A deep curtsy and bow of her head accompanied her greeting. “Lady Matlock, what a pleasure to see you again.”
Georgiana seemed a bit surprised by the greeting, since Elizabeth had never mentioned the visit to Matlock, but she forgot that and ran over to give her aunt a big hug. Elizabeth was not surprised by either the affection or the informality.
Lady Matlock squeezed her niece hard for a moment, as if to prove she was in one piece, stepped back, seized her by the shoulders, and subjected her to a thorough scrutiny. Elizabeth presumed she passed muster, for Lady Matlock stepped aside to address the room—an order dictated more by proximity than precedence, as if precedence could be determined in such a situation.
“Miss Bennet, Miss Wythe, Mr Wythe, Mrs Wythe—what an absolute pleasure to see you all again.”
After giving her niece another squeeze, the countess approached Elizabeth. “Well met, Miss Bennet. Very well met, indeed. I told you we would meet again.”
“I imagine you did, my lady.”
To Elizabeth’s complete surprise, Lady Matlock wrapped her in a tight embrace, and whispered in her ear, “I am so very happy to see you, my dear.”
Elizabeth might have been shocked, but days of Pemberley madness and a lifetime of Bennet lunacy had left her resilient, so she whispered back, “Probably not as happy as I am to see you.”
“We shall see, Miss Bennet. May I call you Elizabeth?”
“Of course.”
Lady Matlock released her, then walked over to Margaret, who looked uncertain how to act. She gave Mrs Wythe a wink and embraced Margaret much as she had Elizabeth. The Wythes were no more bothered by a countess hugging their daughter than they were by anything else. They thought the lady could very well make her own rules of decorum, so long as she was affectionate.
Robert Breton had entered with the countess but stood quietly off to the side, so Elizabeth greeted him. “Mr Breton. well met! Will you join us for tea?”
Elizabeth wondered if Lady Matlock would object, but the question was answered immediately.
“Come, Robert,” said she. “I must have you sit. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had much better sit and have some tea.”
Quite to Elizabeth’s surprise, Mr Breton laughed heartily, came over, gave the countess a kiss on the cheek, and sat down. Elizabeth wondered ifanybodyin this family followed the usual rules of propriety.
Smiling broadly, Lady Matlock said, “Do not panic, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth nodded mutely.
“I assume you are wondering if I even read the deportment manuals. We normally operate with the generally accepted rules of formality, at least when visitors are present, but after this week, I feel as though you are family. Did you know that when young Robert took his very first steps, it was toward me? I was visiting Pemberley, and he was out of doors with his mother. I have been teasing him about the fall he took ever since.”
Shaking her head in confusion, Elizabeth saw Mr Breton smile. “It was all your fault, my lady.”
She laughed as if they had been sharing the same joke since he learned to talk.
The tea had gone cold, so Georgiana stacked the teacups aside, procured fresh, and poured again. For a few minutes, Elizabeth sat back and listened as the three who knew each other so well conversed about commonplaces. Lady Matlock did not draw her into the conversation, but Elizabeth suspected the lady was merely allowing her a respite.
Finally, after the polite talk had been exhausted and everyone finished their tea, Elizabeth decided to turn the conversation in the proper direction.
“Lady Matlock, I am so happy to see you. I will be ever so pleased to turn the management over to a proper mistress.”
Georgiana and Margaret nodded eagerly, smiling hugely. They were both more exhausted and overwhelmed than Elizabeth was, not because they did more work, but because they were not accustomed to it.
“Why on Earth would I do that? Pemberley already has a proper mistress.”
Elizabeth stared at her, having not the vaguest notion of what to say.
Lady Matlock leaned forward on the sofa, reached over, and took Elizabeth’s hands. “You need not worry about censure. You have done well, very well indeed. There can be no two opinions on the subject.”
Elizabeth sputtered, “But… but—,” and finally surrendered when she had nothing but grunts to contribute.
Lady Matlock raised her voice. “Robert, tell me what I should change in the management of the estate.”
“Stay out of Miss Bennet’s way, my lady. Everything is being done just as it should.”
