Wickham’s lack of response. “George?”
“No,” Wickham said angrily.
A sense of fear gripped her soul. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, no. The whole point in marrying you was that I should live like a gentleman.”
“You wish to be engaged for five years, then?”
Wickham stood. “I will not wait five years for my money, Miss Darcy—I will find someone else with a dowry that is accessible now . Twelve hundred pounds a year is not enough compensation when by necessity it comes with being leg-shackled to a mouse of a girl like yourself!”
Georgiana felt as if the ground had fallen from under her. “But, George... you said you loved me!”
“Yes, I did say that, did I not?” He laughed wickedly. “Really, how could I possibly love a Darcy ? The truth is that I loved your thirty thousand pounds.”
Georgiana gasped. “But, what about my father? My mother? Did you not care for them as you said you did?”
He laughed louder. “I loved what they did for me. Your parents were convenient, perhaps, and without a doubt easy to fool—as was their daughter.” He bowed. “Goodbye, Miss Darcy. You will not see me again.”
As Wickham stormed from the room, the door opened. He stopped for a moment to allow Mrs. Younge entry, and then he said in a firm, angry tone of voice, “ Goodbye , Mrs. Younge.”
The door slammed behind him.
Georgiana sat in stunned silence as Mrs. Younge asked, “Will Mr. Wickham return to dine this evening?”
The young girl did not look up. She whispered, “I do not think Mr. Wickham will return at all.” Her bottom lip began to quiver.
“I do not understand.”
“Not ever!” Georgiana said tearfully, and she rushed from the room.
~%~
August 3, 1811
The following morning, Mrs. Gardiner’s maid entered the sitting room to deliver a letter to Mrs. Gardiner. “It is from Miss Darcy. She asks if we could come for tea—this afternoon!”
“What could it mean?” asked Jane.
“I think it must be a good sign,” Elizabeth replied.
“Perhaps...” Mrs. Gardiner’s voice trailed off. “I am afraid I cannot be spared this afternoon. You can go without me if you would like.”
“It is possible she would like to talk to someone of her decision about Mr. Wickham. I think we should, Jane,” Elizabeth replied.
Jane agreed.
~%~
“I am sorry; Miss Darcy is not seeing visitors today,” Barnes stated after answering the door.
Jane and Elizabeth shared a glance.
“But... Miss Darcy sent this note.” Jane handed it to the butler.
He allowed them to pass through the door. Once in the entry hall, he said, “Just a moment, please.”
Barnes walked directly to the kitchen in search of the housekeeper. “Mrs. Lynsey, I require your assistance. I was told that Miss Darcy was not at home to visitors, and yet the Misses Bennet just arrived at the door with this note.”
Mrs. Lynsey pulled him aside and answered in a whisper, “Yes, the mistress locked herself in her bedchamber just after that Mr. Wickham left so suddenly—poor dear.” Mrs. Lynsey looked over the missive. “Very strange, indeed, Mr. Barnes. This is her handwriting, sure enough, and today’s date. I will go up directly and ask her what she would like to do.”
Several minutes later, Mrs. Lynsey returned. “Miss Darcy would like to see the Misses Bennet. Show them into her private sitting room.”
Barnes did as he was told.
~%~
During their greetings, Georgiana’s red-rimmed eyes gave Elizabeth and Jane a hint of the subject they would discuss during their visit.
“My aunt was quite upset at not being able to come along on our visit this afternoon, Miss Darcy. I hope you will forgive her,” Jane said.
“Oh, no... I do understand—it was not truly proper to invite you on such short notice. I only wished to thank Mrs. Gardiner, and you both, as soon as possible for helping me come to my senses concerning Mr. Wickham.”
“You have seen him, then?” Elizabeth asked cautiously.
“Yes, I
“No,” Wickham said angrily.
A sense of fear gripped her soul. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, no. The whole point in marrying you was that I should live like a gentleman.”
“You wish to be engaged for five years, then?”
Wickham stood. “I will not wait five years for my money, Miss Darcy—I will find someone else with a dowry that is accessible now . Twelve hundred pounds a year is not enough compensation when by necessity it comes with being leg-shackled to a mouse of a girl like yourself!”
Georgiana felt as if the ground had fallen from under her. “But, George... you said you loved me!”
“Yes, I did say that, did I not?” He laughed wickedly. “Really, how could I possibly love a Darcy ? The truth is that I loved your thirty thousand pounds.”
Georgiana gasped. “But, what about my father? My mother? Did you not care for them as you said you did?”
He laughed louder. “I loved what they did for me. Your parents were convenient, perhaps, and without a doubt easy to fool—as was their daughter.” He bowed. “Goodbye, Miss Darcy. You will not see me again.”
As Wickham stormed from the room, the door opened. He stopped for a moment to allow Mrs. Younge entry, and then he said in a firm, angry tone of voice, “ Goodbye , Mrs. Younge.”
The door slammed behind him.
Georgiana sat in stunned silence as Mrs. Younge asked, “Will Mr. Wickham return to dine this evening?”
The young girl did not look up. She whispered, “I do not think Mr. Wickham will return at all.” Her bottom lip began to quiver.
“I do not understand.”
“Not ever!” Georgiana said tearfully, and she rushed from the room.
~%~
August 3, 1811
The following morning, Mrs. Gardiner’s maid entered the sitting room to deliver a letter to Mrs. Gardiner. “It is from Miss Darcy. She asks if we could come for tea—this afternoon!”
“What could it mean?” asked Jane.
“I think it must be a good sign,” Elizabeth replied.
“Perhaps...” Mrs. Gardiner’s voice trailed off. “I am afraid I cannot be spared this afternoon. You can go without me if you would like.”
“It is possible she would like to talk to someone of her decision about Mr. Wickham. I think we should, Jane,” Elizabeth replied.
Jane agreed.
~%~
“I am sorry; Miss Darcy is not seeing visitors today,” Barnes stated after answering the door.
Jane and Elizabeth shared a glance.
“But... Miss Darcy sent this note.” Jane handed it to the butler.
He allowed them to pass through the door. Once in the entry hall, he said, “Just a moment, please.”
Barnes walked directly to the kitchen in search of the housekeeper. “Mrs. Lynsey, I require your assistance. I was told that Miss Darcy was not at home to visitors, and yet the Misses Bennet just arrived at the door with this note.”
Mrs. Lynsey pulled him aside and answered in a whisper, “Yes, the mistress locked herself in her bedchamber just after that Mr. Wickham left so suddenly—poor dear.” Mrs. Lynsey looked over the missive. “Very strange, indeed, Mr. Barnes. This is her handwriting, sure enough, and today’s date. I will go up directly and ask her what she would like to do.”
Several minutes later, Mrs. Lynsey returned. “Miss Darcy would like to see the Misses Bennet. Show them into her private sitting room.”
Barnes did as he was told.
~%~
During their greetings, Georgiana’s red-rimmed eyes gave Elizabeth and Jane a hint of the subject they would discuss during their visit.
“My aunt was quite upset at not being able to come along on our visit this afternoon, Miss Darcy. I hope you will forgive her,” Jane said.
“Oh, no... I do understand—it was not truly proper to invite you on such short notice. I only wished to thank Mrs. Gardiner, and you both, as soon as possible for helping me come to my senses concerning Mr. Wickham.”
“You have seen him, then?” Elizabeth asked cautiously.
“Yes, I
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