Friends and Enemies Read online

  Darcy waved his hand. “Enter.” Apparently, his time for self-reflection was over.

  His cousin strolled to the cabinet and filled a clean glass with brandy. He held up the bottle towards Darcy, a question on his brow.

  “No. I am fine.” Darcy shook his head. He was unsurprised Richard had returned. It would not have sat well with his cousin to have parted the way they did. He was not angry anymore, at least not with anyone other than himself.

  Settling into the seat next to him, Richard began.

  “You are an honourable man, Darcy. I want you to know that I have confidence you will do right by Georgiana and Miss Elizabeth, as well as with Wickham.” The colonel took in a deep breath and sipped his drink. “What I want to know now is how I can assist you.”

  “I thank you, Richard. You are a good friend.” Warmth filtered through the chambers of his heart. “I have given serious consideration to all you said, and you were right in every instance. I intend to show my sister how much I love her, to be strong for her when she needs it, and to give direction when she falters. For Miss Elizabeth…” He no longer felt comfortable being informal with her name. “For her I will slow down. For me, too.”

  “You are having doubts? I believe that to be normal.” Richard looked a little green around the gills.

  “Are you doubting Miss Knowlton?” Darcy could not help but ask when he noted his cousin’s discomfort. “You are not yet engaged, are you?”

  “I am. I asked her after the opera, and she accepted my hand.” His cousin shrugged. “I do not doubt my affection for her. I only wonder if I am worthy,” he finished quietly.

  “She must think you are,” Darcy offered. “You had commended her, when you first spoke of her, for being wise. If she is at all like Miss Elizabeth, you should be confident she has thought this through to the most minute detail. Her acceptance proves she finds you a worthy candidate for husband.”

  “I hope so.” Richard paused. “You should know, Darce. I stopped by to visit Georgiana a few hours ago, and Miss Elizabeth shared news from a letter she had received from her eldest sister. Miss Bennet and Bingley are also engaged. They plan to marry in the spring about the same time I will wed Cecily. Bingley will likely ask you to stand up for him. I hope you will for me as well.”

  Darcy was pleased and crushed at the same time. It was an honour to be asked. Yet, at this very moment, he was the only one without the hope of a happy union.

  He would not feel sorry for himself.

  “I will,” Darcy replied immediately. “It would be my pleasure to bolster you when your knees weaken at the first glimpse of your bride coming down the aisle. How wise of you to select a man who can bear your weight.”

  They chuckled and snorted as men do when emotions were high. Darcy was surprised they did not punch each other on the shoulder and was grateful they had moved beyond that.

  “Did she happen to mention if she had received word back from her father?” There had been plenty of time for Miss Elizabeth’s express to have arrived in Meryton and for a response to have been tendered.

  “No, she mentioned nothing else.”

  Darcy shook his head, frustrated with Mr. Bennet. “Her letter warned her father of Wickham’s propensity to gamble and incur debt. She also mentioned he might want to check with the locals to see whether or not there had been damage to their young daughters. Nothing was written about Georgiana.” Darcy slapped his hand against the arm of the chair, the sound filling the room. “I cannot condemn him when my own response to Wickham has been lackadaisical as well. But, no more.”

  “What will you do? What is your strategy?”

  “As to Wickham, I will leave for Meryton after visiting Georgiana on the morrow. I have collected all his markers together, including the vowels I purchased in Derbyshire. Once I meet with the magistrate, we will confront him with the opportunity to repay his debts. As soon as the magistrate and Colonel Forster become convinced he cannot settle what he owes, he will be jailed until transport can be provided to Marshalsea. There, he can rot.”

  “A good plan. Might I go with you?” Glee covered his cousin’s face.

  “I was hoping you would.” Darcy sat straighter in his chair. “As for Miss Elizabeth…” He sighed heavily. “I admire and respect her more than any other woman of my acquaintance. Do I truly love her? In truth, I am not sure.” He looked to the ceiling, then closed his eyes briefly. Then he smiled. “I am willing and eager to find out.”

  “What are you planning to do?” his cousin asked.

  “I will court her. I will be the attentive beau. In so doing, I hope to cultivate a depth of feeling in her heart and in my own.” He grinned. “When I said I would marry no other than Miss Elizabeth, I meant it with my whole heart—at the time and under the circumstances.”

  “She will be pleased, I imagine. You have never done anything by half measures. Having your devotion should thrill her,” Richard surmised. “Women seem to like that sort of thing.”

  “I do hope so. Gaining her favour will help me turn the soil of my own heart, pulling out the weeds of prideful disdain and cultivating good qualities. I want to offer her the best of me. I want to be a better man, not only for her, but for me as well.”

  “Then it will be so.”

  Arrangements were made to meet at the Gardiners’ house as soon as visiting hours were permitted. Even though they were allowing him access much earlier, he would, from this day on, be the proper gentleman. He was going to become the man he was born to be. He would not fail.

  CHAPTER 17

  “Brother! Richard! I am pleased to see you both.” Georgiana was seated in a comfortable chair in front of the bed chamber window. Blankets were tucked around her legs and puffy pillows were wedged at her lower back.

  “Should you be out of bed?” Their physician in Derbyshire had insisted Mrs. Anne Darcy stay abed for a minimum of thirty days after the birth of each stillborn child. Darcy was immediately concerned she was taking things too fast.

  “Be not concerned, Brother,” she smiled. “Dr. Smallwood explained the benefits of getting up and being active. In all his years treating patients in the country, he rarely saw the same complications during births by the wives of tenants, farmers, and merchants as he did amongst the gentry.”

  “Georgiana,” he insisted, repeating something he had heard many times, “those women are not gently bred.”

  She nodded her head. “What you say is true. Nonetheless, he emphasised how there are no differences in our physical makeup, in the way we are formed. The doctor kindly explained the only true separation between successful births and quicker recoveries between the classes is the amount of activity that is engaged in immediately after the child is born.”

  “And you are well?” Darcy still hesitated.

  “Truly, I am.” Georgiana reached out and clasped his hand. Though it was comforting, it did not hold the power of Miss Elizabeth’s fingers wrapped around his own. “Lizzy…”

  “Lizzy?” he interrupted, shocked to hear the familiar name Elizabeth’s family called her, but pleased the two females were drawing closer.

  “Oh, yes, Brother. We are becoming the best of friends,” Georgiana enthused. “Her mother has had five daughters. Can you imagine? Five. All girls.” She did not wait for a reply. “Lizzy said, each time, Mrs. Bennet insisted she would stay in bed and act the lady of the manor. Yet, each time she fretted about the running of the household, so she was up only hours after her confinement was over. Can you imagine?”

  “I cannot,” he mumbled. He did not want to imagine Miss Elizabeth’s robust mother in either the birth state or in scurrying about Longbourn waving her handkerchief as she screeched orders to the staff.

  His mind unexpectedly took him in a direction he had not expected to travel. Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy, heavy with his child, waddling along the pathways of Pemberley as she pointed out the delights of the scenery with one hand and caressed her distended middle with the other. Sunbeams filtering throu
gh the trees would kiss her lovely face and beautiful smile as she radiated happiness for the upcoming blessed event as well as the privilege of being the wife of Fitzwilliam Darcy.

  He wanted to slap himself. She did not want him. This was not her dream. Will he ever learn? He sighed aloud, drawing the unwanted attention of both his sister and his cousin.

  Without warning, Georgiana’s shoulders slumped and her gaze dropped to her hands, which were now twisted together in her lap. He again focused on his sister.

  “Dr. Smallwood knows my circumstances, Brother,” she whispered, plaintively.

  “Yes, I know.” He could tell the conversation was going to become difficult, and he hoped Richard would end his silence and jump in with needed encouragement. He hoped in vain.

  “I am a terrible person.” Tears started dripping from her chin. “I…I had a child die inside my body.” She sobbed, so distraught, she wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve. “And I am relieved it is gone.”

  Darcy looked to Richard as she dropped her forehead to the arm of the chair, resting on top of her folded arms, crying so hard her whole body quivered. Richard lifted his shoulders and shook his head. He was just as unknowledgeable and powerless as Darcy was feeling with this quick change of mood.

  He wanted to gather her into his embrace as he had done when she had first lost the child. Something, some idea his closeness would not be welcomed, kept him from doing so.

  Frustrated at his lack of knowing what to do to fix this mess, he was pleased when a soft knock sounded on the door. Relief had come. Hopefully.

  Mrs. Gardiner entered and went straight to his sister. Kneeling on the floor, she pulled a cloth from her sleeve and brushed Georgiana’s cheeks repetitively to ease the situation. Then, the older woman waited.

  Darcy felt like holding his breath, keenly observing Miss Elizabeth’s aunt to see what he might learn for the next time this happened.

  She waited. And waited. And waited.

  Finally, with a signal he must have missed, Mrs. Gardiner stood and gently cupped Georgiana’s shoulders, guiding her until his sister’s posture was again erect.

  “Better?” Mrs. Gardiner magically brought another dry handkerchief from her sleeve, handing it to Georgiana, who swiped at the last of her tears.

  A slight smile on her face, Georgiana looked at Miss Elizabeth’s aunt with such affection. It shook Darcy to the core. How could this have happened in only four days? How could his sister have come to trust a stranger with such depth, and how could Mrs. Gardiner have known the exact time to transform from a quiet presence to someone who could fortify his sister? Darcy yearned to comprehend what had just happened. Was it something only a woman was born knowing?

  The doctor had said the best medicine was to listen. Yet, all his sister had done was cry. Was he to sit and say or do nothing? How could this possibly aid in bringing comfort to someone of tender years? He wanted to pound his fist on the arm of his chair. How would he be able to help his sister?

  Anger surged through him. Had Elizabeth Bennet accepted his proposal, he could have stepped back and let her take charge, giving her a hefty purse to purchase whatever would make Georgiana happy again.

  Darcy closed his eyes on the image. This had nothing to do with Miss Elizabeth. This was his failing. He was the man. He was the head of his household. He needed to do something. He needed to fix this!

  Instead, he did exactly what the doctor suggested. Both he and Richard sat in silence. And they were rewarded for their inactivity.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Gardiner. I appreciate your assistance more than you will know.” Georgiana’s smile lit up the room. She turned to look at the gentlemen as if nothing untoward had taken place.

  “Should things progress as is normal,” Georgiana’s hands brushed the wrinkles from the blankets covering her legs, “I hope to return to Darcy House by the end of next week. My…” she blushed. “My bleeding will be no different from what is normal for another week or so, and I can be tended by my maid without her knowing of my present difficulties.” She took in a deep breath. “That is, if you allow me to return home, Brother.”

  Darcy was flummoxed. As the words poured from his mouth, reassuring her she would always have a place with him, his heart pounded until he could hear the rhythm between his ears. Would he EVER understand the female mind? Why in the world would his own sister doubt her place in his life? Had it not been he who had turned his life upside down to protect her reputation? Had he done as Lord Sternhaven and abandoned her to a future alone in a distant land? No! Had matters not gone wrong at the docks, they would have boarded the ship for America together. Him and her. Brother and sister.

  Richard must have heard his inner thoughts because he, too, was shaking his head from side to side.

  “Poppet, if the doctor is confident you will not be harmed by the move, I would be pleased to have you home,” he uttered his promise, despite his confusion.

  Her smile was brilliant. “Thank you, William.” In a complete change of subject, she asked, “When will you and Lizzy be attending a ball? She loves to dance.”

  He was not capable of following her train of thought. Heartbreak? Loss of a child? A ball? Dancing?

  For the first time, his cousin spoke. “Thank you for the reminder, Georgie.” He looked at Darcy. “I am pretty certain if you were to check the stack of discarded invitations on the corner of your desk, you would find one from Mother. She is hosting a ball tomorrow night and mentioned only this morning her hopes of seeing you there. With Miss Elizabeth, of course.”

  He wanted to groan and rejoice at the same time. Society functions, where denizens of the first circles gathered to see and be seen, were the bane of his existence. But to dance with Miss Elizabeth? To hold her close? To touch her hand? To see her eyes twinkle in the multitude of candles as she moved to a melody as familiar to her as breathing would be worth attending the soiree.

  He turned to his cousin. “You will be there with your intended?”

  “I will.” For the first time since they entered the room, Richard had a pleased look on his face. “Although Mother has planned this gathering for the past several weeks, Cecily and I will take advantage and have our engagement announced during supper.”

  “Brother, you must go, you must.” Georgiana clasped her hands under her chin, her own eyes sparkling with delight. “For I happen to know Lizzy has a new gown she has never worn. It was delivered this morning and the fabric is divine.”

  “Divine, I am sure.” He nodded his head, his mind racing. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. He would go to Meryton to see Wickham locked away and return with the news. This would please Miss Elizabeth, knowing that the man would no longer be a threat to her younger sisters. He would…

  “Georgie?” A thought occurred to him. When she directed her gaze at him, he asked, “By chance, do you know the colour of Miss Elizabeth’s gown?”

  His sister’s smile grew bigger.

  “I do.” The look on her face was wiser than her years. “She will be wearing deep purple with not a smidgeon of lace or ruffles. Her Aunt Gardiner may have mentioned she could loan Lizzy a necklace of amethysts with earrings and a bracelet to match, should Lizzy desire. I have hair combs with the same stone that came from mother’s collection. I would like it if they could be made available for my friend to use. There is also a brooch with a centre stone of light purple surrounded by pearls that came with the combs. Would this be possible?”

  Darcy could see Elizabeth dressed in dark plum, the gemstones dull compared to the green of her eyes. Her long, rich curls would be tamed and secured with pearl pins that paled compared to the luminous tresses they held. She would be the most beautiful woman at the ball, and if he should be so fortunate, the woman who would arrive on his arm.

  “Yes, sister dear. I will send a note to Parker before Richard and I leave for Hertfordshire to have them delivered by morning.”

  Georgiana clapped and squealed with glee.

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nbsp; Darcy stood, walked over, and kissed his sister on the forehead. “Wish me success,” he whispered for her ears alone.

  “Ask, not demand,” she whispered back, taking his hand in her own and squeezing it tightly.

  “As you wish, my lady.” He bowed and let himself out of the room, uncaring if his cousin followed.

  Standing in the hallway, he felt his nerves creep up his spine. As much uncertainty as he had suffered in his sister’s bed chamber with her uncontrolled tears, he realised he was far more anxious about Miss Elizabeth’s response to his petition.

  It was the first time in his lifetime that he would invite an unattached female to a ball. It was the first time he would willingly stand up for the first set with a woman unrelated to him. It was the first act of courtship.

  Beads of sweat ran down his back and his palms were damp. His breath was coming too fast, and he willed it to slow down.