“Perhaps later this year,” said Georgiana. “I cannot think that Mrs. Younge would appreciate Kitty’s presence.”
Lord Matlock caught William’s eye, and Elizabeth did not miss the earl’s shake of his head or William’s responding nod. That suggested something further had happened with Mrs. Younge while they were away, but as his lordship wished to discuss it in private, it could not be an urgent matter.
“Mrs. Younge is in no position to protest anything,” replied William. “If she is not content with her position, she can resign, and we can hire another woman to replace her.”
Georgiana nodded, but she did not respond, and they allowed the subject to rest. That did not mean they did not discuss the subject of Georgiana’s residence.
“Do you wish to stay here, Georgiana, Kitty?” asked Elizabeth. “Now that we have returned, you are welcome to come to our house whenever you like.”
“I am most put out with you, Mrs. Darcy,” said the earl, his glare revealed to be a sham by his trembling lips. “With my daughters married, I have not had the good fortune to host such young ladies as these in some years. And now you wish to take them away?”
“That differs greatly from my father,” laughed Elizabeth. “I cannot but suppose Papa is enjoying his freedom from hordes of young ladies, all chattering about subjects for which he has no interest.”
“Not at all.” Lord Matlock winked. “Should I wish to recover from such talk, I may visit my club. Whenever I do that, I am reminded how stuffy they all are, and how fortunate I am to be among such company.”
Laughter rang out at the earl’s jest. “You should take my father under your wing and train him. Papa’s complaints aboutbeing stuck in a house with naught but young ladies are legendary.”
“Should it persist for months, I may come to agree with him.”
Amid the banter, the girls assured Elizabeth that they were quite comfortable at the earl’s house for the moment.
“If you recall,” said Kitty, “Mama, Mary, and Lydia are to come here soon. When they arrive, we shall join you at William’s house.”
“Very well,” said Elizabeth. Then she turned a grin on the earl and countess and said: “It is well that you are learning something of what hosting my family entails. Mary is quiet, but my mother has never lacked anything to say, and Lydia can create a ruckus enough for three girls her age.”
“Not at all, Mrs. Darcy,” said Lady Susan. “I am anticipating the experience, you may be certain.
“Now,” continued Lady Susan, “there is a matter we must discuss that is far more important than our current living arrangements. Now that you have come to London, we must go shopping as soon as possible to ensure you are outfitted for the season.”
Elizabeth, never having enjoyed shopping, grimaced her distaste, which Kitty found hilarious, and even Jane allowed a smile. The gentlemen looked on all this with amused fondness, William knowing while the earl appeared interested to learn the reason for the sudden change in mood.
“Lizzy has never enjoyed shopping, Lord Matlock,” said Jane, though her fond look at Elizabeth never altered.
“Thatiscurious,” said the earl, “for it was my understanding thatallyoung ladies enjoyed shopping whenever they had the chance. When my daughters were debutantes, I recall enough of the requests for payment from the merchants to understand how eager they were!”
“I am not opposed to shopping,” said Elizabeth. “There is no one who does not like to wear new clothes of excellent quality. It is that I have no patience for excessive shopping when I have so many other interests I prefer. Dress fittings are a particular bane of my existence.”
“Unless I am mistaken,” said William, traitor that he was, “I believe your mother would say it is because you lack the ability to sit still.”
When Elizabeth fixed a glare on her new husband, he put his hands out in the universal sign of surrender, much to the party’s mirth. When she was certain he would not speak out of turn again, Elizabeth huffed her disdain and turned back to the earl and countess, who were both grinning at her.
“The reason my mother says that is because, as a girl, I was not fond of sitting in one place for long. I will note that I outgrew that deficiency, and now count reading, a sedentary activity, to be among my favorite pursuits.”
“Yet, I suspect your dislike of gown fittings stems from that childish restlessness,” said Jane, though with palpable fondness.
“Perhaps it does.” Elizabeth shrugged. “When the occasion demands it, I can sit still as well as the next person. To do so at a dressmaker, where the woman pokes and prods, is only tolerable.”
“Trust me, Elizabeth,” said Lady Susan, “the occasion demands it now. I do not mean to pry or criticize, but am I correct to assume that your trousseau was not substantial?”
Elizabeth would not have suspected Lady Susan of asking for such purposes, though remembering her family’s relative poverty compared to these people embarrassed her. Yet she was not made of such weakness as to allow it to intimidate her, so she gathered her composure and spoke with no hint of hesitation.
“I have a few things, but there was not enough time to obtain much more. My father does not possess the resources to gift mewith unending costly items. Yet I do not think that I lack the fashions to sustain me through the season. What I had last year was sufficient, after all.”
Lady Susan offered Elizabeth a warm smile. “The question is not your current fashions, Elizabeth, for your wardrobe is not insufficient. However, there is a factor you have not considered.”
Elizabeth shook her head; though she was annoyed, it was not with the countess, who had been everything gracious. Rather, she did not hold with the supercilious pride of those who called themselves leading lights of society, and their penchant for looking down on others.
“I suppose you suggest that the fashions I possess are not sufficient for high society and that others will look down on me for my ‘countrified’ way of dressing.”
