Prologue
Posted on Friday, 31 August 2007
Fitzwilliam Darcy paused as he exited his London Townhouse on the way to the awaiting carriage and glanced at the darkening sky. He hoped it would be a steady rain rather than a bad storm. Shaking off the feeling of apprehension that plagued him for the past few days, he stopped and looked ahead to see his sister taking leave of their cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. Watching their conversation, Darcy sighed as he noticed the determined set to his sister's stance. He knew Richard's attempt to help convince his sister to stay in London had failed when his cousin handed Georgiana into the carriage. A moment later, Richard was standing next to him.
"Well, Darcy, Georgiana is determined to spend time with you, not that I can blame her. You have been spending all your time wrapped up in business of one kind or another. Not to mention all the time you spent with your solicitor."
Darcy smiled weakly, "I am sorry for that and even more for the time I will be handling the business matters I have left undone at Pemberley. However, I hope to resolve those rather quickly and then spend more time with her. It was because of that that I thought it would be better if she traveled tomorrow with you. That way I could have gotten some work done ahead and she would have company."
"I think she is willing to give up my company for even a small amount in yours. She is willing to take any little amount of attention you give her, Fitzwilliam. You know she is still suffering from last summer 1 and she worries . . ."
"I know and I will continue to try to prove to her that I am not upset with her."
Richard finally got a good look at his cousin and noticed the pale face and dark circles under the eyes. Concerned, he watched his cousin more closely for a moment and observed the loss of Darcy's proud demeanor and the slump to his shoulders. He had noted a lack of high spirits and the beginnings of depression when they left Rosings 2, but had not questioned his cousin. Wondering if whatever had happened at Rosings was the cause of Darcy's melancholy, he decided to simply ask what was wrong in hopes of his cousin's being forthcoming.
"Darcy, are you well? You look particularly pale today. In fact, you have not looked in as good health as usual since we left Rosings."
Watching his cousin sigh and uncharacteristically run a hand through his hair, Richard raised an eyebrow. "I am fine, Richard. I just have this terrible feeling of apprehension. I do not know why. Ever since I made the plans to head to Pemberley, this feeling hasn't left me. I feel tense. The past few nights I have found myself getting up and walking the halls, even checking on Georgiana to make sure she is alright and she is always sleeping soundly."
Seeing his cousin's agitation, Richard frowned. It was not like Fitzwilliam Darcy to get so unsettled over a mere feeling. "So that is why you asked if I could convince her to stay with my parents until I traveled tomorrow. You did not want her upset by your own disturbed feelings."
Darcy nodded. "Indeed. However, that plan was unsuccessful."
"True." Glancing back at the carriage, both men lapsed into silence. Hoping to gain more time to help his cousin, as well as gain the resources of his own parents who would agree to his plan, Richard turned back to Darcy.
"Maybe you should put off this trip altogether? Wait a few weeks. That way, you and Georgiana could travel with my parents and I to see my brother and his family. Remember you have not yet met the newest member of the family, little Evelyn, who at less than a month has already charmed all the family to have met her."
Smiling at the thought of the littlest cousin he had heard so much about, Darcy shook his head, "I am sorry, but I have left too many things undone at Pemberley. I must get back. Maybe we can come in a couple of weeks. By then I should have caught up in all my business dealings."
Having failed to gain the time he needed, Richard frowned. His cousin was doing too much business of late. First here in Town, now at Pemberley. "That reminds me, what did you have to talk over with your solicitor last month? You seem to have spent a great deal of time with him."
"I simply have been handling several matters which should have been taken care of earlier. I set up some plans in case of an emergency . . ."
Shocked at the last part, Richard interrupted, "What kind of emergency?"
Darcy shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I have been thinking about that entailment the Bennets 3 are under and after listening to some of our Aunt's comments to us just prior to our departure, I began to think of what would happen to Georgiana should something happen to me. I did not particularly like the idea of Aunt Catherine taking over her life."
"You know I would not let that happen!"
"I know you would not, but you also have responsibilities in the army and did not wish for you to take on the whole burden. So I set up several different possible actions for my solicitor to take should I not be available. I think that might also curtail our Aunt's ability to counter any of your decisions too."
"That would be beneficial, but there is more to this is there not?" Darcy turned his head away from his cousin. "Darcy, what is wrong? I have noticed how strangely you have acted. In fact everyone has. Even though she was pleased you also wished to mend the disagreement she has had with you since your father's death, Mother is worried about you. We have all noticed your greater attempts to be social and understanding as well, but we do not understand why when we also consider your apparent anxiety."
Darcy shook his head and faced away. His eyes darted from one thing to another, never staying in one place long, "I do not know Richard. All I know is that I feel this overwhelming need to fix things now. I cannot explain it Richard, I just know I have to. I have managed to do so on a number of things I should have done before, but it is so frustrating that others have not been able to be done when the people I need to talk to are not even in London. 4"
Looking at his cousin, he could see the agitation. Richard himself could not explain why his cousin would feel this way unless it could be traced back to Rosings2 like everything else. Deciding to give his cousin a break, Richard determined to find out exactly what happened once he reached Pemberley tomorrow.
"Well, Darcy, I hope you will feel better once you are back at Pemberley." In an attempt to lighten the mood, Richard added, "And maybe being out of reach of the attentions of a certain Miss Bingley5 might cheer you up."
Darcy rolled his eyes, but smiled faintly, "Indeed, any increased distance from such a lady is a pleasure. Thank you. I needed a little cheering up."
Glancing over at the carriage, both noticed the bonnet covered head peering out of the window at them. As they approached, the bonnet-covered head disappeared.
When they arrived at the door, Darcy opened it. Feeling the tension returning, he paused before getting in and he looked at his sister, "Georgiana, are you sure you want to go to Pemberley now? You could always travel with Richard tomorrow." Darcy winced at the reproachful and pain filled look his sister aimed at him.
"Do you not want my company, brother?" She asked simply and quietly, hesitating briefly.
Darcy's face softened, "Of course I want your company." Unable to find anything more to say, he turned to Richard. Before entering the carriage, Darcy uncharacteristically embraced his stunned cousin briefly. "Take care and see you at Pemberley."
Entering the carriage, Darcy sat opposite his sister before closing the door and looking out. Richard looked in at both cousins.
"Take care both of you." Looking at Georgiana, he winked, "And you make sure that brother of yours talks to you on the way home. He is far too serious and is in danger of losing his voice from being so quiet and uncommunicative." Richard's second attempt to cheer his dearest family members was rewarded with a small smile from Georgiana and a roll of the eyes from the other.
After Colonel Fitzwilliam stepped back, the carriage pulled away. Looking after it, he began to feel uneasy. As he headed for the stable where his horse was, he mumbled to himself, "You seem to have left me your apprehension, Darcy. I hope when I join you tomorrow, you will be able to tell me more of what is going on in your head."
Meanwhile, Georgiana observed her brother acutely watching the house disappear from view. Wondering what could make Fitzwilliam so driven to watch the home they would return to in a few months, she attempted to gain his attention. He only noticed at her fourth attempt.
"Did you say something, Georgiana?"
"I asked why you seemed so preoccupied with watching the house."
Hesitating, Darcy wondered whether he should burden his sister with this additional worry.
However, his sister made the decision for him, "Fitzwilliam, I have confided in you about so much in the past year1, could you not trust me a little. I may not be as strong as you, but I am not porcelain. I can help some, please let me help if only by listening."
Leaning forward Darcy took his sister's hand and smiled faintly, "Of course my dear little sister, I trust you dearly. I guess I am simply trying to protect you."
"Of course, you are my brother and have always taken good care of me."
Darcy smiled faintly again and did not bother to contradict her as he knew it would be useless and upset her at the same time.
Leaning back in his seat, Darcy mulled over how to explain to his sister his fears. "I do not know why, but I feel that I will never see our home here in London again. It is irrational I know, but the feeling has not left me and I cannot shake it.
Georgiana shivered at her brother's pronouncement feeling dread creep over her. Suddenly, she got up and moved over and sat next to her brother and took his hand and put her head on his shoulder as she used to when she was little. "Everything will be fine, brother, Everything will work out for the best. Remember you always tell me that."
"Of course it will." Holding his sister like this reminded him of all the times she had come running to him when she was little when something was wrong whether it was a nightmare or the time she accidentally found a two-headed snake, he always held her and told her it would be alright and it always had been.
"You know I love you my little Rosette." Georgiana smiled at her brother's use of the nickname their father had given her.
"I love you too brother." They both closed their eyes, content to be in each other's presence. By the time they were well out of London, both were so fast asleep that neither noticed the lightning flash in the distance.
References:
1) Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Chapter 12 Volume 2.
2) Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Chapter 11 Volume 2.
3) Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Chapter 13 Volume 1.
4) Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Chapter 11 & 12 Volume 2.
5) Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice Chapter 10, 11 & 16 Volume 1
Posted on Thursday, 6 September 2007
Chapter 1
Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam sighed as he came within sight of Pemberley. While he looked forward to being reunited with his cousins and a good night's rest after his long ride, he did not look forward to relating the news he had to them. Richard paused for a moment to admire Pemberley during the sunset. It really was a beautiful place.
Continuing on his way to the main entrance, he mused on how he would relate the destruction of the London Townhouse to Darcy. The whole disaster started with the storm that had descended on London almost two hours after he had bade farewell to his cousins. The thunder had been so loud that his parents own home had trembled. Grimacing, he remembered how he and his parents had finally relaxed when the storm eased only to have a neighbour of Darcy's call on them to inform them of the fire. Apparently, Mr. Lowell's house had been struck by lightning causing a fire. While the servants in his home battled the flames, it spread quickly to Darcy's home where there was no one to help put it out. As was the custom, most of the staff had taken leave for the first week after the family left. This time, more than the usual number left. However, both he and his father were relieved to learn that all the staff that remained had escaped with few injuries when they had checked on the house after Mr. Lowell's news.
Colonel Fitzwilliam knew Darcy would be thankful for the safety of all the servants. Nevertheless, he knew also that his cousin would mourn the loss of the more sentimental objects lost in the fire. Among them were some of Anne Darcy's paintings and the handkerchiefs she made for her husband who had carried one with him always till the day he died. For the most part, nothing of the Townhouse was salvageable.
As he reached the main entrance, the Colonel frowned as he dismounted. Everything was much too quiet and there was no one there to greet him. Darcy always greeted anyone who he knew was coming unless something terrible had happened. Just then a groom came running out apologizing for being late and taking the horses reigns. The Colonel only nodded as he observed the man's harried state. Quickly he entered the house just as a very exhausted Mrs. Reynolds approached the entrance.
"Mrs. Reynolds, what has happened?" Richard looked into her face as she sighed. He immediately noticed the red around her eyes.
"Please, first come with me Colonel Fitzwilliam. What I have to relate will take time and I feel I need to sit down to tell it to you." Richard nodded as he felt his blood run cold. Never, not even when Aunt Anne or Uncle George passed away, did the house feel so despondent1. As Mrs. Reynold's led him to a sitting room, Richard remembered Darcy's altered behavior and his comments about feeling tense. The hair on the back of his neck rose as he took a seat opposite Mrs. Reynold's whose lined face showed every sign of fatigue.
"Colonel Fitzwilliam, Your cousins . . . Mr. Darcy and Miss Darcy were in an accident yesterday . . ."
Richard felt the blood drain from his face and his breathing become shallow, Oh no, They cannot be dead. They cannot!
" . . . The driver told us that a loud thunderclap right above them startled the already spooked horses. When they started to go around a curve, the horses broke free. The driver and footman jumped off, but Mr. and Miss Darcy were in the carriage when it rolled." Although he was not insensible to her suffering as she used her handkerchief to wipe away the tears she could not stop, Richard had to know what happened to his cousins.
"Mrs. Reynolds, please, I beg you, tell me what happened to my cousins."
She nodded and swallowed before continuing, "They were found earlier today. I did not worry last night when they did not arrive assuming they would have stopped at an inn during the storm. However, when they still did not arrive this morning, I sent several of the staff out to look for them. Apparently, they had just passed Lambton when the accident happened for that is where they were found. The two footmen who had taken that route said that when they first saw the carriage, they noticed Miss Darcy crying for help by one of the windows." Here she paused as she struggled to stop the sobs that were determined to get out at the same time as Richard felt a small amount of relief and Thanked God that Georgiana was at least alive.
"One of the footmen returned immediately to gather help and reported the accident. I admit when I saw them bring in Miss Darcy, I was already concerned, but when I saw Mr. Darcy, sir, I thought I truly would faint for the first time in my life." Richard's heart made an attempt to reach his mouth as he struggled to stave off the fear.
"But my cousin is alive, is he not?!" Mrs. Reynolds nodded emphatically as she was not able to speak. "Take me to my cousins, now!"
"Of course sir." Mrs. Reynolds led him to the room where Darcy was. "I'll leave you to see Mr. Darcy while I go check on Miss Darcy. Take as much time as you need to here and do not worry about hurrying to Georgiana. I am sure that the doctor will have much to tell you." She knocked lightly and a slightly balding man in his mid-fifties who Richard recognized as Darcy's Uncle, Dr. Morgan, opened the door.
"Ah, I see you have arrived sir. Are you sure you want to see your cousin in this state?" Dr. Morgan quietly asked, his concern for the welfare of another member of the family apparent.
"No, but I know I need to see how bad it is." Dr. Morgan nodded as he opened the door more to let the Colonel in, but before he had made three paces into the room, Richard froze. His eyes locked on his cousin's almost motionless form. Besides the obvious sling and bruises, he noted Darcy's flushed appearance and slight movements. Walking over to the bed, Richard placed a hand on his forehead only to pull it back almost immediately. His cousin was burning up!
"We have been trying to get the fever down, but so far everything we have tried for Darcy has not worked."
"But why the fever if it was a carriage accident?"
The Doctor grimaced, "You forget that it was during a storm and it was not a warm night. The combination of injuries, rain and cold, did none of them any good. I am only grateful that the others' fevers are responding at least a little." Richard stared at him blankly.
"Others?"
"Miss Darcy, the driver and footman."
"Oh." Richard could have kicked himself for forgetting about the driver and footman. After a few moments, he felt a hand on his arm and saw the doctor smile understandingly at him.
"Do not feel so bad about forgetting at the moment. You have just had a terrible shock and I am afraid I have more bad news."
Richard fought for every last bit of control as he felt himself being led to a chair across the room from Darcy. Doctor Morgan took a seat across from him.
"I cannot pretend that everything is going to be alright. In fact, things look pretty bad. I am certain that when the carriage began to roll, Darcy used himself as a shield for Georgiana. Thus, he was not able to protect himself from injury as he might have otherwise. Not to mention that the transport here was none too gentle either. To be honest he is in pretty bad shape."
"Can you tell me exactly what is wrong?"
For the next half-hour, Richard listened to Doctor Morgan describe all the possibilities. Some were more palatable than others and some were decidedly troubling. The idea that his cousin might not awaken scared him.
"Now, go check on Georgiana and then go get some rest."
"No, after I see Georgiana, I have to send an express to my parents, they will want to know as well as my brother. I also have to check on the driver and footman . . ."
Doctor Morgan held up a hand, "Everything except your visit to your cousin has been taken care of. As soon as both your cousins were settled here, Mrs. Reynolds sent out an express to your parents and brother. As for the driver and footman, they have rooms here at Pemberley with their families attending them and they can call for me if I am needed since I chose to stay with Darcy who received the greatest injuries. I think they would appreciate any visits to be during the day and they will understand your concern for your cousins."
Nodding, Richard swallowed and stood. At the door, he turned to thank Dr. Morgan for his help, but he found he could not speak, but he knew the man understood when he smiled slightly and fairly pushed him out the door.
"Go on. Go see Georgiana. I will take care of Darcy here."
Richard walked down the hall to his other cousin's room. When he reached the door, he found he could not make himself open the door. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal Mrs. Reynolds coming out, "You can go in."
Richard found it difficult to walk toward the bed where Georgiana lay unconscious. The maid attending her noticed his entrance and stood and moved away from the chair by her. Richard looked at her with gratefulness for the thought before taking the seat. He could see a few bruises, one on her forehead and he saw she had a fever. He reached out and put his hand on her head and could feel that her fever was high, but not like Darcy's had been. He brushed away some stray hair that had fallen in her face as he watched in concern.
Suddenly, Richard jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Blinking he looked up to see Mrs. Reynolds looking at him with concern. "What is it?"
"You fell asleep, sir. I thought perhaps it might be best for you to go to your own room to rest. At least, you will not develop a sore neck."
Taking one last look at his cousin, Richard nodded and followed the housekeeper down the hall to his room. However, sleep did not come as easily as it should have for all his fatigue. He tossed and turned as his mind went over and over again everything that had happened and the words of Dr. Morgan.
Chapter 2
Richard awoke to the sound of his mother's voice in the hall. Shaking his head, he could not believe they could have arrived so early until he looked at the clock. He leapt out of bed and started grabbing his clothes to dress. He could not remember the last time he had slept till two in the afternoon.
After a few minutes where he had managed to literally walk into the door in his haste, he managed to locate his parents thanks to a maid who was in the hall. The Colonel touched his nose as he remembered the odd look he had received and only hoped that his run in with the door would not be too obvious to his parents.
Reaching the correct door, Richard paused as he heard the muffled sounds of crying and his father's voice soothing his mother. Taking a deep breath, Richard entered the room. He first saw his father holding his mother as she cried into his shoulder. The Earl looked up and attempted a smile as he tipped his head inviting his son to come over before turning to his wife, "Isabella, look Richard is here."
Here, she looked up with the tears still running down her face. Quickly wiping them away with a handkerchief, she reached out for her son who came over and took her hands as he sat in a chair opposite his parents. "Oh, Richard! This is so awful! Both Fitzwilliam and Georgiana injured." Both Richard and the Earl watched as she choked off another sob. Neither knew of anything they could say to comfort her, so Richard simply squeezed her hand and the Earl held her closer.
"I am sorry. I know we are all feeling horrible about this, but here I am sobbing so much while you two are comforting me."
"It is alright mother."
"No it is not, I should be doing something to help, anything to help." The last part came so quietly the other two barely caught it. Both father and son looked at each other helplessly until the Earl turned to his wife, "My dear, I know you have seen your own share of injuries and fevers, might you ask if Mrs. Reynolds needs any help. You know she looked exhausted."
Suddenly, Lady Fitzwilliam looked up with a bit of hope. "Yes, yes, I could help there a little. As good as Mrs. Reynolds is, even she needs time to rest. I will go immediately." With that, she left after kissing first her husband and then her son on the cheek.
Richard turned to his father in concern, "Do you think it will help? Does mother even know enough to nurse them?"
The Earl smiled tiredly, "Oh, your mother knows quite a bit about nursing. Her brother, not the one you know, but her younger brother, Andrew, suffered severe injury in a carriage accident too. Due to the fact that it had been right before a major snowstorm, she was left with only a few of the staff to nurse him as your grandfather had gone to fetch the doctor himself. It was a very trying time for your mother; she was only nineteen and was very close to her brother. For two days, she stayed by his side until the doctor made it through. Andrew recovered, but it had been a long process."
Richard winced as he heard about that. It was no wonder that his mother was so upset about this. He looked back as his father continued, "As for the fever, you and your brother became very ill with one when you were about two and your brother nine. She never once left your sides until she was forced to rest."
"I did not know about that."
For a few minutes, the room fell to silence. Resting his elbows on his knees, Richard stared at his hands while musing over what he had learned while his father closed his eyes, contemplating the events of the past few days. Finally, the Earl broke the silence, "I also think your mother feels a little guilty."
Looking up at this father, Richard saw the concern in his eyes, "What do you mean?"
"I mean that she feels guilty over her long-standing disagreement with Darcy. I know she feels that she has wasted the last few years of time with her nephew over a silly disagreement."
"You mean she wishes she had listened to Darcy and not been . . . so determined . . . that he marry Eloise."
"Indeed. Although I think she still believes it would have been a good match between her elder brother's daughter and Darcy, I do not think she considers it was worth the rift between her and her nephew. Especially now, she regrets losing that time she could have spent with her nephew and avoided the stress with Georgiana due to her disagreement with Darcy. I think she fears, that even though they have made peace over it, that Darcy will die before she has a chance to get to really know her nephew."
Richard nodded. He had watched the long-standing rift between his mother and Darcy. It had never been big enough that they did not see each other, but they had been coolly polite to each other in company and ignored each other the rest of the time.
"Stubbornness seems to be a trait this family has whether or not one is born into it."
The Earl's lips twitched into a mild smile, "Indeed it is."
A few more minutes passed in silence, before Richard's stomach grumbled.
"When was the last time you ate?"
"Oh, I do not remember. Sometime yesterday afternoon when I stopped someplace along the way."
"Well, come on and let us get you some food."
"Wait, I want to visit Darcy and Georgiana and I have not yet checked on the driver and footman . . ."
The Earl shook his head and held up a hand to stop his son, "Your mother and I have already done both. Besides, if your mother hears you haven't eaten, she will be sure to stay by your side and make you clean the plate she fills. As long as your cousins are ill, she will do whatever she can to ensure you do not become ill by neglecting yourself in any way."
Groaning, Richard knew he would unquestionably feel ill if he had to consume the amount his mother deemed appropriate. He followed his father to the kitchens where they had to stop the cook from fixing a large meal for them instead of a light and simple meal they could eat quickly. The cook understood but seemed a little put out at the same time. Normally, she would have fixed more, but for the first time gave in without an argument. Besides, almost everyone except the cook, had given up trying to convince the Fitzwilliams of anything involving food.
As they left the kitchen with a couple plates of food, they walked to a small sitting room that had been converted into a sort of informal dining area. Both ate their meal while discussing the situation including the possibilities of sending for any specialist that may be needed or what needed to be dealt with in the interim since they both knew that there were several estate matters Darcy had intended to handle on his arrival. By the end of the meal, it was decided that after the Colonel visited his cousins and checked on the driver and footman, both would join Darcy's steward in the study and go over what matters were urgent and help to complete them. Both felt that not only would it help Darcy, but also help them keep their minds off certain possibilities.
The Colonel walked down the hall toward Darcy's study to meet his father and the Steward when one of the maids called out.
"Sir, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Sir!
Feeling suddenly panicked when he saw her stop in a breathless manner, he imagined many possible situations most of which involved his cousins' current injured status. "What happened?!"
"Miss Darcy, sir. Her fever broke and she is awake. Lady Fitzwilliam sent me to fetch you." Before the poor maid had a chance to finish, the Colonel was already running toward his younger cousin's room.
As he slid to a stop in front of Georgiana's room, he heard his mother's and father's voices conversing quietly with his cousin's weak voice appearing briefly. Entering the room, he saw his cousin looking weakly at his parents.
Noticing his entrance, Georgiana smiled and held out her hand for him to come over as tears started to well up in her eyes. Richard hurried over and took her hand as he kneeled by the bed.
"Oh, Richard, it was so terrible." At this, she began to cry in earnest. He reached out a hand and brushed some hair off her face at the same time as checking her temperature which had returned to normal.
"Shh. Shh. Little Rosette, it is alright. Everything will be fine." Abruptly, she cried harder as the Colonel cringed internally at his use of a phrase often used by her brother.
"It . . . is . . . my fault! . . . If I ha . . . had not insisted on coming with him . . . .he . . . he would not ha . . . have had to protect me! . . . He . . . . would not be so injured now!" Georgiana cried while trying to stop the tears and fighting the pain of her own injuries.
Before Richard could reply, his father stepped in and took her other hand from the other side of the bed. "Georgiana, I want you to look at me." When she did not, he kept insisting till she finally turned her face toward him. "I do not ever want to hear you blame yourself again. If you had not been there, there would have been no one to call for help. Your brother would have still been injured and we cannot possibly know if it might not have been worse. As it was, it was you who called for help. The footmen who were searching for the carriage heard you."
Georgiana blinked, "I do not remember doing that."
Lady Fitzwilliam laid a hand on her forehead, "Most probably not. You were in a lot of pain, dear, not to mention the fever you have had since. Still, you did call for help."
"But they would still have seen the carriage and come to see would not they? Even without my call?"
All three suppressed a sigh of frustration. Lady Fitzwilliam persevered though and responded, "Does that change the fact that you were the one who called for help? No it does not. You did what you could to help and you were there with your brother. And even if they did come to investigate without you being there, none of us knows if he might have had worse injuries had you not been there as we just told you."
"But . . ."
"No buts! Georgiana, you cannot argue against an alternate possibility that did not happen. You cannot because you cannot be sure what the result might have been. Now, I want you to rest."
Georgiana submitted to her Aunt's carefully tucking her in before asking, "Can you tell me how my brother is right now?"
Both her Aunt and Uncle smiled tenderly as her Aunt answered, "We will go check on him now and come back and tell you. Will that be all right?"
Attempting a nod, Georgiana winced in pain before responding with a simple yes.
Richard started to stand to join his parents in checking on Darcy when Georgiana tightened her grip on his hand, "Please do not go, Richard. Please?"
As he returned to his kneeling position, he glanced back at his parents who both nodded to him and left. "Of course I will stay, but do you think I might get a chair to sit in instead?"
She blushed and released her iron grip on his hand. As he walked over to move a chair closer, he shook his hand in an attempt to get the blood flowing again.
For the next hour he sat by her side and talked with her and comforted her especially when she heard that her brother was still unconscious. He stayed with her until she fell asleep, exhausted from pain and the effort of talking.
References:
1) Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Chapter 12. Volume 2