by Leenie Brown
Georgiana stuffed her arms into her sleeves and helped Alice straighten and smooth them.
“Did any of the young men catch your fancy?” Alice asked as she finished the last of the fastenings of Georgiana’s dress.
Georgiana shook her head as she smoothed her skirts and turned this way and that in front of the mirror before sitting to allow Alice to work on her hair. “There were several who seemed nice.”
“Nice?” Alice looked at her mistress in the mirror and raised a brow.
Georgiana shrugged. “Handsome, polite, able to carry on a conversation with great civility.”
“But none who caught your eye in any special way?”
“No.” Georgiana sighed. She had not met one gentleman yet who had caused her to hope for a second dance or to wait with anticipation to see if he would call.
“They are not all hiding a deceitful heart,” Alice said softly. “There will be one who will wish to court and marry you for you and not your fortune.”
Georgiana’s reflection in the mirror smiled sadly back at her and her maid. “I know it is true, but…”
“It is hard to trust.”
“Precisely so,” Georgiana agreed. She had once allowed her heart to be fooled by Mr. Wickham, a handsome man with pleasing manners, and had nearly been consigned to a life of misery. As it turned out, Mr. Wickham had not been in love with Georgiana as he had declared. He had been in love with her money and the pain he could cause her brother by marrying her, for he was a former friend of Fitzwilliam’s, who felt he had been wronged and was justified in seeking revenge for being treated ill. However, Mr. Wickham had not been treated poorly. He had refused the living set aside for him by Georgiana’s father and had accepted a sum of money in its place. It was not wrong of Fitzwilliam to refuse to grant the living to Mr. Wickham when it fell open, even if Mr. Wickham had squandered all of his money and was in a dire state of existence. It was this event of being duped by Mr. Wickham which had caused Georgiana to be less trusting and always wary of gentlemen. And it was this guardedness that Georgiana now feared would make it impossible for her to find a husband.
“You will learn to trust again,” Alice assured her. “There are good men out there like your brother and Mr. Pratt as well as his friend Mr. Ralston.” She placed her hands on Georgiana’s shoulders. “If you are uncertain, they can guide you.”
Georgiana smiled and nodded. “Of course. Although I dare say, my brother will be hard pressed to think any of them worthy of me.”
“Aye, that may be. So, it might be best to consult Mr. Pratt or your uncle. Lord Matlock is as fine as they come.”
Georgiana rose from her bench, and though she knew that many would frown on her for such an action, she hugged her maid. “Thank you,” she said. “You always know what to say to make me see reason.”
“Go on with you,” her maid said. “Mrs. Darcy and Miss Annesley could have told you the same.”
Georgiana’s lips curled into a smile. “That may be, but they are never in here helping me into my stays and stockings, and it is in these moments when I need the encouragement.”
Alice shook her head and chuckled as she set to tidying the room while Georgiana left to make her way to the breakfast room.
After having eaten a good breakfast and spending time practising a particularly challenging piece of music, Georgiana settled into a chair near the window to work on some stitching and to wait to see if anyone would call.
“Are you as nervous as I am?” Elizabeth whispered.
Georgiana looked up from her stitching. “You are nervous?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Every day. I know I will become used to being Mrs. Darcy and eventually forget that people are scrutinizing me and hoping I will misstep, but that day has not yet arrived.”
“But you have been married for nearly a year.” Georgiana could not help but be startled that Elizabeth, who carried herself with such confidence and always seemed to know what to say, would be apprehensive about callers. “I have not noticed you being uneasy.”
“Then, I must hide it well,” Elizabeth replied with a smile. “Finding one’s way in a new society is not easily done — at least not by me.”
“I do not believe it,” Georgiana protested. “I cannot believe it. Calls make you uneasy?”
Elizabeth nodded. “I have never had a season.”
“Oh.”
“We had assemblies in Meryton, and there were small soirees, but I knew everyone who would call. It was not so grand a society as here in town. Even when I would come to town and stay at Aunt Gardiner’s, the callers were always the same familiar faces.”
Georgiana pushed her needle through the fabric she held, drew the thread through, and repeated. “Then we shall be nervous together.” She took one more stitch before looking up at Elizabeth and smiling. “At least you do not have to entertain gentlemen while considering if they will make good husbands.”
“No,” Elizabeth agreed with a laugh. “I do not need to do that for myself, but I do hope to help you with that very thing. It took a great deal of convincing to keep your brother from sitting here with us. So, I do not want to fail you or him.” Elizabeth crossed to the window and looked out at the street. “You know I have not always been so good at judging character as I had hoped I was.”
Georgiana smiled. “My brother is at least partially at fault for that.”
Georgiana’s brother was known for being aloof at times, especially when in a new or uncomfortable situation. He had not made a good first impression on Elizabeth and had then proceeded to misread her at every turn. It had ended in a refused offer of marriage as well as a dramatic shift in her brother’s behavior as he attempted to unwind his tightly bound pride and sense of duty. For that, Georgiana would forever be indebted to Elizabeth. She knew that her debut and first season would be immeasurably easier now that her brother had his wife to help him remain relatively calm.
“I do not need an introduction.” A voice carried into the room from the hall.
“I hear your grandmother has arrived,” Elizabeth said as she returned to her seat. “Do you suppose she has come to call or to chaperone?” she added in a whisper.
“Chaperone, no doubt,” Georgiana replied.
“Two of my favourite grandchildren,” Lady Margaret said as she entered the room. “You both look fetching.” She tilted her head and looked closely at Elizabeth. A brow raised. “Any news? Am I to be a great grandmother?’
“Grandmother!” Georgiana exclaimed.
“Do not scold. I am old and will not be kept in suspense. My heart will not tolerate it.”
“Your heart is as strong as many younger than you, Grandmother,” Georgiana chided but looked expectantly at Elizabeth for an answer.
Elizabeth’s cheeks were rosy. “It is too early to say.” She skewered both of them with a sharp look. “I have not even mentioned the possibility to Fitzwilliam. It could be nothing more than a miscalculation of days.”
“And do miscalculations often happen for you?” asked Lady Margaret, earning another shocked “Grandmother!” from Georgiana.
“No,” Elizabeth replied simply. “But that does not leave it outside the realm of possibilities.”
“Have you felt ill?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “Tired but the season is taxing.”
“And so is becoming a mother,” Lady Margaret said with a smile. “If you find yourself feeling less than well, I would be delighted to stand at Georgiana’s side at a soiree as long as it is not a musicale. There are so many young ladies who think they can play an instrument and sing but clearly cannot. What remains of my life is not long enough to have to endure such torture willingly.”
Georgiana covered a giggle with her hand.
“Now, tell me, Georgiana. Do I have a hope of seeing you married before I perish?”
“Lady Margaret,” Elizabeth scolded with a laugh. “You are far from perishing.”
Lady Margaret smiled, and her left brow flicked up.
“One never knows.” She reached into the bag she had brought with her and, placing her spectacles on her nose, took up her knitting, and cast a glance at Georgiana. “I am waiting, my dear.”
“I have not met any gentlemen whom I wish to marry,” Georgiana replied. “But then, I suppose one cannot know if she wishes to marry a man based on a few moments of conversation between performances or in snatches while they dance.”
“It is entirely possible to know if one wishes to know if she wants to find out more about a gentleman after such conversations,” Lady Margaret replied. “There are none who have interested you so much as make you wish to know more about them?”
Georgiana shook her head. “Not yet.”
“Well, perhaps I can find one or two today whom I think might fit the role of grandson.” She waggled her eyebrows and smiled mischievously. “I have not felt this much excitement in ages. It has likely been since your mother had her debut. Your mother was so much easier to sit beside and guide than Catherine.” She shook her head. “Catherine was always her own person and such a challenging one! I heard Anne was in attendance at the ball last night.”
“She was,” Georgiana replied, “but she did not dance. Alistair would not allow it.”
“He is a good husband for her,” Lady Margaret said.
“He is,” Georgiana agreed. “She watched the dancing, strolled around the room a time or two, and, as I understand it because I did not witness it, won a great deal of money while playing cards.”
Lady Margaret chuckled. “Her mother would be shocked to hear that her daughter was playing cards at a ball.”
There was a decided gleefulness to both her grandmother’s chuckle and words that made Georgiana shake her head.
“Did Mr. Ralston attend?”
“Yes, he danced the first and supper sets with Georgiana,” Elizabeth answered.
“Oh, good. Then he will call. I confess I was hoping he would.” She peered over her spectacles at Georgiana. “He would make an excellent grandson.”
“He’s Jack,” Georgiana replied. “You might as well push my cousin Edward in my direction. It would be the same.”
Lady Margaret’s brows furrowed, and her lips pinched together in displeasure. “A grandmother can dream,” she muttered. “He is such a nice boy.” She turned to Elizabeth. “Speaking of nice young men, how are Mr. Bingley and his wife?”
“They are well. Jane says the twins are growing stronger and more challenging each day, as is my mother. Charles is considering giving up Netherfield and looking elsewhere for an estate to purchase.”
“One should always have at least a half day’s journey between oneself and a challenging relation,” Lady Margaret agreed. “Ah, there he is, the very gentleman we had hoped would call. Is that not right, Georgiana?” Lady Margaret said as Mr. Kinney announced Mr. Ralston and the tea service was brought in. “And just in time for tea.”
Chapter 3
“I am expected?” Jack asked with a surreptitious glance toward Georgiana.
“Not so much expected as hoped for,” Lady Margaret said with a smile. “Now, come sit here, my boy.” She motioned to a chair that was between her and her granddaughter.
“We are always pleased to have you call, Mr. Ralston,” Elizabeth said as she rose to pour the tea.
Jack did not miss the relieved look that passed between Georgiana and Mrs. Darcy. Perhaps not everyone was hoping to see him as much as Lady Margaret implied.
“I am always delighted to be accepted into your drawing room,” he replied. “It is the expected thing for a gentleman to call upon a lady after a soiree, is it not? They have not changed the rules of propriety and politeness on me since last season, have they?”
Lady Margaret chuckled. “They have not.”
“It is lovely of you to have called,” Georgiana added. “Did you enjoy the ball last evening?”
Jack inclined his head indicating that he had enjoyed himself. Calls, even when made at the home of someone whom you knew, were not particularly enjoyable. The conversation was always so stilted – for propriety’s sake and all that nonsense.
“It was a very enjoyable evening, although I did leave with emptier pockets than when I arrived.” His lips quirked up into a half smirk. “Not that I minded so much. I had every intention of leaving my money with Mrs. Pratt.”
“Did you let her win?”
Jack enjoyed how Georgiana’s eyes danced with delight as her brows rose and a smile graced her lips. He shook his head and affected a somber expression. “She would not allow that. Mrs. Pratt is no fool.”
Georgiana shook her head. “I am not certain I believe you.”
Jack shrugged. “I might have paid less attention to my cards than I should have, but your cousin is very entertaining, which makes it a struggle.”
“You did not wish to win.” Georgiana’s lips pursed as she attempted to hold back a grin.
“No, I did not.”
“You spoil her.” Lady Margaret shook her head and peered over her glasses at Jack. “As does that husband of hers,” she added with a wink.
“It is so delightful to watch Mrs. Pratt’s enjoyment,” Jack explained. “Might I inquire as to what you are making?” There were rows and rows of neat yellow stitches spread across Lady Margaret’s lap.
“I have a great-grandchild arriving soon, and he or she will need something to keep him warm.”
“It is a blanket, then?”
“It is indeed.”
Conversation lapsed into silence for a moment. This was the part of calling that drove Jack mad. It was worse than sitting for a quarter of an hour without moving. There was no purpose to the silence, and Jack did not care for doing things that served no purpose. He was also aware that he was wasting precious time, for, at any moment, they could be joined by some other swain who wished to steal Georgiana away from him. And yet, he could not think of a thing to say – he, Jack Ralston, who was not generally at a loss for words – ever – had not a thing to say.
“The weather is better today than yesterday,” he finally said. It was not the most sparkling bit of conversation, but it did fill the silence. “The park will likely be crowded later.”
“Are you going driving or riding?” Lady Margaret asked.
“I hadn’t thought to do either. I just imagined that the fine weather would bring out one and all. One must not miss an opportunity to display one’s self if one is fond of such things.”
“And is one fond of such things?” Georgiana asked with a giggle.
“Not particularly. I enjoy watching others parade about, and I am not opposed to the conversations that often occur when so many are out, but I have no particular desire to be seen by one and all – not that I dread it, either. And you, Miss Darcy, is it something of which you are fond?” He knew the answer, but he wished to hear her say it both because he liked listening to her and because he dreaded the silence that might once again descend upon them.
“No, I do not like being on display.”
“However, it is something which is hard to avoid during the season,” Elizabeth added.
Again, Jack noticed the silent communication that passed between the two ladies. Women were so good at that — conversing without saying a word. If he were to guess the meaning of the two looks he had seen so far today, he would have to guess that Georgiana was neither eager to see him nor was she all that comfortable with her position of sought-after debutante.
“It is indeed,” he agreed. “We could have the knocker removed. You would get far fewer callers if it was not in place. But alas, it was not removed soon enough to avoid my intrusion.” He smiled at her as he said it.
“You are not an intrusion!” Georgiana exclaimed.
“But he is,” Jack muttered as the door opened and another gentleman, a Mr. Allerton, was announced. He watched as Georgiana’s posture straightened as she greeted him. She was clearly not at ease with her position of sought-after debutante.
“Allerton,” Jack said
with a nod of his head. “You may have my chair.”
“You are leaving?” Georgiana asked in surprise.
“I do not wish to overstay my welcome, and I promised Mrs. Pratt I would take tea with her.”
Georgiana smiled. “You are very good to her.”
“Thank you,” Jack said with a grin. “I find it best to stay on the good side of one who can wield a foil as skillfully as your cousin.”
It was more than that, of course, and from the rise of Georgiana’s brow, he suspected she knew it. However, he hoped she would not press the matter further. Allerton did not need to know about how Mrs. Pratt had become something of a sister to him. Allerton was a fine enough fellow, but he was known to embellish tales at times. Jack had no desire to have it spread about the ton that he was infatuated with his friend’s wife – he wasn’t, but it was likely what would become of the tale once Allerton had put a polish on it.
Mr. Allerton was settling into the chair Jack had vacated as the drawing room door closed. Georgiana was smiling at him just as she smiled at everyone. Jack gathered his hat and coat from Mr. Kinney and exited Darcy House with his brain all in a muddle. She had not been eager to see him. She had smiled at both him and Allerton with very little difference between the two smiles. However, there had been a sadness in her eyes when he had told her he was leaving.
He turned and looked at Darcy House’s closed door before climbing into his carriage. A year! It would be a year next month, and he had made little, if any, progress in securing Georgiana Darcy’s interest, let alone her heart. He entered his carriage just as another was drawing to a stop behind his to deliver, no doubt, another caller for Miss Darcy. He shook his head as he settled into his seat and the door was closed. This would not do. He had never struggled to make an impression on a lady before this. His most significant difficulty had always been keeping the ladies from becoming too attached to him.
He had money, he was handsome with a certain prowess about him, and he was charming. There was, in his mind, very little to keep a lady from admiring him, save for an attachment to another. But — Georgiana had no suitor. If she did, Anne would have certainly told him. There must be some other reason for her rejection of his attentions.
