Chapter 15

Georgiana’s Sitting Room

Netherfield

“Oh, thank you, brother,” Georgiana said, gazing fondly at the filigree hair comb in her hands, made delicately with silver, with several pearls pleasingly arranged to catch the eye. “It is beautiful.”

“I hope it suits you,” Darcy said with some uncertainty. He was not in the habit of purchasing jewelry for ladies.

“It does, very much,” she replied, and rose to place it carefully on a nearby table. She then walked over to open a drawer on the desk and pulled out a piece of thick paper. “I fear that my own St. Nicholas gift is far simpler, but…”

She held out the paper, and Darcy looked down and felt his breath catch in his throat. “Oh Georgiana, it is beautiful.”

The sketch, which Georgiana had obviously labored over for some time, depicted Pemberley from the southwest, showing the stables and west wing of the great mansion, along with fences and a large pool of water.

“Thank you,” she said, turning pink.

“Did you draw this from memory or…”

“I made some sketches while at home and brought them with me.”

“It really is marvelous,” he said warmly and pulled her into an embrace. For a moment they stood together, arms around each other, brother and sister, orphans, the last of the Darcys.

“Are you enjoying your time here at Netherfield?” Darcy asked, releasing his hold and stepping backwards. “If not, please do not hesitate…”

“Oh, I like it very much!” Georgiana interrupted. “Indeed I like it so much more than Town. It is exceedingly clean and fresh and far quieter! I have been sleeping so well, so peacefully. I am overjoyed to be here!”

“Because Mr. Bingley is safely engaged,” he commented in an amused tone.

“Precisely. Furthermore,” and here, the girl lowered her tone a little, “it is far easier staying in the same house with Miss Bingley when she cannot follow me around.”

This provoked a laugh from her brother, and she blushed in embarrassment. “I am sorry, Brother. I suppose that was unkind.”

“If you are inclined to be unkind, then I confess I am as well. I too enjoy being able to walk away from Miss Bingley whenever needed.”

She smiled in relief at these words and then, after a moment of cogitation, asked timidly, “Am I correct that she wishes to marry you?”

“Yes,” her brother replied, and his lips twisted. “Not, of course, because she cares at all for me, but because of the Darcy name, and the Darcy connections, and the Darcy wealth. I would never marry her, but she refuses to accept that.”

“I am glad you will not marry Miss Bingley; for all her outward friendliness toward me, I do not like her. She speaks so unkindly about others, which makes me uncomfortable.”

Darcy felt a stab of guilt at this; he had been proud and above his company when he first came to Netherfield, and his demeanor had doubtless encouraged Miss Bingley to act as if she were far better than the local families. In truth, Miss Jane Bennet was higher ranked than Miss Bingley; the Bingley fortune came from trade, and the Bennets had been landed for many generations.

“I do like the Bennets, all of them, very much,” Georgiana mused, taking a seat on the small couch near the fire and patting the place beside her. “They have made me feel so comfortable.”

Darcy obediently sat down and regarded his sister curiously. “All the Bennets? Even the younger two?”

“Yes, all of them. Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia included me in their conversation, and Miss Mary asked me about music, and Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth told me how I could best help them with the crates for the tenants. Why, do you not like the Bennets?”

Georgiana wore a troubled look on her face, and he said quickly, “I do like them, very much, though the younger two are rather livelier than is considered proper for young ladies.”

His sister considered this and then nodded. “They were louder than I am used to, but I did not mind; it meant I did not feel any need to fill any gaps in the conversation. It was also great fun filling the crates.”

“Was it?”

“Yes. When I am visiting friends and relatives and acquaintances, I am expected to talk about society gossip and eligible young men and my accomplishments. Yesterday we were working toward a mutual goal focused on others, not ourselves. Moreover, I suppose one day I might marry a landed gentleman, and before yesterday, I knew nothing about the details of Boxing Day and how to assist the servants and tenants! I do think Miss Bennet will be a wonderful mistress of Netherfield. She and Miss Elizabeth talked about the different families and how old the children were, and they were determined that the little presents matched the age and gender of the children. It was charming, and I felt so very comfortable.”

Darcy regarded his sister in wonder. Georgiana had not spoken so much at a time for many months, since before Ramsgate. It seemed that the Bennets were casting a spell over his gentle sister – even the youngest Misses Bennet, who had always been flirtatious and forward. It was another reminder that first impressions were not always correct. He had disdained both girls from the beginning of his acquaintance with them, concluding that they were vain, ignorant, bold, and idle. It appeared that they too had hidden depths.

Based on the wrinkle in Georgiana’s smooth brow, he had been silent too long. “I am glad,” he said. “It is admirable that Miss Bennet cares about the needs of the estate, and kind of her sisters to help.”

Georgiana nodded enthusiastically. “Indeed, I think I would far prefer to marry into a family like the Bennets – not them specifically of course, as they have no brothers, but I mean I would sooner have a husband who truly cares about the land than a man about town whose only interest is his horses or his gambling.”

“That is wise, my dear,” Darcy replied, putting an arm out to pull her closer. “I have no doubt that when the time comes, you will find a man who is an honorable master of an estate and appropriately connected for a daughter of Pemberley.”

Georgiana turned to stare up into his face in confusion. “Connected? In what way?”

Darcy took a moment to gather his thoughts and then said, “Well, my dear, our mother was the daughter of an earl, and our father’s family was very distinguished. It is expected that you will marry a man with excellent connections. You deserve no less. You are positioned far higher in society than the Bennet ladies, whose father is but a country squire, whose estate is entailed away from the female line, whose mother is the daughter of a solicitor. You are also wealthy and accomplished. There are many gentlemen, and even nobles, who will vie for your hand.”

“But …” Georgiana began, and then turned to face the fire.

“But?” Darcy prompted.

“I worry that if I am only permitted to marry a man of high connections, I may never find anyone I truly like and admire.”

“Our mother and father loved and respected one another, and both were people of rank.”

“Yes, I know, but…”

He waited, puzzled, until she faced him to say, “Brother, I realize I am very young, and based on my behavior at Ramsgate, not particularly wise…”

“That was not your fault. That was Wickham’s fault, and Mrs. Younge’s.”

She smiled gratefully and continued, “It seems to me that if we – oh, it is difficult to put this into words. If you and I set aside a possible spouse because of poor connections, it will limit our future ability to be happy. I have spent substantial time with the daughters of the nobility, and the highborn ladies of the gentry. We speak of accomplishments, and music, and who is coming out, and clothing, but never – never – about the needs of those people under our care. I know you do not wish to marry Miss Bingley because she cares only about her social position. Is it not equally worrisome to marry a woman whose only interest in you is your lineage and fortune? Would it not be better to marry a generous, hard working woman like Miss Bennet, who is a gentleman’s daughter, even if her mother has ties to trade?”

Darcy stared at her, open-mouthed, and for a tantalizing moment, Elizabeth Bennet’s winsome face and tantalizing figure flashed across his vision.

“Unless you plan to marry Cousin Anne?” Georgiana continued, her brow lowering.

“You do not like Cousin Anne?”

“I do not know her well at all, as she is even quieter than I am. I do not like Lady Catherine, though, and dislike the idea of her becoming an even closer relation than she already is.”

Darcy considered this thoughtfully; he knew that Lady Catherine wished for him to marry his Cousin Anne, who was heiress to the great estate of Rosings in Kent. He had never been particularly excited about the match, to the point that he was nearly thirty, and Anne was five and twenty, and he had not made an offer.

But he had, subconsciously, always assumed that he would marry, if not Anne, another woman of wealth, privilege, and rank. But Georgiana was correct that he would not wish for a wife who was merely concerned with his money and status.

“You have given me much to think of, my dear,” he said, planting a kiss on her shining blonde hair, provoking a happy blush.

“I am glad, Brother.”

/

Meryton Church

8th December, 1811

Sunday

The Meryton church was not as elegant or elaborate as the churches in Town, but it was sturdy and had stood the weathering of time. The heavy oak pew barely creaked as Darcy sat down, with Georgiana, the Hursts, and Bingley straggling in a line down the Netherfield pew. Georgiana had skillfully placed her brother between herself and Louisa Hurst, Mr. Hurst sat on the other side of his wife, and at the far end of the pew, pressed to the side, sat Bingley.

Darcy watched as the church slowly filled with local gentry and shopkeepers and tenants from the nearby estates and a handful of red-coated militiamen. The Bennets hurried into their pew opposite the Netherfield pew, and Jane Bennet sat at the very end and smiled brightly across at her fiancé. Bingley’s head was turned away toward the aisle, but Darcy had no doubt he was beaming just as joyously.

Darcy acknowledged to himself that Miss Bennet looked especially beautiful today. Periwinkle looked lovely on her, highlighting her delicate blonde hair and deep blue eyes. The demure pearls in her ears and simple silver cross around her neck were flattering and eminently appropriate for a young lady not yet married.

But in his mind Miss Elizabeth, seated on Miss Bennet’s other side, looked even more handsome. She wore a yellow dress with a green overdress, and her straw bonnet was adorned with only a few saffron ribbons. But she seemed to glow like sunlight, he thought, studying the brown of her hair against her gown and her bonnet and the way her eyes sparkled.

Mr. Allen, the rector of the parish, took his place at the pulpit and proclaimed the Collect , “ Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.Amen. ”

“Amen,” Darcy murmured along with the rest of the congregation, and everyone sat down except for the rector who adjusted his spectacles, glanced at the paper in his hands, and then looked over those present with a benevolent smile. “I publish the Banns of marriage betweenMr. Charles Bingley of Kensington and Miss Jane Bennet of Meryton. If any of you know cause or just impediment why these two persons should not be joined together in Holy matrimony, ye are to declare it. This is the second time of asking.”

There was a stir from the surrounding congregation, and a sibilant whisper of, “Only a little more than a week, my dear Jane,” from Mrs. Bennet, which provoked a slight giggle from Georgiana.

Mr. Allen smiled approvingly and turned his attention to the Book of Common Prayer sitting on the lectern.

“Now, the Epistle for this, the second Sunday of Advent, from the book of Romans.”

“Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus, that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…”

Darcy’s mind drifted, and he pulled it back with an effort, chastising himself. Rarely did he have trouble focusing; indeed, it had long been a point of pride that he could concentrate on even the most boring task, not that he found church services generally dull. He had in fact been the envy of many of his peers at Cambridge for his studious dedication and the resulting accolades from the dons, and he had always applied himself to listening and studying the scriptures while at church.

And yet, for the last few days, his ability to focus had been seriously disrupted. His conversation with Georgiana kept going around and around in his mind. He had been startled and shocked by her cavalier attitude towards what they both owed the Darcy name. But what he found even more surprising was his own inability to argue her points, though he was still certain that connections were vitally important! They were, after all, what allowed one to move through Society easily. He had known all of his life that he would one day marry a woman of equal or greater societal footing than himself, with an abundance of beauty and wealth to recommend her; a bride truly worthy of a Darcy.

And yet, despite this assumption, he remained unwed, with not a single woman of the ton attracting him. At every society party he attended, he found himself bored and irritated as beautiful, accomplished, well-connected women threw themselves at him in vain bids to acquire his own wealth, standing, and advantageous relatives. He had coldly discouraged and rejected them all, complacent in his vague imaginings of some nebulous woman who had all their advantages but added to them a sound mind, a sharp wit, and an affection for him quite apart from his position in society.

Then along came Elizabeth Bennet. She was not highly born, her wealth was nonexistent, her connections execrable. Yet her mind was quicker than many – if not most – of his acquaintances, her wit keener, her eyes brighter and finer than those of any other woman he had seen. Never had she flirted with him, his own prideful delusions notwithstanding, and had not paid a lick of attention to his wealth despite her own precarious position and her mother’s overt wishes. Indeed she had despised and disdained him, rightfully offended by his slight of her at the Meryton assembly where they first met.

Now he dared to think that they were, perhaps, friends; that perchance their arch conversations were as playful and lighthearted as he had always assumed. But she gave no indication of a desire to deepen their friendship into anything more; she remained entirely disinterested in pursuing him, even as his admiration for her grew. She was an exemplary sister and daughter, he knew firsthand, and she had won sweet Georgiana’s rare approval. No doubt she would be an equally excellent wife.

It was an outrageous thought – utterly absurd. He had a responsibility to Georgiana, after all, even if she did not understand that. Their mother was dead, and thus it was absolutely necessary that Darcy wed a woman conversant with the ways of the ton in London, who could shepherd his sister through parties and gatherings, who was well-connected and could smooth over any slight contretemps.

Elizabeth Bennet’s family was, alas, not appropriate at all. For all that the younger Misses Bennet had shown improved behavior of late, they had still been loud and vulgar and shameful at the Netherfield ball. And as for Mrs. Bennet, she had shown no improvement whatsoever! No, no, it was ridiculous.

No matter how much he might wish it otherwise.

His eyes wandered back across the aisle. Miss Elizabeth appeared to be listening intently, her own gaze fastened on the pulpit. She was so beautiful, so fascinating, so different. At this very moment, Miss Elizabeth turned her head toward Darcy, and their eyes met, prompting Darcy’s chest to constrict as he quickly turned his eyes towards the rector.

If things were different, Darcy thought, he could fall in love with Miss Elizabeth Bennet rather easily.