Page 28 of The Shades of Pemberley
“Perhaps,” said Fitzwilliam, not giving an inch, “but it is only prudent to appoint another guardian. My uncle protected his daughter with us both for this reason.”
“That he did,” agreed Lord Matlock, pushing their disagreement to the side.
He turned to Darcy and regarded him with some speculation. “Anthony informs me that you are willing to keep Georgiana at Pemberley.”
“It has been her home all her life,” replied Darcy. “There is no reason for her to leave it if she does not wish.”
Lord Matlock nodded as if Darcy had passed a test. “Then would you also keep her with you even when you leave Pemberley?”
Though taken aback, Darcy did not hesitate. “We have discussed this, though not at any great length. If Georgiana wishes it, I am amenable to her remaining in my house, though we must consider propriety.”
“When you marry, that will not be an issue,” observed the earl.
“That is true,” said Darcy. “When we return to Hertfordshire, my mother will live at my estate, which will satisfy the demands of propriety. Once I am married, the point becomes moot as my wife will serve a similar function.”
“Then there should be no impediment.” The earl paused, appearing to be gathering his thoughts.
“There is a provision in my late brother’s will to appoint another guardian should something happen to Anthony or Jameson.
While I could take on that duty myself, what I have seen today suggests that Georgiana would be better served by remaining with you.
If she does, she will have the society of your future wife and her sister, and I presume, Miss Bennet’s other sisters. ”
“I am certain all would be happy to welcome her,” said Darcy, again taken aback by the earl’s open suggestion that Darcy become Georgiana’s second guardian.
“The other consideration,” said the earl, this time with a slight smile, “is that Georgiana finds my daughters intimidating, though they esteem her. She can still have their influence in her life if she lives with you.
“This would prevent any meddling by my sister and would allow you to make decisions for Georgiana’s care. This is best for her.”
“While I shall not venture to suggest what is best for her, I am amenable to accepting the role.”
“Then I shall make the arrangements when I return to town,” said the earl with a decisive nod.
“However, I shall retain the authority to approve of Georgiana’s future husband.
” The earl shook his head. “I cannot imagine that would be a problem, but in so sensitive a matter as a marriage, I am certain my brother would wish me to intervene on her behalf.”
“That is understandable,” replied Darcy. “I have no objection.”
“Excellent. Now, Darcy, the largest issue you may have, as I suspect you already understand, is what my sister will do.” The earl shook his head, for the first time appearing the haughty noble.
“Though I can influence Catherine, no one controls her; Sir Lewis de Bourgh, her husband, made a valiant attempt at it, but he is long passed from this mortal sphere. To own the truth, I am certain the strain of dealing with my sister led in part to his untimely demise.”
Fitzwilliam laughed at his father’s jest, though Darcy sensed the earl was not entirely facetious in this matter. For Darcy’s part, the memory of Lady Catherine’s behavior was too raw to allow him to laugh at her excesses.
“For the moment, until the legal niceties are complete. If she gets it into her head to take Georgiana from you, Catherine will predict all manner of calamities on your head if you do not release her to your custody. If she does, you may refuse her by any means and expect my support.”
Darcy offered a tight grin. “You may count on me, Lord Matlock. Should Lady Catherine show her face again at any of my properties, I will take great pleasure in piercing her conceit.”
“That is the spirit, son!”
Lord Matlock regarded him and then offered: “If you will accept my opinion, I believe Pemberley is in excellent hands, and I trust Georgiana will be well in your care. The Darcys are infamous for their adherence to duty, and I suspect you will do no less than her father or her brother.”
“I will not fail you, my lord.”
“Very well. I shall return to Snowlock. Do not hesitate to let me know if my sister oversteps again. Though it would stain the family, I wonder if it would not be best to consign her to Bedlam before she rampages across the country. If nothing else, we might all have a little peace.”
“Amen!” exclaimed Fitzwilliam.
THE EARL’S ATTENTION had not escaped Elizabeth’s notice, but as there was nothing she could do about it, she endeavored to ignore it and behave as she ever did.
What his lordship thought on the matter was not apparent, for he watched and gave little overt sign of his feelings.
The three men disappeared for a time, and when they returned, they had a most surprising announcement for the ladies; two of their number were no less than pleased.
“Oh, that is excellent news, Uncle,” said Georgiana, her impulsive embrace surprising Lord Matlock and telling Elizabeth such had never been part of her character. “I may keep Kitty and Elizabeth’s society.”
A look of consternation drained the color from her face, and she blurted: “Not that I consider my aunt and cousins at all deficient!”
“Perhaps I should tell them you do ,” suggested Colonel Fitzwilliam, raising his eyebrows at her.
“You are such a tease, Anthony!”
The jest did the work he intended, Elizabeth noticed, for he exchanged a look with his father, the former giving him an almost imperceptible nod.
“Not at all, Georgiana,” said Lord Matlock, turning back to his niece. “It would please us to have you live at Snowlock, but I think it best you remain in company with those your age, especially as you have become excellent friends with Miss Catherine.”
A motion caught Elizabeth’s attention, for she noted an expression of distaste appear on Mrs. Younge’s face, though it was gone so quickly she was not certain she had observed it.
The woman looked on with dispassion, not giving her opinion as was proper for a companion.
Though Elizabeth wondered what she had seen, she decided there was little enough reason to pursue it and turned her attention back on Lord Matlock.
“When Darcy returns to Hertfordshire, you shall go with him, though we must consider where you will stay when he departs for his wedding tour.”
Lord Matlock turned to Mrs. Darcy. “She might stay with you while your son is away, but I judge it best that she returns with my family in London. The situation with her guardianship is precarious enough that my sister may try to wrest Georgiana’s control away from us should she catch wind of it.”
“I take no offense, your lordship,” said Mrs. Darcy. “It is sensible to consider it.”
With a nod, the earl turned back to Georgiana. “We shall consider the matter at greater length when the time is upon us, but for the moment, you may stay with Darcy. When I go to London, I shall initiate proceedings to designate him your second guardian.”
Georgiana turned wide eyes to William. “You are willing to take my care upon yourself?”
William, excellent man that he was, offered her a kind nod. “Without a doubt, Cousin. So long as you wish to stay with me, I am happy to keep you and avoid disrupting your life. When we return to Hertfordshire, you may make the acquaintance of Elizabeth’s other sisters.”
“Oh, that is excellent!” cried Georgiana. “Thank you for taking my situation into account.”
“Not at all, my dear. It is the least I can do.”
That settled, the company turned its attention to general conversation.
Before long, Lord Matlock approached Elizabeth and, after asking her permission, sat nearby to converse with her.
Elizabeth noticed William’s interest and smiled at him, and he nodded and turned back to Colonel Fitzwilliam, with whom he was conversing.
“Soon, I must return to my estate, Miss Bennet. The next time we will meet is in London during the season.” The earl paused.
“If you have your future husband inform us of the date of your wedding, I believe we could take some time to journey to Hertfordshire to attend. How close to London is your home?”
Feeling flattered, Elizabeth said: “It is about three hours north of the city limits, though I cannot say how much further it is from your home.”
Lord Matlock considered her. “What is the name of the place?”
“Meryton. It is southwest of Luton.”
“Ah, then it is perhaps four hours from Mayfair. Your father’s estate is near your fiancé’s property?”
“We share a long border, Lord Matlock,” said Elizabeth. “I have known the Darcys since my earliest childhood.”
“And your engagement is of some duration?”
Elizabeth could not help but feel a little bashful at his questions about her connection with William.
“About a year. William proposed before the start of the season last year, and I stayed with my uncle in London for a time to attend the season, where William introduced me to his level of society.”
“That is well then,” said the earl with a slow nod. “While I expect you will do well, experience of any kind in London will help.”
“It has always seemed to me, Lord Matlock,” said Elizabeth, after a moment’s consideration, “that good behavior is the same wherever one goes. Perhaps those in London are more judgmental, but I do not suppose I cannot move in their midst if I remember this simple fact.”
This time, Lord Matlock’s approval was obvious. “Well said, Miss Bennet. You will do well if you hold to this.”
“I must own,” said Elizabeth, “that your sister astonished me, given the subject of our discussion. That Lady Catherine would push even a cherished wish on one who is unconnected to her is far beyond anything I expected.”
The earl’s countenance darkened, and he shook his head, filled with exasperation.
“With that, I cannot disagree. To own the truth, I have always considered it an eccentric wish on her part. My brother would tolerate no mention of it; then again, he little tolerated Catherine, even when she attempted civility, which to this day remains her weakness.”
“So, your nephew never meant to oblige her?”
“Jameson never stated his intentions,” replied Lord Matlock. “I suspect he did not intend to marry Anne but kept his own counsel to avoid an argument.”
“Given what I have seen of your sister, I cannot but suppose that was wise.”
Lord Matlock nodded, but it was clear he was distracted. “I hope, Miss Bennet, that you do not take offense at the opinions I expressed. I wish to reiterate my confidence in your abilities, but I believe you will do well with a mentor.”
“Not at all,” said Elizabeth, feeling a little mischievous. “The only question is what your lady wife thinks on the subject, for I cannot imagine she is eager to shepherd a lost sheep about society until she learns what she must.”
“You are a saucy one, Miss Bennet,” said the earl with a laugh.
“Levity will serve you well in society, though of course, there are those who will not appreciate it. In answer to your question, Susan is not opposed; we discussed the possibility already. My wife, you will discover, is not averse to assisting. While she is exacting in her standards of good behavior, she is not unreasonable. I cannot imagine she will do anything other than approve of you.”
“Then I cannot wait to make her acquaintance.”
“Let me also say how pleased I am by your reaction to this sudden prosperity. Many would allow it to affect them, such as to provoke exaggerated opinions of their worth.”
“I believe you will discover that William and I have no such pretensions. When William was the proprietor of a country estate in Hertfordshire, I was content to become his wife. Now that tragedy has elevated him, I will not change, and he will remain the same as he ever was.”
“I am pleased to hear it, Miss Bennet.” The earl smiled and rose, and Elizabeth stood with him. “Now, if you will excuse me, it is time for me to return to my home.”
With that, the earl farewelled the company, reserving an affectionate goodbye for his niece and son, and then departed from the estate.
Elizabeth could not help but reflect on the contradiction between the siblings, for Lord Matlock was everything generous, civil, and friendly, whereas Lady Catherine was meddling, dictatorial, and disobliging.
Then again, there was a vast difference in the five Bennet sisters, so Elizabeth supposed it was not at all unusual.