In the darkness, she could barely make out Cecily’s silhouette kneeling beside the bed. Her sister’s voice came soft and steady. “It’s all right. I’m here. You’re safe. It was a dream.”
Georgiana pressed her palms against her face, sweat cooling on her skin, her chest tight. “I—yes. Just a dream.”
Her hands trembled as she tried to smooth back her hair.
Without a word, she felt the mattress dip as Cecily climbed up beside her, the blanket rustling as her sister pulled it back over both of them. Cecily’s warmth settled against her side.
“When we were children, it was I who had the nightmares,” Cecily said. “Do you remember how I used to climb into bed with you?”
Georgiana gave a shaky laugh, still half-caught in the dream’s grip. “You shouldn’t have to take care of me like this. I am a grown woman.”
“Who cares?” Cecily’s head found her shoulder in the dark. “You’re my sister. And, anyway, it is you who takes care of me. I can feel the burden you carry. For me. For Mother. I hope someday to repay you.”
“You mustn’t think of it that way. I do not. You are my family.”
“And you are mine.”
They lay in silence, the house occasionally creaking. Gradually, Georgiana felt her breathing steady, her pulse slowing to something approaching normal. Soon, she fell asleep, nestled against the warm body of her sister.
*
The next morning,even though neither of them wished to do so, duty toward their mother swayed them to go into the village to visit with Lady Linley at the inn. Georgiana wished to ask her mother about exactly what had transpired in London that had caused her to come searching for them. Her mother’s friend, Mrs. Cline, and her husband had generously offered Lavinia a place to stay. Mrs. Cline was a kind woman, the type who saw the good in everyone. Which meant she was easily manipulated by Lavinia. They’d been friends since childhood and Mrs. Cline had a soft heart for Lavinia. Or at least she’d had one. Her mother had obviously done something terrible for Mrs. Cline to send her away.
What was she to do with Mother now? None of them had homes or husbands. There was nowhere for Lavinia to go. Other than to her daughters.
Before she and Cecily set out, Georgiana went to see James in his study. He was at the desk, poring over ledgers of some sort.
“Georgie, how are you this morning?” He stood, smiling. “Are you going out somewhere?”
She was wearing her best day dress. Leave it to him to notice.
“I’m well, my lord. Thank you. I’ve come to inform you that Cecily and I are going into the village to see our mother this morning. It is necessary that I figure out what she’s really doing here and how to get rid of her.”
He gestured toward the chair closest to the desk. “Please, sit. I want to hear more about her situation. Perhaps I can be of some help.”
Why was he so kind? Why did he make her feel so safe?
She did as he asked, sitting and clasping her hands together on her lap. “Mother has clearly done something to offend her benefactor, Mrs. Cline.” Georgiana explained their history and how Mrs. Cline had offered her a place to live. “I don’t know why Mrs. Cline has been sogenerous. Mother always treated her like a maid rather than a trusted friend. Mother’s love of herself leaves little room for anyone else.”
“Yes, I confess to noticing that myself.”
“She never forgave Mrs. Cline for marrying well. Her husband is a good man and also a clever businessman who has done very well for himself, albeit untitled. Whereas my father was titled but decidedly without cleverness. In fact, he was weak and irresponsible. Mother never forgave him for not being who she thought he was when they married. Things only got worse when he proceeded to gamble away any sense of security.
“Mother’s vain and status-conscious above all else. She wants to be admired and sought after. Instead, invitations stopped coming to balls and parties. She was shunned at the park and at social functions. To have such a public humiliation only made her self-absorption worse.” She found herself telling him more about their childhood. How she and her sister had not felt love from either of their parents. While her father was distracted and distant, their mother was manipulative and controlling. “She was only happy with us if we did something to make her look good.”
“You and Cecily are very close because you only had each other.”
“That’s correct. My sister is an angel. If not for her, I would not have made it through my childhood.”
“And now you must decide what to do with your mother?” James asked. “With little funds to support her.”
“Especially how she likes to live. Her dresses alone could bankrupt me.”
He tilted his head in that way he did when he was thinking through a problem. “You have too much responsibility. Taking care of your mother and sister. And yet you must.”
“Because they are family. I would do anything for Cecily and she for me. But Mother? She’s frustrating and impossible. Try as I might, I easily lose my temper when I’m with her.”
“Perhaps I spoke too hastily yesterday,” James said. “We can make a room for her here.”
