With effort, Darcy and Mrs Annesley managed to make her accept some laudanum, which eased the worst of her behaviours. She took to her bed still crying, which was distressing but an improvement.
Darcy prayed he never saw Georgiana in such a state again.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
October 1812, London
Unfortunately, Darcy’s expectation that his family would regard his attachment to Elizabeth more favourably the next day was not fulfilled. Lady Romsley visited and sat with Georgiana, afterwards telling Darcy to leave his sister alone for a day or two.
“I am afraid your presence, even if you do not mention that girl’s name, will be too much for her.”
Darcy sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“You must be patient with her,” his aunt reminded him.
“I understand that, and I shall be.”
She regarded him for a long moment before saying, “There is an easy way to resolve the present…difficulty.”
“You, my uncle, my cousins, and Georgiana—even Lady Catherine—can trust that I know what I am about in settling on Elizabeth.” He suppressed a surge ofannoyance.
Lady Romsley gave him a pitying look. “I understand you feel some affection for her, but there are other young ladies, ones who would make much better matches for you and who would meet with your family’s approval.”
She refused to continue the conversation, encouraging him to reflect on the matter carefully and not be guided by sentiment, then departed.
That afternoon, Darcy’s cousins called, and the three men sat together in a small sitting room. Fitzwilliam was evidently still provoked.
“I thought I had better accompany him. I do not trust his present mood,” Bramwell said, which earned him a stormy glance from his brother.
“Whereas I believe he has no business here. You and I are Georgiana’s guardians,” Fitzwilliam said. “My brother is not. Darcy, we need to discuss this asinine idea of yours.”
Darcy muttered a curse before, through gritted teeth, saying, “It is not asinine. Must I remind you that youlikedElizabeth when you met her?”
“She was pleasant company, and I grant you, she is pretty enough, but you know as well as I do that a marriage to her would always have been frowned upon by my parents, amongst others.”
“Including you?” Darcy interjected. He could feel his ire beginning to build.
“Yes, including me!”
Bramwell made a noise of disgust, but before he could speak, Fitzwilliam continued.
“Relations in trade and her lack of fortune should have been more than enough to destroy any appeal she held for you. What were you thinking to allow yourself to grow soenamoured of her?”
“It does not exactly work like that, you idiot.”
Fitzwilliam rudely invited his brother to cease speaking or leave.
“It ismyhouse. If anyone is going to throw someone out of it, it will be me.” Darcy gave Fitzwilliam a look meant to sayhewas at risk of being evicted.
Fitzwilliam appeared not to notice, or if he had, he was unconcerned. “The most important reason why you cannot marry Elizabeth Bennet is Georgiana.Sheshould be your priority, theonlyperson you are thinking of at present, not some girl of no account. How could you ever dream of such a thing? It goes against every expectation?—”
Bramwell barked out a curse. “Expectation! I am sick of the word. It is easy for you to say! You do nothaveto marry anyone or take their fortune into account if you choose not to.” His voice altered to roughly imitate Lord Romsley’s. “‘Do not waste your time with this lady. Her grandfather was so and so. This lady is better than that one. Her dowry is larger, her father has these connexions, her mother was this man’s daughter’.” In his usual tone, he went on, “I am sick to death of expectations constantly being thrown at me, and I assume Darcy is as well. What about whether one actually likes the lady or thinks they might be happy with her? Do not throw your expectations at our cousin!”
As much as Darcy agreed with the viscount, his words only made the situation worse. Fitzwilliam stood, his posture shouting his disgust as much as his words. “You might refuse to take her fortune and connexions into consideration, but you cannot disregard Georgiana. If you did this to her, Darcy, you would be no better than Wickham!”
Before he knew what he was doing, Darcy punched Fitzwilliam in the jaw, and the two were exchanging blows.Bramwell yelled at his brother that he had gone too far and, with some effort, managed to extricate Fitzwilliam from the tussle and drag him from the house.
No matter how hard Darcy attempted to find a way to convince his sister that she would remain safe from Wickham, and no matter how desperately he tried to convince his family to support him and join him in reassuring Georgiana, he failed again and again.
