To Be Quiet Together

In honour of Valentine's Day, I've written a short story that I wanted to include in my recent series, but couldn't really fit in without turning it into a LOTR-style Endless Epilogue

So, I'm including them as short stories, instead...

Georgiana Darcy had been established in her own home in Lambton, along with her companion Mrs Annesley, for a little over six months when she sat down to pen the most important letter she would ever write.

If, in latter years, one of their innumerable nieces and nephews were to ask where it all began, Miss Darcy would admit that it all began with a letter.

There was nothing so unusual about that, letters between Lambton and Longbourn were very frequent things, enriching and exasperating those who carried the Royal Mail in equal measure. Georgiana’s brother, still considerate and protective even though she was as independent as an unmarried woman ever managed to be, had his messenger stop by the cottage for letters if Mrs Darcy was sending one to her family, but Miss Darcy and Miss Catherine Bennet corresponded far more frequently than Elizabeth and her parents.

My dear Georgiana, the letter read,

Longbourn is much as it ever was, though somewhat quieter, and it makes me miss you all the more. Mama remains thrilled at the news of both Jane and Lizzy expecting their first children, though she was briefly sad at the news of Miss Felicity Elizabeth Bingley. She says that at least Stonewall is not entailed, and Mr Bingley is not the sort to reproach his wife for not giving him an heir immediately, and quickly reconciled herself to joy at her first grandchild.

Indeed, Mama may very well have hired a carriage herself if my eldest sisters had not promised to come south for Mary's wedding. The first of the Banns will be read next Sunday, and for the following five weeks, so Lizzy may be churched before journeying to Hertfordshire. Has she had the baby yet? Her letters are full of complaints about how difficult it is to move and how bored she is of her confinement.

Elizabeth was, indeed, much annoyed at not being able to indulge in her usual long rambles about the estate. Or walk much at all, really. Georgiana’s sister was not an especially tall woman, and her pregnancy had made her quite ungainly. Georgiana suspected that at least part of her brother’s hovering was so that he could assist his wife in standing and taking some exercise, even if it was only a turn about the bedchamber, when she became too restless.

If all pregnancies were like this, Baby Darcy might have to resign themselves to being an only child. Or at least an age gap between siblings.

Mary is adjusting to being an Heiress - a number of young idiots hereabouts and from the Ministry have decided that until the banns are read, they have a chance of increasing their own station. Lydia's time away seems to have eroded her patience for condescending and foolish men, for she sent one of them home with a black eye when they equated height with age, and very publicly declared their admiration of ‘the incomparable Miss Mary Bennet’ to her.

Colonel Fitzwilliam congratulated Lydia on the force of her slap (it was no such thing, but young ladies are not supposed to know how to throw a punch) before hauling the young fool off. Lydia still will not say what passed between them on the journey home, but I believe that you are right and he is merely waiting until Lydia is of an appropriate age. He does his duty to the local ladies whenever there is an assembly, but Lydia is the only lady he ever dances twice with.

Cousin Jasper could be very stubborn in his opinions. He had seen too many ladies marry young, only to find themselves utterly unprepared to be an officer’s wife. He might have retired from active service now, settling down as a landed gentleman, but that didn’t make him any less head-over-heels for Lydia’s vivacity and courage.

On the whole, Georgiana agreed that it was wiser of him to wait until Lydia had been out a few years before offering for her, so that they could both be certain of what they wanted, but it didn’t make either of them any less obvious in their feelings.

Mama fretted about Lydia scaring off suitors that might be interested in one of us - she is not so changed as all that! - but Mr Crawley pointed out that any man who would make such a fool of himself without ensuring that the lady was at least interested was no suitor worth having. For my own part, I am still deciding how to tell Mama and Papa that I have no ambition to marry, here or in Derbyshire, or anywhere else under the sun. I know you will not judge me for it, my dearest friend, but it is still not an easy thing to admit. With three sisters married or engaged, I can safely be a spinster, but that does not mean that there is no stigma attached to the state.

As a fourth son, Mr Crawley seems to have been a bit of an afterthought in his own family, and is unsure of how to handle the surplus of parental attention he receives from Mama and Papa. He has quite eclipsed Mr Bingley as Mama's favourite son, and while Papa complains that our future brother has entirely too much of the energy of youth, he appreciates someone to debate agricultural practices with. One supposes that a career of talking Generals and Lords into changing their plans to account for common sense has granted him a degree of persuasiveness. Papa has even been seen regularly leaving his book room!

Ostensibly, Mr Crawley was staying at Netherfield Park as Cousin Jasper’s guest (and book consultant; the library there really was in a dreadful state) until he married Mary, but he was over visiting Longbourn more than he was at Netherfield, between occasional trips to London when his experience as an Archivist and Scholar was required.

Mary, in her last letter, had decreed it quite sensible. They were to marry in late winter, and planned on a mere two weeks in Bath for their wedding tour before returning to Longbourn for the spring planting.

Mr Crawley was a fourth son, so his father had never taken the time to educate him on estate management as the Heir and Spare had been taught. Educating himself before such things became his responsibility was only practical, and anything that encouraged Mr Bennet to be more active on his estate could only be a blessing.

Have you read the latest novel from Mrs Radcliffe yet? If you have, you must tell me immediately! Lydia has discovered a love of histories recently, and Maria has been banned from novels by Lady Lucas, so I am in dire need of someone to discuss it with! I do believe you will enjoy it; there is a most delicious twist to the narrative, though I shall not tell you what it is, for fear of spoiling your enjoyment.

Yours, etc

Kitty Bennet.

The letter was much like Kitty herself, careening wildly from one thought to the next like a runaway cart, with Georgiana happily (and metaphorically) running in its wake. Re-reading the letter, Georgiana could almost hear the words in Kitty's voice, and imagine her bright blue eyes sparkling, her slender hands gesturing to emphasise some point or other. Missing Kitty, after almost a year spent in each other's company, felt almost like a physical ache.

Mrs Annesley - a companion was even more important, now that Georgiana was living away from her brother's house - looked up from her knitting at Georgiana's sigh. "Is aught amiss, my dear?"

Mrs Annesley was also Gifted, a fact that she'd kept tightly under wraps for most of her life, passing it off as an uncanny knack for determining a person's emotional state. That had served her well as a Ladies' Companion, and even better during her upbringing as the only daughter of a very strict Parson, and her brief marriage to her father's like-minded Curate. Georgiana had first met Mrs Annesley when she'd been working as Companion to an older lady in Lambton, and they'd met occasionally in the markets.

Fitzwilliam and Jasper did not always appreciate the greater degree of freedom afforded a single Gentleman, in comparison to that of an unmarried young lady, and Mrs Annesley had imparted a great deal of valuable advice to Georgiana on how to fit herself into the hidden world of the Gifted.

Mrs Younge had been a necessary evil, in order to get close enough to Wickham to discover his plans, but Georgiana had dearly missed her friend and occasional mentor during her time at Ramsgate.

Now, she attempted to smile reassuringly. "I am quite well. It is only... I miss Catherine."

Mrs Annesley hummed knowingly, giving the impression that she knew everything Georgiana did not say. "Well, you shall see her in a little over a month, and we are due to visit your sisters on Sunday."

Jane, Mrs Bingley, had given birth to a girl, Felicity Elizabeth, only two weeks ago, and had finally been permitted to begin recieving visits from family. Elizabeth was due "any day now", according to the midwife, and extremely ready for her confinement to be over.

At least the distraction of a new baby had stopped Fitzwilliam from hinting that they should start planning for Georgiana's season. She had no illusions that her brother anticipated the event any more than Georgiana herself did - which was to say, not at all - but there did not seem to be any way of avoiding it. Aunt Helen and Aunt Catherine would have a great deal to say if Georgiana tried to postpone it indefinitely, and there were already icily polite letters being exchanged over which of them would sponsor her when she made her curtsy to Queen Charlotte.

A knock on the door sounded, and Georgiana frowned briefly, wondering at the source as a maid went to answer it. Kitty could not have sent another letter so soon, surely...

The maid, Polly, scurried back in, beaming. "Oh, Mistress, it's such wonderful news! You have a nephew!"

Well, Elizabeth would be pleased, and likely happier as soon as she was permitted to be up and walking again. Georgiana was conscious of the need for an heir, even if Pemberley were not entailed, but she was quite sure that children, the sweet little hellions, were another thing she was happy to appreciate at a distance. She smiled at Polly. "I doubt that Elizabeth is prepared to entertain visitors today, and the hour grows late, but please tell my brother's messenger that we will visit tomorrow.”

Preferably when the new baby was asleep. Georgiana was thrilled for Elizabeth’s safe delivery, but wanted little part of raising the child. Much like her opinions on marriage.

She and Kitty were quite in agreement on that point; men were nice enough to dance with for half an hour, but their appeal quickly faded when compared to withdrawing with other young ladies for tea and conversation.

If Wickham had not proven himself an entirely disgraceful example of the species, the Gifted Second Sons of the Kingdom were apparently making a concentrated effort to portray the entire male half of the species as utterly unappealing!

Oh, there were a few exceptions, of course. Georgiana could never think ill of her brother or cousin; one did not stand shoulder to shoulder against the forces of darkness for so many years with one they thought badly of. Mr Bingley had always been an object of admiration; kind and good-natured, even when he couldn't journey half a day without attracting trouble of some kind. The soon-to-be Young Mr Bennet, too; intelligent and quietly competent, might have been a possibility, had he not fallen for Mary like a ton of bricks.

They were also all related to her, by birth or marriage, and quite happily attached to someone else.

Kitty had spoken of her desire to settle down in a cottage or townhouse with someone who was content to be a fellow spinster. Georgiana knew of her own matching desire not to marry or raise children, but was it enough for a life together?

Georgiana had a house, and as much as she liked Mrs Annesley, there was quite an age gap, and Georgiana missed the company of people closer to her age, rather than the twelve years between her and her brother, or the six that stretched between Elizabeth and herself. Jane and Elizabeth, her nearest sisters in location, if not in age, were married women, part of a sphere that Georgiana had little interest in joining, and newly mothers. While she doubted that they would ever stop being Warriors against the Darkness, they had cares and concerns that Georgiana would never be able to relate to.

Sitting down at her writing desk, Georgiana began composing perhaps the most important letter she would ever pen.

My Dear Kitty,

If she has not already written to tell you, Elizabeth was safely delivered of a son only a few hours after I received your letter, and at the time of my writing was quite well. I believe the delighted parents have resigned themselves to the continuation of family tradition, though I have not yet been advised of what his full name will be. Elizabeth will not hear of any of her children being named George, not after Wickham and that rather disastrous encounter with Sir George Portman, even if other, perfectly fine people have shared the name. My brother favours Alexander, on the basis that no one else in the family has claimed it yet, and his heir will thus not be subjected to confusion or demeaning pet names.

I imagine I can hear you laughing, even across the many miles that separate us, and I long to see you again in person. I will be travelling with my brother and Elizabeth for Mary’s wedding, and cannot wait for our reunion at that time.

I purchased Mrs Radcliffe’s latest gift to the world only this morning, and put it in side in favour of your letter. (Please take that as a compliment to yourself and my eagerness to have your company, if only in the written word, rather than a complaint!) I shall begin reading it tonight, so that I may share my opinions in my next letter.

Perhaps, after the wedding, you might come and visit me in Derbyshire? Discussing books is ever so much easier in person, and with Mrs Annesley’s presence and our brothers not five miles away, you would hardly be unprotected.

(Not that either of us needs such protection, but the argument may be useful in swaying your parents.)

I will write again soon, and eagerly anticipate your reply.

Yours, etc.

Georgiana Darcy.