He did not know why he shared what he had. His point had been to explain the suddenness and unexpectedness of his father’s death, not to talk about his early days as master.
“Yet, that was not the truth since Father’s training was extensive. Even so, the transition was not easy. Not having his experience to rely on, I struggled to make decisions for the immediate future and the months to come. Addedto this was the care of my sister. You can imagine how ill-prepared she was to find herself under the authority of a brother who spent many years away at school.”
“Mr. Darcy, I will be entirely honest with you, although I am not sure why. My father has done nothing to save for the future of his daughters. We have only one-fifth of my mother’s portion upon her passing. She is a decade younger than my father and appears to be in excellent health, so I could be an old woman before I inherit. Although she worries about her daughters making good marriages so we can help her maintain the lifestyle she is accustomed to, she routinely spends more than she saves. What brought me here today is the realization that I use my time being critical of my parents for doing nothing when I have done nothing to help our situation along.”
“I do not believe that yours is an unusual situation,” Mr. Darcy said.
She moved to stand at his side. Peering up at him, she said, “Mary was kind but firm in questioning our circumstances. This was particularly galling to me because I have always considered myself as the clever one. Jane, the pretty one. Mary, the overly righteous one. Kitty, the follower, and Lydia, the most obstinate. To discover that none of us fit neatly into those categories while all of us are so much more than that one quality is humbling. My shame is from being overly proud of my intelligence. That it was Mary, who is almost a full two years younger than me, who helped me understand I am as culpable as my parents made me feel somehow…less. This knowledge carries the sting of a thousand bees.”
“I somehow doubt that was your sister’s intention. You all seem devoted to one another.”
“More often than not, we get on well. The point is, sir, that I have never applied myself to developing enough skill with a needle that I could take up piecework for an income if I were desperate. My singing and playing are mediocre. Our education has been lackadaisical, rendering me unqualified to be a governess. Should the awful event happen where we six females are on our own, what could I do to help things along rather than being one to need all the help?”
He faced her fully as he considered her situation. Opening his mouth to speak several times, he stopped himself before saying something inane. Finally, knowing how delighted Miss Bingley would be to spread gossip about his loss, he had no reason to keep matters private. After his rejecting her for years, plus what happened in the drawing room, Caroline Bingley would love nothing more than to humiliate him.
If he was open with Miss Elizabeth, perhaps they might help each other. He had nothing to lose.
12
Darcy said, “As you are attempting to accept your future, I cannot accept mine. I hope that by explaining what happened to me with the same clarity as you have shown, we might see the best path for the other to take. Neither of us is so close to the other’s current position that we are blinded by the emotional turmoil accompanying these changes.”
He was pleased when she agreed.
“Very well. Miss Bingley and her sister, Mrs. Louisa Hurst, will soon spread what I am about to share. Before I begin, I need to explain that Miss Bingley chased me for years in the desperate hope of becoming the mistress of Pemberley. The estate is as grand as any in England. The Darcy name is highly respected. As I stated earlier, my uncle is the Earl of Matlock. Once I lost my assets, Miss Bingley and others of her sort now taunt me rather than view me as prey.”
“I cannot imagine that this overly distresses you, sir.”
He quickly agreed. “Not being chased is a relief. But, Ineed to return to my sorry tale. From my infancy, the son of my father’s steward was my constant companion. George was adventurous, so we got on well as children. As a gift for the loyalty of his father, George was provided a gentleman’s education. The living in Kympton, a sizable village close to Pemberley, was to be held for him once it became available and he took orders. However, by the time we entered university, I knew he would never qualify to provide spiritual guidance to his flock. Rather, he would fleece them with no remorse.”
“Did your father know the sort of man he became?”
Her question pricked his heart. “Not at all. I see the confusion in your eyes, Miss Bennet. I tried to protect my father from knowing his godson was a rake. In retrospect, it was one of the worst decisions I made in my lifetime. Not only did I not tell my father, but I also never hinted any of my concerns about Wickham to my sister.”
He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “My error was grievous. You see, early this summer, her companion, Mrs. Younge, encouraged me to remove Georgiana from school. There was a seaside cottage in Ramsgate available. I established her there. I had no idea that Mrs. Younge and George Wickham were…ah, friendly. This gave Wickham direct access to Georgiana. In fact, Mrs. Younge encouraged them to spend time alone in hopes that they would elope and George would share a portion of Georgiana’s dowry with the companion.”
Miss Bennet’s hand shot to her lips. “Oh, no!”
“Oh, yes. My sister was captivated by the fantasy that she would be like our mother, a woman she knew only by reputation. She dreamed of being the wife of a good manwith a beautiful house to manage. In her mind, they would live happily ever after.”
Throwing her hands up, Miss Bennet exclaimed, “This is in every way terrible!”
“The tale does not end there, for they arrived in London after traveling to Scotland and back to report their marriage to me. My reaction was badly done. In my grief, I became inebriated to the point that I was unaware of the business taking place under my very nose. When I woke, I had willfully signed away my inheritance to the one man I loathed.”
She gasped. “No! I am grieved. Grieved indeed. Shocked. Has anything been done? Surely, he did not act alone. I know little of this, but with the entail on Longbourn, my uncle explained the legalities to me. Contracts of this sort with immutable property transfers would be difficult to write correctly, I assume. Is this true?”
“You are correct. I suspect that my trusted man of business, Mr. Simon Cole, took the lead in stealing Pemberley.”
“I am outraged, Mr. Darcy. This is theft on a grand scale.” She stepped closer, her eyes alight with the need for justice. “What has been done to repair this travesty? Is Mr. Cole awaiting trial at Marshalsea? Cannot your uncle, the earl, help you? Surely, he has acquaintances who know British law backwards and forwards to see you out of this dire situation.”
Her ire soothed something inside him he was not aware existed. “I have done all within my power and present resources. Mr. Cole has been located in Philadelphia. My uncle’s men and my own attorney, afterreviewing the legal proceedings, confirmed the contracts’ validity due to my signature and the notary’s seal.”
“So, there is nothing you can do?”
He shrugged dully. “Not at this time.”
“Why, then, did you suggest that we lay out our circumstances if there is no possibility of having your situation reversed? I fear I will be of little help if even the wisest legal minds can recommend no solution.”
“Just as you face the loss of your lifestyle at Longbourn should your father die, I have already lost mine. I am at the point where I must choose a direction to follow for the rest of my life. I must make sacrifices to be contented. At the same time, I am not willing to give up pursuing justice and eventual restoration of Pemberley.”
