Wickham has none at all.
As the last thought stood out in her mind, her breath accelerated. If what Mrs. Gardiner said is true, he would not be interested me , but rather my thirty thousand pounds! Could I have been that blind? How could I know for certain—before it is too late?
After much reflection, Georgiana decided to test Mr. Wickham’s devotion with the truth.
~%~
“Miss Darcy!” Mr. Wickham almost sighed her name before quickly crossing the room. Between several kisses to the back of Georgiana’s hand, he whispered, “I missed you terribly today, my darling.”
Georgiana blushed and glanced at Mrs. Younge. She thought it was odd that lady did not seem to notice they were in the room with her. “Will you not sit down, Mr. Wickham?”
“Oh, dear!” Mrs. Younge exclaimed. “Please excuse me, Miss Darcy. I have forgotten the yellow thread I purchased in the village this morning. I believe I left it in my chamber. Would you mind if I go fetch it? I will only be a minute or two.”
“Of course not, dear lady,” Wickham replied with a wide smile.
Georgiana hesitated—it was not at all correct for her to be left with Mr. Wickham alone! Then again, it would give her the opportunity she longed for to clear up any doubts she now had that Mr. Wickham’s affections were pure. She nodded to Mrs. Younge, who exited the room soon after.
Almost the moment the door closed behind her companion, Mr. Wickham was on one knee at Georgiana’s feet. “My dearest Georgiana, I thought I would run mad through the streets after not seeing you for so many hours earlier today. Please, save me from this misery—come away with me at once and become my wife!”
Georgiana’s eyes opened wide. “Elope?”
“Yes, my darling. I cannot bear to spend another day apart from you.”
Only yesterday, before Mrs. Gardiner’s warnings, I could have been swept away and would not have thought twice about such a romantic notion as running away with him. The thought was a little frightening. Become his wife? So soon? Is he that deeply in love with me—or is it something else? Aloud she asked, “Will you not ask my brother’s permission?”
“I wish to—even you , my darling, who knows me so well, could not comprehend how much I would like to—but I have told you how he feels about me. Darcy would never approve; he might not even allow a courtship between us. An elopement to Gretna Green is the only way that I can be assured of your love forever, my dearest.”
With so many doubts in her mind, she had little choice but to bring up the truth, as she had planned. “Then, you do not mind the condition?”
Wickham’s eyebrows rose. “Condition?”
She nodded. “Because of your having been so close to my father and brother, I was certain that one of them had informed you about the condition placed upon my dowry.”
He chuckled uncomfortably and moved to sit on the sofa beside Georgiana. “No, I—”
“I shall receive a small amount on a monthly basis—the interest, I believe—until my twenty-first birthday, and then I... or you, as my husband... will gain control over the entire thirty thousand pounds.” She was delighted when his smile did not fade. “Oh, I knew that our love runs so deeply that you would accept me, even under such a condition.”
Wickham cleared his throat and straightened his cravat. “One and twenty... that is more than five years from now!”
“Yes.”
“I had not known.” He pivoted away from Georgiana, leaning his back against the sofa. “But certainly Fitzwilliam would not wish that his sister live on that little...” Wickham replied distractedly. “Five percent would be but fifteen hundred a year.”
“I believe I overheard my brother say it would be four percent.” Georgiana waited a few moments and continued, “Oh, do not worry, George; we will have more than my dowry to live on since you will join the militia.”
After several minutes had passed, Georgiana grew concerned over
As the last thought stood out in her mind, her breath accelerated. If what Mrs. Gardiner said is true, he would not be interested me , but rather my thirty thousand pounds! Could I have been that blind? How could I know for certain—before it is too late?
After much reflection, Georgiana decided to test Mr. Wickham’s devotion with the truth.
~%~
“Miss Darcy!” Mr. Wickham almost sighed her name before quickly crossing the room. Between several kisses to the back of Georgiana’s hand, he whispered, “I missed you terribly today, my darling.”
Georgiana blushed and glanced at Mrs. Younge. She thought it was odd that lady did not seem to notice they were in the room with her. “Will you not sit down, Mr. Wickham?”
“Oh, dear!” Mrs. Younge exclaimed. “Please excuse me, Miss Darcy. I have forgotten the yellow thread I purchased in the village this morning. I believe I left it in my chamber. Would you mind if I go fetch it? I will only be a minute or two.”
“Of course not, dear lady,” Wickham replied with a wide smile.
Georgiana hesitated—it was not at all correct for her to be left with Mr. Wickham alone! Then again, it would give her the opportunity she longed for to clear up any doubts she now had that Mr. Wickham’s affections were pure. She nodded to Mrs. Younge, who exited the room soon after.
Almost the moment the door closed behind her companion, Mr. Wickham was on one knee at Georgiana’s feet. “My dearest Georgiana, I thought I would run mad through the streets after not seeing you for so many hours earlier today. Please, save me from this misery—come away with me at once and become my wife!”
Georgiana’s eyes opened wide. “Elope?”
“Yes, my darling. I cannot bear to spend another day apart from you.”
Only yesterday, before Mrs. Gardiner’s warnings, I could have been swept away and would not have thought twice about such a romantic notion as running away with him. The thought was a little frightening. Become his wife? So soon? Is he that deeply in love with me—or is it something else? Aloud she asked, “Will you not ask my brother’s permission?”
“I wish to—even you , my darling, who knows me so well, could not comprehend how much I would like to—but I have told you how he feels about me. Darcy would never approve; he might not even allow a courtship between us. An elopement to Gretna Green is the only way that I can be assured of your love forever, my dearest.”
With so many doubts in her mind, she had little choice but to bring up the truth, as she had planned. “Then, you do not mind the condition?”
Wickham’s eyebrows rose. “Condition?”
She nodded. “Because of your having been so close to my father and brother, I was certain that one of them had informed you about the condition placed upon my dowry.”
He chuckled uncomfortably and moved to sit on the sofa beside Georgiana. “No, I—”
“I shall receive a small amount on a monthly basis—the interest, I believe—until my twenty-first birthday, and then I... or you, as my husband... will gain control over the entire thirty thousand pounds.” She was delighted when his smile did not fade. “Oh, I knew that our love runs so deeply that you would accept me, even under such a condition.”
Wickham cleared his throat and straightened his cravat. “One and twenty... that is more than five years from now!”
“Yes.”
“I had not known.” He pivoted away from Georgiana, leaning his back against the sofa. “But certainly Fitzwilliam would not wish that his sister live on that little...” Wickham replied distractedly. “Five percent would be but fifteen hundred a year.”
“I believe I overheard my brother say it would be four percent.” Georgiana waited a few moments and continued, “Oh, do not worry, George; we will have more than my dowry to live on since you will join the militia.”
After several minutes had passed, Georgiana grew concerned over
Similar Books
