“He has not said anything so far. He is not likely to change tack now.”
Georgiana’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? How long has he been there?”
Blast it!He had not meant to reveal that! After a sigh, he admitted, “He arrived with the militia whilst I was there last month.”
“You did not mention it!”
“I did not wish to distress you. Besides, there was little to tell. I encountered him but once. We did not speak then or afterwards. He knew better than to provoke me.”
“But what was he doing there? What brought him to the same town as you?”
“Nothing more sinister than happenstance. The point is, whatever he may have said aboutme,it is very clear he said nothing aboutyou, for I should certainly have heard of it if he had.” Darcy waited for Georgiana to nod, then added, “Pray, do not be anxious. I shall collect Anne myself before Wickham can cause any more harm.”
“It is four days before Christmas. I cannot ask it of you.” It was obvious from her expression how much she wished him to do just that.
“It is as much for Anne as for you,” he assured her. God knew what his aunt was about, allowing her frail and sickly daughter to gad about the country in the midst of winter in such a fashion. “Besides, Meryton is less than thirty miles distance. If I were travelling alone, I could be there and back in a day.” He knew this, because he had contemplated making the journey more times in the last few weeks than he cared to admit. “With your cousin, I may take longer, but still, if I leave first thing on Monday, I shall be back on Christmas Eve.”
Georgiana smiled an apologetic but grateful smile. “Thank you, Brother. You are very good.”
He reached to give her hand a quick pat, offered her a reassuring smile, then left the room to begin barking orders at his man to pack his trunks in an effort to release some of his own violent perturbation.
* * *
Charlotte attached herself to Elizabeth’s arm as soon as she entered the Meryton assembly rooms. “Where have you been? Why are you so late?”
“Good evening, Charlotte,” Elizabeth replied, laughing. “And, to the best of my knowledge, we are not late.”
“Forgive me. ’Tis only that Miss de Bourgh made such a fuss about coming, we were the first to arrive, and she has been asking after you ever since.”
Elizabeth directed them to their usual seats near the large front window, favoured for being the only source of fresh air in what was always an unbearably hot place. She opened one of the casements and set the stay on its catch.
“Why on earth has she been asking after me?” She turned back in time to see Charlotte shrug.
“I presume she wished to know who was coming. I think she has bundled all of your family into one entity in her mind, and you represent every Bennet there is.”
“There are enough of us,” Elizabeth admitted. “Well, we are here now. But where is she?”
“In the cloakroom. Mrs Jenkinson has taken her there three times already to ensure she does not overexert herself.”
“How can she be overexerted? The dancing has not yet begun.”
“I am sure I do not know. Mr Collins speaks often of her indifferent health, but I am not aware of any specific illness. There is truth to it though, for she occasionally betrays uncommon frailty, and she is very easily fatigued.”
“Mrs Bayley used to suffer similarly. Do you recall? She would be in perfect health one day and bed-ridden the next, unable to lift a cup to her lips.”
“I do recall, now that you mention it. Whatever happened to her?”
“Her husband moved her to the coast in the hope that the sea air would help. I pity Miss de Bourgh if she is afflicted in the same way. It seemed a debilitating condition.” The acknowledgement made Elizabeth rather more sympathetic to Miss de Bourgh’s want of accomplishments, which she had hitherto, rather uncharitably, attributed to indolence. “But you do not look as though you agree.”
“If she is that unwell, she ought not to have come. If something happens to her, Lady Catherine is sure to blame Mr Collins for having allowed it.”
Elizabeth laughed at that. “Miss de Bourgh does not strike me as the sort of woman who requires permission to do anything she wishes. Wilfulness seems to be a strong family trait.”
“That will not stop Lady Catherine from laying the blame at Mr Collins’s door.”
Elizabeth thought Mrs Jenkinson must surely take her share of the blame, the sole purpose of her employment being to safeguard Miss de Bourgh. Nevertheless, she could perceive that Charlotte was genuinely anxious and thought it better to ease her mind than argue the point.
“Then we had better ensure no harm comes to her.”
