The Darcy Cousins (38 page)

The Darcy party entered the parlour to find Mrs Moffet sewing industriously. Georgiana noticed that it was the same piece of embroidery--a cushion--that she had been working on during the picnic. She had only paid attention then because the drawing depicted a swan standing in the grass, with a background of pine trees, which was unusual. Mrs Moffet appeared to have stalled on the neck, for the head was still a blank.

Georgiana asked her if she was working on a set, for surely it could not be the same one.

"I see you have caught me out, Miss Darcy," said Mrs Moffet with a quick glance to make sure no one overheard. "I will tell you a secret, but you must promise not to reveal it to another soul."

Her cheeks were suffused with pink.

"Of course not, Mrs Moffet," said Georgiana.

"I believe you will not, for you seem to be a very nice kind of young lady." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "The fact is, I never really learned the art of embroidery. My mother never knew how either. Yet it is such a genteel occupation," she said leaning closer to Georgiana. "I practise it for the sake of my daughter, because no-one will believe that she is accomplished in embroidery 346

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unless they saw me embroidering as well. Athena, of course, is very accomplished at it, since I expressly hired a seamstress that could teach her. But my stitches are so very bad, you know--so horridly cramped and uneven--that I am always forced to undo them whenever I go home, and I never seem to progress any farther."

"Are you sure you are not too much of a perfectionist, Mrs Moffet?" said Georgiana. "It seems to me the part you have finished is very well done indeed."

"Oh, that is Athena's work," said Mrs Moffet. "It is very fine, is it not? It was she who did the work you see, and I am trying my best to finish it, but it is taking so very long." Mrs Moffet regarded the swan's neck sorrowfully. "I wish I could go faster," she added with a sigh.

"You must not capture all Miss Darcy's attention, Mama," said Mr Moffet, who had just finished ordering their food with Darcy and Robert. "There are others who wish to speak to her, you know."

Mrs Moffet laughed. "Very well," she said, "I will not stand in your way." And in a quick whisper she added, "I think my son is quite taken with you, Miss Darcy. You are a lucky lady indeed!"

The luncheon that was served was tasty enough, even if it did not include eel pie. Georgiana, however, found that she was not very hungry. Her stomach churned, and she could not get the scene in the storeroom at the inn out of her mind. She was forced to pay attention to Mr Moffet, who was certainly making every effort to capture her interest. She listened to him with half an ear.

"You are not quite yourself today, Miss Darcy," he said, finally, showing more insight than she would have expected.

"I am sorry, Mr Moffet. I do not feel quite well."

"Perhaps a little fresh air might do you some good," said Mrs 347

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Moffet. "Why don't I take the young ladies for a little walk outside while the gentlemen have their port?"

Miss Moffet jumped up readily enough, and Georgiana and Clarissa had little choice but to join her.

"The view is most agreeable by the river," said Mrs Moffet. "It was such a pity, Miss Darcy, that you were forced to go home that day, for the others had the most wonderful time."

Georgiana did not wish to be reminded of that day, for it brought home most miserably the image of Gatley as he had been then. He had seemed so kind and so caring. Who would have thought that he was so ready to betray her?

They set out to walk, and Miss Moffet chattered for a while about her experiences of the Season, and her latest dress, and how successful it had all been. She kept up a continuous stream of chatter for a few minutes, and Georgiana made every effort to respond. She could not help feeling that Miss Moffet wanted to say something else entirely.

"This may have come as a surprise to you," said Miss Moffet, her voice changing suddenly as she abandoned the chatter. "But I have reason to believe Mr Channing is planning to ask me to marry him. I would not blame you at all if you do not believe me, for I know Channing has been a most shocking flirt. Those who do not know him may misinterpret his flirtations as a sign of interest. In fact, I have often warned him about it. But he insists that he means no harm by it." She sighed. "Men, you know."

She seemed to assume they understood what she meant, but she made no attempt to explain. In the silence that followed, Georgiana wondered if she should explain that she was no longer interested in Channing but could think of no tactful way of saying it.

"I have known Channing for the longest time," said Miss Moffet, 348

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breaking into the silence. "We have grown up together. I know he means nothing by it, for even when he singles out anyone particular for his attention, it does not last long. He will marry me, you know."

"Of course he will marry you, my dear," said Mrs Moffet. "I already told Miss Darcy so."

"I wish you luck, Miss Moffet, if that is the case," said Georgiana.

"And I as well," said Clarissa warmly. "As long as he can make you happy."

"I am glad you understand, for I would not wish you to be hurt by him. He can be quite careless at times."

"Thank you for the warning," said Georgiana. A thought occurred to her, and she suddenly wanted an answer. "You say you have known Mr Channing a long time. How about Mr Gatley?

Have you known him as well?"

"Yes," said Miss Moffet. "I have known him almost as long.

They used to be boys together. Channing was forever getting into trouble, and Gatley was forever saving him." She frowned at the memory. "He felt sorry for Channing, you see. Channing's father was never there, and when he did come from India, he made it clear he far preferred Gatley over Channing--his own son! It was not Gatley's fault, of course, but it was an uncomfortable situation to be in, especially since Channing was quite jealous. And--I hate to say this, for he will be my father if I marry Percy Channing--but the older Mr Channing is quite a brute. I hope he does not decide to come back." She paused, reflecting on this. "I will certainly make sure we do not live under the same roof."

"You most certainly will not!" said Mrs Moffet. "Your father and I will see to it, I can assure you."

"Anyway, all this was a very long time ago," said Miss Moffet,

"and now it is quite the other way. Channing is the favourite of 349

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society and adored by all the ladies, while Gatley is--well, you know Gatley. He makes little effort to draw attention to himself.

Channing says he could have all the ladies too, if he took the trouble, but he is too conscious of his own worth to do so. Channing does not need to make the effort. He attracts all the ladies to him; he cannot help it."

Her tone was laced with pride, as if it was something that reflected well on her .

Georgiana could not help but feel sorry for her and was fervently glad that at least she no longer cared anything for Channing.

Not that she had fared much better with Gatley. Clearly they were both a lost cause. She had never met with a more self-righteous person than Mr Gatley. And at this point, she hoped never to set eyes on him again.

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Chapter 27

The season was really drawing to its conclusion now.

Napoleon was exiled to St Helena, and the celebrations of Wellington's victory were long over. The young debutantes' fates had been decided; they were either to marry, in which case they were successful, or they were to return next Season to a more desperate round of balls and soirees.

August the twelfth came and went, and London emptied out as hunting parties and house parties were arranged or as members of Society returned thankfully to the quiet of their country estates.

The two Darcy families also prepared to remove north to Derbyshire, with the as yet unmarried debutantes in tow.

"We have not even received any proposals," said Clarissa. "We really are the most unmitigated failures."

Georgiana felt very much a failure. Her spirits were most depressed, for she had invested a great deal of hope not in one young gentleman but in two. Three, if one considered Wickham as well.

Perhaps she was not meant to marry. Not every woman in England married. There were many who did not. It seemed she was destined to be one of them.

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"I shall be very glad to leave," she replied. "I have come to dislike London."

Clarissa considered this. "I do not dislike London. But I must admit, the Season did not quite live up to my expectations. There was something--hollow about it."

There was certainly something hollow about it. Georgiana had never felt so empty and drained of all energy as she felt now. She would be glad to go back home to Pemberley. Perhaps, with any luck, she would convince her brother to forgo the idea of a Season for her altogether.

The knocker on the front door rapped harshly, then rapped again and again, so insistently that Georgiana was tempted to open it herself.

"Whoever could be knocking in that insistent fashion?" said Elizabeth, going to the window. "I do hope Hibbert will answer soon, or the knocker will break," said Elizabeth.

The rapping ceased, though it was doubtful that the reason was a broken knocker. The appearance of Hibbert, the Butler, confirmed that the knocker was still intact. Hibbert struggled to maintain his dignity while a familiar form did everything he could to push past him.

"Mr Collins," intoned Hibbert, conveying the full force of his disapproval in the two words.

"I am very sorry to intrude on you in this manner, cousin Elizabeth, Miss Darcy. I specifically asked to speak to Mr Darcy,"

he said, "but I was shown in here instead."

"Mr Darcy is busy with his man of affairs. He will join us presently. Would you like some tea?"

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It was readily apparent that Mr Collins would not have liked tea, as he had something of importance to impart. But he was in the impossible situation of having to wait for Mr Darcy. So he smiled as agreeably as his impatience would allow him and remarked that refreshments would be very welcome, as he had been on the road for a long time.

"I hope you left everyone well, Mr Collins. Charlotte and the little one are in good health?" enquired Elizabeth, after the tea things had been brought in.

"Yes, yes," he replied, rubbing his hands together, "It is exceedingly kind of you to enquire. My dear Charlotte does well, and she sends her greetings."

"And Lady Catherine?" said Georgiana, handing him a cup.

"Did you also leave her well?"

The impact of these words upon Mr Collins was profound.

His teacup clattered in its saucer, splattering tea onto his hand. He plonked everything down onto the table, took out a large handkerchief, and proceeded to wipe his fingers fretfully.

"You have guessed everything, Miss Darcy. I knew I could not hide the news for very long. This is precisely what brought me to London in such haste, and may I add, at great expense--but I do not count that, when it concerns my saintly benefactress, for considering what she has done for me--her kind attentions, her invitations to Rosings, her condescension, the improvements she made to my humble home--I could not have wished for a more generous and affable patroness--"

He would have continued his effusions for a while longer had Elizabeth not interrupted him.

"But tell us, Mr Collins, you really must--has something happened to Lady Catherine?"

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Mr Collins did not appreciate the interruption. For a moment he wondered whether his clerical office allowed him to reprimand her for her discourtesy and considered what could be his best course of action. Fortunately the entrance of Mr Darcy saved him from making a decision which could have only earned him a problem.

A sombre bow provided the prelude for his words. "My humble apologies, Mr Darcy, for intruding on you in this unexpected manner. Were it not for the grim nature of my errand, I would never have presumed to arrive without prior notice."

"Everything is well at Rosings, I trust?"

"Alas," said Mr Collins, quite overcome, "I have bad tidings to impart--I can assure you that nothing would have made me so uncivil as to intrude on your presence without notice--but when even dear Charlotte advised me to make haste--"

His apologies continued at such length that Mr Darcy was obliged to interrupt.

"Yes, yes, that is all very well," said Mr Darcy, "but I hope you will come to the point. Is my aunt taken ill?"

Accepting the interruption from Mr Darcy--who was after all the nephew of Lady Catherine--Mr Collins wrung his hands in distress.

"You cannot imagine what she has had to endure, all these weeks, waiting for news of That Person."

"You mean Miss de Bourgh," said Darcy coldly.

"That is precisely the difficulty, Mr Darcy. For Lady Catherine has recently received information regarding That Person . She has sailed to America." He waited for a reaction, but when there was none he continued. "I have never in my life heard anything more shocking. Lady Catherine has taken it ill, very ill indeed. It is obvious now that That Person left of her free will, and that she 354

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has no intention of returning to the bosom of her family. Lady Catherine was quite prostrate with the news. She wrote immediately to her solicitor and arranged to disown her. Her ladyship will do everything in her power to sever any connection with such a wicked, disobedient girl, and has decreed that That Person's name may no longer be mentioned. You understand now why I cannot call her by her name, for it would go expressly against my exalted patroness's wishes."

"I am sorry to hear that Lady Catherine has been the recipient of such bad news," said Mr Darcy, "and I thank you for bringing it to me, but it was hardly necessary for you to post down to London to inform me in person. An express would have sufficed."

Mr Collins bowed deeply at this and expressed his humble gratitude that he was able to be of service to such an illustrious person as Mr Darcy.