The Gardiners Rented House
The Drawing Room
Six Hours Later
"A Mr. Darcy has arrived," Molly said, "and is waiting in the…"
She broke off as Georgiana, who had been staring at her hand of cards, leaped up so quickly that the cribbage board was knocked over onto the floor. She muttered a vague apology as she raced out the door and down the corridor to the small vestibule, where her beloved Fitzwilliam was waiting.
"Fitzwilliam!"
"Georgiana!" he cried out and pulled her into his arms. He had not shed tears since his father died, but he did now, tears of joy and thanksgiving.
"My dear," he murmured into her blonde curls. "Are you harmed in any way?"
"No, no, I am entirely well," she replied, stepping back and beaming at him. She was startled to realize she was trembling with relief. She was safe now. With her brother here in Ramsgate, she was completely, entirely safe.
Fitzwilliam looked over her shoulder at this moment, and Georgiana turned to see Mrs. Gardiner a few feet away, with Elizabeth at her side.
"Brother, these are the two ladies I spoke of in my express to you; Mrs. Gardiner, and her niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet."
He reached out to take her hand in his own, needing the physical contact to comfort him with the reality that she was truly secure, even as his frowned in confusion.
"I did not receive an express," he said.
"What do you mean, you did not, Brother? Mrs. Gardiner arranged to have it sent to Darcy House two days ago."
"I was in Kent, at Rosings," he explained, "dancing attendance on Lady Catherine. When I escaped, I decided to pay you an unexpected visit, since I was already partly on my way here. When I came to your rented house and discovered you had disappeared – oh, my dear, I was terrified for your safety!"
"Did Mrs. Younge tell you that she was in league with Mr. Wickham?" Georgiana demanded, her eyes now hard with anger.
"She told me nothing, as she and that foul wretch Wickham left yesterday, in our carriage, ostensibly for London."
Georgiana looked stunned and said, "If I had known that, I would have been there to greet you. I am sorry…"
"You have no reason to be sorry about anything," he interrupted, and then lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, suddenly aware that this entire scene was being played out in front of two strange ladies.
At this moment, Mrs. Gardiner, a well-dressed lady of some five and thirty years, smiled and said, "Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy, I am certain you have much you wish to speak of together and in private. If you would care to enter the sitting room, I will send tea."
Darcy's first inclination was to refuse and escort Georgiana back to the rented home. He did not know Mrs. Gardiner or her niece, and given that Mr. Wickham, a former friend, had taken advantage of his dear sister, he was not inclined to trust strangers.
A moment later, his gaze fell on Georgiana, who was looking up at him hopefully, and he forced himself to smile. "Thank you, Madame, that is very kind of you."
"Elizabeth, escort our guests to the sitting room," Mrs. Gardiner said, "and I will speak to the servants."
"This way, please," the younger lady said.
Darcy was too relieved to have found his sister to notice much, but he was dimly aware of a small room, very clean and tidy, but with faded curtains and carpet, and furniture of dubious provenance. He sat down on a couch which had seen better days, and Georgiana immediately sat down next to him, sitting as close as she possibly could.
"The servants will bring you tea in a few minutes," Miss Bennet said with a smile.
"Thank you, Elizabeth," Georgiana said, returning the smile, and Darcy felt another throb of unease at the familiarity between his dear sister and this unknown woman.
Miss Bennet nodded in return and departed briskly, shutting the door carefully behind her. He forced himself to set aside his concerns about the two unknown ladies and, after wrapping an arm around his sister, asked softly, "Tell me everything, Georgiana. What happened?"
She did so, haltingly, and he had to force himself to stay calm as he learned of Wickham's supposedly accidental encounter with his dear sister, and Mrs. Younge's eagerness to welcome Wickham into their home, and of Miss Bennet's surprising warnings and lastly, of the night when Georgiana overheard Wickham and Mrs. Younge in the latter's bedchamber at night.
"I did not know what to do," Georgiana said as large, salty drops slipped down her cheeks, "and then I remembered that Miss Bennet had told me her direction in Ramsgate and had said she would stand as my friend. I crept out of the house as soon as it was early dawn, and thanks to several servants who were abroad at that hour and knew the location of Cliff Street, I was able to make my way to this house by seven o'clock. Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Bennet have been so kind to me and insisted that I stay indoors and under their care until you arrived."
"I am very thankful for that," Darcy said, and even though he was concerned about the Darcys' undoubted obligation to Mrs. Gardiner, he knew that if Wickham had succeeded in carrying Georgiana to Scotland, her life would have been destroyed, and his as well. He was indeed most grateful.
The door opened at this juncture, and Miss Bennet stepped in with the tea tray, while a maid followed with a tray of scones and sandwiches. Darcy was suddenly aware of both thirst and hunger; he had been too distressed to eat or drink once he learned that Georgiana was missing.
"May I join you, or do you wish to speak further?" Miss Bennet asked, lowering the tray onto a nearby table, while the maid set her burden down as well and retreated out of the room with a bob of her capped head.
"Please, Miss Bennet, do sit down," Darcy invited. He might as well discover as much as possible about this young woman and her family.
"Allow me to pour you tea first," she suggested, "Georgiana, I know you like tea with lemon. What do you prefer, Mr. Darcy?"
"The same, please," Darcy replied and could not help but fix his eyes on the tray of food. He really was terribly hungry.
"Let me arrange a plate of food for you, Brother," Georgiana offered, hopping to her feet before he could respond. She hurried over to fill a plate with two scones and two sandwiches, while Miss Bennet poured tea for both Darcys and then for herself.
"My brother tells me that Mrs. Younge and Mr. Wickham fled Ramsgate yesterday!" Georgiana said and then took a sip of tea.
Miss Bennet lowered her teacup and frowned incredulously. "What?!"
Darcy swallowed a bite of his sandwich and said, "They left yesterday morning. Why does that surprise you?"
"Why? Because while Georgiana was safe, they did not know she was! Suppose she had been injured in some kind of accident or the like? How could Mrs. Younge, who was hired to care for Miss Darcy, abandon her in such a way? It is inexcusable and wicked!"
"Much that was done here was wicked, Miss Bennet," Darcy replied, though he gazed upon her with appreciation. There was genuine fervor in the lady's expression and tone, and he dared to hope that this friendship between his sister and Miss Bennet was based on genuine care, not the hope of extravagant reward.
"How did you find me, Brother?" Georgiana asked a moment later.
He swallowed another bite of scone and said, "I asked the remaining servants to speak to others of their class here in Ramsgate. Armed with a number of coins to loosen the tongues of those with information, they sought out Miss Bennet's direction, and after many hours and substantial frustration, I managed to discover that Miss Bennet was staying with a Mrs. Gardiner in a rented house. I then was able to make a tour of the leasing agents here in Ramsgate and discovered this house at the second one."
"That was very intelligent of you," Miss Bennet said approvingly.
"Indeed it was," Georgiana said reaching out to hug her brother with such fervor that he would have spilled his tea, except that the cup was empty.
Miss Bennet smiled at this show of sibling love, and said, "Would you care for more tea, Mr. Darcy?"
"Yes, please," he replied, holding out his cup and eying the sandwich tray with subdued greed.
Miss Bennet poured tea into his cup and then held out the platter of sandwiches. He smiled, took two more, and said, "Thank you. I confess to being quite hungry, as I was too busy searching for Georgiana to take a meal today."
"It is much to your credit that you did so," Miss Bennet replied approvingly. "I am sorry that you were forced to hunt her down; it did not occur to us that you might be away from your residence in Town."
"All is well that ends well," he answered, casting a relieved look on Georgiana before turning back. "Now, please, will you not tell me about you and your family, Miss Bennet? Why are you here in Ramsgate?"
Elizabeth regarded her guest a trifle warily. Her first impression of Mr. Darcy of Pemberley had been an excellent one. The gentleman had scoured Ramsgate to find his sister, after all, to the point of allowing himself to grow dirty, disheveled and hungry. It spoke well of his love for his sister.
Mr. Darcy was also quite handsome – tall, with a well-formed figure, with dark eyes and hair. That, combined with his position of master of a great estate, made him one of the great men of England, and Elizabeth thought she detected a note of suspicion in that deep voice. It was no surprise, really, given that Mrs. Younge and Mr. Wickham had proven treacherous, but it was still annoying.
"My name is Miss Elizabeth Bennet," she said, pouring another cup of tea for Georgiana and then setting the pot back down. "My father is master of the estate of Longbourn in Hertfordshire. I am the second of five sisters. My aunt Gardiner, who is married to my mother's brother, fell ill with the influenza last month. I was visiting the Gardiners in Town at the time, and once she had sufficiently recovered, it was decided that I should accompany my aunt and young cousins to Ramsgate to enjoy the better air."
"Your uncle did not join you, then?" Mr. Darcy asked politely.
"No," Elizabeth replied, lifting her chin slightly. "My uncle is in trade, and his business does not permit him to spend weeks in Ramsgate."
Elizabeth had sharp eyes, and she did not miss the look of repulsion on Mr. Darcy's face at the mention of a relation in trade, though it was hastily smoothed away.
"I am very grateful that you and your family happened to be here," Georgiana said shyly, and Elizabeth felt herself relax.
"I am thankful as well and am most honored that I was able to be of use," she said. "Now, would either of you like any more tea?"
"Thank you, no," Mr. Darcy replied, setting down his cup and looking at his sister. "The hour is growing late, and I would like to take my sister back to her temporary home. Perhaps we can call on you tomorrow?"
"That would be pleasant," Elizabeth replied.
/
Georgiana's Sitting Room
Darcys' Rented House
Evening
Darcy and his sister sat side by side on a love seat in her sitting room. The cushion beneath them was soft, if a rather bland wheat color, and the wood did not creak with their movements. The uninspiring beige curtains were pulled back from the open window, wafting slightly in the entering breeze. Darkness had fallen outside by now, and the room was illuminated by candles in polished brass sticks. There were no pictures hung up on the walls, the wood paneling unblemished.
It was not a terribly exciting room, but it was comfortable, and Darcy was pleased to have a chance to sit and relax, his arm around his sister, without the eyes of mysterious acquaintances or curious servants on them. It was unlikely that any of the staff would be passing this way on business of their own, so the Darcys could speak freely.
Georgiana yawned and Darcy said, "You must be tired, my dear. Shall I let you sleep?"
"Oh no," she said, wiggling an inch closer. "No, I am tired, but I do not wish to sleep yet. I am so thankful to have you here with me, though I suppose I deserve a scolding for agreeing to marry Wickham."
Darcy felt his throat clog and he had to swallow to clear it. "It is not your fault, Georgiana, not in the least. It is mine; I was obviously greatly mistaken in Mrs. Younge's character and that is my responsibility, not yours. Nor did I tell you that I knew Wickham to be a reprobate – I did not wish to taint your happy childhood memories, which left you unprotected against that wolf's schemes."
Georgiana turned to gaze gravely into his face. "My dear brother, please do not feel guilty. There was no reason to think that Mr. Wickham would focus his attention on me, and by the grace of God and thanks to my friends, I am safe. Though I suppose that if Mr. Wickham speaks of what has come to pass, it…"
She trailed off, suddenly pale, and Darcy clenched his teeth. It was true that if Wickham gossiped about the engagement, it could have a dangerous effect on Georgiana's reputation in the haut ton.
"He could, could he not?" Georgiana whispered.
"If he does," Darcy said grimly, "I will see him in the Antipodes! He stole my carriage, and I hold many of his debt receipts in Lambton…"
He trailed off at the look of distress on his sister's face and took a deep breath. "Let us speak of more pleasant things, shall we not? Tell me more about Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Bennet, please."
To his relief, she immediately relaxed back into her position at his side. "They are wonderful, Brother; so kind and welcoming, and…"
He listened to her prattle on, forcing himself to keep his tone light during his brief responses. He was incredibly grateful to Mrs. Gardiner and her niece, but he was also worried. Would the ladies demand something of him which he was not willing to give? And considering that they had saved his sister, could he honorably refuse them anything?