Here, Georgiana stopt him and asked, “I do not understand—debts? And, if there were debts, was not Miss Crawford mistress of twenty thousand pounds?”

Colonel Fitzwilliam sighed, “Oh, Georgiana, you have not heard—my brother’s gaming debts amounted to over an hundred thousand pounds—and that was what Bow Street could find. There are doubtless additional debts of honour that will never be discovered.”

“But, could not the twenty thousand pounds go some way to appeasing his creditors, and use my uncle’s surety to pay the rest?”

“A man of greater conscience might have reasoned thusly. My conjecture is that he did not wish to impoverish himself for life—and in the only honourable light, Miss Crawford—just to pay his debts as would any man of principle. In fact—God knows it pains me to say this!—he was preparing to flee England. I doubt he wanted to be encumbered by a woman, even one with twenty thousand pounds, in his flight.

“It was he who must have informed Miss Crawford of my whereabouts. After she was forced to leave his protection, she journeyed to Tunbridge in order to re-establish our acquaintance. I own that I was entirely deceived by her from the very beginning, and she convinced me to tarry at Tunbridge beyond my inclination—indeed, beyond my own reason—to please her. But, at Tunbridge, there was just that want of proper thought and action that unconsciously kept me from renewing my offer, which was obviously her design. Upon Mr. Gardiner informing me of her history—and I admit to you, my dearest, that, in my shock, I was initially unwilling to credit above half of what he related—my understanding of her true character was complete. I must assure you, my dearest, loveliest Georgiana, that even before the death of my brother and my discovery of their iniquitous affair, she could not have re-engaged my heart. Charming and captivating she might appear, yet at Tunbridge I could no longer be again so infatuated as to reconcile her hardness with my ideal of a wife. That paragon has always been yourself, as I have lately realised, in a most mortifyingly behind-hand fashion.”

Georgiana was horrified at the behaviour of Miss Crawford. “Have you seen her since your discovery of her attachment to your brother?”

“I have not. She passed several messages to me through some mutual acquaintance, asking me to see her. I did not. Eventually, shewing a complete disregard for propriety, she wrote me, sending me her condolences on the death of my brother, and insinuating in a most disgraceful manner that his death and my inheritance of the title and estate had secured her affections to myself. I have not responded to her letter, and she does not write again. It must be she now realises that the Runners’ investigation must inevitably reveal her history.”

CHAP. 21.