Page 24

“You wanted to see me, brother? Have you news of Richard?” Georgiana asked as soon as the footman closed the door. Moving towards him, she mistook the look on his face. “No news as yet? I thought I heard horses last night but was not if it might have been in a dream.”

Darcy patted the cushion next to him without say a word. Panic arose in her at the gesture and his silence. She hesitated, not knowing if she wanted to hear what he would say.

“Come sit, poppet.”

He had not used that endearment in years. The panic she felt turned to nausea and light-headedness. She felt an overwhelming desire to turn and run from the room. If she did not hear it, it would not be true.

Darcy stood as he saw her begin to sway. Taking her by the arms, he guided her to the sofa. The tears were already welling up in her eyes, and she was breathing shallow and fast.

“Take a deep breath, love.” He repeated the request several times before she slowed. Her eyes remained wild, and her hands trembled in his.

“Richard,” she managed to say as she closed her eyes tightly, causing the tears to stream down her cheeks. He squeezed her hands.

“I am afraid so,” he whispered.

Her body was racked with sobs as she collapsed limply against him. He wrapped his arms around her as she cried. He did not know what to do or say. She had cried when their father died, but he had Mrs Reynolds to help comfort her as he dealt with running the estate, which was going into harvest season.

She had been away visiting their aunt in Kent when the accident happened, so he had not had to comfort her then either.

He wished he had followed his first instinct and had Elizabeth with him when he broke the news. Instead, she waited for him in the library. He patted her back, whispering meaningless words in a vain effort to comfort her.

“What are we to do,” she sobbed into his shoulder after a few minutes.

“We will do what we must. Endeavour to persevere for our sake and Anne’s. She will need you to be strong. I need you to be strong.” He felt her nod her head before she pulled away from him.

“I have messed up your coat,” she said, looking at the wet spot on his chest.

“A trifling thing considering,” he replied, pulling out his handkerchief for her. She dabbed at her eyes and turned her head to blow her nose. She took several deep breaths before turning back to face him.

“What now, William?” She asked, wiping tears from her cheeks with her hand.

“Do you want to go with me to tell Anne?”

Her eyes widened and began to overflow with tears. She shook her head and lowered it to stare into her lap.

“I cannot. I do not think I could bear to hear you say the words.” She began to cry again, but this time silently. “I am sorry.”

“There is no need to be sorry. If you would like, Miss Elizabeth will stay with you until it is done.” She did not answer but continued to cry. “Should I send for her?”

She replied with a nod.

“Let me tell the footman.”

“You go. I need a few moments alone. Anne will wonder why you needed to see me. She thought she heard riders as well. The longer I am away, the more she will begin to feel uneasy.” She said quietly, her eyes red from crying. She sniffed as tears still trickled down her face.

“Yes, good advice.”

“I will join you as soon as I think myself ready.” He nodded and left. As soon as the door clicked shut, she started crying again.

Darcy went to the library. He slowed as he approached the entrance to gather his thoughts and calm his inner turmoil. He found Elizabeth sitting by the fire, looking at the doorway. She closed the book she had been reading. Immediately noticing the wet stain on his coat, she stood, placing the book on the table.

“How is she?”

“I did not have to say a thing. She knew from my silence. She did not take it well but is trying her best.”

“Miss Elizabeth, she would appreciate your company.”

“If you think so.”

He nodded and thanked her before they parted. She hurried away, and he plodded wearily up the stairs to tell his cousin.

Darcy slowed his pace as he made his way down the hall. There was no beating around the bush with this task. He would be direct and do what he could to reassure her. His thoughts went briefly to Elizabeth. While he only had just met the woman, he wished she were by his side. He had never been comfortable dealing with his sister being upset, and he barely knew Anne.

Even in the months since he had taken guardianship, he rarely spent time with her. He was determined right then to correct this, not only with her but also with Georgiana. He knocked on the door, which was immediately opened by their abigail, who looked panicked.

“Is everything all right?” He asked more forcefully than he meant. The poor girl began to panic more and switched between nodding and shaking her head as she tried to curtsy. “Where is Anne?”

The girl pointed to the room leading to the bedroom and managed to stammer out that she was crying and did not know why. Darcy strode over to the door and opened it without a knock. Anne was on the bed facedown, her head buried in a pillow. Her body shook, and he could hear muffled sobs. He hesitated, wondering if he should have Elizabeth join him, but decided against it. It was his duty as the head of the family. He went to the bed and sat next to her without a word.

“Anne…”

“I already know,” she sobbed.

“I guess I messed it up,” he said dejectedly. “I should have called for both of you. I can barely handle it myself,” he admitted. “I did not know how to deal with one of you in despair, let alone two at the same time.”

“I think I already knew it,” Anne sniffed, raising her head. “Richard was always bad about sending letters, but this was much longer than ever.”

“He was bad when it came to correspondence. You know him, he would rather wait until he saw you so he could tell his stories. Their excuses about lost packet ships began to sound hollow even to me.”

“Could they be mistaken?” She sat up, looking at him with red eyes. “They might have gotten it wrong. I have heard it has happened before.”

Darcy shook his head. “No, I received a letter from Whitehall and the Prince Regent.”

Understanding the implications of his comment, the small look of hope that had briefly lit her face disappeared instantly. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight, feeling the need to cry. She wanted to cry but found she could not.

“I think I am all cried out,” she whispered.

“Me too.”

She pulled back and looked at him. “You cry?”

Darcy wanted to laugh at the question, but her puffy red face was serious, so he nodded. “Twice that I can recall. The first time was when my mother passed away.” He paused to take a breath to steady his wavering feelings. “The second was last night when I found out about Richard.”

She looked at him with tear-filled eyes and understood him for the first time in her short life. He had always been this distant cousin, not by blood but by age and temperament. Her brother had joked with her and played with her. Her cousin Darcy, while kind, always remained aloof, as if he had no feelings. She had seen him smile but never laugh. He had always been so serious that she could never have imagined him laughing and still had never heard the sound from him. His admitting to crying made him seem normal.

Anne hugged him tight again. “What am I to do?”

“I?” he asked as he enwrapped her in his arms. “There is no I, here. You are not alone. It is, what are we to do? And we, my dear cousin Anne, will move forward as a hodgepodge of a family and make it work.”

Darcy left Anne’s room feeling better than he thought he would have when he first went to see her. They had both come to a new understanding of their relationship. For him, cousin, guardian, and father figure had melded into one.

He returned to the library, where he found his sister and Elizabeth still talking. After a brief conversation, they went up to be with Anne while he went in search of Bingley, as he did not feel like being alone at this time.

Miss Bingley watched as Elizabeth and Georgiana went into the room. It was apparent from the girl’s demeanor that she had been told about her cousin. She did not understand why Mr Darcy had not come to her. She made her way to the library and found it empty. Outside the billiard room, she heard Mr Darcy speaking but could not make it out. She paused at the door to listen after ensuring no servants were about.

“Are you sure about this?” Bingley asked, leaning on his pool stick.

“Yes, I have already decided to ask her father. And how many times have I told you not to abuse the cue in that manner?”

Still eavesdropping, Miss Bingley’s heart skipped a beat at the response. Whose father, and ask him what?

“Most women dream of marriage, not becoming a companion to an heiress or two.”

“I do not mean to put her down, but what other prospects does she have here? It is an admirable position for daughters of respectable families. Especially families that cannot provide a decent dowry to attract the right gentleman.”

“Why does it always come down to money?”

“It is the way of the world, Bingley.”

“She is not bad-looking if you ask me. Some might wonder if there is something more between you two.”

“I am in no danger there. While I intend to spend more time with them, I have no plans to move them into Darcy House.”

Satisfied with what she had heard, Miss Bingley hurried off to tell her sister that Eliza Bennet was to become a companion. She could not believe she had been worrying over a nonexistent rival.