The ladies curtseyed and Miss Freemont smiled gracefully and responded, “How do you do? I am very happy to meet you. Miss Darcy has been eloquent in your praise.”
Catherine Freemont was a petite young woman with dark hair and bright blue eyes, and she had a low-pitched, musical voice with a very slight Welsh accent. Although not a classic beauty, her appearance was very striking and her manner was pleasant and elegant. Elizabeth returned her smile and answered, “It is my pleasure to meet one of Georgiana’s friends. Have you known each other long?”
Georgiana answered, “For years. Catherine has two brothers much older than she, and we were the only little girls in the neighbourhood.” She looked at her friend with a mischievous smile. “It is fortunate that we liked each other.”
Catherine laughed. “Yes, it would have been very bad if we had loathed each other.”
***
The two pairs of walkers turned and strolled on towards Hyde Park, the girls walking on ahead with arms linked. Elizabeth, when they were out of the girls’ hearing, asked Darcy where Miss Freemont was from.
“The Freemonts have been neighbours of ours in London for generations, but they have a small country estate in Shropshire. Her father is the younger son of his family, hence the judgeship. Because of his place on the King’s Court, they spend a great deal of time in London.”
They found a path which wound under a grove of plane trees and turned onto it. There were very few riders out that day on Rotten Row, and the chill in the air had discouraged the less hardy walkers on the footpaths. They wandered slowly along a neat gravelled path, and Darcy found a small bench about halfway down the length of it where he and Elizabeth could sit while the two girls walked to the end. The remaining autumn leaves, teased by the light gusts of a breeze freed from the enclosing buildings of the city, swirled around them like a golden and crimson blizzard. Elizabeth watched the dancing leaves, her hand through her husband’s arm, and felt something rigid inside her relax. All of the tension of the past year melted in the cool autumn air and she was left feeling warm and light. She gave a small, contented sigh and Darcy turned his head towards her and smiled.
“Happy, my love?”
“Blissful—I suddenly feel as if I have been translated onto an entirely new Earth from the one on which I had been living, everything bright and new around me.”
As he opened his lips to respond, a pair of urchins suddenly appeared with a ragged mongrel in tow to chase the squirrels around the trees before running off on some mysterious business of their own, but not before giving cheeky grins at the couple sitting, arms entwined, on the bench. Elizabeth laughed as the ungainly dog lolloped after the children.
“Well, perhaps not everything is bright and new!” she said, her thoughts involuntarily straying to the difficulties with various in-laws that disturbed her serenity like the urchins invading the park. She pulled her attention back to her husband. “However, I do feel that I have an entirely new outlook on life and on the people I know or meet. I remember a conversation I had with Jane not so many months ago, wherein I expressed to her my dissatisfaction with the human race and how inconsistent were the characters of so many of the people that I knew. This was after my friend Charlotte became engaged to Mr. Collins, an event which, as you know, shocked me greatly. I had not thought that she would disregard every better feeling merely to obtain a comfortable home.”
“This was also, I presume, after Bingley had left Netherfield so suddenly.”
She gave him a rueful smile and nodded. “Yes, indeed it was.”
“And to what do you attribute your more charitable frame of mind?” he asked.
“I am not sure that I should say,” she replied, raising one brow. “It could be detrimental to your character.”
“I will try not to let it go to my head.”
“Well then, it was finding a man who not only had a character that proved to be invariably honest and good in spite of all of my ungenerous acts and assumptions but also was willing to reassess all that he had believed in and to admit that he had been wrong. How could I do less? Even if you are, as I believe, unique among men, you still give me hope for the future of humanity.”
Darcy bowed his head and stared at their linked fingers. After a minute he cleared his throat, glanced at her, and said softly, “You humble me, my dearest Elizabeth. I do not deserve you.”
They sat silently, hand in hand, for a few moments. Then she roused herself and said teasingly, “Possibly not, but I am afraid that this ring has chained you to me forever.” She added reluctantly, “It is getting a little cool—I suppose that we should walk home soon.”
“If you wish—we would probably draw unwanted attention if we sat here until nightfall. And, it looks as if the girls are returning.”
Darcy gave her a soft smile as he rose and turned towards home.
***
Before they reached Freemont House, Catherine invited Georgiana to spend the afternoon with her.
“I must be at home in case of callers, but most of our friends have not yet returned from the country, so we should have plenty of time to talk.”
Georgiana turned to her brother. “May I spend the afternoon with Catherine and her mother?”
“Of course. I believe that we will do a little shopping. We have a few things we would like to get before leaving London. Shall we see you later for tea?”
“Yes, I will be home before dark.”
Georgiana impulsively kissed her brother and sister before following Catherine into the house.
***
After a cup of coffee at Ashbourne House to warm them, the Darcys took the carriage to the shopping district and spent the remaining afternoon hours walking through the milling crowds, peering at the displays in shop windows and doing some desultory shopping. They stopped at a bookshop and looked over the new publications. Elizabeth picked up a volume of poetry and showed Darcy it.
“Here is the new poem by Lord Byron. Does Georgiana enjoy poetry?”
“She does. What is the title?”
“It is The Giaour,” she said hesitantly. “I am not sure of the pronunciation of the title.”
“Let us get it. She spent hours over Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, although I hope that she did not understand all of the allusions contained in it!”
They purchased the book and turned their steps towards Sheffield’s Jewellery shop.
“This should let Georgiana know that we were thinking of her,” Elizabeth said. “I want her to know that I care for her.”
Darcy squeezed her hand, which rested lightly on his arm, and they entered the shop. Mr. Sheffield waited upon them himself and assured them respectfully that the jewels were ready for their inspection.
“Oh, they are lovely!” Elizabeth exclaimed when she saw them. “I cannot wait to wear them! They are simply works of art, Mr. Sheffield. And the Chinese dragons are truly wonderful now that they are cleaned. Thank you so much for your care.”
The proprietor beamed at her.
“I thank you, Mrs. Darcy, for your kind words. I hope that you enjoy wearing them. If you would like, I will have them delivered to you this afternoon.”
They agreed, but as they were leaving Elizabeth paused at a case near the door. In it was a single strand of small, perfectly matched seed pearls with a tiny amber cross hanging from it, a seed pearl embedded at the tip of each of the arms. She was entranced.
“Do you think that we could get this for Georgiana for Christmas?” she asked. “It would look wonderful on her.”
Darcy had the jeweller remove the necklace from its case and carefully examined it with the jeweller’s glass. After much discussion and further examination, he turned to Elizabeth.
“The pearls are lovely—are you sure that you do not want them for yourself?” he asked, smiling.
“Thank you, but I have a few jewe
ls which need to be worn before I think about new ones—although I do love this, and so, I hope, will Georgiana.”
“Then she shall have it,” he replied.
***
At Freemont House, Georgiana and Catherine had a cup of tea with Mrs. Freemont and told her about their walk before going upstairs to Catherine’s sitting-room. After some minutes, Georgiana interrupted her friend’s chatter:
“Catherine?”
“Yes?” Miss Freemont turned away from the glass where she had been trying to replace a curl which had become dislodged during their walk and sighed. “I will just have to have Winthrop fix it if we have any callers.” She focussed her attention on her friend. “What is it, Georgiana?”
“What was your first Season like?”
“Did I not write to you about it? I am sure I did.”
Georgiana sighed. “Yes, you did, but it seemed so distant at the time. What was it really like?”
“Well, the balls were wonderful. My presentation was not as bad as I expected. Having a hundred girls waiting with me, all in the same state of agitation seemed to somehow… I do not know exactly… dissipate the emotion. I was presented late in the Season because my great-aunt, who was my sponsor, could not be here until then. I rather liked doing it later—although I had to worry about it longer—because I had already survived many balls and parties and was more confident that I could manage it.”
Georgiana sighed again. Catherine plopped down on the pouffe at her feet, not bothering to lower herself gracefully. Georgiana could not help but laugh at her friend, who had always liked to run and play outdoors like a boy. It was astonishing how beautiful and graceful she could be when she tried. Catherine laughed with her then took her hand and said seriously, “What is really bothering you, Georgiana? Are you still petrified at the thought of your first Season? Let me assure you that it is not nearly as gruesome as you fear. It was actually quite fun.”
“I do not know, really. My brain tells me that there is no danger and that all the girls will be nervous, but the rest of me feels as if I am in mortal peril… I am terrified at the thought of appearing in public in front of so many people… I feel that I could quite easily gibber in terror when even thinking of my Presentation… What if I humiliate my family with some gaucherie…? That worry is too ghastly even to contemplate, even worse than my own embarrassment… I am worried that my brother’s wife will not like me when she knows me better… I am worried that my brother will be disappointed in me and that I shall let my family down by being an awkward, dowdy wallflower, ignored by all of society as too unattractive to bother with.” Her voice took on an acid tinge. “That fear I know, of course, is ridiculous because my dowry is enough to ensure that I will be courted by at least a few of the young men.”
Catherine leaned over and put her arms around her friend and said, “I do not know why you consider yourself plain or unattractive, Miss Georgiana Darcy. You have a pretty face and beautiful eyes that a susceptible young man could drown in as well as intelligence and a gentle and refined manner. Your figure is womanly perfection, and you will have dozens of beautiful gowns to set off your looks to advantage. You must stop demeaning your good qualities.”
Georgiana thought back to her childhood and recalled several embarrassing incidents.
“My cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, used to call me ‘little frog’ when I was about five years old. Not a very attractive description… although now that I think about it the name was likely because I enjoyed startling my brother and his friends by jumping out at them. I thought it was great fun.” She smiled. “So, I suppose I can hardly blame the colonel for the nickname. However, his elder brother, Lord St. George, used to call me every sort of nasty name and pinch me when he did not want me around—which was most of the time. He was really quite disagreeable, and from the discussions I have overheard when the speakers thought I was not in hearing range—of his gambling and other unspecified carousing—he has not improved a great deal. I do not know why a young man who was almost grown should have been so intolerant of one lonely child, annoying though she may have been.”
Catherine looked surprised. “What did your brother and the colonel do when he pinched you?”
“Oh, he never did it when they were near, except on one occasion when he did not keep track of the two of them well enough before he tormented me. My brother thrashed him soundly, with the colonel cheering him on. Lord St. George complained to his father, and my brother and cousin were sent to their rooms without supper.”
“So they have been your protectors virtually your entire life.”
“Yes… I suppose they have. I have wondered why my father chose to name two guardians for me and why he chose the colonel. I asked him a month or so ago—not very gracefully, I am afraid. His answer, stripped of the jests and drivel in which they were couched, was that my father chose two guardians to lighten the responsibilities of my upbringing. My cousin has always been… I suppose ‘light-minded’ would be a good description. He has never been very passionate about anything. He does his military duties and undoubtedly enjoys the benefits of wearing a handsome uniform. He never seems to be worried about anything or to have any doubts of his worth, but he does not seem to take life seriously.” She paused for thought. “Let me put it this way: if I had a serious problem it would not occur to me to talk to the colonel about it, I would speak to my brother; but if I wanted to laugh and spend a lighthearted afternoon with a group of friends, the colonel would be on my guest list.”
Catherine examined her hands intently. “You know, I met Lord St. George during the Season last year. He asked me to dance a few times”
Georgiana was surprised out of her misery. “Truly? You did not mention that in your letters!”
“No, it was not a significant enough flirtation to merit mention. We danced at a couple of balls and by then he had determined which girls had the highest rank and the richest dowries and he danced out of my life.”
She said this last bit with every ounce of melodrama she could muster and placed the back of her hand against her forehead as she swooned onto Georgiana’s lap. They both collapsed giggling but were brought up short when Georgiana saw the time. She jumped up.
“Oh dear! I must get home for tea. My brother is expecting me and we are going to the theatre this evening, so I mustn’t be late.”
She snatched up her reticule, which she had tossed onto a chair, and they both hurried out, pausing at the top of the stairs to smooth their gowns before descending. Catherine rang for the carriage and saw Georgiana off before she turned back to the house, her brow furrowed in concern for her friend.
***
The theatre was only partially filled that evening, in contrast to their previous visit the month before, but the turnout was good for the end of the little season. The Darcys were greeted coolly by several couples as they entered the lobby of the theatre and ignored by a number of mothers who were there with their as yet unmarried daughters, for Mr. Darcy was no longer the object of their schemes. Elizabeth kept Georgiana by her side and quietly returned the greetings of those few who deigned to acknowledge Darcy and were introduced to her. Georgiana could feel herself becoming rigid with indignation by the time they were halfway across the room. Finally, she could not stand silently by any longer, and she forced herself to smile and speak with syrupy warmth to a young woman she knew slightly, “Dear Harriet, how are you? It has been so long since I have seen you. How did your Season go last year?”
The confused girl glanced at her mother for guidance, and Georgiana greeted her as well.
“Mrs. Smythe-Barrington, how are you? Please allow me to introduce my sister-in-law, Mrs. Darcy.” She stepped back and left the matron to speak to Elizabeth for a moment before they continued their promenade. When they reached the security of their box, Georgiana put her lips to Elizabeth’s ear and said, “I heard that Harriet’s fortune was not nearly eno
ugh to tempt any of the gentlemen to dare facing her dragon of a mother over the dinner table for the rest of their lives… There, I am as spiteful a cat as she is.”
Elizabeth managed to keep her countenance, but Georgiana could see that her self-possession was severely tried, so she pasted a smile on her face and did not look at her sister again. She noticed that her brother looked grim by the time they were seated, so she touched Elizabeth’s arm and nodded towards Darcy. Elizabeth leaned towards him and Georgiana heard her say, “Smile, my love; you do not want the gossips to think that we are fighting already, do you?”
He looked down at her with a half-smile as she affectionately put her arm through his and they all resolutely turned their attention to the stage as the curtain rose.
***
During the interval they stayed in their seats, but they again became the objects of interest of a number of members of the audience on the main floor, so Georgiana turned to Elizabeth and carried on a lively conversation about the play until the curtain rose again. In spite of the whispers and stares of the audience, Georgiana enjoyed it and even shed a few tears when the lovers breathed their last. She saw Elizabeth take out her handkerchief as well to dab surreptitiously at her eyes, both of them drawing an indulgent smile from their escort.
Their departure was a repetition of their entrance: a few nods and a brief introduction or two, but Georgiana noticed that the more contumelious matrons kept their backs turned and their daughters occupied with loud and determined conversation as they passed. They sailed through the crowd unhindered by further unpleasantness and then they were in the carriage and on their way home. After the footman closed the carriage door, Elizabeth leaned over and kissed her sister.
“You were brilliant, Georgiana. Thank you.”
“For what?”
“You know very well what, my dear sister.”
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