Unforgiving Temper

by Head, Gail

  Richard bolted forward, the action pulling painfully at his leg. “Not Ramsgate…not Georgiana?!”

  “Yes, I am afraid so. Of course, I could not allow it, and so I agreed to see what I could do. I began inquires to have her shipped to the penal colonies instead of going to the gallows. It turned out to be an unnecessary effort as two days later I received word that she had fallen into a fever. She never recovered, and took her information to the grave.”

  “Thank heavens for that,” Richard growled. “Even as far away as Australia she would have been a threat. She would have found some way to bleed you dry, Darcy. Forgive me for saying so, Mrs. Darcy, but Younge and Wickham got what they deserved. Good riddance, I say.”

  Elizabeth's brow furrowed thoughtfully. “I wonder what it is that drives one to be so unfeeling, so bent on seeking revenge at any cost. Mrs. Younge, Lord Grissholm, and especially Mr. Wickham... they all had opportunity to make something of their lives; yet they wasted it by blaming others for their failures. The thirst for vengeance prevented them from realizing a happy, productive life was within their power at any time. And in the end, they all paid a terrible price. Lady Catherine still lives, but I cannot say it is a pleasant existence.”

  Darcy's arm tightened protectively around Elizabeth. “Nor does she deserve one after her despicable behavior. To think of the outrageous, contemptible things she – ” Elizabeth laid her hand on Darcy's arm, sending a gentle, unspoken message. Biting his lip in frustration, Darcy took a deep, cleansing breath. “Elizabeth is of the opinion that Aunt Catherine deserves our pity. I cannot bring myself to be so generous! The earl has her under lock and key; but the truth is she still lives, no matter how wretchedly. That is more than she would have given Elizabeth, and I can never forgive her for that!”

  Richard's countenance turned somber at the mention of Lady Catherine's name. “Yes, Father has told me all about it. Fortunately, a report of her travelling abroad and a sudden illness was all it took to convince the ton that she had died. She is far enough away and Father has precautions in place that would prevent any hint of madness being connected to the family. It is a sad state of affairs, though. I am told any mention of the family – not just you or Mrs. Darcy – sends her into high dudgeon for days.”

  “She was a very proud woman,” observed Elizabeth quietly. “She could not bear to be contradicted. I suppose with her rank and privilege, she had not had much experience with disappointment. She thought she was protecting her family. But to go to such extremes, to provoke Wickham to act as desperately as he did, and then do so herself – it is unimaginable even now!”

  Richard shook his head slowly. “It was nothing short of criminal for all of them. I will say, though, that if anything good can be found in the whole affair, Aunt Catherine's interference did have the unintended consequence of forcing you and Darcy to recognize what your hearts were telling you. It is a bit of a two-edged sword for everyone, is it not, Darcy?”

  “No, Richard, it is not. I had already decided to talk with Elizabeth and make a fresh start when I went to Hertfordshire with Bingley. Aunt Catherine's meddling only complicated the matter and put us both through months of misery that could have been avoided completely.”

  “Are you certain, Cousin? If I remember our conversation at Burnham House correctly, you had not yet reached an understanding with the lady. It was not until much later that she truly had a change of heart; which was, of course, a result of Aunt Catherine's interference. Is that not so, Mrs. Darcy?”

  “In truth, my feelings were only just beginning to change after our encounter at Rosings. It was not until my stay at Burnham House that I truly knew my heart. I suppose you could say she did us a favor – as unintentional as it was; and as difficult as it is, I am willing to put it all behind us. You must as well, Fitzwilliam. If you do not let go your resentment, it will darken our own happiness, casting a shadow over everything we do.”

  “You cannot remember the worst of it, but I do!” Darcy's jaw tightened as he and Richard exchanged a knowing look. “I shall never forget the night I carried you out of Grissholm's house!”

  Richard studied the carpet at his feet as Darcy's passionate words hung hauntingly in the air.

  Even though she blushed at Darcy's words, Elizabeth would not be dissuaded. Her determined tone swept the air clean in one stroke. “Nevertheless, you must try; and you must try to forgive your aunt. Would you choose as Wickham or Grissholm did? Would you allow what cannot be changed to take away even the smallest portion of our happiness together? Lady Catherine is beyond ever acknowledging her part, and it does not matter. What matters is that we let it go and look to the future.”

  “I am not certain I can do that,” he said quietly. In spite of Darcy's adamant expression, Richard could see the effects of Elizabeth's quiet determination. She was exactly what Darcy needed.

  “We can choose to be happy in spite of her actions, can we not?” Elizabeth persisted gently.

  “Perhaps. I shall give it some consideration.”

  “That is all I ask, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth winked at Richard, very pleased with the concession she had managed to secure.

  “The subject of our aunt has reminded me that I wish to discuss the matter of Rosings while you are here, Richard. Perhaps in a few days, once you have settled in? As you already know, I was named heir to the estate in anticipation of my marriage to Anne, which of course did not happen. The arrangement was never changed and I find myself responsible for Rosings' management. I thought you might have some ideas on the subject.”

  “I would be happy to give what advice I can,” Richard responded, his brows rising in mild surprise as he gave an answering nod; and then he turned the conversation to a more neutral topic. “Tell me, Mrs. Darcy, how is your family? Are all your sisters still in Hertfordshire?”

  “No, they are not. Jane and Mr. Bingley have recently settled in Lincolnshire. I fear my mother's daily visits to Netherfield grew to be too much, even for their kind and generous natures. Much to our delight, they are now but 30 miles from Pemberley, and we see them regularly.”

  “I am happy to hear it. And now that there are two daughters in the neighborhood, do your parents find occasion to visit often?”

  “As luck would have it, my mother is kept quite busy with three daughters still at home. My sister Lydia's experiences, as a married woman and now a widow at sixteen, have proved to temper her enthusiasm. She has grown very circumspect in her behavior, though not so much as to diminish her liveliness completely. My father writes frequently of suffering all the usual commotion of his household without the benefit of rational conversation. He declares that when Jane and I went away, we robbed him of any “sensible” dialogue. Thus, on occasion he appears impulsively at our door for a few days' stay. His visits are not so frequent as to make it inconvenient; and not so long as to make them disagreeable.”

  “In short,” said Darcy good-naturedly, “we see just enough of the family to make everyone happy!”

  “Speaking of family, where is my ward? I half expected Georgiana to come flying at me the moment I arrived.”

  Elizabeth's smile expanded with delight at the mention of her new sister. “She is not a child any more, Colonel. You may be surprised at how much she has grown since you last saw her.”

  Before Richard could reply, the musical sound of girlish laughter sounded in the hallway.

  “Is that Georgiana?” he asked in surprise. “I have not heard her laugh like that since Ramsgate.”

  “Actually, that is Georgiana – and a friend,” Darcy amended, trying to gauge his cousin's reaction. “Miss Rebecca Ballard is visiting us for a few weeks.”

  Richard's frown was instant. “Darcy, do you think it wise to allow Georgiana's association with someone so intimately connected to…um, past difficulties? I know you agreed to look after Grissholm's widow and her sister, but that doesn't mean you must invite the girl into Georgiana's sphere.” His meaning was clear, and Elizabeth quickly responded
.

  “Colonel, please do not do Miss Ballard the injustice of forming an opinion based on the actions of her guardian. She is nothing like Lord Grissholm, as you will soon see. She and Georgiana have many interests in common, and they have both benefited enormously from the acquaintance.”

  In the next moment, the door flew open and Georgiana rushed into the room. Another girl of about the same age followed her in, hanging back as Georgiana hurried to Richard's side.

  “Richard, I am so glad to see you!” She hugged him enthusiastically, then leaned back with an assessing eye. “You look ill. Was the journey from London so very bad?”

  “No, Georgie, not really.” Leaning heavily on his cane, Richard struggled momentarily to gain his footing, then rose slowly to greet her. “See? A little slow, but I manage quite well.”

  “Well, we shall do everything in our power to get you firmly back on BOTH feet. I have given this a lot of thought, and I have the perfect plan! Rebecca and I shall – Oh, what a goose I am!” Georgiana gasped in embarrassment and turned to the girl standing shyly in the background. Pulling Rebecca forward, Georgiana smiled apologetically. “May I introduce my cousin – Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Richard, this is my very good friend, Miss Rebecca Ballard.”

  Richard offered a small bow to the girl without really looking at her. Notwithstanding Elizabeth's assurances, her background and family history still made it very doubtful the connection would be good for Georgiana.

  “Miss Ballard.”

  “Colonel Fitzwilliam. Georgiana has told me so much about you. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

  The sound of Rebecca's sweet, temperate voice struck a delightful chord deep in Richard's chest, pulling his eyes to her with sudden interest. He was surprised to see that the young lady before him was nothing like he had imagined. She seemed to be somewhat reserved, yet a quiet sense of confidence radiated from her, drawing him in with a sudden need to know what she was thinking. He found himself staring into the depths of a pair of very lovely, very blue eyes that stared back at him with expectant curiosity. The mass of auburn curls that crowned her head was swept up in a simple style, perfectly complimenting her delicate features. The gentle curves of her cheeks were highlighted by a wash of pink, which was rapidly deepening under his gaze.

  “…is that not right, Richard?” Georgiana's voice filtered in from a distance. “Richard?!”

  Hastily clearing his throat, Richard tore his eyes from Rebecca. Darcy and Elizabeth's amused expressions did not help his embarrassment, which was only made more acute by the clichéd words that tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them.

  “I beg your pardon, Miss Ballard, but have we met before? You seem very familiar.”

  “No, sir, I do not believe so.” Rebecca answered softly, refusing to meet his gaze again.

  “It seems unlikely,” said Georgiana, looking puzzled. “Rebecca and I only met last year, after the wedding, and I believe you were already in Spain by then. Perhaps you have been to Cumberland? That is where she is from.”

  Elizabeth rose from her chair and gathered the two girls' arms, guiding them toward the piano with a reassuring smile. “Single men often have the feeling they have met an attractive young lady, Georgiana. Not at all uncommon, as you will discover soon enough. I think you and Rebecca should play that new duet you have been practicing. I am sure the Colonel would like to hear it.”

  “Oh, yes, that is a wonderful idea!” Georgiana exclaimed, motioning to Richard with her free hand. “Do come sit over here by us. I do not want you to miss a note.”

  “I shall do better than that; I shall turn for you, if you like!”

  With Elizabeth's help, Rebecca and Georgiana found the required sheets of music as Richard stood ready to turn the pages. Satisfied that all was in order for the impromptu concert, Elizabeth returned to Darcy's side, merely answering his inquisitive look with a knowing smile. Settling into his arms, she waited for the music to begin. Darcy's hand eagerly found hers, entwining their fingers as the first strains sounded.

  The trio's performance proved to be very entertaining, particularly Richard's obvious interest in Miss Ballard which brought a gentle rebuke from Georgiana when he failed to turn the page at the right moment.

  “It would seem the Colonel has had a change of heart about Miss Ballard,” Elizabeth murmured softly, a mischievous glint lighting her eyes. The sound of Darcy's melancholy sigh in response caused her to turn in puzzlement. “Why, Mr. Darcy, I thought you liked Rebecca!”

  “I do, very much. She was not the object of my thoughts, though.” Darcy gathered Elizabeth's hand into both of his and kissed it. “I was remembering when you first played for me – in London.”

  “That was not the first, if you remember. The first time was in Hertfordshire, at Lucas Lodge; when my friend Charlotte put me on display.”

  “That was for the benefit of your neighbors. When you played at Burnham House, it was for me. You and Georgiana played a duet. I saw how much you enjoyed one another's company; and it was then I first began to hope your feelings for me had changed.” He drew a long, deep breath and kissed her hair. “All the struggles, all those tortuous months – it seems but a bad dream now.”

  “Yes, our time together has all but erased those unhappy memories for me. This past year has been the happiest of my life – and it is all because of you, Fitzwilliam. I cannot imagine my life without you.”

  “There is but one thing remaining to make our life together complete, and it is only a matter of months now before that happens.”

  Elizabeth stole a quick glance in the direction of the piano forte. “Do you think we should tell them our news?”

  “No, they will know soon enough. I should like it to be our secret a little while longer.”

  Elizabeth nestled into Darcy, wanting to close the smallest gap between them and enjoy the feeling of his body next to hers. “I do wish everyone could be as incandescently happy as we are!”

  “That is very generous of you, my dearest, loveliest Elizabeth; but as there is only one of you in this world, and you are mine, no one else can possibly be as happy as we are.”

  ###

  FINIS