Family (a Pride and Prejudice fanfiction)

The Road to Hertfordshire

Two days later, Georgiana received another letter, this one accompanied by a footman. It was brief and to the point:

Georgiana: The bearer will conduct you to Mr. Bingley's home in Hertfordshire. Make all haste, as I have much to tell you!

Your loving brother, Fitzwilliam

She could barely breathe for excitement, much less prepare for a journey. Surely his exclamation point, taken in conjunction with Lady Catherine's letter, could only mean one thing. But all the other possibilities crowding her head made it hard for Georgiana to concentrate on the mundane details that needed to be taken care of before she was finally ready to get in the carriage and be on her way in response to Fitzwilliam's summons.

At last she was on her way, bouncing in her seat in a manner most unseemly for a young lady of her advanced years and breeding. Eagerly she peered out the window, watching as the familiar countryside altered. Questions raced incessantly through her mind. What would Mr. Bingley's house look like? Would Fitzwilliam meet her there? Would she see Miss Elizabeth? Most importantly, did Fitzwilliam's words portend a change in his relations with Miss Elizabeth, or did they not? If Lady Catherine had heard of an entanglement and had written to Georgiana, she must have written to Fitzwilliam likewise. Or, worse, gone to see him. Perhaps she had even gone to see Miss Elizabeth, if she were in a true extremity. Could Lady Catherine have convinced Fitzwilliam to marry their cousin Anne? Georgiana could scarcely credit such an idea, but if Miss Elizabeth had refused him again, perhaps her brother might have been convinced to join himself in marriage with the lady his aunt so strongly wished him to wed, just to gain a measure of peace and distance from the object of his affections.

Georgiana certainly hoped that wasn't what had come to pass. Oh, if she could only force the horses to move faster! The curiosity was building inside her with every clopping footfall.

The maidservant she had brought with her, one of the most dependable, was little help, as she could not tell Georgiana with anywhere near enough accuracy how much farther they had to go.

At last the carriage came to its final stop. Georgiana was stiff and tired from so much unaccustomed travel, and her stomach was filled with butterflies. What would she find once she alighted?

To her disappointment, Fitzwilliam wasn't there waiting for her. Several footmen clustered about the carriage, unloading baggage and helping her and the maid down. And there, coming toward her with a broad smile and his hands outstretched, was Mr. Bingley.

"Miss Darcy, what a pleasure it is to have you here! Welcome."

"It's good to be here, Mr. Bingley." She couldn't help looking past him, straining futilely for a glance at her brother. "Where is Fitzwilliam?"

"He had hoped to be here when you arrived, but you made better time than we had imagined. I know he has much he wants to tell you." Mr. Bingley's eyes were sparkling, and his smile as wide as she had ever seen it. "But come, you must be tired from your journey. Come inside, I'll have one of the maids show you to your room so you can restore yourself."

Georgiana followed him, still burning with curiosity. Tired she certainly was, but even so she would have preferred to see Fitzwilliam as soon as she arrived.

Two hours later, bathed and dressed in fresh clothing, she did have to admit she felt much better. She went down to the salon, where she found Mr. Bingley standing at the window, that smile still lingering on his face.

"If you'll pardon my mentioning it, Mr. Bingley, you appear quite pleased about something. May I ask what has you so aglow?"

"You may." He turned toward her, motioning her to a seat. "I am to be married. Very shortly. In fact, as soon as can be arranged."

"Indeed? And who is the lucky lady?"

"Miss Jane Bennet." Lost in his own happiness, Mr. Bingley didn't notice Georgiana's start of surprise. "She lives right near here, and I met her when I first took this house. Your—there were objections made by some to her situation and her connections."

"But you have overcome those objections in the face of your ... ah ... attachment to the young lady?" Georgiana had been going to say "ardor", but neither she nor Mr. Bingley would ever have recovered from their blushes had she used that word.

"Yes, indeed!" He beamed at her. "And the objections were withdrawn, at any rate. The young lady's modesty and amiability were remarked upon as being so superior that she couldn't fail to rise above any deficiencies in her family. Happily, that was my own opinion, as well, and Miss Bennet—Jane—was prevailed upon to agree to become my wife. I am a fortunate man."

"You certainly are. When am I to meet this paragon?"

"Soon, I imagine. Quite soon. There's a dinner party arranged in three days' time—we had hoped that would give you some time to adjust to certain changes ..." His voice trailed off, his cheeks reddening. Georgiana had known Mr. Bingley too long to be surprised by his descent into stammering and confusion. On the contrary, his awkwardness delighted her, because it tended to confirm what she suspected about the alteration in Fitzwilliam's prospects. Now, if her brother would only arrive to end the suspense and receive her congratulations, she would be quite content.

Mr. Bingley moved to the window, staring out of it determinedly. Clearly he hoped to avoid further speech, so that he might not spoil his friend's surprise. "Ah, here he is now," he exclaimed at last.

Georgiana shifted in her seat, rearranging her skirts, her heart beating fast. Anyone would have thought it was her own engagement she was anticipating, she thought to herself. Still, Fitzwilliam's happiness was the more immediate goal. Her own would come someday—her brother would see to that. She only hoped she could help see to his.