Page 59 of Georgiana
“Thank you, Carson.” Darcy dropped his napkin onto his plate and surged to his feet. “Excuse me, but I must go and attend my new son.”
“Oh, brother! That is good news,” Georgiana cried out. “And how is Lizzy?”
Darcy turned at the door and grinned so wide Max almost didn’t believe this was the same stoic man he’d attended University with. “She is well. Very well indeed.”
Immediately following Darcy’s exit, Georgiana briefly touched her mouth with her own napkin before standing. Immediately, all the men stood with her.
“Excuse me, but I must attend my sister as well.”
Before Max could utter a word, or offer to escort her upstairs, she’d exited the room, leaving him with the Fitzwilliam brothers.
“Isn’t that marvelous,” Bingley mused to no one in particular. “Darcy will be proud as a peacock, I dare say.”
“How is Caroline and the baby, Bingley?” Max carefully broached the subject of his brother’s wife, unsure of how much Bingley knew of why there was such an undercurrent of hostility.
Although he arched an eyebrow toward Max, he answered affably, “She and Margaret are thriving. Louisa came and stayed with her during the confinement and delivery and Jane and I spent a few days with them after. Lord Nathan is well pleased with his family.” Bingley flushed slightly and fumbled in his speech. “His immediate family…. That is his family at Moreland Manor.”
“Bingley.” Max bit back a sigh. “There’s no need to dance around the fact my brother is not speaking with me.”
“Nathan has cut you off?” Richard exclaimed.
“All my family has, as you well know.”
“I didn’t know, but it warms the cockles of my heart to hear that.” Richard slapped his thigh and barked out a hard laugh. “How does it feel to be on the outs? No one to have conversation with. Not that anyone cares. You must have countless hours on your hands to spend in self examination, ruminating on what a prat you are.”
“Trust me, I have examined my actions. They were deplorable.”
“Right you are there, your Grace,” Richard sneered, leaning into him at the table. “Tell me, because Darcy is as tight-lipped as a monastic monk, what set you off about Georgiana? What did that poor girl do to deserve your derision?”
“I don’t think this is the place to discuss my reasons.” Max shot a worried look toward Bingley. He had no idea if he, or Ashton knew of Georgiana’s experience with Slade and Wickham.
“We’re amongst family. There are no secrets here, right gentleman?” Richard cast a glance around the table.
Bingley fidgeted and Ashton gave his brother a warning glance, but the Colonel was in high dudgeon and he’d obviously been chomping at the bit to have a piece of his hide. Max considered his words carefully before answering.
“I overheard a conversation between you and Darcy after the wedding breakfast.” He watched the Colonel’s face to see if he remembered what their conversation had entailed. The Colonel’s expression remained void of any emotion. “Darcy said he could not make this one go away.”
Understanding flashed across Richard’s face and he abruptly sat back in his chair.
“Are you speaking about Miss Darcy’s… I mean, her Grace’s previous experience at Ramsgate?” Bingley said and everyone gaped at him. He offered them an awkward smile. “There are no secrets between my wife and her sister either, although this has not gone beyond Jane and I.”
“Hemay not have knowledge, you dolt!” Richard hissed at Bingley, tilting his head toward Max.
“I do know of Wickham,” Max replied with a calmness he clearly did not feel.
“What? How?”
“Georgiana told me herself, well not tell me exactly. It was in a letter she’d written.”
“To you. A letter written to you.” Richard’s tone indicated he did not believe his cousin would have written him about anything.
“At the time I believed they were written to me as they were posted to my house in London and had my name on them. Every letter was addressed to me.”
Richard opened and closed his mouth several times before sending his brother a quick glance.
“You said, ‘at the time’. What exactly did you mean by that?” Ash took the reins of the conversation from his brother.
“I have since found out these letters were for her own specific use and that she’d had no intention of me ever receiving, let alone reading them.”
