The Darcys and the colonel joined him in his laughter and spent the rest of the evening telling the Bingleys that part of the story which was open for discussion. Their enjoyment was tempered by the sad tale of the Walkers and their son, told without, of course, mentioning his criminal behaviour towards Georgiana. Eventually, Georgiana confessed that she was becoming interested to see the house and what work would need to be done on it.
“I already know one thing that absolutely must be done; we must get rid of those horrible yews that are overwhelming what might otherwise be an attractive house. They are so dark and dank looking! I suppose we shall have to find another name for it once the yews are gone, however.”
Darcy and Elizabeth both laughed but agreed that cutting them down was a good first step towards making the house their own. They stayed up later than any of them had planned since this news did not wear out its interest quickly, but eventually their guests left and the inhabitants of Ashbourne House retired for what rest they could get before they must rise and travel.
***
They made the trip to Pemberley in three days, travelling at an easy pace. The weather was warm but not too uncomfortable, and Georgiana could feel the tension of the last months gradually leaving her as they drew nearer and nearer to home. They arrived in the early afternoon of the third day and were greeted enthusiastically by the staff, who had already heard from Burton of their master’s elevation to the peerage. Smithfield was smiling proudly as Darcy and Elizabeth led the way into the hall, while Georgiana and the colonel paused to speak to Mrs. Reynolds and receive her congratulations on their engagement and his new title and estate. When she finally entered Pemberley House, Georgiana gave a sigh of relief. They were home.
Chapter 26
How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is
To have a thankless child.
—William Shakespeare, King Lear
The summer was in full bloom in Derbyshire, and Georgiana was happy to breathe the fresh country air after the coal smoke that hung like an eternal fog over London. She had almost forgotten how clear and green the hills were in Derbyshire. The first two days they were home Darcy needed to catch up on the estate business, and Georgiana and Elizabeth rode over to Coldstream Manor with the colonel to see Miss Blake. In the carriage, Georgiana said to her fiancé, “I would like you to take Sir Robert out of the room if I am able to see Miss Blake. I hope that it will not embarrass you if I tell her about my stupidity with Wickham, if I think that it will help her.”
He smiled at her. “You may do as you see fit. I trust your judgement, my love. Indeed, I am hardly in a position to question it, am I?”
“I hope not, my dear,” she returned with an affectionate smile.
When they arrived, the butler told them that Miss Blake was out, so the colonel asked for Sir Robert. They were shown into the drawing-room and Sir Robert came almost immediately. After greeting them he started to apologise for his sister’s absence, but Georgiana stepped forwards and gently held up her hand to stop his awkward speech.
“We came, Sir Robert, to give Miss Blake our sympathy for the distress which she must be going through. If there is some way that we can help her, I hope you will please tell us.”
He gave her a bleak smile. “I am most grateful for the friendship that you have shown my sister, Miss Darcy, but she has refused to see anyone since we returned.” He thought for a moment and then said hesitantly, “I believe, however, that if you do not mind waiting I will take advantage of your visit and see if I can coax her downstairs. I do not think it is healthy for her to shut herself away from all those who might comfort her.”
“We would be most happy to wait,” Georgiana said with a gentle smile.
Sir Robert left the room, and was gone about fifteen minutes. When he returned he gently supported his sister on his arm. Her face was pale and thin, and she sat on the sofa next to Georgiana and looked down at her hands in her lap. Sir Robert looked at them in mute appeal, and the colonel said, “Sir Robert, perhaps you could offer me a glass of wine.”
“Of course, of course.” He escorted the colonel from the room with patent relief.
Georgiana took Miss Blake’s hand and said, “We are most concerned about you, Miss Blake, and we hoped that we could bring you some comfort in your hour of distress.”
Miss Blake abruptly put her hands over her face, her shoulders shaking with her violent sobs. Georgiana put her arms around her and let her cry, patting her shoulder and crooning soothingly. When the young woman’s tears had abated somewhat Georgiana said, “You must not let this overcome you, my dear. In time, the pain will fade a little and you will be yourself again.”
Miss Blake said, with a voice that was harsh with grief and tears, “I suppose so. I am so humiliated to have not seen what kind of man he was. I did not know about his criminal activities, of course, but I find now that he probably only wanted my dowry to pay off his debts. It is very unlikely that he cared about me at all, and I did not see it. I was so eager to have a husband that I blinded myself to his character.”
She sobbed again, and Georgiana looked at her keenly for a moment then said, “You are not the first woman who has been taken in by a scoundrel, my dear. I myself almost made the same mistake two years ago, except my fault was much worse than yours. I actually considered eloping with him, as he wanted me to do. Fortunately, my brother saved me from myself. I can look back now with amazement that I ever thought that I loved that blackguard.”
Miss Blake looked up, surprised. “Does the colonel know about this?”
“Oh yes. Perhaps you do not realise that he has been my guardian along with my brother since my father died. He knows every detail, as does Elizabeth. She nodded at her sister-in-law and then smiled at Miss Blake, who gave her a watery smile in return.
“Thank you. Thank you for coming and thank you for telling me this.” She looked back down at her hands. “It is good to know that I have some true friends.”
Georgiana patted her hand and stood up. “You probably have more than you realise. I will leave you now, but I will come see you again in a few days if you will allow me. My dear sister has acted as my confidante on many occasions, and you may trust her absolutely, as you may trust me, if you wish to speak confidentially with either of us.”
“Oh… yes, please do come, and thank you again.” She managed a more genuine smile as she dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief.
While they were riding back to Pemberley, the colonel put Georgiana’s arm through his and patted her hand.
“So what was the result of your visit?”
“I told her about my sordid past.” She smiled ruefully at him and then added, “I believe that she felt somewhat better when I left.
“Did you tell her about your kidnapping?”
“No, I did not see any point in blackening Walker’s name further. I thought the episode with Wickham illustrated my point sufficiently about recovering from stupid mistakes. I feel better now about owning the Walker estate.”
“Shall we go this afternoon and look it over?”
“I would love to. Would you like to join us, Elizabeth?”
“Thank you, but I believe that I will rest this afternoon.”
“That is an excellent idea.” She smiled at her fiancé, the dimple in her right cheek appearing briefly. “I believe we will be able to cope with only Lucky to chaperone.”
***
“The house seems in good condition, but I would like to have you look at it with me,” the colonel said to Darcy after he and Georgiana had examined the house from attic to cellar. “Perhaps you could recommend a builder who can check its structural integrity for us.”
“Of course, Fitzwilliam, I would be happy to. I know a builder in Kympton who is a capable fellow and, just as importantly, is reasonably honest. I will send him a note to meet us there tomorrow and he can inspect i
t with us.”
Georgiana added, “All of the Walkers’ furniture and belongings are still there. Is there some way we can determine if they wish to have them?”
Fitzwilliam answered, “Legally everything in the house belongs to us, but I would prefer to clear the place out before we redecorate. I doubt if you want to use Mrs. Walker’s silver hairbrushes, Georgiana, and we will need more space for your pianoforte in the parlour. Darcy, perhaps you could write to the Walkers and see if they would like any of their possessions returned.”
Georgiana shuddered. “It would be like having the Walkers’ ghosts creeping around our house having everything unchanged from when they lived there.”
Darcy nodded thoughtfully.
Georgiana broke the resulting silence by turning to Elizabeth. “There is the sweetest little parlour at the back of the house. It is connected to the drawing-room where we sat when we visited by a double door so we can open the two rooms when we have company, but when I just want to practise by myself I can close it off and have complete privacy. It is just big enough for a pianoforte and my harp.”
Elizabeth smiled. “It sounds delightful, Georgiana. I cannot wait to see it.”
***
Several days later, the weather was beautiful and Elizabeth and Darcy were visiting some friends, so Georgiana suggested to her fiancé that they take a short rest from their planning for their house and have a picnic. They set out just after noon, Fitzwilliam carrying the picnic hamper and Georgiana a rug to sit on. They walked slowly and stopped frequently to look at the beauty of the changing views. She took him up a path that led in easy stages over the ridge in back of the main house, following the stream until they lost it into a curve of the hills. The gravelled path was wide and smooth, but the way was ever upwards, requiring that Georgiana stop often to catch her breath and cool herself with her fan. When they came to the top of the ridge, she could see down into a little glen adorned with a small, rocky stream that formed a pool below a tiny waterfall. In the summer heat the glen was very shady and cool looking.
“I have always loved this place,” Georgiana remarked. “It is so close to civilisation and yet so isolated. It has always been my special place.” She gave her fiancé a sidelong glance and said, “This is where I would always go to hide when you and my brother would not let me play with you, except, of course, when I secretly followed you… Perhaps I should not have shown you where my refuge is.”
“Your secret is safe with me, Miss Darcy.” Fitzwilliam put down the picnic hamper and drew her to him. He brushed back two stray curls and kissed her on the forehead. After a few minutes, he whispered in her ear, “Shall we walk down to the stream, my love?”
She sighed contentedly and turned down the path.
There was a small clearing next to the stream that was flat and dry and would make a fine place to sit and eat. Georgiana spread the blanket on the ground and then knelt down and looked into the hamper to see what the cook had sent them to eat. There was a loaf of new bread, sliced thin, cheese and apples, a bottle of wine, and tiny fruit tarts for dessert. As they ate, Fitzwilliam commented, “I feel very decadent sitting here eating in the woods. I fear that Zeus will send down his thunderbolts from Mount Olympus to punish us for our audacity in having a picnic next to his sacred pool. There is definitely something uncanny about these woods—or perhaps it is the unusual sensation of the two of us being totally alone.”
“So, I take it that you want to go back to the house?” She pretended to start to her feet.
“I think not yet, Miss Darcy,” he said with a laugh.
They finished eating, and Fitzwilliam settled himself against the bole of a tree at the edge of the glade, patting the blanket next to him. Georgiana took off her bonnet and curled up beside him in the crook of his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. The woods were very quiet except for the sound of birdsong. They might have been a hundred miles from the nearest settlement instead of a mere quarter mile.
After a few minutes, Georgiana said, “This spot does not remind me of Zeus so much as Shakespeare. I had almost forgotten until now:
“And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.”
“That is quite appropriate; this could be the Forest of Arden. ‘Are not these woods more free from peril than the envious court?’”
She lifted her face to smile at him and he kissed her again on the forehead, moving slowly down to linger on her lips. Eventually, they somewhat breathlessly resumed their enjoyment of the verdant scene and listened to the quiet chuckling of the water as it trickled over the rocks and into the pool. When they had been sitting in this attitude for most of an hour, Fitzwilliam gave a gusty sigh and said, “I suppose that we should gather up the remains of our alfresco party and make our way back to the real world.”
Georgiana echoed his sigh and said wistfully, “It is wonderful to be alone with you, even if only for a few minutes.”
Fitzwilliam raised his brows in mock surprise. “You admit to preferring the company of your future husband to the gaieties of society? I am quite shocked.”
“To such depths have I fallen,” she admitted ruefully.
“Well, in that case I must make sure that we return to this idyllic spot as soon as possible. We will do so on the next sunny day.”
He helped her up and repacked the hamper while she put her bonnet back on. Hand in hand, they made the climb up the ridge and stopped for a moment at the crest to look down at Pemberley House. They saw the carriage far down the gravelled drive, returning Darcy and Elizabeth from town, and started slowly down the path. By the time they emerged from the woods the elder Darcys were in the drawing-room having a cup of tea and discussing their purchases, so the colonel and Georgiana joined them until it was necessary for Darcy to withdraw for a meeting with his steward.
***
Elizabeth dozed on a chaise longue set in the shade of the folly that afternoon with Pilot lying in the shade of her chair. She awoke to see her husband approaching, an unopened letter in his hand.
“It looks as if you have received a letter from your friend Charlotte, my dear.”
“Oh, how nice. You did not need to bring it yourself, my darling,” she smiled up at him.
“It was my pleasure, my lady.”
She opened her letter while he settled himself on the bench next to her chair. After a few moments’ reading she gave a sharp gasp.
“What is it?” Darcy asked, sitting up abruptly.
“Charlotte writes her congratulations to us and says that they are all well and little Catherine is now five weeks old.” She raised her brow and added, “I won’t sport with your intelligence by explaining why she is named Catherine.” Darcy rolled his eyes heavenwards and she continued, “She then goes on:
…We have been rather lively in Kent in the last few weeks as Mr. Darcy’s cousin, Lord St. George, has been visiting his aunt, Lady Catherine. He is very pleasant and seems to be much taken with his cousin, Miss de Bourgh. We have been called to make up the table at cards several times since his arrival (as you are aware, Miss de Bourgh does not play whist), and we have found his lordship most amiable…etc.
“So… Lord St. George is in Kent, happily ensconced at Rosings Park and playing up to Lady Catherine for all he is worth while his relations are all worrying themselves sick about him.” She said, with a sudden frown, “I hope that my suspicions about his motives in going to Rosings are incorrect.”
Darcy looked very grim. “I am very much afraid that my suspicions echo yours. He must be making a play for my cousin Anne’s hand so that he can have the Rosings estate.”
“Poor Miss de Bourgh. Do you think he would go that far?”
“I would not be at all surprised. Lady Catherine is probably not aware of what went on in
London this spring, since my aunt and uncle would not want to have the news of their son’s ill behaviour bandied about. And even if she was aware she might overlook it for the chance of a titled husband for Anne.”
“I pray that we are wrong,” she said softly.
“So do I, my love, so do I; But I must give the colonel this news as soon as possible, so that he can inform his parents. He and Georgiana are still at The Yews with Mrs. Annesley. I think that I should ride into town and see if I can catch up with him.”
“Yes, my dear, go and find them. This is a very unpleasant reflection on your cousin’s character, and I dread to think of the distress that he will cause his entire family!”
He kissed her hand briefly and hurried to the stables to order his horse then ran into the house to change into riding clothes. By the time he was back downstairs his horse was ready, and he sprang into the saddle and rode off at a brisk trot. Elizabeth was left to her book but it could no longer hold her attention. As the day warmed, she moved into the drawing-room, while Pilot retired to his usual spot in the library to continue his nap. The time seemed to creep by interminably as she awaited Darcy’s return.
Finally, after two hours had slowly ticked by and she had reread the same passages at least three times, she gave up and ordered tea. She had barely emptied her cup when the entire party returned together. The colonel was in a state of barely controlled agitation when he came in and immediately ran upstairs to have his man pack his things. The others joined Elizabeth in the drawing-room, where a fresh pot of tea waited, and Georgiana said, “I cannot believe that my cousin St. George has been at Rosings all this time without giving his family a single hint as to his whereabouts! I hope my brother’s assumptions about St. George’s desire to marry our cousin are incorrect. The colonel feels that he must go to Whitwell Abbey and tell my aunt and uncle this news in person so they can discuss what recourse they might have.”
“Can you think of any other reason for his secrecy about this extended visit to Rosings?”
Mr. Darcy's Little Sister Page 33