In the drawing-room of Darcy's London house, just like every other Tuesday and Thursday for the last month, Georgiana sat with her cousin Lady Maria, her aunt Lady Matlock, and two gentlemen. She was uncomfortable, as both gentlemen were vying for her attention. On the one hand, there was Mr. Bingley, who - despite being her brother's close friend - did not inspire in her too much confidence due to his history of inconstancy. On the other hand, there was Captain Watson who, even though his manners were not as refined and he was not as rich, she preferred to any other gentleman.
In the middle of this uncomfortable gathering, her brother finally arrived, after having been away for almost three weeks. Georgiana was relieved because, although she was fond of Lady Maria and tolerated Lady Matlock, she preferred her brother's company and especially his support.
Not many minutes later, the visiting gentlemen and ladies left, leaving the siblings alone. Darcy invited Georgiana to his study to have an honest conversation with her about everything that had transpired over the past few weeks.
Georgina paid close attention to her brother's words and could not help but recall a time, a few years ago, when his timely intervention saved her from a similar fate as Lydia or Lady Victoria. With a heavy heart, she said, "I am truly sorry to hear about Miss Lydia's situation. Do you think she will be alright after this?"
Darcy let out a weary sigh as he recalled the last time he had seen Lydia Bennet. She was in tears and begging her Uncle Gardiner to take her to London so she could be with them, as she was scared to be alone. Darcy was afraid that something unforeseen could happen to her. He honestly replied, "It is a difficult question. It will be difficult for her to be without her mother and sisters in Scotland but it was the only realistic option."
Worriedly, Georgiana asked, "Is she alone in Scotland?"
Darcy shook his head. "No; she is under the care of a diligent nurse and maid, but her family is not with her."
"Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened to me if I had eloped with Wickham."
Darcy interrupted her. "It was not your fault, Georgiana. I neglected you, and Wickham took advantage of your tender heart. I am sorry for that."
Georgiana shook her head sadly. "No, Brother. I knew better, and you always did your best to be a good brother and father to me." She sighed. "Lydia Bennet, unlike me, doesn't have a brother or father to protect her, nor does she have a large dowry."
As Darcy listened to his sister, he nodded in agreement. It was true that Lydia Bennet had been ill-supervised by her mother and lacked the protection of a father or brother. He realized that he had been too harsh with her. After all, she was almost a child. When Mr. Wilks, a charming man, proposed to her, Lydia Bennet was naïve and gave him her virtue, believing that he would keep his promise. She was not a malicious young woman and didn't deserve to pay for a youthful mistake for the rest of her life.
As he pondered, he couldn't help but think of Lady Victoria. Her sins were far more severe than Lydia's. Despite knowing that his cousin would never marry her, Lady Victoria persisted with the affair. Furthermore, she betrayed him with his neighbor. Lady Victoria was not a good woman. She was deceitful and manipulative, but she didn't deserve to die.
The two siblings talked for a few more minutes until it was time for Georgiana's harp lesson.
Darcy remained in his office reading through all the invitation they had received for the upcoming weeks. He selected the events that Georgiana wished to attend, which included Lord Peterson's ball. This ball was scheduled to take place in four days and was the final major event before summer.
PPP
Two days later, a similar scene was repeated in the drawing-room of Darcy's house, except that in this case, there was also another gentleman present besides the usual guests.
Darcy had been informed of the visits of Bingley, the Captain, and the other gentleman by Lady Maria, Lady Matlock and Mrs. Annesley. To gain a better understanding regarding the character of the three gentlemen, Darcy joined the conversation for a few minutes.
Despite Darcy's friendship with Bingley and his willingness to accept him as a brother, he acknowledged that out of the three gentlemen, Captain Watson possessed the most admirable personal qualities. Moreover, he noticed a special sparkle in his sister's eyes whenever the said gentleman spoke to her.
After the visitors left, Darcy asked his sister directly if she was interested in any of her suitors, and if she wanted, he could talk to them.
Georgiana had spent several days contemplating her future, especially with regards to Captain Watson. When her brother asked her opinion, she replied honestly, "Of all the gentlemen I have met this season, the one whose company I enjoy the most is Captain Watson. However, I do not want to rush into any decision." Darcy nodded and urged her to elaborate further. Georgiana expressed her concerns, "Marriage is a significant change for women. While Captain Watson seems an honorable gentleman, there is no guarantees that he will make a good husband. I am afraid of making a mistake, since the consequences will last a lifetime.
Darcy looked at Georgiana's anxious eyes, and said with conviction, "Georgie, I understand how you feel. Take all the time you need to think about what you want. Most importantly, remember that you do not need to marry if you don't want to."
"But I do want to get married someday. I do want to have children of my own, but I do not trust my own judgment and I am worried that I will make the wrong decision. How can I discern if a gentleman's affections are genuine? I was deceived once."
"I promise you, Georgie; I will be alert and investigate the gentlemen who are interested in courting you. I will always protect you, and Pemberley will always be your home."
"Thank you, Brother."
PPP
After the conversation with his sister; and despite the fact that Darcy had known Captain Watson and his family for several years, he decided to hire an investigator to learn more about him. This would help him make an informed decision about his association with his sister.
Darcy received an extensive report a few days later, which revealed that Captain Watson was a very brave man. He had earned more than 30,000 pounds in his service to the Crown. It was also mentioned that he didn't have a mistress and didn't have any illegitimate children. According to his cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam, Captain Watson was an honorable and intelligent gentleman. There was nothing wrong with him, and he had enough money to support Georgiana. Before his own marriage - if Darcy was honest with himself - he had expected that Georgiana would marry someone with more money. However, due to horrible experience, he wanted his sister's happiness over wealth. He had learned his lesson the first time, and he was not going to make the same mistake twice.
PPP
At Lord Peterson's ball, Georgiana danced the first set with her brother, the second with Richard, the third with Lord Matlock, and the supper set with Captain Watson. With the other two gentlemen, she excused herself, claiming that she had no more sets available since she was going to retire immediately after dinner.
During dinner, Captain Watson entertained her with stories of the different places he had visited and adventures he had experienced. Darcy, from time to time, involved himself in the conversation to ask some questions, and get to know him better.
James Watson was very excited; Miss Darcy had danced with him the supper set and they had spent a full hour together. On top of that, she was leaving early, and she wasn't going to dance with the other gentlemen.
When dinner was over, he steeled himself and asked Georgiana and Darcy for an audience the following day. He knew that the Darcys would be returning to Pemberley very soon, and he wanted both Georgiana's and Darcy's permission for him to visit them for the summer.
During the ball, while watching Georgiana danced with Captain Watson, Bingley realized that his affection for his friend's sister was unrequited. He was relieved that he had not confided in Darcy about his feelings for Georgiana. Bingley hoped that with time and distance, he would be able to forget her, just as he had once forgotten about Jane Bennet. However, he could not deny that the love he had for Georgiana was even stronger than what he had felt for Jane Bennet.
The following morning, a very nervous Captain Watson, with Darcy's consent, was allowed to spend 10 minutes alone with Georgiana.
Georgiana was quite nervous as it was the first time a gentleman had requested a private audience with her. Captain Watson sat beside her on the sofa and with a smile, he said, "Miss Darcy, your brother has given me ten minutes to speak with you alone. Would you do me the honor of listening to me?"
Georgiana nodded. He took a deep breath and continued, "Ever since I met you, I haven't stopped thinking about you. I have never before felt for a woman what I feel for you. I would like to know if you allowed me to court you." He looked at her intensely and continued. "My wish is to ask you to be my wife. Yet, I do understand that you need more time to get to know me better."
After hesitating for a few seconds, she answered frankly, "Captain Watson, I often think about you as well. However, I don't want to rush into such an important decision." She sighed and continued, "There are many married couples in our society who are miserable for not taking the time to get to know each other before marriage. I accept the courtship, on one condition: if in a reasonable time we realize that we are not compatible, we agree to end the relationship without rancor."
He smiled, took her hand and kissed it. "I agree with your request, Miss Darcy. May I call you by your name when we are alone?"
Georgiana nodded.
They agreed that as soon as he was able, he would go to Pemberley to visit her. For the time being, he was going to stay in London. With his father's help, he was going to request the resignation of his naval commission. It was a very difficult decision, but he wanted to be on land to start a family, hopefully with Georgiana.