Mr. Darcy sighed in relief as the familiar countryside of Derbyshire showed out the carriage window. He had not enjoyed the trip for several reasons, upper most of which was his traveling companion, Mr. Wickham. The man had no morals, no scruples and no regret or consternation over any of his actions. Mr. Darcy was quite glad he had brought extra servants with him for the express purpose of guarding Wickham. The scoundrel had tried to slip away at each posting change. When they reached London, Mr. Darcy was under no assumption that if they had stayed the night in his townhouse in Mayfair, by morning Wickham would be gone.
Which was why, after the secured the special license from the bishop, he did not inform Wickham of his plans. Not even when the wretch had commented that it would be delightful to see the Darcy townhouse again. Not until they wee heading out of London did Wickham realize they were immediately heading back to Derbyshire and Lambton.
Wickham was sullen the entire trip back but with two strapping stable lads in the carriage with them, the louse had no opportunity to flee or cause a diversion to cover his escape. No, Mr. Darcy would not let that man out of his or his servant's sights until the wedding to Lydia Bennet had occurred. Then he would thankfully see the man gone.
The carriage pulled to a stop in front of Mrs. Wickham's small home and the two strapping stable lads joined the waiting servants stationed outside the house. As Wickham sullenly descended the carriage steps, Mr. Darcy reminded him, "Your wedding will be on the morrow at 8 A.M."
He rapped on the carriage ceiling then jolted back against the bench as the carriage rolled off in the direction of Pemberley. All the extra servants pulling double duty guarding Wickham deserved extra pay this week. He would immediately order his steward to take care of the matter upon his return to Pemberley. After a hot bath and hot meal. But first he would let his sister know he was home.
Mr. Darcy sighed and leaned his head back. He could not wait for the comforts of home. He hated being on the road, but disliked it even more when traveling into the night. It was not safe, but with many outriders, all armed, they had not experienced any trouble. Rarely did he push so hard, but he knew time was of the essence in this matter.
The carriage made the final turn onto the drive to Pemberley and he could scarcely stay seated. Before the servants had time to pull out the steps, he jumped out of the carriage and bounded up the front steps. His hessian boots clacked on the marble floor of the foyer.
"Please inform my sister that I am home and have a bath and meal brought to my room." Mr. Darcy paused, and eyed the footman who shared wide eyed glances with the footman standing on the other side of the front doors. "Is something —"
"Is that my nephew?"
Mr. Darcy froze then slowly turned in horror towards the sound of a cane thumping along the floor of the sitting room.
From behind his shoulder a footman whispered, "She arrived two days past, Sir."
Georgiana burst out of the sitting room nearly running to engulf him in a hug. Never had his sister greeted him after a trip in such a manner. Things must have been very difficult indeed with his aunt present.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh's shrill voice preceded her entrance, "Georgiana Darcy, it is not lady-like to run!"
Mr. Darcy tightened his arms around his sister's shoulders. "What has happened? You are shaking. Are you unwell?"
Georgiana fingers tightened on the back of his jacket. "She arrived two days ago and has been in high dudgeon. The things she has said about Miss Bennet!"
He pulled back from his sister with Lady Catherine's approach, but Georgiana slipped out from under his arm and stood partially behind him.
"Where have you been? I had not planned to find you away from home upon my arrival. What business would you have in London that was so urgent?"
Mr. Darcy stiffened, fighting back his impulsive response, "I had not received notice of your impending arrival, Aunt."
"Yes, yes, I am most displeased, though." She squinted at him, but it failed to affect him in any way except to stoke his ire. "You are engaged to my daughter and have been since the cradle, yet you had Banns read for—"
"Madam," He felt Georgiana slide further behind him. "I must ask you to refrain from this line of inquiry. My personal business is my own."
Movement on the steps drew his attention. Mr. Bingley had paused in his descension of the main staircase. Mr. Darcy was relieved to see a friendly face, though he would not have begrudged the man for quitting the place when his curmudgeonly relative had arrived.
"Bingley, I hope you found ways to entertain yourself while I was absent?"
His friend's face brightened and he once again rapidly descended the staircase. "There is no end to the amusements that can be had at—"
"I will not be interrupted!"
His smile fell while Mr. Bingley stopped his movement on the staircase. Mr. Darcy slowly turned and leveled a stare upon his aunt who was standing alone in the middle of the foyer. Georgiana, he realized was currently hiding behind his back. He would have much to make up for leaving his sister alone with their aunt in his absence. Yet, he could not have expected her arrival during his absence, nor her abominable rudeness.
"I will not have you speak of my betrothed in such a manner, especially in my own home period."
Lady Catherine de Bourgh stepped closer. "You cannot possibly plan to continue this charade. Your duty to your family, honor and obligation demand that you-"
"Aunt, I have tolerated your behavior due to our association, but I will not tolerate any more. Cease this immediately or I will ask you to leave."
"You can not throw me out, I am nobility! And your aunt, I —"
Mr. Darcy stepped towards her, his hands clenched. "I will do what I need to. One more word against *my betrothed*, or her family, and I will have your bags packed and loaded on your carriage."
His aunt clenched her jaw and glared. Mr. Darcy turned and jogged up the steps passing a speechless Mr. Bingley, and stormed down the hallway to his rooms. He tore off his cravat, closed his bedroom door and nearly ripped his buttons removing his waistcoat until his valet arrived to help him finish undressing.
The normally verbose man was silent, which did not help to improve Mr. Darcy's mood. He had always taken great pains to behave as the perfect gentleman, in which not raising his voice was nearly at the top of the list of requirements. And yet his display in the foyer had even shocked his friend. Mr. Darcy groaned and rubbed his face, the hot water from the bath soothing his tired eyes and aching head.
He stood from the bath, wishing he could have soaked until the water grew cold, but he had guests that had been left to the not so tender mercies of his aunt, and a sister that that had been discountenanced by same said aunt.
After dressing and eating a hurriedly supped light repast, he found Georgiana in her room. "I must apologize, sister. I made the trip as expediently as possible yet I would have rode through the night had I known that our aunt had arrived in my absence."
Georgiana stood from where she had been sitting on her bed looking at fashion plates and rushed over to envelop him in another embrace. "It is not your fault." In a whisper she continued, "It is Lady Catherine's."
Mr. Darcy smiled for the first time that day, as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "I hope she was not too much to bear, but not that would be inconceivable. Tell me, are the Bingley sisters still in residence? I saw only their brother."
She sighed long enough for him to know that things had not been well in more than one quarter. "Miss Bingley and Lady Catherine shared much the same sentiments about Miss Bennet. I do not know why because she has been most amiable. They said most unkind things."
Mr. Darcy was not surprised at his aunt's behavior, but he could not say the same for Miss Bingley's. Her dislike of the Bennet's and Elizabeth in particular she had voiced quite plainly on several occasions. But for her to admonish his intended in his own house, with his own relative, in front of his sister was too much. He would speak to Bingley, though he knew his friend would not relish having to curtail his sister, but it had to be done. He hoped he could impart the seriousness of his request to Bingley because he would not hesitate to have Miss Bingley removed from Pemberley if she did not desist in her haranguing of Miss Bennet.
Georgiana pulled back from their embrace with a mischievous smile. "Do you know that Miss Bennet and I have been exchanging letters? We are so close that a servant servant is able to ride back and forth between Lambton and Pemberley several times in one day!"
Her giggles turned into laughter at the expression on her brother's face.
"May I inquire as to the nature of your correspondence?" He could not imagine any subject that two new acquaintances could discuss that would result in his sister's amusement.
"I wrote her first to raise her spirits as she had sent a note that she was unwell and could not accept any invitations."
Had she truly been unwell, or was this a contrived reason to stay away from Pemberley? He frowned that she would not want to visit her future home. Or had she thought to stay away for fear of divulging Mr. Darcy's reason for his sudden business in London? But then dread settled as he cast upon one reason that seemed more likely above all others. "Did Miss Bennet happen to give another reason?"
Georgiana tilted her head. "Do you think she was not unwell?"
Dash it all, what had he done? "Not at all, Miss Bennet is honest and kind. If she was unwell, then she was truly so. No, I wondered... If somehow she heard that Lady Catherine was in residence and had chosen to stay away though I am sure she would….have loved…."
He trailed off at Georgiana's slap of hands over her mouth, and then at her erupting laughter.
"Miss Bennet knew Lady Catherine was here because I told her! She had the best ideas of how to hide and avoid Aunt and Miss Bingley." She lowered her hands, beaming. "I cannot wait for her to be my sister!"
Mr. Darcy smiled again, his heart warming even more towards the woman he had missed the most.
I just got back from a long weekend 4.5 hour trip to visit my sister in Iowa around Des Moines. I'm hoping to crank out the rest of this story in the next week!