Page 38

T he next day, Georgiana was very ready to leave Netherfield. Yesterday, after her brother had left, she had been coaxed by Miss Bingley into playing duets, and then had to listen to the lady speak deprecatingly about the Bennets in general and Miss Elizabeth in particular.

Georgiana had stopped the complaint as soon as she was able to get a word in, saying that she had enjoyed Miss Elizabeth’s company immensely and was very much looking forward to seeing her again. Miss Bingley’s face had wrinkled up in distaste, but she had then changed the topic.

Today was one of Mr. Bingley’s permitted visitation days, so he joined the Darcys with his usual enthusiasm.

In the Bingley carriage, headed for Longbourn, Mr. Darcy told his friend that he might speak freely on any subject, as his sister was au courant on all matters pertaining to the Bennets.

Mr. Bingley’s astonishment was clear. “And…Miss Lydia?”

“Yes, in every particular.”

“Very well; Miss Darcy, I am certain that your brother has impressed upon you the need for complete secrecy in this regard.”

“He has, indeed, Mr. Bingley, and you need have no fear that I will betray our friends.”

Georgiana looked out her window with great interest as the carriage approached Longbourn. “It is a good deal smaller than Netherfield,” she observed.

“Yes, and a good deal older,” Mr. Bingley said. “The Bennets have been landowners for two centuries.”

The party alighted and made their way to the front door; it opened at once, and the housekeeper welcomed them.

“And how are you today, Mrs. Hill?” Mr. Bingley asked, genially.

“Quite well, Mr. Bingley, I thank you.” She smiled happily at having been so singled out. “And this young lady is Mr. Darcy’s sister?” she went on.

“Yes, I am Georgiana Darcy.”

Leading them into the drawing room, Mrs. Hill announced the visitors. “Miss Darcy, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley.”

Georgiana was standing in front of the two men, and she was so delighted to see Miss Elizabeth that all decorum was immediately forgotten, and she rushed to hug her friend.

“Miss Elizabeth!” she exclaimed in heartfelt delight.

Then she noticed that her friend was in black, and her demeanor changed at once.

She stepped back, her face red, and she stammered out, “Oh, I am so sorry, of course, you have just lost your mother. I apologise –”

“Come here, silly girl,” Elizabeth chuckled. She stepped forward and enveloped Miss Darcy in a warm hug. “I am absolutely delighted to see you! I had no idea your brother had planned such a treat for me.”

Relieved now, Georgiana begged to be introduced to Miss Elizabeth’s sisters.

Miss Bennet was possibly the most beautiful young lady Georgiana had ever seen, and such a serene countenance!

Next was Miss Mary, who wore a most determined look but greeted Georgiana pleasantly enough.

And then there was Miss Catherine, to be called Kitty, who was quite close to Georgiana’s own age.

Miss Elizabeth told her sisters, “Miss Darcy has always wanted sisters, so when we met in Derbyshire, I offered to share mine.”

“Oh, please, will you all just call me Georgiana? That way, I can pretend that you are my sisters! That is, if I am not being too forward? I am sorry, I am usually quite shy, but I have so looked forward to this.”

“Not at all,” Miss Bennet said at once, smiling beautifully. “I am Jane, that is Elizabeth – though you may as well call her Lizzy, as we all do – that is Mary, and that is Kitty.”

Georgiana clapped her hands gleefully, but then became solemn. “Again, I apologise for my thoughtlessness. I am sorry, more sorry than I can tell you, that you have lost your beloved mother. And I understand that your youngest sister is missing.”

The Bennet girls gasped in shock. Jane looked then at Mr. Darcy, saying reprovingly, “Mr. Darcy, you have shared our private grief without our permission, I see. I confess myself rather surprised.”

Mr. Darcy said at once, “My sister can be trusted utterly, and she herself is very familiar with Mr. Wickham’s predilections.”

“He tried to elope with me as well, you see,” Georgiana said softly. “And had my brother not been trying to protect my own reputation, he would have been a good deal more likely to tell you the truth of Mr. Wickham’s character.”

Jane had read the letter Mr. Darcy had given to Elizabeth, so she was familiar with Georgiana’s history, but the other two girls were not.

They exclaimed in shock as Georgiana related the history of her time in Ramsgate and the betrayal of her companion.

“The only excuse I have for my foolishness is that I was only fifteen.”

“That is Lydia’s age as well,” Kitty said, sadly.

Georgiana nodded. “He targets girls who are too young to know better.”

“But in your case, he really did intend to marry you, did he not?” Mary asked. “Because of your dowry. Doubtless if Lydia had had a dowry, she would not have been left to wander about in Whitechapel.”

“I am certain you are right,” Georgiana said. “But he will target no more girls; we at least have that satisfaction.”

“I admit that I have gotten a good deal of pleasure in picturing George Wickham standing in a slum with his hands and feet tied,” Mary said.

“Mary,” Jane admonished her sister gently.

“No, Jane, I am entitled to my rage,” Mary said, firmly.

“You certainly are,” Georgiana said, unexpectedly. “I hated myself for the longest time, thinking it was entirely my own fault. It was only when I was able to express the anger that I had kept inside that I began to recover myself.”

Mr. Darcy added, “It took ages to convince her that it was Wickham’s fault, not hers!”

“I can promise you that Lydia is unlikely to receive that same kindness from me, should I ever see her again,” Mary said grimly.

“I blame Wickham, of course, but Lydia should have known better. Georgiana might have reasonably expected marriage, given her dowry; how did Lydia not understand that she had nothing to induce a man to matrimony?”

“You forget that Lydia has always been told that her beauty and her liveliness were all that she needed to get herself a husband,” Jane reminded her.

The girls fell silent, remembering how often Lydia had been praised for these qualities. Mary broke the silence, saying, “Miss Darcy – Georgiana – I have heard your abilities on the pianoforte praised. Will you not play for us?”

Georgiana agreed, happy to help give her new friends some moments of happiness, and was soon seated at the instrument, with Mary beside her.

As the music filled the room, Mr. Darcy managed to seat himself beside Elizabeth. “I am delighted to see Georgiana,” she told him.

“I hope I did not overstep by telling her about Miss Lydia,” he replied, gravely.

“No, you did exactly right. I hope she will find true sisters here at Longbourn, and the need to keep such a secret could only be a barrier to new relationships.”

“That was my thinking as well,” Mr. Darcy said. “Thank you for your generosity, Miss Elizabeth!”

“We will not always think alike, you know,” she said, teasing him. “And in such circumstances, I will expect you to immediately admit that your thinking is in error.”

He chuckled. “I will remember your expectation.”

“But not necessarily meet that expectation? Hmm, I see through you, Mr. Darcy.”

“I am certain that you always see through me, Miss Elizabeth, for you are far cleverer than I.”

She was immediately serious. “I think we both know that I do not always see through you. We have been at cross-purposes more often than not.”

“Let us agree to speak as openly as possible from here on,” Mr. Darcy said.

“I agree; and in that spirit, I must ask you something that haunts me. I think it inevitable that Lydia’s misstep will be found out eventually. How will that impact our relationship?”

“I cannot pretend that my relations will be pleased when I marry a woman whose family has fallen into some disrepute –“

“Some disrepute! A sister who eloped and then vanished? More than some , I think!”

“And it would certainly impact Georgiana as well,” he continued, undeterred. “But I shall not be moved from my intention of making you my wife.”

“Georgiana?” she whispered, eyes wide.

“She will have her come-out in a year or two.”

“And she would suffer as a result of my reputation?! I had not considered –“ Elizabeth was white-faced.

“Elizabeth –“

“I would not want to do anything to harm that sweet girl, Mr. Darcy. I will not place my happiness before hers.”

“Elizabeth, stop. We have time yet to solve this difficulty.”

“And will we? Solve it, I mean?”

“Absolutely,” Mr. Darcy replied, firmly. He prayed, even as he spoke, that he could keep his word.