Page 158 of Obligation and Redemption
“Brother, I was wondering if I could eat with you?” Georgiana had been quite lonely during her refusal to be in Elizabeth’s company.
She had every expectation that her brother would soon tire of his wife, seeing the nonsense in relegating himself to their rooms, and then come eat with her, but she had given up hope of this occurring as time went on, for it had been over a week with no sign of his giving in.
Since arriving back at Pemberley, Georgiana had noticed several changes that had left her mindful of Elizabeth’s intrusion into their lives.
The pianoforte had been shifted slightly, and unfamiliar music lay on top of the stack that once only contained her own.
The menus had changed from what they once had been, and a new puppy had been introduced into the home.
All of these, though insufficient and unreasonable to oppose, had vexed Georgiana, nonetheless.
She did not see that her biased judgements lacked merit, except in that they had left her feeling a stranger in her own home, the fault belonging to Mrs. Darcy.
So Darcy and Elizabeth were surprised to receive Georgiana into their sitting room that evening. “Please, Georgiana, we would love for you to join us, wouldn’t we, Elizabeth?”
“Of course. William, let’s move to the table, so that there is room for all three of us.
” Because she was unable to move herself without aid due to Darcy’s strict standard of adherence to the doctor’s guidelines, Darcy picked her up and carried her to the table.
He had taken into habit the gallant approach in transporting her, as he took delight in any opportunity to pick her up and hold her close, if even for the purpose of walking across the room.
Elizabeth laughed at his antics, equally enjoying the chivalrous display.
“You must forgive your brother, Georgiana. He cannot help his audacious command of my person,” Elizabeth said giggling.
Darcy smiled at her, saying, “Indeed I cannot. I have few pleasures with you locked away in here; I must take them as I can.” After setting his wife down in her seat, he pulled out another for his sister.
“Here, Georgiana, please sit here,” said he.
She timidly walked over and sat in the chair that he indicated, next to Elizabeth.
“Georgiana, I am so pleased that you have joined us. I had hoped that we might have an occasion to become better acquainted. William has told me so much about you that I feel as though I have known you for years, yet have no actual time to justify the idea. Have you enjoyed being back at your home?”
Georgiana had come into the sitting room with the only purpose of seeing her brother, not Elizabeth.
She had no desire in the least to carry on a conversation with the woman who had invaded her family and pitted her brother against her.
“I cannot say that I have, seeing so little of my brother and experiencing the changes you have put in place.”
“Georgiana!”
“No, William. I would have your sister tell me what bothers her. If there is anything that I can do to make her feel more welcome in her own home, I would do so. Of course, until you allow me to leave my room, I have no choice but to hope for her comfort.” She turned to her new sister, continuing, “Tell me, Georgiana, what changes have disturbed you so? ”
When it came time to speak them aloud, Georgiana felt flustered and embarrassed that she had so little to go on. “Well, the menus have changed.”
“Which foods do you not care for? I would be happy to have them changed to accommodate your preferences.”
Georgiana tried to think of the ones that she had disliked and coming up with little to say, she added, “And you have been playing my instrument. Your music is in the way.” Even to Georgiana’s ears, this sounded absurd and juvenile.
“I suppose that is not really a problem, but you have brought a new dog into the house. He barks incessantly.”
“That is true; he cannot bear being away from us. I would be happy to keep him with me if that would help.”
“No, it is a bother, but he is a nice puppy.” Georgiana would not admit that she had enjoyed his play every bit as much as she disliked his noise.
“What else can I do?” Elizabeth said as she reached over to place her hand gently on Georgiana’s arm. This surprised Darcy and his sister who gently pulled away.
“That is all I can think of for now.”
“Well, I am glad we could easily resolve those issues. If you think of anything else, you know where to find me, in my turret guarded by a dragon,” said Elizabeth in jest as she gave a sidelong glance towards her husband.
The conversation flowed readily between Darcy and his wife as Georgiana listened in.
She could not believe how her new sister teased her brother, but even more so, how he seemed to enjoy the banter, doting upon her and savouring her every whim.
It took only two or three more meals in their company before Georgiana came to realise that her brother seemed genuinely happy, more so than she had ever seen him before.
His eyes lit up with each word Elizabeth spoke.
He reached over on several occasions to touch her hand or face, which always brought about a poorly concealed blush and smile for her husband’s delight.
Not once in the whole of the conversations did Elizabeth say something that called into question her character.
At first Georgiana just listened, but after a few days, she began to chime in, sharing her own accounts to add to the topic at hand.
By the time Elizabeth was allowed by her husband to leave their chamber, Georgiana had developed a tentative fondness for the time spent in her company.
The two new sisters tarried in the music room or on the portico in relaxed chatter about nothing and everything.
Although unskilled herself at entertaining exchanges, Georgiana came to appreciate and enjoy listening to Elizabeth.
As predicted by Darcy, the two women soon developed a comfortable relationship built upon mutual regard.
After observing her brother‘s obvious joy in Elizabeth’s presence, and Elizabeth’s esteem for her husband, Georgiana decided to let down her guard and try for acceptance instead.
Being away from her relations at Tromwell House provided Georgiana with an openness that she had yet to bestow, so that now, she was able to see Elizabeth without bias.
Darcy had refrained from sharing with Elizabeth Georgiana’s near elopement with Wickham, so one day when Georgiana mentioned the man’s name in order to judge for herself Elizabeth’s involvement with him, the conversation naturally made its way around to Georgiana’s past feelings and disappointments.
The two women had each been deceived in their own ways by the profligate and were able to commiserate and also comfort one another.
A bond of sorts began to subsist between the two, thereby giving Darcy all that his heart could desire.
“William,” Elizabeth said later on the same day, following the revelation of Wickham’s corruption, “Georgiana told me about her time at Ramsgate. Why have you never said anything?”
“At first, I felt uncomfortable sharing an occurrence that brought me and my sister pain. I knew you so little, and could not predict your response. You admired Wickham, I well knew. I could not bear the thought of exposing Georgiana to one of Wickham’s sympathisers.
I see now that my fears were groundless, but at the time I was apprehensive about where your loyalties lay. ”
“I know that I apologised before, William, but please let me say again how very ashamed I am of my behaviour during our engagement and on my return to Hertfordshire. I see now that I gave you every reason to doubt me and my integrity.”
“Elizabeth, do not be hard on yourself. He is a well-practised deceiver who played on your kind heart. And I gave you no reason to suspect his story might be false and every reason to censure me.”
“While in the cottage, you told me that you would share with me some of your history with him. Will you do so now? Will you tell me what else he has done? I had heard his side of the stories for so long, that I truly cannot discern truth from fiction.”
Darcy then told her of his father’s favour bestowed upon Wickham for nothing other than his friendly and engaging manner.
Darcy had grown up seeing his father’s kindnesses paid to a boy who would soon grow to mock the very man who admired him.
Darcy had never been convivial like his once close friend had been.
Mr. Darcy rarely summoned his son for his entertainment, as he had always done with young Wickham.
Instead his father would take him on the estate and into his study, grooming him to one day take over as master.
Darcy knew rather than felt that his father loved him, but he could not have missed his father’s respect towards himself that he never witnessed being imparted to Wickham.
When his father died and left Wickham a living, the deceiver refused, accepting a reasonable monetary recompense for his trouble.
He later returned, having supposedly changed his mind.
When he received nothing but a denial, Wickham decided that revenge was the better course and so took his chances with Darcy’s sister.
“I should have suspected he would take such a path. He always did go after younger, less experienced females. Georgiana’s na?ve heart made her his perfect prey. Elizabeth, I never could have forgiven myself had he succeeded.”
“And I gave you every reason to think that I admired him, for indeed I did. My vanity has ever been my one weakness.”