At first light, Darcy went to the stables where his carriage was waiting. He realized he was leaving his sister to make the best of a bad situation, but with Anne and Richard there, he was confident she could deal with any problems that might arise. The three cousins agreed to meet before everyone came down to breakfast, and as they huddled in the study, they discussed how best to proceed.
“As the mistress of Pemberley, I feel I must apologize to Miss Bingley for the remarks Antony made last night,” Georgiana began. “What he said was so offensive, I absolutely cringed. There’s no excuse, not even for an earl.”
“I agree,” Richard said. “Only my brother could make Caroline Bingley a sympathetic character, but leave her to me. I shall do my best to divert her attention as well as the Hursts’.
“Even with that, Caroline remains our biggest problem,” Anne said, “but one can hope that with Will gone for who knows how long, she will want to cut short her visit. As for Antony, I shall talk to him.”
It was agreed that Georgiana would speak to Charles while they were out riding. “I suspect he already knows something is amiss. The atmosphere in the drawing room last night was hardly convivial, and with Will pacing the floor, it was obvious his thoughts were elsewhere.”
At breakfast, Richard did not give Caroline any time to dwell on Darcy’s absence. “Because of the rain, I understand you were denied a picnic, so I have arranged for one today. It will be in the gardens, so we need not even get into a carriage.” Although the Hursts were included, the colonel had made it seem as if it was a personal invitation, and Caroline quickly forgot about Mr. Darcy’s departure.
Georgiana was aware that Mr. Bingley knew nothing about her connection to George Wickham. In order for Charles to understand the gravity of the situation confronting Lydia and the Bennet family, she needed to acquaint him with what had happened in Ramsgate. Because of those events, Georgiana knew that Wickham’s elopement with Lydia was no romance, and for reasons she could not fathom, he was willing to destroy the reputation of a sixteen-year-old girl.
“When Darcy and I encountered Wickham in Meryton,” Charles said, “it was obvious they disliked each other, but for understandable reasons, your brother chose not to share the details of their history. You tell me that my brother, George, is presently looking for Lydia. Well, I can assure you that he will find her. He has what he calls his ‘eyes’ throughout London, and England for that matter.
“Under the circumstances, I feel my sisters and I should leave Pemberley,” Charles continued. “I only learned last night that Caroline and Louisa had received an invitation to go to Scarborough to visit friends, and it should be a simple matter to leave a few days earlier. As for me, before returning to London, I shall stop in Hertfordshire to offer my services to the Bennet family. However, I would be less than truthful if I did not tell you I have selfish reasons for calling at Longbourn. I am in love with Miss Jane Bennet, and it is my intention to make her an offer of marriage.”
“My brother has told me of your interest in Miss Bennet, and I am very happy for you. I am sure it will be a source of joy to a family sorely lacking in it. May I be the first to offer my congratulations?”
“I would accept them gladly, but I am unsure of how my offer will be received. Miss Bennet has reason to be angry with me. But she is a kind person, and I have hope I shall be forgiven.”
“Mr. Bingley, I have a picnic to arrange for this afternoon, and our cook, Mrs. Bradshaw, will want as much time to prepare as possible, so I must return to the house.” Before turning her horse toward Pemberley, Georgiana added, “I am very glad you will not hold Lydia’s behavior against Miss Bennet. She is innocent of all blame and should not suffer because of her sister’s indiscretions.” She only hoped her brother would agree with that statement.
Anne sent Jackson to talk to Lord Fitzwilliam’s man, and after waiting thirty minutes, Gregg appeared, but only to say that Lord Fitzwilliam would not be dining at all today as he had a terrific headache.
“I did not ask him to dine. Gregg, tell your master he should be prepared to receive his cousin in one half hour.”
When Anne went into Lord Fitzwilliam’s apartment, she found him with a wet cloth over his eyes. She believed him when he said he had a pounding headache. Except for a glass or two of diluted port, he had little to drink since his arrival, and he was experiencing the unpleasant side effects of a quick withdrawal from alcohol.
Pointing to a letter on the table, he said, “I have already dictated a letter of apology to Miss Bingley. I find her incredibly irritating, but I was rude to a guest of my host. Fortunately, Darcy did not hear or he would have shown me the door.”
“She is still here. Would you not want to tell her in person?”
“I can’t, Anne. I truly can’t. My nerves are stretched to the breaking point. I am greatly in need of a glass of wine, but I will not have it. Seeing Georgiana reminded me that I have two daughters who will come out into society in a few short years. I do not want to embarrass them. So I will remain at Pemberley until I am sober, and, hopefully, that will become a permanent condition.”
“I want you to come to Rosings with me.” Silence. “You haven’t been to Rosings in years.”
“There is a reason for that. Your mother lives there.”
“You will not see as much of her as you think. She retires early. You get up late. If you took up riding again, you would be out of doors for most of the day. Besides, everyone is leaving, and you will not want to stay here by yourself.”
“Everyone is leaving? Surely my behavior was not so objectionable that the guests are running for the nearest exit.”
“Will had to return to London and left at dawn. Georgiana needs to prepare for her debut, and, frankly, I am tired and in need of a rest.” Anne was in need of more than a rest. She was exhausted, and Mrs. Jenkinson was urging her to return to Rosings, especially since her mistress was taking drafts of laudanum to help her sleep.
“I actually would prefer to be in Kent,” Antony said after thinking it over for a few moments. “My daughters are with my mother in Ashford, and I could go visit them.”
Through all of this, Antony kept the cloth across his eyes, but Anne lifted it, so she might kiss his forehead, and her cousin took her hand and gently squeezed it. He loved this fragile woman more than he could say.
“You tell me Darcy is already gone? Damn! I had a message for him. An old friend of his from his time in France, the former Christina Caxton, is in London and wanted to visit with him.”
“Where is she staying?”
“With Mrs. Conway. Apparently, the late Mr. Caxton was a supporter of Whig causes, and since Darcy is of a like mind, I am sure that is how they met.”
“I do not know Mrs. Caxton, and at the moment, he has a lot to think about. But I shall break my journey in London, and I shall tell him. Visiting with an old friend might be exactly what he needs.”