Chapter 8

After several days of contemplation, Darcy decided he needed to ask someone's advice, an adult who was could understand him and advise him wisely on his feelings and what to do with them. Over the days following their outing, Georgiana had not ceased talking about the play and the picnic. Darcy was worried that she might revert to her old, sorrowful self when they left London and the Northmores behind. He also worried that the same might happen to him.

Eventually, he decided to talk to his Aunt and Uncle Matlock. Aunt Ellen had been like a mother to him after Lady Anne had died, and Uncle Harold, while blustering, was kind and compassionate at heart. Still, he decided to approach his aunt first, since he felt more comfortable confiding his romantic feelings with her.

He stopped by on a morning when he knew she did not have visiting hours, so that he would have her all to himself. He left Georgiana back at home with Mrs. Annesley, doing her lessons.

Darcy waited fifteen minutes for his aunt before she finally came down, clearly having been dressed quickly. "Fitzwilliam! What are you doing here so early! I was still in my dressing gown when you were announced."

"Forgive me, Aunt. I know that I have called early, but I wanted to speak to you privately and thought that this might be the best time."

Lady Matlock tensed. "Is everything all right? Is it Georgiana?"

"No, no, everything is fine – at least with Georgiana," he hurried to assure her.

"Then something is wrong with you?" she asked, her brows furrowing in concern. "Is it that George Wickham? Has he come asking for money?"

"No, no. I have not seen Wickham for nearly a year. It is something else."

Now that he had come to it, Darcy did not know how to begin. But seeing his aunt grow more and more worried with his silence, he decided to simply blurt it out. "I find myself – that is, I have – I am in love with someone."

Lady Matlock's face brightened. "But that is wonderful, Fitzwilliam! Why do you consider this a bad thing?"

"It is not bad, precisely. I just simply… do not know what to do."

She motioned for him to sit down. "Why do you not tell me the whole story."

Darcy took a moment to collect his thoughts, then began. "You know that my father's death has been very difficult for me. I think it has been even more difficult for Georgiana. She does not remember our mother, and she had less time with our father than I did. She is so young to be experiencing such grief. That was when I got the idea to take her to London…"

He continued on to describe his idea to take her to the park, and how they had met Lady Northmore and her children there; then the visit that they had made afterwards. Lady Matlock already knew this part of the story, so she nodded. He went on to detail all their subsequent meetings, and how much Georgiana had changed under the influence of Lady Northmore and Sarah. He also described how much Lady Northmore had affected him. He left out the fact of his physical attraction to her: it was something his aunt must probably surmise already and he was too embarrassed to discuss it. Instead he focused on the loving way she treated not only her own children, but other children; the wise way she had helped him picked a governess for Georgiana; the teasing and playfulness she showed; her intelligence; and finally, that final day with the play and the picnic, and how she had played with the children with such abandon, as if she had not forgotten how to be a child herself, despite all her griefs. Lady Matlock listened carefully until he had run out of words.

"I think your heart has made a very wise choice, Fitzwilliam," she said. "Lady Northmore is indeed an extraordinary woman, despite her rather ordinary origins. Why do you think there is a problem?"

"She is so much older and more mature than I am; what if she sees me as a silly boy, or someone too young and immature for her?"

"There are only seven years between you, Fitzwilliam. That does not seem so very many to me."

Darcy did not concede the point, but continued. "The other trouble is that soon my business in London will be finished and I will return with Georgiana to Pemberley. Surely Lady Northmore and her children will go back to Staffordshire. When shall I see her again?"

Lady Matlock looked pensive. "That is something I must think about," she said. "For I do believe you should marry her, Fitzwilliam. You are already a fine man, but she would be the making of you."

Just then Lord Matlock entered the room. "Hullo, Darcy," he said with a yawn. "You are here early. Will you join us for breakfast?"

"No, thank you, Uncle Harold. I have already broken my fast. I was just here to ask for some advice."

"Advice? Advice on what?"

"Fitzwilliam has fallen in love," put in Lady Ellen before Darcy could say anything.

"In love, eh? I hope it is not one of those spineless debutantes."

"No, indeed, it is Lady Northmore," his wife replied.

Lord Matlock looked stumped. "Lady Northmore? Lord, boy, she must be ten years your senior!"

"Only seven years," said Darcy, grinding his teeth.

"Well, I suppose she's still in her child-bearing years," said Lord Matlock thoughtfully. "You know she was not received by the ton right away after her marriage."

"She was not?" asked Darcy, amazed that someone as bright, beautiful, and vivacious as Lady Northmore was not accepted by everyone immediately.

"Her manners were not quite the thing, you know. She was a bit too intelligent, a bit too impertinent. And there was the fact that she was only a country squire's daughter with ties to trade and no dowry to speak of."

"But all that has changed now. She is the widowed countess of Northmore. She is accepted everywhere," said Darcy. "The ton has no quarrels with her."

"That is true; but there is something else you must think of," said his uncle.

"What is that?"

"Why, you will be the stepfather to her two children, and the de facto father of the new Earl of Northmore."

Darcy had not thought of that. He had thought of what a good mother Elizabeth would make for Georgiana, but not of his role as a father. "Her daughter, Lady Sarah, still remembers her father fondly, so she will not want to see me in that role. But I could become a father to her son. I would be able to teach him how to run his estate and become a good master of his properties, as my father did for me, so that when he finally comes of age, he will be ready to take over."

"But being a step-father does not comprise merely teaching a boy how to run an estate. Any guardian can do that. You will have to learn to love the boy as your own, and show him that love," said Lady Ellen.

Darcy pondered that. "I have not spent much time with the boy, and now I do not see how I can. We shall be leaving for Pemberley soon."

"That is simple," said Lord Matlock. "You should host a house party at Pemberley this summer. Invite several families so you are not singling her out, and you will be able to woo her there and get to know her children."

"A house party!" exclaimed Darcy. "There has not been a house party at Pemberley since before my mother died. I have no hostess. How would I plan such a thing?"

"I wager Mrs. Reynolds would do a good enough job planning it," said Lady Matlock. "But I could come and be your hostess. I can even help in the planning if Mrs. Reynolds needs it. You can spare me, can you not, Harold?"

"If I must, my dear," her husband replied.

Lady Ellen snorted.

Darcy pondered that idea for a few moments. If he invited Bingley, the Matlocks, some of his neighbours in Derbyshire, and Lady Northmore, there should be enough but not too many people. Perhaps Lady Ellen could help him come up with a list. "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," he said. "Would you help me?"

"Of course, my dear," his aunt replied.

When Darcy returned home, he found that Georgiana had finished her lessons for the day. When he searched for her, he found her in her room, writing in her diary. He was thankful to Lady Northmore again for suggesting such a thing and buying her the journal.

"Hello, Fitzwilliam," she said, looking up at him and setting down her pen.

"Good afternoon, Georgiana," he said. "Have you had a good day?"

"Yes, except …" she trailed off.

"What is it?" he asked, concerned.

"After I was done with my lessons, I could not find you. I asked the servants but none of them knew where you had gone."

He enfolded her in a hug. "I am sorry, poppet. I went to visit Aunt Ellen and Uncle Harold. We began discussing things, and I lost track of time. Will you forgive me for not telling you I was leaving?"

She nodded against his chest. "Of course, Brother."

"I wanted to discuss something with you," he said after a pause.

"Yes?" she looked up at him.

"You know we must return to Pemberley soon?"

"Yes," she replied, but she looked downcast at the thought.

"What would you think about having a house party there this summer?"

"A house party?"

"Yes. We could invite Lady Northmore, Sarah, and Hugh. They could come stay for a month or so."

"Oh, Brother! Really?" She looked up at him with excited eyes.

"Yes indeed. Would you like that?"

Georgiana squealed with delight. "Oh, yes, Fitzwilliam! Thank you so much! You are the best of brothers!"

She flung herself into his arms, and he clutched her tightly to him, feeling as if he was finally doing something right.

Sarah was on the verge of a tantrum and Elizabeth was losing her patience.

"You knew we would have to go back to Staffordshire soon," she reminded her daughter.

"I do not want to go back! I want to stay with Georgiana! She is more fun than Belinda or Hugh."

"Do not be unkind," said Elizabeth. "Chester will be coming home with us, of course. And you have your friends in the neighbourhood of Northmore."

"It is not the same," complained Sarah sullenly.

Just then the butler entered with a missive. "This was just delivered, my lady."

"Thank you, Stevenson." Elizabeth opened the letter and found herself very surprised by the contents. It was an invitation to a house party this summer at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy's estate, for her, Sarah, and Hugh, as well as Jane and Kitty and their families. She knew Sarah and Georgiana were close, but did not realize Mr. Darcy wanted to keep their connection quite so much. It was very kind of him, she thought. He was a serious but thoughtful young man who truly cared for his sister.

"Here we have some news, Sarah," Elizabeth said.

"What?" replied her sulking daughter.

"We have been invited to Pemberley for a house party this summer."

"But that is – that is Georgiana's home! Oh, mama, please say we may go!" Sarah clasped her hands together in a supplicating pose.

Elizabeth laughed. "I daresay I could not deny you, even if I wished to. I have heard much of Pemberley. It is supposed to have beautiful grounds. I should like to see it myself."

"Yes!" Sarah squealed, jumping up and down.

"Your Aunt Jane and Aunt Kitty have been invited too. I do not think they will be able to go, but I shall ask them."

Darcy received a note back the same day he had sent his invitation to Lady Northmore. He had determined to send one only to her first; if she declined, he would not have the house party. There was no use in having one without her. However, if she accepted, he would send out the other invitations. It was with nervous hands that he opened the note.

It contained an acceptance from the Northmores, although the Crandalls and Winthrops would not be able to attend. She sent her thanks for the invitation and said they hoped to see him in a few weeks.

His heart swelling with relief, he collapsed back onto the chair in his study, and then set about writing the other invitations. It was as he was engaged in this occupation that he realized that if he invited Bingley, he would have to invite his sisters and Mr. Hurst also. He had not seen Miss Bingley since the dinner at Bingley's townhouse when he had brought Georgiana. He hoped Miss Bingley had turned her matrimonial aspirations elsewhere. If not, there would be plenty of other bachelors available to her at the house party.