An Engaging Friendship

by AmyJ

  Good Lord. Will she not cease? Darcy looked up from his plate with his usual serious mien. "Forgive me, Miss Bingley, I was unaware my sister, Mrs.

  Annesley, and I were such an imposition. I shall have our trunks packed and we can depart after lunch." That should quiet her.

  Miss Bingley sputtered at the unintended effect of her statement. "I... I... Why I certainly did not mean you, Mr. Darcy. You and dear Georgiana are practically family." She smiled coquettishly, hoping Darcy understood the implied

  meaning.

  Darcy stared at Miss Bingley for a moment. Not bloody likely. Father warned me not to show interest in anyone until I am certain I intend to marry her. Now I understand why. What must I do before she understands she will never be my wife? "You will let me know when you wish to be rid of your guests, will you not, Miss Bingley? I would not wish to overstay my welcome."

  Miss Bingley leaned towards Mr. Darcy. "You are always welcome, Mr.

  Darcy." Knowing how the object of her affection doted on his sister, she then turned her attention to Georgiana. She took great pains to see that Miss Darcy was comfortable during her stay, inquiring after her studies, and even went so far as offering to turn her pages while she practiced.

  Georgiana looked to her brother and blushed, uncomfortable at the attention.

  She felt a little better when Mrs. Annesley patted her hand comfortingly. It was not long after that the others left for the amusements of the day.

  After breakfast, Elizabeth immediately returned to Jane's side. Seeing her sister was still sleeping soundly, she went to her own room for a rest, returning a few hours later. She spent the rest of the afternoon with Jane, preferring to escape Miss Bingley.

  Throughout the day, she was visited by Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley, and

  more infrequently, Bingley's sisters. Even Darcy and Bingley stopped by once to check on the patient.

  Elizabeth could not have been more pleased at the concern Bingley exhibited over Jane's condition. His concern was deeper than that of a host with an ill guest; she could tell he felt Jane's discomfort acutely. He personally saw that every request was granted and every order by the apothecary was carried out unfailingly. He was so solicitous and caring that Elizabeth began to doubt

  Darcy's comments on Bingley's inability to remain loyal. Surely a man who

  went to such great efforts for one not connected to him could not turn around the next moment and deny any association.

  Then, recalling Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, she thought perhaps it was

  possible; perhaps Bingley has simply not shown his other side. She tried to imagine what it was like growing up in the Bingley household. Darcy had

  mentioned Bingley lost both his parents when he was but seventeen. Knowing

  the toll the death of the late Mr. Darcy took on Darcy, she could only feel sorry for Bingley.

  At seventeen he was expected to be the head of the family. Knowing what she did of the Bingley sisters, she did not envision it to be an easy task. She could easily imagine both Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst making ridiculous demands

  of their brother, and him complying out of the simple desire of seeing them pleased.

  Despite her best efforts though, she could find little with which to excuse the behaviour of Bingley's sisters. No matter how she examined things, she could only see them as rude, arrogant, and condescending. Realizing the train of her thought, and recalling the conversation with Darcy, she hoped her conversation with Georgiana would not require her to defend the ladies too much.

  She felt bad she had not been able to speak with Georgiana yet, but promised herself to find time either later that night or early tomorrow.

  As promised, after dinner that evening, Jane made an appearance downstairs.

  She was still a bit weak, but Elizabeth deemed a short visit would do her no harm. She dressed Jane in a warm, long sleeved muslin gown, along with a

  heavy wool shawl.

  She escorted her sister down the stairs, and to the small sitting room Bingley had indicated earlier. The room was cosy. On one side of the room it was fitted with two sofas and two chairs, and in the corner sat a card table and chairs. The

  pale yellow curtains made the room appear bright and cheery. There were several vases of fresh cut flowers, and despite the night being fairly temperate, a fire roared in the hearth.

  Upon the ladies' arrival, Bingley jumped to Jane's side and escorted her to a chair near the fire and away from the door. "Miss Bennet, it is so good to see you feeling better," Bingley intoned. His well wishes were mirrored by others.

  Bingley took up the privilege of entertaining Jane, guiding her to a chair near the fire place and taking the seat next to her. While Bingley looked after Jane's comfort, Miss Bingley called the others to the whist table. Mr and Mrs. Hurst took up two of the remaining three seats. When the final seat remained vacant, Miss Bingley simpered, "Mr. Darcy. We are in need of a fourth. Will you not join us?"

  Darcy looked to Elizabeth, Georgiana, and Mrs. Annesley with, whom he was

  engaged in conversation. Feeling the rudeness of Miss Bingley's choice of

  activity, he replied, "I thank you, but I am perfectly content as I am."

  Deciding turnabout for previous night was fair, Elizabeth chimed in, "It is quite all right, Mr. Darcy. Your sister shall be quite safe with Mrs. Annesley and me."

  She ignored the heated stare Darcy sent her way. The next time you are at Pemberley, Li'l Beth, I shall lock you in the ice house for a week for this!

  Having little choice, Darcy agreed to join the game. Georgiana and Elizabeth took up light conversation while tending to their needlework, while Mrs.

  Annesley took up reading.

  After finishing one cup of tea, Elizabeth helped herself to another and asked if any others required a refill. Darcy replied in the affirmative, as did Mrs.

  Annesley. Elizabeth refilled Jane's cup, knowing her sister was too enamoured with Mr. Bingley to have heard her inquiry, and fixed cups for both Mrs.

  Annesley and Darcy.

  Darcy was about to take a sip of the new steaming cup, but then stopped. "Is this safe, Miss Elizabeth?" he asked with an arched brow. All eyes turned to Elizabeth.

  "You still drink it with milk, do you not?" Elizabeth asked, a bit confused by the question.

  "I do. But I believe the last time you served me tea, I spent the greater portion of the next hour with a chamber pot."

  Elizabeth blushed and laughed aloud at the memory. Solemnly she said, "I promise, sir. No ipecac has touched your cup."

  Hurst and Mrs. Annesley chuckled, and even Mrs. Hurst had to stifle an

  amused smirk. Georgiana looked at Elizabeth, her eyes wide and her hand

  covering her mouth in astonishment.

  Defensively, Elizabeth retorted, "He put alum in my tooth brush powder! I could not let that go unchallenged!"

  This brought a roar of laughter from everyone. Even Jane and Bingley had

  joined in the mirth. Miss Bingley, however, sat quietly counting the hours

  before she would be free of the Bennets.

  It was not long after that, Elizabeth noticed Jane was showing signs of fatigue.

  Despite the early hour, she excused them both for the evening. Before she left the room though, she said in a quiet voice to Georgiana, "It will take me but a few minutes to see my sister is comfortable. If you wish to talk before bed, I will be available. You need only come by Jane's room."

  Chapter Seven

  Georgiana smiled wanly at Elizabeth's parting comment to her. She had been

  expecting Elizabeth to approach her, but it had occurred sooner than she

  expected. Her brother had given her the opportunity she had asked for, but now confronted by it, she was filled with a sense of dread. What would she do if Elizabeth scorned her and no longer wanted to be her friend?

  She looked over at her brother, who was still wearing a small smile. She

  thought about
how he laughed and smiled so freely when Elizabeth was

  around. Usually he only laughed in the presence of family and his closest

  friends, Richard and Lord Blakeslee. Elizabeth must have been a very special friend, she thought with some trepidation.

  The question that now plagued her mind was would Elizabeth no longer

  associate with him because of what she had done? She could not bear to take such happiness away from him; not after having already disappointed him so

  completely.

  She was tempted to simply retire for the evening. For a while, she sat quietly with her needlework, not making much progress. She would sew a few stitches, and then remove them, only to repeat the process again. Finally, when she

  could no longer take the torment of pondering 層hat if,' she took her leave, claiming fatigue. As she climbed the stairs, she prayed her brother was correct, and Elizabeth would not scorn her for her foolishness.

  Standing in front of Jane's bedroom door, she felt her hands begin to tremble, and she had to take a deep breath to steady them. With a heavy heart and

  nervous stomach, Georgiana knocked on the door. She waited with bated

  breath; a part of her hoping Elizabeth had fallen asleep already, another part wanting to have it over and done with.

  Elizabeth opened the door with her usual welcoming smile, which helped to put Georgiana somewhat at ease. Gathering what little courage she had, she

  said timidly, "Elizabeth, may I speak with you?"

  "Of course. Let me see to Jane, and then we can speak in your room. Jane needs her rest." Georgiana swallowed and nodded. She watched as Elizabeth lovingly made sure Jane was well covered and resting comfortably. She could not help but smile at the picture, and her heart ached for the sister and mother she never had. Someday, she hoped.

  The two walked in silence to Georgiana's chambers and settled into the sofa in her sitting room. With a friendly smile, Elizabeth said, "Your brother said you wished to talk to me about something."

  Noticing Georgiana's tenuousness, Elizabeth smiled encouragingly and waited for the young girl to begin. After a few moments of silence, Georgiana folded her trembling hands and squeaked, "There is something you should know about me, Elizabeth."

  "You may tell me anything, Georgiana; and I assure you, I shall hold it in confidence." She watched patiently as Georgiana struggled to find her words.

  "You should know... I am a fallen woman," Georgiana choked on some tears and then said in a voice just above a whisper, "I will understand if you no longer wish to be seen with me, but please do not punish Fitzwilliam for what I have done."

  Elizabeth thought to make a placating retort, but saw Georgiana was in earnest.

  Instead, she handed the young girl her handkerchief and squeezed her hand

  affectionately. After a moment, she said, "Perhaps if you told me why you think yourself fallen, it would help."

  It was as if those words unleashed a straining dam. With a lot of tears and contrition, Georgiana told Elizabeth how she had met up with George

  Wickham in Ramsgate; how they had fallen in love, or so she thought; of the planned elopement, and finally, the confession to her brother.

  Through it all, Elizabeth did her best to maintain a patient and open

  appearance. Inside, however, her stomach knotted and churned, and a new

  hatred for Wickham grew. Still, the compassion she felt for Georgiana was

  stronger, and she did her best to comfort the girl.

  When Georgiana had finished confessing everything, she looked up at

  Elizabeth with teary eyes and said, "Now that you know what a disgrace I am, I will understand if you no longer wish to be seen with me."

  Elizabeth threw her arms around Georgiana and hugged her tight. "Sweet Georgiana, I will always be your friend. You should not blame yourself so

  much for what happened. George tricked you into believing yourself in love, and he did so with the help of Mrs. Younge. You are so young and good; you

  did not understand how selfish and malicious some people can be."

  Georgiana allowed herself to be comforted by Elizabeth's embrace for several minutes. She was relieved that Elizabeth did not think less of her. When she pulled away, she said, "My brother says I should not blame myself either, but I can not forgive myself for hurting him. Every time he looks at me I see his disappointment."

  "Your brother loves you very much. He will always love you."

  "But he will never be proud of me, like he used to be."

  Elizabeth pulled back this time and took Georgiana's hands in hers.

  "Fitzwilliam is very proud of you. You are a sweet, gentle, and kind girl. He is most likely more upset at himself for not having seen Mrs. Younge for what she was, and allowing George to impose himself on you."

  "But it was not his fault!" Georgiana cried. "It was mine." She hung her head in shame. "It was entirely my fault," she added in a small voice.

  The two continued to talk about George's role, and more importantly

  Georgiana's role in the events. Elizabeth could see how the young girl had been set up by George and her companion; especially given the frequency she was

  left alone with him.

  Finally realizing that Georgiana did not understand how things could have gone so terribly wrong, Elizabeth said, "Georgiana, did you know it was wrong to be in the house with George without a chaperone?" Georgiana nodded guiltily.

  "And you knew eloping with him was wrong, correct?" Georgiana nodded again. This time she did not look back up.

  "But you allowed George to continue meeting with you alone, without saying anything to your brother, even though you knew it was wrong." Georgiana nodded, shaking loose a few tears that had clung to her lashes.

  "And you agreed to an elopement, even though you knew it was wrong."

  Georgiana's eyes widened in understanding, and she nodded again.

  "My dear," Elizabeth concluded, "Fitzwilliam is not upset at you for being taken in by a cad and scoundrel. You were too young to have known the

  difference. George and Mrs. Younge took advantage of your youth. That is not something to be ashamed about, only something to learn from. If Fitzwilliam is disappointed, it is because you did not stand by own convictions and you

  disregarded your own conscience. You agreed to do things you knew were

  wrong."

  "But I thought he loved me," she offered in a meek defence.

  Elizabeth squeezed her hand. "If George loved you, he would not have asked you to do something you knew was wrong. When you objected to the

  elopement, he continued to pressure you, did he not?" Georgiana nodded. "And when you still did not relent, he made you choose between him and your

  brother."

  Georgiana nodded thoughtfully. Then suddenly threw her arms around Elizabeth and hugged her tightly for several minutes. When she pulled back, she said, "Thank you, Elizabeth. I understand things better now." Sheepishly she asked, "Do you think Fitzwilliam can ever forgive me?" She paused and wiped her tears. "I want him to proud of me like he used to be."

  "I am certain he already has forgiven you, but perhaps it would help for you to apologize and ask for his forgiveness?" Georgiana nodded warily, and

  Elizabeth could see she did not wholly believe her. She added, "Your brother loves you, Georgiana. As do I; and Jane loves you too. We are all very proud of you. You are kind and generous woman."

  When she saw Georgiana give her a small smile, she said, "Now, we must work on putting this behind you." Using a deep voice in an attempt to imitate Darcy, she said, "You are a Darcy after all." This caused Georgiana to giggle slightly.

  Pleased to see Georgiana in better spirits, Elizabeth felt comfortable leaving the girl to get some sleep. "Would you like me to stay with you a little longer, or do you wish to be alone?"

  Georgiana gave Elizabeth another hug. "I will be fine. I would like some time to think." Elizabeth stood to leav
e. Just as she was about open the door, Georgiana asked shyly, "Elizabeth, may I come speak to you again about this?"

  Elizabeth smiled warmly, belying the anger she felt towards Wickham. "Of course, sweetie." With that, she left Georgiana to ponder all they had discussed.

  She too had much to think on and needed a little reprieve. The story Georgiana had told was astounding. From the stories Darcy had told her, she knew George to be a cad. Preying on an innocent young girl like Georgiana was quite another matter! She was incensed! She would have been angry hearing this story at all.

  Knowing the victim was someone as sweet and trusting as Georgiana only

  deepened her resentment towards him. George was truly a wicked man.

  The next morning, Elizabeth rose later than her wont. After her talk with

  Georgiana, it had taken considerable effort to diffuse her anger towards

  Wickham. Thus, she did not sleep very well.

  After seeing Jane needed nothing, she headed to the breakfast table. She was not entirely surprised to see most people already eating. She became a little concerned though, when she did not see Georgiana. Rather than raising Miss

  Bingley's pique though, she decided she would go to Georgiana's room after

  breakfast.

  A little while later, a servant entered the room with a note and handed it to Mr.

  Darcy. "From Miss Darcy, sir." Alarmed, Darcy quickly opened the letter. He glanced up at Elizabeth wide-eyed and then back to the letter.

  Unfortunately, his actions did not go unnoticed by his ever watchful hostess.

  "Pray, Mr. Darcy, is Miss Darcy well? Perhaps we should look in on her?"

  Immediately, Darcy's inscrutable mask slipped back into place. "Miss Darcy is well, only a bit tired. She asks not to be disturbed."

  "I do hope Miss Bennet has not caused her to become ill," Miss Bingley simpered. "Georgiana is such a dear sweet girl. Perhaps it would be best if she stayed away from the Miss Bennets."