Free Women of Pemberley by Rebecca Ann Collins

the dinner at Fitzwilliams' is about?"
Jonathan and Amelia admitted that they needed Mr Darcy's advice. "Fitzwilliam will not move without consulting Mr Darcy--especially because of the particular closeness and affection that exists between him and my father," said Jonathan, adding, "I cannot imagine how they will take this news. Papa will be most upset--it was through his long association with the Wilson family that Emma came to know David Wilson. I know he will blame himself."
Elizabeth was outraged. "That would be utterly unfair," she protested. "Your father could never have imagined that David Wilson, the son of respectable parents, the brother of an honourable man, could turn out this way."
But Jonathan knew how hard his father would take the news of David Wilson's despicable behaviour--especially the effect it would have on Emma and her two daughters.
The dinner at Fitzwilliam's house was to provide an opportunity for them to discuss the situation and plan some action with the benefit of Mr Darcy's wise counsel. Darcy, more than any other member of the family, had become their source of reasoned and sensible advice. They looked to him whenever they were unsure of their own judgement.
Elizabeth agreed to acquaint him with the information they had given her and promised that, unless some more pressing problem emerged to demand their attention, they would meet at the Fitzwilliams' the following evening.
After they had gone, Elizabeth sat alone, unable to leave her chair for quite a while, so acutely painful were her reactions to the news she had received. She was grateful to Jane for having at least given her some hint of Emma's unhappiness, but nothing her sister had said could have prepared her for the appalling tale of betrayal that she had just heard. Jenny came in search of her mistress and was surprised to find her sitting before a dying fire. When she offered to bring her more tea and stoke up the fire, Elizabeth thanked her but preferred to retire upstairs.
Her depression worsened as she thought not only of Emma's situation, now made considerably worse by the new revelations, but of her sister and brother-in-law. Jane's tender heart would surely be devastated, and Bingley--whose devotion to his wife was matched only by his love of his daughters--how, she wondered, would he cope with Emma's sorrow as well as the public disgrace that must surely follow?
The fact that the investigation had been carried out by two journalists only served to increase the threat of exposure and added to her unease. Almost sick with worry, Elizabeth asked for a pot of tea to be brought up and stayed in her room, where Darcy, returning earlier than expected, found her in a state of some anxiety.
Aware that something was amiss, he was at her side instantly. "Elizabeth, what is it? Jenny says Jonathan and Amelia were here this morning. What did they want? Is someone ill?" He was most concerned to discover the cause of her distress.
Elizabeth would have liked to pour out the whole sorry story, but realising her husband was tired from his journey, she tried to reassure him and said it could wait until after dinner.
Only after Julian had gone to bed and they were alone did she tell him everything--including the early hints she had had from Jane.
Darcy listened like a man who had been turned to stone. Except to ask occasional questions, he let her tell the tale uninterrupted. Only the darkening expression on his face betrayed his feelings of consternation and outrage. Elizabeth was reminded of his reaction on hearing the awful news of Lydia's elopement with Wickham. She recalled his grim countenance as he had heard the wretched story.
For his part, Darcy had never felt really easy about David Wilson and, despite the obvious attractions of the match and the links it provided with an established, professional family, he had tried to warn Bingley when the news of Emma's engagement had taken them all by surprise.
His contacts in London had not given