A Constant Love: A Pride & Prejudice Continuation, page 34
Meeting up with the blockade also meant the company of his fellow captains, including Captain Ramsey, and he wrote of a lively dinner hosted by Captain Lord Downing aboard the Barham, of seventy-four guns. Captain Ramsey, it seemed, was the person who was to see the letter to English shores, and the letter concluded with both his and Captain Stanton’s wishes for their family’s health and happiness.
Georgiana finished the letter feeling something much closer to health and happiness; she sat there for some time on the edge of her bed, feeling a glow of relief and love.
+++
The last of the guests left at two in the morning, but though Elizabeth was tired, she found she woke ill in the morning, and could not return to sleep, although even her husband managed to sleep late on this morning. She made her way down to the breakfast table, found no one else there, and thus made no attempt to eat anything, only drinking a little small beer before making her way around the primary rooms of the house. The servants had been busy; all was clean, and there was no sign of the disruption caused by having so many people to visit.
She thought she might pass a little quiet time in the library, before the others began to stir, and was surprised to find her father already there when she entered.
“Papa! I did not know anyone else was awake.”
“When you reach my age, Lizzy, you will find that you wake early, regardless of when you retired, and if you did retire late, you must bear the punishment for the remainder of the day.”
He had been reading, as he had for much of his time at Pemberley, but he marked his book with a worn little piece of ribbon, and Elizabeth took this as an invitation to take a seat near him.
“I hope we did not keep you up too late,” she said.
“Not at all – it is perhaps not when I would have retired by choice, but I would not have missed the chance to see my daughter as such a hostess,” he said. “Indeed, Lizzy, I would hardly have known you but that you still converse with your usual wit. You are every bit the mistress of a great house, now.”
“Thank you, papa,” Elizabeth said, colouring slightly at his praise. “I must admit there was a time when I was quite intimidated by the thought of being mistress of such an estate.”
“One would not have known it, to see you these last few weeks, and particularly last night.”
“Well, I did have quite a lot of practise in town,” she said. “It was not always so easy, but here in the country I find I am quite comfortable in what is required of me. We may set the pace of society here.”
“Now perhaps you may better understand why I do not like town. You and your sisters never could understand why we did not go more often.”
“Yes, I do fully understand now. Various circumstances kept us there far longer than is normal, and I must admit that I grew quite weary of it all well before we left.”
“If you do not mind my saying, Lizzy, you did look a little weary still, when I arrived here. Jane worried for you, and so did I, when I first saw you here.”
“It was nothing that a little country air and quiet time did not cure,” Elizabeth said, realising there would be no better time to tell her father that she was with child than now. “I do understand your concern, however. Indeed it seems the wear of the London season was such that I could not conceive, and only since we have returned to Pemberley have I found myself in the family way.”
A slow smile spread across Mr. Bennet’s face. “Lizzy, my dear, my deepest congratulations. And I must ask, would you mind terribly if I shared the news with your mother on my return to Longbourn? For soon enough I must return, and I will share with you now that the topic of you not yet having conceived an heir has been her greatest preoccupation – next to worrying about Lydia – for some time. She of course cannot speak of it in front of Mary and Kitty, but I am certain if you had stayed a day or two longer at Longbourn, she would have pulled you aside and informed you of how remiss you were in your duties as a wife.”
Elizabeth blushed to think such a thing was a topic of conversation among her parents. She had never been her mother’s favourite – Lydia was most like Mrs. Bennet in personality, while Jane had been thought to have the greatest chance of making an advantageous marriage – and Elizabeth had certainly become her least favourite in rejecting Mr. Collins’s proposal of marriage, if she was not already such. Her mother had been all enthusiasm at Elizabeth’s marrying a man of such consequence, and of ten thousand pounds a year, yet it seemed she had watched the marriage ready to find any point on which to criticise her daughter, and this was one of substance.
“Thank you, papa, of course you may tell her.” she said, not wishing to call her mother’s affection into question, for her father’s affection for her had always been clear. “It is still early on, so we have not yet made it widely known.”
“You do know that as soon as I tell her, it will be widely known in Hertfordshire, at least.”
“I know, papa. We must endeavour to keep you here longer, then, so the news will not spread.”
Chapter 8
In the end, Mr. Bennet did stay longer – more than a fortnight so – and his leaving was not precipitated by anything of his own doing. They were all in the saloon, passing the time through books and embroidery, when Mr. Parker brought in the papers.
Georgiana had for some time been studiously reading the Morning Post and the Naval Chronicle, the latter a subscription Darcy had begun in London and then doubled on their removal from town, one copy going to Longbourn and one to Pemberley. Therefore, they all took it as natural when she rose and eagerly took up the Morning Post, to see if there was any news on the naval portion of the war, and the gentlemen had no issue with her taking it first.
They were all startled, therefore, when she gasped, and cried out, “Oh, my God!” and looked as close to fainting as any of them had ever seen her. Mrs. Annesley moved most quickly, kneeling beside her with smelling salts, but Georgiana, although very pale, waved her off. She took a great deal of time to compose herself, before finally saying, in a wavering voice:
“Captain Stanton has captured the French ship Polonais, of seventy-four guns. It is a remarkable achievement, and he – ” here, she emitted a strangled little sob “ – he is to be made a baronet if he survives his wounds.”
Georgiana fully collapsed into tears, and Elizabeth and Mrs. Annesley helped her rise, and led her back to her apartment. Mrs. Annesley left them once they had got Georgiana situated in bed, still clutching the newspaper. Elizabeth took it from her, and read the remainder of the article, such as it was. There was little in the way of detail, but it seemed HMS Jupiter had boarded and taken the Polonais off the French coast, near Lorient, and that both ships, much battered, had come limping into Plymouth, few more battered than the Jupiter’s captain. He had sustained grave wounds to the arm, stomach, and leg, and was currently in hospital in Plymouth.
“Oh, Georgiana, at least he is alive,” Elizabeth said, after she had related the later contents of the article to her sister. “As long as he is alive we may hope for his recovery.”
“But what if he does not recover? I could not bear it.” Here Georgiana broke down in another bout of crying, and Elizabeth embraced her for some time, until it seemed she had run out of tears, and wanted only to lie there quietly on the bed. Elizabeth left the room only long enough to ask one of the maids to bring a small dose of laudanum, and Georgiana, upon taking it, did seem much calmer. Eventually, she drifted into an exhausted sleep, and Elizabeth left the room, to find her husband waiting outside, exceedingly worried.
“How is she?”
“Not well. I think she understood that such a thing might happen, but did not believe that it truly would. I tried to encourage her to maintain hope – I do not know how she shall bear it if he dies.”
“We must all pray he does not. Certainly the pain would be deepest for Georgiana, but I do not think there is any who knows him who is not affected by the news.”
“No, indeed not,” Elizabeth said, recognising the truth in what he said. She had until now been more concerned about Georgiana than Captain Stanton, but the thought of his dying struck her beyond its impact to her sister, and she embraced her husband in grave worry.
+++
They could not go to Plymouth. For Plymouth, in such circumstances, could only be a place for family, and despite Georgiana’s hopes, they were none of them family at this time. They stayed at Pemberley for four days, therefore, and on the first three days had only new editions of the Morning Post to bring them any news of how Captain Stanton did. There were more articles on the capture of the Polonais, but with little in the way of new details aside from noting that more than one hundred men had been killed on the Polonais, with something more than another hundred wounded, while only eighteen had been killed on the Jupiter. None contained an update on Captain Stanton’s condition, however; they were mostly filled with enthusiasm for the navy, and confidence that the war should not last long, if more such displays of British might and bravery were to follow.
These three days were the most miserable of Georgiana’s life. She had not really been happy for many weeks, afflicted with both heartache and worry, but her feelings during this time were far more raw and painful than she had ever known, even after Mr. Wickham had imposed on her. She could hardly eat, attempting to do so only when Elizabeth or Mrs. Annesley admonished her to try, and she remained in her chambers, alternately praying and weeping. She regretted deeply not making her love known to him before he had left town, that he might die without having known of it. Occasionally, she even found herself angry at him for putting his life in such danger – he had told her he intended to return safely, and then taken on a ship that he himself had said was too large to fight in the Jupiter – but her heart was too formed for tenderness to allow this to continue for long.
Relief came, finally, in an express from the Earl of Anglesey, who had gone out to Plymouth himself. He had found his nephew seriously injured, but not nearly so bad as the papers made him out to be, and he wished for Captain Stanton’s friends to not be so worried for him as he feared they were currently. The arm wound was particularly concerning, but, he noted, it was only a limb, and therefore Captain Stanton would recover from it one way or the other. He hoped within a week or two that his nephew might be able to be moved to the earl’s house in town, where he might complete his recovery in some level of comfort.
This brief note brought Georgiana a rush of relief more intense than any she had ever known, and she found herself breaking down again as she had so many times over the last few days, but this time with tears of relief. For the first time, she came to wonder what should happen next. He was returned to England; he was likely to be so for some time, while he recovered. She had been expecting his absence for years, and now she might have some opportunity to see him. Nay, she must find some opportunity; she must tell him of her affections, openly, if need be. It was the only thing she could do, after feeling so wretched at the thought of his dying.
Elizabeth and Darcy had been discussing the same thing in his study, and had determined that at least some of the family must return to town. If Captain Stanton was to go there, then Georgiana must have an opportunity to see him. Darcy proposed first that Mrs. Annesley attend her there, but they both knew this plan to be inadequate. There was no guarantee that the gentleman would not die from his wounds, or survive only to reject Georgiana, and they would not make her go through either event without being there to support her. They then needed to find a reason beyond Captain Stanton’s being there – they were known to have removed to Pemberley, and it would seem quite odd were they were to return to town suddenly for a man who had no understanding with their sister.
“I had been thinking we should have your portrait done, before the baby is much farther along,” Darcy said. “We could of course have someone come here, but it would be much more easily done in town. It might be seen as a suitable reason, if you are willing to share the news of your being in the family way to at least our closer acquaintances.”
“I must admit I do not see how it would add that much urgency,” Elizabeth said. No one in her family had ever had a full portrait taken, only miniatures; Longbourn had nothing like Pemberley’s gallery, with generation after generation hanging there for posterity.
“This is not a topic I ever would wish to turn my mind to, nor to have you do the same,” he said, looking very disconcerted. “But it is best for a lady to have her portrait done before the birth of her first child.”
Elizabeth flushed with the realisation of what he said, for of course there was a chance that the lady would not survive the birth. She knew it was a risk both she and Jane now faced, but he was right, there was little use in any of them turning their minds to it.
“I am sorry, Elizabeth,” he said, taking her hand. “I did not mean to bring up something so upsetting. Your mother had five healthy children; I have every belief that you shall do the same.”
“If I have five daughters, I will fully believe the fates are against we Bennet women, and I make no guarantees that I will not become as obsessed as my mother was with marrying them off.”
“If that is the case, we shall just have to get to work befriending more families like the Stantons, which find themselves overcrowded with gentlemen.”
“I would be more than satisfied just to see the current Miss Darcy married off to a Stanton. I do not have the capacity to worry about any future ones, before they are even born.”
“Indeed, neither do I,” Darcy said. “Perhaps you should also see a physician in town, now that I think of it. I know you were planning to see Dr. Alderman when he came for Jane, and I have every respect for him. But he is a country physician – he treats all conditions – and seeing someone who does specialise in birthing would be readily accepted by our acquaintances as a reason for our being in town.”
“I suppose that would be prudent in any case.”
There came a knock on the door, and Darcy said, “Do come in.”
It was Georgiana, looking very resolute. “I wish to go to town,” she said. “You do not need to attend me there; Mrs. Annesley has said she will go with me.”
“Please be seated, Georgiana,” Darcy said. “Elizabeth and I had just been discussing how we had a few things to attend to in town, now that she is with child. It would seem quite good timing to go soon, would it not, so that we might also see how our friend is recovering?”
Georgiana quickly comprehended what he meant, and could not help a broad smile spreading across her face. “Oh yes, thank you, Fitzwilliam! I agree it would be very good timing.”
+++
Before they made their departure for London, they had another letter from Plymouth, this one addressed in an unfamiliar and quite ill-written hand, so that it took Elizabeth a moment to realise it was from Captain Stanton himself. She opened it to find the handwriting inside even shakier, and understood he had written it with his left hand. The gentlemen were again in Darcy’s study – Charles had an architect coming in a few days, and he wished to hear Darcy’s and Mr. Bennet’s thoughts again before they departed, for they were to convey Mr. Bennet to Longbourn on the way to London. All of the ladies were sitting in the music room – Georgiana had finished her practise some time ago, but they had felt no desire to stir – and so Elizabeth read the letter aloud:
“Dear Mrs. Darcy,
“I understand from my uncle that he has sent news to all of our friends regarding my condition, and so I hope it will not be a surprise to you that I am – while far from well – not anywhere near my death-bed. It seems a gravely wounded captain makes naval success far more dramatic, and so somewhere between the Admiralty and the papers, my health grew far worse than it truly is.
“I am well enough that they say I may be moved tomorrow, so I will travel in my uncle’s coach to London, there to stay at his house until I am better. At least I need not worry about not being ready to return to sea before my ship – the poor Jupiter was cruelly knocked about. Eighteen of my men were killed, and a great many more wounded – I grieve for them, although I know it is a small number, for such an engagement.
“My uncle told me of your family’s being at Pemberley for the spring and summer, so I believe I am to be deprived of your company while in town. I hope you will continue to write so that I may be assured of your family’s health and happiness.
“Your devoted servant,
“MATTHEW STANTON”
It was a short letter, but so laboriously written Elizabeth could find no fault with it. She concealed the nature of the handwriting until Georgiana made to leave the room. Elizabeth followed her out, and said, “I will give you this, now, but before I do I must tell you it appears to have been written with his left hand.”
“Oh no – do you think he has lost an arm, like Nelson?”
“Now that I think on it, his uncle did seem to indicate that his arm might be – might be amputated,” Elizabeth said. “Would this make a difference to you, if he has lost an arm?”
“No, not at all! – except that I do not see how he would still be able to play the cello, and I grieve for him in that,” Georgiana said. “But the thought of it certainly has no other influence on my affections.”
Chapter 9
Their return to town could not be done comfortably without at least one night at an inn, and they could not very well return Mr. Bennet to Longbourn without spending another night there. No sooner had they stepped out of the carriage than Kitty had rushed up to embrace Georgiana, and after briefly greeting the rest of the party, Kitty was leading her friend off to the garden so they could walk and speak more privately.
