Page 2 of What to do with Fitzwilliam Darcy?

"We are all concerned about your brother," she said. "Charles says he is very low, and from what I have seen myself I cannot disagree. My aunt tells me Lizzy is much the same, and I have observed a little of it myself, although she shows it differently than Mr Darcy. We thought that perhaps, if we understood more of what happened at Rosings, we might be able to decide whether there is anything we can sensibly do."

Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was already reaching for a second sandwich, chewed thoughtfully. "I believe I played a small role in setting your sister against Darcy. And blast it, I cannot bear to see him skulking around like the ghost of Grosvenor Square."

"What did you do, Richard?" Georgiana asked in a small but determined voice.

The colonel sighed and sat back in his chair. "I spoke to Miss Elizabeth while we were at Rosings. It was an entirely innocent conversation, or at least I believed it to be at the time. I mentioned that Darcy had lately congratulated himself on saving a friend from what he considered an imprudent marriage. I did not understand then that the imprudent marriage in question was Bingley's to you, Mrs Bingley. I am sorry if I bring up painful memories, and it has of course all turned out for the best, but it certainly cannot have helped his cause."

"He has already apologised at length for his crimes on that front," said Charles. "And of course I have made the most prudent of matches in my beloved Jane." He crossed the room and took up his wife’s hand, pressing a gentle kiss to the back as he sat beside her. She returned his look of adoration with a quiet smile.

"Poor Elizabeth was very distressed over the whole business," Jane said "But surely she can see now that all is well, and that what Mr Darcy did was out of concern, albeit misplaced, for his friend. Lizzy had reason to be angry with him. But that still does not explain why she is so unhappy now."

"I know he wrote her a letter," Georgiana said, looking around wide-eyed, as though the words leaving her lips had been as much of a shock to her as anyone else in the room. She hesitated before continuing. "I do not know what was in it, but I heard him speaking of it to himself in his chambers." She dropped her voice to barely a whisper. "I think he must have been in his cups."

"That sounds about right for my cousin at present," the colonel interrupted with a bark of humourless laughter.

Georgiana gave him a look before continuing. "He said something about being bewitched by fine eyes, and that he had bared his soul to her in a letter and it still was not enough."

Charles rubbed a hand across his jaw. "This may be worse than we thought. I do not know if I can recommend bringing him together with your sister, dearest. He does not sound entirely in his right mind."

"He would never be a danger to Elizabeth," Jane said at once. "He is very sad, but underneath all of that sadness, he is a good, honourable man."

"No," Georgiana agreed. "He would sooner cut off his own arm than cause her harm."

Colonel Fitzwilliam looked between the two women. "I agree, Darcy is, if anything, too honourable for his own bloody good." He coughed. "Apologies for the language, ladies."

Jane waved his comment away. If Lizzy’s feelings towards Mr Darcy had remained entirely unchanged, Jane could not understand why she should now be so miserable. "I think they need to see one another again," she said firmly.

Charles looked doubtful. "And if she refuses him a second time?"

"Then at least they will both know where they stand and can perhaps move forward."

Georgiana leaned forward. "But how are we to persuade them? Fitzwilliam will suspect something at once if we invite him anywhere Miss Elizabeth is expected to be."

"And Lizzy will be no easier," Jane admitted. "If she thinks I am attempting to interfere in her affairs, she will bombard me with questions until she has discovered the whole thing. I never was much good at standing up to one of her bombardments."

Colonel Fitzwilliam reached for another sandwich. "Excellent. This council was becoming disappointingly sensible."

"I have managed to get Darcy to the club once in three weeks," Charles said, "and that was only through such a degree of wheedling and making a nuisance of myself that I think he eventually decided coming with me was the easier option. I do not believe there is the slightest chance of persuading him to attend a social engagement, and even less so if he had any suspicion that Elizabeth might be there."

"Darcy has always had one Achilles heel," said Colonel Fitzwilliam, a sly grin spreading across his features.

"And what might that be?" Charles asked.

"His honour. He is far and away the most honourable and upstanding man I have ever had the misfortune to know. Pathologically honourable. Frustratingly honourable. The man would discover a shopkeeper had given him a penny too much in change and take a forty-five-minute carriage ride through London to return it."

Georgiana laughed, a light tinkling sound. "I have seen him do it."

"Exactly. So we must engage either his honour or his sense of responsibility in such a way that he cannot possibly ignore the summons."

"I could say that I was in danger," Georgiana offered, leaning forward in her eagerness. "Perhaps a ransom note?"

Colonel Fitzwilliam chuckled. "It is very kind of you to offer, sweet Georgie, but we would like Darcy to come running, not give the poor man an apoplexy. If he believed you were in genuine danger, his heart might simply stop altogether."

Georgiana looked a little disappointed by this reply.

"No, I think the better target for his consideration is..." Richard looked slowly around the room until his gaze came to rest upon Charles. "Bingley, my good man. He cares a great deal for you, even if the miserable old sod would rather swallow his own cravat than say so aloud. Again, ladies, I apologise for my language. But if Darcy believed you were in genuine need of him, he would come."

"Yes!" Charles exclaimed, jumping from his chair and beginning to pace the room with renewed enthusiasm. "He would. He would never leave me to flounder. I do not think he would, anyway. Do you think he would, my dear?"