“That is nonsensical, Mrs. Younge,” said Darcy, the woman’s charges displeasing him. “The Bennets are a respectable and gentle family. Though they are not of the first circles, if you recall,Iwas not of the first circles myself until recently. There is nothing the matter with them.”
“On the contrary, Mr. Darcy,” said Mrs. Younge, “their manners are not fashionable, which will lead to difficulties for Miss Darcy. The level of society in which she will move has certain standards of comportment she cannot meet if she continues in this fashion.
“Please understand that I am not trying to disparage your future family; I am only telling you the truth.”
“The truth as you see it,” snapped Darcy.
The woman shrugged, but she made no more attempt to make that point. Instead, she pivoted to a subject she had already raised and more than once.
“It is the perfect time for Miss Darcy to separate herself from your future family and engage in a little reflection about her future. As such, I suggest taking her to the house in Ramsgate to stay for a time—as you know, it is a notion I discussed with her brother before his untimely passing.”
“I might wonder, Mrs. Younge,” said Darcy, “why you have pushed this Ramsgate scheme with the zeal you have. Is it so important that Georgiana go there?”
“As I said—”
“I am well aware of what you said and do not need you to repeat it.”
Silenced, Mrs. Younge did not retreat, her flat glare mutinous. Darcy waited for a moment to see if she would attempt to make her case, and when she did not, he addressed her again.
“As you appear to have forgotten, I shall remind you. Georgiana is to stay with me. For the moment, she will remain at Netherfield in my company, and when I marry, I suspect she will move to London to stay with the earl and countess. This may not meet with your approval, but you had best get used to it, for it will not change.
“I am not interested in hearing any further attacks concerning my betrothed and her sisters.”
“I did not attack them.” The woman appeared almost offended.
“Perhaps not in so many words, but it is clear you disapprove of them. Let me be clear, so there is no misunderstanding. Itis not your place to disapprove of anyone of a higher sphere than you inhabit yourself. You are a companion, Mrs. Younge, a woman hired to see to Georgiana’s education and help her move in society. You should recall that I am to be married in two weeks; once I am married, I might consider your services unnecessary, for I do not think anyone could help my sister move in society so well as my wife.”
Though Mrs. Younge did not release a verbal sign of her disdain, she felt it. “I am Miss Darcy’s companion, Mr. Darcy. You do not have the power to dismiss me.”
“While that might be true at present,” retorted Darcy, “I am soon to be Georgiana’s guardian by law, and that gives me at least half of the authority over her concerns. Your wages come from Pemberley’s coffers. Did you forget that?”
The glare with which the woman regarded him told Darcy shehad notforgotten, little though she wished to acknowledge it. When she did not speak, Darcy continued her instruction, unwilling to listen to her any further.
“Even if I cannot dismiss you by my word alone, if I speak to Fitzwilliam, he will agree with me as I am to have primary responsibility for her care. Do not test me, Mrs. Younge, or you may find yourself seeking a new position.”
In truth, Darcy had rarely seen a woman so proud as Mrs. Younge among the servant class. Then again, he had never had to deal with such a woman himself for obvious reasons, and as companions were more than servants though less than family, he supposed a certain measure of self-confidence was understandable. It was fortunate for her continued employment that she did not appear inclined to belabor the point.
“Very well,” said she at length. “Please, Mr. Darcy, do not suppose that I intend any slight on the Miss Bennets, for I know no harm of them. Though candid, my opinions are honest—Miss Darcy’s brother always respected and appreciated this.”
“I expect he did,” said Darcy. “However, I am not him. Georgiana suffered significant losses in her brief life, and her most recent loss was only three months ago. By her own account, she appreciates the joy my fiancée’s family has brought into her life. For the foreseeable future, she will remain with us and with her uncle in town. Please accept that this is the best for her.”
The nod the woman offered was curt, and she soon excused herself thereafter. So disturbed was Darcy by the encounter that after he thought on it for a time, he summoned the housekeeper and gave her a set of instructions. Not long thereafter, Georgiana entered his study, curious to know why he had summoned her.
“You were not with Mrs. Younge?”
Appearing nonplused by the question, Georgiana shook her head. “No, I have been in your mother’s company this afternoon. Mrs. Younge retired to her rooms with a slight indisposition not long after luncheon.”
Darcy frowned, wondering what it meant that the woman had misled her charge. “Please say nothing to your companion, but she approached me not fifteen minutes ago to again press for the holiday she suggested for you.”
Georgiana’s eyes widened. “The stay in Ramsgate?”
“The same,” agreed Darcy. “For some reason I cannot fathom, she appears intent upon taking you to Ramsgate, for this is at least the third time she has raised the subject since I have known her.”
“That is curious,” said Georgiana. “I cannot imagine why she is so insistent.”
“At the moment, she does not approve of Elizabeth and her family. She claims they are not a good example for you, that their ‘unfashionable manners’ would infect you and make it more difficult for you to move in society when you come out.”
Darcy did not miss Georgiana’s impatience to refute such a claim. “That is as far from the truth as it is possible to be.Introducing Kitty and Lizzy and all her family to me has proven my salvation.”
