The Gypsy Blessing by Wendi Sotis Read Free Book Online Page A

cousin Richard Fitzwilliam had learned quite a bit since becoming co-guardians of Georgiana at the passing of the senior Mr. Darcy a little more than four years ago. More often than not, their experience had come from making errors in judgment, however well-meant those decisions had been.
    In the beginning, Darcy and Richard had selected the course of action that would have been best for themselves at Georgiana’s age, but they soon learned that choices made concerning the upbringing of a female should be decidedly different from those of the masculine gender. Richard’s mother had been a godsend with her feminine advice, and Darcy often wondered if Georgiana might not have been more appropriately situated with their Aunt Adelaide and Uncle Theodore as her guardians instead. Recognizing that his Aunt Catherine would have made all of their lives miserable should Mr. Darcy have decided on that course proved that his father had, in fact, made his selection wisely.
    When the coach wheels encountered a rut in the road, Darcy was jolted back to the present. His mind returned to the subject from which it had rarely strayed far for several weeks. Darcy reviewed his and Richard’s latest resolution once again. Any other summer, they would have sent his sister to Pemberley—the sprawling estate that had been the Darcy family seat for many generations—but since Georgiana had recently recovered from a frightening bout of influenza, this year their London physician had recommended that the sea air would do her more good than that of the country. Many from his social sphere would have travelled elsewhere on an errand such as this, but since Georgiana did not especially enjoy the company of many of the women who would be summering in these locations, he and Richard had decided against them. Even though she was not yet out, there were quite a few of these ladies who deceptively declared themselves her “particular friend” and would seek her out if she were situated nearby. If she happened to be at her Aunt Adelaide’s home when these ladies called, Georgiana would dutifully suffer through their visits, but Georgiana did not yet feel up to the task of entertaining these ladies alone.
    Years ago, in much simpler times, Ramsgate was amongst a long list of locations to which his father had taken his mother and himself in search of a way to help Lady Anne Darcy grow strong enough to fulfill her dearest wish of bearing another child. The air and atmosphere at Ramsgate had done the trick for Lady Anne like no other. Several months later, Georgiana Darcy was born. Soon after the birth, Darcy remembered wishing they had never left Ramsgate. After the birthing, his mother had continuously weakened to a point where she could no longer remain among the living.
    With the memory of the marked improvement in his mother’s health in mind, Darcy had consulted with Richard and Aunt Adelaide about this particular seaside town, and the three decided that to Ramsgate Georgiana would go. In service to the crown as a colonel, Richard could not spend much time there with his young cousin this summer, but Darcy would be able to travel to Ramsgate for several days at a time when his business in London or at Pemberley was not too pressing. Aunt Adelaide and Uncle Theodore would come to stay for two weeks late in the summer.
    The coach pulled up before the same house his father had rented seventeen years ago. Impatient to get inside the house as soon as possible, hoping that he would recall forgotten memories of his time spent here with his beloved parents, Darcy stepped down to the curb immediately and waited to hand down his sister. Having performed his duty, Darcy’s attention was fixed upward at a second story window—a room in which he remembered spending a considerable amount of time with his parents. Recognizing her brother’s distraction, Georgiana walked on towards the house without him. Too late did Darcy notice from the corner of his eye the