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In the beginning of April, Darcy and Elizabeth accompanied Anne and the Gardiners to Kent for Easter.

Just as Mr. Darcy had once predicted, Elizabeth found herself staying at Rosings Park and gaining an increased familiarity with the house, although much of that knowledge resulted from her assistance to Mrs. Gardiner in deciding which rooms were to be closed up and what furnishings packed away or sent to the auctioneer.

One fine afternoon, Lizzy encouraged Miss de Bourgh to walk with her in the topiary garden.

Anne had been even quieter than usual since arriving at her old home and, when her own attempts at drawing the lady out had proven ineffective, Mrs. Gardiner had asked her niece to try to discover her new cousin’s feelings.

After beginning several topics without success, Elizabeth decided to be direct.

“Anne, please pardon my forwardness; I realize that we are relatively new acquaintances (and even newer relations), but you seem very unhappy. Do you regret your decision to leave Rosings? We would all understand if you changed your mind and wished to stay; it is your childhood home, after all.”

Miss de Bourgh blinked several times before a look of surprise spread across her normally phlegmatic face. “No—oh no! Not at all.”

“So, you do not wish to stay at Rosings?” probed Elizabeth.

Anne was quiet for a long minute before whispering, “I wish I didn’t have to come back here at all… It feels like a prison I was once trapped in… I would be very happy to never see the house again.”

Rather than voice any astonishment, Lizzy merely nodded. “Would you like to live in Derbyshire? We would be glad to have you at Pemberley, or I know that the Fitzwilliams would be overjoyed to keep you at Matlock.”

The other lady shook her head slightly. “It’s so cold in the north… and the land is so very… wild .”

This time Elizabeth did smile, although she did not reveal to Miss de Bourgh that it was that very wildness which Mrs. Darcy loved about her new home county.

Instead, careful questioning allowed her to determine that Anne considered London to be noisy, but she seemed to remember Bath with some fondness.

Later, Lizzy related this to her husband.

“I suppose that it might be a solution,” he said thoughtfully.

“Bath is close enough to London that her family could visit easily, and there are always houses available to lease or purchase. And the society there is not so strict—a wealthy lady may live alone with a companion or female relation and not be considered unusual at all.”

The arrangements proved surprisingly easy to make.

The Darcys had already planned to attend the marriage of Lord Michael Trevor to Miss Lilly Davenport the following week.

Before the viscount and his happy bride departed on their wedding trip, Lord Hampden was pleased to arrange for the Darcys and Miss de Bourgh to look over his house in Bath, to be leased or purchased, as she and her family deemed best.

The viscount’s own mother had recovered from the illness that had kept her recuperating at the spa town during the past year and the elderly lady was now happy to be returning to the family estate in Shropshire.

Lady Augusta had no intention of testing her weak constitution by resuming control of the household, however; instead, she was perfectly happy to advise her charming new daughter-in-law as that young lady settled into her new role as mistress.

Brigadier General Fitzwilliam accompanied the Darcys to Bath and approved Anne’s new residence.

The house was a well-appointed, modern affair on a quiet street at the edge of the fashionable district.

Mrs. Jenkinson gladly agreed to remain with her charge and would serve as the necessary companion to maintain Miss de Bourgh’s respectability.

Unfortunately, when the gentlemen began talking about hiring servants, setting up accounts and paying bills, and all the other tasks necessary for running a household, it quickly became apparent that neither of the Rosings females knew enough to attend to those duties without assistance.

Elizabeth solved this last obstacle (with a quick wink at Richard) by suggesting that they invite Mrs. Collins to stay with the ladies for as many months as necessary.

Charlotte was supremely capable of setting up the household and would almost certainly welcome an excuse to leave Meryton for a time.

Miss de Bourgh agreed after only a little thought.

She had always rather liked Mrs. Collins; the parson’s wife seemed quietly capable but respectful enough not to recreate the oppressive atmosphere of Rosings.

Anne was not at all certain about having the widow’s young son in the same house, but Mrs. Jenkinson found the idea delightful and quickly reassured her charge that it would be no imposition at all.

Later, when they were alone, Elizabeth admitted to her husband that it had also occurred to her that such an arrangement would make it easier for Richard to visit her friend during her mourning without causing a scandal, for who would question the gentleman’s right to visit his spinster cousin’s household?

Darcy only chuckled and kissed her, amused by his wife’s matchmaking.

By the end of the week the weather had turned wet and muddy, so it was with some relief that the Darcys returned to London and settled in at Derwent House.

There was little time to relax, however, for the Season was already in full swing.

Only two days after their return, Elizabeth and Georgiana retired soon after luncheon, placing themselves under the care of a small army of maids to be washed, dressed, coiffed, and generally fussed over until it was finally time to be carefully loaded into the carriage and transported to Matlock House, where they would be weighed and measured by Almack’s patronesses.

In truth, Elizabeth was not so very worried about the interview; Georgiana was just the sort of ladylike young heiress whom Lady Jersey and her compatriots desired, and they were unlikely to refuse a voucher to the new bride of Miss Darcy’s guardian unless she did something too egregious to ignore.

The muddy weather made the carriage a necessity, despite the fact that the Fitzwilliams lived only a few steps across the Square.

Seeing the younger lady’s nervous demeanor, however, Elizabeth decided to tease her a bit.

“Shall we walk to your aunt’s, Georgiana?

Those new pattens of yours are very fashionable, I’m sure, and if our petticoats get dirty, we can just let down our skirts once we arrive. ”

Lizzy spoke with such nonchalance that it took her sister several moments to realize that she was not in earnest; Miss Darcy’s look of horror was such that her sister-in-law nearly collapsed in a fit of giggles.

By the time they entered Lady Matlock’s drawing room, Georgiana was relaxed enough to reply to the introductions with, if not perfect equanimity, then at least coherence and a small smile.

After little more than an hour, the Darcy ladies were back in the carriage and retracing their route to Derwent House.

Mr. Darcy had spent most of the intervening time pacing in his study.

Although he and Richard were almost certain that they had kept Georgiana’s near-elopement quiet, her admission to Almack’s would be proof of their success.

Though her dowry and connections ensured her future to some extent, a voucher to that venue would greatly improve her chances of marrying a gentleman of stature.

Notified of their return by the butler, Darcy entered Elizabeth’s sitting room, uncertain as to what he would find.

If pressed, he probably would have admitted to expecting tears, having heard stories of the emotional wreckage often produced by the brutal honesty of Almack’s fair arbiters.

As a result, he was very glad (and not a little relieved) to discover his two most beloved ladies reclined on the sofas, nibbling at cakes and laughing over the ridiculousness of it all.

“Ah, and here is your brother—shall we tell him about our afternoon, or force him to wait for the official report from your Aunt Eleanor?” teased Lizzy even as she held out a hand to her husband.

Georgiana giggled as her brother settled next to his wife.

“Would you like more hot chocolate, Georgie?” inquired Elizabeth. “It is gloriously decadent, is it not?” After the girl had accepted her refilled cup, Lizzy turned to her husband and noted that his impatience was only barely under control.

Suddenly realizing just how concerned he had been, she squeezed his hand and assured him, “It went perfectly well, Will. After less than ten minutes of conversation, Lady Castlereagh deemed your sister to be a ‘dear, sweet girl’ and Lady Cowper had thought of at least five prospects for her to marry.” She laughed when the pleased look prompted by the first statement was turned grim by the second, and even Georgiana giggled a little at her brother’s dismayed countenance.

Although Darcy’s impulse was to demand the gentlemen’s names and have them investigated, he knew that such a response would not help his shy sister become more comfortable in Society. Trying to moderate his tone, he asked only, “So, it went well, then?”

That was enough encouragement for Georgiana to begin a rather jumbled but very enthusiastic account of the ladies that had attended her aunt’s tea, as well as what each had said and worn.

Will began to believe he might actually be forced to protest when his sister began describing the lace on Lady Jersey’s gown, but was saved when Elizabeth inquired gently, “Shall you remember all these details when you write to your Cousin Lucy? I remember that you promised her you would do so when we left Matlock. ”

Georgiana’s eyes brightened and she sprang up from her seat. “Oh yes—I should do so right away while it’s all still fresh in my mind! May I be excused, Fitzwilliam?”