She handed him her bonnet and flew into her chambers.
Darcy held the straw concoction up and turned it this way and that in the light. He would never understand why a woman required so many different hats. One for the summer and one for the colder months, but . . .
His sister burst into the sitting room with a stack of folded papers tied with a ribbon and shoved them at him. “Do you think . . .”
Darcy set the bonnet down to take the papers. He began to read the questions and his sister’s answers. “Did the teachers allow you to take these?”
“Oh,” Georgiana said and looked away. “No. But I thought . . . well, they are mine, are they not?”
Timid his arse.
The paper was covered with the teacher’s marks, but no explanations. He nodded slowly as he read.
A similar situation had occurred at Eton, but the headmaster there had simply moved him up another class. The other boys were not best pleased until they began to use him as a tutor. Some had tried to force him to do their work for them, but his Fitzwilliam cousins had been at school then too, and Darcy had already been large for his age. Soon enough they had all agreed that tutoring was all they wished from him.
His sister had none of those advantages.
“Georgiana, every answer on this examination is correct.” He handed her the first paper and began to read the next. “You have made a single error in tense here.” He pointed to the translation. “But otherwise, I see nothing wrong with this composition, either.”
“But the teachers said . . .”
“They were wrong, though I expect the headmistress simply did not wish to lose the fees I paid her for your education.”
Georgiana’s complexion paled. “But that is dishonest!”
Darcy sighed. “It is indeed. And I will make certain she feels the weight of it.”
“What will you do?” his sister asked.
“What I must. You may leave it with me.” He was rewarded by the brightest smile he had seen from his sister since before she had left for school, and he silently thanked Miss Bennet. Without her encouragement, he might have waited for Georgiana to approach him and simply sent her back to school after the festive season when she did not. Who knew how such constant disparagement could affect a girl her age? It had already begun to erode her confidence in her own judgment. Over time, it could have left her vulnerable to all manner of manipulations. His blood boiled just thinking of it. But now was not the time. He placed her examination papers on the small table beside him.
“Now, let me see the rest of these bonnets. You said there was a green one?”
He sat through two more bonnets before the show was at an end. Five bonnets in all. At least Mrs. Bennet had also mentioned that Georgiana could make and remake them endlessly. He hoped it would be enough to keep her in bonnets until she came out.
“Oh, Fitzwilliam,” Georgiana called from the dressing room, as she put away the final one, “I almost forgot to mention this. The most curious thing happened in the bookshop in Lambton. I thought nothing of it at the time, but I have been thinking on it since, and it may have something to do with Mrs. Bennet’s change towards you.”
“Oh?” Darcy’s interest was piqued.
“Yes, there were two men speaking near the history section. It was loud enough I heard one of them say something about you and Hollydale. I did not hear the rest, but Mrs. Bennet wasbrowsing the shelves nearer to them. She did not act as though she heard anything, but that does not mean she did not.”
Darcy sat up straighter. “And you heard nothing?”
Georgiana emerged empty-handed. “No, just our name and Hollydale. I assumed they were talking about how we are staying with the Bennets while Mr. Bennet is away, but perhaps there is more.”
“Did you recognize them?”
She shook her head. “You know, one man did seem familiar, though I do not believe he is from Lambton. Do you think it might be important?”
“No, no. Merely curious.” Darcy smiled at his sister. “Why do you not tell me about the books you purchased?”
Chapter Fifteen
Elizabeth paced the length of her bedchamber. The conversation with her mother earlier that day had left her deeply unsettled. She had seen Mamma agitated before, of course. Her mother had been desperate to have all the Bennet girls married as soon as anyone eligible offered, but all of that had vanished when they arrived at Hollydale. Now, her insecurities had been reignited.
It was a terrible dilemma. Was it wise to ask Mr. Darcy to leave when there was a thief on the property? The thief had not entered the house, and they had discovered where the items were being hidden—but they had yet to lay eyes on the perpetrator, nor did they know what he truly wanted.
On the other hand, could she keep Mr. Darcy in the house when her mother was so fraught with anxiety over his presence? Mr. Darcy was the most honourable man she knew—but there was no convincing her mother of anything when she was in this state of mind.
