Page 49 of Lord Lonbourn's Daughter
“What do you mean?”
“Did he actually request your hand in marriage?”
“It was not like that, Jane. Father summoned us both to his study and read the extortion letter aloud to us. I suppose one could say that it was Papa who proposed. We simply answered. Why do you ask?”
“I suppose I expected a proposal despite the forced circumstances of our betrothment. It feels unreal, perhaps because we were not even in the same room. Mr Darcy was theone who proposed marriage to me and Mr Bingley. At least Miss Bingley has been very welcoming. That is a comfort, given that we shall be residing in the same household.”
“It sounds to me like you have made up your mind,” Elizabeth probed tentatively, though she noticed that Jane had not answered her question.
“I cannot see that I have a choice. To back out now, when the family is aware of the attachment, could seriously damage our younger sisters’ prospects. Which brings me to my most important question. Where is Lydia?”
“We do not know. According to Miss Darcy, the girls were separated within the first couple of hours of travel. I would like to ask Kitty some questions about it, but I am afraid of upsetting her.”
“Leave it to me, Lizzy. It might be better if I question her alone rather than having all her sisters descend upon her at once.”
“That sounds like a sensible approach. I, especially, seem to incite her ire when I try to get her to disclose something.”
“That is probably because your temper has already flared because they have taken something that is yours.”
“True.”
“I shall speak to Kitty later when we have a moment alone. In the meantime, let us join Kitty and Mary,” Jane suggested.
Elizabeth walked back to Darcy House in time to change for dinner. Her father and sisters had been invited to the Gardiners’ for the evening. It would be especially good for Kitty to get out of the house. Walking down the hall to her chamber, she heard angry voices coming from her husband’s room. Who would dare to upset him with his serious injuries? She considered marchinginto the room, but peering through the crack she saw that Mr Darcy was sitting up in bed, glaring at his cousins. His angry retaliation convinced her of his improved health. He might not appreciate the interruption.
She hastened to her room to find something to wear for the evening meal. She would take extra care since her husband had recovered enough to quarrel. She doubted he would come down for dinner, but she might join him in his chamber.
Her maid was not there, so she walked towards the bell pull and had her hand on the rope when she heard her husband’s distinct words travel into her hearing range. She froze at the anger in his tone before the words made her pull her hand away from the cord.
“How could no one have noticed? There are watchmen in the streets, and neighbours, servants, dustmen, porter-house boys, milkmen—someone must have noticed!”
“It is the London way. Nobody cares what other people are doing unless they are irrevocably tied to themselves through business, pleasure, or profit,” the viscount asserted.
“Nobody thought anything was amiss. Georgiana has visited her aunt in her London home before. That Lady Catherine was not in residence may be due to an unforeseen delay or they may have thought that Georgiana was there to afford her newly wedded brother privacy in the first weeks of his marriage,” the colonel suggested.
“That is what I take the most affront at. Using my marriage as a reason to deprive Georgiana of her freedom when the marriage was forced upon us by the aforementioned scoundrels.” Mr Darcy sounded nothing like a contented groom—quite the opposite.
“It matters little in the long run, Darcy. The marriage vows have been said and cannot be undone. The important thing is that Georgiana is back in the bosom of her family and that she marries Richard promptly before the scandal breaks. Too many people know that she has been missing. Lord Longbourn, his daughters, and his servants, in addition to Lady Catherine’s servants who discovered Georgiana missing this morning. Lord knows what stories Mrs Younge may have bandied about. The quidnuncs will have no reason to wag their tongues if the girl is already married. Richard has been away with his regiment. We could forge a story where they eloped or some other romantic drivel to stave off the gossips. Most of them are romantically starved, and a happy ending might sway them in our favour.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Brother, but I have a different bride in mind,” the colonel drawled.
“Who could suit you better than Georgiana? She has a decent fortune and excellent connections. Even you must be able to manage on thirty thousand pounds. Her lineage is excellent, and she possesses both beauty of countenance and a pleasant temperament,” Crawford argued.
“She could be fully grown and out in society. I am thirty years old, Brother. I never pictured myself with a child bride half my age. I mean no slight to Georgiana, who I believe will make an excellent match. Just not with me,” the colonel declared firmly.
“You forget Georgiana’s opinion in your plans for the future, Crawford. I shall never force a union upon her. She is free to choose her own husband when the time comes,” Mr Darcy supported the colonel against his brother.
“I would by no means force her, Darcy. That was not what I meant, but gentle persuasion from a brother she dotes uponwill sway her as we both know. Besides, you were forced to marry, yet I detect no harm has come to you by that rushed affair. Your bride is wealthy, well connected, and conveniently absent, leaving you free to follow gentlemanly pursuits. Though the wisdom of that is questionable, judging by the state of you. What possessed you to challenge Hazard of all the brutes in superior society? His prowess in the ring and on horseback are legendary,” Crawford enquired.
“I would have bested him on Swiftsilver if I had not fainted off my horse,” Darcy boasted.
“Doubtful,” the viscount chuckled. “I am glad to see that your spirits have recovered, though. Despite your recent trials.”
“Yes, I can countenance anything now that Georgiana is back,” Mr Darcy admitted.
Elizabeth grasped the bell pull again and tugged it hard. Linney must have been awaiting her return because she appeared within minutes and aided her into her gown and arranged her hair. She must have sensed her mistress’s mood and did not make any conversation. Elizabeth had too much on her mind to speak to anyone. The proverb that those who eavesdrop seldom hear anything good about themselves came to mind, but she disregarded it. Some had been delivered to her face, while other slights were more a question of what had been left unsaid. None of the gentlemen next door had mentioned her still-missing sister. As long as their precious Georgiana was accounted for, Lydia was entirely forgotten. In addition, Mr Darcy’s resistance towards being forced to marry was a little too pronounced to leave her any doubt about his feelings. He was firmly against the notion, which was quite telling.
Regardless, the result was that Mr Darcy had married her against his will. His sister’s peril was not yet over, and Lydia was in trouble indeed. She needed to speak to her father when he got home from the Gardiners’, but first, she would attend dinner at Darcy House; no one was going to accuse her of not performing her duties.
