Page 137 of Obligation and Redemption

“He cannot know! I will not be here when they arrive; I cannot!” The shock of the contents of the letter kept her from immediately noticing the paucity of sentiment on her husband’s part that would later that night add to her growing distress.

She began to pace around her sitting room as she considered her husband’s demands, for that is what they were.

Darcy could not know of his cousin’s treachery.

She should have told him. “Lizzy, you need to get control of yourself and think!”

Elizabeth would get little sleep that night or the next.

Each day brought more anxiety as she anticipated Langston’s imminent arrival.

To sooth her foreboding, she returned to her journal and poured out her fears about her husband’s past and possible current indiscretions, as well as her fears concerning the viscount.

How can I protect myself without my husband?

Speaking with her journal had the effect of developing the idea of talking to Clark during their walk and asking that he stay by her side, when she was not in her chamber, during the entirety of Langston’s visit.

She, of course, could not possibly express her concerns to a footman.

The viscount was her husband’s cousin and was of noble heritage.

Elizabeth could not publicly defame his character, especially to a servant.

Elizabeth also decided to ask Clark about how to defend herself.

This would be a strange request coming from the mistress of the manor, one who should always have a protector by her side, but Elizabeth would not risk becoming a victim again.

She would also ask Laura to attend her during their stay as a companion; she must never be alone.

WEDNESDAY ARRIVED AND WITH IT the hope that Jonathon, the courier, would bring confirmation as to Elizabeth’s condition.

Darcy expected the man some time past midday, after which they would set out for Rosings.

The colonel had been out that morning following leads based on a description of the urchin who had brought the note from Wickham, but with no success.

Georgiana made no complaints about leaving so late in the day.

The later their departure, the less time she would have to entertain her cousin, with whom Georgiana found nothing in common.

Darcy awaited the man in his study and was startled out of his reflections when he heard a knock on the door before teatime.

“Enter,” said Darcy at the sound. The door opened and in walked a tired-looking Jonathon, still wearing his travelling clothes, obviously coming straight from his horse.

“Jonathon, you are back sooner than I anticipated. Well done.” Then Darcy opened his desk drawer and pulled out an envelope.

The young man took the offered payment as he handed over the missive sent from Pemberley.

“Now, go get some rest. You may take the next two days for yourself if you like.”

Not wanting to delay a moment longer, Darcy dismissed the young man, then went over to the window in order to more easily read the contents.

Within the note, he discovered that his wife was indeed with child, and that she had not experienced her courses since mid-December when Janette first came on.

Why did Elizabeth not tell me? This explains a great deal – why she has slept so soundly and perhaps why she so often refused breakfast. Damn!

How am I to know the truth? How did Wickham know of her pregnancy before I did?

Darcy’s mind continued to plague him with questions of how he might proceed from here, unable to take any pleasure in the hope that he would soon become a father.

What was he to do about paying Wickham? Even if he were to leave at first light on the morrow, he would find difficulty in arriving at Pemberley, extracting the truth from Elizabeth, and returning by Monday evening, even allowing for travel over Easter Sunday.

Darcy needed to either pay Wickham off, which still would not guarantee his silence, or ignore his request for money and hope for the best – that no one would believe in Elizabeth’s betrayal.

Yet how could he expect others to dismiss the idea when he himself had doubts?

Now that Darcy had received confirmation from Elizabeth’s maid and had discounted the possibility of trying to speak with Elizabeth before the following Monday, he was restless to begin his obligations at Rosings.

His yearly trip to Rosings held the purpose of overseeing his aunt’s steward.

But this trip would hold another lesser-known purpose.

About six years ago while at Cambridge, Wickham joined the Darcys on holiday over Easter week at Rosings.

While there, Wickham took advantage of the parson’s beautiful daughter, seducing her in her innocence and leaving her with child.

Before Darcy’s father became aware of Wickham’s perfidy, he died leaving the younger Darcy to take care of the consequences.

Lady Catherine blamed the girl and would have gotten rid of the clergyman had she held that power.

Instead, Darcy was able to secure a home for Miss Wainwright in the next county, not ten miles away.

This arrangement meant her father could still visit her, but she would be away from the local gossip.

Darcy had attempted to marry the girl off to a local farmer, providing an appropriate dowry to motivate a man to take on a wife who carried another’s child, but she threatened to run away and go into hiding if she were made to give herself to another man.

Because her father could not bear to see her so unhappy, the compromise was reached to set her up in her own small home but nearby her father.

After the clergyman’s death the previous year, Mr. Collins was appointed as replacement.

As she had no other family, the young woman was now without protection.

Whenever visiting Rosings, Darcy made a point to check on Miss Ellen Wainwright, now known as Mrs. Wright, via her father, thus ensuring her needs were being met and that she and her young son were in good health.

Few knew of the connection between Wickham and the young woman, assuming incorrectly that perhaps Darcy must be the boy’s father.

In truth, there was nothing other than Darcy’s continued vigilance on the child’s behalf that had spurred on these rumours, and few had the gall to speak of the possibility within hearing of Lady Catherine or her family, so Darcy remained unaware of the local chatter.

On this visit, however, after hearing of the clergyman’s death just after Easter the previous year, Darcy meant to check on her himself to see that she was doing well.

He could not leave this task to anyone else due to its delicate nature.

Darcy arrived at Rosings with his cousin, Fitzwilliam, and sister, Georgiana.

As it was full dark upon their arrival, Colonel Fitzwilliam was unable to begin his exploration of the grounds, as he had hoped, but Darcy, not wanting any further delays, sequestered himself in the study and began to pore over the books.

The colonel’s and Georgiana’s companionship to Lady Catherine only partly soothed the older woman’s irritations, and could not keep her from being an imposing nuisance as the evening progressed without Darcy’s attendance to her or his cousin, Anne.

The day after his arrival brought Darcy to the home of Mrs. Wright.

He spent no more than fifteen minutes there as he questioned her about her situation since the death of her father.

He then encouraged her yet again to consider marrying as a way to obtain a protector.

As a single and still beautiful woman, she was vulnerable to men of nefarious intent, and he felt certain that he could find a farmer of moderate means willing to take her, despite her history.

Although thankful for his concern, she could not agree to the scheme without further consideration.

She knew it was not right to continue living off the benevolence of a man completely unrelated to herself, but she was also reluctant to put herself at the mercy of another, especially when the man would be completely unknown to her upon marrying.

Darcy knew that he put his reputation at risk by assisting an unmarried woman, but there was no one else to help her, and he felt that it was his responsibility, considering it was his family who brought Wickham into her life to take advantage of her innocence.

Given her fear of attaching herself to a man in marriage, Darcy suspected that Wickham had likely forced himself upon her.

In all likelihood, Wickham had violated the young girl and threatened her to keep his assault against her a secret.

LADY CATHERINE HAD INVITED the Collinses over for dinner that evening, owing to Darcy’s now familial connection with Mrs. Collins.

His aunt declared that she must help him to meet the demands that his having relations in the area imposed.

While at dinner, Darcy noticed that his new sister, Mary, kept looking at him oddly as if she were frowning upon a wayward child; then she would glance to her husband with knowing affectation.

Finally, Darcy’s aunt brought up a subject uncomfortable for all but at varying levels of distress.

“Darcy, you are familiar with Mrs. Wright are you not?”

Darcy looked up sharply to her, disturbed by this line of questioning, especially in light of Georgiana’s attendance.

He knew his aunt was aware of the association, but could not understand why she would bring up the name of a woman who had been seduced by a man familiar to his family – and fortunately unbeknownst to his aunt, the same man who had almost succeeded in seducing his own sister. “Yes, I know of the woman.”