Chapter 23 #2
Elizabeth agreed, and she saw that Georgiana, who had been listening, seemed as comforted as she by the idea that it was not spreading insult or gossip to talk to one or two trusted relations.
Certain she saw a question in Georgiana’s eyes, Elizabeth reached over to take one of her hands, and she said, “Of course William and I would be happy to perform the same service for you.”
Georgiana bobbed her head. “I was just thinking the same thing,” she whispered.
“Are you almost done writing your letter, Mrs Darcy?” When William used her new name and title in such a way, it always made Elizabeth smile.
“I am not almost done; at the moment I am merely nearly almost done. I will hasten, however.”
Again, Elizabeth scanned Jane’s letter. Her sister had written that, although the article had not mentioned it, Charlotte Lucas had helped Mr Collins with his wedding-breakfast good deeds at least two separate times, and that mama wrote that, since the event, the parson had spent a surprising amount of time at the Lucas house.
Elizabeth considered that news. She did not know Miss Lucas well, but she seemed a very good sort of person: practical, kind, hard-working.
She could see her being a parson’s wife quite easily, and although she knew that Miss Lucas was much more intelligent than Mr Collins, as long as he was kind, the two might have a successful marriage.
And, reportedly, Mr Collins was indeed thoughtful and considerate.
She wrote to Jane that she hoped that whatever Mr Collins and Miss Lucas wished would happen between them would occur.
“I am very much in favour of happy endings,” she wrote, hoping that such a sweet statement would not injure Jane for the thought of how unhappily her romance with Mr Bingley had ended.
Still, with two viscounts circling her, she was confident that Jane would not resent her words.
After re-reading her letter and sanding, folding, and addressing it, Elizabeth said to William, “My letter to Jane is finally complete. And, my lovely William, may I say that I am grateful to your forbearance on my predilection towards hasty and harsh judgements.”
“You may say it, however unjust that is to you, but may I say that your passion as you express your opinions and ideas is one of the things I adore about you. Please do not change!”
Elizabeth wished to say that it was not her passion about other people’s characters that Will liked—it was an altogether different sort of passion that he treasured. However, given that they were sitting close to Georgiana, she just thanked her lovely, loving groom.
“Brother,” Georgiana said, “do you have any ideas about who wrote the article for L’élégante Assemblée?”
“No, I do not.”
Elizabeth swept both Darcys with a smile and said, “I have a feeling that we will never know who wrote the article, although I feel quite certain of some folks not being the author. For example, my friend Miss Walker writes very well, but I imagine that the editors of L’élégante Assemblée would have published only the opinions of someone with greater standing in society. Do you agree?”
Seeing Georgiana blush, Elizabeth wondered what she was thinking.
However, she just waited, hoping the young girl would answer her question or, perhaps, explain her embarrassment.
Elizabeth was certain that silence rather than questioning would be most effective in eliciting a response from her shy new sister.
Finally Georgiana said, “I so strongly felt that the magazine would only publish someone with standing, as you said, Elizabeth, that I wondered if Aunt Helen had written it. But of course that seems incredibly unlikely, does it not?”
A ping inside alerted Elizabeth to the fact that some part of her had come to the same seemingly improbable hypothesis.
William, on the other hand, looked both astounded and sceptical.
Elizabeth laughed at his expression, and she said to both siblings,“The existence of the article is so exceedingly improbable that all conjectures about who wrote it, even the conjectures that seem wildly unlikely, are less remarkable than the publication itself.”
“I suppose you are correct,” Georgiana said with a giggle.
At this point, William looked more thoughtful.
“I believe that anyone with enough courage to write such an article for publication,” Elizabeth continued, “has enough nerve to deny that they wrote it to me or any other who dared to ask such a question. Therefore, I am resigned to never knowing the truth, and I have made my peace with it.”
Nodding, Georgiana said, “I will try to emulate this wise response.”
Elizabeth wondered if William would attempt to prise the answers from his various relations, but she laughed and said, “I accept not knowing the author because the article was approving. If, however, anyone had published an article denigrating my friends or family, I would of course hunt them down and expose them. I tell you both this in confidence, of course.”
Knowing better than to believe the fierce words over Elizabeth’s sportive tone, Georgiana shook her head with her little humouring-Lizzy smile. William chuckled, and Elizabeth beamed at them both.
“William, Elizabeth, I shall miss you dreadfully.” Georgiana was the one with tears in her eyes, now.
“We will miss you, too, but I cannot lie. I am very much looking forward to seeing new places!” Elizabeth replied.
“I always miss you when we are separated, Poppet,” William said. “But we will be back before you know it, at Christmastide.”
Georgiana smiled through her tears. “I know. In the meantime, I hope you both see many beautiful sights and have many grand adventures!”
Kissing Elizabeth’s hand, William said, “I am very, very certain that we will.”
The End