by Webb, Brenda
William’s face brightened. “In two days.”
“Good. Good. I shall extend my stay in Town so that I may escort them to the theatre and the opera while they are here, if you do not mind.”
“Of course, you may, if they are willing. What I cannot discern is whether you are fonder of my aunt or my sister.” William could not pass up the chance to tease his friend, as Landingham and Audrey Ashcroft had become fast friends after she moved to Pemberley two years before.
Landingham was not perturbed. “I am quite fond of Georgiana, being her godfather as well as yours, and your aunt has, shall we say, grown on me.”
Thinking of his aunt’s impertinent ways, William chucked. “Yes, she is not easily understood at first acquaintance. Mother always referred to her as a whirligig—always animated, especially when she is explaining something, and never staying in one place long.”
“I remember that now that you mention it. She was so much younger than Anne that I did not know her well. Then she married and moved to Kent. It was not until she moved to Pemberley to help you with Georgiana that I actually got well acquainted with her. She is quite different than any woman I have ever met—even outspoken and brash when the occasion warrants!”
“I see you have not forgotten Aunt Audrey’s altercation with Aunt Catherine when she came to Pemberley after mother died.”
“I shall NEVER forget that day! I believe I stood open-mouthed for several minutes after she had Lady Catherine escorted off the grounds of Pemberley! I will admit to being in shock at seeing the two lock horns, but at least the more rational sister won the day.”
“Yes, she did. I will forever be grateful to Aunt Audrey for telling Aunt Catherine that Georgiana most certainly would not live at Rosings. I would never have allowed it to happen under any circumstances, but having my aunt living at Pemberley countered any argument for taking Georgiana away from me.”
“I think that is when I first began to see that there was more to Lady Audrey Ashcroft than meets the eye. Yes, she is quite a lovely woman, but she is also a woman to be reckoned with.”
“That she is,” William chuckled. “Definitely not a shrinking violet.”
“Well, let me leave and get about my business so you and your steward can finish what I interrupted.”
Before William could object, Lord Landingham disappeared out the door and Mr. Albritton reappeared out of nowhere with folders in hand. William shook his head at how fast his steward had determined that Landingham was gone.
“Sit down, Mr. Albritton, and let us see what we can get done before we are disturbed again.”
~~~*~~~
A few minutes later
Lord Landingham had barely left Darcy House when there was a knock at the front door and a newly-hired footman opened it to find Gisela Darcy standing there, smiling benignly. Not being aware of just who was and who was not welcome, the footman dutifully stepped aside as she pushed past him. However, she was not quick enough to dodge Mr. Barnes, who immediately blocked her progress. He noted that she smelled of brandy.
“Madam, I must ask you to leave.”
Gisela dropped the modest wrap to reveal her very low-cut burgundy gown. “Nonsense! I am here to speak to my husband. Either he speaks to me inside these walls, or I shall wait on his doorstep and accost him when he leaves—in public!”
Mr. Barnes sighed and glanced at the footman who still held the door open, his eyes large as saucers. “Brigham, shut the door then see that Mrs. Darcy does not move from this spot.”
Brigham slammed the door in his eagerness to please and hurriedly moved to stand in front of the flamboyantly dressed woman, his face expressionless, as he had been trained.
As Mr. Barnes continued to address his employer’s estranged wife, the tone of his voice was evidence of his disdain. “I shall tell Mr. Darcy that you are here.”
With those words, he turned and walked toward William’s study, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Gisela Darcy had not followed.
A knock on the door tore William’s attention from the paper he was reading as his steward, Mr. Albritton, waited patiently for him to finish. “Come!”
The door opened and Mr. Barnes’ head appeared before his body followed. Glancing first at Mr. Albritton, his eyes met William’s. “Sir, Mrs. Darcy is in the foyer. Our newest footman was unaware of who she is, so she walked right past him. I am sorry.”
William signed and rubbed his eyes before standing and addressing his steward. “Wait here. I shall return shortly.” Mr. Albritton nodded—his expression confirmation that he was quite used to Mr. Darcy’s estranged wife’s antics and he pitied the young man.
As William came down the hall followed by Barnes, the delight on Gisela’s face was unmistakable. She tried to walk on into the house, only to be stopped by the large body of Mr. Brigham.
“All is well, Brigham,” Mr. Barnes declared. “Let her pass.”
Gisela walked around the footman with a smirk on her face, the expression increasing as she saw how irritated William appeared.
“Fitzwilliam! So good of you to take time out of your busy schedule to see me.”
Without answering her, William took her elbow and not too gently pulled her into the drawing room and closed the door behind them. Slowly she looked about as if admiring the lovely room. William seethed.
No longer able to keep silent, he declared, “Why are you here? Have you already gone through your allowance? If you are here for more money, the answer is no!”
Gisela immediately moved to press herself against William, running her hands suggestively over his chest. Disgusted and smelling the brandy on her breath, he pushed her to arm’s length.
“My, my, we are irritable!” she exclaimed. “I have no need for more funds. I only came to deliver some good news.” William said nothing. Disappointed but undeterred, she continued, “I just wanted you to know that I am going to vote with you on Lady Catherine’s request for another loan regarding our joint venture. Her plans to fund more repairs for Strathmore Mill have been thwarted.”
The hatred in William’s eyes was disconcerting. His failure to react or reply was not what Gisela had expected. Her confidence began to wane. “I… I thought you would be pleased.”
“Pleased? The only thing that would please me is if you say that you want a divorce!”
“I have told you often enough that I enjoy being Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy! I will NEVER let you divorce me.”
“You may have no choice! I have all the evidence I need, what with you flaunting your latest affair all over London!”
“Are you jealous?”
“Never!”
“Then perhaps I should remind you that I can bring your little sister’s world crashing down around her if you persist in this matter!”
“I see that you have not changed, so there is nothing more to say. Leave my house immediately!”
“Oh, but there is another reason for my visit! Lady Matlock tells me that dear Georgiana will be back in Town shortly. I hinted to her ladyship that she should invite my dear sister to the theatre. And, if I should just happen to be there and join them in their box…”
William’s eyes narrowed as he gripped both her forearms with enough force that they began to ache. “If you are wise, you will stay away from my sister!”
“Oh! I love a passionate man! It is too bad that you will not sample my passionate nature in bed.”
“I abhor you. I could never desire you!”
“We shall see. After all, at some point you must give in to your baser instincts.”
“Not with you! I can assure you of that!”
“So you have said enough times. But rest assured that should I learn that you are satisfying your desires with a paramour, I shall make certain that all of England knows her identity. For anyone that you fancied would, of course, be a lady. Would you be willing to subject her to public shame? And would you want your precious sister to know that you are keeping a whore?”
>
William began to drag her from the room, even as she spewed even more vile threats. By the time they had reached the front door, Brigham was holding it open, and William flung her onto the portico. Just as she turned to hurl one last insult, the door slammed in her face.
“Humph!” Gisela declared, kicking the bottom of the front door before turning to find that several people had stopped on the walk below to watch the spectacle. Lifting her head as though she were royalty, Gisela descended the front steps, losing her balance on the fifth one. A footman hurried to guide her to the carriage door, handing her inside. She entered as quickly as possible, thankful that she had not come in an open carriage. Ultimately she was able to escape the curiosity of her audience by pulling down the window shade.
“He shall pay for this!” she raged to the empty carriage. “I should have Wickham rape that ugly little mouse Georgiana just for good measure!”
The drive back to her townhouse was punctuated by the sound of loud acclamations of displeasure—nothing out of the ordinary for the two footmen and driver, as they were well-acquainted with their mistress’ temper tantrums and drunken rants. Exchanging looks every time she got louder, they shook their heads, hoping that they could get back to the townhouse without her deciding to go shopping. It was difficult at best to keep her from falling down when she drank so heavily. And, of course, she always blamed them for her mishaps.
~~~*~~~
Chapter 8
Meryton
Longbourn
A few days later
Elizabeth found Jane where she had least expected—sitting on the side of the sprawling oak tree atop Oakham Mount that was her own haven. It was not like her older sister to walk out alone in the mornings or to go this far alone, as she was never as adventurous as Elizabeth. But Jane had not been herself since Mr. Bingley’s departure from Netherfield. From behind, Elizabeth thought her sister looked perfectly well, except for a few blond curls that had escaped her bonnet and were blowing in the gentle breeze. It was only after closer inspection that she saw signs of her distress.
“Jane?” Elizabeth stopped, hesitating to come closer as her sister turned her head away. “Jane, you know my heartache, let me share yours.”
Jane took a deep breath, her shoulders visibly rising with the effort, then turned to meet Elizabeth’s gaze. It was evident that her lovely blue eyes were red from crying, and though Elizabeth longed to comfort her, she did not rush to do so. Truly understanding her sister’s wish to be alone, she was determined to honour Jane’s privacy, if that was what she wished.
“It is just…” Jane’s voice cracked as her face crumpled, and she shook her head in an effort to recover. “Please allow me a moment to compose myself.”
Elizabeth said nothing and did not move closer. Finally, Jane was able to control her voice and began speaking. “It is just that he left without a word. After all the time we spent in each other’s company, all I was to receive was this.” She held up a tear-stained paper. “This note from Caroline!”
Those few words preceded another torrent of tears, causing Elizabeth to edge closer. Under her breath, she cursed the missive that had arrived early on the day Jane was to dine with Caroline and Louisa. Though it was short, and in Elizabeth’s estimation meant to wound, she knew it by heart already.
Dear Miss Bennet,
I regret that we must cancel our dinner invitation. By the time you read this, we shall be on our way to London, as my brother has been summoned by Mr. Darcy to come immediately. It seems his sister is returning to London, and he wishes Charles to be there to greet her. We are all looking forward to renewing our friendship with Miss Darcy, who is a lady of the finest calibre. Charles is not sure at this point when, or if, we shall return to Netherfield.
Yours truly,
Caroline Bingley
Seeing that Jane had begun to quietly cry again, Elizabeth came around the other side of the tree and slipped down beside her, threading an arm around her shoulders. “I am sorry. I truly understand your pain. I was not as well acquainted with Mr. Darcy as you were with Mr. Bingley, but nevertheless, my feelings were hurt by his unfeeling departure. However, Mr. Bingley had gone to such great effort to get to know you—all of the dances at the assemblies, the walks into Meryton and his calls at Longbourn—that his departure without any explanation is truly a mystery.”
“I must have read more into his actions than he intended,” Jane whispered dejectedly. “After all, he never asked permission to court me.”
“Apparently Mr. Bingley may be more like his dear friend, Mr. Darcy, than I believed at first,” Elizabeth huffed, beginning to consider the similarities. “In fact, since it was Mr. Darcy who summoned Mr. Bingley to London so swiftly, perhaps he learned of his attraction to you from Charles’ sisters and did not wish his friend to be attached to a member of my family!”
“Oh, Lizzy!” Jane stood and began to pace. “I am not ready to attribute such cruelty to Mr. Darcy or to Mr. Bingley’s sisters. Perhaps there is a rational explanation for his hurried departure and, as I said, he did not ask to court me.”
“You are too trusting,” Elizabeth retorted. “But never mind the reason for his removal. He is gone, and it is just as well, as we shall be leaving Meryton too! We have been invited to London to stay the summer with our Uncle and Aunt Gardiner beginning next week!”
Elizabeth stood and slipped a letter from her pocket. Then she reached out to grab Jane’s hand to pull her alongside as she sat back down. “This came right after you left, and I managed to hide it from Mama. After all, it is addressed to me.”
As Jane leaned in to follow what was written, Elizabeth began. “Aunt Madeline writes that her second cousin, Penelope—the one that is married to Colonel Holmes—is returning to London. Holmes’ eldest brother, Viscount Moreland, has died, and his father is ill. The Colonel has resigned from the army to become the Viscount, but Aunt says it is only a matter of time until he will take his place as the Earl of Rhodes. Then Penelope Holmes will be a countess! Can you imagine that we shall have connections to a countess?”
“Do not tell Mama!” Jane cautioned, pulling a handkerchief from a pocket to dry her eyes.
“Certainly not! Aunt Madeline was adamant that she did not want Mama to know, for fear she would send all our sisters to London at once.”
“She would, to be sure.”
“In an event, Aunt enclosed a letter for me to give Papa, which she says explains her wish for us to come. She is eager for us to attend the soirées that are being planned in her cousin’s honour, since she and Uncle will be in attendance at many of them. Who knows how many eligible men we shall meet! You shall most likely forget all about Mr. Bingley, just as I shall forget Mr. Darcy.”
“Lizzy, you do not have to pretend for my sake,” Jane chided. “I know that you are only trying to cheer me. You have always made light of social occasions, just like Papa. How often have you told me how tedious and mortifying it is to be put on display for matchmaking purposes?”
Trying to keep up her sister’s spirit, Elizabeth challenged, “Oh, but I dearly love to dance! And besides, maybe I shall not mind being on display if I am in the company of real gentlemen—not those like Mr. Darcy. He has all the appearance of goodness, but it is merely that—appearance. I promise to keep an open mind if you will.”
“I will not be going.”
“Not going? Oh Jane, why ever not?”
“I do not wish to visit London at this time. I have been so focused on Mr. Bingley that I have not given due consideration to what I really want in a husband. I am so confused at this moment that I do not believe I would know the perfect man even if I were to meet him. Besides, why must I go to London? There are plenty of men in Meryton.”
“For instance?”
“Arthur Rice, Walter Gould, John Lucas.”
“Arthur Rice is bald and fat. Walter Gould is a dolt and John Lucas is so immature that he has to ask his mother when to breathe!”
“He do
es not!” Jane exclaimed, beginning to weigh Mr. Lucas’ qualities. “I find him solicitous and steady –”
“Boring and predictable!”
“As of now, I have a new appreciation of boring and predictable.”
“Please go with me, Jane, or I shall have no confidant with whom to chuckle about the foibles of London society and, besides, we shall never know what fate might await us if we limit ourselves to the gentlemen of Meryton!”
“No. I may join you for a while during the summer, but for the present, I am staying at Longbourn.”
Elizabeth sighed. There was no arguing with Jane when she had her mind made up. She stood, declaring a little too enthusiastically as she paced back and forth, “Well, I for one am going! And while I am there, I shall look for a suitable husband for you, so do not make any commitments while I am off regaling London with my brilliant intellect!”
Jane tried to smile but it was not convincing. Elizabeth stopped to gently lift her chin with one finger until their eyes met. “Promise me?”
“After what happened with Mr. Bingley, I cannot imagine trusting another man with my heart in the near future so I believe I can safely promise you that.”
“Come then. Let us walk back down the trail together. If we hurry, Hill may find something left in the kitchen to break our fast!” As Jane got to her feet, Elizabeth hugged her tightly before pushing her at arm’s length. “Swear that you will not waste another thought on Mr. Bingley, just as I have vowed never to waste another on Mr. Darcy. You shall see—we shall both be better off without them!”
“I swear,” Jane murmured, though it was obvious that her heart was not in the pledge. If she had searched her sister’s eyes a little longer, she would have seen that Elizabeth’s heart was not in her pledge either.
Arm-in-arm, they started back down the well-worn path that led to the bottom of Oakham Mount and then on to Longbourn. Neither was aware of how momentous a decision had been made that day or how their promises would affect them in the coming months. But it was with better spirits and renewed faith in the future that they returned to their home.