Page 10 of Mistress of Pemberley
“Well?” the colonel asked Georgiana eagerly. Early in the morning, they met like two conspirators in a small sitting room next to Georgiana’s bedchamber, far from the prying ears that had a knack for capturing secrets within the confines of Rosings. Their shared mission to support Darcy had brought them closer, forging a bond of trust and understanding.
“You were right!” cried Georgiana with a newfound confidence, her voice ringing with a sense of empowerment that she had never felt before.
It was the second time Georgiana and the colonel had conversed out of earshot of Darcy…about Darcy.
Darcy was not the kind of man to make direct confessions. Yet, in his letters to the colonel from Netherfield, he had unwittingly revealed that he had been deeply impressed by a young lady from the neighbourhood. The only detail that had escaped—a coincidence he had presented in his characteristic, slightly mocking tone—was that this young lady happened to be related to their aunt’s new parson.
Then, one late evening, in the dim glow of the library, Darcy had confessed that he was contemplating marriage. He had said no more, but the colonel had immediately connected this revelation with the letters and saw everything in a new light when their annual Easter journey to Rosings was unexpectedly preceded by a letter from Lady Catherine. It contained but a single noteworthy detail—Lady Catherine’s clergyman, Mr Collins, was at that very moment receiving a visit from his wife’s sister and…his cousin from Hertfordshire.
Yet, two days before their departure for Kent, Darcy—evidently tormented by questions and doubts—had declared that he had changed his mind and would rather postpone the journey or forgo it altogether. And, since they were already sharing a glass of cognac, Darcy, in a rare moment of candour, had admitted—without naming names or giving details—that he held in the highest regard a young lady who possessed many admirable qualities, yet whose family constituted an insurmountable obstacle to marriage.
Profoundly unsettled, the colonel resolved to intervene, to take a stand against that part of Darcy’s nature that even he could not abide—the arrogant man who deemed himself above those of lower social standing. To be in love and renounce that love solely because of her family was an error he could not allow Darcy to commit.
Lacking other allies, the colonel turned to Georgiana, who, after the unfortunate events of Ramsgate, seemed to have gained an unexpected maturity for her age. After all, he had observed how many young women of her years already considered themselves ready to become wives and mothers. Georgiana was still timid in society, yet in the months following that ill-fated August, they had come to realise that their little sister and cousin had grown into a young woman who must now be treated as an adult. Childhood had vanished, and she had to face the world with courage and resolve—their duty was to help her do so. To their delight, Georgiana had flourished within mere months, overcoming her shyness, eager to prove that the resolution she had taken in Ramsgate—to reject Wickham—had not been a momentary impulse but the result of her strength of character.
Thus, the first meeting between the colonel and Georgiana resulted in their departure for Rosings, both insisting that Darcy undertake the journey, which was already arranged. He had consented at last, and the two conspirators congratulated themselves—the colonel, satisfied and confident, Georgiana elated that her cousin had deemed her mature enough to be his ally in a matter as delicate and intimate as her brother’s love and perhaps even future.
“I adored her!” Georgiana continued to cry while her cousin made a discreet gesture asking her to temper her joy and voice, so the young lady continued in a murmur, “I am so grateful you revealed what was happening with him. I would have never understood on my own. She is delightful, intelligent, and different from the ladies I know in London! As he said, she is an accomplished young lady.”
The colonel nodded and then added in the same low voice, “And the perfect woman for him. It does not matter that there may still be other accomplished young ladies in London or elsewhere—she is the one he loves. He need not wait for anyone else. He is quite taken with her.”
With a spark of exhilaration in her eyes, Georgiana clapped her hands with satisfaction. “I am pleased to meet her! Whilst we were at Pemberley, we often discussed Hertfordshire. However, I lacked the subtlety to perceive that some of his stories began or ended with a certain young lady he had met there.”
The colonel gazed at her intently, trying to recall the little girl she had been only a few months before. Yet the young lady before him reminded him far more of Lady Anne than the child she once was. She bore the same gentle, luminous smile with which Lady Anne had regarded life. Looking at her, he realised that if he had sought Georgiana’s help in this delicate matter, it was because, with each passing day, she resembled her mother more and more.
“I received at least three letters in which he expressed his admiration for a lady. In his typically reserved and secretive manner, he described her as the most accomplished young lady he had encountered recently.”
“We make a fine pair when devising battle plans,” Georgiana tittered, recalling how the colonel had found out her name as soon as they arrived at Rosings from an unsuspecting Lady Catherine.
“But what about her? Does she…like him?” the colonel asked, eager to learn more.
“I truly do not know. Our discussion was mainly around music and theatre. I am awful at engaging in intimate conversation. She possesses a keen intelligence and a wonderful sense of humour. Yet, I am not versed enough to learn the intimate truth from a more experienced lady at our first meeting. However, I observed her showing surprise during dinner when he spoke about the entail, blaming Lady Catherine for introducing such a subject. Then, when he appeared in the music room…there was a certain spark between them.”
“My God! How angry I am!” the colonel exclaimed in his usual forthright manner. “If only that scoundrel Wickham had not appeared in the county, Darcy’s journey to Hertfordshire might have had a different result—” He stopped in agony, realising that he had told Georgiana a secret he was not supposed to reveal.
And indeed, she blushed violently and cried out, forgetting all precautions, “He was there? Why? Was he looking for me?”
The colonel looked at her, slightly suspicious, interested to see whether she was still infatuated with that man. But on her face, he saw only despair and terror.
“I am sorry. I was not supposed to tell you that.”
“You are wrong, Richard. And Fitzwilliam is also wrong to keep it from me. I am only anxious that he could do something against my brother. Last summer, I was terrified they might duel.” Georgiana’s voice trembled with fear and anger, her eyes reflecting the turmoil within her.
“That was also my fear, but Darcy has enough common sense not to put himself in danger, as we are responsible for your fate.”
“But I still do not understand what Wickham was doing there.”
“He has joined the militia, and his regiment happened to be stationed in Hertfordshire for the winter.”
“What a dreadful coincidence! I can only imagine what Fitzwilliam felt when he encountered him again. And you say that it was not planned by that…man?” she asked with such contempt that the colonel took her hand.
“No, it was just as you said—a dreadful coincidence. I cannot see how he could have found out where your brother was or planned such a complicated situation. But his presence made Darcy reject the idea of inviting you to Hertfordshire. I am confident that spending a few days in the company of Miss Bennet and her family, you would have befriended her and contributed to their understanding.”
“Did he leave the country because of Wickham?” Georgiana asked.
“No, he told me that Bingley made a poor choice, falling for a woman who was only interested in his wealth.”
“Oh!” Georgiana exclaimed, once again flattered that her cousin was discussing such intimate subjects with her. “He takes such good care of Mr Bingley.”
“I am delighted that he takes such good care of his friends, but he does not act as decisively in his own interests,” the colonel said, remembering how Darcy had wished to postpone their journey to avoid encountering Miss Bennet.
“How do you know?” Georgiana asked, genuinely interested yet looking as serious and composed as any young lady, when only a year ago she had still been a child.
“Because I know him. When he is ready to do something, he acts on the spot. I think he is still reflecting.”
“Then why did he come here after all?”
“It is possible indeed that he is approaching a decision,” agreed the colonel, even though not a single explicit word had been spoken between them. Their conversation the previous night could not be trusted as an admission that he loved Elizabeth Bennet and wanted to marry her. “I am scared that he is a little too…stiff,” he continued after a short pause.
“What do you mean?” Georgiana asked with enormous hesitation, unsure whether she could participate in such a discussion about her brother.
“He told me once some nonsense about her family not being equal to ours.”
“My God, that was why you said he is still hesitant…but is it a valid reason?” Georgiana asked, puzzled. “I do not understand. Is it about that entail…? I suppose there is no shame in it—they are not to blame for the decision of an ancestor. And besides, his wife need not bring a dowry.”
“I did not understand it either. You know how secretive he can be. Yet, when he finally agreed to come here, I hoped he might come close to a decision.”
“I do not see how we can help him,” Georgiana said, suddenly discouraged, looking to the colonel for help, ready to do anything her cousin might ask her to do.
“He must be in her company for as long and as often as possible. I hope that after seeing her, he will eventually make the right decision. And I shall do my best to present him in a pleasant light.”
“And I shall befriend her and spend every moment I can with her. But I cannot explicitly praise my brother. That is your task,” Georgiana said. It was an agreeable plan as she already liked Miss Bennet. In the short time they had spent together, she had discovered a young lady entirely different from the women in their London circle, all of whom gravitated towards her brother, seeing not the man but only his fortune.
She could not explain her certainty about Miss Bennet’s qualities and good nature. But then, with a smile, she recalled how she had learnt some insights about her during the two months at Pemberley without even knowing who she was.
If the colonel was right and Fitzwilliam loved Miss Bennet, she wanted more than anything else for him to forget any obstacles and follow his heart. She smiled, overwhelmed by happiness—helping the colonel in that delicate mission was a way to show her deep gratitude towards her brother, who had saved her from a terrible mistake.
Their conversation was interrupted by Lady Catherine, who was growing impatient as she wondered why her guests were spending time without her, and she took Georgiana away.
Alone in the room, the colonel approached the window. In the distance, the Parsonage was visible through the trees. But contrary to what Georgiana hoped, he feared that his cousin possessed the will to silence his heart and let his mind take control.