Hello fellow fanfictioners. I have been quiet for a long time and I apologise for those waiting for a story. I am about half way through the sequel to the magical pnp but got totally distracted by this plot bunny. This is more novella than novel, about thirty thousand words. As always I hope you enjoy...
Chapter one - A successful elopement
Fitzwilliam Darcy was a mess, there was no better way to describe it. Richard stepped in to the darkened room at Pemberley. His long ride from his camp did not show in his sure step as he entered the room. But his step faltered as he took in the scene before him.
"Has he not moved since the letter?"
The butler shook his head, bowed and left.
"Can you ask Mrs Reynolds to send some coffee" Richard called after him "strong coffee, and some food?" The butler nodded and Richard expressed his thanks before striding in to the room and opening the heavy curtains, letting the midday sun stream in. The mess that used to be Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley groaned.
The room smelt strongly of spirits and body odour, it appeared that Darcy had not left his study or bathed in days.
Richard had received his cousins summons the preceding day and had immediately obtained leave and set off for Pemberley. Luckily he had only been camped a days travel away and was easily able to arrive at his cousins side in quick order. Unfortunately 24 hours seemed to have been plenty of time to creat this... Well whatever this was.
Richard sighed, his cousin was never good at imbibing spirits and he appeared to have emptied enough bottles to have kept a small regiment entertained.
"Darcy!" Richard used his best colonel voice and the man slumped at the desk jumped up then staggered.
"Richard?" It was more question than statement
"Come on man" the coffee arrived and Richard smiled his thanks at the footman "a bath also I think" the footman nodded.
"Here Darcy, drink this. You are no good like that, then we can consult on what is to be done"
Darcy's gaze snapped to Richards face
"To be done? What is to be done? My sister had married that... That... I have failed her and she is lost"
"Darcy, she is not lost, unless you are planning on cutting her?"
Darcy again looked up
"I could never"
Richard patted him on the back "of course not. We need to decide what we want from now"
"I want him dead"
Richard was surprised at the vehemence in his tone
"I do too old man, that is an option we can discuss" even Darcy was surprised at the lack of emotion in Richards voice as he casually discussed the concept of arranging for a man to die "but first, coffee" Richard handed him the bitter drink "and then a bath"
Whilst Darcy was bathing Richard arrange for the study to be cleaned up and aired out and when Darcy came back down it was back to being the ordered room that Darcy was so proud of. When the man in question reappeared Richard was re-reading the note that had started it all.
.
August 19th
Ramsgate
My dearest brother,
I have not long but I could not leave without sending you word of my happiness, I am leaving in a matter of hours. I am going to Gretna green. Mr Wickham and I are to be married for we are in love. I know your are due to visit in Ramsgate soon and I could not countenance you travelling to see me and finding me gone.
I hope you can be happy for me dear brother for I am so very happy. I was so terrified of coming out next year but now I shall have my dearest George on my arm to aid me. I thank you for taking the house in Ramsgate for my use, it has been the means of uniting me with my dearest love and soon I shall be married and ever so happy, 'tis just like a novel, and that makes me the heroine of my own novel, oh how romantic.
I must away, I will post this today and hope to see you at Pemberley soon.
Your affectionate sister
Georgiana
.
Darcy eyes narrowed when he caught sight of the letter.
"Easy" Richard stood up and directed Darcy to a sofa "now, this is over a week old, what has occurred since then?"
Darcy sighed
"I was at Pemberley, I was planning on going to Ramsgate, as Georgiana states. Actually about two weeks ago I was preparing to leave to surprise her with an early visit" he ran his hand through his hair and over his face "oh if only I had done so I could have prevented this"
"Let's not dwell on that, what happened?"
"I received a note from my man of business in London, one of the smaller businesses I invested in a few years ago was doing particularly well, but had changed its trade slightly. My man felt that the owner deserved a bit of recognition for doing so well and wanted to make sure I still wished to invest given the change of direction. It was not urgent but I thought I could take a detour and still be in Ramsgate about the time I had said I would."
He paused looking up at Richard after a moment "what kind of brother puts business above his sister"
Richard sighed "Darcy, we can discuss the ins and outs of your failures as a brother after you have given me the facts please"
Darcy looked for a moment as if he would crumple, but then he sat up straighter nodding in acknowledgement, there was things to discuss and wallowing in self pity would not get them anywhere.
"I travelled straight from London to Ramsgate, this note was delivered to Pemberley and missed me. In Ramsgate the household knew only that Miss Darcy and her companion had left. They knew not where and so I tried to track them, but could only find they had travelled north. I did not know they had travelled with a gentleman" he spat the last word, as if it was distasteful.
"So then what did you do?"
"I knew not what to do, the way they travelled could have been to come to Pemberley and so I travelled hither, to find his note"
Richard looked at the date "you found this yesterday?"
Darcy nodded
Then the deed will be done, or at least she has gone far enough that following will be fruitless, and we would likely miss them on the road in any case"
Darcy nodded again
"So you are to wait for their return?"
A sigh followed this one.
Richard thought quickly.
"They have been gone from Ramsgate for nine days? If they travelled fast they may be here any day. The trip to Gretna from Ramsgate is what? About four hundred miles, we both know that Georgiana is unlikely to travel more than about fifty miles a day, although when pushed they may travel faster, and with the length of days currently they may travel in to the evening with little inconvenience to the horses or the coachmen. They may be here any day now."
Richard got up and paced
"Have you had any thoughts beyond throttling him? Before you drank most of your cellar?"
Darcy looked up "none that didn't involve violence"
"We need to tread carefully, if Georgiana is as in love with him as she professes we may find her unwilling to hear reason. She is in a precarious situation. We cannot force her to relinquish he situation as she would end up a fallen woman and may well blame us if she is unhappy. She would have to give him up willingly. We also do not wish to create a breach, we may not see her again and I do not trust him with her wellbeing. We must find out what her wishes are"
"Because she has shown such good judgement so far"
"Darcy" Richards voice was sharp "we have little choice here. If they have made it to the anvil then she is beholden to Wickham. What is important here?"
Darcy nodded "Georgiana"
"Exactly. We need to ensure she is taken care of. The terms of your father's will give us some control over the provisions of the dowry and we can use that to our benefit"
Darcy hissed "I don't want a penny to go to him"
"Again, Darcy, we need to see how Georgiana is in this. If we flat refuse him any money he may take this out on her. That would be unacceptable. Do you understand?"
Darcy did, it would not do to antagonise Wickham, he held the good cards and they would have to be cunning to beat him.
"Do you plan to cut them?"
"No!" Darcy's response was forceful, indignant and immediate.
"Easy man, there are many brothers who would not acknowledge such a connection. And you are known for being fastidious in your adherence to society and its norms"
"Society be hanged"
Richard chuckled
"Now you say so, but what about last year and Mr Pulton?"
"That was different"
"Was it?"
Darcy thought back. Mr Pulton had been ostracised from the ton for marrying far beneath him. The daughter of a local shopkeeper. The shopkeeper had been the younger son of a gentleman and had found no help in the 'usual' pursuits for such. The bookshop he owned was well respected and his daughter had been beautiful and had been raised well. Mr Pulton had fallen in love with the well read woman and they lived at his country estate outside of London, rarely coming to town and only being accepted to the lower levels of society when they did.
"Mr Pulton was hardly of my sphere anyway"
"Darcy listen to yourself, your sister is now below him and his wife in every way hat society judges these things"
Darcy sat down again, the anger draining out of him.
"You are correct, of course"
"They will not be accepted in the first circles and unless they acquire an estate they will be unlikely to rejoin any level of decent society. You will likely be less welcome despite your wealth and connections, if you continue to acknowledge the connections there are many that will shun you"
"I don't care, I will not give her up"
"Neither will I man, although I am unsure what my mother will say."
"This will likely affect you more than me"
Richard shrugged "I need an heiress, they need not be from the first circles"
"You think to look for a bankers daughter?"
"There are many merchants that are rich enough to buy in to my connections, even with this one. But that is not for the current discussion"
Both gentlemen nodded.
"So the dowry is partly at our discretion, correct" Richard got back to the business at hand
The gentlemen continued to plan how best to confront the couple and what to ask for. They were both hopeful that Wickham would accept a small pay off and leave Georgiana alone. A Gretna wedding had very little that could not be covered up, likely just the one marriage certificate and that could be disposed of. No register usually existed, but Georgiana would be a fallen woman and Darcy did not know what that would do to his sister, and there was no guarantee that Wickham would not come back again and again. Still that was preferable.
Once the gentlemen had spoken of the different possibilities they sat back to await the happy couple.