A/N: Thank you all for the warm welcome back! :)
Chapter 20: November 1818
Darcy sent his letter to Matlock by special messenger, and Richard and Kitty arrived the following day at noon.
They had come alone and with haste, for they had been suffering under great uncertainty and distress for the last five days, with Nathaniel's sudden and worrisome departure coming directly on the heels of the frightening news of Georgiana's illness. Darcy had sent them a letter three days before, as soon as he was sure that Georgiana was truly recovering, but that letter, though it made Kitty cry tears of relief, said little besides that Georgiana was out of danger, and did nothing to answer the many other anxious questions which were troubling them.
Elizabeth ran out to meet the carriage, while Darcy and Nathaniel remained inside.
"Elizabeth!" Kitty cried, running forward so that they met at the foot of the steps in a breathless embrace. "We were so worried Lizzy. But she completely out of danger now?"
"Yes, she is recovering beautifully. But I was frightened too Kitty, so frightened," Elizabeth murmured, letting her head rest a moment on her sister's shoulder. "But," lifting it again bravely. "We must be thankful now that it is all over.
"She will be so happy to see you, both of you," she added, turning to Richard and grasping the hands he held out to her. "And there is much we have to tell you."
"What do you mean, Elizabeth?" Richard asked, confused by the strange tone of suppressed excitement and anxiety in which she uttered the last words.
"Come inside and we shall explain," was all the answer she gave him, turning as she spoke to lead the way.
Richard and Kitty exchanged puzzled glances and hurried after her.
"Georgiana is upstairs in her room," Elizabeth told them, as they passed through the entrance hall. "I will take you there presently but first you must come into Fitzwilliam's study for a few moments."
"What are you about Lizzy?" Kitty asked. "Why are you acting so strangely?"
Elizabeth simply opened the door to Darcy's office in reply, and Kitty and Richard stepped into the room.
Darcy was facing the door. He looked up as his cousins entered, and the young man facing him turned.
"Wakefield?" Richard's exclamation was one of the utmost surprise and confusion.
"Yes sir," Nathaniel responded quickly, and then hesitated, suddenly wishing very much that he had thought to rehearse this moment earlier in the day.
"What does this mean lad?" Richard asked, his voice gruff, but his generous concern betrayed by his familiar mode of address. "Your note said you'd been called away by a family emergency, but I know you've no family left at Pemberley, so you'd better have a deuced good explanation for why I come and find you here after being left in the dark for five days as to what had happened to you."
"I apologize, sir, for intentionally misleading you as I did," Nathaniel said, daring for an instant to meet his employer's eyes. "But," dropping his eyes again and speaking quickly, "as it was Mr. Darcy who sent for me, and simultaneously ordered me to secrecy, I think perhaps he had better tell you the story."
The corner of Darcy's mouth twitched. As serious as the matter was, he could not help but rather enjoy Richard's bafflement and Nathaniel's discomfiture. "On the contrary Mr. Wakefield," he said. "As one of the principles in the story you can certainly tell it better than I can. In the first half of the story I play no part at all, for if I had it would assuredly have taken a very different path."
Nathaniel studied his potential brother-in-law for a moment. He was beginning to have a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Darcy only teased people whom he felt completely comfortable around, and the fact that Mr. Darcy was most assuredly teasing him, in the presence of Lord Matlock, gave Nathaniel a sudden rush of hope. Mr. Darcy must be expecting a favorable reaction from his cousin.
"One of you tell me what is going on here!" Richard thundered in the tone which he seldom used anymore, but which used to make the men of his regiment snap to attention.
The ladies had been standing silently by all this time, but now Elizabeth broke in.
"Perhaps it would be better for Kitty and I to go to Georgiana," she said. "This interview will certainly take quite some time, and I think Georgiana would like to tell Kitty herself. Will you come Kitty?"
"Of course, if you think that would be best Lizzy," Kitty said, deferring to her sister in her bewilderment.
They left the room.
"Georgiana is mixed up in… whatever this is?" Richard asked, turning back to the two gentlemen opposite him.
"You had better sit down, Richard," Darcy said. "And you had better begin your tale at once, Mr. Wakefield."
"Well, you see sir…"
It was not an easy story to tell, but Nathaniel did it in the end, Darcy inserting a line or two here and there, and Richard listening in silence until the very end.
Even when the tale had been told right up to the present moment, and Nathaniel had fallen silent, Richard still did not move or speak.
"Richard?" Darcy questioned.
He roused himself then. "Well," he said, speaking briskly, "It all seems to be settled satisfactorily."
Darcy and Nathaniel both stared at him for a moment.
"I take it then, sir, that you do not object to my marrying your cousin?" Nathaniel asked hesitantly.
"No," Richard said. "Why should I?"
Nathaniel and Darcy had nothing to respond, so Richard went on, "I agree that he," gesturing towards Nathaniel, "must have property chosen and be ready to purchase it as soon as they are married, so Georgiana will have a permanent home to come to. But there should be no problems there. In truth I don't even see why they need wait another year. Your main reason for that, Darcy, seemed to be that you wished to limit my inconvenience, but if I am to lose such a fine steward as Mr. Wakefield it might as well be now as in twelve months. And I wonder if there is not some way to manage so that…"
He paused and then looked up at Nathaniel. "Do you remember when I spoke to you of my desire to purchase the property adjoining Matlock on the north side? Its owner is an elderly gentleman whose daughter has been begging him to give up his estate and come live with her and her husband in Town. I am sure he would be easily induced to sell."
"You… still wish to purchase the property then, sir?" Nathaniel asked with uncharacteristic slowness, still too dazed by Lord Matlock's reaction to think clearly.
"No, no," Richard cried impatiently. "I wish you to purchase it. It is the ideal place for you. The property is five hundred acres, and if you do not want it all I would be happy to take a hundred or so off your hands for a fair price, the house is a fine, large one, and will only take a little fixing up, you are familiar already with the land and the people, and best of all, Kitty and Georgiana would be close to each-other, and I should never be entirely bereft of your advice and I hope, friendship."
"I don't… I don't know what to say sir," Nathaniel said slowly. He turned to Darcy. "Do you have any objection?"
"No," Darcy said, seemingly in a similar daze, now due both to Richard's reaction and the ease with which he had set aside the one-year stipulation.
"Thank you, sir," Nathaniel began, looking back at Richard, but Richard waved his words away.
"You have nothing to thank me for Wakefield. If ever there were two people deserving of happiness it is Georgiana and yourself."
Nathaniel was forced to turn away, emotion overpowering his ability to speak for the third time in six days.
A knock sounded on the door, and Elizabeth looked in. The slightly anxious lines on her forehead smoothed out, as Darcy and Richard both turned to her with reassuring smiles.
"May I steal Nathaniel?" she asked. "Georgiana and Kitty would both very much like him to come upstairs for a few moments."
"Certainly," Darcy said, as Nathaniel turned to face them again and moved to stand beside Elizabeth. She smiled and turned to lead the way, and Nathaniel bowed his head to the two gentleman and followed her out, shutting the door behind him.
When they were gone, Richard and Fitzwilliam faced each-other in silence for a moment. Then, Richard grinned. "What I wouldn't have given to see your face when you caught them in my orchard Darcy."
Darcy's face went from shocked, to angry, to amused in the space of a few seconds. Then he laughed. "I do not think I will ever be able to look back on that moment with the same lightheartedness as you, who were not there, are able to, but I shall endeavor not to think of it with pain anymore. There were many hard and painful moments for all involved, Richard," he added more seriously.
"I don't doubt that Darcy at all," Richard said, returning likewise to seriousness. "But I think you did the right thing in the end. In one thing, I have perhaps a better perspective than you. I saw Wakefield nearly every day last year, and though he could sometimes hide it and always bore up like a soldier, there can be no doubt that he was suffering from the acutest kind of heartache. I know how faithful he is. Georgiana will never feel unloved while he lives. What more could you ask for her than that?"
The conversation in Georgiana's room, after the first ecstatic greeting between Kitty and Georgiana, had gone along much the same lines as the one in Darcy's study, but with more laughter, and more tears. And when Nathaniel came up, and told them of Richard's plan, their joy was complete. Georgiana had not imagined she could be more happy than she had been last evening, when her brother had told her of his conversation with Nathaniel, and that they had only to endure a year's engagement, a time of working and waiting contentedly together, before they would be allowed to wed, but now even that stipulation had been removed. Now they need only wait until Nathaniel had set his work at Matlock in order, and until it had been determined if the owner of the property adjoining Matlock would sell it, and everyone was quite in agreement that he would.
Only one shadow marred all their sunshine, and that was that Richard and Kitty must leave again the next morning, and take Nathaniel with them, for none could afford to be away from Matlock longer than one more night. A date for Nathaniel to return to Pemberley could not yet be determined, but he promised to write often to Pemberley, and keep them informed of the progress he made.
There was so much to talk about that the sun had set before Georgiana was finally persuaded by Elizabeth and Kitty to partake of the contents of a tray brought up by Mrs. Reynolds, and then to rest again, while the rest of the party went downstairs to dine. Nathaniel would have liked to stay with Georgiana while the others ate, but propriety would not allow it, and now that her life was no longer in danger, propriety must once more be observed.
Georgiana slept better than would have been expected, given how many joyful thoughts there were to keep her awake, for Mrs. Reynolds was an apt nurse, and provided exactly the calming influence Georgiana needed to help her rest at last. Thus, Elizabeth brooked no opposition the following morning, when she insisted on dressing and going downstairs to say goodbye to the little group departing for Matlock.
Nathaniel saw her coming down the stairs, leaning on Elizabeth's arm, and his eyes lit up with that dancing light which Georgiana knew of old.
Kitty came forward, and caught her friend in a warm embrace, holding her tightly, the fear of losing her still fresh upon her. Georgiana returned the embrace, hugging her friend with all the little strength she possessed.
Richard was next. He made a joke, and Georgiana laughed, and then he had gathered her into a rough, yet gentle hug, as he used to when he was quite a young man, setting off for the wars, and she a little girl.
Then it was Nathaniel's turn. Georgiana approached him slowly, and they stood, looking at each other in silence for a long moment.
Everyone else seemed very busy all at once, seeing to the carriage or making their own farewells, and even though they were surrounded by people, they were quite alone.
Nathaniel lifted Georgiana's hands and kissed them.
"This is goodbye, then," he said quietly.
"But not forever," Georgiana whispered.
"No," he replied. "Never again," reaching up as he spoke to brush a strand of golden hair from her face, and then cupping her cheek with his hand. "I shall be back as soon as I have spent a little time working to prove to myself that this is not just some happy dream, from which I shall awake with a start."
"It does feel like a dream," Georgiana said softly, "But I think it is really more like waking up after years of being asleep."
"That everything should finally be falling into place as it is, may feel like a dream," Nathaniel replied. "But you never have. You have always been so real… so perfectly real, Georgiana." He stopped.
It was the foolish conversation of lovers, which no one but the two who love, and God, can understand.
The carriage was at the door, and Richard was handing Kitty in.
Nathaniel and Georgiana saw it, and turned to each other again with the desperation of having a thousand things still to say, and no time to say them in.
"I shall see you soon," Nathaniel promised, and then he turned and hurried out to the carriage, and in another minute, he was gone.
Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the wedding! ;)