Chapter Thirty-Two

It took them some time to get back to the hotel as Georgiana kept sobbing as they walked along. Several people stopped and offered them assistance, but Elizabeth was wary of accepting help from strangers, so she thanked them politely and they carried on alone. It was a relief when they finally arrived and Elizabeth guided Georgiana up to her room.

Georgiana sat on a window seat and broke into tears again. "I am sorry… I never meant to cause such trouble."

Elizabeth sat down beside her. "Do you want to tell me about it?" she asked, conscious that if she said the wrong thing Georgiana would clam up and say nothing.

Georgiana dabbed at her eyes with a sopping handkerchief. "I didn't want to marry him, you know, not without asking Fitzwilliam's permission and I did not think we would ever get that."

"And yet you were there in the church."

"When I said we would have to wait, Wickham grew angry. Mrs. Moser was there and she told him, he should not be in such a hurry. He hit her when she stood up to him and I was frightened for her. He dragged me away and I didn't know what to do. He said Fitzwilliam had been wrong to keep us apart and he still loved me."

Elizabeth could hear the pain in her voice. "And do you still love him?"

Georgiana's eyes filled with tears once more. "Part of me does. I have yearned for him night after night and to see him again… well, it hurt just here." She laid a hand across her heart. "Do you know that feeling?

"Not quite in that fashion," said Elizabeth carefully.

"But then I saw what he was like with Mrs. Moser and how he attacked her. That is not the man I knew."

"I'm sorry," said Elizabeth, who was uncertain what to say.

Georgiana tried to smile. "Don't be. This is not your fault."

"In part it is. I should never have left you alone at Rosings."

"I left because I wasn't happy. My aunt was being difficult, Anne was sad, and without you I knew Fitzwilliam was intent on sending me to stay with some other relatives. It is not what I wanted."

"But you put yourself in great danger." It was not her role to tell Georgiana how she should behave but Elizabeth did find her behaviour quite shocking. She could not imagine that she would have ever left the safety of Rosings in such circumstances, however difficult Lady Catherine was.

"You don't understand, do you?" said Georgiana suddenly.

Elizabeth sighed. "I don't mean to upset you. I only know a lot of people have been worried about you."

Georgiana made a snort of disgust. "My cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam perhaps, but not my brother."

"Yes, your brother," said Elizabeth quite sharply. "Georgiana, he loves you, so very much and he did everything to find you. And now he has save you from a bogus marriage. That is not the actions of a man who does not care for you."

The tears in Georgiana's eyes looked as if they were going to spill over once again. "I am a wicked person, aren't I… I know he loves me, really I do… but I wish he would listen…"

"I can listen now."

They both looked up startled at the sudden appearance of Mr. Darcy.

"Are you angry with me?" asked Georgiana.

"Yes. I am," said Mr. Darcy as he shut the door. "You have caused a great deal of trouble."

Elizabeth sighed. She was disappointed. She had hoped that Mr. Darcy would have realised that he was in part to blame for Georgiana keeping secrets.

"I am sorry, Fitzwilliam," said Georgiana in a small voice, looking down at the floor.

"But I am more angry with myself," said Mr. Darcy. "Georgiana, I realised how wrong I have been and I hope that you will forgive me."

Georgiana looked up in shock and Elizabeth pinched one hand wondering if she was dreaming.

Mr. Darcy kneeled down on one knee so he was on a level with his sister. "I promised our father before he died that I would always look after you, and in that I have sorely failed."

The tears were now seeping down Georgiana's cheeks and she made no attempt to brush them away. "You have never failed me…" she whispered.

"Indeed I have. If I had paid as much attention to you as I did to the estate or listened when you said you were unhappy, you would never have fallen under the influence of Wickham."

"But I loved him… so very deeply."

"And now?" asked Mr. Darcy.

"I am confused, but I would not be happy with a man who set out to deceive me as he has done."

Darcy pulled Georgiana into his arms as she started to sob and Elizabeth, who was almost in tears herself, slipped unnoticed from the room.

Mr. Darcy came to find her later. Elizabeth was sitting on a bench on the promenade just opposite the hotel enjoying the heat of the sun, and watching people going about their business. She wished she had Georgiana's artistic ability. It would have been nice to have the skill to capture the scene down on paper. She was so lost in thought she did not know Mr. Darcy was there until he spoke her name.

"Miss Bennet?"

"Mr. Darcy." She started to get up, but he sat down beside you. "I was looking for you."

"I'm sorry. I thought you would like to be alone."

"Miss Bennet, I owe you a great debt."

"What do you mean, Mr. Darcy?"

"If it had not been for you I would never have talked to Georgiana. I realise now how my actions in not acknowledging her feelings for Wickham caused her a great deal of pain. As her brother and guardian, I expected her simply to obey me and I can see that was not enough."

Elizabeth had never heard him sound so humble.

"And how is Georgiana?"

"She is distressed. It is clear she felt for him very deeply and that saddens me, because the man cared nothing for her."

"But how did you know he was married?" asked Elizabeth curiously.

A slight smile crossed Mr. Darcy's lips. "When I was searching for Georgiana I found out where Wickham was living and found there had been a woman there. I was worried that it was Georgiana but I discovered it was not. I made further enquiries with Colonel Fitzwilliam about Wickham and we heard rumours that he was married and were given a name Gloria Newsome. Colonel Fitzwilliam was trying to find irrefutable proof when you came to see me."

"But then…"

"No, I had no evidence in the church."

Elizabeth was shocked. "So you deceived him?"

"I had no choice. Wickham never demanded to look at the paper. He gave himself away and has since confirmed he is indeed married."

Elizabeth couldn't help laughing. "How angry he would be if he knew the truth."

"Indeed, he would."

"Have you told Georgiana?"

"Yes, I have. I don't want there to be any more secrets between us. Wickham has gone from our lives forever. I didn't have the paper, but he was trying to arrange an illegal wedding and I made clear to him the consequences of him trying to contact my sister again."

"I'm glad. I only saw him briefly. A handsome man, but a violent man. I'm glad he's gone. Georgiana will recover."

"She will. I think she will be glad to leave this place. The carriage is being prepared, and I have one visit to make and we will return to London this afternoon."

Elizabeth was rather sad at the thought. She was just getting used to the sounds and smells of the sea and she would have liked to stay longer.