Chapter 24 #2
Georgiana winced at the forced cheer in Lady Amelia’s tone.
Like her mother, Lady Amelia was an avid gossip, and they had never been close.
At school, Amelia had initially befriended Georgiana only in hopes of meeting her brother.
When that did not work, Amelia turned on her.
She and several other girls from prominent families had begun teasing Georgiana, causing her already small circle of friends to shrink even further.
Her discomfort palpable to those who knew her best, Georgiana hesitated before responding.
She glanced briefly at Elizabeth, who offered an encouraging smile.
Drawing a breath, Georgiana forced herself to reply with as much politeness as she could muster.
“Lady Amelia, it is a surprise to see you as well. Our trip to town is to be short; I had not notified anyone of our intention to arrive.”
Observing the interaction carefully, Elizabeth noted Georgiana's tension and the falseness of Lady Amelia's greeting and decided that it was best to step in. With her foot, she nudged Georgiana to get her attention and nodded, silently indicating that the introduction should be made.
Georgiana immediately understood the cue. “Lady Amelia, might I introduce you to my party?” she asked. Upon the lady’s nod, she introduced the ladies of her party. Lady Amelia reciprocated by introducing her mother and aunt to the others.
“Mrs. Darcy, I am so pleased to make your acquaintance,” Lady Blackwell stated haughtily. “You simply must join us for a dinner party we are hosting in a fortnight.”
“Thank you for the generous invitation, but I must regretfully decline,” Elizabeth replied graciously.
“Our visit to London is to be brief; my husband had urgent business to attend to. My sister and I accompanied him, not wishing to be separated from him, but we will be returning north as soon as his affairs are settled.”
“That simply will not do,” Lady Blackwell declared, her voice cutting through the quiet shop and drawing every eye in the room.
“You must stay for the holiday season. It would be utterly improper for you to miss it. Balls, parties—society will be abuzz, and I can hardly imagine that Lady Julia would not wish to take you under her wing. Surely you would not deny yourself the chance to make the proper introductions and connections.” Her tone, dripping with condescension, implied that Elizabeth's departure was not only foolish but socially irresponsible.
“We are newly married, my lady. My husband and I wish to spend the winter at Pemberley with my new sister. Once his business is concluded, we will pay a brief visit to my family before retiring to his estate. Perhaps we will return to London for a part of the Season, but as I am sure you are aware, my husband does not care overly much for Town,” Elizabeth replied.
It was growing more difficult for her to keep her composure at this lady’s audacity to reprimand her.
With an exaggerated huff, Lady Blackwell shifted her attention to Anne.
“Mrs. Hargrove, surely you agree that Mrs. Darcy ought to spend some months in town acquainting herself with the society she has now joined. After all, your husband is the son of a baron, is he not? I would imagine the two of you plan to make a proper appearance in London now that you are married. Your mother kept you hidden away at Rosings for far too long—surely you are eager to finally experience the world you have been so long deprived of.” Her tone carried an air of superiority, as if she were generously offering advice to someone she presumed lacked understanding.
“Not at all, madam,” Anne replied, mimicking her mother's haughty tone when addressing those she deemed beneath her. “We are in town only briefly. Mr. Hargrove has his own business to attend to with my cousin Darcy’s assistance. Once it is concluded, we shall return to Rosings. Like my cousin, we may come back in the spring for a month, but neither my husband nor I have any desire to linger in town longer than necessary.” Anne’s cool, dismissive response carried all the weight of her mother’s typical imperious disdain.
Lady Blackwell was visibly taken aback by the firm refusals from both women, her haughty composure slipping for a moment.
“Well, I must say,” she sniffed, attempting to regain her air of superiority, “it is rather unorthodox for women of your station to neglect their social duties. Society will expect to see you in town, particularly after such momentous marriages. One cannot simply vanish back into the countryside without making the proper introductions.”
She looked down her nose at Anne, her gaze narrowing.
“Mrs. Hargrove, I would have thought you, of all people, would wish to make an appearance after so long in isolation. Surely, your new position warrants more visibility. As for Mrs. Darcy, society will not take kindly to such… eccentricities. The sooner you realise that, the better.” With that, the lady stalked out of the shop with the rest of her party, apparently forgetting that they intended to take tea.