The Darcys
1792
Fitzwilliam had trouble refraining his tears as he rode back to Pemberley. He could not stop thinking about this baby girl. For George Darcy it was not unusual to see his son quiet but he knew something was wrong…
"What is it, son? What is troubling you?", he received no answer.
Lady Anne Darcy, Fitzwilliam's mother, noticed her son's behavior was not normal when he came home. He was more silent than usual. After a few days she grew very worried and asked her husband about it. He answered:
"We came across the Duchess of Devonshire Georgiana. You know she was pregnant with Lord Charles Grey's child. We saw her when she was giving her child up to General Grey, the child's grandfather. I think he was quite shocked by what he saw."
George Darcy remembered his son's proud behaviour but he decided to keep it for himself. He knew his wife was quite proud herself thanks to the Fitzwilliams' lineage…
1807
Fitzwilliam was now 22. Life went on, he had a baby sister named Georgiana who was 10 years. Their mother had difficulties during childbirth and passed on. He learnt from his father how to be a good master. When time the time came he would be ready to manage Pemberley. He liked to do it a lot.
One day, as the family was sitting at breakfast, an express came. George Darcy said as he finished reading it:
"The Duchess of Devonshire Georgiana Cavendish died last night. The funeral will take place in two days in Derby. I hope we can go. This poor lady had a miserable life and was very humiliated by her husband's behaviour. She was a very nice neighbor to us wasn't she ?
All the Duchess's family was at the funerals. Fitzwilliam paid his respects to the Duchess's children: Georgiana, Harriet and William Cavendish. He noted how much brother and sisters looked like each other. It was quite astonishing how much Georgiana (nicknamed Little G) looked like her mother the Duchess. He could not help it but he found her beautiful. Georgiana and Harriet were both married to Earls. They both had very nice eyes and a very nice face and a very nice figure… At this moment Fitzwilliam wondered about the fourth child of the Duchess, the one whose cries broke his heart so many years ago.
After the burial, for the first time he dared to ask his father about that event.
"Father, I wanted to ask you. I am sure you remember when we saw the Duchess giving her baby up? I think it was about fifteen years ago…"
"Oh, yes. Hard moment to witness wasn't it?
"What do you think become of her?"
"Well, it is hard to know. People in Town say that she was given to a family between Derbyshire and London. You know how the ton was very curious about this girl a few years ago. I think it is best that she grew up out of this".
"Do you think she knows about her true parentage Sir?"
"I do not think so, you know how the Duke is. He is very mad about what happened. I would not dare to cross him about that. Why do you ask such questions?"
"Well. I was just wondering…" Truth to be told Fitzwilliam did not really know why he still cared so much about this baby girl. In his head, she did not grow up. Eliza stayed a little baby and he did not realize she was already 15 years old!
Fitzwilliam carried on with his life. He went to Cambridge to fulfill his gentleman's education and met there a Charles Bingley who became a nice friend to him. He noticed how George Wickham turned very wild indeed but did not dare to acknowledge this to his father. It would cause him too much pain as it was well-known that the old man was dying. He died but one year after the Duchess and Fitzwilliam Darcy became the Master of Pemberley trying to do as well as his father taught him.