“I should like that very much, sir. Thank you,” she said, and pressed his hand before he excused himself and went back to the comfort of his library.
After the initial introductions, Mrs Bennet called for tea and refreshments. Elizabeth sat down on the settee next to Georgiana and looked at the others curiously, wondering where they might place themselves. Some, like Mr Darcy and Mary, simply chose the seat nearest where they stood, but others could not be so uncalculating.
Miss Bingley was quick to claim a seat in Mr Darcy’s line of sight, where she might most conveniently display herself. Elizabeth would have thought her the most shameless in the room, had she not seen Jane eyeing Mr Bingley. She took a seat near him, where an empty chair would have allowed him to sit nearest her, and looked a silent invitation at him.
Avoiding her gaze, Mr Bingley walked away with determined casualness to the far side of the room, where he took the place nearest Georgiana. He did not avoidhergaze, but looked at her with so warm a smile that Elizabeth blinked in surprise. Perhaps it was merely the smile a man would give to the younger sister of his dearest friend, but she did not think so. It looked rather more like the smile of a man most warmly interested in the subject of his gaze.
Even still, Jane arranged herself in her most winsome pose and looked toward him with a demure smile. “Has the weather been fine enough for your daily ride, Mr Bingley? We have not seen you riding past Longbourn as you used to do.”
“No, I have been going out toward Meryton as of late and exploring more of the countryside in that area,” Mr Bingley said coolly. He turned his attention back to Georgiana, hardly even looking at Jane. Elizabeth bit her lip, noticing the hurt in her sister’s eyes. She half-wished she could speak to Mr Bingley, persuade him it had all been nothing more than a terrible mistake.
Unfortunately, that would have been a lie.
Thankfully, her attention was soon called away to pleasanter matters. “How have you been spending your time since we last saw one another? I know you were working on a special project when you were in Scotland,” Georgiana inquired.
Elizabeth felt the heat rising in her cheeks. She had told none of her family that she was working on writing a novel, and she had much rather keep it private. Her mother would surely disapprove, for it was not the sort of task with which a young lady of good family ought to occupy her time. And as to what Jane might say…Elizabeth hated to think of it.
“No, I have not had the time since returning home,” Elizabeth said softly.
Unfortunately, Miss Bingley had overheard Georgiana’s question. “And what is this special project, Miss Elizabeth? Perhaps sewing a new gown?” She looked down her nose at Elizabeth’s dress, all but openly sneering. In her shock at such undisguised rudeness, Elizabeth could not think of what to say. Nor, to judge by the frozen expressions on nearly every face, could anyone else.
Before she could make up her mind, Georgiana spoke up into the silence. “Miss Elizabeth orders her gowns from the dressmaker in Meryton, I believe.” For all her tone was outwardly pleasant, it held a hint of ice. “I had intended to ask her advice while I am here, for I respect her sense of fashion more — indeed, far more — than any other lady I know. How grateful I am that I have Miss Elizabeth to steer me well, in the absence of my beloved mother! Would it not be terrible if I had fallen into the error of dressing with unnecessary and embarrassing showy display for utterly inappropriate occasions?”
All the air seemed to leave the room as Georgiana and Miss Bingley stared at each other. The tension felt like that which accompanies a lightning strike on a stormy summer night.
Their party remained in stunned silence until Georgiana stood regally from the settee. “Miss Elizabeth, I see a very pretty little garden. I should very much like to take a stroll, if you are amenable?”
Elizabeth agreed with alacrity, equally eager to speak to her friend in confidence and to escape the drawing room. Georgiana gave her brother a look, as though to say she wished to be by herself, and he responded with an almost imperceptible nod.
How like him to watch so closely. How like him to understand his sister without so much as a word being said.
Elizabeth was very much afraid that, if she had not already been in love with Mr Darcy, that exchange alone would have stolen away her heart.
To get outside and away from the swirl of confusing emotions filling the drawing room was a profound relief. Elizabeth was delighted that, whether or not Mr Darcy had a hand in it, she and Georgiana were left to walk by themselves. It was a warm day, with the clouds kept at bay for the moment. The flowers were long gone, but the grass and pastures were still green.
Elizabeth smiled at her friend. “It is wonderful to have you here, Georgiana. I hope you will enjoy your visit.”
“I know I shall, now that we have been reunited. Everyone has been so kind to me.” In a last remnant of her old shyness, Georgiana seemed embarrassed at the attention.
Yet there could be no doubt that the new Georgiana was here to stay. Elizabeth could not have imagined the shy young woman she had first met at Strathalt House giving such a public set-down to Miss Bingley. Perhaps more importantly, she carried herself with so much more confidence, so much more open joy, than when they had first met. It made Elizabeth proud to see that she had not reverted to her old ways and gone back into hiding. Georgiana was a jewel, and one that sparkled most brightly when she let herself come out into the light. People deserved to see that side of her.
“I could not help but see that Mr Bingley seems very attentive to you,” Elizabeth began cautiously. “It has raised certain ideas in my mind. I wonder if you have thought of them as well. But if you would rather not speak of it, I shall say no more.”
Georgiana waved her off but blushed profusely, which only made her look more beautiful. “That is exactly what I wished to speak to you about. I have noticed that as well since coming to Netherfield. Of course, it has only been a day, and I cannot tell if he is only being kind or if there is something more to discern from his demeanour,” she said, her words tumbling over each other. “Help me, Elizabeth.”
“I thought so even on my first observation of the two of you together. But what have you noticed?”
Georgiana shrugged, then linked her arm through Elizabeth’s as they walked, the touch seeming to help settle her nerves. “I have always liked Mr Bingley, as my brother’s dearest friend. But since we saw each other again yesterday, that is, after such a long time of not seeing one another, I feel that perhaps there could be something more there. A potential for something more than a friendship. He is so very handsome, and so kind!And yet —” she stopped, biting her lower lip. “Even if it is not just false pride on my part, even if he is truly struck by me as I am by him, I cannot help but think that when he finds out about what happened in my past, he will no longer want to have anything to do with me.”
Elizabeth stopped and placed her hand over Georgiana’s. “I have only known Mr Bingley a short while, but I do not think he is the sort of man to hold a lady’s mistakes against her. Especially those done in ignorance.” She pressed Georgiana’s hand even tighter. “I am sure there is nothing you could have done that is all that terrible.”
“There, you are wrong,” Georgiana sighed. “It is possible that Fitz has already told Mr Bingley of the situation, but I think not. My brother is very loyal. He would not have wished to cast my shame abroad. But if Mr Bingley truly becomes interested in me, he would have to be told. I would not feel right about keeping something like that from him.”
“That is very honourable. Although I do not know the particular circumstances of which you speak, I think you have little to worry about,” Elizabeth said, trying her best to comfort her friend. Though it was rather difficult, as she knew nothing about the events that had caused her distress. After Georgiana did not continue, Elizabeth pressed her ever so gently. “If you would like to talk about it, you may feel free to divulge your story to me. Nothing you say will ever be repeated, I can assure you.”
Georgiana sighed and fell silent. Doubtless, she was preparing to unburden her soul. Elizabeth took her to a more private part of the garden, behind a small copse of trees, where they could not be seen from the window. A low rock wall marked the boundary of the garden. Leading Georgiana there, Elizabeth offered her friend a seat on the little ledge. “It will not muss yourskirts too much, I do not think. This is one of my favourite spots to come when I must be alone to sort through my thoughts. We will not be disturbed here.”
“Thank you,” Georgiana said with a sigh. “I must preface what I am about to tell you with a brief explanation. I was very young, obviously, and I knew even less of the world than I do now. Last year, I thought myself in love with a gentleman. My brother and I had known him all our lives, and I thought I could trust him. When I was away at Ramsgate with Mrs Younge, my companion at the time, I met him again quite by accident — or so I thought. Unfortunately, I found later that Mrs Younge and this man had planned the meeting. They intended to gain my dowry, which is considerable, by convincing me to elope with him to Gretna Green.”
