Page 8 of A Good Memory is Unpardonable (Frolic and Romance #2)
Seven
O ctober of that year brought a dozen new things into my life, not all of which were welcome. Among those that I have kept and still hold dear is my friendship with Georgiana.
It did not begin auspiciously. In fact, in the first few days after she arrived at Netherfield, I confided to Charles that the girl seemed deficient in some way because she never spoke and had a perpetually haunted look to her.
Caroline badgered her needlessly, though I think her intent was, as ever, to find some way to impress Fitzwilliam.
Harassing Georgiana did not yield the outcome she desired.
After a week, Fitzwilliam was again prepared to pack up for London.
This time, however, his concern was not for his own wounded pride but his sister’s sensibilities.
Caroline had been dogging the girl all morning, and then we saw no more of her after luncheon.
Fitzwilliam had accompanied Charles out to call on the tenants, but when they returned, he disappeared above stairs.
An hour later, a trembling and white Fitzwilliam Darcy found me in the library.
“Elizabeth, a word, please,” he said between clenched teeth.
I set aside my book and started to rise. He waved me back to my seat, though, and proceeded to pace a hole in the carpet. After much sighing and fretting, covering his mouth and hyperventilating, at last, he turned to face me. “You can be in no doubts about what I have come to say.”
I shot my gaze to the side and frowned. “Indeed, I have no idea.”
He pulled back his lips from his perfect teeth—everything about Fitzwilliam’s looks is perfect, to my chagrin—and stalked closer. “Georgiana is weeping disconsolately and begging me to take her home.”
I remember the dismay with which I heard this statement. Weeping? For what possible reason?
“I... do not understand,” I wheezed at last.
He paced again, and this was my first introduction to his mannerisms when truly vexed. He ploughed his fingers through that... ahem... gorgeous, dark, thick, curly hair of his... and hissed as he breathed. “I brought her here,” he bit out, “because I believed you might be a friend to her.”
I laid my hands in my lap and was helpless to keep my fingers from twisting together.
Never mind that he had brought her uninvited.
He adores her, we had all welcomed her and desired her happiness, so that was the end of it.
Even if he was presently acting as if he were the host and I was the rude guest.
“I am perfectly willing to befriend her, but she will hardly speak to me. It is not for lack of effort on my part.”
“Come, Elizabeth, you are too intelligent to miss the fear in her eyes. I thought you , of all people, could find some sympathy for a girl desperately in need of feminine companionship.”
“I am not without sympathy,” I retorted, “but I do not understand the need or the means. What is Miss Darcy’s impediment that she finds it impossible to return any overtures of friendship?”
“Impediment! She has no such thing.”
I lifted my brow, a gesture that, since the early days of our acquaintance, has seldom failed to bring him round.
“Oh, very well,” he sighed. “Forgive me for losing my temper. It is not your fault. Georgiana had always been painfully shy, and in addition to that, she has recently suffered a... a dreadful scare. She misjudged someone and now lives in terror of trusting anyone else.”
“If this be the case, perhaps you ought to have said as much sooner.”
“How should I, without humiliating her further?”
I thinned my lips. “A private word would have gone far. I thought we understood each other well enough that even a discreet indication that some extra care was wanted could be sufficient.”
He circled the room again, avoiding my gaze. “I thought there was no need.”
“Fitzwilliam.” I rose and approached, drawing him sharply around.
His chest rose and fell, and his eyes lit peculiarly. “That is the first time you have called me by my name.”
“Because I meant to get your attention. Do I have it?”
He nodded, his mouth softening into an almost foolish smile.
“Good. I am honored, truly honored, that you could have such high expectations of me. And I am similarly flattered that you thought I , whom you have known but a little while, ought to be the friend you sought for your sister. I will make an extra effort where Georgiana is concerned. She is a sweet girl, and I do hope to know her better. Still, it was probably ill-advised of you to bring her here , where Caroline is free to make her uncomfortable.”
He grinned sheepishly at this. “I was depending on your cleverness to shield her somewhat.”
“Well, that was bold of you! I shall do my best to befriend and encourage her, though. I can certainly appreciate what you were trying to do.”
“Well...” He cleared his throat. “Not all that I was trying to do.”
“What else was there?”
The side of his mouth twisted up. “I was also trying to get a particular lady to talk to me again and thought surely, if I brought my sister all the way from London, she would not be so rude as to send us both packing without hearing me out.”
My jaw dropped. “Why, Fitzwilliam Darcy, you are a manipulative sneak!”
“It worked, did it not? Would you have accompanied me to the garden if my sister had not required a rest and some refreshment after stepping down from the carriage?”
“Do not claim the credit of that. I decided to talk to you.”
“Only out of pity.”
I stuck out my chin. “Not at all. You bringing Georgiana had nothing to do with me hearing you out.”
“I assure you, it did.”
“Did not.”
He grinned confidently. “Suit yourself.”
“I will, for I had a reason of my own for agreeing to meet with you.”
“You could not stay away?”
I snorted and put up a hand, pretending to walk off. “If that is what you have persuaded yourself.”
“Come, Elizabeth, let me hear it! We have traded enough insults and are still on speaking terms. Surely, I may tease you as you do me.”
I tipped him a saucy glance over my shoulder. “Very well. I thought it would be difficult for Jane to catch your eye if you were not about to be caught. After all, I still have a wager to win before the end of the Christmas season.”