By the time Mrs. Wickham and the two children were settled in a room, the apothecary had arrived. He examined George, pronounced it a putrid sore throat, and provided a tonic that would allow the child to sleep. He would come back the next day to check on his patient. The Colonel paid for the tonic and the visit, and went back downstairs to procure another room for himself. Johnny would make his own arrangements, as he had every night thus far; the Colonel suspected he slept in the carriage.
Mrs. Wickham nursed the child devotedly, forgetting her own troubles as she did so; the Colonel aided her as best he could, sitting with George for hours at a time so that Mrs. Wickham could rest. Three days passed, very long, very dull, very frightening days. The apothecary came each day to look at little George, advising the application of cool cloths to bring the fever down.
The Colonel spoke with Mrs. Wickham, assuring her that he would do everything in his power to help little George and to get the little family safely back to Meryton. Mrs. Wickham had, by now, accepted her situation and was able to express her gratitude to the Colonel. She occasionally mentioned her husband, and it was clear that whatever love she had had for the man was long gone. She swore that she would never marry again.
He spent some of the time that he should have been sleeping in writing letters.
Dearest Caroline,
I write you from the Rose and Crown in Howden. Mrs. Wickham’s babe has developed a putrid throat, and Mrs. Wickham and I take it in turns to wipe the child down with cool cloths and administer a tonic given us by an apothecary. I truly do fear for the child’s life. The apothecary thinks there will be a turning point in the next day or two, one way or another.
My thoughts are with you constantly, Caroline. I wish very much for our life together to begin, and I chafe at every delay, but I can do nothing but see this final mission through.
Your adoring betrothed,
Richard
***
Darcy,
Of all the cursed luck! Mrs. Wickham’s babe is very, very ill and we are stuck here at an inn in Howden nursing him. Mrs. Wickham is doing the best she can, but she must sleep sometime, so we take it in turns to watch over little George. I never thought I would be called upon to take care of George Wickham’s child, but life is full of strange twists and turns. Or perhaps this is my punishment for not rescuing the man!
Do tell Mother where I am; I am too weary to write more.
Your very tired cousin,
Richard
Chapter Forty-Eight
Upon hearing of Georgiana’s engagement, the Countess immediately set her mind to hosting a celebratory dinner. The Darcys must attend, of course, as must the Fanes. Richard was away, but Caroline must nonetheless be invited, which meant the Bingleys must come as well.
Elizabeth had told her of Georgiana’s surprise visit to Lord Fane in order to make her confession to him, and the Countess certainly could not approve of such rash behaviour, but it was done now. And it certainly showed somegumption, to use the Earl’s term, on Georgiana’s part. No one could say that the girl did not have what it took to be a Countess!
She was pleased to see news of the engagement printed in theMorning Post.
The Westmoreland Family is delighted to announce the betrothal of Mr. Theodore Fane, Earl of Westmoreland, to Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire.
***
Elizabeth saw the announcement and read it aloud to Georgiana, who smiled and blushed. Then again, Georgiana had not stopped smiling and blushing since she had returned to Darcy House with her future husband and mother-in-law to be.
That afternoon, a lovely bouquet of flowers arrived from Mr. Stewart. The card read:
I wish you and Lord Fane all the happiness in the world!
If there were any hard feelings on Mr. Stewart’s part, they were masked by his excellent manners.
***
Mrs. Bennet saw the announcement (courtesy of Lady Lucas) and immediately penned a letter to Elizabeth.
Lizzy,
I see that Miss Darcy has got herself an Earl! Well, good for her, I say, she is a sweet girl and deserves her good fortune. But there are two other girls here at Longbourn, one at least as pretty as Miss Darcy, who should be able to capture an earl or even a duke! Lizzy, if you do not write to me, I shall have to take action, and I will not be blamed, for you will have driven me to it!
Mama
