Chapter 4

Darcy prepared for their outing at the menagerie with almost as much enthusiasm as his sister. He had had a lot to think about after their visit to Lady Northmore the day before. It was clear that Georgiana delighted in the company of Lady Sarah, and loved the dog just as much. He wondered if he should get a dog for her himself. But then he questioned whether she was too young for such a responsibility. He wanted to find a way to deepen their acquaintance with the beautiful widow and her children. He decided to test the waters that evening at supper. Ever since their father's death he had made a point of taking each meal with his sister.

"Did you enjoy visiting the Northmores, Georgiana?" he asked her.

Her face lit up in a bright smile. "Oh, yes, Fitzwilliam! Sarah is ever so kind! She showed me all of her toys, and said we could play with them the next time I saw her, when we have more time. Her brother is only four, and is not so fun to play with, she says; but their dog is so funny! He stole Lady Sarah's white rabbit, Mr. Snowball. We had to chase him all over the house to get him back."

Darcy was amazed. This was the longest speech he had heard from Georgiana since their father's death. "I remember that," he said. "I was there in the room, if you recall."

Georgiana blushed. "Oh, yes, of course. I know I did not act entirely properly, Fitzwilliam, but –"

"Do not worry, Georgiana. I was not chiding you. I am glad you enjoyed yourself." There was a pause as they ate some of their soup. "Are you looking forward to the menagerie on Saturday?"

"Oh, I am, ever so much, Fitzwilliam! I have heard that they have scores of animals there, but all safe so that we do not get hurt. I cannot wait to see them, and to see Lady Sarah again. I wonder if they will bring Chester?"

"I do not think the menagerie is the place for a dog," said Darcy. When Georgiana looked downcast, he added, "Perhaps we can see the Northmores again, and then you can play with Chester."

Georgiana cheered right back up at that. Darcy had not seen her so animated for over a year.

He also could not keep his own thoughts off little Sarah's mother. She had a playfulness about her, despite the air of mourning that clung to her, and a sense of humour and wit that he found very attractive. Attractive, too, was her form. He could not help but notice, even more closely at their second meeting, how lush and womanly her figure was. She was a mature woman, not some stick-thin debutante with no curves. And her features, while not perfectly symmetrical in form – or as perfect as her sister, Mrs. Crandall's – were beautiful in their own way, set off by those fine green eyes. He was infatuated with her, he admitted to himself. The last time he had been infatuated with a woman was when he was twelve and had met the seventeen-year-old daughter of the proprietor of the Darcy Arms. But he was a grown man now, and Lady Northmore was far from the seventeen-year-old daughter of an innkeeper. Lady Northmore, he could tell, was a woman who had seen the best and worst in life already. She had been through terrible grief, and come out the other side still whole. He wished he could be as strong as she. He did not know if she had loved her husband, but she had nursed him faithfully through his illness, and so he supposed she must have had at least some affection for him.

He was curious about Lady Northmore's family. Lady Matlock had said she had several sisters. The sister he had met, Mrs. Crandall, was very beautiful and seemed kind. He wondered about the others, and about her parents. Were they still alive? Who was to inherit her father's estate? With no answers before him, he turned back to listen to his sister's chatter. He was glad to hear her speak with such animation. He had not seen such happiness from her for a long time.

The morning that they were to meet at the menagerie, Georgiana and Darcy ate a quick breakfast so that they could meet the Northmores on time. Darcy was quiet as they rode in the carriage, while Georgiana wondered aloud what animals they would see. She had been looking in the books at Darcy House with her brother's help, to observe illustrations of animals to see which ones she would be able to recognize in real life.

Once they had arrived at the entrance, Darcy and Georgiana looked out for their new acquaintances. Georgiana strained up on her tiptoes, but only Darcy was tall enough to see over everyone's heads. At last he spotted Lady Northmore along with Mrs. Crandall, a gentleman, and several children.

"I found them, Georgiana. Come with me."

He took her hand so they would not get separated in the crowd, and led her forward. "Good day, Lady Northmore," he said, and she turned towards him. She smiled at them both.

"Mr. Darcy! Miss Darcy! How delightful to see you again! Let me introduce my brother-in-law, Mr. Nicholas Crandall. These are their sons, Michael and James. Baby Alice is at home in the nursery. You know my sister, Mrs. Crandall."

They exchanged greetings. Mr. Crandall seemed like a respectable gentleman. He was about five and thirty, sandy-haired and with a pleasant air. Their boys were about ages eight and five, and young James seemed to be in a discussion with his four-year-old cousin Hugh. Sarah had rushed over to Georgiana and they were already engaged in conversation.

The adults agreed to enter the menagerie, and the children attempted to race forward, but their parents called them back and bade them to behave. They did not want the children lost in the crowd. So, more sedately, the young ones walked beside the adults as they entered the building. With all the animals lined up in cages, the children were able to able to view them one by one. They exclaimed over the lion, tiger, jaguar, monkeys, and exotic birds.

"What is this one, Fitzwilliam?" asked Georgiana, pointing at one of the animals.

"I think that is a tapir," he said.

"Where do they come from?" she asked.

"I am not sure. South America perhaps. We can look it up when we return home."

Privately, he was appalled at the state the animals were in. He saw Lady Northmore and her sister exchanging glances too. The cages were far too small, and the beasts were unkempt, their fur dirty and matted in places. The cats prowled their tiny cages, and he heard plaintive howls and grunts from the imprisoned animals. Fortunately, the children did not seem aware of the poor condition in which the creatures were kept; but Darcy was ready to leave very soon. He did not want to see the miserable condition of the animals any more. In another room, they found an elephant, which all the children exclaimed over. Apparently, Lady Northmore thought that was a good place to stop their tour, and Darcy agreed. He did not think he could take much more of the animals' sad faces.

The children lamented being made to leave; but soon cheered up when told that they would go to Gunter's for ices before returning home. Darcy felt himself a fool for never thinking of taking Georgiana there before. It would have been a nice outing for her to have an ice or a sweet.

They made their way to Berkeley Square, and while the children looked over the flavours and debated on which they would order, Lady Northmore leaned over to speak to him.

"I am terribly sorry, Mr. Darcy. I had no idea that the conditions at the menagerie would be so poor. I hope Georgiana was not disturbed?"

"I do not think she noticed anything except the wonder of the animals, to be honest."

"If I had known, we would not have come," said Lady Northmore.

"It is a terrible shame," agreed Mrs. Crandall.

"It would almost be a mercy to put those animals out of their misery," said Mr. Crandall.

"Do not blame yourself, Lady Northmore," said Darcy. "I am sure once we arrive home, all Georgiana will want to do is go to the library to learn more about the animals."

Lady Northmore smiled. "She is a clever girl, then?"

"She loves to learn," Darcy said. "Our library at Pemberley is extensive, and we are always looking to add to it."

"Our library at Northmore is very good too. I do not have as much time to read now as I would wish, but in the days before I had my children I spent a lot of free time reading."

"Do you like novels?" asked Darcy, remembering what Miss Bingley had said when they had had dinner at Charles's townhouse.

"Oh, no. Well, sometimes. But I am more interested in learning about the world around me, not reading fictional stories."

"Brother, I would like a lemon ice." Georgiana suddenly was at his side.

"As do I," said Sarah to her mother.

The other children declared their preferences, and soon they were all sitting down to eat. Darcy had not ordered an ice, but a sponge cake with custard and a glass of wine. It seemed as if it had been a long time since breakfast.

"I should have thought to bring Georgiana here before," Darcy confided in Lady Northmore. "It has been hard on me to think of things that she would enjoy. It seems a long time since I have been eleven years of age."

"I understand. It has been almost twenty years for me!" Lady Northmore laughed. "But do not be too hard on yourself, Mr. Darcy. I am sure you were at school for many years of her childhood; and then grief, of course, is always more difficult for children."

"Yes. May I be so bold as to ask – what did you do to help Lady Sarah out of her grief? She seems quite recovered."

"She is not; do not be deceived. She still gets very sad sometimes. Her papa was her best friend. For Hugh it is easier; he was only three when his father died, so he barely remembers him. But with Sarah, it helps to talk with her about her father. We discuss our good memories of him, which are many. And I have encouraged her to write down her feelings in a journal when she is feeling sad. That helps her purge her dark thoughts."

Darcy was thoughtful. "Thank you for your advice, Lady Northmore," he said after a pause. "I confess I often do not know how to talk to Georgiana. The twelve years between our ages seem such a distance."

"But you have one of the strongest bonds in the world – that of siblings. I think your love for each other will cover a multitude of griefs."

Darcy was strangely moved by her words. Family must be very important to Lady Northmore. He admired that in her very much. Duty and honour were very important; but perhaps love was the most important of all.