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Turning to face him, Elizabeth smiled impishly and ran her hands up the lapels of his coat.

“I’ve been thinking that we ought to host a dinner party next week.

” She was pleased when her husband did not immediately tense—he would never be lively, but with her gentle guidance he was becoming less unsocial.

“And just why would we want to do such a thing?” He kissed her pert nose to show he was teasing.

“Well, Richard and Charlotte are to return on Monday. And I thought that we might invite Lord Jonah and his family.”

Looking up into his dear face, Elizabeth saw an unusual solemnity flood her husband’s eyes.

“Will—I believe that Georgiana and Lord Jonah are well on their way to falling in love. As much as I despise my mother’s bellicose style of matchmaking, I’m not opposed to arranging a few events to be sure that they have opportunities to know one another better. ”

Seeing that Darcy continued to look grim, she added, “As her other guardian, Richard should meet the young man and, given what you have told me about the interactions between the Somersets and Fitzwilliams, we need to do what we can to help Georgiana be accepted by the Duke and his family.”

Darcy held her silently for some minutes while staring out of the window, deep in thought. Understanding his need to consider the situation, Elizabeth remained silent, amusing herself by guessing at the emotions as they flickered across his face.

Eventually, Fitzwilliam recalled his situation and, recognizing her patience, kissed her soundly.

“Thank God I married you, Elizabeth.” Seeing her surprise at such a heartfelt declaration, he explained; “You are absolutely correct—Georgiana appears to admire Lord Jonah a great deal and a dinner party would be just the thing to smooth the connection a bit. I was just thinking that such an idea would never have occurred to Richard and me. Or if it had, I’m not certain how we would have gone about arranging it.

As much as I love Aunt Eleanor, I cannot imagine it would be wise to introduce Matlock to His Grace just yet. ”

Elizabeth only laughed at his conclusions.

“I’m certain that the pair of you would have managed something suitable.

Well, as long as you didn’t chase off all your sister’s suitors—I suppose it is entirely possible that Georgiana might have ended up as a lonely spinster, haunting the attics of Pemberley until some brave knight managed to pass whatever trials the pair of you conjured up. ”

“Should I have been King Minos, and had Daedalus design a labyrinth for the park?”

Giggling, she responded in kind, “I suppose that if you claim to be Minos, it follows that you consider your cousin eligible to play the Minotaur; I shall be sure to inform Sir Richard of that when I see him next.”

Will could not help but chuckle at the picture her words painted. After some more minutes of silly banter, they eventually returned to the original subject.

“So, when is this momentous dinner to occur?” he inquired, pretending a stern demeanor and feeling amply rewarded by his wife’s happy expression.

“Would Wednesday next be too soon, do you think?” Lizzy moved to her desk.

“I was reading Kitty’s letter just before you came; Papa has agreed to bring her to London so that she may view the exhibit of Mr. Turner’s work at the Royal Academy; in exchange, he desires to spend some time loitering in our library. ”

Darcy’s eyes twinkled. “And I’m guessing that the price of admission will be his attendance at your dinner party?

” At her decisive nod, he laughed aloud.

“Well played, my love. Your father will be happy to see two of his favorite daughters in all their finery, and, if I’m not mistaken, you’re thinking that his wit might do well in entertaining the Duke? ”

“Only if Grafton manages to tear himself away from your cousin—they are equally horse-mad, I believe,” she responded with great satisfaction.

It went without saying that Charlotte’s good-humored calm and Richard’s lively intelligence were a blessing to any hostess attempting to mesh together an unknown assortment of personalities around her table.

Darcy chuckled, for indeed it had come as no surprise to any of the family when his cousin had chosen the cavalry. “Well then, it appears that you have everything well in hand. I’ve an appointment at my club this afternoon, but I hope to hear all about your tea when I return.”

At her agreement he kissed her again. “What would I do without you?”

“Hmmm… lean on mantles and glower at the populace? Stare out of windows and fiddle with your signet ring? Insult young ladies in want of a dance partner?”

“Minx.” After a long and very heated kiss, Mr. Darcy added another promise for that evening before departing.

Not an hour later, Mrs. and Miss Darcy departed Derwent House for their call on the Somerset ladies. After several minutes of silence, Lizzy noted that Georgiana’s anxious fingers had twisted her handkerchief into a knot. Reaching over, she squeezed her sister’s hands, smiling gently.

“Oh Lizzy, I am soooo nervous.”

“Really Georgiana? I never would have guessed,” teased her sister as she extracted the abused piece of linen and hid it away in her reticule, handing the girl a pristine replacement. “You’ve met most of the ladies before.”

“But Lord Jonah was always there too. I just realized how much I want his family to like me… I’m so afraid that I’ll say something wrong. But if I’m silent, then they might think I’m stupid … or haughty. Oh Lizzy, what am I to do?”

Elizabeth quickly realized that the poor girl was working herself into a fit of nerves.

Checking her watch and thinking quickly, she leaned forward in the open carriage and called up to the driver, “James—could you take us in a loop through the park? Perhaps ten minutes, and then to Grafton House?” Once she the driver nodded to indicate that he had heard her, she turned back to her companion.

“Georgiana, dear. I want you to close your eyes and take three deep breaths, and then open them and look around you. Look at the trees, the leaves turning autumn colors, the birds. The sky and the sun and those puffy white clouds scudding across the blue.”

Waiting for her sister to do as she was instructed, Elizabeth was glad to see some of the tension leach out of the girl.

“Now, in your heart, you know how you feel about Lord Jonah, and your heart knows how he admires you in return. That is your foundation. We are going to meet his mother and sisters, and I have high hopes that they are of a quality to become more than acquaintances… but, in the end, it is Lord Jonah’s opinion that matters, right? ”

Georgiana sat quietly for some minutes, until a soft smile grew slowly on her face.

“Thank you, Lizzy.” She looked shyly to her brother’s wife.

“I feel such a connection to him, you know? Not like my silly infatuation with Mr. Wickham—I think I was in love with the idea of being in love then. But with Jonah—I can see us having friends over to our home or just enjoying one another’s company in the evenings…

oh Lizzy, I can imagine us having a family and growing old together…

Such ideas have never even occurred to me with anyone else… ”

Elizabeth smiled at her sister and, right there in the middle of the park, gave the girl a hug. “That, my dear, is exactly how I feel about your brother, and we will do everything in our power to ensure your happiness.”

Georgiana smiled and squeezed the other woman’s hand. “Thank you, Lizzy. You’re right—Jonah cares for me, and I can face anything knowing that.”

“Excellent, my dear, because there is no turning back, now!” The carriage had just arrived at Portman Square where a footman wearing the Duke of Grafton’s livery promptly opened the door.

Stepping down from the carriage and squaring their shoulders, the Darcy ladies entered Grafton House for the first time.

They were shown into a drawing room and Elizabeth’s first impression was of light and femininity—there were several vases of autumn dahlias set with ferns around the room and a pair of glass doors had been opened onto a rear garden.

Smiling with genuine pleasure, Lizzy focused her attention on the occupants.

“Mrs. Darcy, I’m so pleased that you could come,” offered the Duchess of Grafton as she came forward and offered her hand. “And Miss Darcy—what a lovely gown. You will think that I had this room decorated just for you!”

The other ladies laughed and Georgiana’s cheeks turned pink, seeing that her light green dress did indeed match the colors of the room quite exactly.

Her Grace patted the girl’s arm and leaned closer to whisper, “It has been my favorite color since childhood. Unfortunately, all my daughters despise it, much to my great sorrow!”

One of the younger ladies protested, “You could hardly expect otherwise, Mama! From our nursery walls to our quilts to our dresses—I remember Harriet joking that she wanted to paint the walls of her room black because it was the only color in which she would not see shades of green!”

Elizabeth responded good-naturedly, “Consider yourselves fortunate—my mother has always been tremendously fond of a particularly bold shade of pink. I remember one Easter in particular, when she attempted to dress me in it from head to toe with a matching bonnet, sash and ribbons.”

The other ladies groaned in sympathy and Mrs. Darcy added, “Yes, I’m sure you can imagine. Poor Mama was very, very angry when I was so clumsy as to knock an ink well over, staining it all before I had even had a chance to wear it to church.”

Amid the ensuing laughter, the Duchess assumed a severe look and shook her finger at them; “Just wait until you have daughters of your own! Only then will you truly understand what we mothers endure, trying to keep our girls decently attired!”

Eventually the merriment began to subside and Alice Grafton took charge.

“Well now, Mrs. Darcy, Miss Darcy, you know my daughters Violet and Isabella, of course, but I don’t believe you’ve met my eldest son’s wife, for they have just returned from the country.

I give you The Most Honorable Lady Lavender, Marchioness of Worcester. ”

As they exchanged greetings, Elizabeth did her best to control her amusement but the other lady saw the guest’s lips twitch and turned to her mother-in-law with a distress that was only slightly exaggerated; “Mother Grafton!” Turning to Lizzy and Georgiana, she added with a pained expression, “Please, I go by Ava—I don’t know what my parents were thinking—Lady Lavender, indeed!

It sounds like a character in a gothic romance novel… or perhaps a Shakespearean comedy.”

Mrs. Darcy smiled, immediately liking this slender lady with the twinkling eyes and sensible hairstyle. “And I am Elizabeth, or Lizzy. Please not Eliza!”

With a sudden burst of sisterly camaraderie, Georgiana added “And I am Georgiana, or Georgie.”

With that, the happy group settled down to tea, exclaiming over the variety of cakes and fruits.

Georgiana was drawn into conversation with the Duchess and Isabella and before she knew what was happening, she had begun telling them about her childhood at Pemberley and lifelong love of music.

Meanwhile, Ava, Violet and Lizzy had settled in a group of chairs opposite the others and quickly found that the acquaintance showed all signs of growing into a true friendship .

After nearly an hour of conversation and a great deal of laughter, Elizabeth remembered one of her goals for the visit.

At the next pause, she turned to the Duchess.

“Your Grace, Mr. Darcy and I are planning a small dinner party at Derwent House next Wednesday and we wondered if you and your family might honor us with your presence? It shall be just a small affair; my husband’s cousin, Sir Richard Fitzwilliam, is returning from the negotiations in Spain later this week, and I have every hope that we shall be a merry party with much interesting conversation. ”

The Duchess’s twinkling eyes met Elizabeth’s. “Why thank you, my dear—that would be lovely. Sir Richard is Miss Darcy’s other guardian, is he not?”

Elizabeth very nearly laughed aloud; clearly she had a fellow conspirator.

“He is, indeed. In fact, he wrote to my husband that he and his wife are planning their return trip so as to visit several Spanish horse farms on the way home; Charlotte fears that they may have to convert the ground floor of their new townhouse into stables.”

The other ladies giggled while Violet exclaimed, “Oh, nothing will keep Papa away now! I believe his greatest complaint about Napoleon was that the war stopped the import of horses from the continent. Once he hears about your cousin’s trip, we shall hear about nothing but bloodlines and conformation from him day and night. ”

“Andrew as well!” added Isabella, rolling her eyes.

“And for heaven’s sake, Izzy, don’t let either of our husbands hear this idea of converting parlors into stalls… I’ve only just redecorated the front drawing room!”

After some shared merriment, they all turned to Mrs. Darcy who was trying so hard to control her laughter that she only succeeded in tearing up.

Dabbing at her eyes, she waved her hand and apologized; “It is nothing, really. Just that my family has always called me Lizzy, and I can already imagine the amusement that my father is going to have with Izzy and Lizzy sitting down at the same table!”

After a great deal laughter and some further teasing, attendance for the dinner party was sorted out and the Darcys took their leave.

The trip back to Derwent House was very different from their previous journey; Georgiana was relieved beyond measure that the Somerset ladies appeared perfectly amiable and chattered with bubbly abandon all the way home.

Elizabeth listened with both amusement and empathy, for it was not so long ago that she herself had felt much the same upon being presented to the Fitzwilliam family. Though she would never suggest as much to her husband, Lizzy began to consider how lovely a summer wedding at Pemberley might be.