Disdain, Agony, Hope, and Love #Wattys2020

Chapter 30

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Georgina must have been relieved by the Colonel's smile as the two men exited the ballroom, for she leapt up from her position in the hall and caught Darcy in a warm embrace. She then pulled away from him and when Darcy gave her a small smile - sad, but a smile all the same - she said,

"It is good to have you back, brother."

Yes, I have . . . . not been here lately. But I vow that I wil make it up to her. To everyone, in fact, thought Darcy.

Colonel Fitzwilliam stood slightly off to one side as this reunion of sorts took place. When he caught Darcy's eye over Georgiana's shoulder, he gave his cousin a meaningful look and nodded in the direction of the drawing-room.

"Darcy, I think you owe Georgiana an explanation of your recent behaviour," said he. "For all that she is brilliant in devising schemes, she is not quite able to read your mind."

"Yes, I do," replied Darcy. Georgiana took his hand and led him into the drawing-room, closing the door behind them.

She sat down, unsure how to begin. Never had she had to play the part of listener rather than speaker in moments like these. Darcy also was uncomfortable. He was still unwilling to burden his little sister with his troubles, but it seemed that she was stronger than he had first thought. "I do not know how to begin . . . " said he.

"Then why don't I?" responded Georgiana. "What happened in Kent?"

Slowly but surely, Georgiana eventually extracted the explanation for Darcy's withdrawn behaviour. He told her everything - his feelings for Elizabeth and how those feelings had led to a proposal of marriage. She listened as he told her what Elizabeth had said, and how those words had affected him.

"Don't blame her for what she said, Georgiana," said Darcy, when the expression on his sister's face revealed something akin to shock and anger. "I now see that she was perfectly right in saying what she she did. If any man is so arrogant as to propose to you in such a manner, I hope you will follow her example and refuse him."

Georgiana sat without speaking for sometime, digesting what had just been revealed to her. Then she said,

"Don't you wish that you could see her again?"

"If I could look upon her face and know that she sees me not as a monster, then I would be a happy man indeed. But," added he as an after thought, "I fear to, after that evening." He sighed. "Georgiana, I am sorry for how I been these last few weeks, and I apologise from my heart if I have hurt you in anyway. Will you forgive me?"

Georgiana smiled, got up from her seat and walked closer to him.

"I forgive you."

Darcy had closed his eyes as she said the last, and wondered for one moment if he had been dreaming again. He looked up to see Georgiana, not Miss Bingley or Lady Catherine or some other apparition.

But of course she would forgive me. She is so good, she would forgive me for anything.

"Thank you," said he.

Again, she embraced him. He kissed her hair. Though her forgiveness had touched him, he still could not help but wish he could have introduced Georgiana to Elizabeth. That notion was now an impossibility.

Georgiana drew away from him.

"I believe that you should bathe," said she playfully, wrinkling her nose.

Darcy looked down at his sweat-soaked shirt from his bout with the Colonel.

"I believe so too."