The residents of Pemberley all noticed the Colonel was distracted and often deep in thought. He spent a lot of his time withdrawn from the group when they were not with the party staying at Snowhaven. When the third Bennet daughter that he was courting was near him, he would be his normal, jovial, flirty, and ebullient self. When Mary Bennet was not nearby, or worse, at Snowhaven without him, he again would withdraw.
Georgie was worried about her co-guardian and decided the situation could not continue as it was. One morning before those in residence at Pemberley were about to depart for Snowhaven, Georgie knocked on the study door.
“Enter.” Her brother’s rich, baritone voice gave her leave. Georgie, who would never have been so bold as to approach her brother about the subject she now intended to discuss or even initiate a conversation before she had met and grown to love the Bennets, entered and closed the door with firm resolve.
She sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk, waiting patiently while Darcy finished a thought he was writing in a business missive, knowing he would not be long since he had not asked for a minute’s reprieve.
“Yes sweetling, how may I be of assistance?” Darcy looked up at his sister as he put down his quill.
“I am worried about Richard.” Georgie came right to the point. “Unless Mary is near him, he is not at all like himself. He seems morose, distant, and very unhappy, and I love my cousin. I am very concerned there is a serious problem he has been attempting to fix. Either that, or there something wrong with him that he is trying to hide from Mary since he is only normal when he is near her.”
Darcy was very proud his younger sister had been aware of her family enough to notice a change in Richard, but even more that she was willing to raise the issue with him.
Taking her concern as seriously as she had offered it, he considered his own recent interactions with Richard. He had noticed something off with him, but given that when he wasn’t with his Lizzy, he was trying to get all the estate business completed with his steward, he had possibly not paid as much attention to Richard’s mood as he could have.
“What do you mean Georgie?” Darcy asked, his concern growing when he saw her relief that he wanted more information.
“When Mary is not with him, he looks to be contemplating or trying to overcome a problem. He is not only not his normal self; he seems to be withdrawn or is trying to figure out how to manage something alone when we are all here to help him. Please speak to him, Brother, and tell him whatever is going on, we love him and would be willing to help. I asked Anne and she too has noticed the difference. Both of us believe the change in him happened soon after Jane accepted Charles,” Georgiana offered.
“I am very proud of your care and concern for Richard, Georgie. Even more than that, I am overjoyed you felt you could come to me unbidden. I will speak to Richard as soon as I am done with my letter. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, sweetling.” Once his task was done, Darcy asked the butler to summon the Colonel to his office.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
At Snowhaven, Thomas and Fanny Bennet were having a conversation with their third daughter. They had noticed Mary was not her normal, happy, contented self when she was not with her beloved Richard. And more alarming, when she played the pianoforte without Richard around, the music was a lot more sombre and pedantic.
Bennet and Fanny asked Mary to come see them in their private sitting room. “Mary my love,” Fanny’s voice was filled with concern, “we have noticed you have not been yourself lately. You know we do not keep secrets from each other in this family, will you not share with us what has caused your melancholy?”
Her parents concern increased as tears started to run down Mary’s cheeks. “I love Richard so much, and we waited almost three years loving each other strongly and truly before he was even allowed to ask for a courtship.
“Even though you have allowed him to shorten the time before he asks for my hand, it is still weeks from now until the end of the courtship, and then another three months of engagement. It is so hard waiting to never be parted from my beloved. We have stayed true and faithful already for years, so it is hard not to feel like I am being punished when you allow Jane and Lizzy to marry weeks after meeting the men they chose...” She was cut off as a sob racked her body.
“Mary,” Bennet looked at Fanny in regret, Mary’s words cutting through like a knife hurt them deeply. From her perspective it was punishment and being punished for truly loving someone was abhorrent to both parents, “when we set the limits we did it was with consideration for your age, we may have not taken into account the time you and Richard have been in love. Will you wait outside so Mama and I can discuss this? We will call you back in soon, my sweet daughter?”
Mary nodded her acquiescence and exited the sitting room, softly closing the door behind her and pausing once she had to try to collect herself before she went back in.
“Thomas, have we caused our daughter heartache by trying to hold onto her a little longer than was necessary.” Fanny could not even manage a sad smile; the folly was on their side alone.
“I am afraid that we may have, my love,” Bennet sighed dejectedly, the hurt in Mary’s expression as condemning as any proof.
“What are we to do to fix this situation?” Fanny offered him the question, hoping he would have the strength to say what in her heart she knew was the right thing.
“What do you say that we give Richard permission to propose now, and then they can get married in a double ceremony with Jane and Charles if everyone agrees to the plan?” He offered the right answer though his heart hurt at the thought of so quickly losing three daughters. “And mayhap we can get our sons to marry next month so we can have a house full before we set the Yule log,” Bennet teased to help his wife smile again.
“Oh Thomas, do you think they could? One of them will surely pick Georgiana!” she teased back. He laughed; her wit never ceased to amuse him no matter the circumstance.
‘I tease, but I have seen the way Tom and Georgie look at each other, mark my words, one day they will marry,’ Fanny thought to herself.
“Let us correct our unintended wrong first and get our three daughters married off before we worry about Kitty and the boys. We will need to refresh the nursery for grandchildren, my dear. Then you may plan our sons’ lives for them.” He hugged her and kissed her soundly when he saw her excitement of the promised grandchildren.
“Mary first. If we offer this solution, it will be four weeks after Lizzy and William marry. I think that will work, Thomas. I am already planning a second wedding, so to add another couple is no hardship. The weddings are for our daughters, not me, so their preferences will decide what we do. And to be honest, Jane and Mary have more similar tastes. If I was trying to plan a double wedding with Lizzy and Mary or Jane, now that would be a hodgepodge of things for each rather than a shared vision,” Fanny stated in agreement. “Let us find Kitty a husband to marry her off with Lizzy so I would have four shots at gaining a grandchild before next Christmas.”
“Mayhap we will get to keep Kitty forever.” Bennet grinned. “Let us offer Mary our apology and see what she thinks of the plan first before we even ask Jane and Charles. She deserves to have a day all of her own if it is what she wants.” He kissed his wife’s hand then Mary was called back into the sitting room.
“Mary, first we want to apologise for not considering the fairness of our allowances for your sisters and holding you back from your well-deserved, well-earned happiness.” Fanny took Mary’s hand. “In our defence it was only to keep you close for just a little longer, we were not aware you wanted to run from us so quickly,” Fanny smiled sadly when Mary started to protest.
“To follow your mother’s apology, I will add mine, Mary. Your happiness has long been determined, so we were just enjoying this time with you,” Bennet sighed. “But you are correct, it was not fair and so we would like to make amends.” He took her other hand in his and informed Mary of the decision.
Once she listened to their offer Mary was incandescent with the glow of happiness and she could not wait until the party from Pemberley joined them that afternoon.
