Chapter Eighteen – A Private Conversation
Jane's dinner party went off very well indeed; for the company were so well-matched, and well-disposed, one to the other – almost. The one exception was Mr Darcy, whose behaviour towards Captain Radford, while polite, was clearly reserved.
Jane and Elizabeth had spent some time discussing the seating arrangements. They wished to seat Julia well away from Captain Radford, whom they seated between Georgiana and Elizabeth, with Mr Darcy beside her on one side of the table, and Jane at one end; and then Victoria, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Julia along the other side, with Bingley at the other end. This made it difficult for Mr Darcy to observe what passed between Georgiana and Captain Radford. Though evidently conscious of their frequent conversations, he was unable to follow them; and very likely imagined them to be of more intimate a nature than, indeed, they were. Elizabeth was hopeful that he would, consequently, continue to mistake the object of the Captain's preference as Georgiana, rather than Julia.
Mr Darcy and Julia had also been placed well apart, for neither of them was comfortable together in the company of others, when they were obliged to feign the role of new and disinterested acquaintances. Victoria had requested that Jane seat her beside Colonel Fitzwilliam, if at all possible, and although he was well mannered enough not to ignore Julia on his other side, Victoria was well-pleased with her allotment of his conversation.
After the meal, the gentlemen did not tarry long at their port and cigars, for the three bachelors were eager to join the ladies in the drawing room. Elizabeth looked up and smiled invitingly at Mr Darcy, as they entered, which was sufficient to draw him to sit beside her on the couch that she had chosen for its distance from the pianoforte; for she suspected that Captain Radford would be unable to hide the warmth of his admiration when it was Julia's turn to perform. In the event, she was quite correct, and made sure to engage Mr Darcy in conversation at those times when it was most evident.
Having exhausted the subject of the Derby assizes, she surprised him by saying, "We intend to wait upon Georgiana tomorrow, Mr Darcy; and if you happen to be at home, I would very much like the opportunity of speaking with you privately."
He smiled. "I was not intending to be at home – for I had planned to visit Ashbourne, either with my sister and cousin, if it suited them, or otherwise alone; for there is a matter upon which I have been hoping to speak with you privately – for a very long time," he said, looking at her with an intensity that made her heart quicken. "But I shall be more than happy to remain at Pemberley and await your arrival there."
Elizabeth had not the least doubt concerning the matter he wished to discuss; she was only uncertain as to whether it would be to her advantage, in gaining his approval of Julia's betrothal to Captain Radford, to allow him to speak first or not. On the whole, she decided, her power over him might be greater if he had not yet attained his object. She might even persuade him to divulge his reasons for distrusting the Captain.
"Please remember, Mr Darcy, that it was I, who first indicated a desire to speak privately; so you must allow me to speak first."
When they arrived at Pemberley the following day, Georgiana was alone in the sitting room, but they were very soon joined by the gentlemen.
"It is such a delightful day," said Mr Darcy, "why do we not make a round of the gardens before taking tea?" The others were favourably disposed to his proposal, and also to Georgiana's subsequent suggestion that they have the tea served in the pavilion.
Mr Darcy wasted no time in separating Elizabeth from the rest of the party by allowing them to fall behind, and when the opportunity presented itself, of taking a side path behind an avenue of trees, that concealed them from view. He looked at her entreatingly.
"Mr Darcy," she said, as they walked beside blooming flower beds, "I feel myself obliged to speak with you upon a subject which may, I fear, cause you some consternation; and yet it cannot be avoided."
He looked at her with alarm and surprise, for he had anticipated that their conversation would be as delightful as the surroundings he had deliberately chosen for it.
"I shall not keep you in suspense, but tell you directly: your sister and Captain Radford are very much in love, and wish to marry."
Elizabeth was alarmed at the extraordinary effect of her words upon him. He stopped in his tracks and stared at the ground, shaking his head, with an expression of deep distress. "No, no, no... She cannot marry him... I shall never allow it..." he muttered repeatedly to himself, as if in a trance.
Elizabeth took him by the arm and gently steered him towards a nearby seat, for he seemed to have lost all awareness of his surroundings. She gently drew him down, and when they were seated, she asked, "Why can she not marry him?"
"Because she is his sister!"
"What?" exclaimed Elizabeth in astonishment. "How can that possibly be? It is entirely incomprehensible. Are you quite certain?"
"Absolutely certain."
"I knew that the Captain had a sister, whom he had never known, for he told me of it in Hertfordshire; but how can his sister be your sister also?"
"He knows he has a sister?" asked Mr Darcy in surprise. "I had always believed him to be ignorant of it."
"Yes, he knows. For many years he believed that his sister had died at birth, along with his mother; but her midwife later made a deathbed confession, that the sister had survived. There were no relations who were able to bring up the little girl, and eventually she was given over to a lady who was in search of a little girl, who paid the midwife handsomely for her."
"Yes, I know," said Mr Darcy, gravely, "the lady of whom you speak was my mother's agent."
"What?" demanded Elizabeth. "Of which sister are we speaking?"
"Why, of Georgiana, of course."
"Georgiana? Oh, now I understand your inexplicable behaviour, since first you heard Captain Radford's name," said Elizabeth, smiling with relief, "and why you seemed so fearful of the possibility of an attraction developing."
"Yes, yes! And now, despite my best efforts, it has happened – Georgiana wishes to marry him – I cannot allow it!"
"No, she does not!"
"What? But did you not just say that they wished to marry? I do not understand," said Mr Darcy in evident confusion.
"When I said that your sister and Captain Radford wished to marry, I was speaking of your other sister, Julia."
"Oh!" exclaimed Mr Darcy, with an enormous sigh of relief. "Julia! It is Julia who wishes to marry Captain Radford?"
"Yes. Do you have any objection?" asked Elizabeth.
"To Julia marrying the Captain? No, none whatsoever! When I told you in Hertfordshire that I intended to commission an investigation into Captain Radford, it was principally to determine whether he could possibly be related to Georgiana – for I knew that the name of her true father was Radford. I have her birth documents; but they gave no information concerning the families of her parents, and no indication of the relationship that Captain Radford claimed to Bingley.
"My investigation confirmed both the relationship to Bingley; and also that Captain Radford is, indeed, the brother of Georgiana. It also revealed that he is of impeccable character. All my dealings with him have confirmed his good character – even if I was, perhaps, more than a little annoyed in Hertfordshire, and again in town, at the degree of attention he showed to one particular young lady – and I do not now speak of my sister, Georgiana. I am delighted at the news that he wishes to marry Julia.
"I am most pleased and relieved to hear it," said Elizabeth.
"But does she really love him? It all seems so very sudden – they have only known each other for a few weeks. Is Julia certain she wishes to marry him? My sister is well aware that marriage will save her from the scrutiny concerning her background, which has been my great concern since she came into Derbyshire; for we discussed it at length on the journey from Suffolk. I sincerely hope that she is not simply accepting Captain Radford's suit in order to avoid curiosity concerning her family and to relieve my anxieties."
"She is utterly in love with him, I can assure you – and he returns her love in equal measure. Although they have known each other but a short time, their mutual attraction was immediate, and they have had several opportunities of a tête-à-tête, both at Ashbourne and Hartington. Having previously spent a good deal of time in the Captain's company, myself, I was able to confirm all of Julia's good opinions concerning his character."
"Captain Radford is evidently a most decisive man," observed Mr Darcy.
"Certainly compared to some gentlemen of my acquaintance," replied Elizabeth, with a playful smile. Observing Mr Darcy's evident discomfit, she continued, "I imagine it comes from being a naval officer, who must sometimes be obliged to make very quick decisions. He wasted little time in determining that he must have Hartington; and I believe it was much the same from the moment that he first set eyes upon Julia."
"But how will he react, do you think, when he is made aware of the circumstances concerning her birth?" asked Mr Darcy cautiously. "He must be informed."
"He knows it all, already – or at least that her parents were not married; for I related it to him myself, some days ago. I can assure you, it troubles him not in the least."
"Why did you not tell me the good news immediately? You spoke not a word of it last night – and as I recall, Julia and Captain Radford were not seated together at the table, and showed not the least sign of the preference of which you have spoken."
Elizabeth smiled. "It was on account of your obvious anxiety about Georgiana and the Captain, which was never anything more than friendship. I was concerned that you had some secret knowledge, which gave you cause to object to Captain Radford, which would apply equally to Julia. I therefore cautioned her to conceal her affection until I had spoken with you about the possibility of them marrying; for as you might imagine, she very much wishes to receive your blessings."
Mr Darcy smiled. "And so she shall; I am overjoyed at the news."
"I shall inform Julia at the earliest opportunity; she will be utterly delighted to hear it," said Elizabeth happily. "But as to your other sister, Georgiana, she is obviously unaware that Captain Radford is her brother; and he, likewise, is unaware that she is the sister he has longed to know, all his life, and had resigned himself to believe that he would never find."
"Miss Bennet, what I have told you must remain a secret between you and me. Georgiana has not the least idea that my father and mother are not also her own; and I am determined that she shall never know the truth."
"If you wish me to keep your secret, Mr Darcy, then I shall oblige you to tell me the whole story – of how came your parents to take a child who was not theirs, and raise her as their own – deceiving all the world, including Georgiana, herself. I wish to better understand the need for such secrecy that would prevent a brother and sister from knowing of each other's existence."
He stared at her for some time, deliberating. "I shall tell you then; but you must understand that it is told in complete confidence. It is so terrible and shameful a story – even your sister, Jane, may not know it."
"You have my promise."
"Very well, then. You know already about my father's liaison with the daughter of the rector of Kympton, which resulted in the birth of my sister, Julia. I suppose it is not so very exceptional an occurrence. However, my father, being an otherwise moral and upstanding gentleman, was deeply ashamed, and went to great lengths to conceal it. I have heard of other gentlemen, in similar circumstances, who have not taken the same trouble to hide their wayward behaviour, and society, at large, hardly thinks the worse of them. Though it may be spoken of in private, in public it is never acknowledged."
"Yes, sadly it is so. But I must tell you, Mr Darcy, that my good opinion of such a man would be lost forever; and were I his wife, I could no longer be happy," said Elizabeth, looking him in the eye as she spoke.
"My sentiments on the matter are completely in accord with your own, Miss Bennet. What I was attempting to intimate, is that while society may choose to ignore such behaviour in a gentleman, and his reputation might barely be tarnished, in the case of a lady, it is an entirely different matter," he said sombrely, and fell into a silence, seemingly sinking into himself, staring at the ground before him, barely conscious of his companion.
Elizabeth was aware that he was greatly troubled, and she began to wish that she had not ventured to ask him for an explanation. But at length, he spoke.
"My parents' marriage was never a particularly happy one; which may, perhaps, in some way account for my father seeking happiness elsewhere. When he made his confession to me, on his deathbed, he told me also of another indiscretion, which I found far more shocking – for rather than himself, it concerned my mother. She had, he told me, likewise engaged in a liaison. Perhaps she had wished to take her revenge upon him, for she knew of his indiscretion with the rector's daughter; or perhaps she was in love – or possibly it was on account of her desire to have another child. My mother had, apparently, always wanted a daughter; and perhaps she believed her failure to produce a second child was because of my father.
"It must have occurred when I was ten years old, some five years after my father's liaison with Julia's mother. He told me that he had not visited my mother's bedchamber for many months; so when it became obvious that she was with child, he knew it was not his. He demanded to know the identity of the father, whom my mother eventually revealed to be a young footman in my father's service. Upon being confronted with the accusation, the footman vigorously protested his innocence, but was nevertheless immediately dismissed.
"Despite my mother's pleas, my father refused, outright, to allow her to keep the child, and to raise it as her own. To avoid a scandal, he sent her away to stay with her sister, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, in Kent. My mother agreed that after the child was born, she would find suitable people, who would be paid handsomely to raise it as their own. It was to be done through an agent, so that they would never know the true identity of the child's parents. My mother would then return to Derbyshire, where the story would be circulated that the child had not survived a difficult birth."
"Your story is indeed astonishing, Mr Darcy; and though it might cause you great pain to tell it, perhaps in sharing it with another, your burden may become a little lighter. But, what you have thus far related, in no way explains the relationship between Captain Radford and Georgiana."
"Indeed it does not. You must understand that everything that I have spoken of thus far, I learned from my father, before he died. But there is more; and of much of it, he, himself, was ignorant. My mother passed away a dozen years ago, and my father some five years later. About two years ago, I undertook the task of putting my mother's papers in order, with a view to selecting anything worthy of a place in the archive of records and items of family interest, which is kept in the Pemberley library. Much of what I will now tell you comes from a collection of letters and documents I came upon at that time. The illness which ended my mother's life was unexpected, and mercifully brief. If she had had the opportunity, she would most certainly have destroyed them. I am quite certain that my father could never have looked at them – for if he had, he, too, would have wished to destroy them.
"You have heard the plan which my mother had reluctantly agreed upon with my father; however, as it transpired, she did not follow it. When she arrived at Rosings Park, Sir Lewis de Bourgh was still alive; but her sister, Catherine, was childless, and had all but given up hope of ever bearing him a child. The two sisters concocted a most devious scheme, which would allow my mother to maintain contact with her child, and give her sister, Catherine, her cherished desire of becoming a mother – and if not of her own child, at least of one who was her blood relation."
"So Lady Catherine pretended that she, too, was expecting a child?"
Mr Darcy nodded.
"Good heavens, then Anne de Bourgh is your sister?" exclaimed Elizabeth.
"Yes," said Mr Darcy, sighing.
"You have two half-sisters?"
"Yes."
Elizabeth shook her head in amazement.
"When the time came for their confinement, the two sisters went together to stay with an aunt in Hampshire, who was in their confidence. My mother bore a baby girl whom she gave to my aunt, who named her Anne, after her own mother."
"I must tell you, Mr Darcy, that the news that Anne de Bourgh is, in fact, your half-sister strikes me as utterly astonishing."
"You are referring, no doubt, to my aunt's cherished scheme of wedding me to her daughter, Anne?"
"Indeed I am. It cannot be lawful!"
"It most certainly is not! I have been well aware of my aunt's scheme for many years, now; almost from the moment that my mother passed away. Since that time, Lady Catherine has told me, repeatedly, that the marriage was the favourite wish of not only herself, but of my own mother. Clearly she wished to convince me that it was my duty to wed Anne. Even before I discovered the truth about Anne, I found my aunt's claim quite incredible; for my mother had never once mentioned such a wish in my presence. It was quite a shock, you may imagine, when I discovered, two years ago, that the person whom I had always believed to be my cousin, was in fact my half-sister."
"Did you confront your aunt with the information, and demand to know what she was about, in attempting so extraordinary a thing as to marry you to your own sister?"
"I did not. When I became cognisant of the true state of affairs, and the implications of what my aunt was attempting, I concluded that she could not be entirely in possession of all her faculties."
"Perhaps, having pretended that Anne was her own daughter for so many years, she eventually convinced herself that it was true. Your aunt is a prodigiously determined lady. I have sometimes observed that very strong-willed persons, who are in the habit of imposing their views upon others, sometimes develop a tendency to believe in the veracity of their own views, without reference to others – or, indeed, reality."
"Yes, perhaps. My aunt certainly fits your characterisation. In any case, I have never had the slightest desire to marry Anne, even before I knew she was my sister; and, I must say, that the discovery has hardly changed my feelings for her, which have always been cool and distant. They are so totally different from my feelings for Julia, whom I have come to love and cherish, quite as much as my other sister, Georgiana."
"Who it transpires is not your sister at all?"
"No, as I learned from my father on his deathbed; and yet I assure you, Miss Bennet, that my affection for Georgiana has not diminished in the least."
"But, how came she to be brought up as your sister?"
"When my Aunt Catherine returned to Rosings Park with the baby girl, my mother was bereft at the loss of her daughter. Her aunt, it seems, was aware that it was not unheard of, for a woman who was unable to bear children, to obtain a baby whose mother has died in childbirth, or who had been born to an unwed woman who was unable to keep it. Hampshire is close to Portsmouth; which, being a naval town, was a promising place to search. My mother eagerly accepted her aunt's proposal – so long as a pretty little girl from a respectable background could be found; and the necessary legal documents obtained to prove that it was not her own child.
"My aunt engaged an agent to act as an intermediary. She was never told the identity of the lady for whom she was commissioned to find the child. The agent learned of a midwife who had delivered a little girl, whose mother had died in childbirth, and who was eager to find a good home for her. The agent assured the midwife that the little girl's prospects would be excellent, and paid handsomely for the baby.
"My mother was absolutely delighted with the little girl, whom she named Georgiana. Unlike herself – or the footman – her hair was blonde, which, together with the birth certificate she had obtained from the midwife, was sufficient to convince my father that Georgiana was not my mother's own child, when she returned with it to Pemberley.
"My father, of course, had absolutely no idea that Anne de Bourgh was, in fact, the real daughter of his wife; and though, initially, he was angry at my mother's artful scheme of gaining a daughter, he came to love Georgiana as much as any father could love his own daughter. When he told me all that he knew of the matter, before he died, he begged me to never allow Georgiana to learn the truth; for he feared it would discompose her and make her unhappy."
"What an extraordinary history – it is more akin to what one might encounter in some fanciful novel, than in real life. Did your mother's collection of letters include any from the father of her child? It seems to me that her naming of the young footman may have been yet another clever device – perhaps intended to prevent her lover from being banished?"
"You are most astute in your surmise. There were such letters. They were from my father's steward – Mr Wickham; the father of George Wickham."
Elizabeth shook her head at this final piece of information. Mr Darcy and George Wickham, it seemed, had a half-sister in common. While she was pondering this whole fantastic story, which entwined the lives of so many of those with whom she was acquainted, the sound of a gong was heard, calling them to tea.
"I fear we have been away from the rest of the party for a very long time," said Mr Darcy, "they will wonder what has become of us."
As they walked back towards the house, Elizabeth observed, "You must have found it most unsettling when your father first revealed these matters to you."
"Indeed I did. To discover that both my father and mother, whom I had my whole life believed to be virtuous and honourable, had both broken their marriage vows; and that I had a sister, who had, my whole life, been unknown to me; and that the one I had believed to be mine was not, in fact, the daughter of my parents – I found it all most disconcerting. Although it in no way diminished my love for Georgiana, and I had the great joy of becoming acquainted with Julia, yet the burden of hiding my parents' shameful secrets has been great indeed; and, yet, rests most heavily upon me."
"You said that your father begged you to never tell Georgiana the truth, because he feared it would make her unhappy. Did you give him a solemn promise never to reveal the truth – either to Georgiana or to others – as you did in the case of his own indiscretion?"
"No, my father requested my secrecy, but he did not oblige me to give a formal promise. Why do you ask? I must tell you that I find my mother's infidelity, and all the subsequent artifice, including the deception perpetrated upon Sir Lewis de Bourgh, in having him believe that he had fathered a daughter, more shameful than that of my father."
"Mr Darcy, if you will permit me to express my opinion on the matter, I believe that it is wrong to deny Georgiana and Captain Radford the information that they are brother and sister."
Mr Darcy sighed. "I could never allow Georgiana to learn the terrible truth about my mother."
"But there is no need to tarnish your mother's memory. You can simply tell your sister that your mother went to Hampshire to stay with an aunt for her confinement; and that when the baby did not survive the birth, she agreed to a proposal of her aunt to adopt a baby girl, and claim it as her own. All the other details, including the relationship to Captain Radford, can be related in full. The truth about her origins can be given without any need of reference to your mother's infidelity."
"Yes, of course! It never occurred to me," said Mr Darcy, shaking his head. "But, do you believe that the benefit to Georgiana, of knowing the truth, would outweigh her distress at learning that her parents are not who she has thought them to be, her whole life long? Would she cease to love me as her brother? And how would she feel about others knowing the truth – would she not be ashamed?"
"I think you do not allow sufficiently for your sister's intelligence, Mr Darcy; she is no longer a child. Though she may feel some confusion upon learning the truth, it is, I believe, her right to know. I am certain that she will always love you as her brother – as you continue to love her as your sister, even though you know she is not. And she will have the joy of learning that she has another brother – as you have had the joy of discovering a sister, in Julia."
"You are quite correct, Miss Bennet; how fortunate I am to have your incisive mind to help me unravel this conundrum. I can see, now, that I am too close to it all, to view it as clearly as you. Georgiana must be enlightened; but I must tell you that I do not look forward to the conversation – it will be a most difficult one, indeed."
Elizabeth smiled. "If you will allow me, I believe that I may be able to impart the unsettling information to your sister in a manner that will allow her to come to terms with the astonishing news without suffering undue distress."
"Would you do that, Miss Bennet? I would be greatly obliged to you; for I fear my own anxiety over the whole matter would prevent me from performing the task as well as you. I shall, however, inform Captain Radford, for he also needs to be enlightened. Do you agree?"
"It is Georgiana's secret. I shall offer her my counsel, but I believe it is up to her to decide if she wishes for anyone else to know the truth; although I suspect that she will wish to inform Captain Radford."
"Would Georgiana wish to reside at Hartington, do you think? If Captain Radford marries Julia – which you appear to consider as certain – she might be very happy living with such a sister."
"I doubt very much that Georgiana would wish to leave Pemberley; and she could not do so without publishing the truth of her birth, which I think unlikely. And as to gaining a sister, I believe that she entertains hopes, that if her brother chooses well, she might gain a suitable sister at Pemberley," said Elizabeth, with a playful smile.
Unfortunately for Mr Darcy, having finally arrived at the subject he was most eager to address, he found that regrettably, they had likewise arrived at the pavilion, where tea was being served.
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