Page 131 of Obligation and Redemption
But she is not with child… is she? She has said nothing to me.
We were only together those three times, …
but that would be enough. His mind reeled, as he tasted bile in his throat with the very thought of her with another.
Then he recalled his resolve to be wary of Wickham’s scheming.
There were no limits to Wickham’s deceit.
He would want nothing more than to put doubts into Darcy’s mind about a possible heir.
“Georgiana, what else in the way of proof did he give you? He is skilled at deceit. A handkerchief and words, which could be a total fabrication, is all we have. I will not believe anything he has to share until I can know for certain.” Even while saying those words, doubts involuntarily returned to him yet again.
His marriage was tenuous. For a large portion of their union, he knew that his wife despised him.
Why now should he think differently? Could the past two months be an act, a way to take him off his guard?
Elizabeth was quite clever, he knew. Could she be fabricating their entire relationship?
Her dislike for him was clear when last in Hertfordshire; it was not until seeing Pemberley in its glory that an inclination towards him, small as it was, began to be seen.
Then he remembered Hertfordshire, and seeing Elizabeth alone with Wickham in the gardens of Longbourn.
It was possible. He remembered her smile as she spoke with Wickham and how quickly it vanished when she saw him.
He recalled her tears of heartache when he took her from her former home.
He had supposed the distress was related to her family, but could she have been crying for Wickham? This was too much.
Georgiana watched her brother as his face turned from anger to hope to despair.
“Brother, you know what George said to be true; I see it in your eyes.
She has used you from the beginning. This is your way to escape her clutches.
With your connections and her history, a divorce could be obtained on solid grounds.
You will no longer be tied to her and her low connections.
Did you know about Lady Annette? She has made an alliance with another man.
Please, you must take care of this now before you lose another woman you could love. “
Darcy was in a daze as Georgiana spoke, but finally her speech sunk in.
But I love Elizabeth. Could it be true, that I sincerely love her?
“Georgiana, you will cease speaking of my wife in those terms. Without sufficient proof, we must consider her innocent of Wickham’s slander.
You are not to trust that man, do you understand me?
” His anger and frustration were driving his tone, and Georgiana blanched.
Georgiana put her head down and nodded, then softly replied, “I love you, Brother, and I only want the very best for you.”
He knew this to be true, the only thing now certain. “I know, my girl.” He reached over and hugged her as she began to sob. Knowing Wickham had been near her made his anger swell again. How could he have gotten so close to her so easily? We must be more vigilant in keeping her safe.
While Georgiana wept, Darcy continued to contemplate everything his sister had said. Could Elizabeth be with child? That, I can find out. He began to formulate his first step towards finding the truth.
“Georgiana, sweetheart, you look exhausted. I know holding onto this burden has been difficult for you, but now that you have told me, you need to learn to let it go. I will take over from here and discover what truths, if any, are to be had in Wickham’s account. Go get some rest before dinner.”
“Yes, sir.” She stood mechanically to walk towards her chamber door. She turned around before walking through, saying, “I am so very sorry.”
DINNER THAT EVENING PROGRESSED at a normal pace but seemed interminable to Darcy.
Georgiana kept stealing glances at her brother throughout the meal as if to communicate her support.
Darcy hoped that she had recovered from their earlier conversation.
She was still a young girl in many ways and unable to hold her reserve amidst her troubling thoughts.
Colonel Fitzwilliam had noticed that both of his cousins were rather distracted from his account of the previous three-months’ events.
When he mentioned that Lady Annette had accepted a proposal of marriage from Lord Tessington, a man twice her age, and barely received a glance from Darcy, he knew that his presence was neither needed nor regarded.
He was determined to discover whatever it was that had left his cousins distracted so.
Darcy had been debating whether or not to include Fitzwilliam in his private affairs.
As Georgiana’s guardian, he had every right to know about her contact with Wickham and would not appreciate being excluded from the knowledge; however, Darcy could not want anyone, including his cousin, to be made aware of the assault on his marriage, especially when he had yet to learn the extent of its validity.
Nonetheless, Darcy always found his cousin to be astute in his judgement and prudent in his sensible guidance.
So when the meal finally concluded, Darcy had determined to share the encounter between Georgiana and Wickham and hope that doing so would somehow alleviate his burden.
This was fortunate because, not liking to be in the dark about something affecting his cousins whom he loved, Fitzwilliam was determined to speak with Darcy in private concerning their odd behaviour.
He also desired to know why Darcy had arrived in London ahead of schedule and without his wife.
The threesome retired to the drawing room where Georgiana exhibited on the pianoforte for her two favourite people.
Although usually reticent to perform, she took great pleasure in playing for those dearest to her, and especially for her brother whom she wished to comfort through her efforts.
After close to an hour, Darcy stood and escorted his sister to the door.
“My dear sister, you are playing remarkably well this evening. I can tell you have been practising most diligently, but alas, it is past time for you to retire. A girl your age needs her sleep.” Darcy then leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her forehead, thus inducing her first smile for the day.
“I am so glad you are here, Brother,” said his young sister before demonstrating her affection for each and leaving the two to their own amusements.
Fitzwilliam had patiently waited for the evening to progress to the point when the two men would be left alone. He watched as Darcy walked over to the sideboard and poured each of them a generous portion of expensive brandy. Fitzwilliam raised his brow as Darcy handed him his. “That bad?”
Darcy made no response but instead sat down upon the winged chair by the fire, next to Fitzwilliam’s seat as he focused on the dancing flames before him.
Each of the men sipped on his respective brandy while waiting for the other to begin.
Finally, when Darcy rose to pour himself another, his cousin spoke, “Tell me, Darcy.”
As Darcy stood by the sideboard, taking another gulp from his crystal glass while staring into nothingness, he muttered in unmitigated disdain, “Wickham.”
His cousin stood, his usual amiable affect gone. “What has that bastard done now?” Then he glanced to the door from where Georgiana had left. “Tell me he has not hurt Georgiana.”
“He approached her in the bookstore last week while she was shopping with your mother.”
“My mother? I know nothing of this! Where was my mother when this took place? And where the bloody hell was her maid, or the footman? Surely Mother would not leave her alone.”
“Aunt Estella had gone to the milliner shop and sent Georgiana on with the servants next door. They were at the front of the store while she shopped the aisles and did not witness his approach. Georgiana suspects that no one saw them together.” Darcy went on to share the event in as much detail as he was able, leaving out nothing in the telling.
“Surely you don’t believe him!”
“I have learnt to be wary of Wickham’s tongue. But his usual method is to mix a few lies in with the truth. The question I have regards where the truth ends and the lies begin.”
“Your marriage – do you still suffer doubts as to Mrs. Darcy’s integrity? I was hoping that while at Pemberley you might have come to understand her better and perhaps begun to see her finer qualities.”
“That is what puzzles me. If Wickham had approached Georgiana in January, I would have had little difficulty being convinced of the veracity of his tales. Since the very beginning, I had been unwittingly casting about for reasons to doubt Elizabeth, thinking all along that I was justified in my prejudices against her character. But now that I have gotten to know her better, away from town, I simply can’t see it. ”
“You know her better than I, of course, but I would have to agree with you. If Mrs. Darcy did manipulate the situation to bring about your marriage in order to gain your wealth, I would expect her to have at least seemed rather pleased with her success. On the contrary, she appeared more and more forlorn each time I was around her, which was quite contrary to my initial impression of her unaffected liveliness. Even when under duress, she could find something about which to laugh, but her natural high spirits had begun to fade.”
“You think it my fault – that she should suffer under me.”
“I mean no offense, Cousin. Your many responsibilities and station in life have shaped you to be the man that you are, but, yes, I do believe that her natural ease had begun to diminish while under your protection.”