Page 10 of To Love And To Cherish (Pride And Prejudice Variation #3)

Darcy sat in the study at Pemberley, the morning light slanting through tall windows onto his desk.

A letter from Bingley lay open before him, its ink-blotched lines barely legible.

From the music room, a melancholy sonata drifted through the halls.

He scanned the letter a second time, shaking his head as he struggled to decipher Bingley’s cheerful scrawl.

His friend had invited him to Netherfield for two months, claiming he required guidance in managing the estate.

Darcy was inclined to accept; it might do Georgiana some good.

He rose and made his way to the music room and was touched by the sound of skillful playing.

His sister sat at the pianoforte, her hands moving with quiet confidence over the keys.

The music was lovely and expressive. As he stepped into the room, Georgiana looked up, her playing faltering for just a moment.

She offered a shy, uncertain smile, still adjusting to the presence of the brother who had returned after five years, now a man grown and unfamiliar.

"Georgianna, I have received a letter from Bingley." He offered it to her. "He has invited us to Netherfield. Charles wishes for advice on estate management and has asked me to stay for two months."

Georgiana tried to read the missive, but it was illegible, so she handed it back. "He is a very kind person," she said with feeling. "So easy in manner, always cheerful, and never talks down to me. I like him very much."

Darcy studied her face. “You have grown quieter of late, withdrawn. Perhaps this visit, among such amiable company, will help restore your peace of mind. The Hursts will be in attendance, too. I believe you will find their company agreeable."

Georgiana nodded. “They are very kind, but I cannot like Miss Bingley.” Looking down at her hands, she folded them in her lap before continuing.

“Brother, I know it’s unkind, but I cannot warm to her.

There’s vanity and haughtiness in every gesture, and a way of speaking that implies no one else’s opinion can matter.

She claims refinement, but it’s always a means to demonstrate her own superiority. ”

Darcy raised a brow, surprised by the firmness in her tone.

Georgiana pressed on. “Her flattery always serves a goal, feigning interest in my music or in our conversation only when you might appear. Her eyes are invariably drawn to the doorway at the slightest footstep in the hall. That courtesy isn’t affection; it’s ambition.”

She glanced at him, voice softening. “You’re too discerning not to have observed it. I only wonder how you bear it so patiently.”

"You surprise me," Darcy said with raised brows. "I do not disagree with your portrait of her, but how have you come to such a strong opinion?"

Georgianna smiled faintly. "Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst pay a weekly call on me in hopes, I believe, of finding you at home. You are very careful to be absent when they are expected."

Darcy flushed. "You are too observant."

“The moment Miss Bingley speaks, her true nature is plain to all. It requires no great discernment. I shall go for your sake,” Georgiana said softly. “Not because I expect to enjoy Miss Bingley’s company, but because I wish to be near you. You are my only family.”

Darcy smiled. “Very well, I’ll write to Bingley and let him know when to expect us.”

A week later at Netherfield, Georgiana concluded a Beethoven piece to polite applause from Caroline and Louisa.

"That was beautifully done," Caroline said. "You play with such feeling."

"Thank you," Georgiana said quietly.

"You must come sit with me," Caroline beckoned. "Will you play for us, Louisa?”

The woman looked up from her embroidery. “No, I will continue with my needle.”

Caroline beckoned. “Come, Miss Darcy, I should like to talk."

Georgiana joined her on the settee with some reluctance.

Caroline leaned closer. "Is your brother paying special attention to anyone in society at present?"

“He is a man of great courtesy, treating all his acquaintances with particular attentiveness.”

“Indeed. But has he written to any young lady of late? Invited her family to dine?” Caroline probed.

“It would be most improper for him to correspond with an unmarried woman. My brother is the very model of propriety.”

"How about the theatre? Has he escorted anyone of note?"

Georgiana smiled sweetly. “Yes, he’s attended the theatre with Uncle Henry and Aunt Helen."

Caroline narrowed her eyes. "You are very guarded, Miss Darcy."

"I believe discretion is a virtue," she replied. "Now, would either of you care to ride with me this afternoon?"

Louisa declined, and Caroline primly answered, "I shall remain home in case your brother should require anything."

Twenty minutes later, Georgiana rode out with her groom, seeking quiet and solitude. She did not know the name of the gentle rise that bordered Netherfield, only that a wood crowned its summit, which drew her with the promise of peace.

When they reached the edge of a broad meadow, she turned in the saddle. "Remain here with Daisy. I will walk a little further."

The groom obeyed without question, leading her docile mare toward the hedgerow. Georgiana stepped off the path and into the woods, where she spied a moss-covered log resting beneath the trees, half in shadow.

She sat, buried her face in her hands, and let the tears come.

It had been only a few weeks since Ramsgate, and the memories still overwhelmed her.

She could not forget the sickening fear of climbing out a window in the dead of night, the endless hours fleeing down chalk cliffs with only Mrs. Younge for guidance and protection.

Nor could she escape the sense of powerlessness, of being singled out by a man who had cared nothing for her beyond her fortune.

And all of it, the confusion, the danger, had been made worse by the silence she was forced to keep.

Aunt Helen would be furious, not at Wickham, but at her brother, for employing such a reckless companion.

And Fitzwilliam, though he had rescued her, though he had been kind, was unapproachable.

She still did not know how to speak to him.

Five years apart had left them near strangers, and now every word between them felt careful and weighed.

She could not speak to him of her fear, of her sense of betrayal, of the way her breath caught whenever a man’s voice rose unexpectedly.

Instead, she cried.

These episodes came without warning, every few days or nights, and she could do nothing but endure them until the wave passed.

Today had begun like any other, but the strain of fending off Miss Bingley’s probing questions had driven her to seek the quiet of the woods.

Here, the soft whisper of the breeze through the trees had undone her.

She drew a handkerchief from her sleeve and pressed it to her eyes, praying that, by the time she returned, her face would reveal nothing.

Georgianna heard no footsteps, only the soft rustle of underbrush that made her lift her head. A young woman was walking the same path, her bonnet hanging from her arm by its ribbon, her brow damp with exertion. The woman paused, her expression filled with quiet concern.

“I do not mean to intrude,” she said gently, “but if there is anything I can do, any comfort I might offer, I am at your service.”

Georgiana hesitated, wiping at her eyes. “I... I do not usually speak to strangers. I’m not clever with words.”

Elizabeth gave a light laugh. “I have five sisters. I never get a word in at home.”

Georgiana offered a faint smile. “I have only one brother.”

Something in Elizabeth’s voice, its warmth, its unstudied kindness, invited confidence. And something in her face, so open and sincere, assured Georgiana she could be trusted. The words came in a rush.

“I am Georgiana. Not a month ago, I was nearly abducted by my father’s godson.

My companion uncovered his plan and fled with me before he could act on it.

We walked five miles through the darkness with scarcely any money between us.

I was terrified he would discover our escape and give chase.

He did search for us, but my brother found us in time, and it came to nothing in the end.

Still, I have been terribly unsettled ever since. ”

Her voice broke. Elizabeth, wordless and gentle, offered her handkerchief and slipped an arm around the girl’s thin shoulders. Georgiana accepted it and wept quietly, her slight frame trembling with each breath.

When at last the storm passed, Elizabeth spoke, her tone gentle and steady. “Your companion was very brave. And so were you. I have never walked that far in fear, let alone in the dark, with a man in pursuit.”

They sat together in silence. Then Georgiana said softly, “I have felt an urgent need to speak of it to someone. But I cannot speak to my aunt, she would only scold my brother for entrusting me to the wrong person. He had no way of knowing. He is very busy, managing the estates, meeting with stewards, trying to learn everything our father never had the chance to teach him. One of the stewards was discovered to be embezzling, and he had to dismiss the individual, recover the funds, and hire a new person. The last thing he needs is a tearful sister or an indignant aunt scolding him for doing his best.”

Elizabeth reached over and took her hand.

“I’m honored you chose to confide in me, Georgianna.

I know how much lighter I feel after speaking with my Aunt Maddie; she has a way of easing burdens simply by listening.

And I believe you’ll find the same relief now that you’ve let some of this go.

” She smiled. “I am Elizabeth, but my sisters call me Lizzy and if you’d like, you may too. ”

She gave Georgiana’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

“You need not fear having told me. I will carry your secret to the grave. My own mother cast me out for encouraging my sister to refuse a wealthy suitor old enough to be her grandfather. I know what it is to feel frightened, and I know how to keep a confidence.”

Georgiana took both of Elizabeth’s hands in hers and held them tightly. “Thank you for listening to me.”

The two stood, and Georgiana added softly, “I should return now. My brother will worry if I’m gone too long. I hope we shall meet again.”

Elizabeth smiled. “I walk to this mount at this hour each day. If ever you wish to speak again, you are most welcome to join me.”

Georgiana pressed her hands again. “If I can get away, I will come again.” She crossed to the far side of the field, where her groom waited with Daisy. Once mounted, she turned back and offered Elizabeth a quiet, grateful wave before riding away.