Chapter Twenty-Four
Longbourn
Longbourn was abuzz with plans for Miss Darcy’s visit. Something in the girl had touched the hearts of all the female members of the Bennet family, and Mr. Bennet was forced to take refuge in his study earlier than usual as a result.
“I saw her take two of the jam tarts, so we must have those again,” Mary said, her tone very serious.
“And she told me she dislikes ham, so no ham sandwiches,” Kitty added.
“Mary, you must share her,” Lydia insisted. “I know the two of you could happily play the pianoforte together all day, but it is not fair to the rest of us.”
“I know! We will look through La Belle Assemblée together,” Kitty said. “She must be interested in fashion.”
“Or novels?” Elizabeth put in. “Perhaps have a small selection of novels nearby so that you could take turns reading it.”
Lydia rolled her eyes at this suggestion, but the others thought it a good idea just in case Miss Darcy was not interested in fashion, and so it was agreed that Romance of the Forest, The Mysteries of Udolpho, and The Monk would be set on a side table, in case they were needed.
“She is shy, remember,” Jane cautioned her sisters. “So go slow, give her a bit of time to adjust to five people all wanting to talk with her.”
“We are all accustomed to the noise of five girls, but she is not,” Elizabeth chuckled.
***
Miss Darcy was accompanied by her brother; he quickly explained to the Bennets that he was only an escort, and had no intention in the world of “ruining her fun,” as she had put it, by remaining.
Once Mr. Darcy departed, Miss Darcy looked uneasy for about a quarter of an hour, and spoke only when asked a direct question.
But Kitty soon admired her gown and half-boots, and then irrepressible Lydia dragged Miss Darcy upstairs, followed by the other Bennet girls, to look through Lydia’s wardrobe and get Miss Darcy’s opinions on her gowns.
For, as Lydia put it, she was in sore need of new gowns, and perhaps Miss Darcy could help convince Mrs. Bennet of that fact!
Georgiana soon relaxed and began to enjoy Lydia’s unquenchable good humour.
Once they had gone through Lydia’s closet, with Georgiana being made to try on the best of Lydia’s gowns, Kitty’s closet was next.
Then Lydia decided to try doing Georgiana’s hair in a different style, and a good many ribbons and pins were produced and put into place before it was decided that it had looked better before.
“There is no point in going through Mary’s closet,” Lydia said, in some disgust. “She wears nothing but browns and greys.”
“We all wear colours that make us comfortable,” Georgiana said, sounding wiser than her years. “My aunt says that clothing either shows who we are or hides who we are, and we make the choice as to which we prefer.”
“Your aunt?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes; she is the Countess of Matlock,” Georgiana replied, innocent of the fact that her brother did not want this known.
“A countess! Heavens! Well, then, I think we can assume that she knows something about fashion,” Jane said.
“An aunt who is a Countess, just think!” Kitty said, admiringly.
“So, Mary, are you showing who you are, or hiding who you are?” Lydia asked, flippantly.
Mary looked away, and Georgiana immediately felt her friend’s discomfort. “That is something for Miss Mary to decide for herself,” she declared.
Mary looked at her new friend gratefully, and then quickly added, on impulse, “Please, can you not call me Mary?”
“I would be happy to. And I am just Georgiana, though in truth Miss Darcy has fewer syllables! All of you, please, I am Georgiana. It is a combination of my father’s name, George, and my mother’s name, Anne.”
“Oh, heavens!” Jane said. “I am grateful my family did not follow such a tradition, as I would be called – let me think, how would you combine Thomas and Fanny? Tanny?”
“No, it would be Fanmas!” Lydia crowed.
“It does not bear thinking of,” Jane said, with a shudder.
“Speaking of syllables, my family calls me Lizzy, which is far shorter than Elizabeth. You are welcome to do the same, Georgiana,” Elizabeth said. “Jane is the luckiest of us, for her name has only one syllable.”
Kitty made a face. “And I am Catherine, but everyone calls me Kitty.”
“Kitty is such an adorable name!” Georgiana said.
“Yes, but a bit – well, childish, do you not think?”
“No,” Georgiana said at once. “I like it. My cousin started calling me Georgie, but I made him stop. Georgie is not nearly as adorable as Kitty; it sounds like a little boy.”
Comfortably established on a first name basis all round, the girls trooped downstairs to find that tea was waiting for them.
There were no ham sandwiches, but there were a good number of cucumber with butter sandwiches, as well as cheese, accompanied by scones and the tarts Georgiana had favoured the day before.
As the tea progressed, the Bennet sisters learned a bit about their new friend’s life.
She lived in a large estate in Derbyshire and yes, it was quite cold there in the winter.
No, she had no close friends, as every young lady of her social circle lived very far away.
Her parents had died when she was quite young, and her brother and cousin were responsible for her.
She became uncomfortable at this point, directing her words at her plate rather than at her companions.
Mrs. Bennet, who had been presiding over the feast, saw her guest’s discomfort and promptly guided the conversation in a different direction. “Given your age, I would imagine that you are not yet out?” she asked.
“No, certainly not,” Georgiana said, her eyes wide.
“Kitty and I are both out,” Lydia said at once. “But I suppose it is different in the country.”
“But just think! You will probably be presented to the Queen at your come-out!” Kitty marveled.
This, too, seemed to make their guest uncomfortable. Mrs. Bennet sent a quick glance around the table and then said, “Have you met our neighbours, the Lucases?”
“No; I have only met your family,” Georgiana replied.
Elizabeth leaped in with a funny anecdote involving John Lucas, herself, and a race to the top of an apple tree, and soon everyone was laughing.
Mrs. Bennet’s keen eye had seen Georgiana’s discomfort with the subjects of her guardians and her future come-out, and knew something had happened to this girl. It was likely that she would never know the details, but she would do her best to make certain Georgiana Darcy felt safe at Longbourn.
Elizabeth took the opportunity to ask Georgiana about her upbringing with respect to society manners.
“Oh! Well, when I had a governess, I was drilled in all sorts of things! How to pour tea, how to respond to impertinent comments, how to address people of rank, exactly how low to curtsey to different people, how to sit, how to stand – all sorts of things!”
“How to sit? I do not understand,” Kitty said, blankly.
“You never lean back against a chair,” Georgiana informed her. “It is considered slothful.”
“I have noticed that you sit like that; also that you walk in a particular way,” Lydia added.
Georgiana got up from her chair and walked around the room, chanting, “Up, up, up! Grace! Ease! Elegance!”
Kitty and Lydia burst out laughing. “Is that what your governess taught you?”
“Yes; she said that you could always tell a well-bred young lady by her deportment as well as her language.”
“Language?” Lydia asked.
“Yes; speak clearly, enunciate. Do not insult anyone in the room.” She went on, describing all the things she had been taught.
“I will say that you have excellent manners,” Kitty said, slowly.
“She certainly does,” Elizabeth said, hoping that some of this would be retained by her younger sisters.
***
When Mr. Darcy came to retrieve his sister, he was astonished to find that she and the Bennet girls were now all calling one another by their Christian names, exchanging promises of seeing one another again soon, and hugging each other in farewell.
Mr. Darcy managed to whisper to Elizabeth, “She had a good day?”
“Heavens, yes! She tried on most of Lydia’s clothes and half of Kitty’s, had her hair arranged and then rearranged, and did not even manage a minute to play the piano with Mary! We do hope you will let her come again, Mr. Darcy. She is delightful company.”
“I would be happy to do so,” Mr. Darcy said, smiling.
Ellizabeth hesitated and then said, “She said that she has no close friends at home. I hope I am not being impertinent when I say that young women need friends of their own sex, friends to whom they may safely confide and, well, just have fun with hair and ribbons.”
Mt. Darcy sighed. “You are not impertinent at all, Miss Elizabeth. I have long thought the same, but it is difficult in our part of the world. Pemberley sits on over four thousand acres, and there is no one close at hand. There are young women in the nearby village, of course, but they are not of her social class.”
“But perhaps they would be better than nothing, Mr. Darcy. A merchant’s daughter would be as happy to play with hair and clothes as any heiress. In any case, we will hold you to your promise and expect to see Georgiana again quite soon!”
***
That night, in her room at Netherfield, Georgiana thought back over her day at Longbourn.
Never had she had such a day! How lucky, how very lucky were the Bennet girls to have sisters!
And such nice ones, at that! Oh, she imagined they bickered enough between them, but Georgiana had been treated so very kindly!
Not once had anyone remonstrated with her, or told her how wrong she had been!
Not once had anyone glanced at her stomach!
She would go there every day, if she possibly could!
***
Kitty and Lydia whispered together in their room at Longbourn. “I think I could learn to behave better,” Kitty murmured.
“I think we both should,” Lydia agreed. “Because someday Georgiana will invite us both to London, and we will have to know how to act.”