“This is why education in the great classics is harmful. It fills the minds of the young with stupidities:The Republicisnota reliable guide for raising children,” Lord Matlock replied sharply.
Darcy had to smile at his uncle’s tone. “There is nothing important which Emily lacks because I am not a woman.”
“Do you somehow?” Richard tapped on his waistcoat above his nipple. “I’d been given to understand that is an important matter.”
“Anne never intended to suckle the child, and, obviously, if I remarried, the woman would not be able to suckle her. And her wetnurse is a fine respectable person, of a family who has lived on the estate for generations.”
“In that case,” Richard replied, “Iam wholly satisfied by the wisdom of your plans.”
“Besides, is it not well known that often the stepmother behaves abominably towards the older child, favouring her own excessively?”
Lord Matlock waved that consideration away. “I imagine it rarely is the same as the child being of their own blood, but when I have seen such families, nine times out of ten no difficulty arises when there was an attempt to be discriminating when settling upon a bride.”
“By your calculations, I would face one chance in ten that this would be a significant issue? And that is not worth worrying upon?” Darcy replied. “I begin to understand your lack of concern with the fire.”
“Do not take such a tart tone. You are still my nephew. Life is full of chances and unexpected happenings. The advantages of a course of action must always be weighed against the disadvantages, and to ignore a profitable course because there are risks to it is the behaviour of a fool and a coward, andyouare neither.”
Emily looked up from her toys and glanced between the adults.
Darcy sighed. “It is not the fear of such a risk which drives me to this determination. It is… it would not be right. Do not demand I explain. But I shall not be moved.”
Lord Matlock held his eye for several heartbeats. “Oh well. On to other topics.” He turned to Richard, smiling. “And when,” he asked in a rolling tone, “doyouintend to find a wife for yourself, dear son? You are older than Darcy, and—”
“Oh my.” Richard leapt out of his comfortable seat. “Do look at the time!” He fumbled as he pulled his watch out from his pocket and dropped it bouncing over to Emily. She picked it up. After turning it around three times, she politely handed it back to Richard when he knelt next to her and asked, “Miss Emily, Ireally am in a great hurry to be anywhere else, might you return my watch?”
Darcy laughed at him. “I thought you believedIshould marry.”
“You? Yes. But I’ll not listen to Papa lecture me onmyneed to give him additional grandchildren. Good day.”
Lord Matlock laughed. “Young bucks. Never listen to their elders.”
Picking up Emily, Darcy followed Richard and his uncle out into the hallway and across to the drawing room. It was about time to finish his visit in any case.
Georgiana and her companion Mrs. Younge sat next to each other on the sofa while Lady Matlock sat to the side, with a dissatisfied air as she tapped on the side of her teacup.
His sister had a pale and peaked look, though she brightened on seeing Emily and her brother.
Darcy put Emily down, and she ran over to Georgiana screeching in joy as she went.
Georgiana smiled, picked her up, and kissed the girl’s hair. Then when Lady Matlock said something to Emily, she hid her face in Georgiana’s chest.
Unlike Lord Matlock, Emily had not so far warmed to Darcy’s aunt. Darcy rather understood why — she was a formidable woman, who presently studied him like a hawk might.
Lord Matlock caught her eye on entering the room and shook his head. “No luck. Fitzwilliam is determined to be his own woman. I mean man.”
The reply from his wife was a grimace. “Darcy, this period when your sister shall be setting up her own establishment in Ramsgate — a plan I do not approve of. She is not sensible enough for such responsibility—” Georgiana’s lips thinned, and she bounced Emily more roughly, and did not put the girldown immediately when she started squirming to be put down, instead only letting the girl to the ground when she started crying.
Darcy was also not certain that Georgiana was sensible enough for such a responsibility — even though Mrs. Younge had insisted nearly since she had been employed that it would do her charge good.
If Anne was still alive, Darcy would have talked the issue through with her until he was settled in his own mind on whether it was a good scheme. But without her he had no one, except occasionally Richard, who he felt comfortable speaking with when he was simply unsure about his course.
Without paying attention to Georgiana’s evident frustration, Lady Matlock continued her harangue of Darcy, “You have a duty to your name, to your estate, and to your daughter to marry again. And this is an excellent time to begin meeting potential brides without the full pressure of the season. I have seven different women who—”
“I will not marry again. Georgie, are you ready to go?”
She nodded.
“Darcy,” Lady Matlock said intently, “you are a man who always does your duty. I expected you to see that this was a matter of duty.”
