Life continued at Pemberley.

As Brigadier General Fitzwilliam had become a favorite of the military command, he only could stay at Pemberley for a week. But it was a good week. Darcy felt calmer and happier when he farewelled his cousin.

Their days were much as they had always been. Georgiana walked and rode more, visiting different parts of the estate, and often taking Anne with her to show his niece parts of the estate she belonged to by her Darcy birth. When he could, Darcy went with them.

Georgiana did not cease playing piano. Darcy had feared she would. His life would be entirely empty without her and Anne. Before, he expected it to be filled by Elizabeth, and her society, and her laughter, and her interests.

He had been mistaken in how he treated Elizabeth. And this gave him an ache, a sense that if he could repeat that horrible day once more, if he could simply speak that conversation with Elizabeth again, and keep his temper in good regulation, he would yet be happy. He just had needed to convince her he would listen to her, and never rule over her in a manner which principally affected her.

Darcy had not been mistaken to deny Georgiana’s wishes. There was sadness in his sister, but much less than Darcy had expected.

Darcy spent a great deal of effort planning Georgiana’s birthday party. It was to be her twenty first, an auspicious age, and one which Darcy thought marked the beginning of an even better life for his sister. But still just the two of them. Darcy had not come to understand how to engage her more deeply in Derbyshire society, the way Elizabeth had in Hertfordshire. He did not understand how to make people feel sympathy with him, not in the way Elizabeth could.

For her birthday Darcy hired a famed pianist to perform and to offer Georgiana several weeks of focused lessons. She’d told him once, years ago, that she wished to take lessons from Mr. Maier. They had planned to employ him when they spent time in London after the summer that Georgiana would spend in Ramsgate. Now at last Georgiana would fulfill that dream from before.

The morning of her birthday, Darcy looked over the daily business and then went out to examine the preparations for her party.

Boxes and boxes of fireworks had been purchased and stored in the garden sheds — safely distant from the main house. They had arrived two days ago, and Darcy inspected them with the servants. Georgiana and Anne would shout in delight when they watched the rockets fly up and explode with colors filling the cold night sky. Darcy beamed at the boxes and he opened one up to examine the fuse and the frame of a rocket. “Excellent collection. Excellent — be careful in handling them.”

The chief gardener who thoroughly enjoyed the chance to handle fireworks bowed with a barely concealed grin.

Darcy returned to the house and sighed in relief when he reentered the warm air from the freezing outdoors. Such a good day. Such a day for his sister’s happiness. He handed his gloves and heavy scarf to the servant who greeted him at the entrance and went to the breakfast room to see if Georgiana had come down yet.

She entered the breakfast room with Anne as Darcy arrived.

Georgiana had dressed prettily, in a day dress suitable for travel. Did she plan to go to the nearby town for some purchases after breakfast? He had planned out festivities for much of the day, but while Darcy disliked upending such plans, it was Georgiana’s birthday, not his own. He could call in the pianist, Mr. Maier, during the course of breakfast, and they would be returned no matter what in time for music, fireworks and cakes in the evening.

Georgiana smiled at him, but something strange was in her expression. Darcy’s chest squeezed.

He ignored the anxiety and hugged his sister and kissed her cheek before picking up Anne. “Happy birthday! Happy birthday, Georgie! Congratulations on your twenty first!”

“Thank you, Fitzwilliam.” She was quiet and she looked down.

Darcy let Anne down, and she ran around the room crying, “Happy birthday, Mama! Happy birthday!”

Georgiana smiled weakly.

Darcy said, “Please don’t look melancholy — I have fine gifts. Fireworks have been prepared! A magnificent time today. Did you wish to go out for a while after breakfast?”

“You do?”

“Of course I do. I have done little but plan for your birthday this past week.”

“Oh, Fitzwilliam.” She patted his hand.

Darcy’s stomach did not feel right, as though it was warning him of something. Georgiana said nothing further.

“You…you cannot still be very unhappy,” Darcy rambled. “You have been resilient and avoided the maudlin, or playing the ill-used girl. We have not spoken of the match you wished to make. Not often. But you have been dignified and calm. I expected you to be far unhappier. It is proof I was right.”

Georgiana looked at her hands.

“It has been a painful time for us both. Elizabeth… both our mistakes.”

Anne said, “I miss Aunt Lizzy.”

“Go play with Uncle Will.” Georgiana pushed her daughter who grabbed Darcy’s leg and pulled on his pants, grinning.

“Don’t do that.” Darcy smiled at her, feeling still worried but happy.

Anne giggled. “Mama told me to.”

Darcy picked her up and swung her around in a wide circle, before he placed her on his lap.

“You and her — it has always warmed my heart to see how happy you are with Anne.” Georgiana smiled softly. “You are a wonderful uncle. You will be a wonderful father one day.”

Darcy harrumphed. “Too much a bachelor. I am too much a bachelor. I have no interest in most women. It shall not happen.”

“Oh, Fitzwilliam. You have not sent any letter to Bingley, have you?”

“Jane sent you letters. I gave them to you. You know as much of them as I do.”

“Lizzy — she is still — you could yet try. I would dearly like to see you happy.”

“She would not accept me, and…I am a proud man. She chose to end matters with me, and I will not beg or return to where I have been pushed away.”

“Your pride is not a virtue.”

“My pride is part of who I am.”

Georgiana looked at the ground again. Awkward silence enveloped them. Something scared whispered in his stomach again, like fear.

She said in a low-toned, pitying voice, “I know.”

Darcy said, “Let us breakfast. Your favorites are cooked and prepared — I have a surprise gift for you.”

“Fitzwilliam, you — I wish you would allow me to marry Mr. Peake. I wish you could give us your blessing, that you could…accept that I choose not to have your pride, our family pride. I am happy being humble, not living up to our legacy.”

“What are you talking of? We have settled matters.”

She cried.

“Oh, Georgie. I am sorry that I have hurt you. That you still hurt. Oh oh, my poor sister. But you will eventually learn to like him less, and forget him and—”

“I will not forget Mr. Peake.”

“You will, you forgot Mr. Wickham, and you—”

“Do not compare them.” Georgiana rose up, and wiped off her eyes. “I shall not argue with you. But the men are entirely different. And you… Fitzwilliam, you are too certain of yourself.”

“You had accepted that your engagement to Mr. Peake had been a mistake, like you know Wickham had been a mistake.”

Georgiana looked at her hands again.

This was not what Darcy had expected today. He wanted to see her happy. “You are not — you have…you have not been unhappy. Not very.”

“I stopped blaming you,” Georgiana replied. Her voice was tinny. “I do not blame you in any way. You are who you are.”

“He is a tradesman, and he brings nothing to the family, and he was not educated in the way you were.”

“I know.”

“We will have a wonderful time today. Let me call in your chief birthday present. He arrived yesterday morning.”

Georgiana smiled softly. “I heard horses and coming and going yesterday. But I was good, and did not attempt to discover.”

The famed concert pianist, Mr. Maier was brought in, and Georgiana smiled when the man bowed to her.

“Mr. Maier,” Georgiana smiled and said sweetly, “I am delighted to meet you.”

“I as well to make acquaintance of such a talented girl. I care nothing for the silliness of those others. It is your love for the art — I heard you five years past play. Remarkable skill for a woman of your age, with the natural deficit of your position in society.”

“For a time I abandoned the craft. I believed… It is not important. I was younger and more foolish.”

“You have the basis. If you had not played until you were fifteen nothing could be done. Without steady application as a child you cannot become truly great. But damage from an extended break once full grown is remediable. Mr. Darcy said you wish to regain your past facility.”

“I do.”

“I am yours for the next two months, to learn from.”

“Oh.” Georgiana closed her eyes, as though in pain. “This is your present? It is so thoughtful. It is so—”

“I only wish you to be happy.” Darcy looked at her. “I perhaps have too much eagerness to see you play again; you had planned to take lessons from Mr. Maier after the summer that year.”

“I remember…”

“Then you are happy?”

Georgiana bit her lips. “Mr. Maier, forgive me, but I must have a conversation with my brother. I look forward to speaking with you at greater length.”

“Yes, Miss Darcy.” He bowed and after quickly looking between the two retired from the room.

Georgiana was white faced. “Anne, come back. I want to hold you.”

“Yes, Mama.”

Darcy set her on the ground and watched the little girl run to her mother.

“Enough. Enough. I must tell you.” Georgiana took Anne into her arms and gripped the child so tightly that she squirmed. Then Darcy’s sister exhaled. She looked him in the eyes directly. “We are leaving.”

The fire crackled in the hearth.

Georgiana studied Darcy. She evidently expected him to say something.

He was confused. “What are you talking of? Where? Into Lambton?”

“London. If…if Mr. Peake still cares for me, we shall marry. If not I shall live with Jane, or perhaps at Longbourn with Lizzy.”

“You cannot leave.”

“I am one and twenty. I know the terms of Father’s will. I now have control of my fortune. I now have control over my person. I now can marry as I choose.”

“You cannot leave.”

“Fitzwilliam…I hate that I shall leave you alone.”

“You — no. No.”

“I am leaving. Anne is coming with me. I…I am sorry that I shall leave you alone. But this is…you chose this.”

“You cannot leave.”

“I can. I have already sent out letters to the family’s lawyer to have control of my money turned over directly to me. The arrangements for a post carriage to come to pick me up a little after noon have been made. My clothes, those which I wish to take, have been packed. I am leaving.”

“No…you…no.” It was as if he was moving sluggishly. More shock than when Elizabeth jilted him. Not Georgiana. She never rebelled. “Elizabeth wrote you. Those letters. In Jane’s.”

“You will not listen to me. I know it. But I still care for you. I…why must you be so much yourself? So proud. Beg Elizabeth for forgiveness—”

“Threw the ring in my face. She threw it.”

“You are not happy this way. I want you to be happy. But even more, I want to be happy. I want Anne to be happy.”

“You…” Why hadn’t Papa done like many other families and required that the money remain under the control of the guardians until she had reached twenty and five? That would not have helped. She still could have married Mr. Peake. He no longer was her guardian. She was of age. “Must I lose you too?”

“You — don’t need to, don’t — come with me. Fitzwilliam…”

“Be gone.” The shock was now pain. Darcy stood and swallowed. “If you intend to throw yourself away, to throw away the pride of the Darcy name. Do it. I only curse the day we met the Bennets.”

Georgiana Darcy left with her daughter.

Fitzwilliam Darcy stared at the flickering flames of the fire, eating away the substance of a tree that had grown for decades before being chopped up to be burnt in a petty conflagration.