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Richard genuinely had no idea if Lady Napier would allow such a thing.

“You will be welcome Colonel. I hope that you receive clarity of thought.”

Two minutes later he was on his horse back into Bath.

--

The example of Miss Manners and her imaginary sins would not leave Richard’s mind. He thought not of her but of his ward. For the last few years he had absolved her of nearly all the blame. Wickham, Mrs. Young, and Darcy himself all bore more of the blame, or so Richard had thought. But the dispassionate and calm, yet cold, words of Lady Napier had skewered all that. Georgiana Darcy might have been an orphan, but materially she had wanted for nothing, had been taught and tutored by the very best her brother could engage, and knew the expectations of a member of the Darcy and Fitzwilliam families. And she had agreed to throw it all away for a penniless rogue like Wickham. If Richard knew the same about Miss Manners, would he tell Anton van Grant? Of course he would. Tony would be marrying soiled goods.

He closed his eyes, unable to think the same of his ward. Do as I say, not as I do. Not quite the right analogy, but close enough.

He tried to forget this issue and think of something else, or rather someone else.

Lady Napier was an extremely attractive woman. She had a razor sharp mind, a compassionate soul as evidenced by the numerous maimed men that she employed, and yet an unforgiving nature at the same time. He doubted that she would allow him to present Georgiana to her.

He lowered his head and sighed. He had not even started his suit and it was over already. Lady Napier would never consider him when she thought of the behaviour of his ward Georgiana Darcy. She had not been used and cast aside by Wickham. What was even worse she had not been cast aside. She had not only been saved from the rogue with whom she was heading to Greta the very next morning, she had been saved from herself. And what did that say of her.

Richard Fitzwilliam would protect her reputation and instinctively knew that Lady Napier would do nothing to ruin Georgiana. But for his suit, there was no overcoming this obstacle.

Despite his problems with nearly all the members of his family, family still won out.

--

“Stay Mr. Jones.”

Tea was called for and all three of them knew it was a nothing but a means to calm Elizabeth’s mind. Eventually she was ready to talk.

“Your thoughts?”

“I was surprised that you allowed him to call next week.”

Thomas Jones nodded in agreement at Harriet’s observation.

“He will come to take his leave. He will not be back. If he does not then I will make sure he understands that there can be nothing between us. But I could see it in his face. She is his ward, his cousin, family comes first.”

“Will he maintain your confidence?”

“After this evening there will be no evidence. The two men will vanish off the face of the earth. I suspect he is disappointed that he could not run the man through. No, I have no doubts about his discretion.”

“His mother?”

Elizabeth nodded at Harriet’s question.

“I do not know. I am lunching with her next week. When I arrive I will be using a cane and trying to display a most convincing limp. Nothing but a silly little accident but it will limit my attendance at any social events. I will remain out of circulation until the end of September, this marriage will be over and by then the great and the good will have started to leave, either to their estates or back to London.

“After Michaelmas, I will consider the remainder of the year. Mr. Lawrence is here next week, and that may be the start of those deliberations.”

Harriet was Elizabeth’s friend.

“And the Colonel?”

A sigh.

“I was conflicted before all this. If anything came of this then it would have taken a long time. But this clarifies everything for me.”

She shook her head and stood.

“I am going to visit Lord Napier’s grave. I need to remember our time together.”