The Darcy Cousins

by Monica Fairview

  Clarissa bounced up and came towards her so suddenly that Georgiana was startled. Her cousin cast herself on the floor in front of her. “Do you know what it is like to be in a country where you know no one? You will tell me that I am being ridiculous, for I am here with Robert, so I am hardly alone. But my brother is a stranger to me now. He is married, he has been here some time and has already changed so much I scarcely know him.”

  This was something Georgiana understood. This she could sympathise with.

  “Every face I see is new. I was torn from the place where everything was familiar and placed among people who most often than not make assumptions about who you are simply because you belong to a different country.”

  Georgiana tried to imagine what it would mean to leaving everything she knew behind.

  “It feels lonely,” said Clarissa, as if that summed up everything. “And on top of it all, I have waited and waited for him to come to me, but he never came. He promised he would follow. I have waited, every day. But he never did.”

  Suddenly Georgiana understood everything. All that bright, bubbling laughter, all the mischief and the defiance, while beneath the surface lurked uncertainty, torment, and dejection.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I know.”

  Georgiana threw her arms around Clarissa, who began, quietly, to cry.

  ***

  It was not long before every secret was revealed. Clarissa spoke about Mr Parker, the man she had left behind, of the dreams they had dreamed together, of her loss.

  Georgiana spoke of Wickham. She spoke of her confusion when he had proposed for them to elope together, of her very difficult decision to inform her brother. What had she hoped for by doing so? She had foolishly hoped that her brother—since he had grown up with Wickham as one of his closest companions—would give them his blessing on the marriage. She had not imagined that Wickham would be sent away. Nor had she imagined that Wickham did not care for her at all.

  It had taken a while for her to accept the truth. She had slowly come to terms that it was her money he wanted, not her. As news of his distressing behaviour reached her from more than one quarter, she began to shudder at her narrow escape.

  And then he had died suddenly. She had been given no chance to mourn him, for no one had expected her to. What was he to her, after all? No one had given a moment’s consideration to how his death had affected her. There was little enough for her to mourn, but still she felt sorrow over what could have been.

  And as Georgiana spoke to her cousin, she was able, for the first time, to smile at her youthful folly and put it completely behind her.

  ***

  The young ladies were laughing together when the door opened and Robert entered the room.

  “You have been closeted in the room for more than two hours,” he said. “I cannot imagine what you two could have to talk about for so long.”

  Georgiana, her eyes clear and sparkling, replied, “Oh, I cannot say. This and that.”

  “You do not fool me,” said Robert, “for what other topic of conversation do young ladies have? You have been whispering about young gentlemen, of course.”

  “Brother Robert,” said Clarissa, “in general, you are quite correct. Gentlemen are an infinitely fascinating topic of conversation, particularly if they are handsome and charming. But in this instance you are entirely wrong, for we have been speaking about something far more important. We have been speaking about ourselves.”

  Robert did not know what to make of this speech, so, after exchanging a few more general remarks with them and teasing Georgiana in a good natured way about the stocking episode, which Caroline had recounted to him, he excused himself and, quitting the room, left them once again to their own devices.

  Georgiana did not stay very long after that. They had said everything they wished to say, and they each needed time to reflect on the unexpected revelations that had been made.

  But as Georgiana reached the doorway, Clarissa called her back.

  “Wait. There is still something I wanted to say.”

  Georgiana waited, hoping it was not some huge new revelation, for she had had enough for one day.

  “I did not intend to hurt you by trying to capture Channing’s attention. As you now know, I care nothing for him. My heart is still in Boston, and I still hope—though I am not so foolish as to set too much store by it—that Mr Parker will find the courage to come here and find me. Maybe not yet, but some time in the near future. Channing means nothing to me at all. I wanted to prove something to myself, though I cannot imagine what. I will not stand in your way if you care for him. Let him not come between us.”

  Georgiana was moved by her friend’s gesture. Her road was now free. If Clarissa made no attempt to engage his interest, he would turn to her. She was certain of it. She waited for some emotion to surface—triumph, excitement, pleasure—anything. But there was nothing.

  “You know, it is really quite strange, but now that you say I can have him, I realise that I do not want him either.”

  Clarissa laughed in relief. “Then let him not come between us,” she said, “for I would not have liked to discover you were genuinely attached to him.”

  And with that resolved, Georgiana was able to go away feeling very pleased indeed.

  Chapter 22

  Georgiana woke up the next morning feeling airy and light. She took a deep breath and smiled. The iron fist that had been squeezing her for some time had gone away. For the first time for a while, she was not gripped by uncertainties the moment she opened her eyes. Anne was safe; Georgiana no longer wished to prove herself to Channing. And there was no longer any reason to be upset at Clarissa. She had not really been really aware of it, but the rivalry between them had nagged at her for some time. Now they had put it behind them.

  Georgiana spent a leisurely morning at home. She trimmed one of her hats, and settled down to a basketful of much neglected sewing which needed to be done. She was just thinking that it had been a long time since she was so contented, when she heard quick steps coming down the hallway and a moment later Clarissa hurried into the room, quite out of breath.

  “I hope you do not mind, Georgiana, but I agreed to go with Mr Channing, Mr Parvis, and Miss Parvis to see the exhibition at the East India Company. Mr Parvis’s father works in the company, and so Mr Parvis has access to parts of the exhibition which are not available to the general public. You know how fond I am of artefacts from the East. I was going to go alone, but then last night it occurred to me that it might be improper, even if it is a working day and the offices are all busy, and I am taking Hatty, my maid. Still, I think it would be better if you came with us.”

  Georgiana would have preferred to remain peacefully at home.

  “I thought you said you would not be seeing Channing any more,” she replied.

  “Just this one time, and I am not going to see Channing. I am going to see the exhibit,” said Clarissa. “Please can you come?” she said imploringly.

  Georgiana hesitated. But after their conversation she had become too aware of her friend’s unhappiness to deny her the opportunity to find some distraction.

  “I will come with you. But it would be better still if Elizabeth could join us. Let me ask her.”

  “Make haste, then. They will be calling for me in Grosvenor Street, and I do not want to be late.”

  But when they asked Elizabeth, she was too distracted. Little Lewis had had a fall, and his lip was bleeding. It was all Nurse and she could do to keep him still as they held the cloth to his mouth. He screamed and wriggled so much that Elizabeth was alarmed that he had received some other injury. She barely looked up when the girls said goodbye.

  ***

  The cousins hurried to Grosvenor Street, only to find that they had plenty of time before Channing was due to call.

  A carriage finally came to a halt in fro
nt of the door, but instead of Mr Channing, the butler announced Mr and Miss Parvis.

  “Where is Mr Channing?” said Georgiana, when the greetings were done.

  “He will be joining us at East India House shortly. There is not enough room for all of us in the carriage, so we agreed to meet there.”

  Georgiana had never been to East India House. Everything about it exuded an air of grandeur. It was a vast building, meant to impress—with its huge columns, and the statues of Britannia, Europe, and Asia that presided over Leadenhall Street. Inside, it was equally awe-inspiring, though Georgiana secretly liked the Court Room best, since its light airiness formed a contrast to the more gloomy aspects of the building. Tea was brought to them by a clerk, and they partook of refreshments and cake.

  “Is your father to join us?” said Georgiana, as the tea things were cleared and the guide Parvis had hired appeared before them.

  “Yes, most certainly. He is in a meeting with the board of Directors, but he has promised to make an appearance as soon as it is adjourned.”

  “Does your father know Warren Hastings?” asked Clarissa curiously. “I read all about his trial. My father saved all the newspapers cuttings related to the case.”

  “Oh, did he indeed? Whatever for? What a lot of old nonsense. Nothing to it, you know,” said Parvis. “Some private jealousies and toes that were trod on—you know the sort of thing.”

  By now they had entered the library. Georgiana was immediately struck by the grandeur of the dome and the plaster rosettes all around. Clarissa exclaimed over the elaborate calligraphy and magnificent colours of the Persian manuscripts. Georgiana admired the collection of shells.

  They moved to the next room. Here they stared at the Indian idols which were set up in various corners of the room and the Hindu and Goorkha swords. Hatty, Clarissa’s maid, let out a scream when the figure of an English soldier being attacked by a tiger came to life. The tiger roared, and the soldier, who was on the ground, cried out in distress and flailed about.

  “Oh, look, Miss, at those monstrous claws on the beast!” she exclaimed.

  The guide explained to her—in a contemptuous, condescending tone—that the effect was produced by turning a handle. She amused herself for the next few minutes with turning the handle and reproducing the movements and the sounds.

  Meanwhile, Clarissa wandered off to admire some of the coins and other treasures scattered about the room. Mr Parvis, observing Clarissa’s pleasure, took her arm and drew her ahead, leaving Georgiana to walk with his sister. Georgiana made a half-hearted effort to speak to Miss Parvis, but she quickly realised that beyond talk of hats and bonnets and dresses, Miss Parvis had little to say.

  Georgiana was therefore at leisure to notice that however much Clarissa was absorbed by her view of the exhibits, Mr Parvis was not. He seemed more intent on finding excuses to come closer to her and to conceal them both from the others. Clarissa discovered a number of paintings portraying scenes in India, and she pored over them, with Mr Parvis pointing out scenes that were particularly noteworthy. Georgiana was uncomfortable with the situation, for they were alone with someone who was practically a stranger, and who was paying Clarissa marked attention. She was not unduly alarmed however. She expected either Mr Channing or Mr Parvis’s father to appear any moment.

  Meanwhile, the guide took her to the Babylonian exhibits and began to explain to her something of their history. She listened politely, for the history of ancient cultures had never appealed to her, in spite of the current vogue for antiquity, but she tried to remember as much as possible, feeling that she ought at least to educate herself. The next exhibit they moved to was charming. It was a garden, with figures of birds and animals made of gold, and trees with leaves of silver and a pond made from mother-of-pearl.

  The guide once again launched into a long explanation.

  It was some time later that Miss Parvis, plainly bored, complained that she for one would be happy never to view the collection again.

  “Parvis always loves to bring everyone here, especially young ladies he admires, and what must I do but come along too. You cannot imagine how dreary I have come to find this room. But tell me, do you think this colour suits me? I believe lemon is quite the fashion this season.”

  Georgiana became aware that the quiet murmurs of Mr Parvis and Clarissa as they looked over the paintings had ceased and that they were no longer in the room.

  “Let us catch up with them,” she said to the guide, calling Hatty to her side.

  They entered the next room in time to see Clarissa looking very flustered. Mr Parvis, clearly in a temper, called Miss Parvis to join him. Flashing a quick smile at the two young ladies, she hurried to catch up with her brother as he exited through a doorway.

  Their guide cleared his throat.

  “Perhaps you would care to continue the tour another time?” he said.

  Georgiana nodded. The guide held out his hand, clearly expecting payment. Georgiana had no idea how much to give him. She had not brought much money with her, not thinking she would need it. She dropped a sixpence in his hand.

  “My dear young lady, it would hardly be worth my time to explain things in such detail for such a small amount.”

  Clarissa dug in her reticule and tossed a half crown into his hand. “I trust this will be enough,” she said. “Come, Georgiana!”

  “That was much too generous,” said Georgiana.

  “It was the only coin I had,” said Clarissa.

  “We need to catch up with Mr Parvis immediately. He is quite capable of setting off and leaving us behind. Do you know he tried to slip his hand around my waist?”

  Georgiana was not surprised. She had half expected something of the sort and was very angry with Channing for not coming. She wished now she had instructed Hatty to stay close to Clarissa every minute.

  “What did you do to make him so angry?”

  “I slapped him,” said Clarissa.

  “Well, he deserved it,” said Georgiana. “His behaviour has been very reprehensible.”

  “I’m glad you said so, for I was afraid from his reaction that English ladies never slap gentlemen. But how else could they put a stop to things if they have gone too far?”

  “We had better hurry and catch up with him. You can explain the whole debacle later.”

  But when they reached the entrance, neither Mr Parvis nor his carriage were anywhere in sight.

  ***

  “How could he have done this!” cried Georgiana. “Can he be so utterly reprehensible as to abandon us alone in the City, simply because you would not let him handle you?”

  “Well, since he is nowhere in sight, I can only conclude that he is utterly reprehensible.” Clarissa sighed. “We shall have to make our way home ourselves.”

  The day, which had been bright when they left home, had changed completely. A light fog had descended upon the world, swathing the buildings around them. The street, which during business hours was teeming with merchants, prosperous Cits, and clerks going about their business, now looked almost empty. A forlorn-looking carriage cluttered by in the milky light. Leadenhall Street had seemed earlier a well maintained, momentous sort of street. But its usual inhabitants had migrated elsewhere, replaced by ethereal figures.

  A shadow flitted in a doorway. Georgiana saw it only with the corner of her eye. But when she looked again, there was nothing. She was allowing her imagination to run riot. She really ought not to read any of those Gothic romances Clarissa loved so much. There was nothing at all sinister in a little bit of fog. London had its fogs. It was part of the weather, that was all.

  A hackney cab rumbled by. They gestured for it to stop, but it was already taken.

  They waited for a few minutes, but the business hours were over, and there was hardly any reason for the hackneys to come this way.

  Again, she felt rather than saw
that shadow. Not just one, several of them.

  “Did you see that?” she said, peering through the veil of fog.

  “I thought I saw something,” said Clarissa, drawing her pelisse closer.

  “I hope we find a hackney soon,” said Georgiana. The awareness of being watched by invisible eyes unnerved her.

  “We’d do better to go inside again, Miss,” said Hatty. “We shouldn’t stand here, at any rate. We’re making targets of ourselves.”

  “You’re quite right,” said Clarissa. “We could ask that friendly guide to procure a carriage for us. We paid him enough, at any rate.”

  Georgiana readily agreed. They hurried in quick steps towards the heavy shelter of the building.

  “Not so fast, young ladies,” said a voice. A murky figure emerged from the fog.

  He reeked of gin. Georgiana stepped backwards, only to find her way blocked by one of the columns.

  Around them, dark shadows broke the milky fog like a circle of statues.

  “Such pretty dainty things,” said one of the men, pulling Georgiana’s reticule from her hand.

  Georgiana tried to grip the reticule, but he wrenched it easily out of her grasp. He held it up above her head, out of her reach. “Maybe if you give me a kiss I might give it back to you.”

  General laughter greeted this.

  A hand reached out and grabbed Clarissa’s reticule. It joined Georgiana’s, suspended in the air.

  “How about that cross there. Now ain’t that pretty too?”

  Hands rough as plaster slipped round her neck.