Janet Aylmer - Darcy’s Story

Bingley was as easily pleased by female company as his friend Darcy was not. He was often in love, but as quickly changed his mind. He had easy, unaffected manners, and was always happy to defer to the superior understanding and judgement of his friend on any topic. After the death of his father, Darcy had been glad of the company of his friend, since at that time his sister, Georgiana, had been but ten years old and away at school.

Bingley had two older sisters. The elder, Louisa, had married Mr. Hurst some years earlier, a man more of fashion than fortune with a house in town in Grosvenor Street. The younger, Miss Caroline Bingley, was a little older than Darcy and of an age when many of her contemporaries were now married. Each had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds.

Darcy was regularly in the company of the two sisters when they were with their brother, and found their concern for their place in society, and their habit of associating only with people of rank, very proper. Both sisters were very fine ladies, although seen by their inferiors as proud and conceited.

The following afternoon, Darcy visited his attorney, Mr. Stone, to discuss his business affairs. On his return, he found a letter waiting for him from Georgiana.

He took his favourite seat in the drawing room, facing the window onto the Square, and began to read.

My dear brother,

We called in at Rosings as I promised.

Our cousin Anne was unwell, and kept to her room. However, Mrs. Younge and I took luncheon with Lady Catherine before continuing on our journey. Our aunt had messages for you that I will pass on when we next meet.

Mrs. Younge and I are now well settled in our lodgings, and Ramsgate is a most delightful place.

We are walking every day along the front by the sea to watch the ebb and flow of the tides. We have also taken a carriage out into the country; there are many pretty lanes and woods to see round about.

I am very much enjoying the opportunity to renew my acquaintance with the gentleman whom I mentioned to you in my last letter. He knows Mrs. Younge quite well, and is just as delightful a companion as I remember him.

He says that I should not tell you anything of his being here, which seems to me a little strange. I have not seen him for more than 5 years, when he returned to Pemberley with you while you were both at Cambridge.

If I say that his name begins with W, I shall not be breaking my promise to him to keep our secret.

Your loving sister

Georgiana.

Darcy read the letter twice through.

Suddenly, a terrible thought came to him. He leapt to his feet and called to his man to pack an overnight bag, and get the carriage to the door within half an hour.

The journey to Ramsgate seemed to take an unconscionable time. The carriage passed within a few miles of his aunt’s home at Rosings, but Darcy was in no mood to pause. He urged the coachman on, but the recent rain had made the going difficult, and it was late in the evening before he reached Ramsgate, and secured a room at the Inn in the main square. Before retiring for the night, he sent his coachman to search out where his sister’s lodgings were situated, and told him to report early the following day.

On his calling at the rooms on the next morning after breakfast, Georgiana had been surprised but delighted to see him.

Mrs. Younge’s enthusiasm had been much more muted. 

Darcy soon found out why in private conversation with his sister. On questioning her as gently as he could, she had confirmed to him that the visitor she had been seeing was Mr. Wickham, whom she had recalled fondly from her childhood acquaintance. After a little further discourse with her brother, Georgiana had confessed that she thought that she was in love, and they were planning to elope together. A carriage to Scotland was already ordered by Wickham for the following morning.

Darcy lost no time. He was directed to where Wickham was staying, a few streets away, and found him making preparation for leaving the next day.

Wickham had always had, in Darcy’s recollection, the ability to turn any situation to his own advantage, and he sought to do so now.

“Why, Darcy,” he said, “this is a most pleasant surprise, for I did not know that you were planning a visit to Ramsgate. Is this a part of the country with which you are familiar? I had thought that you were away in the north just now.”

“So my sister tells me!” said Darcy, since he did not wish to prolong the interview.

Wickham had the grace to look a little discomforted, but said, “She has become a very charming young lady. I have been enjoying her company, as she may have told you.”

Darcy had to admire his confidence, but said only “Or is it her fortune that you seek to enjoy?”

“You always assume the worst of me, do you not, Darcy?”

“I have good reason to do so, and certainly on this occasion. Georgiana is but fifteen years’ old, and yet you were planning to marry her without the consent of either of her guardians!”

And Darcy told him to leave Ramsgate immediately, to cease all and every communication with Georgiana, and never to contact her again.

“And should you think of making any aspect of this affair public, I will ensure that the circumstances are known wherever in society you choose to impose yourself.”

He knew that even Wickham’s charm and ease of conversing would not preserve some remnant of his reputation in polite society if the truth were to become generally known. But that would also damage Georgiana, and therefore such public exposure was to be avoided if at all possible.

Wickham left the town that day, leaving Darcy to deal with Mrs. Younge.

The interview with that lady was painful but also of short duration, Darcy making it quite clear that she had betrayed his trust, and that she was immediately discharged from his service.

After she had left the house, Darcy went up to see Georgiana. He told her as little as he could about Wickham’s dissolute ways, but did explain that, whatever arts might have been used to gain her affections, the young man had been much more interested in his sister’s fortune of thirty thousand pounds than in any else that he might have suggested.

Georgiana took this news with great distress, being of a trusting nature. She was so ignorant of the ways of the world that it had never occurred to her that she had been grievously deceived, nor that her actions would have unwittingly angered her most beloved brother.

He and his sister left together for London the next day, where Darcy took steps to replace Mrs. Younge without delay. After consulting his cousin Fitzwilliam as joint guardian to Georgiana, Darcy was able to procure the services of Mrs. Annesley, a refined and pleasant woman who seemed to be well qualified to be a companion for his sister.

After a few days, her spirits began to revive, and she returned to her artistic pursuits, in drawing and her love of playing the piano-forte. The following week, Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley accompanied Darcy to Derbyshire, where his friend Charles Bingley joined them. He did not return to town until the early autumn when his sister’s spirits were fully recovered. Bingley took a different route south, whilst Georgiana travelled with her brother. 

The next week, Bingley arrived in town to stay with Darcy. He was full of a new enthusiasm for the counties north of London. On his journey, Bingley had been on a tour through Hertfordshire, and had been very taken by the country around the small town of Meryton.

Having found that a suitable property, Netherfield Park, was available, and after inspecting its situation and the principal rooms for half an hour, he had taken it on a short lease.

“So you see, Darcy,” he said, “you must join me there. I shall take possession before Michaelmas. The sport for game in the park at Netherfield is promising, so we gentlemen at least will be well suited. I have hired servants who are to be in the house by the end of next week. I shall return to London once everything is settled there, and you and my sisters with Mr. Hurst must come down and join me.”

“And I suppose,” said his friend, “that you will try to convince me that I shall enjoy country ways and local assemblies...”

“But of course, my dear fellow!” said Bingley heartily, clapping his friend on the back. “And will Georgiana like to come with us?”

Darcy knew that his sister was very shy of being in any kind of company after her disappointment in Ramsgate. He had heard that Wickham had lately gone into the militia, although he knew not where. The manner in which her involvement with that gentleman had been dealt with hopefully meant that the affair never need be mentioned to anyone, least of all Bingley’s sisters who delighted so in gossip.

Darcy had recently become aware that Georgiana did not find Miss Caroline Bingley very easy company, and did not welcome her staying with them at Pemberley. So he declined the pleasure of a visit to Hertfordshire on her behalf, using as the excuse that instruction with her music master would detain Georgiana in town with Mrs. Annesley.

Bingley was as good as his word, and some two weeks later was back in town to relate how his excursion into the country had gone.