They were interrupted by his valet, announcing the arrival of Colonel Fitzwilliam.
Elizabeth rose quickly and, to her delight, found Anna waiting for her.
“Parker sent me,” Anna explained, responding to her surprise. “Madam, I wanted to tell you how honoured I am to be your lady’s maid.”
“Dear Anna, I, too, am glad to have someone like you who will help me understand the affairs of this household in the days ahead. First, I need to address something very urgent. I require some clothes immediately and have no time for shopping.”
“Miss Darcy will assist you, madam, I am sure,” Anna suggested.
A discreet knock interrupted them. As though sensing that the conversation concerned her, Georgiana stepped into the room and carefully closed the door behind her.
“I have just seen Richard, and this morning, he seems so calm,” she said, her delight evident. “Before you arrived, we could not soothe him in any way. I do not think he has slept at all since…the accident. But last night, he finally rested.”
She looked around. “This is Mother’s room,” she said, and Elizabeth blushed, unsure how to interpret her words. Immediately, however, Georgiana noticed her embarrassment and embraced her warmly. “Goodness! Do not imagine it as a reproach. From tomorrow, you will be Mrs Darcy. This is your room. It is my memories that lend this tone to my voice. My mother died when I was six. At that time, I had not yet moved out of the nursery, which is situated directly across from thisroom. Some mornings, I would wake up in Mother’s bed because she would come to bring me here. Those were such happy times!”
It was Elizabeth’s turn to embrace Georgiana, offering solace for a grief rooted not only in the past but also in the dreadful present.
With a childlike gesture, Georgiana took her hand, and together, they dashed across the hall to her childhood room. It was unchanged, with a small canopy bed draped in pink curtains, and scattered around the room were her toys—dolls, a doll’s house that likely resembled Pemberley, a miniature set of nine-pins, and a horse on wheels, which Georgiana stroked with tenderness. “This was my favourite because Mama told me it was once Fitzwilliam’s,” she said.
They returned to Elizabeth’s room slightly invigorated, but upon their arrival, Elizabeth was once again seized by worry. To fret over her attire was unusual for her, and in their dramatic situation, it seemed trivial. Yet it was, in truth, much more than that. She simply wanted to be, in every possible way, a wife worthy of him at that strange but love-filled wedding he so earnestly desired.
Perhaps she had never lacked wit, but she had undoubtedly always lacked fashion. Now, however, she needed both.
“Do you want me to leave you to dress?” asked Georgiana, attempting to demonstrate that her vulnerability had passed.
Elizabeth, instead of answering, shook her head again, her unease becoming all the more apparent through the silence that settled between them.
“What is it?” Georgiana asked, still haunted by the fear that Elizabeth might change her mind. “You are not leaving, are you?”
“I am not leaving,” Elizabeth replied, somewhat reassured by Georgiana’s response, which showed she was welcome in this place. “But—”
She stopped again. They remained standing. Anna watched them, curious and pleased to be allowed to witness their conversation.
“Georgiana…I am utterly unprepared to assume this enormous role as Fitzwilliam’s wife—”
“You will learn. We are all here to support you.”
Elizabeth shook her head lightly. “It is not about what I must do. It is this.” She opened her arms wide, hoping Georgiana would understand. Her dressing gown, though her finest, was far from what the mistress of this grand house should wear.
“What?” Georgiana asked.
“Miss Bennet requires new clothes,” Anna ventured, emboldened, and both women turned towards her.
“Is it true?” Georgiana asked.
“It is,” Elizabeth admitted, blushing at the awkwardness of the situation. She had never placed much value on how she dressed. Yet, now she was acutely aware that she could not present herself as she had at Longbourn or Meryton, regardless of Mrs Gardiner’s improvements to her clothing.
“Oh, how wonderful!” Georgiana sighed in relief and immediately flung open the doors of an immense wardrobe that spanned nearly half the wall. “It is too late to make many arrangements before the wedding, as there is much to prepare, but afterwards, you may order anything you wish. We have a dressmaker whom all the ladies in our family use, and Emma, Anna’s sister, is our seamstress. She lives here. For now, you will find everything you need in Mother’s wardrobe, and Emma will make any alterations needed.”
“But these are your mother’s clothes!” Elizabeth exclaimed.
“Yes, but Mother embraced every new fashion the moment it appeared—low necks, high busts, short sleeves, high waists—dainty and effortlessly elegant. I am certain there are at least two dozen gowns for any occasion that can be adjusted to suit your preferences.”
Elizabeth hesitated once more.
“I do not wish you to feel offended by my offering you old garments. I assure you, Mother—”
Elizabeth interrupted with a small yet firm gesture. “It is not that. I have four sisters. In our household, it is rare for a piece of clothing not to be worn by more than one person…”
