last year. Seeing the harsh words written about her in his own hand was more than she could bear. The tears that had welled in her eyes now began to pour down her cheeks, and her body shook with intensity. Before she knew it, Maria had her arms around her and was holding her close, letting her cry as she assured her everything would be well.
Georgiana was not aware of anything except that her heart felt as if it were ripped in two. She hardly heard the comforting words or felt the strong arms that lifted her and carried her inside and up to a bedchamber where she could rest. Mrs Annesley stayed by her side, offering as many clean handkerchiefs as was necessary, and letting the reality of the truth sink into the heart of the distraught young girl.
Darcy could not bear to see his sister in such distress, so when he had delivered her upstairs, he left her in the care of her companion, who assured him it was all for the best. He returned to his wife’s side. They stayed, visiting with the others for a few more hours, then they went back home to Pemberley, intent upon returning for his sister again tomorrow.
The following day, before he could even call for the carriage to be readied, he received a note from Fitz saying Georgiana had asked to stay there at Rose Bluff for a few more days. Darcy was glad to see they had finally gotten through to her. He had Georgiana’s trunk packed and sent it on its way, with a note for Fitz asking to be kept informed of all that happened while she was there.
He was found by his wife an hour later, sitting in the nursery, holding his tiny daughter in his arms, and talking with her about how much he loved her and what he wished for her life ahead.
Georgiana awoke on the second day of her stay at Rose Bluff. She’d had quite the revelation yesterday, and it made her sick to find she had trusted her heart to someone as despicable as George Wickham. With what she now knew about him, she began to question every interaction they had. In every instance she realized he focused on her money. Thinking back to their last meeting in Meryton, she was reminded of how she left wanting to do just what he would not voice. The manipulation was clearly seen now, in light of her new revelations.
Fitz knocked on her door early, but she was already awake. He arrived with a tray of her favorite foods and a compassionate smile. He placed the tray on the table and sat down across from her. “I thought you may want to talk with me.”
“I do have some questions,” she replied.
“I thought you would. I will answer what I can.”
She sighed heavily, “You are nothing like your parents.”
He was curious just what she meant by such a statement. When she said nothing further though, he knew he had to ask what motivated it. “My father and I have rarely seen eye to eye on anything in my lifetime. That is why I spent my youth at Pemberley instead of Croome Court. You have been privy to that for a long time though, so I wonder what motivates such a statement now?”
“I... that is... your father’s letter to my brothers...”
His hand stopped halfway to his mouth with a piece of toast, dread washing over his face. His hand fell, “Oh Georgie—how did you hear about that?”
She pulled several letters from her pocket, replacing all but one of them. She placed the singed note on the table and slid it over to him.
Fitz reached for it, his hand covering hers. He squeezed her fingers, but she would not look up at him. “Your brother and I would never allow him to take your inheritance from you. We wish you to marry for love.”
“What inheritance? As I see it,” she said, looking around the room, “it has already been taken from me.”
Fitz was confused. He too looked around, not understanding what she meant. “Your inheritance is safe from anyone.”
She sniffed, “Yes, you are keeping it well maintained.”
Now he truly was confused. “Georgiana, Rose Bluff is not your inheritance. What would make you think that?”
“My brother said to me years ago that even if I married a man without wealth, we would still want for nothing. That my father saw fit to leave a nice place for me.”
“And you thought all these years it was Rose Bluff?”
She nodded, looking down at the plate of food still untouched before her.
He had a sudden realization. “That is why you were so upset over my wife’s dowry. You thought it was taken from your own.” He stood and scooted his chair around closer to her, then sat again and turned toward her. “Georgie, your brother and I would never steal from you. Your own property is safe and your brother sees that it is well maintained.”
She finally looked up into his eyes. “Rose Bluff is the only property of which he has ever given mention.”
Fitz chuckled, “My dear, you know very little of all your brother possesses—he has been highly sought after by the mothers of the Ton for many years now because of the vastness of the Darcy wealth. What he gave my wife, and ultimately me through her, was only what he has been trying to force me to accept since your father died.” He knew he had to explain further. “Rose Bluff was brought into the Darcy coffers by your mother—I believe it belonged to my father’s maternal grandmother, so it would not pass to him. It was part of your mother’s dowry. It was intended to be given to a second son, but your parents were never so blessed. I left home at the age of thirteen and went to live at Pemberley, and became almost as a second son to my aunt and uncle. The papers were being drawn up to have Rose Bluff given to me upon my marriage or the age of five and twenty, but they were not to the point of being signed, so they were not acknowledged as being part of Uncle George’s will. Then your father’s sudden death brought an end to that. Your brother has been trying ever since to force me into accepting it, but I was too stubborn to do so, insisting instead that the Army would be my life. After my refusing all these years, Darcy finally decided to go another route and gave it to the lady who he knew had stolen my heart. That is why he did not tell me of Mary’s dowry.”
It all made sense now, and Georgiana shook her head at her own ignorance. “I am sorry, Fitz—I never meant...”
“I know,” he said, patting her hand before he slid back over to eat the nearly forgotten food before it became too cold. “Your dowry was stipulated in your father’s will. You are to receive a property called Avonaire. It is in Staffordshire and is about the size of Rose Bluff, though a different style altogether. As you already know, you are also to receive the sizeable amount of £30,000. Your brother chose not to tell you all the particulars because of scum like Wickham who would take advantage of such knowledge. So what is commonly reported is only a portion of your inheritance.”
She looked back down at the table. “Evidently Geor... Mr Wickham... knew of my full inheritance. He mentioned it several times.”
“I do not doubt that—he was often in your father’s study and could very easily have looked at the papers detailing everything.”
“What else have I not been told about him?”
Fitz knew exactly what she meant. “Georgiana, it is not my place...”
“My brother will not tell me, but I did not expect such treatment from you. If you wish me to make an informed decision of where my heart may lead me in the future, then I must know the whole truth.”
She was right. The food in front of him no longer looked as appealing, so he pushed the plate away and leaned his forearms on the table, folding hi
s hands together. With a nod of his head, Fitz began, “Wickham was always a degenerate. He grew up with us at Pemberley and often caused trouble for your brother to have to clean up. Your father never saw his faults though, so he was left to his own devices. After your father’s death...” He then went on to describe for her the terms of her father’s will, the money left to Wickham, as well as the living he was to one day receive when it became available. When he got to the part of the tale about Darcy paying him in lieu of a position in the church, Georgiana as shocked. She had heard quite a different story from him. Fitz then told of the confrontation the two had when Wickham returned later, insisting he be given the position. Darcy refused, and Wickham warned that he would one day have his revenge. That confrontation took place just two months before Georgiana’s new companion, Mrs Younge, was found, and shortly afterward the trip to Ramsgate took place.
“That was all I ever was to him—a means of getting back at my brother.”
“Yes.”
Tears began to fill her eyes and she burst out crying, “I am so sorry. Oh! What have I done to you all? How could you ever forgive me after such ill treatment?”
Fitz pulled her into an embrace. “We love you Georgiana. Of course we will forgive you. Shhhh.” He continued to comfort her until she finally calmed several minutes later.
“Miss Lucas is having quite the time of things,” he said to her, “and you can imagine she is lonely. She requested that you stay here for a few days.”
“Oh yes, I would like that. Do you think my brother would let me?”
“I will write to him immediately. He was to come for you today, but I can see no harm in you extending your stay a few days.”
When he was gone, Georgiana sat down at the desk and pulled out writing supplies, then spent the next couple of hours penning a letter each to her brother, her cousin, Elizabeth, and Mary. She asked for forgiveness from each, promising to be more accepting of them in her life in the future. By the time her trunks arrived, her task was completed, and she went to deliver the ones she could for now, saving the two others for when she returned to Pemberley.
Just to Hear 'I Love You': An Alternate Tale of Jane Austen's 'Pride & Prejudice' Page 33