Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Read online

  When Georgiana entered the room, her eyes immediately met those of her brother. Tears slowly ran down her cheeks. She, too, remembered him holding her father in the grass beside a small stream in the woods so many years before.

  “Oh, Wills, please do not let her leave us. What will we ever do?” she thought to herself, as she took her seat in the chair beside the bed and, over the strong objection of the midwife, she quietly took her sister’s hand in one of her own and her brother’s with the other.

  Darcy cradled Amanda until, at last, their child was born, a beautiful daughter whose lusty cry rang within the Pemberley House walls. After Amanda’s mother had cleaned the baby and laid her into Amanda’s weakened arms, the new mother gently kissed the mass of dark curls on the baby’s head. Looking into eyes the colour of her own, she called the child’s name to be Anne Elizabeth Dove. Amanda glanced up, then, at Georgiana before she turned slightly to look at Darcy’s face. She gently kissed his cheek, before her eyelids closed, and she fell into a deep, deep sleep. One from which she was never to awaken.

  Anne Elizabeth Dove Darcy was born on January 28, 1818, and Amanda died four days later. Darcy could barely bear the pain. “Is it the curse of all Darcy wives to die in childbirth?” he cried.

  Georgiana silently swore that she would never, ever bear a child, and would most assuredly make sure that this little one had all the love and support that she herself could possibly give, just as if the child were her very own. She took upon herself the burden of sending an express to the other members of her family, and they all arrived as soon as they could, well before the funeral. Their cousin, Anne de Bourgh, and her mother, Lady Catherine, were the only family members unable to attend, but the rest of the family knew that Anne’s questionable health, not to mention that of her mother’s also, would keep them from making the rushed trip from Kent.

  The duke and duchess were almost inconsolable. After their daughter’s funeral, they were adamant about their desire to return to Avonlea, but before doing so, they asked for a meeting with Darcy. As the bereft couple entered his study accompanied by their solicitor, Mr. Henry Grove, Darcy rose from his seat behind his desk and realized he had no idea what was going on.

  First tears threatened his eyes, and then sudden anger swept over his face. “Surely they were not going to try to take his daughter away,” he thought.

  Seeing the play of emotion across Darcy’s face, the duke raised his hand in a gesture of supplication as he pled, “Darcy, please do not think the worst.” Immediately Darcy’s features grew calmer, and he indicated with his hand that they should be seated, not trusting his voice at that moment.

  “Darcy,” began His Grace, “as you know, Amanda was to be my heir upon my death.” As a sudden choking sob gripped his wife, he took her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze as he pressed his linen square into her other hand. Looking back at Darcy, he continued.

  “Avonlea Estate has been in the Dove family for almost five hundred years, not quite as long as Pemberley has been in your family, but still one of the oldest estate holdings in England. In more recent history, my grandfather’s brother was the Duke of Avon and heir of Avonlea. Unfortunately, he lived a life full of debauchery and gambling, running the estate deeply into debt before his death. Fortunately or not, he failed to produce an heir, so the estate passed to his brother, my grandfather.”

  The duke looked at Darcy and continued, “So deep was the debt that all property not held under the entail had to be sold. Through hard work and diligence, my grandfather was able to slowly revive the estate and pay off all of the remaining debts. When the estate passed to my father, breaking the entail that had existed since the beginning, it was greatly diminished from its former size and glory, leaving only the portion that now exists. But, Avonlea was debt free.”

  “My father nurtured the estate as his father had done, and its value grew, but he long knew as had his father before him that true wealth for the Dukedom would have to come from means outside Avonlea. So, he sought out investments that looked to the future and had the greatest potential for return. Not all proved successful.” He looked from his wife to Darcy then continued, “Still, the successful ones far outweighed the unsuccessful, until the annual income generated from investment alone far outstripped the income from the estate.

  “When I became Duke of Avon, and master of Avonlea, I continued on the same course that my grandfather had barely begun and my father followed. I also discovered that my father had taken an unorthodox and most unusual step. Instead of reinstating the entail on the property, he had his solicitor procure a Parliamentary and royal warrant allowing the eldest daughter to inherit the ducal title when there was no son born to assume the role.”

  He looked to his wife and then his solicitor and back to Darcy before he continued, “Currently, Avonlea, the estate property, produces around £5,000 per year.” Peering into Darcy’s face, he locked his gaze on the apprehensive young man’s eyes and continued, “However, the other investments of the Avonlea Ducal fortune bring in a little over £60,000 annually and even more in a good year. Right now those investments are valued at more than £10,000,000.”

  Darcy struggled to his feet and, walking to the window, looked out over the frozen lake glistening in the winter sun. He had not had a clue that Amanda’s family, having owned such a small estate, would within three generations control such wealth. What did this mean for his daughter? As he turned and looked back at the duke, the older man continued. “We intend to leave everything to our granddaughter, including the title to the Dukedom. The warrant that my father procured many years ago proved heaven-sent for me. Upon my death, Anne Elizabeth Dove Darcy will become the Duchess of Avon, suo jure, owner of the Estate of Avonlea in her own right, and she will become one of the wealthiest women in all of England and most parts of the Continent.”

  Visibly shaken, Darcy stumbled into his chair.

  “I can tell by your unguarded reaction that you had no idea of my daughter’s and now my granddaughter’s potential wealth. The estate will eventually pass to her under a little used but legally valid holding of ‘feme sole.’ I have no fear of your trying to misappropriate any of her wealth, because you are yourself already an exceedingly wealthy man, and more than that I trust you implicitly. But I do fear for her when it comes time for her to marry if she should ever so choose.”

  “I can truly understand your concern,” said Darcy. “Before our marriage, Amanda voiced such concerns to me. She feared fortune hunters seeking to in some way compromise her and thereby gain access to her wealth so they could then misuse it for unsavory purposes, disregarding the estate and running it into the ground.” Looking directly at Amanda’s father, he admitted forthwith, “Although at the time, I had no idea that the sum of her inheritance would be so extraordinary.”

  The duke glanced at his wife and said, “Somehow that does not surprise me. Amanda always speaks . . .” A sudden catch in his throat stilled his voice before he continued. “Amanda always spoke what was on her mind. And I tell you now,” his voice rising with every word uttered, “that is a trait I intend to instill in my granddaughter.”

  Gathering his hands in his lap, Darcy smiled at his father-in-law and spoke quite clearly, “I would never stand in your way regarding that matter, and I will seek your assistance as much as possible as she grows and learns. But, I tell you now,” looking directly into the duke’s eyes to steadfastly impart his own firm resolution, “as her father, my direction will prevail over yours should I feel your direction to in any way be harmful to her.”

  Taking his wife’s hand, the duke smiled at Darcy. “I would expect nothing less.” The men looked at one another, and both knew that neither would ever willingly allow any harm to come to the child.

  Turning to his solicitor, who had sat silently through the duke’s recitation and the subsequent exchange, and gesturing with his hand, the Duke of Avon bid the man to speak.

  “Mr. Darcy,” the solicitor began, “inherit
ance by ‘feme sole’ allows a woman to own property independently of her husband. When the Duke of Avon realized that there would be no male heir to inherit, he began searching for a means to pass his estate to his daughter. As the duke previously mentioned, ‘feme sole’ is a little-used precedent, but one that has been previously upheld in the courts of England and will allow an inheritance held thusly to remain outside the terms of marriage and with the daughter.”

  Looking to his client, who nodded his head, and then back to Darcy, the solicitor continued, “This is the recommendation that I have presented to His Grace regarding the inheritance. Upon his death, should he predecease the current Duchess of Avon, she will retain the right to live out her life at Avonlea without her circumstances being diminished in the slightest. I have further suggested that the investments, which make up the bulk of the inheritance, be transferred immediately and held in a trust for the future Duchess of Avon and later in perpetuity for whomever she directs as her heir.”

  Darcy steepled his fingers as he leaned back in his chair and peered across the desk and into the face of the solicitor in front of him.

  With a demeanor that was solicitous to both the duke and Darcy, the young man continued: “The monies in the trust will be under the direction of the future duchess when she reaches her majority. However, should she decide to transfer in part or in whole any of the monies to her husband or for the benefit of her husband, it will take not only the signature of the future duchess but the approval of two others as well before the transaction could take place. My suggestion would be that one should be you, Mr. Darcy, as her father and therefore the best representative from her family, and the other a solicitor of your choosing. The future duchess will need the support of her family as well as more than just adequate legal representation.” Darcy’s admiration for his father-in-law grew, as did his respect for this young solicitor.

  “Until that time,” the solicitor kept on, “the duke asks that you begin oversight of the trust along with himself until his death and then continue with the oversight previously suggested until his granddaughter, your daughter, attains majority.”

  The duke then added, “I do not want this ‘burden of wealth’ to harm my granddaughter in any way, but I realize that even now that may not be possible. My solicitor and I thought that, if the bulk of the inheritance were to pass to her immediately, attention might not be drawn to it as it surely would be at the time of my death.”

  Darcy looked sincerely at both the duke and duchess before he spoke. “You honor me with your trust and faith. I will proceed as you suggest and will ask that Mr. Grove continue as solicitor for this new trust for Anne Elizabeth.”

  Mr. Grove was stunned. He had thought that because of his youth he would have been passed over in favour of a more mature solicitor. He reached for Darcy’s hand saying, “Mr. Darcy, thank you so much for your faith in me. I will forever strive to make sure that this faith is not misplaced.”

  After the family party departed the study, the duke and duchess prepared to leave Pemberley immediately. After a discussion between the cousins, knowing that Darcy would not leave the baby, they had decided that Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam would accompany them back to Avonlea and from there return to his post in London.

  CHAPTER 4

  Since the death of Amanda, Aunt Eleanor had been working diligently with Georgiana in preparation for her coming out and presentation after her eighteenth birthday. Before her death, Amanda had thought Georgiana was doing exceedingly well and now, with the help of their aunt, both Darcy and Georgiana herself also felt that she was finally ready. She would not let Amanda’s efforts go to waste and, although Darcy had offered her a birthday ball, she would not allow it. Instead she readily agreed to be presented in London come the following spring with a large dinner afterward.

  Georgiana’s presentation was scheduled for March 29, 1819. Darcy, Georgiana, and Anne Elizabeth had left Pemberley for London the first part of March for the three-day journey to London, along with an army of servants and nurses to see to the child’s every possible need. They arrived midday on the sixth of March and the following Monday, they were met by Aunt Eleanor, who immediately began the last of the preparations for the event, beginning with the procurement of the presentation gown. Knowing that the gown would take approximately two weeks to complete, she had immediately taken Georgiana to Madame Claudine’s. This would allow adequate time during the week before the presentation for any final adjustments.

  But two weeks later when Darcy returned home, having been summoned from his appointment with his solicitor, to find his sister completely withdrawn and his aunt livid, Darcy knew Georgiana’s presentation would not happen, not this year, and maybe not ever.

  Containing her anger with no small amount of effort, Aunt Eleanor told Darcy of the events leading up to Georgiana’s current state. She and Georgiana had gone to Bond Street to Madame Claudine’s, the most exclusive and sought after dressmaker in England, for the final fitting of the presentation gown. Madame Claudine was a relative new modiste, who had only opened her shop about two years ago, but her clothing designs and materials were so exquisite that many of the more elegant ladies of the “ton,” such as Aunt Eleanor, had begun to use her shop exclusively for all of their clothing needs.

  As the two women exited Madame Claudine’s and walked up the street on their way to their carriage, George Wickham appeared. He bowed before Georgiana, took her hand in his, raised it to his lips, and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. The young woman was struck numb, unable to utter a sound or even to force her body to move. Before Aunt Eleanor could respond, Wickham placed a note in her hand addressed to Darcy, tipped his hat, and walked away down the street, disappearing into the crowd.

  With the assistance of one of her footman, his aunt managed to get Georgiana into the carriage and immediately headed to Mayfair Street and Darcy House. There she and the housekeeper, Mrs. Wyatt, along with Georgiana’s maid, helped the stunned young woman up to her room. Aunt Eleanor immediately sent runners to both her son, Colonel Fitzwilliam, at his military barracks and to Darcy at his solicitor’s office, requesting that they come to Darcy House immediately. She was silently glad that Richard had arrived ahead of Darcy. If the note contained what she thought it might, Richard was the only one who could stay her nephew’s hand before his reaction made matters even worse.

  Darcy had initially been a bit angered at being summoned from the meeting with his solicitor, but once he heard the events recounted, he immediately went to check on Georgiana to make sure that her maid or Mrs. Wyatt would be with her at all times. Not satisfied with that, he then sent for Dr. Crawford, the family doctor for the past twenty years. As he, his aunt, and his cousin waited in his study for the doctor’s arrival, Darcy read Wickham’s note aloud.

  Hello Old Friend,

  We have a bit of business to transact before Georgiana’s presentation. You will meet me at White’s tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 sharp. I would suggest that you bring £5,000 as the first installment in maintaining Georgiana’s future.

  George

  “Well, he certainly chose the perfect meeting place,” stated Richard as he paced back and forth running his hand through his hair. “The club is the busiest at that time of day, and the majority of the ‘ton’ will be there. If he does not keep his mouth shut, Georgiana could be seriously injured by whatever he may be overheard saying.”

  He continued, “Darcy, I know you will want to pay him. But, I, too, am Georgiana’s guardian, and you cannot pay Wickham. He will continually be at you until he bleeds you dry.”

  “Damn it, Richard. What other option do I have?” Darcy began pacing as Richard stopped, then he spoke. “Did you not see Georgiana? She is back where she was over two years ago. I would pay twice that amount if I thought that it would rid me of Wickham, but I know it would be a mistake.” Darcy knew that if he paid the ransom, he would only be opening the door to allow Wickham to forever continue to hold Georgiana’s future hostage
. And knowing Wickham’s tendency to boast when in his cups, even paying him might not keep her secret secure.

  Aunt Eleanor looked first at her son and then at Darcy before she spoke, “Why not give him something else to think about?”

  “What do you mean?” both Richard and Darcy questioned at the same time turning to look from one another back to her face.

  “Well, he expects you to simply walk into White’s and hand £5,000 over to him, but George has always thought himself very clever.” She smiled benignly to successfully hide her real intent. Looking at Richard, she continued, “I had heard that he had joined a militia group, but he was not in uniform earlier today.”

  Darcy looked at his aunt and then his cousin. “Richard, is there any way that you could check the military records to see if he is possibly missing from duty or anything of that nature?”

  “Yes,” answered Richard. “YES. There is a list of all army deserters posted at the Home Office here in London. Let me send a messenger right away to my aide, Lieutenant Folkes, asking him to bring any information on Wickham to me here at Darcy House immediately.” He then stood up, poured a healthy portion of brandy into a glass, and downed it all in one swallow. Walking over to his mother, he gave her an enthusiastic hug, and kissed her on the cheek as he said, “Mother, you have once again proven that Father was infinitely wise when he chose you.”