Page 31 of A Perfect Stranger

G eorgiana had gone down three of the streets bordering the square and was now starting on the fourth. The morning was long over and it was now late afternoon. If George went to Madame Dubois’ and found her gone, he would immediately know where she had gone. And he probably knew exactly which house was Matlock House.

Why had she paid so little attention to details such as these? How could she not know where her own relatives lived? For that matter, she did not even know where Darcy House was! Even if she had been able to get there, she did not know if her brother would be in residence and, if he were, whether he would protect her from George. After all, he had not done so at Gretna Green. The Earl and Countess, she thought, were more likely to help her.

She shielded her eyes from the setting sun and stared down the last row of houses. Taking a deep breath, she started up the steps of the corner house.

Elgin House. Linden House. As she wearily climbed up the steps of the next house, she heard an all-too familiar voice call out her name. “Georgiana!”

It was George. He was at the far end of this row of houses and running toward her. “Georgiana, get back here immediately!”

“No, oh, no, please, please,” she prayed, tears filling her eyes.

Lindsay House. She ran back down the steps and up the steps of the next house.

MATLOCK HOUSE. This was it! She was here! She rang the bell desperately, again and again, as George ran toward her, his face filled with rage.

The door opened and the Matlock’s butler stared down at her. “I think you want the back steps, miss,” he said, loftily, and began to shut the door.

At that moment, Wickham leaped up the steps and extended angry fingers to seize the fabric of Georgiana’s dress. Georgiana ducked under the butler’s arm and ran into the house.

“Keep him out!” she screamed to the butler. “He is trying to kill me!”

Without thinking, the butler immediately slammed and locked the door. He nevertheless grasped Georgiana by the arm so she could not get farther into the house.

“This will not do,” he said firmly, as George began pounding the door with his fists.

“No!” she screamed at him. “You will not touch me! I am Georgiana Darcy and I WANT MY AUNT!”