Page 39 of One Night with Mr. Darcy
After breakfast, he asked the colonel—Richard was his first name—if he’d like to go for a walk in the gardens around mid-morning.
“Such exercise so early?” said Richard. “Georgiana and I are going to play a very involved game of loo, I think.”
“Loo with only two people?” said Mr. Darcy.
“You always cheat at cards, Cousin Richard,” said Georgiana pointedly. She seemed pinched and uncomfortable, like always.
Darcy needed to address the Wickham situation. Odd how he’d just shoved that from his mind now that they were away from him. Or… perhaps not odd, as the case may be. He’d speak to Richard about that, too, actually. They actually shared guardianship of Georgiana, and Richard would have an opinion about such things. He could tell Mr. Darcy if he were—in fact—overreacting and seeing things that weren’t there.
“If not the morning, then perhaps after luncheon,” said Mr. Darcy. “You and I haven’t spoken in some time, Richard. I crave some time alone with you.”
Richard gave him a smile, then. “Oh, all right. You want something from me, that’s clear. No one is ever quite so complimentary unless they are planning to ask for something.”
“Now, that’s not true—”
“But even so, I am quite amenable to it, I find,” said Richard, laughing. “Shall we go now, then?”
“I’d like that.” Darcy gave him a smile, and he felt relieved.
The two set out under the morning sun as it struggled into the sky. There was still some dew remaining on the grass in the shadows, and they avoided this judiciously, laughing together, and Mr. Darcy remembered what it could be like to have Richard on his side.
They were very close in age and had been thick as thieves as boys. Richard had been in Cambridge when Darcy had been in school, also, but they’d grown apart then. However, whenever he needed Richard, his cousin was always there.
Richard Fitzwilliam had his faults. He was not a serious man. He did not care overmuch about his reputation or about social niceties. He was given to drinking too much and staying up too late and spending money that he did not have. But when it came to loyalty, Darcy could always count on him.
“I’ve done something positively abominable,” said Darcy eventually.
“Abominable? You? But Fitzwilliam, you are as perfect a man as anyone could ask, are you not?”
“Not even remotely,” said Darcy. “No, quite far from perfect, in fact. But perhaps you won’t judge me too harshly. It’s something you might have done, I would think.”
“Oh, well, then, don’t hold back,” said Richard, laughing. “What abominable thing have you done? I can hardly imagine what it is you would think was abominable.”
“Before I get into it, you should know I had imbibed half a bottle of absinthe.”
“Oho!” Richard let out a bark of a laugh. “That does sound like me.”
“I didn’t remember it, you see. I had lost all memory of everything from that night, because I was so very drunk,” said Mr. Darcy.
“Yes, that sounds like me, too.” Richard grinned at him. “So, what did you block out doing, Fitz?”
Mr. Darcy took a breath to say it, and the words wouldn’t come. “Look, she… I knew she was going to have to marry that ogre of a man. That’s why I started drinking at all. And then, the next day, when she came back to see me, I didn’t remember what I did. But she went straight to him, and so I assumed—why would I think anything differently?”
“What are you talking about?Whoare you talking about?”
“Mrs. Collins.”
“Oh, yes, the merry soon-to-be widow. I don’t think she has buck teeth at all! Why, she’s quite fetching.”
“Isn’t she, though?” Mr. Darcy looked at him. “You wouldn’t be embarrassed, then? By being associated with her?”
“I’m so very confused right now.”
“It’s mine. Her child,” said Darcy. “I impregnated her, lost all memory of it, and she married someone else and now—”
“Wait! What?” Richard stopped walking, gesturing with both hands. “Stop immediately and go back. This conversation does not follow.”
Darcy stopped walking, too. “Apologies. It’s not easy to speak of, I’m afraid.” He shook his head.
