The drawing room was opened, and a young cat who belonged to Elizabeth stalked proudly towards Elizabeth, with his back high.
Anne shouted, “Kitten!” and ran towards the startled animal. Poor little Mr. Hume fled in the opposite direction, with skittering paws, and hid under the black piano.
Both Bennet and Anne giggled and clapped their hands and then chased off towards the poor creature, circling around the piano, but unable to get under the tight spaces that the cat could fit into.
“Such adorable children!” Mrs. Bennet squealed. “Circle round, Bennet, round to the other side of the piano.”
Bennet followed his grandmother’s advice and reached close enough to grab the cat’s waving tail, but the alarmed animal wriggled away and reaching the open floor took off and hid under the couch beneath Elizabeth.
The two children bounded over, laughing and giggling. Elizabeth placed a hand on each of them. “You’ve startled poor Mr. Hume.”
“Sorry, Aunt Lizzy.” Bennet smiled cherubically up at her, calming down.
Anne then bobbled her own little curtsey and smiled brilliantly. In her smile and expression there was a similarity to the late, charming Captain Wickham.
Elizabeth held up a finger. “Perhaps I can coax Mr. Hume out — then you might pet his fur. Softly.”
She got off the sofa and looked under. The cat’s wide eyes looked back at her, framed by adorable striped fur. Elizabeth softly made ach ch chsound with her tongue and held out her hand. The cat sniffed Elizabeth and, no longer scared by loud squealing from the two children, Hume stuck first his little pink nose out from under the couch, and then in a flowing movement he jumped into Elizabeth’s arms.
She picked him up and settled the little creature on her lap. He rolled over so his tummy could be rubbed. Elizabeth nodded to the children.
Bennet nudged Anne so she could go first, and with wide eyes the little girl softly placed her hand on the cat’s belly. Hume purred loudly, and Bennet came around the other side of Elizabeth to scratch him behind his ears.
Georgiana smiled. “What a pretty animal. How old?”
“Not yet a year.”
Anne exclaimed, “Kitty!” again, and her excess of enthusiasm led Mr. Hume to rouse himself and walk in a dignified manner away along the couch. Bennet picked the cat up and got batted with a paw, but the boy giggled and held onto the cat.
“Not too rough,” Jane warned.
Bennet looked at his mother, and the cat escaped once more and ran to the other side of the room. Rather than hiding, Hume stopped in the middle of the floor and looked back at them. Elizabeth suspected her cat had decided he was comfortable and wanted to be chased.
The two children squealed and obliged him by running at the small animal. Mr. Hume waited until they were a few feet away to skitter in a different direction.
“Your brother,” Mrs. Bennet spoke to Georgiana, “could have no objection to you meeting the respectable people of the neighborhood.Somestill respect the name of Bennet. A grand party for you at Longbourn, and another, even grander yet, at Netherfield. Bingley can hold a proper ball — our rooms are hardly big enough for a half dozen couples.”
Georgiana’s eyes widened.
Jane added, “Your brother wishes you less lonely and more social — meeting all ourtruefriends in a private setting would be the best way.”
Goodness, the poor woman was trembling. Elizabeth leaned forward and touched Jane’s shoulder, as the children ran across the room once more, chasing Mr. Hume to a new hiding spot. “Miss Darcy, you do notwantto meet a vast room of strangers. A small group instead. Two couples perhaps; particular friends. John Lucas and his wife. And Mr. and Mrs. Goulding. Old and particular friends of Jane and I.”
“You think?” Georgiana’s shoulders and trembling relaxed. “I…I might like that.”
What had Jane beenthinkingto plan to take this poor girl to an assembly? Poor Georgie would have been too terrified to do more than stand in the most isolated corner and hope nobody saw her.
Mrs. Bennet sniffed. “Lady Lucas led the campaign against Miss Darcy. Her children will do nothing for us,eventhough we are such old friends. It is like when Charlotte stole Mr. Collins.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “She was well welcome to him. Lucas is one of my oldest friends, he will come if I beg him, and his wife is a kind woman everyone loves.”
“Do notbeganyone…” Georgiana nervously wiped her hands on the sleeve of her dress. “After what I have done…they have the right to avoid me.”
“Lord! What ridiculous notion!” Mrs. Bennet narrowed her eyes and chopped the air eagerly. “All hypocrites, every one.Every oneof them.”
“No…not after how I acted.”
“Howyouacted? Heavens! Alittleimprudent, but I dare say every woman in the neighborhood anticipated their vows as you did.”
