Chapter Two
Georgiana could hear her brother's and sister-in-law's voices as she stepped downstairs. She paused in the hall.
'I cannot reconcile it,' Fitzwilliam was saying.
'There is nothing to reconcile. You believed you were doing right; and when you ceased to believe yourself right, you ceased doing it. It is quite humbling, I assure you. I shall become a languid insipid wife who breathlessly and adoringly hangs on your every word if you are not careful to check your goodness.'
Georgiana took a deep breath and walked into the room, hesitating. A dependent sister was quite different from mistress of the household, no matter how ineptly she had fulfilled her duties; she did not know where to sit.
'Good morning, dear.'
'Please, sit down,' Mrs Darcy said graciously, gesturing at the place to Fitzwilliam's left. She herself was not in the mistress' seat at the foot, but at Fitzwilliam's right hand. 'Have you had the opportunity to practise on the beautiful pianoforte I saw last summer?'
Georgiana instantly brightened. 'Oh yes. I have never heard a finer one, it sounds so beautiful.'
'Nothing is too good for you,' said Fitzwilliam. 'Could you pass the marmalade?'
'Your brother,' said Mrs Darcy, 'is determined to spoil everyone in his life, I think.'
Georgiana shot a quick, nervous look at her brother, but he did not look remotely discomposed. 'I seem to have failed then,' he said in a tone that could only be called amiable, and Georgiana blushed.
'I — I understand you play, Mrs Darcy? I hope you will allow us the pleasure of hearing you,' she said.
'Whether it is a pleasure I will leave to you to decide,' her sister-in-law said merrily. 'But you must use my Christian name, or I shall feel old and infirm.'
'Oh! I am dreadfully sorry,' Georgiana cried, blushing furiously. 'Please forgive me.'
Mrs Darcy laughed. 'I was only teasing you a little, Georgiana. You may call me whatever you wish, though I would prefer "Elizabeth." '
'Then "Elizabeth" it shall be,' Georgiana said, in as decided a tone as she dared.
'I hope you left your grandmother in good health?'
'Yes, she always enjoys excellent heal— oh! I forgot, there is a letter for you, Fitzwilliam.'
He smiled at her, then told Mrs Darcy, 'You will discover soon enough, my dear, that you have for family two of the most absent minded people in the world; is it not so, Georgiana?'
'Yes,' she said ruefully, 'I am terribly forgetful, I have to have everything organised just so or I can never find anything.'
Mrs Darcy chuckled. 'Now I know why are you so particular, dearest. Georgiana, your brother is constantly tidying up after me. Well, since there is a good reason, I shall permit you to continue.'
Georgiana's good breeding was just sufficient to keep her from staring. When had anybody ever permitted Fitzwilliam to do anything? Even Father—
Mrs Darcy was everything lovely and amiable, Georgiana decided, but a very strange creature by way of a wife.
'Grandmama told me that the letter is about Milton,' she said awkwardly. Fitzwilliam's expression instantly closed. As a child she had disliked that look; now she knew better than to think he was necessarily displeased with her. In fact, she knew exactly whom he was really displeased with.
Georgiana remembered the whispered tales at school, and how Miss Grantley's brothers went off drinking and gambling and visiting Ladies of the Night, and above all poor Laura, and couldn't help agreeing with him.
'Forgive us for not calling sooner,' Lady Cardwell said briskly. 'Lord Cardwell was indisposed.'
Georgiana glanced at the unprepossessing baron. She rather thought that his indisposition had not entirely passed.
'Of course,' Mrs Darcy replied, with the half-smile that Georgiana had seen a great deal of in the last few days, though only in company, when she was forced to restrain her native good humour. 'I hope your health is improved, sir.'
Lord Cardwell grunted. 'Tolerably.'
She looked at Fitzwilliam, her eyes dancing, and her smile widened a little before she returned her attention to the Cardwells. Much to Georgiana's relief, his usual sedateness gave way to a look of pleased bewilderment.
'Ah — is Mr Cardwell in town for the winter?' Fitzwilliam asked.
'He was expected last week,' Lady Cardwell replied. 'Now he says he should be here by Christmas. He is in Scotland; apparently the weather is something terrible there. I am quite vexed, I assure you.'
Georgiana looked wistfully out the window. Her brother had said it would be a cold winter, and of course, he was right. The flakes were falling more heavily than she remembered ever before — for many years, she had only been at Pemberley during the summer, but even as a young girl, when she would sometimes sneak out with Fitzwilliam to play in the snow, it had never been like this. The Cardwells were among their closest neighbours, but she could scarcely believe even they had dared the journey. How much colder would it be so far to the north?
'— with Miss Darcy.'
Georgiana started, glancing fearfully from one to another. She was a little easier with the Cardwells, whom she had known all her life, but even with them she hated hearing her name, the prospect of the smallest attention.
'I had not thought to attend,' Fitzwilliam began. 'The weather is so inclement — '
'Nonsense. The worst shall be past by then, I am sure of it — the ball would have been postponed otherwise, I am certain.'
'Oh, I do hope we shall be able to go,' Elizabeth said, her eyes alight. 'My uncle and aunt are expected by then — on Wednesday fortnight — so it would be very pleasant for all of us.'
'If we do,' Fitzwilliam said, 'Mr Cardwell, of course, may ask for Miss Darcy's hand, as may any gentleman in attendance.'
Georgiana swallowed.
'I hope you will do my son the honour, Miss Darcy,' said Lady Cardwell, 'he is very much looking forward to seeing you again.'
Georgiana dropped her eyes, her fingers plucking at her skirt. 'I, er, I hope to, to, I hope his journey is pleasant and safe.' She looked anxiously at her brother, who moved to the back of her chair and set his hand on her shoulder. It was only a light weight, but she knew how strong he was and she felt reassured. Fitzwilliam would not let anyone take advantage of her. He had rescued her from That Man, after all. No matter how idle and vain and ignorant she was, he would always take care of her.
And Mrs Darcy . . . she was so brilliant and witty and sparkling that she could not be much interested in a tediously dull sister-in-law, but for Fitzwilliam's sake she would do her best to look after her. Georgiana smiled, much relieved.
'Mrs Darcy,' declared Lady Cardwell, 'the announcement of your marriage took me quite by surprise. We had not a word of it. Where are your people from?'
Georgiana would have fled, or burst into tears, under such scrutiny; Mrs Darcy said without hesitation, 'Hertfordshire, ma'am.'
'And your home, what is it called?'
Was that a twitch in her jaw? 'Longbourn.'
'Never heard of it,' muttered Lord Cardwell.
'I would be very surprised if you had.'
Lady Cardwell's chins wobbled as she almost gaped at Mrs Darcy. 'Bennet, Bennet. I am certain I know the name. Ah! The Earls of Arlington, of course -- '
'I regret to inform your ladyship that there is no connection whatsoever.'
'No connection? Then who are you?'
Even Georgiana could see the mischief gleaming in her sister's dark eyes. 'I assure you that I am entirely without grand connections, and before my marriage, I was in all respects a person of very little significance in the world.'
'How singular,' pronounced Lady Cardwell, with a doubtful look at Mrs Darcy. Then her eyes widened in horror. 'Your father is a gentleman, at the very least?'
'Yes.'
She heaved an expansive sigh of relief. 'That is something. Well— ' she raised her lorgnette — 'you seem a pleasant, prettyish sort of girl. I daresay you, sir, are no more of a fool than you have ever been.'
Mrs Darcy said graciously, 'Thank you, ma'am.' Fitzwilliam's hand, which had tightened painfully on Georgiana's shoulder, relaxed a little.
'I am very pleased you think so,' he said.
Georgiana was deeply relieved when they were gone. Mrs Darcy instantly began laughing. 'Oh! I was sure I could not keep my countenance. Has she always been so impertinent?'
Georgiana nodded fervently.
'Yes, without a doubt.' Fitzwilliam stepped away from Georgiana's side and she smiled affectionately at him. He might be in love, and some people said he was a fool for love, but that was nonsense; he could not be foolish if his life depended on it, and he was as kind and careful a guardian as he had ever been. 'My mother could scarcely tolerate her, and only just managed it. She is too influential to simply disregard as one might others of her type — and still worse, a connection of ours.'
'Oh? Perhaps she is not quite so bad as I thought.' Mrs Darcy's eyes crinkled up. 'And I was so certain I had finally sorted out your family.'
'Impossible,' said Fitzwilliam, actually laughing. That was twice in less than a week! 'I have not yet managed it myself. I really think that everybody here is interrelated somehow.'
'You do not know?' She looked startled.
'Lady Cardwell is Laura's mother,' Georgiana blurted out, then flushed and looked at her hands.
'Laura?'
'Laura was married to my cousin James, who you met yesterday. The clergyman.'
'Oh! Little Sophy's father.'
Georgiana felt a wave of misery wash over her, though she loved Sophia as dearly as any of the children. Fitzwilliam looked even more forbidding than usual.
After one quick glance at both, Mrs Darcy smoothly changed the subject.