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Georgiana felt that if Caroline Bingley opened her mouth to complain one more time, it would force her to chuck her teacup at the woman.

It had been nonstop since Caroline realized they had arrived and that all the gentlemen had left without informing her.

She complained that everyone took advantage of her kind nature.

No one appreciated how hard she worked to bring culture and style to the provincial hamlet she was stuck in.

Georgiana glanced around, eyeing the style of which Caroline spoke and found herself not wanting to be part of her definition of style and culture.

“And Georgiana, darling, though I find your dress quaint, you will have to learn to keep up with the latest styles. Do not worry, we can go to the shops together and I can show you.” Caroline hated to spend so much time with Georgiana, but she knew it would win her Mr. Darcy’s gratitude in the long run.

He had no thought to fashion, but he must be embarrassed to have a sister so inept at style and high-class social graces.

Georgiana had volunteered to keep Caroline occupied while the others went about their various tasks.

Mrs. Ansley was working with Mrs. Nichols to prepare a room for the poor lady being rescued, as well as the surprise guests.

They had all agreed not to bring up Miss Bingley’s churlish behavior or the rescue going on at the moment.

She only hoped that the unfortunate lady would be well.

“Oh, I could never aspire to have the style that you do, Miss Caroline. I hope Mrs. Hurst is all right. It is not like her to be keeping to her rooms.” She tried to find a safe, natural topic to change the subject, desperate for an escape from fashion.

“She is decidedly ill-mannered of late. She has not been involved in any of my decorating projects and is turning her nose up at all the marvelous dishes the French chef has prepared. At least she is keeping to her bed instead of pestering me about treating the staff better. They are here to serve me and my wishes. I will tell you now, when you are mistress of a home, you must have a firm hand with the staff or they try to take advantage,” Caroline huffed.

Her sister was not at all supporting her as she should.

Caroline was considering refusing to acknowledge her once she married Mr. Darcy.

If Louisa did not help, she would not reap the benefits later.

Georgiana refused to respond to such a comment, so she simply took another sip of tea.

A commotion in the entryway spurred her to set down her cup and rush to see if she could help with anything.

There in the hall stood her brother, carrying a lady who had taken an obvious tumble.

Her dark tresses were a riot of curls and coils free of any containment and littered with twigs and leaves.

The lady’s tattered blue dress shifted as her brother carried her and revealed the cuts and scrapes underneath.

There was something about the vivid green eyes glistening with pain, and the shaky smile she forced, that captivated Georgiana. “Brother, what can I do to help?”

Darcy completely ignored Caroline Bingley’s disgruntled look and spoke to his sister. “Georgiana, I have missed you dearly, but you will forgive me if I delay our hug. I would like you to meet Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth, my sister Georgiana. Do you know where they have put her?”

Georgiana rushed to show her brother the way, eager to be of aid.

She guided her brother to where everything was waiting to help the unknown girl.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Elizabeth. Mrs. Ansley has put her in the room connected to mine and across the hall from your room. She has asked Mrs. Nichols to heat water for baths for whoever may need to wash up. The apothecary should be here momentarily.” Georgiana was glad to leave Caroline’s screeching and complaints behind.

Caroline was indignant at the sight before her.

Mr. Darcy was hers. He did not belong to that little strumpet.

“Charles, what is going on? Why was Miss Elizabeth being carried in like that? She looks atrocious. She must have some kind of nerve to allow herself to be carried around by a decent gentleman with her hair down like that.”

Bingley had become progressively angrier with his sister.

To see her disparaging Miss Elizabeth, who had risked herself to help his best friend, was far too much for him to ignore.

He might have developed the habit of ignoring some of the more unpleasant aspects of his sister’s behavior, but no more.

“Caroline, you will shut your mouth and follow me to my study.”

Her brother ignored her strangled screech of outrage as he stomped to his study.

She chased after him, eager to remind him of his place in her life.

Only when he held the door open for her did she notice that his normally placid blue eyes had become something hard and unflinching.

As soon as she was situated in a shockingly uncomfortable chair, her brother began.

“Did you or did you not strike a child that came here looking for help?” Bingley’s voice was cold and hard.

“There was a vagabond that had managed to enter the house, and I had to make him leave. We cannot just allow trash into our home. How would that look?” Caroline could not comprehend why he was paying attention to this insignificant child she had just sent on its way.

“How could I have overlooked that my sister has no human decency? I have ignored your poor behavior for the last time. Darcy sent that child you just called trash here for help. That you had the audacity to strike a child who came to my home for help sickens me!” Bingley clenched his hands on the desk, his knuckles whitening as he spoke.

“I had no way of knowing Darcy sent him,” Caroline argued.

Bingley refused to budge for his sister this time. “No child should ever have to endure such mistreatment. Your actions are inexcusable. Mother and Father would be ashamed of what you have become.”

“What I have become is someone conscious of my social position as you should be. What would people like Mr. Darcy, or his relatives, think if they knew we mixed with riffraff?” Caroline rolled her eyes at his shortsightedness.

“I can say with confidence that they would not approve of your actions. As of right now, they do not. Colonel Fitzwilliam himself told me your behavior disgusted him.” How could he make his sister see that her behavior was abhorrent?

It just could not be possible that anyone of rank would fault her actions. She had spent all of her time at that miserable school for girls copying the manners of the highest-ranking girls there. “That is ridiculous! He would not hold something like that against me.”

“You can choose to believe what you want. However, you will abide by the restrictions I am putting in place. You are no longer to act as mistress of any home I am a resident of. Since Louisa is unwell at the moment, I have asked Mrs. Ansley to act in that respect.”

Bingley had to pause to let the screaming subside.

“You cannot allow a companion to preside over your household. This must be a joke,” Caroline screeched.

“Not only is she presiding over my home, but we are paying compensation to Kiernan and his family for your act of assault. I will take a full two hundred pounds from your pin money, your entire next quarter, to pay to his family. Do not think that this is something you can get around. I will contact all the shops you frequent to let them know not to offer you credit, as I will not cover it. Also, I have decided that I will begin deducting money from what remains if you act in any manner which I deem unacceptable.” Bingley only hoped that his plan would work.

He would hate to have to take even more drastic measures.

Caroline was fighting the growing realization that her brother was being serious. “You would not dare give my money to that urchin. And why would you get to decide what is acceptable for me?”

“I get to decide because I have full control over you and your money until such time that you turn twenty-five or you marry. Which is something you often forget because I have always wanted you to be happy because I love you, but you only seem to love yourself. I want you to go to your room and stay there until they summon you for dinner.” Bingley was proud that he had stayed the course.

He only hoped it would be better next time.

Caroline glared at him before stomping out of the room. Her anger only increased when she realized her very fashionable slippers made not a sound, and she was only hurting her feet by pounding her feet on the steps.

Mr. Jones’s experienced eyes swept over Elizabeth to gauge her injuries.

“Miss Elizabeth, what have you gotten yourself into this time?” He spoke kindly to his patient.

She had a break to her arm and several superficial injuries that he could see.

She was in pain and weakened, but he hoped she could recover completely.

“I fear it was nothing good, Mr. Jones,” Elizabeth replied.

Her head ached and her arm was a sharp reminder of what happens when you get knocked off a cliff.

She was weary and worn and she hated that she had sticks in her hair.

If she did not start feeling better soon, she was afraid she was going to turn into a whiny baby.

Mr. Jones reached into his bag and pulled out several things he would need and set them on the bedside table.

“Then I will have to just take care of things.” Miss Elizabeth lay atop a blanket that protected the bed from her soiled attire.

He went to wash his hands in the basin in the corner.

Cleanliness had always been important to him.

He glanced back to his patient and saw Mrs. Ansley sitting beside Miss Elizabeth, her hands slowly brushing away dirt and twigs from her hair.