A Careful Interrogation
Or:
How Colonel Fitzwilliam Proved His Rank Wasn't Just for Show
Montague House – London.
October 1812
Breakfast was usually a lively affair at the London home of the Earl of Matlock and his family. It was the one time of the day they could truly be themselves without the trappings of the Ton and its endless expectations. Their excuse was that they had just woken up and could not expect to sit and simper on an empty stomach with a sleep befuddled mind. Of course, one could always argue that any time more than four Fitzwilliam's sat at a table together madness would ensue. In this case there was the Earl Rupert, and his wife Charlotte, the eldest son and heir Francis and his wife Mary, who had been welcomed into the family with open arms having exquisite breeding and an excellent sense for the ridiculous, Richard, his youngest sister Emily and finally their much quieter cousin Georgiana Darcy.
In all the table was loud, cheerful and loving. Richard relaxed as he helped himself to a third sausage and contemplated another cup of coffee. If the Ton could see them now, they would be horrified. The thought made him smirk.
Sat next to him Georgiana eyed her cousin and wondered what he was thinking, knowing Richard it would be something that would make her laugh and make her aunt scold him, usually whilst laughing. She wanted to ask, she dearly did but she also knew if she started him talking, she might just blab her greatest secret and that just would not do. She had been sitting on it for days now and was afraid that at any moment she might just explode.
The arrival of the days post proved an excellent distraction and she smiled as the butler handed her two letters, one from a girl from school and the other from Fitzwilliam. Opening the letter from her brother she scanned it quickly and then helped herself to a cup of chocolate, the explosion would happen soon, and she wanted a drink before it did.
"Dearest do we know a Bennet of Longbourn?" Charlotte Fitzwilliam asked her husband who shrugged and helped himself to more bacon. "It would seem our nephew is engaged to a young woman, a Bennet of Longbourn."
"Good God really?" The Earl was nothing if not verbose and Georgiana stifled a giggle. "Darcy found himself a gel then, does he say what her dowry is?"
"No, he doesn't." Charlotte rolled her eyes, Darcy would forget to mention pertinent information.
"The name is familiar, perhaps I went to Cambridge with him?" Richard grinned at Georgiana who almost snorted hot chocolate through her nose.
"Miss Elizabeth Bennet, perhaps we met her at the Wilson's ball last season?"
"We met half of London at that damned ball how would we remember everyone we met?"
"I met her at Aunt Catherine's this Easter, anyway I must be off the War Office needs me." Richard stood, winked at Georgiana and started to saunter off before his mother shrieked at him to stop.
Richard would later reflect that what followed was an interrogation Napoleon would have been unable to withstand. Within ten minutes Charlotte Fitzwilliam knew everything he knew about Elizabeth Bennet.
"Penniless? Are you quite sure?"
"Yes Mama, her family estate is entailed upon her cousin and she has little to no dowry."
"My nephew has been caught by a fortune hunter." The Earl said with a mixture of horror and revulsion.
"Not at all Father, Miss Bennet is a charming young woman and certainly no fortune hunter."
"Oh, you men are so easily swayed by a pretty face." Charlotte scoffed.
"She refused my brother Aunt." Georgiana cried before covering her mouth with both hands. In an instant all eyes in the room were on her and she flushed a deep red.
"She did what? Then, however are they betrothed?" Mary asked leaning forwards as far as her advanced state would allow.
"It's true, Darcy asked for her at Easter and she refused him soundly, took him down a peg or two while she did it." At this Francis laughed and was less than politely elbowed by his wife.
"You're saying that a penniless woman with no prospects refused one of the richest men in England?" Mary asked her eyes were twinkling with mirth, though she liked her cousin by marriage she wasn't above being amused by his being verbally taken by the ear and left in his room with no supper.
"Brother was very upset." Georgiana murmured.
"Your brother deserved it, he was an idiot." Richard snorted and made himself comfortable as the interrogation continued.
"Well it just can't be, though she does sound a remarkable woman we cannot allow him to throw himself away on a woman with no fortune or breeding." Charlotte finally stated with a sigh, "Rupert you must talk some sense into him."
Georgiana's look of alarm was enough to sober Richard up and he smiled at her reassuringly. "Mama, your dedication to your nephew is admirable but Darcy is his own man and head of his own family, there is nothing you or Father can do to stop him wedding who he pleases."
"I wouldn't put a bet on that young man." The Earl stated looking at his wife fondly, "I've never known your mother not accomplish something she has put her mind to."
"Well I'm afraid this time Mama you will have to live with the disappointment. Darcy proposed in the most insulting manner possible, he insulted her station in life, her family and all but informed her she ought to be grateful anyone would even propose to her."
"Oh Rupert! How could you let that happen?" Charlotte cried, the Earl looked panicked as his wife turned her ire on him.
"I…what…how is this my fault?"
"You should have known George Darcy would never educate his son in how to woo a lady, you should have sat him down and told him what a woman of breeding expects!" Charlotte seemed determined to ignore her earlier objections to Elizabeth Bennet's existence.
"He's not my son!"
"You are the closest the boy has now his excellent father is passed, and this is how you pay respects to the memory of our dear brother?" Again, Charlotte was determined to ignore her earlier opinion of Darcy Sr.
"It's truly shocking." Richard said dryly, Georgiana giggled again feeling the tide turning in favour of the woman she desperately wanted to be her sister.
"You did little to help I expect!" Charlotte said rounding on Richard who smiled disarmingly.
"Oh! I'm sure I made everything much worse when I told her Darcy separated his friend Bingley from her elder sister."
"Bingley has the sense of a hamster." Francis chimed in, Emily rolled her eyes but nodded in agreement.
"He is a charming gentleman, but he does lack a back bone." She mused giving Georgiana a look that women since cave man times had given other women when discussing the inadequacies of men.
"Brother did fix things, Mr Bingley is now engaged to Miss Jane Bennet." Determined that Darcy would not end the week speared by the court of public opinion Georgiana turned her eyes threateningly to Richard who winked in an attempt at reassurance.
"Well that is an excellent match." Charlotte mused, at the looks of confusion aimed at her she rolled her eyes. "Please do keep up, Miss Jane Bennet is a gentleman's daughter, Bingley comes from trade, he's doing far better than that mushroom of a sister of his can ever hope to expect."
There was a collective shudder at the thought of Miss Caroline Bingley.
"She wants to marry Darcy." Richard said with a smirk. The collective shudder was repeated.
"If he insulted her so terribly why did she agree to marry him?" Francis asked apparently now drawn in to the tale of cousinly stupidity and the woman who would apparently tolerate it.
"Haven't you noticed how much he's changed since Easter?" Richard pointed out, "Could I have more coffee Mama this interrogation is awfully drying on the throat."
"Don't be ridiculous Richard, interrogation indeed." Charlotte exclaimed every inch of her a wounded society matron, she did however refill his cup.
"Anyway, he realised he'd been an ar…idiot and convinced her to give him a second chance, clearly it worked."
"Well I'm glad Darcy has chosen a gentlewoman of good breeding and sense then." Charlotte said airily, "Rupert dear we really must sponsor her season in town."
"Yes dear. I expect you will want to see him marry?"
"Of course, dear, I look forward to meeting the remarkable woman who turned down Fitzwilliam Darcy."
A/N: Just a quick one shot to show how Colonel Fitzwilliam stopped his family from disowning Darcy. Entirely silly and written in a tired state of mind please excuse any mistakes.
Also, I am not Jane Austen (Obviously) I do not own any of her characters.