Note: This is a one-shot with no connection to the previous stories.
Note 2: This story involves a discussion or discussions that should have taken place, but might not have based upon the social restrictions of the time. I have always believed that an honest approach to our physical needs and desires is the best way to protect children as they grow to maturity.
Chapter Sixteen – Not a witch
Mrs. Annesley was not a witch, but she had a unique gift for seeing right into the heart of a matter
Mrs. Annesley was relieved to finally see the back of Mr. Darcy. It had taken the gentle persuasion of herself and Lady Elaine Matlock... and the not-so-gentle persuasion of Lord Matlock, to get the man to finally stop hovering over his sister and go elsewhere for a while. Better yet, a while would actually be a least a month, hopefully several. His friend Mr. Bingley's request for guidance could not have come at a better time.
That was good because Mrs. Annesley needed time alone with Miss Georgiana Darcy in order to get down into the heart of the matter.
Mrs. Annesley needed time to work her magic. No, it wasn't actually magic of any sort, though she had been teasingly accused of being a witch or a mind reader on more than one occasion. She was not, but she was possessed of the unique ability to see right past prevarication, emotion, and society's blinders right into the heart of a matter. As a mother she used this gift to raise her children with absolute honesty. They learned early and often that they could not get anything past their mother. It helped her as a wife, understanding all of the things that her beloved husband didn't have the words to say. Now her gift was helping her to help young ladies who were having difficulty making the transition from child to woman in an unforgiving society.
Now it was time to use that gift to benefit young Georgiana Darcy.
oOo
Georgiana flushed, torn between shame and irritation when she snapped, "I beg your pardon? Are you calling me a loose woman?"
"Absolutely not, Miss Darcy," Mrs. Annesley responded calmly and soothingly, "I am only suggesting that a part of the reason that you continue to feel guilty is that you enjoyed and even longed for the physical attentions that George Wickham paid to you. We agreed to speak honestly. Do you wish to now alter that agreement and revert to pretense and prevarication?"
Georgiana hung her head in shame and shook in answer. Tears of shame and self-condemnation streamed from her face. Then a gentle hand caressed her hair. "Would you believe me if I told you that what you felt was not only normal, but natural?"
The young woman looked up, confused. Mrs. Annesley continued, "Do you know why our society goes to such great efforts to restrict and frighten young ladies into staying away from men before marriage? Why we put up so many obstacles in your path?"
Georgiana shook her head, "It is because the females of our species are no different than the males. We have all of the same physical desires and needs and drives. Society and parents build those walls so that young girls do not become fully aware of those desires before they can be safely transferred into the care of a husband who can fulfill them."
The young girl was flushed deep red now. This was not an appropriate discussion by any stretch of the imagination. She felt skittish and wanted to remove herself from the room, but she also wanted to remain and hear the woman out. "I... I... I don't think that we should..."
Mrs. Annesley sighed, "And therein lies the reason that you were another victim of George Wickham."
Shame and indignation fought within Georgiana as she demanded, "What are you accusing me of?"
"I am not accusing you of anything. I am accusing your brother and your aunt and uncle... but do not think that I am saying that it is their fault. They function within the rules that they were taught, just as you did before you fell into the hands of Mrs. Younge and Wickham."
Pushing her anger and mortification aside for the moment, the young woman expelled a breath and stated, "I am ready to listen."
"Good. Your brother loves you dearly, but to him you are the little girl he has helped to raise... and since no brother or wishes to think of his sister engaged in... physical consort with a man, he has avoided any mature discussions on what you need to know. Your uncle... well, it is safe to say that he is happy that the issue will never be his responsibility to address.
"Your aunt is a woman and she knows the truth. She is the one who should have spoken of this with you, but instead she fell back on teaching society's rules for unattached young women and hoped for the best.
"But men like George Wickham live their lives outside of society's rules. He is fully aware of what a young woman feels and he is more than willing to take ruthless advantage of it. From what I hear, he has done this many times before and he is a practiced professional at seduction. You have not spoken much about your time at Ramsgate, so I am going to tell you what I think took place and you tell me if I am right.
"Mr. Wickham arrived in Ramsgate unannounced and stumbled upon you in some public or semi-public place. I understand from your aunt that he is a very handsome and appealing man?"
Georgiana nodded.
"He acted shocked at seeing you, but then overjoyed. His eyes never left yours and he looked extremely happy. Maybe he even took your hand for a moment before realizing what he had done and quickly releasing it. He apologized, but emphasized how very wonderful it was to see you and how much he had missed you... am I right so far?"
"Yes.. that is exactly what happened."
"Your heart was racing and already a part of you wondered if the man was really suggesting that he had feelings for you. By yourself or at the prompting of Mrs. Younge, you invited him to visit." When the girl nodded, Mrs. Annesley continued, "He arrived with flowers and acted nervous, stealing glances at you and reaching for you on occasion but always stopping himself until all that you wanted in the world at the time was for him to stop holding back and actually take your hand. In fact, you wanted it so much that you almost took matters into your own hands... yes?"
Red faced, but bewildered, Georgiana nodded, but she did not ask the question roaring in her head.
"By the time that the visit was over, you were ready to believe that the man might really be interested in you as a woman. It was an exhilarating idea to be looked at as a woman and not just a child for the first time. By the time it was time for him to go, you never wanted him to leave. Unless I miss my guess, Mrs. Younge found some excuse to absent herself for a minute or two and Mr. Wickham finally gave up and took your hands. Maybe as he looked into your eyes he allowed his thumbs to stroke your hands? Maybe he even touched your hair?"
"How do you know all of this? Are you a witch that you can read my mind and pull out my memories?"
Mrs. Annesley smiled, "Not at all. Miss Darcy, when you finally meet a man worthy of being your husband, those physical intimacies that I have just described are only the smallest sampling of what you will share together. The Bible itself says that your desire shall be for your husband. You are a living, breathing woman who will someday share intimacies with a man and give him children. If your husband loves and cares for you, you will take just as much pleasure from that union as your husband. But there is not some magical or heavenly process to suddenly make you feel those things after you take your vows.
"Those needs and desires have been a part of you from birth, but they do not begin to awaken until you are older... usually around two and ten, but sometimes younger or older. When was the first time you looked at a boy or a young man and found yourself wishing to be closer to him?"
Georgiana thought for a few moments and then flushed, "It was Geor... Mr. Wickham, when he came home to visit from Cambridge. He was sooo handsome."
Mrs. Annesly sighed, "So he was already on your mind. That made his task easier, but do not be hard on yourself. It is natural and normal to look at a handsome young man and feel drawn to him, just as it is natural for young men to look at young women for the same reason. Attraction is almost always the first step. We are attracted and we wish to get to know the other person. If we find that his character and personality also suit, then we work on building the relationship into something more. If our interests and desires match, then marriage becomes a possibility. It is to be hoped that love enters the equation, but not always. At some point during those final steps, small intimacies often happen. Hand holding, a stolen kiss, society frowns on these, but every couple in love has the occasional moment. Parents and chaperones know this and when the match is certain, even allow these small moments.
"Allow me to return to an earlier question now that you have a little more knowledge: Why do you think that society makes so many rules and builds so many walls around young women?"
Georgiana pondered this and looked up sharply when the answer came to her, "So that we do not skip over the other steps and go right to the intimacies."
"Precisely. You do not have to tell me any details that you do not wish to share, but am I correct in saying that you were kissed by Mr. Wickham?"
Georgian hung her head and nodded. Mrs. Annesley scolded, "Please look at me. We are having a mature conversation and you need to approach it in that way. Miss Darcy... Georgiana... I am going to tell you what happened when you were kissed. Your heart raced. Your breath came hot and quick. And you experienced powerful feelings in intimate places... would this be an accurate description?"
Shame faced, Georgiana forced herself to look at her companion and nod.
"That, my dear, is why society builds those walls. Because the feelings of physical intimacy between a man and a woman are so powerful that they are hard to step back from. I know that Mr. Wickham did not violate your person, but I also suspect that he could have, had that fit in with his plan."
Georgian burst into sobs and found herself being held by Mrs. Annesley. She was mortified by her failures, but she was even more ashamed by her other feelings. The older woman allowed to cry for a short time and then gently pushed her back so that their eyes could meet, "My dear, can I tell you the real reason that you feel guilty and cannot move past what happened?"
The young woman cringed internally, but there was enough trust built now that she agreed with another nod. Mrs. Annesley said, "You feel guilty because you wanted George Wickham to complete what he started. In fact, the biggest reason that you agreed to the elopement was because you wanted to finally find out what was on the other side of the veil. Am I right?"
Georgiana sighed and managed to keep her head upright as she answered, "I did. I truly believed that I loved him and he loved me. It hurt so much when I heard him tell my brother the truth... and the cruel words he used... so what kind of person does it make me that I still have dreams about what could have been... in bed?"
The older woman caressed her face and smiled, "It does not make you good or bad, my dear. It only makes you human. Society tries to protect you from those desires by keeping you ignorant. But that only makes it possible for rakes and scoundrels to sneak past society's rules because you do not know how to defend yourself against those desires.
"Tell me something: now that you know how powerful it feels to be touched by a man, will you allow other men to touch you?"
"No! I want to feel it all again, but I will be very careful to only allow such intimacies with from the man who will be my husband. But isn't it wrong for a woman to have such desires?"
Mrs. Annesley laughed softly and throatily, "My dear Georgiana, your passion will be one of the greatest gifts that you can give to your husband. When you desire each other and give of yourselves freely and without restraint, your marriage will be one of joy, not just duty... only take care to only marry a man worthy of your passion and love."
oOo
She must be a miracle worker! How was she able to turn Georgiana around so quickly. Darcy read over his sister's latest letter and was amazed once again at its light-hearted content. Not one mention of guilt or unworthiness was to be found in those lines. Georgiana sounded... happy, but not like a little girl at all. She was writing as if she was a woman grown. Am I ready for that? Isn't it what I hoped for?
Darcy needed to talk to someone. He needed to speak with someone who could understand a young woman's mind.
As if by magic, Miss Elizabeth stepped into Netherfield's library. She was startled to discover him there, but after his reassurance the young woman chose a volume and took a seat on the only other chair in the room. On any other day Fitzwilliam Darcy might have sat with her for half an hour and not exchanged a word. On this day, however, he could think of no other person who had more insight and experience with young ladies.
Resolved, he closed his book, "Miss Elizabeth... would you be willing... do I ask to much by requesting your advice on a matter?"
Startled, Elizabeth forgot her frustration with the man for the moment and queried, "Advice, Sir? On what matter could I possibly offer any advice which would benefit you?"
"On my sister... and perhaps on understanding how a young woman thinks..."
Elizabeth let out a quiet laugh. Her sparkling eyes and tinkling laughter struck right into the young man's heart. "Mr. Darcy, that is a subject of no small study, but if you wish to solicit my advice, I am willing to offer it freely. I cannot promise that you will always like what I have to say, however."
"Fair enough... only..." he looked around the library and at the door where anyone could easily stand nearby and overhear, "Due to the private nature of this discussion, would you be willing to take a stroll with me away from the potential of prying ears?"
Elizabeth was intrigued, so she consented.
What followed was the first of many such private discussions. Darcy struggled at first, but he trusted Elizabeth fully, so he eventually told her everything. This trust and Mr. Darcy's genuine concern for his sister moved Elizabeth. Simple math told her that the horrible event described had only taken place two months prior, so reason told her that it was only natural that Darcy had been out-of-sorts and grouchy when he came to Meryton.
She offered her advice without holding back. At times their talks dealt with issues very similar to those raised by Mrs. Annesley, though in a less open manner. She was embarrassed and slightly shocked at her own impropriety, but Mr. Darcy needed to understand that his sister was a young woman and that he could not coddle the girl or hide her away from the world. For his part, Darcy cringed at thinking of his sister as a young woman who would one day become an object of desire for a man, but Elizabeth helped him to get past his prejudices. He was also more and more impressed with this delightful young woman beside him.
No two people can have such discussions without coming to know each other at a deeper level and forming a bond, whether friendship or something more. By the time that he handed Elizabeth into Bingley's carriage on Sunday, the two were friends and both were privately hoping for much more.
When Elizabeth met George Wickham two days later, she was forewarned and forearmed. When Darcy saw the man so close to the woman he cared about, he dismounted and walked between them. "I do not know what brings you here to Meryton, George, but there will be none of your tricks here. These are decent people and I will not allow you to play your usual games."
Wickham had never encountered such a determined Fitzwilliam Darcy. He knew that the man had almost been ready to kill him after Ramsgate and George wanted to take no chances now. Instead of taking the commission and swearing in, he returned to camp, climbed back on his horse, and rode away. There had to be safer places to hide from his creditors.
When Fitzwilliam Darcy presented his sister to his new fiancé two months later, Elizabeth met a much happier and more confident young woman than she had expected. They became instant friends and soon formed a bond that would last throughout their lifetimes.
On the day before Mr. Darcy married Miss Elizabeth, Mrs. Annesley approached her employer and his fiancé and asked to speak. "Mr. Darcy, I believe that my work here is done. Miss Darcy has found her feet again and I believe that she is ready to face the world with open eyes and a stout heart. It is time for me to move on."
Mr. Darcy looked alarmed, but softly asked, "Are you certain. We would be more than happy to keep you on until Georgiana is married. You have been a wonderful companion and friend to her."
"Thank you sir. I care for your sister dearly and am proud of the woman she has become... but I feel that I am needed elsewhere. Miss Elizabeth, do you think that your parents would be amenable to me taking your three younger sisters in hand? I see great potential and equally great danger in those three."
Darcy and Elizabeth looked at each other, smiled widely. They had shared many private thoughts about what to do with those three. With great relief Elizabeth said, "Mrs. Annesley, I cannot think of a better person for the job. I will make it happen, even if I have to drag all three of my sisters to Pemberley and keep them there for the next few years... only..." she grinned at her future husband, "Let us hope that it doesn't come to that."
oOo
Mrs. Annesely was able to step in and take a hand with the youngest three Bennet girls. Darcy accomplished the feat by informing Mrs. Bennet that every girl the woman had taught went on to marry very well, and that he expected no less than an earl or a duke for his own sister after Mrs. Annesley had trained her.
Mr. Bennet was more than happy to employ the woman if it meant a quieter house.
The three younger Bennets had differing reactions at first, but Mrs. Annesley (who was not a witch, despite evidence to the contrary) managed to win all three individually over to her presence in their lives. None of the three ended up marrying an earl or a duke, but they did marry very well and they made happy homes for their husbands and children.
Miss Georgiana Darcy did not marry an earl or a duke either. She did marry the younger son of a duke who shared her love of music and whose estate brought in almost as much as his brother-in-laws. From the way that their eyes always found each other and the way they frequently stole touches even years after their marriage, it was clear that Mr. Fortner did not mind having a passionate wife in the slightest. Their seven children might also be counted as additional evidence that the pair enjoyed their private moments together.
During her four years at Longbourn, Mrs. Annesley made subtle inroads with Mrs. Bennet as well. When she finally left, the mistress of Longbourne was a much calmer and happier person. With Mr. Bennet she made no progress at all. Since the removal of his favorite daughter, he seldom deigned to spend time with his family. His only contribution was that he served as an example to his daughters as one kind of man they did not wish to marry.
When Mrs. Annesley left Longbourn, Mrs. Bennet, who had never wanted a governess in her home usurping her authority, hugged the woman fiercely and almost wouldn't let her go. Mrs. Annesley was next seen in Portsmouth, where there were two sisters who were driving their poor father toward insanity with their constant bickering and boy-chasing.
Over the years there were many sightings of the dear woman... though sometimes she seemed to be the right person, but with a different name. There was even the oddest report many decades later of a woman matching Mrs. Annesley's description drifting down from the clouds holding only a valise and an umbrella... but that is ridiculous of course.
Author's Notes:Sorry, I had to throw in the ending for a bit of fun.
Thanks for reading and reviewing.