Chapter 11
Colonel Fitzwilliam traveled for many hours and should be exhausted. However, he was so worried that he wanted to arrive as soon as possible to help in any way possible. Georgiana was one of the people he loved most, someone who had always loved him unconditionally. For her, he could make sacrifices that he would not make for anyone else. When he finally reached Pemberley, he dismounted his horse, eager to hear news of his cousin.
"Sir, welcome to Pemberley," said the footman and received the Colonel's horse.
Richard entered the house and took the stairs that led to the family wing. Fortunately, he met Mrs. Reynolds on the way, who told him the good news.
"Mrs. Reynolds, how is Georgie?" he asked almost desperately.
"Do not worry, sir. She is much better, a little weak, but the doctor said that with the proper rest, she would recover in a few weeks. At least from her physical injuries. But I am not going to deny you, dear Colonel, that my dear girl was very ill the last two days," said Mrs. Reynolds, unable to avoid shedding a few tears.
"I am so glad everything is well. And Darcy? and… well, Mrs. Darcy?" Richard asked, not very sure about his cousin's situation.
"They spent the last two nights caring for Miss Darcy and almost did not sleep. I had to force them to rest for a few hours in their rooms and not in uncomfortable chairs. And you will forgive me, Colonel, but from your appearance, I assume that you have not slept much in the last few hours either."
"Is it so obvious? The truth is that I have been riding for the last twenty-four hours; I need a bath and sleep. But first of all, I need to see my princess," Richard said, smiling.
"I shall have a bath prepared for you, sir. Also, I shall send a good meal to your room. Later, you will have the opportunity to talk to your cousin and meet Mrs. Darcy."
"Thank you so much for everything you do for my cousins and always making me feel at home every time I visit Pemberley."
"It is my pleasure, Colonel."
Mrs. Reynolds left and Richard went straight to his cousin's room. When he got there, Georgiana was awake, but he was sad to see her extremely pale. She had lost a lot of weight in the last few days. Without a doubt, Wickham would pay for each of the transgressions he had committed against his cousin.
"Richard, you do not know how happy it is to see you," Georgiana said in a very soft voice.
"And I am happy to see you, my dear little princess. I know I must stink like a horse, but you will have to let me hug you. You do not know how concerned I was about your health..." Richard could not say anything else because his emotions prevented him. Then, he kissed and hugged his dear cousin.
Georgiana clung to Richard and cried for several minutes while he kissed her forehead and told her it was all right. "My dear, please do not cry anymore. Everything is in the past now, and it will be a terrible nightmare in a few months." To cheer up his cousin and avoid talking about topics that could make her sad, he told her. "Georgie, you must tell me everything about your brother's wife. She must be special and have the patience of a saint to abide your arrogant brother."
Georgiana's face immediately lit up, and she said with sincere emotion, "She is, Richard. Lizzy is wonderful, the best sister I could have ever dreamed of. She is very pretty; she has dark green eyes and a lovely smile. Besides…"
"Beside? Richard asked, intrigued.
"I just do not know if it is proper for me to tell you... I do not know if it is appropriate. "
"Of course it is appropriate for you to gossip with your favorite cousin. You know why?"
"No."
"Because you can be sure that I shall not tell anyone anything, and you know that I am an excellent secret keeper because I have never told anyone our secrets. Mrs. Reynolds will never know why those cinnamon apple biscuits mysteriously disappeared from the kitchen."
Georgiana could not help but laugh and said secretly to her cousin, "Lizzy is not afraid of William. She is not afraid to tell what she thinks and when she disagrees with him. You know, all the ladies always agreed with everything my brother said and never dared to contradict him." Georgiana thought of Caroline Bingley, who was always willing to flatter her brother.
"Interesting information, especially because they do not know each other that well…"
"You are wrong, Richard. Lizzy and William met several months ago in Hertfordshire; my brother told me about her in many letters. I feel so happy that my brother married such a good woman, and they are in love."
"Indeed, it is excellent news that your pompous brother has found a good woman who also knows how to put him in his place."
"Do not talk like that about William, Richard. He is so good and I am so grateful to him for loving and protecting me even though I do not deserve it."
"I did not say Darcy was bad but that he was pompous. But no more chatter, miss. Now you are going to sleep because you need to rest a lot to recover quickly." Richard noticed that Georgiana was very weak and did not do her any good to talk about topics that made her sad.
He kissed her forehead and stayed next to her until she fell asleep. Then he took a bath, ate something and went to rest in his room. He was very intrigued by what Georgiana told him. Supposedly, his cousin Darcy was marrying a young lady he did not know to protect Georgina. Apparently, he had a wife he knew well and admired.
'If I were not so exhausted, I would wake you up, Darcy, so you could explain to me what the hell is happening in this house,' Richard thought before falling asleep.
P&P
Mr. Bennet was unhappy with the short letter Jane wrote to inform him of Elizabeth's whereabouts. But most of all, it hurt him that his dearest daughter had not taken the time to write and tell him where she was and what she was doing.
Jane had informed Mr. Bennet that Elizabeth had found employment as a companion to a young lady from a wealthy family, but she did not tell him who the lady was or where she lived. He was very sorry for having let himself be guided by his wife's nerves, and to have some peace, he agreed to force Elizabeth to marry a fool whom she could never admire.
Mr. Bennet wanted to know where his daughter was so he could go in search of her, but true to his personality, he had neither the desire nor the will to go in search of her. So, he hoped that his brother-in-law or daughter would provide him with that information so he could act.
"Mr. Bennet, Lydia told me you cut her pin money in half." Mrs. Bennet abruptly entered her husband's study to complain about such an injustice.
"That is right, and not only have I reduced Lydia's allowance, I have also reduced all of her sisters and yours, Mrs. Bennet," Mr. Bennet replied without even looking up.
"WHAT? I WILL NOT TOLERATE THAT, AND I WARN YOU…" Mrs. Bennet was out of control and complained for almost five minutes, lamenting and repeating how unfair her husband was.
But Mr. Bennet did not flinch. Instead, he took a sheet of paper and began writing a letter to his brother-in-law. He will ask Mr. Gardiner to hire an investigator to locate Elizabeth, expecting him to cover the costs. But if he was not enthusiastic about the idea, Mr. Bennet wanted extra funds to pay the investigation expenses.
"MR. BENNET!" cried Mrs. Bennet. "You know very well that I do not like being ignored, and I also want to tell you that I shall not leave your studio until you explain why you have made such a cruel decision to take our money."
"I have not taken your money, Mrs. Bennet; I have only taken half of your money."
"It is the same; with that little amount, we shall not be able to survive. Why do you abuse my poor nerves like that, Mr. Bennet?" Mrs. Bennet had sat in the chair in front of her husband's desk, pretending she was crying to see if she could change her husband's mind.
"To survive, you and your daughters, Mrs. Bennet, need food and water, of which there is plenty in this house. There is no known case of any lady who has died because she could not buy lace or a new bonnet," replied Mr. Bennet as he continued writing the letter.
Mrs. Bennet realized that none of her usual tantrums would work this time, so she decided to change her strategy and asked very seriously. "Mr. Bennet, I want to know why you have reduced our pin money, and I hope you have the decency to give me an answer and stop ignoring me."
Mr. Bennet, for the first time, raised his head and looked at his wife. "Because I need money to find Lizzy," Mr. Bennet said. Then he told his wife what Jane had informed him in her last letter, briefly explained his plans, and continued writing the letter.
"I understand," Mrs. Bennet replied. She then stood up and left her husband's study. Although she did not want to say anything, Mrs. Bennet felt guilty and distraught not knowing where Elizabeth was. Perhaps it would not be so bad having less money if she could know where her daughter was.
P&P
The night before, Louisa and Caroline locked themselves to discuss Jane Bennet's return to their brother's life. After contemplating several possible scenarios, they decided it was best not to antagonize Charles and try to change his mind in a more subtle form. Instead of criticizing him and recriminating his actions, they would try to reason with him.
"Good morning, Hurst, Louisa, Caroline," said Mr. Bingley and sat down for breakfast.
Mr. Hurst was curious. He knew something had happened because his wife talked late to Caroline. He knew they were up to something and was eager to learn what they were planning to do.
"Charles, dear, what are your plans for today?" Louisa asked in a very soft voice.
"I do not know yet. "I think I shall go to the club this morning because I need to talk to Uncle Benedict," Mr. Bingley replied as he looked at the newspaper.
"Please give our regards to Uncle Benedict. One of these evenings, we should invite him and Aunt Amanda to dinner with us. What do you think, Charles?"
"What a marvelous idea, Louisa," Caroline added.
Mr. Bingley sensed that something was transpiring. His sisters did not like socializing with the Lewises, and now they were very enthusiastic about inviting them to dinner.
"Charles, this evening, some friends are coming to have dinner with us; what time do you plan to return home?" Louisa asked and then looked at Caroline.
"I do not know, Louisa," replied Mr. Bingley.
"Charles, you know that as your closest family members and as your sisters, we want the best for you," Caroline said cautiously.
"Indeed? Well, then tell me what is best for me because it seems that you know and I do not," replied Mr. Bingley, resentful. He did not want to have the same argument with his sisters.
"Charles, please do not overreact; it is not necessary. We are legitimately concerned about you," Louisa said as she looked at Caroline.
"Is this conversation about my well-being because I visited Miss Bennet? Because if that is the reason for your sudden concerns, I would like you to be honest so we do not have to waste our time with insincere remarks." Mr. Bingley looked at his two sisters, waiting for an answer.
Caroline gestured with her eyes to Louisa that she would be the one to try to explain the situation to their brother. "Yes, Charles, this conversation is related to Jane Bennet. We are worried that you will consider courting her again because none of the objections that separated you from her a few months ago have changed. Charles, you cannot continue paying attention to that woman and create expectations that you will not be able to fulfill. Or do you want to marry a woman who does not love you?"
"I do not doubt you think that no one can love me for who I am. But if a lady from the Ton like Miss Spencer wants to marry me for my money, you two have no objection. I do not have to tell you what I intend to do with my life, but I want you to know I shall do everything in my power to win Miss Bennet's heart."
"Charles, do you not realize that if you make such a reckless decision, you will hurt my chances of finding a husband like the one I deserve," Caroline said, feigning concern.
"Caroline, Miss Bennet is a gentleman's daughter, not a servant. Socially, she is superior to all of us. Besides, if a man truly loves you, the last thing he will care about is who my wife is."
"But Charles…" Caroline and Louisa wanted to continue pressuring their brother, but a strong, determined voice interrupted them.
"Not another word; this is my home, and I have the right to have breakfast in peace," said Mr Hurst. He spoke firmly so everyone would understand that he did not wish to hear any more arguments.
Mr. Hurst and Mr. Bingley continued to eat breakfast silently while Caroline and Louisa discussed plans for that evening's dinner.
Caroline was furious with her brother-in-law but realized it was not the time to tell him what she thought of him. She had to focus her energies on resolving the matter with her brother. For her part, Louisa was worried because she had noticed that her husband was becoming more distant and angry with her and, especially, with Caroline.
As soon as he finished breakfast, Mr. Bingley rose from the table and left the dining room. Then, he went to his room to change clothes and head to the club. But, when he was ready to leave, his brother-in-law approached him.
"Bingley, I congratulate you for telling your sisters you will not let them interfere in your life. I do not want to pry into your affairs, but if you allow me, I would like to give you some advice," said Mr. Hurst.
"Of course, please, tell me," replied Mr. Bingley curiously.
"If you continue living in this house, your sisters will make your life miserable. You know you are welcome here, but it will be good for you if you find another place to live." Mr. Hurst said goodbye and went to his room.
Mr. Bingley put on his hat and headed to the club, thinking about what his brother-in-law had told him.
P&P
Richard awoke at three in the afternoon after sleeping for about 5 hours. After washing his face and dressing, he went to Georgiana's room to see how she needed company. After that, he planned to talk to Mr. Darcy. But when he entered the room, he forgot about his cousin because he saw Georgiana smiling while a charming lady caressed her cheek.
"You have to eat, dear Georgiana. You will not recover if you do not eat, and I imagine you do not want to spend all your time in this bed," Elizabeth said. Then she filled the spoon with the delicious meat and vegetable stew and gave it to Georgiana.
"Alright, Lizzy, but just a few more spoons," Georgiana replied. She liked that Elizabeth was so protective and did not mind that she fed her like a child. She felt loved, and that helped to keep away the sadness.
"It is a deal: five more spoonfuls, and you can have a piece of strawberry tart, which someone told me was one of your favorites," Elizabeth said.
"I can confirm that this young lady loves tarts, pastries, biscuits, caramels, and sweets in general," Richard said as he approached them. "Madam, let me introduce myself; I am Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, cousin of this young pretty lady."
"Richard, this is my new sister, Lizzy," Georgiana said excitedly.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Colonel. I am Elizabeth Bennet…"
"Bennet?"
"Darcy, excuse me… I have only been married for a short period, and I still have not gotten used to my new name."
"Do not worry, my dear Mrs. Darcy. I have been called Richard Fitzwilliam all my life, and on more than one occasion, I have forgotten my name," Richard said, making the two ladies laugh.
While Elizabeth fed Georgiana, Richard sat near them, and they began an amusing conversation. Elizabeth could see that the Colonel was very different from his cousin; he was much more pleasant, willing to converse, and indeed less proud and severe.
"Oh, Richard, I cannot believe you ate that," Georgiana said, amused.
"Georgie, when we soldiers are on a campaign, we do not have the luxury of ordering food to our liking. The stew looked good, and I was hungry," Richard explained.
"And what did it taste like? It was good?" Elizabeth asked, laughing.
"Let us say that I was no longer hungry after eating it. Thinking about the delicious stews the Pemberley cook makes helped me greatly to forget what I had in my mouth."
"Colonel, did you discover what meat they used to prepare that meal?" Elizabeth asked amused.
"No, but I heard some rumors that I have tried to forget, although I shall not deny that I have had nightmares about the subject," replied the Colonel, making the ladies laugh.
Richard was happy to see Georgiana giggling and how her new sister treated her with much love and consideration. Apparently, his cousin Darcy had chosen a good and very pretty woman as his wife.
When Mr. Darcy entered his sister's room, he found Georgiana and Elizabeth laughing heartily. He was aware his cousin had the talent to entertain the people around him. He was equal to his mother, Lady Matlock.
Mr. Darcy could not understand why seeing Elizabeth conversing so friendly with his cousin troubled him in a way he could not explain.
P&P
Thanks to everyone who leaves comments and follows the story with enthusiasm.
In the next chapter, our dear Colonel will see things that his cousin does not.
See you soon!
Saludos,
Yo