What Would Mr. Darcy Do? (4 page)

Yours, etc.

Georgiana Darcy

Elizabeth wished she could be as certain as Miss Darcy. She wondered how much of Georgiana’s enthusiasm for her brother’s esteem of her arose from wishful thinking on her part rather than from anything he might have said, and these painful thoughts led to a tearful retreat to her room, where she found comfort in holding Darcy’s handkerchief.

That night she decided to open her heart to Jane. She started by telling her about meeting Darcy at Pemberley, and their several meetings there. Jane was perhaps less surprised by parts of this than Elizabeth had anticipated, having already concluded from a variety of evidence that her sister was concealing a great deal.

“You never mentioned seeing Mr. Bingley on your journey, then, the day he first arrived back at Netherfield, you said that you had thought him still at Pemberley,” said Jane. “And you never said anything about Miss Darcy either, and then she was suddenly a regular correspondent. I still owe all my information of your acquaintance with her to another source.”

“There are parts of the story, though, that Mr. Bingley would not be able to relate to you, which will perhaps explain why I have been so reticent. But I must warn you, this will not reflect well on me, and you are likely to be shocked and disappointed.”

Jane promptly reassured her dear Lizzy that nothing could change her high opinion of her, but she did prove to be somewhat shaken when Elizabeth told her of her encounter with Darcy after receiving the news of Lydia’s elopement. However, a moment’s reflection allowed her to find a point of view which rendered near guiltless all of the people of whom she was so determined to think well. She earnestly explained to Elizabeth that clearly she had not been herself at the time, owing to the severe shock of Lydia’s behavior; Mr. Darcy, of whom it was now a matter of anxiety to think well, was perhaps distressed beyond himself by the prospect of losing Elizabeth for a second time. Her poor aunt and uncle had no doubt been overwhelmed by the simultaneous problems of their two nieces.

Elizabeth had to laugh at this picture. “Dear Jane, you cannot have us all so clear of conscience, I am afraid. That Mr. Darcy and I were both in distress I will grant you, and it might possibly excuse our initial encounter, but the second must simply be put down to bad behavior on both of our parts. And I do not believe the Gardiners were overly distressed about the outcome; they came out of the entire episode thinking so highly of Mr. Darcy that they are now his greatest advocates.”

“But Lizzy, how distressed you must have been about all of this! Whatever will you do when you see him again?”

“I believe that a wide range of options are possible. Being civil seems a possibility, though hiding or running away in a panic might be more appropriate. Or, if all else fails, I could always behave badly again.”

An earnest entreaty to be serious had the desired effect, and the next hour was spent in conversation.

***

It did not take long for Elizabeth’s natural high spirits to begin to reassert themselves after this event, and she soon seemed restored to her usual teasing, cheerful self. She was able to reply to Miss Darcy with a newsy account of Jane and Bingley’s happiness. If sometimes she seemed to be taking longer walks than usual, or on occasion a shadow seemed to pass behind her eyes, no one but Jane seemed to notice. If from time to time she put her hand over her pocket where a particular handkerchief lay, no one could attach a meaning to it. By the time Georgiana’s next letter arrived, Elizabeth felt prepared to read it with a tolerable degree of composure, if not necessarily the degree of inward calm she would prefer.

Dear Miss Bennet,

It is always a pleasure to hear from you, but I must admit the arrival of your letters is becoming quite a source of entertainment in itself. My brother thinks I do not notice how he watches for the post now, but how could I miss the way he hovers in an agony of suspense over me when I read your letters until I finally take pity on him and allow him to read for himself, and then he spends no less than half an hour admiring your letter, for it cannot possibly take him so long to read it! It is a shock to see Fitzwilliam act in such a distracted way, he is usually so dignified. If I had your courage, I should tease him about it, but as it is, I can only hope you do not keep him in suspense for too long, as I wonder how he will survive it!—I hope you do not mind my teasing you a little on this matter; you are far less intimidating than my brother can be, and I must tease someone!—I am so pleased for Mr. Bingley and your sister; Fitzwilliam says they have been in love for a long time so I know they deserve all of their happiness. Of course we shall be there for the wedding! I am so looking forward to meeting your family, especially your sisters. I hope they will like me! Please do tell me more about them; I feel that I am getting to know them already!

Yours etc.,

Georgiana Darcy

Elizabeth had to re-read this letter several times before she could take in its contents. She could hardly believe Miss Darcy’s description of her brother, yet it was inconceivable that the shy, quiet girl would invent such a story. It was delightful to see Georgiana begin to express herself with more confidence, but could it be true that Mr. Darcy still held so active an interest in her, and made no effort to disguise it? Her heart hammered at the thought.

She thought long and carefully before crafting her reply.

Dear Miss Darcy,

I am impressed at the progress you are making in your ability to tease if you can already even consider teasing your brother! But I will be happy to give you further instruction in how to proceed, since Mr. Darcy is certainly in need of a great deal of teasing. If your brother is again watching you as you read this, be sure to give an occasional gasp, and to say “Oh, no” from time to time, or perhaps “she couldn’t possibly!” Then, when he asks you what is the matter, explain that you could not possibly tell him, since the letter is full of secrets that I have begged you to hold in confidence. Then, if he keeps asking, you may tell him that he may perhaps read the last few sentences, but only if he
promises
not to look at the rest of it. You may, of course, choose to elaborate on these ideas if you feel inspired!

Elizabeth continued the letter with news of the household, then impulsively added an invitation to Georgiana to visit at her home for a week or two before the wedding if she wished to discover what it was really like to have so many sisters.

She was very pleased with this letter, feeling it struck a delicate balance between acknowledging Georgiana’s points without putting any overemphasis on Mr. Darcy’s behavior.

Georgiana’s reply came a few days later with an enthusiastic acceptance of the invitation to visit. For once, she barely mentioned her brother, which disappointed Elizabeth until she turned to the second page and saw, underneath Georgiana’s signature, several lines written in a firm hand which she knew well from her many perusals of Mr. Darcy’s letter to her at Hunsford. Her heart beating quickly, she jumped ahead to read the postscript:

My dear Miss Bennet, I certainly hope you had as much enjoyment in crafting your last letter as my sister had in reading it, although I, as the proposed victim, must admit to a certain trepidation if you continue to encourage Georgiana in this manner. Thank you for making her laugh; she still does it too rarely. I look forward to seeing you again next month, even if you and Georgiana have had some days together in advance to plot my downfall—I shall attempt to face it with dignity. As ever, yours, FD

Mrs. Bennet, after many searches, discussions, and negotiations, finally decided that the gowns available in Meryton could not possibly satisfy for a marriage to a man with five thousand a year, and to this purpose she resolved to take Jane to London to visit the dressmakers there. Elizabeth and Kitty were to accompany them; Mary owned that she had rather stay at home, as she had little interest in such frivolities.

Elizabeth was initially pleased to be taking the trip, feeling it might provide her a useful distraction from her thoughts, but after one agonizing day of making the rounds of the dressmakers, she felt she could no longer tolerate the misery of watching her mother’s excitable behavior and Kitty’s sulks, even for Jane’s sake. Hence, the following morning found her pleading a sick headache and making plans to stay at home with her aunt. Once the shopping party had departed, however, Mrs. Gardiner was pleased to notice a substantial improvement in her niece’s health and was gratified to have Elizabeth to herself, since there was a certain subject she wished to broach with her.

“Lizzy, your uncle and I were wondering recently about your Mr. Darcy—do you know how old he was when his father died?”

Elizabeth, most startled by this application, found herself stammering, “I believe it was in the vicinity of five years ago, so he must have been twenty-two or twenty-three, I would imagine. But why do you ask?”

“No reason, my dear, except to settle the question between your uncle and me, but he has the right of it, then; I had thought it was more recent. It is your uncle’s belief that much of Mr. Darcy’s seriousness stems from having been left too young with all the responsibilities of managing a large estate, as well as raising a sister at a delicate age. I argued he has more of a capacity for liveliness than he might be credited for, but perhaps needs the right companion to help him find it.”

“Aunt,” said Elizabeth in some exasperation at this hinting, “why, pray tell, were you discussing Mr. Darcy in the first place?”

“Well, naturally, he does have an obvious interest for us, and also we saw a good deal of him when he was late in London.”

“I have heard nothing of this,” said Elizabeth carefully.

“Really? I would have supposed you to have sources of information… but no matter. Mr. Darcy called on us here shortly after my return from Longbourn, and afterward was our guest on several occasions. I must say that I have been very favorably impressed by him, and he and Mr. Gardiner seem to have established a fine regard for one another. I gather Mr. Darcy solicited his advice on more than one occasion regarding some difficulties he faces in managing a particular situation at Pemberley; thus, it would seem, confirming your uncle’s opinion that his responsibilities are quite large for such a young man.”

Elizabeth had not any idea of how to interpret this intelligence. Mr. Darcy seeking out advice from her uncle in trade? “You seem to take quite a lively interest in Mr. Darcy, aunt.”

“And you do not? Come, my dear, he has made no secret to us of his hopes regarding you, unlike my sly Lizzy who will choose to keep everyone guessing! And when I hear from Jane that you have been somewhat out of spirits this last month, I must wonder what part he plays in that, as well.”

Elizabeth sought to avoid her aunt’s eyes as she pondered what she was willing to say. “I will not attempt to deny that he has been much in my thoughts, nor that I have moments when I wish he was near, but the situation is perhaps more complex than it seems at first glance. I know he does still hold me in some special regard, but he has by no means renewed his addresses, and there are certainly reasons to think he never will do so.”

“Lizzy, how can you doubt it? He is clearly violently in love with you,” said Mrs. Gardiner with a smile.

“Yes, and just as clearly, the person he detests most in the world, the man who disgusts him completely, is now my brother! I cannot believe that he would tolerate being in the same room as Wickham, much less become a relation of his!”

“I believe you seriously underestimate what he is willing to do for you, my dear.”

“If I am so incorrect, why has he made no effort to see me?” Elizabeth said, finally admitting to the worry that was often with her. “He has traveled from Pemberley to London and back twice, and has never stopped in Hertfordshire, though with Mr. Bingley at Netherfield, nothing could be easier.”

Mrs. Gardiner sighed. “Perhaps it is because he remains quite uncertain of your regard for him.”

“How could he possibly be unsure of my regard after my behavior in Lambton?” asked Elizabeth in some exasperation.

“Lizzy, my dear, your regard for him is obvious to me, but do keep in mind, you have refused him twice, which would give anyone some cause for doubt.”

“Not twice, only once, and that was long before Lambton!”

“And how would you portray your decision at Lambton? When we discovered you and strongly advocated to both of you that steps be taken to protect your honor, he was completely willing to enter into an engagement, and you categorically refused! Did you think that would have no effect on him?”

Elizabeth paled, deeply dismayed at her aunt’s view of the affair. “I was not ready, but I never meant that as a refusal… I never intended to hurt him in any way!” Tears rose to her eyes at the thought.

Mrs. Gardiner looked at her long and seriously. “My dear Lizzy, there are moments when I think that you and Mr. Darcy have a positive talent for misconstruing each other. I will speak openly to you: first, Mr. Darcy does indeed bear a significant burden of distress owing to his fear he will never win your affections, and second, if you think his dislike of Wickham is more powerful than his affection for you, then you are quite in the wrong. I do not wish to violate a confidence, but I will say that he has made it quite clear to me that he is willing to tolerate Mr. Wickham if need be for your sake.”

Elizabeth, quite sobered by her aunt’s statements, soon pleaded a return of her headache which required a retreat to her room, where she spent a great deal of time and tore up several sheets of paper before constructing a letter to suit her particular purposes.

***

Two days later, the post brought to Pemberley two letters, one to Mr. Darcy from Mr. Gardiner, the other to Miss Darcy from Miss Bennet. Darcy laid the first aside, and, caressing the second in his hand for some moments, decided it was time to practice some of his vaunted self-control, and rang for a footman to take it to Miss Georgiana. With a sigh, he broke the seal on Mr. Gardiner’s letter.

Dear Mr. Darcy,

I have several thoughts which may apply to the situation regarding your tenant, but first, my wife bids me to send you her greetings, and to tell you that we are presently enjoying a short visit from my sister Bennet and her daughters. I am most particularly to tell you that while Miss Jane Bennet looks every bit the joyous bride, her sister Elizabeth appears to be somewhat out of spirits, the which, Mrs. Gardiner, having had extended discourse with her, tells me seems to be regarding the absence of a certain gentleman from Derbyshire. I cannot personally attest to any of this, since the young lady in question did not appear for dinner this evening, pleading a headache.

Now, regarding your tenant, it appears to me that you are faced with one of three choices…

Darcy stared at this surprising missive for several minutes. Bless Mrs. Gardiner! he thought. He felt overtaken by a desire to saddle the nearest horse and head posthaste to London, but he cautioned himself sternly that he must not make assumptions; he knew of the Gardiners’ intentions for Elizabeth and him, and perhaps Mrs. Gardiner had taken an overoptimistic view of something Elizabeth had said.

Remember, man, you will see her for yourself in only a few weeks,
he admonished himself.
Patience!

His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knocking on the door. Georgiana entered tentatively in response to his call. “Fitzwilliam? May I speak to you for a moment?” she asked.

He attempted to calm himself. “Of course. What can I do for you?”

She looked at him oddly. “Is anything the matter?” she asked.

Of course! She had just received a letter from Elizabeth, and he was showing absolutely no interest in it. No wonder she was confused.

“No, nothing at all, Georgiana. What does Miss Bennet have to say today?”

Somewhat tentatively, she held out a folded sheet of paper. “She asked me to give you this.”

He all but snatched it out of her hand. Georgiana smiled to see him returned to normal on the subject of Miss Bennet. “I will just go back to my letter, then?” she suggested timidly.

“Very tactful, dear,” he responded with a laugh as she exited.

He was pleased to see that his hands barely trembled as he opened the letter.

Dear Mr. Darcy,

I hope you will forgive the impropriety of my addressing this to you directly; it is a liberty I take out of concern for your sister on her upcoming visit to Longbourn. Sir, I regret having to raise an unpleasant matter, but, as you are perhaps aware, my youngest sister recently married and moved to the far north. While it is certain that neither she nor her husband will be in attendance in Hertfordshire during the time of Miss Darcy’s visit, it is likewise certain that her name will be raised repeatedly by members of my family, and I certainly would not wish Miss Darcy to be taken by surprise by mention of Mrs. Wickham. I defer to your greater authority as to whether it is best for you to discuss this with her in advance, or if it is something best addressed only when she arrives, in which case I will of course be prepared to handle the question in whatever way you see fit. Please consider yourself at liberty to share any information regarding my sister’s situation that you deem appropriate.

Blast Wickham! Would he never stop haunting him? This was hardly what he hoped to hear from Elizabeth. He continued:

On a happier subject, I can safely say that Mr. Bingley and my sister are so deliriously happy as to be occasionally somewhat painful to those of us whose sources of such pleasure may be at a more distant remove. I remind myself that time will heal all these ills, but patience has never been one of my stronger virtues. Perhaps I should endeavor to follow your excellent example and make a study of the strengths and limitations of self-control, instead. Perchance you would be willing to offer me a review of the subject after your arrival at Netherfield?

Affectionately yours, EB

If Mr. Gardiner’s letter had surprised him, Elizabeth’s left him in a state of astonishment. He forced himself to peruse it several times, and even after he finally convinced himself he was reading it correctly, his amazement was such that he could not bring himself immediately to believe she had truly meant the words she had written. Whether his shock was greatest from Elizabeth’s admission of missing him, her provocative flirtation, or the completely compromising adieu was impossible to determine.

As his astonishment began to fade, it was replaced by a sensation of heartfelt delight such as he had never felt before. Elizabeth wanted to see him! In his mind, he could picture her looking at him with that expression of warm welcome which she had worn so often for him in his dreams, but never in reality.

He read the letter once more, then folded it and placed it in his pocket next to a certain handkerchief. Decisively, he strode off in search of his valet, whom he informed of the immediate need to prepare for a brief trip. That accomplished, he searched out Georgiana in the music room, and informed her that business called him away for a few days.

Georgiana looked concerned for a moment, then gave a bright smile. “Please do say hello to your business for me when you see her,” she said with an innocent look.

He gave her a look of mock sternness, but was in far too high spirits to argue the point with her.

***

As Bingley rode up to the paddock for his daily visit, Kitty, from her post in the window seat, announced, “There is a gentleman with him, mamma. Who can it be?”

“Some acquaintance or other, my dear, I suppose; I am sure I do not know.”

“La!” replied Kitty, “It looks just like that man that used to be with him before. Mr. what’s his name. That tall, proud man.”

“Good gracious! Mr. Darcy!—and so it does I vow. Well, any friend of Mr. Bingley’s will always be welcome here to be sure; but else I must say that I hate the very sight of him.”

Jane looked at Elizabeth with surprise and concern. She knew how much her sister had been both longing for and dreading this encounter, and felt for the awkwardness that must attend Elizabeth, in seeing him for the first time since the events in Derbyshire.

The color which had been driven from Elizabeth’s face by Kitty’s announcement returned for half a minute with an additional glow, and a smile of delight added lustre to her eyes, as she thought for that space of time, that his affection and wishes must still be unshaken. But she would not be secure. There was too much that could have altered.

Her thoughts then flew to the letter she had written to him from Gracechurch Street. Would he have received it already? She frantically counted back the days since posting it, and deduced that it certainly could have arrived by this time, but of course he might well have left Pemberley before its arrival. She closed her eyes as she thought of the immodest things she had written in it—what must he be thinking of her?

“Let me first see how he behaves,” said she to herself. “It will then be early enough for expectation.” She sat intently at work, striving to be composed, and without daring to lift up her eyes as the servant was approaching the door. On the gentlemen’s appearing, she curtsied with her usual smile to Bingley, then turned to Darcy to find his serious gaze upon her. Immediately the memory of their last parting came into her mind, and an awareness of all that her family did not know; then, cognizant that she was blushing under his regard, she sat back down again to her work, with an eagerness which it did not often command. She ventured only one more glance at Darcy. He looked serious as usual; and she thought, more as he had been used to look in Hertfordshire, than as she had seen him at Pemberley. But perhaps he could not in her mother’s presence be what he was before her uncle and aunt. It was a painful, but not an improbable, conjecture.