Page 40 of Georgiana
Three days later…Pemberley
The clock had finished marking the ninth hour and the scratching of a quill was the only sound in Darcy’s study when his butler announced, “Lord Nathan Kerr, sir.”
Surprised, Darcy deposited the quill into the ink pot and stood. Before he could move around the desk to greet Nathan, his previous vicar entered the room, clearly agitated and clearly exhausted.
“Kerr, what brings you here this time of night?”
“I regret I have to inform you of something quite serious regarding Georgiana.”
“Sit down.” Darcy waved Nathan toward the chairs by the fireplace. “Carson, see if Cook can prepare some food as I’m sure Lord Nathan has not yet eaten this evening, and have Mrs. Reynolds prepare a room.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What is this all about?” Darcy sat in one of the chairs. “What about Georgiana?”
“On my way to London, I stopped by Adborough Hall to pay my respects.” He leaned forward and with elbows on his knees, clasped his hands together. “Caroline had become worried because she’d not heard one word from neither Georgiana or Max.”
“They’ve been on their wedding trip. They were taking a tour through Scotland.” Darcy interjected.
“They did not go on any wedding trip.” Nathan sat fully back into his chair. “My brother took your sister, his wife, to Adborough Hall immediately following the wedding breakfast and then returned to London. Alone.”
“He what!” Darcy stood and began to pace. “Tell me everything.”
For the next half hour, Nathan proceeded to inform him how Georgiana has been alone at Adborough Hall. The more questions Darcy asked, the more enraged he became. He reached his boiling point when Nathan said, “Your sister has no knowledge the housekeeper and senior staff have been informed to see if she is increasing.”
“Georgiana’s pregnant already? Does your brother intend to return in time for the birth of his child?”
“No…” Nathan hesitated ever so slightly. “They are to ascertain if she was increasing with Sir Reginald Slade’s child.”
“Slade’s child!” Darcy clenched his hand, wishing he could strike out at the man whom he trusted with his sister’s well being. “He thinks Georgian was violated by that snake in the grass?”
“He knows this is not the first time Georgiana has been compromised and therefore is unsure if she’s a maiden, or if she willingly went with Slade.”
“That son of a… Forgive me, Kerr. I hold your mother in the highest esteem and lost my head for a moment.”
“Darcy, this is none of my business, but I must ask and you can be assured your answer will never leave my lips, not even to my wife. Is Max wrong in the assessment this was not her first compromise?”
“No.” Darcy flung himself into his vacated chair and dragged a hand through his hair. “God help me, I wish I could say otherwise.” He straightened. “She was not yet fifteen and staying at Ramsgate with her new governess. George Wickham was there as well and convinced her they were in love. A few days before they were to elope, I arrived at Ramsgate. Needless to say, the affair was cut short before anything happened. Later, my cousin Richard and I discovered the governess was in league with Wickham to swindle my sister out of her dowry. Georgiana was devastated. Wickham was someone she trusted, having known him from the time she was but a child.”
“Poor girl.”
“It was a difficult period for us all. But, how did your brother find out about all this. The only person I’ve ever told is Elizabeth and she would never divulge Georgiana’s secret.”
“I do not know. My conversation with Maxwell didn’t progress that far. He’s quite convinced that he is the injured party in all of this. None of us knew he was in London, he’s obviously trying to keep all of this quiet, which could be an advantage to Georgiana.”
“How so?”
“When they return to Society, no one will know what has transpired these past few months. The staff at Adborough Hall are loyal and will not gossip.”
“I, for one, don’t give a rat’s ass if they gossip.” Darcy rose to his feet, determined to bring Georgiana home to Pemberley. “Richard arrives tomorrow and will accompany me to Adborough Hall. We will bring Georgiana home.”
“If Max digs his heels in, you could be in for quite the fight. He may demand his rights as a husband to have her returned. The House of Lords very likely will fall in his favor and your uncle, Lord Matlock may be squeezed in the middle.”
Darcy leaned forward in his chair and held Lord Nathan’s gaze. With deadly sincerity he said, “Your brother, if he chooses to put up a fight, will find that my pockets are deep and I have no interest in politics. He can rant and rave all he wants. My sister shall divorce him and that will be the end of it. She need never marry so it does not matter if there is a scandal.”
“Darcy, before you become my brother’s judge and executioner, I’d err on the side of caution. Georgiana may notneedto marry again, but she maywantto marry again, or stay married. Need I remind you how much she loves Maxwell? She has a right to make her own choice this time around, seeing as she didn’t have one before.”
“I forgot what a persuasive man you are Kerr. However, I am still taking Richard to Adborough Hall and we will ‘discuss’ what transpires next, but I cannot guarantee that I won’t push to have her return to Pemberley where she is loved beyond reason.”
