Chapter Seventeen #2
Georgiana let out a sigh and whispered, “I think I knew he didn’t love me, no matter what he said about being surprised to find me so grown up and beautiful, but the day before my brother arrived, I overheard Mr. Wickham and Mrs. Younge in the entrance hall.
She asked him how things were going. He whispered, ‘Thursday morning,’ very quietly, but I heard it.
We had planned to elope on Thursday, giving Mr. Wickham time to sell one of my necklaces to finance the trip to Scotland.
Hearing them discuss it, I realized Mrs. Younge was in on the plot.
Neither had let me know that they were working together.
All sorts of odd things about her behavior suddenly made sense.
I realized that if she knew what was going on, something was wrong about the whole thing.
I cried myself to sleep, and in the morning, I knew I shouldn’t elope.
I was so grateful when my brother arrived. ”
Richard put a hand on her shoulder and offered a reassuring squeeze. “You did the right thing, telling Darcy. And it would not have been a happy marriage. Mr. Wickham thinks only of himself.”
Georgiana drew in a deep breath. She dashed unspilled tears from her eyes, but Richard still felt she seemed more angry than sad. Dropping his hand, he returned to pretending to study books.
“It’s less than three years until I come out and I don’t know how to tell if someone likes me for me or for my dowry,” Georgiana muttered. “How can I know if a man is a fortune hunter? I can’t hope to have all fortune hunters accidentally reveal themselves.”
How could she, indeed? Richard should be able to tell her, as he contemplated becoming such a man. How would he feel if someone did to Georgiana what he considered doing to Anne? “You can’t tell. People can fool you.”
She frowned at him. “You’re no help.”
“I would think the best course is to let Darcy, or me, look into any gentleman who sparks your interest before you become too enamored, and then to heed our findings, but I suspect you won’t be comfortable telling us who you fancy, and won’t wish to abide by our rulings.”
“You may be correct,” Georgiana said, thoughtful. “While what you advise does sound reasonable now, I recall how I felt about Wickham, and I’m not certain I can trust myself once I have those feelings.”
“That’s why you have us, and Mrs. Annesley.”
They both glanced at the governess, still seated at the table on the other side of the library. She appeared engrossed in her book, but out of the corner of his eyes, Richard had noted her look up often. He approved, even though he was Georgiana’s much older cousin and co-guardian.
Georgiana pulled a face. “Yes, you and Mrs. Annesley, but as to telling Fitz whom I fancy…” Her expression became comically appalled. “You try telling Fitz whom you fancy. It will be like confessing a penchant for arson to a judgmental tree.”
Laughter erupted from Richard, which he tried to cover with a cough.
“Oh, and speaking of Fitz, I have some gossip.”
Normally, Richard would discourage gossip, but Georgiana sounded very excited. “What has Darcy been up to?”
“I think he’s in love.”
Richard stared at her. “What?”
Georgiana nodded seriously, but her eyes danced with mischief. “He doesn’t know he is, of course.”
“Oh course,” Richard agreed. “How do you know he is?”
“Last night, he took me to dinner, and to meet some people. The Gardiners. Who live on Gracechurch Street.” She delivered the street name on a note of triumph, as if that clinched her argument for her brother being in love.
Which it did, insofar as Richard could estimate. “Who is this amazing woman who can not only draw Darcy to visit the home of people who live on Gracechurch, but also compel him to bring you there?” Darcy was unfailingly protective of his little sister.
“Her name is Elizabeth Bennet. She’s very pretty.” Georgiana’s glee dimmed slightly, touched by wistfulness. “And very sure of herself. Smart, and quick and not intimidated by Fitz one bit.”
In other words, everything that Georgiana wished she could be around people she didn’t know well. “She sounds impressive.”
Georgiana nodded. “She’s also some sort of heiress, but I don’t think Fitz cares about that.”
“Heiress?” No, Darcy wouldn’t marry a woman for money. He didn’t need to.
“She’s supposed to inherit some money but has no idea if it is a few pounds or thousands of pounds.
The Gardiners are her aunt and uncle. She and her sister are staying with them.
” Georgiana’s glee returned tenfold. “Mr. Gardiner is in trade. An uncle is in trade.” She smirked.
“Won’t the Viscount Wilmington be angry if they marry?
I hope Fitz marries her and your brother cuts all connections with us. ”
Richard could appreciate her sentiment, but he’d let her gossip and vindictiveness go as far as he should. “Georgiana, you know you should not talk about Thomas so disrespectfully.”
“But how can I respect the rank if I can’t respect the man?”
Richard chuckled. “That’s a dilemma we all have at times.
Consider the Prince Regent.” Regretting that as soon as he said it, because disrespecting the Prince could have far worse repercussions than disrespecting the Right Honorable Viscount Wilmington, Richard continued, “But tell me about Miss Bennet.”
A touch sullen at being reprimanded, Georgiana replied, “Fitz took me to dinner. I met her, her sister, and her aunt and uncle. I liked all of them.”
Ignoring her change in mood in the hope her ire would pass, Richard said, “It certainly does sound like he’s serious.”
“He calls on her and they go on walks together, and when we were at dinner, she disagreed with him about Don Quixote.”
“She did?”
Georgiana nodded. “They argued about whether Don Quixote is a comic novel or a novel about someone whose ideas are right even though society doesn’t accept those ideas, which is what Miss Bennet said. It was fun to listen to them disagreeing without being disagreeable.”
Richard pondered that. Darcy marrying some unknown, possible heiress with ties to trade, who apparently stood up to him with all amicability. “You said you liked the aunt and uncle?”
“They were very nice, and easy to be around, and Fitz likes them, too, I can tell. Mrs. Gardiner, that’s Miss Bennet’s aunt, asked me about what I’m studying, and I mentioned Italian poetry, and she knew some, and she would start them and if I recited them too, she would stop and let me finish them, and then praise me. ” Georgiana blushed.
Fascinated, and wishing he could meet Miss Bennet and her relations to assess them, Richard asked, “What else?”
Georgiana scrunched her face in thought.
“My brother asked Miss Bennet what was more important to study, poetry or novels. She said novels, because poetry may teach you a few things beautifully, but novels are about people and that’s more important to know about.
But she and Mrs. Gardiner, and Miss Mary, all agreed that poetry should be studied, too, because it can be argued that the perfection of a beautiful thing is worth great consideration.
” She frowned slightly. “And then they started to talk about Plato and a cave and shadows. I haven’t studied the Greeks, but Miss Bennet asserted that’s why poetry is worth studying, even if it is not as important as novels. ”
Richard smiled slightly. It was like Darcy to ask a question that could result in belittling poetry, right when Georgiana was obviously opening up to people by discussing poetry.
Darcy didn’t do these things deliberately, of course.
The comparison of novels and poetry was a logical step in conversation, and Georgiana did translate novels as well.
Darcy would never realize his question, depending on Miss Bennet’s reply, might squash Georgiana’s conversation with Mrs. Gardiner.
“And then Miss Bennet said she might be biased, because she didn’t have my skill with interpreting poetry.” Georgiana smiled.
Richard felt he was going to like this Miss Bennet. She sounded like she was good for Darcy. “So you like her?”
“Very much. I know I was being petty earlier, about them wedding simply to spite your brother, but I really do hope they marry. You’ll understand when you meet her.
She makes conversation better, and easier.
When Fitz says awkward things, or I don’t know what to say, she fixes that.
I think I will be more confident in company with her near me. ”
Georgiana was shy except with him, Mrs. Annesley and Darcy.
Richard and Darcy had discussed the issue extensively and attempted to encourage her to be more open in company, but perhaps two men twice her age and a widowed companion weren’t the best people to help her.
A better solution would be for Darcy to marry someone who would support Georgiana and help her gain confidence, and Miss Bennet sounded like a good possibility.
With no further encouragement, Georgiana recounted the entire outing.
Richard interrupted little, happy for both Georgiana and Darcy.
Only a little envy filled him for what it seemed Darcy would soon have.
Richard wished that, like Darcy, he didn’t need to guarantee his future by wedding for connections and money.