“I hope so,” Elizabeth told her. “I can hardly wait to see Jane! I do hope you will enjoy her company, Georgiana. I think you will.”
Georgiana smiled. “If she is as wonderful as you, then I know we will be fast friends.”
“It will be a pleasant visit, I think,” Darcy put in. “I know I look forward to introducing Bingley to you, Elizabeth.”
“As I look forward to meeting him, for I well recall all you said in his praise. Tell me a little more — do you have a great deal in common in terms of personality?” Elizabeth asked her husband.
“No, not really. He is not as quiet as I am and mixes more easily with people he has never met.” Darcy patted her hand. “Although I am getting better at that. I think you will be a good influence on me when we go to the London Season. I shall have a beautiful woman on my arm, and will not have to fight off the advances of the eager mothers any longer.”
“Eagermothers?” Elizabeth asked, scrunching up her nose. “What on earth are you speaking of?”
“Matchmaking mothers, Lizzy. On all my previous visits to London, I had to fight off ambitious mothers who wanted to find a good match for their daughters everywhere I went.”
Elizabeth patted his arm. “Yes, well, you will not have to worry on that account any longer. No woman may have you but me.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I would not have it any other way.”
Just then, the bell rang, and the butler went to open the door. Elizabeth let go of her husband’s arm and stood at the door to meet Jane as soon as she entered the house. She squealed with delight when she saw her. “Jane!”
Despite what manners might have suggested, the introductions must wait until Elizabeth and Jane had their fill of embraces, which, after an absence of more than half a year, took a considerable time.
At last, Elizabeth let her sister go.
“Jane, this is my sister-in-law, Georgiana Wickham. And you remember my husband,” she beamed.
“Of course,” Jane said, nodding politely. “How do you do, Mr Darcy?”
“I am very well. Even better now that you are here. Elizabeth has been looking forward to your visit since the moment I brought her home to Pemberley.”
“Well, almost,” Elizabeth said. “It took me quite some time to settle in, but I have longed to have you come and stay with us.” She turned to Georgiana and finished the introductions. “Georgiana, may I present my sister, Jane Bennet?”
“It is so nice to meet you,” Georgiana said and pressed Jane’s hand.
“Now, I am sure you are tired from your journey. Would you like to change and rest for a little while before tea, or shall we leave you alone until supper?”
“Oh, no, I’ll come down for tea. I shall just set some things down in my room, if that is not inconvenient?”
“Yes, of course.”
“We will wait for you in the drawing room,” Darcy said, and led Georgiana out.
Elizabeth was glad for a chance to speak with Jane alone. “How was your journey?” she asked as her luggage was brought upstairs from the carriage. “Oh, I have missed you.”
Jane smiled over at her and sighed as they climbed the stairs. “I have missed you, too. We all have.”
They soon entered Jane’s guestroom, and she took off her gloves. She sank onto the edge of the bed. Elizabeth sat across from her, just as they had been accustomed to doing when they were still living at Longbourn. “How is everyone?” she asked.
“Everyone is very well. Mama is in a hurry to see us all married, as usual. You will recall that the militia was in Meryton this winter.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I could hardly forget Kitty and Lydia’s excitement, nor how much freedom Mama gave them to chase the officers.”
Jane winced a little. “They were not, perhaps, as discrete as I would have wished, but there was no real harm in it.”
Elizabeth looked at her closely. “Yet you do not sound quite at ease.”
Jane sighed. “Now that the militia will leave soon, the house has been in an uproar. The commander has invited Lydia to go to Brighton as his wife’s guest, and Papa is considering allowing it.”
Elizabeth’s face fell. The idea seemed a most hazardous one, but she was hardly in a position to offer her opinion — if, indeed, she ever had been. “Well, that would certainly be exciting for her. But I confess I do not think it quite safe.”
