Chapter 5 George is furious

December 1791

George Wickham was absolutely furious. He had hoped to spend Christmas night at Pemberley and have fun with the other boys. Instead, he had to be content with the company of his sisters and parents and he had been bored to death. All this must be Fitzwilliam's fault, who had not invited him.

Fitzwilliam was shocked by his friend's reaction. He had spoken to his father who explained that it was impossible and so, he knew that George could not be invited. He could not invite the son of a servant to a Duke's family meal. It simply could not happen.

The little boy tried to explain this but George did not seem eager to understand it.

He complained, "I do not see why I cannot be invited!"

Fitzwilliam saw Randy's worried eyes and looked down at the carpet, holding back a frustrated sigh. He had not expected a confrontation like this when he had sought to see George this morning. He had only wanted to wish his friend a merry Christmas – albeit a little late - and share with his best friend the good news that he was going to be a big brother. He had been quite excited since the announcement of Christmas Eve and had no one with whom to share it. His cousins were all good and pleasant, but for Randy and David, the novelty of having younger siblings had long passed and Anne and Penelope were too young to be worthy of confiding in. He had assumed that although George, unlike himself, already had siblings, he could still appreciate the excitement of a future brother or sister, even if he spent little time with his sisters.

Instead, Fitzwilliam was confronted with an inquisition.

"I'm sorry, George, but my father told me clearly that it was not done. It would be inappropriate."

George asked angrily, "Did you ask him?"

"Yes of course," replied Fitzwilliam, "But he said he would not do it. You are the son of the steward, George, that is to say, a servant. My aunt, Lady Catherine, would be very shocked if he put someone like him next to her. She is very snobbish and concerned with rank. She would certainly consider this an insult."

Randy came to the aid of his younger cousin, "What Fitz means, George, is that his father is the master of Pemberley and he makes the decisions. My cousin asked him if he could invite you and his father refused. You have to understand one thing. Fitz is the master's son, you are the steward's. In the eyes of some, your father is nothing more than a servant. My Aunt Catherine, who is the worst snob I know, would probably say that your place is at the office, not at the table of the masters. She would treat you with the greatest contempt. Fitz is your friend and that can bring you a lot of benefits for your future."

"She must be a very nasty woman," said George disgustedly.

Randy laughed mockingly. "She has a stone instead of a heart. She is convinced of her importance because her father is a count. She can not bear being opposed or contradicted and she is furious that no one takes her seriously, apart from her servants and the people who depend on her estate – those are only because they have no choice because, in reality, they despise it. She is an ambitious woman, eager for power and money, ready to do anything to achieve her goal. If you tried to even pretend that you could have a place at the master's table, she would insult you in the worst way. Do not make Fitz responsible for this situation. He is not free to decide. You can see that the refusal of his father upsets him and that he does not really understand the reason."

George shook his head. "All right, I understand," he grumbled. "Give it up, Fitz. I do not want your excuses. I was hoping we could have fun, but I was obviously wrong. I guess I'll have to have fun myself. Well, have fun with your cousins, I'll have to make do without you."

He turned and walked away, looking furious and disappointed, indignant at not getting what he considered his due. Fitz opened his mouth to call him back, but his cousin stopped him.

"Give it up, Fitz. I did not think George was so selfish. Well, too bad for him. I believe we will soon begin to discover his true character."

"What do you mean, Randy?" Fitz asked, startled.

"I think he's jealous and envious. I fear that growing up here and receiving affection from your father has given him ideas that need to be brutally destroyed. Beware, Fitz. He could become vindictive and pick on you."

"It is not my fault! My father told me it was impossible!"

"I know it and George does know it, but that will not stop him from blaming you for stopping him from attaining a place he can never reach. You cannot change anything; what matters is that you stay on your guard."

"Okay. I will remember it. But it hurts me to disappoint George, "said Fitzwilliam, looking unhappy.

"He will have to learn how to stay in his place, however," Randy said. "George must understand that no one is obliged to satisfy his whims. Do not trust him, Fitz, for his friendship and loyalty to you seem doubtful to me. I believe that he seeks to use you for his own benefit. Beware yourself. If he can hurt you, he will not hesitate for a second."

"But, Randy, I cannot turn my back on him for no reason!" exclaimed a distraught Fitz.

"I think he will give you reason enough one day. For now, stay on your guard and pay close attention to what he does," advised Randy, with a concerned look on his face.

Fitzwilliam nodded. He promised to take the advice of his cousin into account. He would discover that Randy was right to warn him.

?

When Mrs. Reynolds, the assistant housekeeper, found young Fitzwilliam Darcy in the green sitting room, hands clasped behind his back and agitatedly pacing the room, she saw that he resembled - in an amusing but adorable way - a tiny version of his father. She also suspected that her work was going to be delayed in a way that had nothing to do with the dried boughs she was supposed to be using to cover the mantelpiece.

Lucy Reynolds had been working for the Darcy family for over two years now, since shortly before her wedding. Daughter of one of the farmers of the property, she had fallen in love with her Jim, who was employed as the duke's coachman. Mr. Reynolds' salary, although perfectly adequate for his own needs, was not enough for him to support a wife. Lucy had been prepared to work in Lambton, if work were available, but the duke had intervened through his housekeeper. Mrs. White had approached Mr. Reynolds and forwarded to him the Darcy offer - no doubt made in honor of Jim's loyal service, which had begun many years before he was promoted to his current position - to give Lucy a job so she could stay closer to her husband once they were married.

It was a convenient arrangement and although the hours were long, she preferred the opportunities available to her in her current position to any type of job she might have found in the shop of a milliner or as maid-of-all-work for some poor soul.

It was an unusual situation ... but the Darcy was an unusual family and she doubted that many families in their position would be so generous.

Gratitude, needless to say, was the most important of all the feelings Mrs. Reynolds felt towards her employers, but her most charitable feelings were not limited to the master and mistress of the house. Mrs. Reynolds had always had a weak point for the children and little Darcy was loved by her very quickly. He was really a very sweet and kind little boy. She fervently hoped that if ever Jim and she were ever blessed with a son, that the child would have as good a disposition as Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Perplexed, Mrs. Reynolds realized that the young master did not seem very happy at the moment. Something serious must be troubling him, to the point that he was not paying any attention to what was going on around him.

She saw that he was walking up and down the room, frowning fiercely. Even while walking calmly, he had an odd expression on his face which would not have been much different than if she had found a bee in his hat, Mrs. Reynolds thought.

She was part of the Pemberley staff and she was not supposed to get involved in the affairs of family members. However, coming from a large family herself, she knew that younger ones frequently need a caring ear to help solve their problems and she did not believe that he was going to get that from either of his parents. Admittedly, they were devoted and attentive, but also very aware of their social position.

True, the Duke and Duchess were courteous employers. They carefully watched over all their employees' needs and made sure they did not miss anything. If one of them was ill, he or she would receive the necessary care and not lose their pay during the time he would be unable to work. However, despite their obvious affection for their son, they did not spend much time with him, even though they were far more friendly to their son than most of their peers were to their children. She could not expect the little boy to get much compassion from the nursery servants.

Lucy did not really know the cousins of her young master, but the nurse was a stupid woman, more preoccupied with flirting with other men than worrying about the state of mind of her young charges.

That was what decided her. She would talk and see what would come out of it.

"Is something wrong, Master Fitzwilliam?" she asked, bowing. "You seem very concerned."

The boy looked up. "My apologies! I was unaware of your presence! Does my presence hinder you?"

"Not at all. I have to decorate the mantel with holly branches for Christmas."

"May I watch?" the boy asked, giving her a curious look.

"Of course," she replied with a smile. "I do not see any problem."

She began her task by removing the dust that was on the mantelpiece. From time to time, she glanced momentarily at the very attentive boy. "You looked rather sad just now, young master. Something is wrong?"

The little boy sighed and shook his head unhappily.

Mrs. Reynolds saw the little boy's sad look. Temporarily halting her work, she knelt before him to be at his height before asking nicely, "Perhaps I could help you?"

As she expected, the little boy was waiting for such a question and he told her the entire story, sharing his distress of his friend's disappointment. Mrs. Reynolds listened attentively to his story and reflected on the disappointment of young Wickham. The child was somewhat nice, she had to admit, and his father was a very good and intelligent man. However, young Wickham behaved very often like a spoiled child, and what had happened was the proof.

Of course, it was not too late to correct his faults. His mother was a harpy who tended to think herself more important than others because she was the daughter of a lawyer. It must have been she who put such corrosive ideas in her son's mind and made him believe himself more important than he truly was. She did not realize that by doing so, she was likely to harm her child seriously and, yet, it is also true that the duke himself was making a grave error by showing a preference to this boy over his own son.

Lucy had learned from Mrs. White that the Duke had offered beautiful gifts to young Wickham even before the Duke's own son was born. Even after the birth of young Fitzwilliam, he had continued this practice, which would cause one to wonder why. Admittedly, Mr Wickham was a respectable man, but that did not explain such an attitude. Lucy even suspected the Duke of intending to offer a good education to George Wickham. She hoped he would not spoil the boy's character by showing him too much indulgence. If used properly, the boy could reap many benefits, but it would be necessary to prevent his mother from giving him ideas that might cause young Wickham to view himself as worthy of a better life than what his father, Mr. Wickham, could offer.

As for young Fitzwilliam, he finished the story of his dispute with his friend. Mrs. Reynolds thought it was proof that young Wickham was beginning to think too well of himself, despite his young age. If she had understood correctly, he had almost demanded that the Duke's son invite him to share the Christmas meal with the Darcy family. What audacity! What presumption! She would have liked to see him face Lady Catherine. No doubt the proud lady would have promptly put him in his place and perhaps taught him a good lesson.

"You have done nothing wrong, young master," she said softly. "You agreed to make this request to your father because you have a generous heart. George Wickham has no right to blame you because your father refused. He was perfectly entitled to it."

"But I do not understand why," wondered Fitzwilliam, "George is my friend."

"You did not promise him anything. Did not your father explain to you why he could not accept your request?" asked Mrs. Reynolds gently.

"Yes, but I do not know if I agree with his answer."

"Tell me, young master, would you have liked to invite also the young Ben, the stable boy?" Ben it was who took care of Fitzwilliam's pony, she knew, and the young master liked him.

"But I could not!" exclaimed the little boy.

"Why not?"

"Because he's a servant!"

Mrs. Reynolds explained, "Mr. Wickham is also a servant. His son, even if he is your friend, is not your equal. Do you think Lady Catherine would have been happy to share her meal with the son of a servant?"

Fitzwilliam grimaced. In spite of his youth, he had not failed to notice his aunt's barely disguised disdain for the servants. She looked down on them and spoke to them only when she had to. His father and cousins had already told him that she would certainly be outraged by such a presumption.

"You made no promise to your friend, did you?" Lucy asked.

"No. I only told him that I would ask my father."

"And then he cannot blame you because your father refused the request. The choice did not belong to you. he must know that. But be careful - you should always be careful never to make promises if you are not sure if you can keep them. You will be careful, will not you?"

After a moment of reflection on the subject, the boy gave a small decided nod. "Yes," he said. "You are probably right. It would be much better."

After another moment of reflection, he smiled in his improbable confidante. "You are nice," he said. "I like you. Thank you for listening to me."

With those words he leapt to his feet and, without another word, rushed off. Mrs. Reynolds smiled after him, shaking her head. He was really the dearest child she had ever met.

?

Alas, for the children, it was time for the Fitzwilliams and the Bourghs to leave Pemberley. Lady Anne would have liked to convince them to stay longer, but her persuasion was in vain. The count explained that even if the idea of such a trip was not amusing, his presence was necessary due to business in London shortly after the Night of the Kings. He therefore had to leave as soon as possible if he did not want to risk being late.

"But," he added teasingly, speaking to his brother-in-law loud enough for everyone to hear, "I hope to see you in town very soon. You have been keeping my sister in Derbyshire for too long, Darcy, and although I know how much you prefer the tranquility of Pemberley, this is not the case with the Fitzwilliams. Bring her to us so that she can enjoy her social position. You agree?"

"Yes, my brother," replied the duke, smiling sadly.

The day of departure, it was extremely cold. The farewells were brief, and Lady Anne was extremely tearful, which was understandable based on her condition. The younger cousins said goodbye in a quieter way, with Randy and Fitzwilliam wanting to make plans for all the fun they would have the next time they saw each other. A lot of laughter was heard when the quiet little Anne gave Fitzwilliam an enthusiastic hug to say goodbye and Lady Anne and Lady Catherine exchanged thoughtful and affectionate smiles over their children's heads.

The Darcy were standing in the entrance hall, watching from the doorway as their extended family disappeared down the road, before returning inside to their daily routine that the vacation visit had so pleasantly interrupted.

?

Maggie Harcourt had learned what had happened to her young friend and she felt that George had exceeded his rights by demanding such a request from Fitz. "You had no right to do it, George. You tried to take advantage of Fitz's kindness to satisfy your own desires!"

"But ...!"

"He spoke to his father and did not receive the answer you were hoping for. It is not his fault and you have no right to blame him. Besides, what is this ridiculous idea of mingling with the duke's family? Do you think that will make you more important? You had better remember what your place is! This will save you from being disappointed. I am sure the Duke is very shocked by your presumption. Take care not to go too far, George, for though he may have a certain affection for you, that does not mean that you must think that he views you as an equal to his own son. You are not his son and it would be ridiculous of you to think otherwise."

She took a deep breath and continued, "The Duke can give you some advantages, but do not imagine that you can live as you wish. He will probably give you the opportunity to lead a respectable life, but you will have to work to secure your future. It's up to you, not him, even if he's willing to help you. You'd better not forget it! You are the son of a servant, George, do not forget that. You had no right to ask Fitz such a thing. He agreed to please you and, as you did not get what you hoped for, you go after him as if it's his fault. But remember that you are only the duke's godson, not a member of his family, as you seem to believe. The duke has a rank to preserve. To receive a servant and his son at his table would not have been suitable and especially when his family is present."

George flushed with anger when he heard these words. He did not like being reminded that he was the son of a servant while Fitz was the master's son. He had begun to believe that he had a prominent place in the heart of the Duke of Wrexham, and that place gave him rights.

Maggie was not finished with him. She had been suspicious for a long time of this boy with the charming manners and charming smile. She saw in it a mixture of falsity and deviousness that he dissimulated very well.

"Fitz tried to please you by asking his father's permission to invite you. Do not you see how unhappy he was when he told you he refused? Are you selfish enough to blame him for a situation he is not responsible for? Take care, George! I doubt the Duke agrees that you behave as if you are entitled, which you assuredly are not! I hope you do not think that you are greater than Fitz in his eyes because it is certainly not so."

George clenched his fists. He was furious and greatly wished to beat this damn girl, but he knew it would cost him too much. He just shrugged.

"Ah well, too bad!" said George dismissively, "It's too late now, so I shall have to accept it and let's forget what happened. It's not worth worrying on."

He reached out his hand to Fitzwilliam as a sign of peace. The child's face beamed with joy and he grasped Wickham's hand with both of his and squeezed. Maggie's face mirrored her distrust, but she said nothing. It was better to keep an eye on George than to speak for the moment but she would not allow him to harm Fitzwilliam.

She suspected that George was being friendly because he believed it to be in his interest to do so, for he did not want to risk losing the affection of the duke by ceasing to be a friend to his son. She would have to watch him carefully to assure herself that he was not sneaking up on Fitz, hoping to gain some advantage. George was cunning and clever. Despite his young age, he was already very good at being duplicitous. It was better to be wary of him.