The Houseguest A Pride and Prejudice Vagary (2 page)

Looking at Georgiana, he saw how happy she was and
decided to think on it no more at present. Even if they became friends, they
certainly wouldn’t see each other often; maybe never again. They would likely
write letters and nothing more. Perhaps Elizabeth would be invited to tea or
even to dine if they were both in London at the same time, but surely he could
handle that. What was seeing her for a few hours once a year?

Chapter 1

The Saturday air was crisp and cold as Darcy walked into his London town home;
he hated traveling in January, but there was nothing to be done for it. Hearing
music drift up from the back of the house, he smiled to himself, happy to hear
his sister playing. He handed his hat and gloves to the footman, all the while
thinking how relieved he was that Georgiana seemed to be coming out of her
despair of the last summer. As he walked toward his study, he was arrested by
the sound of Georgiana laughing. 
Curiously, he walked up the stairs to the music room. Just before he opened the
door, he heard something that made him stop in his tracks. He knew that laugh.
But surely it couldn't be; she of all people wouldn't be here, in his home,
with his sister, playing on his pianoforte? Sure his mind was playing tricks on
him, he opened the door and was met by the picturesque sight of his sister
sitting next to Elizabeth Bennet on the bench, both playing terribly while
laughing so hard they were on the verge of tears. They were so close they were
nearly embracing as they giggled and continued to play out of sync. 
The sight of Georgiana laughing was so foreign to him that he stood there
watching them for a few silent moments before he could force himself to advance
into the room. Eventually Georgiana became aware of his presence and looked up,
her blue eyes turning to saucers as she gasped and stopped playing. Elizabeth
followed her gaze, and her mouth dropped open as her eyes widened in shock at
the sight of Darcy before her.
“Brother! I did not know you had returned!”
“Only just. I heard the music and decided to come say hello.”
Elizabeth and Georgiana had risen with his entrance, and he made a quick bow as
he acknowledged Miss Bennet. The ladies curtsied in return.
“Was your journey pleasant, Brother?”
“Yes, quite uneventful. I'm afraid I have some letters to write. I'll see you
at dinner?”
At her nod, Darcy quit the room and headed to his study. He would have to sort
out this business of Elizabeth Bennet later. For now he knew he had a stack of
correspondence to deal with, and it would be rude to question Georgiana in
front of her guest; he would simply wait until Elizabeth went home to wherever
it was she was staying and then speak with Georgiana later. Surely there was an
explanation for all of this. Didn't Elizabeth have family in town? Maybe she
was visiting them and Georgiana had invited her to call; yes that made perfect
sense. That must be it.
Darcy walked behind the mahogany desk and settled in the comfortable leather
chair; he took a deep breath and stared into the fire. “Focus old man!” He
shook off his reverie and decided to delve into his work. There was a large
pile of letters in the center of the desk and he set to work organizing them
into three neat stacks: the first for business, the second for invitations, and
the third for personal correspondence. Seeing that the stack of business
letters was the smallest, he decided to start with that one first. After
writing several “odious” letters, as Miss Bingley would have called them, he
looked at his other two stacks. The stack of invitations was, as always,
precariously high and he did not have the energy to deal with it at the
moment. 
He had vaguely entertained the thought of hiring a secretary, someone to handle
his business letters and respond to invitations. But it didn’t take up that
much of his time, and invitations were only so various when he was in town,
which was only half of the year, if that, so it never seemed that necessary,
and he pushed it out of his mind. 
Darcy liked to be busy. It kept his mind engaged and focused. His father had
always told him to stay active, that idleness led to mischief and a soft mind.
His aunt, Lady Matlock, liked to remind him that if he would marry, his wife
would manage both households and all the invitations, cutting back his workload
and freeing up his time considerably. He had responded with, “So would hiring a
secretary, and would likely cost a lot less.” She had only shot him a withering
glare and moved to a new topic. 
Darcy turned to his slightly shorter stack of personal correspondence. As
usual, there was one very blotched and ill directed, obviously from Bingley,
which he decided to put aside in favor of the letter underneath which was
clearly from his sister. Odd, he had received a letter from her the day before
he left. He then noticed that it had been directed to his aunt’s estate and
then redirected to his London town home, as it had arrived on the day of his
departure from Somerset.
Breaking the familiar seal, he opened the letter and began to read.
21 January, 1812
Darcy House
London
Dear Brother,
I am sure you will be surprised to receive
this letter as you probably just received one yesterday filled with all the
latest news on my rather uneventful life and feminine education. Yet something
exciting has happened! I will not leave you in suspense, but will get straight
to the point.
As you know, I have been corresponding
regularly with Miss Elizabeth Bennet since my departure from Hertfordshire last
November. Her letters of late have led me to believe she was slightly
depressed. Upon questioning, she let me know that her sister Jane was here in
London visiting her aunt and uncle and her dearest friend had recently married
and moved to Kent. Miss Elizabeth was left quite on her own, with only the
company of her younger sisters, and she has admitted she is not as close to
them as she is with her sister Miss Jane Bennet.
When I asked her why she did not accompany
her sister to London to visit her family, she first told me that she did not
think it would be so bad without Miss Bennet, and since she is to visit a
friend at the end of March, she did not think it would be necessary. However,
having been without her sister these three weeks, she found that she missed her
terribly and was rethinking her decision to remain at Longbourn. Her aunt and
uncle are also hosting her aunt's family from the North and could not currently
extend an invitation to Elizabeth as well. As you have been encouraging me to
step out more with my friends and into the role of hostess, as has Mrs.
Annesley, I decided to issue an invitation to Miss Elizabeth Bennet to stay
with me here at Darcy House, so she might more easily see her sister near
Cheapside.
She is to arrive Friday next and will stay
for three weeks and then she shall return to Longbourn. I do hope that you
approve of my plan, which I am sure you will as you have always spoken so
highly of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I feel she is an excellent friend, and I do
enjoy her company. It is so much more pleasant to have friends in the house
than to be here all alone with my thoughts. Although I will be an attentive
hostess, do not worry, dear Brother, I will not fall behind in my studies. Mrs.
Annesley is staying on top of me quite diligently and Miss Elizabeth will be
going to visit her sister several times each week which will allow me ample
time to complete my work. 
I have greatly enjoyed the duties of hostess
in choosing a room for her and seeing to its preparation; you were right,
Brother; it is not as intimidating as I thought it would be, especially with
such a pleasant guest in mind. I hope your trip is going well and that you achieve
everything you hoped to. Please give my best to Aunt Preston and Cousin Harold.
I will see you in a few weeks. Who knows? Maybe you will get back before Miss
Bennet returns home, and the three of us shall a very merry party make.
Your most devoted sister,
Georgiana Darcy
Darcy leaned back in his chair and let out a deep sigh. So she was staying
here, in his home, as a personal guest of his sister. He could hardly rescind
the invitation once she was already there, even if he had wanted to. Plus, it
meant a great deal that Georgiana felt brave enough to invite someone to her
home of her own accord. It was the first time she had ever done so and he would
be foolish to discourage her at this point. 
Hadn’t he just spent months pushing her to make friends? Was this not exactly
what he wanted her to do? No, there was nothing to be done for it. He would
have to stay under the same roof as Elizabeth Bennet for the next three weeks.
Now how was he ever going to escape her?

~

“I thought your brother was to be away for some time.” Elizabeth looked at
Georgiana over the tea service in front of them.
“He was. At least that was the plan. He was visiting our Aunt Preston in
Somerset. I didn’t expect him back for at least two more weeks, perhaps even
three or four.”
“Hmm,” was Elizabeth’s only reply.
“Our Aunt has an estate in Somersetshire that my cousin has been learning to
manage, and Fitzwilliam has been helping him. He had told me that Cousin
Harold’s progress would determine the length of his trip, but he had planned to
be there at least a month. But it has only been a fortnight. Cousin Harold must
be doing very well indeed!” At this thought, Georgiana lit up and her face
glowed in delight. Elizabeth decided not to be discomfited by Mr. Darcy’s presence,
as Miss Darcy could hardly have planned it and she clearly wasn’t the type for
creating mischief. 
I have been too long
with impish sisters,
 she thought, 
I have become suspicious of everyone!
“Are you close with your cousin?” she asked.
“Not particularly, but I am rather fond of him. I remember him being very nice
to me as a child. He has no sisters, is the only child in fact, so he was
always very sweet to me and would spoil me terribly! He used to bring me
candies wrapped in brown paper that he would hide in his coat pockets. He used
to make me hunt them out, all the while pretending there was nothing there.”
She smiled sweetly at the memory and began to nervously pour the tea. 
Noticing this was among the first times Georgiana had served tea to a guest,
Elizabeth tried to put her at ease. “He sounds very kind. Do you see him
often?”
“No, not anymore. Since he went to Cambridge and then on to learn management of
the estate, he hasn’t had much time to come to Pemberley. It is rather far and
I have only recently begun to spend much of my time in town. Fitzwilliam says I
should have the benefit of the masters, as does the Colonel.”
“The Colonel?”
“Yes, my cousin on my mother’s side. He and Fitzwilliam share guardianship of
me.”
“I hadn’t realized your brother shared that privilege.”
Georgiana blushed slightly. “I don’t know that I’d call it a privilege. I’m
sure I cause them undue anxiety.” At this a shadow passed over face, and
Elizabeth was about to inquire what was wrong when Georgiana changed the subject.
“Would you like to meet the Colonel while you are here, Miss Bennet? I’m sure
you would like him very much! He’s terribly funny, and always has something
pleasant to say. Please say you’ll meet him!”
Elizabeth couldn’t help but be caught up in her enthusiasm after so quick a
mood change. “Of course I should like to meet your cousin. Does he reside here
in town?”
“Yes. He is posted at the army college not far outside town, and he often stays
at Matlock House, which is just around the corner. Perhaps I’ll show it to you
on one of our walks! Richard – I mean Colonel Fitzwilliam – will be happy to
take us. And you can meet Lady Matlock, too!”
“Lady Matlock? Is she the Colonel’s mother?”
“Yes. Lord Matlock is my mother’s brother. She calls here quite often, I’m sure
you’ll meet her soon.”
Elizabeth was trying hard to restrain a giggle at Georgiana’s desire to escort
her about town like a new puppy, showing her to all her relations. How lonely
she must have been, to be so excited about finally having a friend. Elizabeth
decided she would put every effort into making Georgiana happy while she was
here. If she could ease some of her loneliness that would surely go a long way
toward helping her make more friends on her own. 
Living so far from one another and knowing how her brother only tolerated her
for Georgiana’s sake, Elizabeth thought having more friends was definitely a
good plan, since she had no way of knowing how often she’d be able to see
Georgiana. Poor thing, she was all alone without female companionship of any
kind, not even a mother. Elizabeth gave a silent prayer of thanks for her
sisters and even for her exasperating mama. For while she could try one’s
nerves, Elizabeth always knew which family she belonged to and believed her
mother would do anything for her good, or what she perceived to be her good,
even if she was wide off the mark.

~

As Elizabeth was dressing for dinner, a knock sounded on her dressing room
door. In only her corset and chemise, she called out, “What is wanted?”
“Miss Bennet,” came Georgiana’s sweet voice “I thought you might want some help
dressing. Hannah will assist you if you desire.”
Elizabeth smiled and opened the door. “Thank you, Miss Darcy. That is very
thoughtful of you. I must confess I am so used to having someone about for
pinning my hair in this style, I have almost forgotten how to do it properly. I
was about to resort to something simpler. Jane and I usually do each other’s,”
she rambled cheerily.
At this point she noticed that Miss Darcy was staring at the floor and that
there was a light blush over her cheeks. Realizing the cause of this was likely
her state of undress, she quickly pulled on her dressing gown. 
“Forgive me, Miss Darcy! I am too used to being surrounded by sisters, and I
must confess, we are not very private with each other.”
“Oh, that is alright, Miss Bennet. I am the opposite, I’m afraid. Do sisters
really do this? See each other without all their clothes on, I mean?”
Elizabeth started and her eyes widened slightly. “Uh, well, I can’t presume to
speak for all sisters, but in the Bennet household they surely do, within our
own chambers at least. And I believe my other friends with sisters are the
same.” Elizabeth looked at her quizzically, then decided that if she was going to
help Georgiana come out of her shell, here was an excellent opportunity. “In
fact, Jane and I used to sneak into each other’s rooms at night and whisper our
secrets under the covers. We would often fall asleep together. It’s very
helpful for staying warm on a cold winter’s night!” She laughed.
Georgiana merely looked at her thoughtfully, but not judgmentally, which
Elizabeth took to be a good sign. 
“Since I don’t have my sisters with me, you and Hannah shall have to help me
choose something to wear and figure out what to do with this hair.” At that,
she flipped her long strands over her shoulder dramatically and smiled brightly
at Georgiana.
“Oh, I want to choose your dress!” Suddenly Georgiana was running to the
closet, intent on finding the perfect gown while Hannah busied herself brushing
Elizabeth’s hair. It was obviously new to her, but just as obviously welcome;
maybe female companionship was just what Georgiana needed.
As they walked downstairs to dinner, Elizabeth caught her reflection in a mirror
on the wall. The yellow dress Georgiana had chosen for her was certainly very
flattering and the hairstyle Hannah had fashioned suited her features
perfectly. Georgiana had insisted on putting pearl tipped pins in her hair.
While Elizabeth did feel a trifle overdone, her dress was simple, as was her
jewelry, only wearing a simple ribbon with the pendant Jane had given her last
Christmas around her neck. 
Well, here
we go
, she thought. She wasn't looking forward to dinner with Mr.
Darcy, but she thought it would be worth it for Georgiana’s sake.
It was clear that Miss Darcy was desperate for friendship from a woman her own
age. Her companion, Mrs. Annesley, was a very nice woman, but being nearly 30
years her senior, could not possibly relate to Georgiana on the level of a
peer. Elizabeth would suffer through dinners with Mr. Darcy, knowing that she
was doing Georgiana, one of the sweetest girls she had ever met, a very great
favor. And of course he wouldn't always be there; surely social occasions would
take him away most of the time, and he did have many matters of business to
which he must attend. And since Georgiana was not yet out, they would hardly be
expected to accompany him. 
She wondered if they would ever be entertaining. Georgiana had told her that
she normally had dinner with her brother when it was just the two of them, as
neither of them liked to eat alone, but that when he entertained people she
would often stay above stairs, mostly because she wasn’t comfortable around his
friends. Elizabeth wondered if he would be doing much entertaining while she
was there; three weeks could be a rather long time to be eating above stairs --
she had been out for more than four years and was used to eating with the
adults. She suddenly found it rather comical that she might be relegated to
having dinner in the nursery. At this thought Elizabeth let a slow smile spread
across her face and her eyes sparkled with the image her mind created. It was
at that moment that they reached the bottom of the stairs and Mr. Darcy stepped
around to greet them.
If Elizabeth had known the picture she was presenting she might have taken a
care to control her expression; her eyes were sparkling, her lips parted in a
slow and steady smile, her dress clinging becomingly in all the right places,
the light yellow color setting off her dark hair perfectly. The pearls in her
hair glimmered and her eyes shown in the candlelight.
Mr. Darcy bowed at the appearance of the ladies rather formally and gave
Georgiana a light smile. He then extended his arm first to Miss Darcy and then
to Elizabeth as he escorted them into the dining room. 
Since only three of them were dining, he had asked his housekeeper to make it a
simple affair. Darcy sat at the head of the large table with Georgiana on his
right and Elizabeth on his left. While this was definitely a more intimate
dining experience than Elizabeth had expected, she did not regret it. It would
have been rather odd to be spread out over so long a space, practically having
to yell to one another to converse throughout the meal. 
At first she thought this might offer her more opportunity to tease Mr. Darcy
and perhaps wiggle some information about Wickham out of him, but then she
remembered she was here for Miss Darcy; to make her comfortable and be her
friend, so she decided to leave Mr. Darcy alone - for now.
Conversation was basic and simple; they spoke about the weather and their plans
for the week. Mr. Darcy asked whether or not they intended to attend church the
next day, and Elizabeth and Miss Darcy both agreed that they had been planning
on it. He told them he would escort them and instructed them to meet him in the
foyer at 9 o'clock sharp. Elizabeth resisted the urge to salute and say a
mocking, “Yes, sir!” 
After he asked what they intended to do afterward, Elizabeth mentioned that she
had planned to see her aunt and uncle in Cheapside where her sister Jane was
currently residing. The hopeful look in Georgiana's eyes gave away the idea
that she wished she would be able to accompany Miss Elizabeth, which distracted
her from seeing the quick look of guilt cross Darcy’s features.
Not knowing Miss Bennet's relations, and armed only with the small bit of
information that they were in trade and resided in Cheapside, Mr. Darcy
instinctively knew it was not somewhere he wished his baby sister to be going.
"Perfect. I will have Georgiana all to myself. I so rarely spend time with
my sister that when an opportunity presents itself, I like to take full
advantage.”
Elizabeth had a feeling that she knew exactly what Mr. Darcy was taking full
advantage of and it had nothing to do with spending time with his sister and
everything to do with a certain address near Cheapside. But again, she reminded
herself that she was here for Georgiana; not to chide, tease, or infuriate Mr.
Darcy. So she let sleeping dogs lie. After all, he was entitled to his opinion
just as she was entitled to hers. If he chose to look down and think ill of her
relations in Cheapside, people whom he had never met, but judged solely on
their business in trade and their address, then she had every right to think
him arrogant, conceited, and above his company. 
At least he is kind to his sister,
 she
thought.
Georgiana clearly adores him. There
is real affection between them, it is not feigned. How can he be so good to his
sister, and so horrid to everybody else?
It was with these thoughts circling through her mind the Elizabeth undressed,
slipped into her nightgown and climbed into the soft feather bed at Darcy
house. 
Tomorrow I will see Jane and my
aunt Gardiner.
 She chose not to think about going to church
with Darcy, but rather to fall asleep dreaming of the pleasures an afternoon
with her family would bring. 
Down the hall, Darcy was having a very different experience. What was she doing
here? Hadn’t she tortured him enough in Hertfordshire? Teasing him, unnerving
him, her fine eyes sparkling with some hidden joy he couldn’t fathom, no matter
how hard he tried. Why could she not leave him in peace? What had he done to
deserve this torment?
He was a good landlord, a thoughtful master, a responsible brother, a helpful
relation. How many times had he gone to Somerset since his Uncle had died, just
to help his father’s sister with her estate? There were other relations, but he
was the one who went. Would he not perform the same duty for his aunt Lady
Catherine at Easter? Colonel Fitzwilliam would go, and even Cyril would be
willing to go, but no, she wanted Darcy. Only Darcy would do. He listened to
their complaints and checked their books and interviewed their tenants. He
spoke with their stewards and put their minds at ease. All this he was
responsible for. All this he could accomplish without blinking an eye. 
Was he not Master of Pemberley? Was Pemberley not one of the greatest estates
in the country? Not only in size and beauty, but it was also one of the oldest
and certainly brought in one of the largest incomes. And he did this on his
own. He had no father looking out for him, not anymore. No thoughtful uncle to
call upon, at least not with any regularity. He had no older, wiser cousin to
assist him. He was the one called in to take care of things, the one people
counted on to make the best decision. The responsible one, the in-control one,
the loyal, steadfast, and honest one. 
The
lonely one
. 
This thought struck him as a surprise. He had never thought of himself as
lonely. He had Georgiana, and he was very close with Colonel Fitzwilliam. He
even got on well with his cousin Cyril, though they had their differences.
Bingley was a regular companion, and certainly a very good friend. And yet… and
yet, he was lonely. 
And now this woman, this siren, had taken up residence in his very home, in his
private sanctuary, taunting him with pictures of what could never be. How many
times had he thought of her coming down the stairs, her eyes sparkling, a smile
on her lips just for him? He would take her arm and lead her through their
house. No more sitting at opposite ends of the table, no more Caroline Bingley
to put up with. He could sit and enjoy her smiles, and look at her without
restraint, because she would be his. And he would be able to look upon what was
his as often as he chose. He could look at her while they were eating, or
drinking tea, while she was practicing the pianoforte, or reading a book, while
she was fixing her hair or getting dressed… 
“That’s enough!” he said aloud. 
He began pacing his room like a caged animal, one hand on his hip, the other
raking through his already disheveled hair.
Fitzwilliam Darcy had long prided himself on being a man completely under his
own control. He did not have fanciful whims or sudden impulses that, he
thought, inevitably led to catastrophic consequences. He weighed his decisions
thoughtfully and considered the outcomes thoroughly before engaging in a
particular action. He was, therefore, not prone to spontaneity or frivolity, at
least not anymore. He could remember a time, before his father died, when he
was much freer; when he smiled quicker and laughed easier. But that was before
the weight of the world began to press on his shoulders and he realized the far
reaching consequences of even his smallest action. 
As Master of a great estate, hundreds of lives depended on him directly, and
even more were touched in some way by his decisions. When he had first realized
this, it had had a sobering effect. Darcy had always been thoughtful and
responsible, but this added knowledge turned his reserve into reticence, and
his thoughtfulness into brooding, twisting him into the man he was today. 
Within two years of his father’s passing, he had a working knowledge of every
inch of his estate and had increased its income by ten percent. He knew every
tenant by name, and was known to be a generous and forthright Master by his
servants. His steward handled most everything pertaining directly to Pemberley
and its mills and various crops, but he personally handled all other
investments and communications with his solicitor, and left the running of the
households to his very able housekeepers, only checking the accounts each
quarter.
He had thought a few times of taking a wife, someone to ease his burden and
comfort and entertain him with smiles and music. But the thought had no more
crossed his mind before he had dismissed it. He wasn’t against the idea of marrying
completely, but he did not want to marry just anyone. So far, he had met nearly
every eligible lady between seventeen and twenty-seven in the ton, along with
her mother, father, and any other relations in the ballroom at the time. 
They had all been pretty, batted their eyelashes coquettishly, and sent
simpering smiles his way at an alarming speed. They each seemed fascinated with
everything he said, never disagreeing with him, and never having an opinion of
their own, unless it was about lace or silk, but even then they were remarkably
similar. It had gotten to the point where he could hardly tell them
apart. 
He had first entered the marriage market six years ago. He had just graduated
Cambridge and was willing to be a good sport, letting his aunt, Lady Matlock,
cart him around to balls and dinner parties with his two older cousins,
imagining it would be a few years before he met someone he was interested
in. 
The season hadn’t been under way a month before his father became ill and he
had returned to Pemberley to look after the estate. After watching his beloved
father waste away for nearly a year, he became Master of Pemberley and guardian
to a very scared ten-year-old girl. He had never felt so adrift. He had briefly
entertained the idea that a wife might comfort him and be good for Georgiana,
but returning to town 11 months after his father’s death to commence the
search, he had been sorely disappointed.