Beginning , Previous Section, Section VII
Chapter 29 ~ The Confrontation
Posted on Monday, 8 January 2007
Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy paced anxiously in the breakfast room. Each was filled with dread regarding the private meeting between Georgiana and General Warner. Neither would verbalize their speculation on the subject of the conversation or why the meeting had lasted so long. They waited in silence, each afraid to give voice to his fears. Because of Georgiana’s precarious health, they feared her reaction if she discovered her husband’s infidelity. At last, they heard Georgiana dashing from the sitting room and the General leaving shortly thereafter.
Alarmed, Fitzwilliam turned to his cousin and urged, “You must go to her.”
Darcy raced out of the room before the Colonel’s sentence had finished. He ran up the steps to Georgiana’s bedchamber. When he reached the door, he paused and took a deep breath. I must be calm. I must be a pillar of strength for her and her unborn child. Once Darcy felt that he had his emotions firmly regulated, he knocked lightly on the door.
“Enter,” came a quiet voice from within.
Darcy opened the door and tentatively walked inside. Georgiana was reclining upon her bed, streaks of tears still evident upon her face.
“The General left. I have come to see if I may be of service to you,” he said gently.
Georgiana sat up quickly and shook her head. “No thank you. I think a bowl of gruel and a nap will set me to rights.”
Darcy gingerly approached his sister, reached out, and clasped her hand. “If there is anything that I may do…”
Georgiana managed a weak smile. “Thank you, but no. Please, you need not worry! There is nothing that need be done.”
Darcy’s brow furrowed. “Please, I know something is troubling you. Can you not confide in me?” he said gently.
Georgiana shook her head and looked down at the floor with such a mix of resoluteness and sadness in her countenance that he dare not broach the subject again. Instead, Darcy kissed her hand then slowly left the room.
It was a decidedly grimmer Darcy that returned to the breakfast room and Colonel Fitzwilliam sensed that his mission had not met with success. “Darcy, I think we must confront my brother and soon. His actions are clearly endangering his wife and unborn child.”
“I agree. Let us demand an audience with David as soon as he returns,” Darcy replied bitterly. “Although meeting him on a green at dawn with pistols in hand would suit me best.”
“Careful Darcy. We are in a delicate position. As much as I’d like to throttle him, we must keep Georgiana’s concerns first. Do not lose sight of her predicament.”
“I think of little else,” Darcy muttered.
“Anger and rage at his infamous treatment of her are luxuries that we can ill afford. As much as I dislike the notion, for Georgiana’s sake we need to regulate his behaviour. Her health is too precarious to risk upsetting her by enforcing a separation between them. Instead, we must prevent his mysterious meetings with the other woman,” Fitzwilliam replied with a scowl. “My brother has rarely listened to us, but by God, he must obey us now! Once Georgiana has safely delivered her child and her health is no longer at risk, then we can decide what to do with him.”
“We must make him answer for his deeds,” Darcy answered decidedly.
At a little after one o’clock, their patience was rewarded. They heard the front door to the townhouse open and close and the familiar sound of footsteps. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy knew that the day of reckoning had finally come. They had cleared the floor of the study and lined up the chairs along one wall in anticipation of David’s arrival and requested that Johnson, the butler, request that David join them in the study as soon as he arrived. Now that he had finally returned to the townhouse, they stood in the middle of the room ready for the inquisition.
A minute after arriving at the house, David burst into the room with a bright, sunny disposition. “Good afternoon! Isn’t it a glorious day?” he beamed. He quickly glanced around the room. “You two have an odd way of redecorating a house. I haven’t seen a room like this since I was wrongly accused of stealing one of Darcy’s toy soldiers. How old were you? Four? Five? I believe that you told me you were ‘calling me to the carpet,’ isn’t that right?”
“I am in no mood for your light hearted banter or excuses for your actions,” Darcy growled.
“That’s too bad, because I am in the best of humours. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can ruin it,” David chirped.
Fitzwilliam and Darcy exchanged scowls.
David looked at his companions warily. “Although by the looks of it, you two are about to try…”
“David,” Fitzwilliam snapped. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
David laughed. “I do not believe that I have the pleasure of understanding you.”
“What I mean is how can you treat Georgiana in this infamous, scandalous fashion?”
David sighed, “And what, pray tell, are my faults this time?”
Fitzwilliam gripped both hands into tight fists. “We saw you with…”
Just then, a knock at the door silenced the Colonel. Johnson opened the door and announced, “My Lord, General Warner has arrived.”
“This is an unexpected surprise!” David exclaimed with a bright smile. “Please show him in!”
The General immediately entered and walked directly towards David. Concern was evident upon his face. “Please forgive me for intruding…”
“Nonsense! Please join us. Richard, Darcy, this is General Warner. Tom, this is my brother, Colonel Fitzwilliam and my cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy.”
“We have met,” the General mumbled.
David momentarily looked confused, “You’ve met?”
General Warner shook his head and his shoulders slumped. “David, you should hate me…”
“Hate you? Don’t be silly…” David interrupted.
“But I abused you so abominably yesterday!” the General declared. “I should have trusted you… I had no right…”
“Yes, you should have trusted me and believed in me,” David began sternly before he could no longer restrain his joy. “Nevertheless, I’m glad you came to your senses. It would have grieved both Sharon and I if you had missed the opportunity of giving the bride away.”
“So he is a good man?”
David smiled and nodded reassuringly. “Sir Michael is the best of men. I dare say that Lady Sidwell is a happy bride and will make a happier wife. They are well suited for one another. In disposition and talents, understanding and temper, they compliment each other well. I know that you have your suspicions due to Sir Michael’s finances, but I assure you, the loss was not his fault. And I will always be of assistance to Sharon in any way I can.”
General Warner breathed a sigh of relief as Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam looked at each other in utter confusion. “Lady Wallingford assured me of Sir Michael’s intentions,” explained Tom. “It relieves my mind to know that you believe the same.”
David’s brow furrowed again. “George? How do you know George?”
“I would not have gone to the wedding this morning if not for her urging, or ordering I should say,” replied the General with a chuckle. “I suspect that she keeps you in line quite nicely.”
Confusion stifled all conversation as each person in the party attempted to understand the full extent of the discussion without success. Just as Darcy was summoning the courage to inquire about the wedding, there was a knock at the door. The butler opened the door and announced, “My Lord, Lieutenant Wickham is at the door. He would like to speak with you.” The mood in the room suddenly dampened. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam’s faces reddened while David paled. Only General Warner remained at ease. Sensing the discomfort in the room, Johnson stated, “I will inform him that he should call at a later time.”
“No, I would like to meet the Lieutenant,” answered Tom.
David looked at his companion warily, “You don’t know what he is about…”
“Oh, I think I do. At any rate, I’ve been in His Majesty’s Service for too long not to know how to out maneuver a soldier. Show him in.”
David looked over at his other companions and hesitated. “You two shouldn’t be here for this meeting,” he said while quickly walking over to a wood panel at the back of the room. He pressed the panel, which then popped out, revealing a door to a passageway.
“I am not hiding in the closet cowering from that blackguard’s notice!” exclaimed Colonel Fitzwilliam as Darcy grabbed him by the arm and pushed him in.
David closed the door behind them and studied the panel to ensure that the door’s existence was not evident. He then took a deep breath and said to Johnson, “Send in the Lieutenant.”
A minute later, Wickham confidently strolled into the study, expecting it to be a private audience with the Viscount. He started and momentarily looked a little discomposed when he encountered not only David, but a fearsome looking Army General as well.
“So this is the man you were speaking of Lord Wallingford?” General Warner bellowed while looking Wickham over.
David wasn’t sure where Tom’s line of questioning was leading, but he thought it best to play along. “Yes, General Warner. This is Lieutenant George Wickham. Lieutenant Wickham, this is General Warner, who of late has been serving His Majesty’s Army in the West Indies.”
“Harrumph,” mumbled Tom. After a minute more of glaring at Wickham and making him feel very uncomfortable, the General finally spoke again. “I understand that you are the son of a steward of one of his Lordship’s uncles?”
“Yes, sir. My father had the care of the Pemberley Estates.”
“And you were educated at Cambridge?”
“Yes sir.”
Tom glared at him with a look that had made many a soldier shake in his boots before declaring, “You are a very lucky man to have won the esteem and patronage of the Viscount Wallingford. I don’t often hire new staff assistants, but Lord Wallingford has been very effusive and persuasive in his praise of you.” Tom then turned to David, “Yes, I think I will take him on.”
“Excuse me?” Wickham sputtered. “I don’t understand.”
Tom turned back to Wickham and scowled. “I like my men to have some quickness about them, so do your best to keep up with the conversation. You’ve just been transferred into my command Wickham. We’ll be sailing for the West Indies in eleven days.”
“B-b-but I have a wife and family. I have two sons and a daughter…”
“King first, family second,” General Warner ordered. “Or did you not understand that when you joined the regulars?” he asked with an angry glare.
Wickham swallowed hard and his throat constricted as he began to consider his options.
Chapter 30 ~ Revelations
Posted on Thursday, 27 September 2007
“I would think that you would be pleased to be granted this promotion,” growled General Warner to Wickham.
“P-p-promotion?” stuttered Wickham as his eyes widened.
“Yes, Lord Wallingford offered to purchase your promotion if I agreed to accept you as my new staff assistant. I am always looking for talented men to support me.” The General paused to size up his opponent and see if he was taking the bait. “As you know, my men have gone on to have brilliant careers, both in the Army and in politics.”
Wickham was amazed and stunned. He looked suspiciously at David then the General, but could dissemble no trick.
David jumped into the conversation, eager to support Tom’s story. “When you attempted to call upon me several days ago, I instantly remembered you as the favourite of my uncle,” David explained with a congenial smile. “I am sorry that I was unable to receive you at that time, but I knew what you must have wanted to discuss. Like me, you heard that the illustrious General Warner was in London and knowing his reputation, you wished for me to exert myself to forward your prospects. Naturally, I could not hesitate. Several great men have been applying to him on behalf of one worthy soldier or another. But I beat them to it and after extolling your virtues and explaining your whole history; the General has agreed to take you on.” David beamed at Wickham, as if expecting to be congratulated for taking such pains and being the means to bestow such an honour.
Wickham began to sweat and stammer. “I-I-I had no idea, my Lord, when I tried to call on you… I mean to say that I did not intend… I mean no offence, but I had not… That is to say that your cousin, Mr. Darcy, has been most kind in supporting my career… I do not think I merit…”
David turned to the General. “I told you that he was modest. He thinks so little of his own claims that he did not expect such a gift. But an opportunity to serve under you is the opportunity of a lifetime and I would not dream of Mr. Wickham missing out.”
“Regardless of whether you think you deserve it or not, it is done,” General Warner declared resolutely. “You have been transferred and you will be promoted. In fact, you should begin as my aid now. My carriage is outside. Wait for me there. We are going to my home in Lincolnshire prior to sailing.”
“But my wife and family!”
“Where are they?” growled the General.
“They are in Newcastle.”
“A carriage will be sent for them. They can stay at my home as my guests until we depart. You are dismissed… Captain.”
Wickham still looked nervously at the pair of them, unsure of what happened and what should be done. But a promotion was more money and General Warner was very well connected. A few good words from him and my future would be bright indeed. Perhaps I can make my fortune after all! After only a moment’s pause, he saluted the General, bowed deeply to David, and left. Tom and David did not breathe easy until they heard the front door to the townhouse close.
Once the scoundrel left, Tom took the opportunity to address his brother. “Please give my best to Lady Wallingford. Assure her that I will always be at her service. It grieves me to the core to think that there is a lady alive in this world that is as magnificent as she is and thinks so ill of me. If my actions today help me redeem myself in the smallest way, then my efforts will not have been in vain.”
“Thank you Tom, although I am sure that you are incorrect about George. I am greatly in your debt.”
“Nonsense,” General Warner shook his head. “For everything you have done for my family, this is nothing in return. Besides, remember the Warner family motto: ‘Non nobis tantum nati’, that is, ‘We are not born for ourselves alone’... But you know that sentiment too well… As much as I hate to leave you, I do not like the thought of that scoundrel sitting unattended in my carriage. The rascal might consider escaping. Dangling the offer of a promotion was tempting to him, but if he thinks too hard on it, he may remember that he must work whilst under my command. I will drive him to Lincolnshire directly to get him away from the influences of London. I suggest that you stay away from the county for at least a fortnight until we shove off. If he realizes that we are more than common acquaintances before we set sail, the jig will be up and we may lose him.”
After shaking David’s hand with warm, brotherly affection, General Warner quickly left the study. Once the door closed, David took a deep breath and prepared for the onslaught from his relations. He had always known that his charade could not last. Secrets and lies always bubble to the surface and burst at the most inopportune time. He attempted to brace himself as he reached out with his ice cold hands and opened the panel door nervously. One glance at Colonel Fitzwilliam’s dark countenance said it all.
Colonel Fitzwilliam stormed out of the hidden passageway bearing a scowl on his face. “Would you care to explain to me how it is that my brother has such an intimate relationship with a man who I thought was unconnected to us?” he asked coldly and distinctly.
Darcy stepped out of the hiding place and positioned himself so that he could watch David’s every expression very carefully. He thought it best if he allowed Colonel Fitzwilliam to vent his anger while he silently observed the reactions.
David swallowed hard as began to collect his thoughts. “General Warner is not unconnected to me,” he began quietly. “He is my brother. I married his sister, Susan, seventeen years ago when I took my tour of the Continent. I met and married her in Paris.”
“You have another wife!” Darcy exclaimed turning white as the Colonel turned red.
“No, Susan is my late wife. We were married for only a few months before her accident. She died whilst we were in Calais, before we returned to England. Susan and our unborn child are buried there.” David paused a moment to collect himself before he could continue. “Her death plunged me into a darkness which I only began to emerge from a few years ago.”
Stunned, Darcy staggered over to a chair which was lined up against the wall and dropped into it. His mind was reeling from this admission. He tried to make sense of it all, but he was all confusion and bewilderment. He looked back on the past to attempt to discern some hint of what he just learned, but his head was swimming.
After a full minute’s silence, Colonel Fitzwilliam spoke in a low and dangerous tone. “Who was that woman we saw you with the other morning? The woman you gave the necklace to?”
“Sharon Warner. Susan’s younger sister. After Susan’s father’s death, Tom and I were named her joint guardians.”
“She is too old for a guardian now.”
“Yes, we are executors of his father’s estate and were tasked with managing the trust in which her dowry was placed. Sharon was married this morning and I had to arrange for her to receive her portion. I also look after the Warner properties when the General is not in England.”
With more than a little nervousness, Darcy voiced the only question that was important to him. “Does Georgiana know?”
“Yes, except for my dealings with George Wickham just now, she knows the whole.” Darcy breathed a sigh of relief.
“How long has she known?” growled Colonel Fitzwilliam, beginning to pace about the room like a caged tiger.
“I told her shortly after I returned to England.”
“Does anyone else know?”
David looked more than a little agitated at this question, but answered it directly. “My valet, my solicitors, my staff at Clifton Manor, the Warner’s staff at Bramble Hall, and the butler here know of at least part of my situation.”
“What, pray tell, is Clifton Manor?”
“Clifton Manor is my home in Lincolnshire near Sutton on Sea. It is a modest estate, about five miles from the Warner’s estate, Bramble Hall.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had been struggling mightily to contain his rage, could do so no longer. “Servants are aware, have probably been aware of your relations for years, a young child barely old enough to walk knew of your marriage, yet your brother, your only surviving sibling, has been kept in the dark?! Do you hold me so cheap as to think me less trustworthy than a chambermaid? I have been no more enlightened to your character and situation than the commonest of acquaintances whilst every servant knows what you are about?”
David’s shoulders drooped as he sighed. “I cannot begin to explain…”
“Stop!” ordered the Colonel. “I do not want to hear your excuses. The thought of you, the very sight of you, disgusts me!” After glaring at David for a moment longer and not finding any satisfaction, Colonel Fitzwilliam squared back his shoulders, marched out of the room, and slammed the study door behind him. Several more seconds and the front door of the townhouse closed with such force that windows rattled throughout.
David closed his eyes, dropped his head, and looked pained. The colour drained from his face and he suddenly looked older than his years. Darcy observed him carefully, but was unable to guess what emotions swirled within him.
Within a minute of the Colonel marching from the room, there was a knock at the study door. Without it being answered, the door opened to reveal Georgiana. Her eyes instantly flew to the ashen face of her husband, and her looks reflected deep concern. “What happened?” she gently asked.
“My brother discovered my true character and didn’t like what he saw, not that I can blame him,” David mumbled. “If you will excuse me my dear, I think I will leave you to the better company of your brother. I am unfit to be seen at the moment.” Without looking up at either companion, David walked from the room wearily and slowly closed the door.
As soon as the door shut, Georgiana burst forth, “What happened? What was said? What must be done?”
Darcy rose from the chair where he had sunk and shook his head, “David’s deceit has been uncovered and Fitzwilliam is displeased with his brother. I fear this break may be of a permanent nature.”
“Deceit?” Georgiana cried. “Surely that is too censorious of a word.”
Darcy scoffed, “And what would you call it? He has kept his nearest relations in the dark about his true situation for more than a decade and a half. He has not conducted himself in the forthright manner as a gentleman ought.”
“Why can’t you see the truth!” Georgiana cried.
“Me? What of his faults?! He is a scoundrel whom I have never trusted. And with good reason!”
“You are being foolish! What real evil do you know of him?”
Vexed that Georgiana would still defend him even in light of this latest transgression, Darcy snapped, “What evil? What about the deception he has carried on for the past seventeen years? Is that not evidence of his evil?!”
Georgiana took a deep breath and struggled to regain her composure. It would do her no good to alienate the one person from whom she needed the most help. “I will admit that he could have been more forthcoming about his circumstances, but who has his actions harmed? No one but himself. By keeping his past a secret, he precluded any comfort that he may have received from his family.”
“I am sure that his arrogance and conceit have provided him all of the comfort that he desired. Pride has always been his best friend.”
“William, you never cease to amaze me! While in most things you are very fair and liberal, you have always maintained a blind spot to David and always held on to your prejudice and dislike. Have you ever considered his true character?”
Darcy laughed bitterly. “You mean the type of man who would deceive his family and friends? A man who leads a double life? It hardly speaks well of him. He has always had a selfish distain for others. This is only the most egregious example!”
“He is the type of man who would protect his younger relations at great personal expense! Do you not recall breaking Lady Catherine’s favourite vase when you were seven? Or breaking her window when you were nine? Both times David accepted responsibility and withstood Lady Catherine’s punishments to protect you and Richard.”
Darcy scowled. “I suppose your husband told you of my missteps as proof of his moral superiority,” he grumbled.
“No,” Georgiana replied with a ghost of a smile. “You did. You warned me of Lady Catherine’s anger and told me several times of her fury. David only mentioned it once when I asked him how he received a scar on his wrist. He told me that Lady Catherine hit him with a cane. He never told me that he was being beaten in your place, but I knew the whole truth…”
Two sets of eyes looked on in horror as a flying orange sailed beyond eleven year old Richard Fitzwilliam’s outstretched fingertips and the sound of glass breaking and falling to the ground echoed in the dining room. Rain had once again struck during Darcy, Richard, and David’s visit to Rosings thus preventing them from engaging in much outdoor activity. In such cases, Lady Catherine’s idea of entertainment for her nephews was for them to spend all of their time in the library improving their minds through extensive reading. However active boys will be active boys and Richard and Darcy found their way to the dining room with an obliging pyramid of oranges on the table. It did not take long before the oranges became the subjects of a game of catch in which the boys began to throw the fruit harder and harder at one another.
“You were supposed to catch it!” cried Darcy.
“You should have thrown it to me and not over my head!” answered Richard hotly. “Well it’s too late now. I wonder if we can cover it up.”
“How? The window is clearly broken.”
“Perhaps no one heard it and they’ll think that the window broke on its own because of inferior glazing?”
Darcy pondered this suggestion. “Can windows break because of glazing?”
Just then, fifteen year old David ran into the room and exclaimed, “What have you two done now? Oh no,” he groaned seeing the broken window. “Not again.”
“Well he w-w-was supposed to…” Darcy sputtered, while pointing at his companion.
“But he threw it…” Richard uttered defensively, pointing back.
“WHAT IS THAT NOISE???!!!” shouted Lady Catherine as she charged down the hallway towards the dining room.
“Hide!” David urged while racing to the table and grabbing three oranges from the display.
Richard and Darcy dove under the long dining room table and were thankful that the table cloth reached nearly to the ground as Lady Catherine stormed into the room.
“I said what is that noise!” Lady Catherine demanded.
“I don’t know Aunt,” replied David nonchalantly while making a poor showing of juggling the oranges in the air.
“The window is broken!” she shouted.
After he dropped all three oranges, David grabbed three more from the dwindling pyramid and began throwing them in the air. “Really? I wonder how that happened. Perhaps it was the glazing. Windows treated with inferior glazing can break at the slightest puff of wind.”
“Inferior glazing?!” exclaimed Lady Catherine, growing red in the face. “I will have you know that Sir
Lewis de Bourgh would never have inferior glazing on his windows. No! It is likely by your hand that the damage was done!”
David scoffed as another orange fell to the ground. “Is Uncle de Bourgh an expert on windows and craftsmanship? I had no idea he had such an extensive knowledge of the glass trade...” Two more oranges fell to the ground. “How lowly and pedestrian.”
“LOWLY??!! PEDESTRIAN??!!” sputtered Lady Catherine.
“Yes,” David answered calmly with a calculating glint in his eye. “I had no idea he was so… common.”
“CANE!!! CANE!!! BRING ME A CANE!!! YOU WILL BE BEATEN INTO HAVING SOME MANNERS BOY!!!” Lady Catherine screamed while pulling David roughly from the room.
As soon as they heard the shouting travel down the hall, Richard and Darcy slipped out of the dining room and slithered back to the library. Once there, they grabbed two books and opened them so that it would appear that they were reading, however neither could sit still. Both knew how close they had come to being punished themselves and worried about David’s fate. They paced around the room nervously.
“Is there anything we can do?” asked Darcy.
“Without getting caned ourselves? No,” Richard answered with a shake of his head.
“What if we admit what we did?”
“Then three of us would be punished instead of just one.”
Darcy’s shoulders slumped. “It was an accident and it wasn’t his fault.”
“I know,” sighed Richard. “But I don’t think Aunt de Bourgh would care. David really made her angry. Did you see how red her face was?”
Both boys sighed again. Just then, an eight year old Anne came scurrying into the room wide eyed. “Mamma is hitting David!” she exclaimed.
Richard glanced at Darcy before replying in as surprised a voice as he could muster, “Oh?”
“She is hitting him across his hands with a stick! I don’t know what he did, but Mamma struck him three times and asked him if he had seen the error of his ways. He said that if she was finished, he was going to go riding. Then she hit him once more!” she answered breathlessly.
“Did he sound hurt?” asked Darcy.
“No, he sounded bored. I think that’s what made Mamma even madder!”
Richard scowled. “You’d better go Anne. It is probably best if we all pretend like we know nothing of what happened. You should go back to the school room.”
Anne nodded her head and scurried out of the door. As soon as she left the library, the boys snuck up to David’s bedchamber and slipped into the room. Their fears were realized as they watched David gingerly bandage his hands. Blood was seeping through the bandages, though he had wrapped the cloth around several times.
“Don’t you two know how to knock?” David grumbled.
“Did you really have to make her that mad?” asked Richard.
David shrugged and let out a little sigh while continuing to wrap the bandage around his wounds.
After watching him for a moment, it dawned on Darcy. “You did it on purpose, didn’t you? A furious aunt is less likely to question whether you would have thrown an orange through a window by yourself or whether her two younger nephews would!”
“Keep your voice down,” ordered David. “There’s no good that can come from her realizing the truth now.”
Darcy blurted out, “I’m going to tell her what I did!”
“Don’t you dare,” growled David menacingly. “It’s my job to keep you out of harm’s way. I think I succeeded. It was foolhardy for her to keep you two cooped up in the library for three days.” He turned to Darcy and poked him in the chest, “But if you tell that old hag what you did, I will beat you myself.” David glared at both boys for good measure until they looked down at their feet and acquiesced. He then finished wrapping his hands and winced slightly as he began carefully straightening his cravat. With a calm and controlled voice, David instructed, “I’m going riding now. I’ll be gone for at least an hour. Do your best to stay out of trouble whilst I am away. Lady Catherine is in high dudgeon and you don’t want her turning her wrath on you.”
“Riding?!” Richard exclaimed. “You can’t ride! You certainly can’t hold the reigns or control a horse, not with your hands like that.”
“Of course I can,” he calmly replied. “I haven’t ridden Mercury all day. He needs to gallop around for a bit.”
“Richard is right. Please don’t go riding,” urged Darcy. “Mercury is a spirited horse and in your condition, you can’t keep him under tight reign.”
“You both have a lot to learn when it comes to dealing with our favourite aunt. You can never, ever let her think that she has won. If I give in and let her prevent me from riding, then she will have the upper hand. I, for one, will never give her that satisfaction. She is the type of woman who if you back down from once, then you will always be forced to withdraw.”
“She’ll be awfully angry,” Darcy warned.
David smiled, “Mores the better. Less likely that she’ll realize she hasn’t seen either of you all afternoon, don’t you think?” And with that, he walked out of the room and down the hall with a determined air.
Darcy sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
Georgiana reached forward and squeezed her brother’s arm. “You aren’t the only person that David has protected.”
“No?”
“Anne broke one of your toy soldiers and then did away with the evidence, but you accused David of stealing it.” When Darcy looked at her quizzically, she continued. “Anne told me that after you called David to the carpet for stealing your toy, he sought her out and she admitted all. She saw how angry you were and was frightened of what you might do to her. David made her promise never to play with your toys without your permission and then he ordered its replacement from London.”
Darcy scowled. “So I suppose you think he is a man without fault? A paragon of virtue?”
Georgiana smiled indulgently. “A man without fault? Don’t be foolish. I know him too well. Any woman who believes that a man is a ‘man without fault’ doesn’t know him well enough. But it is his faults that I love so well. If not for his faults, he wouldn’t need me… You know, he isn’t so very different from you. He was given good principles, but left to follow them under an excess of family responsibility, obligation, then grief.”
Darcy sighed. He wished he could point out the obvious flaws in his sister’s theories, but under his current state of bewilderment, her reasoned, calm arguments could not be overcome. “And what do you require of me?” he finally sighed.
“Please. Please go to him,” pleaded Georgiana. “He will be reeling from Richard’s distain. Please reassure him that you will do what you can to mend the breach.”
“Georgiana, I don’t know…”
“Yes you do. If you look deep into your heart, you will realize that David doesn’t deserve Richard’s contempt. He may fall short of perfection, but don’t we all? Besides, you may have more to thank David for than just taking a beating or two for you.”
Darcy furrowed his brow and looked upon his sister quizzically.
“Did you never wonder why David did not attend Richard and Elizabeth’s second wedding ceremony?” After Darcy shook his head, Georgiana continued, “David spoke with Richard that morning and tried to prevent the marriage. He told Richard of Elizabeth’s great love and affection for you. It is his meddling that you may thank for your domestic felicity.”
“I never knew…”
“I know. David never wanted you to know. He did not want that example of his character to force you into granting him permission to marry me. Instead, he wanted to win your approbation based on his suitability for my hand… Whether you realize it or not, he would like Richard and your approval.”
“He has a strange way of recommending himself,” grumbled Darcy tetchily.
“David has a terrible stubborn streak and he refuses to lay his private actions out for others to judge. However, his actions are based upon good intentions, no matter how the results may appear. I believe that he hopes that others will have faith that he intends well… Will you consider what I have said before you determine your course of action?”
Darcy nodded and kissed his sister on the cheek. “I will think about all that you have said.”
“Will you go to him now?”
“For your sake, and your sake alone, I will speak to him. However I cannot vouch for what will be said during the interview.” Darcy let a little sigh escape him and then left the room. He wished that he could go back to his townhouse and talk with his wife. Elizabeth always had a higher opinion of David than he had. The new revelations about David’s life did not seem in accordance with what he had come to believe about his cousin. And yet, if I am truly just, I cannot say that his actions are out of character either, Darcy mused.
Chapter 31 ~ The Past Revealed
Posted on Friday, 2 November 2007
It was with gloomy and confused thoughts that Darcy walked to the study and paused at the door, considering what he might say. Not fully sure of himself, but feeling obligated to Georgiana, he knocked on the door. David did not answer, but determined to carry out his sister’s wishes, Darcy entered the room silently. David stood rigidly in the corner of the study, staring out of the window with his hands clasped tightly behind his back. As Darcy watched his cousin, he ruminated that he was once in a similar position...
Georgiana was sitting in the drawing room with Mrs. Annesley doing some needle work when she heard a great commotion at the door. Within twenty seconds, she saw her brother walk by the room on the way to his study.Quickly, she put aside her needlework and rushed to go find him. Upon reaching the closed study door, she knocked.
"Come Georgiana," Darcy replied in an irritated voice.
She entered to see him standing at the window, looking outside. She closed the door, walked to his side, and stared outside as well.
"What are we looking for?" she asked quietly.
Irritated, he replied, "I am not in the humour for jokes."
"I'm not joking. I've never understood why you turn your back on others and stare out of windows," she carefully responded. "Are you looking for answers? Are you trying to see into the future? Or are you trying to hide your emotions from others?"
"Perhaps, a little of each."
David’s voice roused Darcy from his thoughts. “I know what you must think.” His voice was barely above a whisper, and it betrayed an emotion that Darcy could not recall hearing from him before. Is it despair?
Darcy unsuccessfully attempted to keep his accusatory statement neutral. “Do you? I hardly know what to think myself. The revelations of the past hour have been astonishing.”
David turned around and looked Darcy solemnly. “You have every right to despise me. You have every right to blame me. It is through my misdeeds that I find myself in this position. If it is any consolation, I am sorry.”
Darcy looked at his cousin and for the first time saw a wounded vulnerability in his eyes. His face was grim and dark. He looked considerably more worn than he returned from the wedding a few short hours earlier. Darcy hesitated before asking the question that was uppermost in his thoughts. “I have many questions, but the paramount one is this. Why? Why did you keep this secret for all of these years?”
“There isn’t an easy answer.”
“I didn’t expect there to be.”
David sighed, ran his hand through his hair, and turned back to the window. He looked outside for several minutes before speaking so quietly, Darcy could barely hear him. “When Susan died, I was consumed with grief. I wasn’t thinking clearly. Indeed, I did not think clearly for some time. At first, I kept our marriage a secret because I did not want Lady Catherine and those of her ilk lecturing me on the unsuitability of such a match. The loss was too raw and the pain too intense for me to withstand anyone speaking ill of her. As time wore on, I began to see things more clearly, more rationally, but by then, the damage was done... Your father had always urged me to tell you and Richard the truth; however by the time I realized he was right, several years had passed. By then, it seemed too late. Perhaps I was a coward, but it was easier to continue to live a lie than to confess my past and deal with the consequences.”
“Why tell Georgiana then? If it was inappropriate or painful to tell Fitzwilliam or myself, surely it was no less to tell her.”
David shrugged and turned to face his inquisitor. “I have always been an open book to George. Even when she was a child, she could tell my thoughts and moods at a glance. I have no hope of ever keeping a secret from her.”
“And my father?”
“Your father was a widower who loved and mourned his wife. I could see my pain in his eyes. It was much easier to confide in him than in a brother or cousin who were carefree university students, yet to experience true love for the first time let alone its loss.”
“So you chose to live a lie?”
“Yes. While everyone thought I was living the life of a wastrel, spending all of my time and money on Hock and horses, I lived quietly on my small estate in Lincolnshire, serving as guardian to my wife’s younger sister, trustee to her dowry, and tending to Warner properties and interests.”
Darcy’s brows furrowed. “I don’t understand what you hoped to gain. Surely when you married again, you would have to reveal all to your wife.”
David shook his head, “I never intended to marry. I never contemplated it for one minute, until George came back into my life. I fully expected to live out a quiet life alone and let Richard be my heir presumptive.”
“Why marry Georgiana then? Surely you could have continued your life as it had been.”
“I know that you never believed me, but I love her beyond all reason. She is my soul mate, my match. Without her, I am incomplete… When I married Susan, I married for love. After her life ended, I thought all possibility of ever falling in love again died too… Surely you must know that once you have experienced the complete joy of true love, settling for anything less is unfathomable. So I thought I would die alone and had intended that to be my fate. Little did I know that lightening can strike twice and a shattered heart can mend.”
Darcy fell silent as he pondered over the revelations of the past hour. After a few moments, he turned his mind to the second question that had been plaguing him. “What was George Wickham doing here this afternoon?”
David began to pace about the room and spoke in a grave tone, "He contacted me about a week ago claiming that he wanted to discuss some business with me and would like to see George again… We did not want to distress you, but perhaps it is best if you know the truth."
"The truth about what?" gasped Darcy.
"Your sister and Wickham."
Darcy's alarm grew but David halted his questions by raising his hand. "Lieutenant Wickham moved to London three months ago with his regiment. Shortly thereafter, he began writing to George. He claimed that he needed a 'loan' and if she did not give it to him, he would be forced to meet with me and ask for the money. In his letter, he wrote that he hoped he would remember not to tell me about her conduct while at Ramsgate."
Darcy's features began to take on a deep shade of crimson. "I'll call him out!" he seethed.
David stopped his pacing. "Don't worry, dueling will not be necessary. There is always more than one way to handle the likes of him," he said sternly. "You see, George told me of the incident at Ramsgate shortly before we were married. She wanted to confess her act to see if I would still love her... Obviously, I do not blame her for her conduct. It was Wickham who took advantage of the emotions of a young girl. Nonetheless, she feared that her past mistake would live to haunt her and believed that he would try and take advantage of her again... When the letters began arriving, we were hardly surprised. But I will not allow this cloud to hang over George all of her life. Although the amount of the 'loan' was modest, I fear that if we begin paying him… I don't know where it would end."
"So why didn't you tell him to leave? If you know the truth, he can’t threaten Georgiana with it."
"I wanted to make sure she is never bothered by him again. Wickham could try and revenge himself by sullying her name."
"No one will believe him!" cried Darcy.
"True, few will believe him," David answered thoughtfully. "But his manners are engaging enough to win over some. As you know, there are always those who would love to take our family down a peg or two. He could make it difficult for her in society. Newspaper articles would be written. Whispers at the latest assemblies and concerts about Lady Wallingford and her indiscretions. George would be mortified."
As Darcy looked at the ground and shook his head, his shoulders drooped. "You should not have to deal with this," he muttered. "I should have taken better care of her. I am sorry that my failures as a guardian have allowed this all to come to pass."
David scowled back at him. "You are not to blame!” he said forcefully. “You did your best and if you must hold yourself culpable, others are at fault as well. Your father's past prejudices have been proven right. I should have listened. It is through my error in judgment that George has suffered. Your father knew exactly how Wickham would turn out as I did not."
Darcy looked at David astonished. "Whatever do you mean? My father always had the utmost faith in him…"
"No, you are wrong." David looked out the window again and paused, "I promised your father I would never tell you this, but I believe the time for secrecy has ended. I hope he will forgive me…" David began to pace around the room again. "Your father was a very wise man. For many years, I turned to him for guidance and advice. He was my confidant, and I believe I held his trust as well. I promised that I would never discuss this with you, and it is with no small measure of trepidation and guilt that I betray his faith in me. However, I think your father would understand, and I hope he will approve…” David stopped and turned to look Darcy, “Your father hoped, but did not believe, that George Wickham would become a productive, upstanding member of society."
Bewildered, Darcy sputtered, "B-b-but he always had the highest opinion of him."
"He had the highest opinion of the father, not the son.”
"I don't understand,” Darcy shook his head, “No, you cannot be right. Father spent many hours with him, always talking with him. He seemed to enjoy Wickham's company…"
"Your father loved you very deeply. He would do anything to prevent you from falling under the wrong influences. When you were a child, he encouraged you to play with Wickham because he didn't want you to grow up thinking too highly of yourself. He often watched you play outside from the windows of his study and was sincerely pleased when you and George became good friends. He believed that the son of his steward would become as good a man as his father. It was when you were both growing into young men and preparing to attend Cambridge, that your father noticed subtle changes in Wickham's character. He believed the boy had fallen too much under the influence of Mrs. Wickham and her reckless and mercenary nature was becoming evident in the son. Given your close friendship, he feared you would imitate your friend's recklessness. He also grieved that Mr. Wickham might be cursed with a son he could never be proud of. So your father attached himself closely to the young man, hoping that through his friendship he could guide George Wickham into becoming a good and decent man."
Darcy stood still in mute astonishment and let the information he was learning seep into his mind. He looked back on his father's actions with jumbled emotions. He had always been jealous and envious of the easy relationship George Wickham always appeared to have with his father. Though Darcy loved and respected his father greatly, their relationship never went beyond the strict confines of father son. They never laughed together as he had seen his father do many times with Wickham. So many times he had wished that he had revealed more about Wickham's character to his father! Yet now he was discovering that his wishes were in vain. His father had known all along!
"Then if my father had such a low opinion of Wickham, why the secrecy and why the suggestion in the will to give him a living?" Darcy asked.
"He did not want to anger you by making you believe that he had no faith in your character nor offend you by disliking your closest friend. Besides, his fears had not manifested themselves. He thought it best that he never speak to you about his suspicions unless some instance of wrongdoing came to light. I kept his secret all of these years because he never authorized me to speak to you about Wickham and given your knowledge of his habits, I had not thought it necessary to issue any cautions." David paused with a look of distress on his face. "The will was completely my fault," he admitted with great agitation. "When your father was dying, he wrote his last will. After the first draft had been written, he consulted me about the provisions. I noted the absence of a bequest to young Wickham and I discussed it with your father. That was when he told me of his suspicions about Wickham's character. He said that, though he knew of no particular incidents of evil, he thought the young man had a very reckless nature and was not deserving of a gift. I, having never considered Wickham anything other than pleasing, argued with your father on his behalf. I had never witnessed any bad tendencies and without your father knowing of any specific wrongs, I could not see the need to injure him materially. I told your father that he could be wronging an innocent man. As you know, your father's sense of justice could not allow such a charge to go unanswered. Instead of making a specific bequest, he left it as a suggestion that you consider giving Wickham a living when it became vacant. The intention was that if your father was proved right, you would not follow his advice; however if he was wrong, Wickham would have his living. However, we never considered the consequences of such a proposition. We never anticipated Wickham would become so greedy and seek his revenge for not receiving the living by taking advantage of George. I am to blame," David shuddered. "Had I listened to your father, none of this would have come to pass. When I think how much grief my misjudgment caused and what I nearly lost over the whole mess. Darcy, can you ever forgive me? I should have listened to him."
Darcy was stunned. All of these years, all of the doubts and lingering guilt were for naught. Seeing his cousin's anguish, he began to understand the guilt David harboured. "You are not to blame,” Darcy said with more conviction than he felt. “Your only fault was being deceived by Wickham's easy manner and believing the best of him. It is hardly a condemnable fault for thinking well of someone... Besides, Georgiana's dowry was inducement enough; revenge on me was just a secondary motivation. But why further his career?"
David smiled, “I doubt Mr. Wickham will see it as much of a promotion. General Warner is as fierce and as tough of a warrior as they come. And Tom does not suffer fools lightly, especially not those with questionable morals. From the West Indies, there is little Wickham can do to hurt George… And if he even thinks of blackmailing George again, Tom will make life so miserable for him that he will wish he had never heard of the Darcy family or Pemberley.”
“Very clever,” Darcy noted.
“However, we aren’t free of him yet,” David sighed. “Wickham could resign his commission and leave the Army before sailing. Until he is on that boat and far away from us, George is not safe.” David furrowed his brow. “There must be something else I can do.”
Darcy studied his cousin carefully. “You care a great deal for her.”
“She is my life,” David whispered. “How can I rest easy with this threat against her?”
“Wickham won’t quit the Army. He can’t,” said Darcy firmly.
“Whatever do you mean?”
“I mean to say that he cannot quit the Army. He owes too much money. If he does not continue as a soldier, he’ll end up in debtor’s prison.”
“Are you sure? I don’t understand.”
Darcy smiled. “Through my dealings with the scoundrel, I have learned that the only thing he respects is a threat to his liberty. I have kept a very close watch on all of his activities and have a list of merchants that he has given his vowels to. Send an express to General Warner telling him to expect visitors and that I will pledge myself to reimburse him for any expenses that he incurs on Wickham’s behalf. As soon as Wickham arrives in Lincolnshire, he will find that some of the merchants he swindled will be waiting for him. As his aid, General Warner could give him a choice, either go to the West Indies and the General will discharge his debts or go to prison. I have no doubt which one he will choose... I forced him to marry Lydia through a similar tactic. It worked once and it will work again.”
“And I suppose you will purchase his promissory notes in order to insure that they are enforced?” David asked.
“No, I need not go that far. I only need to tell some of the merchants that I heard a rumour that Wickham is attempting to flee the country. Now that I know he will be in Lincolnshire for a few weeks, I will send expresses informing his creditors where he can be found and the name of the man whose command he is under. The rest they will carry out on their own. Wickham will be far too busy convincing his new General to help keep him out of gaols to worry about spreading a few lies about my sister.”
David considered Darcy’s plan carefully. “You are a formidable opponent. Given your skill plotting against your enemies, I am surprised that you did not know of my past.”
“You were never my enemy, David.”
“No?” David said with a look of surprise. “You’ve made a good show of it for these twenty years at least.”
Darcy shook his head and gave a wry smile. “I may not have liked you, but I never hated you.”
“And for that, I will always be grateful.”
“Now as for your brother, that may be another issue.”
David sighed and dropped his head, “I don’t know if there is anything that can be done on that score.”
Darcy walked over and placed his hand on David’s shoulder. “Fitzwilliam isn’t like you or I. He has a more forgiving nature. Give him some time,” he said gently.
“I fear I damaged our relationship beyond amendment.”
Darcy shook his head. “Have a little patience and a lot of faith. I’ll speak to him. Fitzwilliam will see the light. You will be brothers again.”
“Thank you. I pray that you are correct.”
Darcy gave him a small, reassuring smile, “I should go home immediately and begin sending those expresses. The sooner the merchants are banging on the General’s door, the better. Where is his estate?”
“Bramble Hall near Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire.”
Darcy nodded and turned to walk out of the room. As he reached for the doorknob, curiosity got the better of him and he looked back at David. “When we were growing up, did you ever steal my things?”
David looked at him quizzically. “Whatever made you think of that? No, I never did… I suppose it doesn’t matter now, but once, Anne took your soldiers and several times your dogs stole them and buried them outside in the garden. Although I was blamed, I was never the culprit.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Anne was frightened of you. I couldn’t betray her… As for your dogs, I told you not to let them into the house. Any damage they caused was your fault.”
“And pushing Fitzwilliam and I into the lake?”
“I don’t know how you ended up in the lake. I heard a splash and shouting and ran to see if I could assist. It was only coincidence that I arrived right as you and Fitzwilliam struggled to the shore all muddy and scraggly looking. At the time I didn’t know how you ended up being pushed in, but I now suspect George Wickham may have had something to do with it.”
“And stealing the cookies Mrs. Reynolds baked for me?”
David smiled. “You can’t expect me to be a saint, can you? Her gingerbread cookies are irresistible… Besides, I left you one… May I ask to what these questions tend?”
“Merely to the illustration of your character. I am trying to make it out. I have heard such different accounts of you that are the opposite of what I believed that it puzzles me exceedingly.”
David shook his head sadly. “Don’t trouble yourself too much. You and I both know that I have never been blameless. Any misinterpretation of my character has been a result of my actions and mine alone.”
“Georgiana is right, you know,” Darcy said quietly before slipping out of the room. “You take too much upon yourself.”
By the time General Warner and George Wickham arrived in Lincolnshire, Bramble Hall was besieged by creditors demanding satisfaction and threatening to have Wickham hauled away in shackles. After much begging on Wickham’s part, General Warner agreed to take the money that had been pledged by Lord Wallingford to purchase Wickham’s Captaincy, and instead of being promoted, he applied it to the debt. This barely covered a quarter of the amount owed. For the remainder, General Warner paid it in exchange for George Wickham promising to serve under him until he could repay the debt. Within a day, papers were drawn up and signed that made General Warner his only creditor. At first, Wickham was well pleased with the arrangement. The General had offered him exceedingly generous terms. The debt would accrue no interest and his repayment schedule was very easy and lenient. Years later, it would dawn on him that the General had given him just enough rope to hang himself, metaphorically speaking. Because the General did not impose a strict repayment schedule, Wickham was always in hock and at his mercy. In addition, over the years the debt had not reduced because every time that Wickham became indebted to anyone else, the General would find out, repay the amount, and add it to the amount he owed. So Wickham remained shackled to the West Indies, imprisoned by his past.
Epilogue
After Darcy sent his numerous expresses to Wickham’s creditors, he sought out the companionship of his wife. His heart was too full and his mind was reeling. He sought her keen mind and good sense to help him gain his equilibrium again. They sat up in his bedchamber until the early morning hours, Darcy going over every aspect of the day and how his perception of the past had now been altered by the revelations. Elizabeth listened attentively and considered what he said. “Knowledge of his past has certainly made the rationale behind his actions clearer,” she finally replied after some thought.
“How do you mean?”
“I must confess that I’ve never fully understood why you dislike David as much as you do. He has always been kind and solicitous of my family and me. But from us, he did not have a secret to hide. He did not have to play the conjuror and obscure the truth by acting in a manner which would draw our attention away from his secrets. He had nothing to fear from us; therefore he could be the perfect gentleman. With you and Richard, he had much to fear. Because he instilled in you the belief that he was obnoxious and overbearing, you did not question his actions and avoided his company.”
“Surely, he did not have to fear us! We would have supported him,” cried Darcy.
“Would you?” Elizabeth asked softly. “I recall when you asked me to marry you the first time; you dwelt more on the inferiority of my connections and on the degradation our marriage would be than on the tenderness of your affections. How much more of degradation would it be for the Viscount to marry a tradesman’s daughter?”
Darcy’s face crumbled at her truths. “Oh Elizabeth,” he sighed. “How could you ever forgive me?”
Elizabeth opened her arms and wrapping him up in an embrace, demonstrated just how much she had forgiven him.
The next morning, Darcy and Elizabeth called upon David and Georgiana shortly after breakfast. As soon as they arrived at the Townhouse, they were shown into Georgiana’s bedroom where Georgiana was reclining upon the bed and David was sitting in a chair beside it, reading aloud from a book of poetry. Both seemed very glad for the interruption. As Darcy watched his sister interact with her husband, he noticed for the first time how much David doted on her. Has it always been this way, but I have been too blind to see? Or is it that he is more at ease with me now and can reveal his true self? Darcy shook off his thoughts after Georgiana inquired after her nephews.
It was not long before Georgiana, truly bored and annoyed at her confinement and its restrictions, persuaded Darcy and David to leave the room so that she could speak with Elizabeth. No man could understand the hardships she was enduring, thus they were of little use to her when what she wanted most was to express her frustration.
Darcy and David left the ladies to their tête-à-tête and retired to the drawing room downstairs. “I sent out the expresses yesterday. Wickham should have a rude surprise when he arrives in Lincolnshire,” said Darcy after he sat down on a sofa.
“Good,” declared David, plopping down in a chair opposite Darcy. “I sent an express to Tom as well, but under his solicitor’s name, so Wickham won’t suspect. I will not rest completely easy until Wickham has sailed, but with this ammunition, I’m sure Tom will be able to persuade Wickham that the West Indies is a better place for him.” David paused before beginning awkwardly, “I suppose you have heard that Richard and Brenda left.”
“Yes, he called upon us last night. He told us of their intention of leaving London for Scotland at first light.”
David’s shoulders slumped. “He wouldn’t speak to me. He returned to the house several hours after you left, ordered his valet to pack their things, ordered his meals to be served in their rooms, and they left in the morning.”
“Give him time. After he has had some time to adjust to the idea, I will write to him.”
David sighed, shook his head, and put his head in his hands.
Darcy studied his cousin carefully before deciding that he should address another delicate matter. “Richard isn’t the only family member you should be concerned with,” he said quietly.
David looked up, “Oh?”
“Your parents should be informed. While Miss Warner, a tradesman’s daughter living in Lincolnshire, would attract little notice, Lady Sidwell, whose fortune returned Sir Michael to his rightful place in society, will. The ton may get wind of Lady Sidwell’s connection to you. Your parents have a right to prepare themselves.”
David sighed again and nodded. “How do you think I best accomplish this?”
“A letter is out of the question. Such a situation as this requires some delicacy that the post does not provide.”
“Agreed. Will you watch over George while I travel up to Matlock? I doubt I shall be gone for more than three days. I’ll make the trip as quickly as I can.”
“When will you leave?”
“Tomorrow, if George will allow it. Things like this should be done as speedily as can be arranged.”
Darcy hesitated, “This is bound to be a difficult task. Would you like for me to accompany you and provide moral support?”
“No. It is best that only I suffer the consequences. I would not have your name marred because of my actions. And it would relieve my mind greatly if you were here with George in my absence.”
“Then I wish you God’s speed and good luck.”
“Thank you, I will need it.”
As Darcy had foreseen, David’s visit with Lord and Lady Matlock did not go well. He returned three days later depressed and sullen. David had arrived at the estate while his parents were breaking their fast the prior morning. Lord and Lady Matlock had not expected him and were delighted by his arrival. Their happiness did not last long. Convinced that it would be best to make his confession as quickly as possible, David immediately launched into the history of his life for the past seventeen years as soon as the servants left the breakfast room.
David’s parents were shocked by his revelations. That he would hide a marriage to a tradesman’s daughter appalled them. But for Georgiana’s delicate health and the fact that the Matlock estate was entailed upon the heir to the earldom, David would have been thrown out of the house and disinherited immediately. As it was, there was some heated discussion between Lord and Lady Matlock whether David should remove himself from the house and only allow Georgiana to live in it. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and Lord Matlock acquiesced. David could continue to live with his wife. “But once Georgiana and the babe are out of danger, you will remove your carcass from my house, never to be seen in my presence again!” bellowed a red faced Lord Matlock before storming out. With a pale, tear streaked face; Lady Matlock took one last, haunting look at her son, slowly shook her head, and followed her husband out of the room.
It was with a heavy heart that David returned to London. Over the next several weeks, Darcy observed him closely. David was as attentive to Georgiana as ever, but clearly the break with his family weighed heavily upon him. Darcy also took the opportunity to reexamine his past opinion of his cousin in light of his new understanding. While David was always eager to accept full responsibility for Darcy’s past ill opinion, Darcy could not fully acquit himself. He had been quick to blame and slow to forgive. He allowed his past prejudices to blind him to both David’s strengths and weaknesses. With his new understanding, he was able to view David in a more sober light. While Darcy did not have the same warmth of feeling for him as he did Colonel Fitzwilliam, his relationship with David improved considerably.
During this grim period, there was one bright ray of sunshine. Georgiana safely delivered a son, David George Darcy Fitzwilliam, into the world. For as difficult and worrisome the previous months were, the baby’s birth was routine and commonplace. Both mother and child survived the ordeal well, even if the father did not. From the first labour pain until he was able to see his wife again, David had been a wreck. He frantically paced around the drawing room like a caged tiger. Over the hours, his actions became so frenetic, that Darcy feared he’d do himself a harm. Had he not been present, Darcy would have never believed that his cousin could fall so completely to pieces. Darcy went so far as to consider slipping a sleeping draught into David’s drink, but decided against it. One of Darcy’s greatest joys was when the midwife came to tell Darcy that his sons had been born and his family was safe. He could not deny his cousin, no matter how irrationally he acted, the same experience. Thus, Darcy spent twenty hours doing his best to calm his cousin, offering words of comfort and encouragement whenever it seemed appropriate and quelling his urge to tie David to a chair and stuff him into a closet. It was only after he held his son in his arms and heard the soothing voice of his wife tell him that all was well, did David begin to calm himself.
It was upon the birth of Lord and Lady Matlock’s first grandchild and heir, that Darcy saw his chance to act as an emissary and heal the breach. Unbeknownst to David and Georgiana, he traveled to Matlock to personally announce their grandchild’s arrival. Although Darcy was loathed to keep his visit a secret, he did not want to raise David and Georgiana’s hopes falsely. However, he underestimated his power of persuasion and the pull of motherly affection. Lord Matlock’s fondness for his favourite nephew and Lady Matlock’s overwhelming desire to see her first grandchild soon worked its magic. Within a day of his arrival, Lord and Lady Matlock made plans to go to town. Even though Lord Matlock could not yet forgive his son, his nephew successfully argued that his son’s failings should not cause the Matlocks to publicly shun their son and cause disgrace upon Georgiana and their grandson. Thanks to Darcy’s intervention, the family difficulties remained private and the Fitzwilliams presented a united public front. Privately, Lord Matlock never completely forgave his son, however he kept most of his misgivings to himself for the sake of his niece and grandchildren, all of whom he loved excessively.
Repairing relations with Colonel Fitzwilliam took a great deal more effort and time. But as Darcy predicted, Richard’s temper cooled and he eventually forgave his brother. Within six months of the baby’s birth, Richard traveled to Lincolnshire to visit the family at Clifton Manor and meet his nephew. He also announced that he would be a father within two months. Six weeks later, David travelled to Tanglewood, Richard’s estate in Scotland, to support his brother during his wife’s delivery. It was over the seventeen hours of waiting for the baby’s arrival that the brothers finally buried old grievances and their friendship began anew.
Over the years, the Darcys became frequent guests at Clifton Manor and Darcy’s opinion of his cousin continued to improve. Darcy found that David was a kind and thoughtful master, liberal with the poor, and held in high esteem by the neighborhood. There was one period that Darcy could not admire David’s actions however. Whenever Georgiana was with child, David reverted to being a nervous, over-protective “ogre” (Georgiana’s words). It was during these times that Darcy received pleading letters from her begging for his assistance during her confinement. David could never face Georgiana’s lying in calmly, and while she never had the difficulties with her later five children that she had with her first, David could not overcome his fears. Only Darcy could begin to manage and moderate David’s behaviour. Unfortunately, there was one lying in period where Darcy could not assist his sister as her confinement coincided with Elizabeth’s. Darcy answered his sister’s pleading letter with a long apology and a case of brandy. She did not appreciate the humour of his suggestion.
When the children grew a little older, an annual invitation was issued forth from Rosings Park to the Darcy and Fitzwilliam broods for Easter and summer visits. Anne Blackwood née de Bourgh was never able to bear children, thus was exceptionally attached to all of her nieces and nephews. She and Peter were never happier than when Darcy and Elizabeth’s seven children, David and Georgiana’s six children, and Richard and Brenda’s six children all visited. One summer, all nineteen cousins and the two Bingley children visited at once. While Uncle and Aunt Blackwood were delighted, there were several vacancies within the Rosings staff. Muttering something about Bedlam, one of the upper maids left within two nights of the children, their governesses, their nurses, their maids, and their pets arriving for the summer. However, the louder the ruckus, the more pleased Aunt Blackwood seemed to be. Denied a happy, loud, and riotous childhood, Anne was overjoyed to partake in the children’s high spirited fun.
There was only one storm cloud building in the distance that disrupted familial harmony. Bennet Fitzwilliam, the eldest cousin, and the Honourable David Fitzwilliam, the future Earl of Matlock and Viscount Wallingford, did not often see eye to eye. The overbearing manner of the elder cousin often grated on young David.
“History is repeating itself,” Darcy said to David one day after observing another row between the cousins while the Fitzwilliams were visiting Pemberley. A disagreement had erupted regarding the proper way to catch a fish and a streamside shouting match ensued. Darcy and David hearing the commotion from inside the house went outside to uncover the nature of the distress.
“Is there anything that can be done?” asked David.
“Other than Bennet should act more like a gentleman and less like a brute?” replied Darcy in a mildly annoyed tone.
“Or my son not arguing and instead listening to his older and wiser cousin?”
“Wiser? I wouldn’t go that far.”
“Well brute is a bit harsh don’t you think?”
Darcy and David looked at each other for a moment. “Brandy or Whiskey?” asked Darcy.
“Brandy,” said David and they both returned to the house.
The End (for now)