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G eorgiana would have liked to go to Longbourn every day, but her brother insisted that the family was in mourning and needed some time to themselves.

“I, too, would like nothing more than to see Miss Elizabeth every day,” he told her.

“But I know the family is in some distress, particularly with Miss Lydia missing.”

“And likely dead,” Georgiana said, sadly.

“Exactly.”

“Very well; every other day, then?”

“Yes, every other day.”

“And on the days when we do not go?”

“Read, play the pianoforte, sew, whatever you normally do at Pemberley, Georgiana.”

She considered that for a moment before asking, “Will you take me in to Meryton today, brother?”

“Meryton? Certainly, though I suspect you will be rather disappointed in the offerings.”

“No matter; I want to buy a few things for my friends.”

***

The “few things” consisted of a good many sweets: biscuits of various flavours, meringues, chocolate drops, toffee, sugared almonds, and marzipan. Georgiana also purchased some embroidery silks and linen squares, which she intended to use to sew handkerchiefs for her new “sisters.”

“You are very generous, Georgiana,” her brother said.

“As are you, brother, as it was you who paid for everything!” she replied, laughing.

“You need not buy their friendship, Georgiana. They will love you for your own sweet self.”

“I know that, brother; but I think they can use a little kindness in their lives just now. And a little sugar never goes amiss.”

***

When they visited Longbourn the next day, Georgiana was delighted to present the Bennets with a large box full of sweets. “I did not know what each of you preferred,” she said. “So I got a bit of everything.”

There were a good many exclamations of delight and gratitude as the Bennet girls dug into the box, but Elizabeth turned a worried eye on Georgiana. “You do not need to buy us things, Georgiana,” she whispered.

“Oh, please let me!” was the reply. “I have had no one except my brother to buy gifts for, and you cannot imagine how difficult it is to think of anything to get him.”

“I can well imagine,” Elizabeth said. “Then I thank you, and I must say that it is much appreciated. My father does not care for sweets, and so any such purchase must come from our pocket money.”

Mr. Darcy soon asked Elizabeth to walk with him in the garden; Mary offered to chaperone them, but she wisely stayed well back so that the couple might speak in private.

“I am very concerned that you will break our engagement if Miss Lydia is not recovered,” he said at once.

“You are very direct today, Mr. Darcy! And, to the best of my knowledge, we are not engaged. There has been no proposal and no acceptance, and I must warn you that I cannot accept a proposal until I have settled in my own mind that it is right for everyone involved. For how can I willingly and willfully injure such a sweet creature as Georgiana?”

“But how can you injure us ? You and me?” he demanded.

“And therein lies the difficulty. I asked Papa about saying that Lydia was dead from some dreadfully contagious disease and had to be buried at once; that is why there is no body.”

Mr. Darcy had the grace to wince.

“Yes, my father had the same reaction; it is a most distasteful idea. And then I realised that we would have to go into mourning all over again, but this time for a sister, so it would delay our marriage yet again.”

“But had he any better ideas?”

“No; he simply said that we had a good deal of time before we had to take such a drastic step.”

“Which was my point as well, you will recall.”

“I do recall it; moreover, I just cannot help but feel…well, Kitty says that she feels Lydia is still alive, and I have to say that I also struggle to believe that she is dead. And my idea is not such a good one, for if we put it about that Lydia died of some dreadful disease and then she comes back to us, then what? How do we explain that to our neighbours?”

Mr. Darcy had no answer for this; he sighed deeply. The couple turned back to the house.

***

On the way back to Netherfield, Georgiana observed her brother’s countenance. “What is it, William?”

“Oh, nothing that need concern you, Georgiana.”

“No, no, I have had enough of that! Mary says that nothing good comes of hiding what we know, and I think she is right. What is it? It must be something about Elizabeth that has you looking so glum.”

“You are right, Georgiana. The sad truth is that she is concerned that Lydia’s absence makes her unsuitable to be Mrs. Darcy.”

“Unsuitable! How it that possible?”

Mr. Darcy sighed. “If Lydia never returns, rumours will proliferate, and none of them will be kind to the missing girl. The reputation of the Bennet family will then be suspect, and that stain will spill over to our own family if she is Mrs. Darcy.”

Georgiana’s brow wrinkled. “But what will that matter? You and she will already be married!”

“Yes, but there is another member of my family who is not yet married, and whose prospects may be affected by Elizabeth’s reputation.”

Georgiana’s mouth formed a perfect “o” of comprehension. “Me? You mean she might not marry you because of me? But – but –“

“She loves you, Georgiana, and would do nothing to harm you.”

“But she loves you as well, I am certain of it!”

“She does; and there is the difficulty.”

Georgiana could think of nothing whatever to say to this; she sat back in the carriage to consider all that she had learnt.

***

Going to Longbourn every other day allowed Georgiana to become quite friendly with all the Bennet sisters.

Elizabeth – or Lizzy, as everyone called her – was already Georgiana’s dearest friend.

Mary was a more accomplished pianist than Lizzy, and she was ready to play duets with Georgiana every day.

Kitty was very interested in fashion, and she was eager to hear anything that Georgiana could tell her about new styles and colours.

Jane was everything gentle and kind, though Georgiana spent very little time with her, as she was quite caught up with Mr. Bingley, as well as her duties as mistress of Longbourn.

Georgiana, knowing how much she loved hearing about her own mother, encouraged her new friends to speak about Mrs. Bennet. It was difficult for them at first, as they struggled to speak through their tears, but after a few false starts, they began telling Georgiana stories about her.

“All she cared about was getting us married off,” Kitty said. “She would do anything – anything at all! – to encourage male interest.”

“She was ready to marry Kitty here to John Lucas when Kitty was fourteen,” Mary said.

“Fourteen?!” Georgiana was horrified.

“Mama was joking, Mary,” Elizabeth put in.

“I think not,” Mary returned. “Lady Lucas said that the moment Kitty could claim two thousand pounds as her dowry, the wedding would take place!”

“I would not have married him in any case,” Kitty returned. “He has spots on his face!”

“Not any longer,” Elizabeth teased her. “Perhaps you could still have him.”

“Mama was famous for her dinners, Georgiana,” Mary told her. “Anyone in the neighbourhood will tell you that.”

“What would she serve?” Georgiana asked, and was rewarded by a good many descriptions of dinners, of courses, of the guests, and so on.

Elizabeth gazed at the young lady she hoped would be her sister with a good deal of appreciation.

Georgiana could not possibly be interested in such details, but she was, very cleverly, helping to heal her sisters’ wounded hearts.

What a dear girl! Elizabeth vowed again not to do anything that would hurt Georgiana’s future prospects.