My anger grew as I neared Kitty, but I forced a smile. “I fear I do not remember where the still room is. Kitty, would you show me the way so I can see to my brother?”
Though she looked at me oddly, Kitty nodded and we left the room. “Are you well, Georgie?” she asked when we were alone in the hall.
“Lydia spilled her tea on Fitzwilliam on purpose,” I said through clenched teeth.
Kitty gasped. “But why?”
Reaching out to take my friend’s hand, I felt tears fill my eyes. “She used your sketch to mop it up.”
Slowly, Kitty’s look of surprise gave way to disbelief and finally anger. “For being displaced as the centre of attention, she would injure your brother and destroy something of mine.”
I glanced over my shoulder as the parlour door opened, but saw only Mrs. Hill. “Come; let us find Lizzy and Fitzwilliam. Perhaps they might be able to suggest what actions should be taken against Lydia.”
Kitty nodded and led me down a hallway toward the stillroom. We were about to enter when we heard laughter from inside. Exchanging a startled glance, we leaned forward as one and pressed our ears against the door.
“Mr. Darcy, you must hold still.” Elizabeth laughed once more. “Have you always been a terrible patient?”
“I am not so bad as you insinuate, Miss Elizabeth.” I could hear the amusement in my brother’s voice. “I am simply attempting to assist you.”
“As you have only one good hand and I have two, I believe it would be best if you allowed me to finish, sir.”
Silence reigned for a moment before Elizabeth declared she was finished. “I do not understand how Lydia could have been so clumsy.”
“Young people often are. I remember frequently tripping over my own feet when I was her age. Have you never taken a spill with no one to blame but yourself?”
We strained to hear Elizabeth’s response, but Fitzwilliam’s laughter told us she had admitted to it.
“Are you certain you are uninjured, Miss Elizabeth?” Fitzwilliam’s voice was soft and caring. “I must know if my reaction caused you harm.”
We could hear Elizabeth’s laughter again, but this time she sounded nervous. “Merely my dress, sir.”
“Then I shall see you have a new one,” Fitzwilliam responded, nearly in a whisper which I had to hold my breath to hear.
“That will not be necessary, sir.” Elizabeth’s voice was also much softer and almost distracted.
We pushed against the door as close as possible, attempting to hear more, but only succeeded in releasing the latch and making our presence known. As we stepped inside the stillroom, Elizabeth quickly stepped back from Fitzwilliam and turned so her back was toward us.
“Georgie, what are you doing here?” Fitzwilliam snapped before forcing a smile. “I am well. It was only a mild burn, and Miss Elizabeth has seen to it.”
I did not miss the look of longing in my brother’s eyes as he gazed at my friend. I wished I could back out of the room and leave them alone once more, but the damage was already done.
“I am pleased you were not badly injured, Brother.” I hesitated and glanced toward Kitty. Neither of us were certain of the best way to disclose Miss Lydia’s actions.
Fitzwilliam straightened and took a step toward us. “Georgie? What has you concerned?”
Elizabeth drew closer also and addressed her sister. “Kitty? It is obvious the two of you had other reasons for seeking us out. Has something occurred?”
We both nodded, but it was Kitty who spoke. “Georgie saw Lydia purposely pour the tea on Mr. Darcy.”
Elizabeth inhaled sharply as Fitzwilliam turned toward me. “Is this true?”
Nodding, I could feel the tears begin to sting my eyes once more. I brushed them away and told Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam all I had seen. “I do not know her reasons, but I suspect it may have been her way of defending Mr. Wickham. If not, it was simply to destroy Kitty’s sketch.” I shook my head. “Could she truly be that spiteful?”
“I have no idea how that girl’s mind works,” Elizabeth mumbled before turning toward Fitzwilliam. “I must apologize for my sister, sir; though there is no excusing her behaviour.”
“Hush,” Fitzwilliam whispered as he leaned toward her. “There is no reason for you to apologize, Miss Elizabeth.” He took her hand in his good one and laid it upon the arm of his injured hand before meeting my gaze. “I believe we must visit Mr. Bennet to enlighten him on what has occurred.”
“Yes,” Elizabeth agreed. “I fear he shall be forced to discipline her now.” She sighed longingly. “When the bridge is repaired, perhaps Kitty and I might accompany you to Netherfield in order to avoid the uproar.”
“And face Miss Bingley?” I asked, attempting to adopt Elizabeth’s teasing tone and lighten our moods.
“She, at least, has never caused me bodily harm.” Fitzwilliam grimaced before glancing at the lady by his side. “Though I could not speak for your safety.”
A pleasant blush passed over Elizabeth’s features and she laughed softly. As she turned away, she motioned for Kitty and I to follow them and they led the way to Mr. Bennet’s book room. After pausing at his door to assure everyone was prepared, she knocked and waited to be admitted.
“Enter.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath and pushed open the door revealing Lydia sitting in a chair before their father’s desk, her face streaked with tears.
“Ah, it appears all parties are now present. Shall we discuss today’s events?” Mr. Bennet asked, obviously displeased.
Chapter Eleven
I reached out for my brother’s hand as we entered the small room. He squeezed my fingers reassuringly, but released them again to assist Elizabeth to the sofa. Once Kitty and I were seated on either side of Miss Lydia, he took the remaining seat at Elizabeth’s side. We all looked expectantly at Mr. Bennet.
That gentleman had watched as we entered and found our seats; his brow arching as Fitzwilliam had finally claimed his own. My stomach felt as though it were turning flips when his eyes roamed over each of us before he finally spoke. “Lydia came to me regarding certain tensions which have been felt within this house in the last day. Normally I would dismiss her and call her silly; but a guest has been injured, and I believe this must be dealt with so that it might not occur again.”
He turned toward Fitzwilliam, the corner of his lip pulling upward. “I assume sir that your injury is not severe and you have been ministered to adequately?”
“Miss Elizabeth has cared for my hand proficiently, sir. One could not ask for a more accomplished nurse.” His eyes lingered upon her, so he did not see the smirk which grew on our host’s countenance.
“Yes, yes. With three younger sisters and herself always into something, Lizzy has become quite efficient in her doctoring skills.” He turned back to us, the three younger girls directly before him, and his smile slipped away. “I have been witness to several upheavals in my home over the past day, and I find I am unable to avoid them. Lydia has disclosed her insight, now I wish to hear from the others involved.”
My posture stiffened and I saw Kitty sit taller. I was sure we both wondered who would be called upon first. As quickly as he turned toward us, he looked back to my brother.
“Mr. Darcy, I might ask for your counsel. There is merit in having each girl tell their tale separately, unknowing of what has already been said; but some may say they deserve to know what has been accused.”
Fitzwilliam drew his gaze from Elizabeth as he stroked his chin with his good hand. “I see your dilemma, sir.” He turned back to the lady at his side. “Miss Elizabeth, how would you counsel your father?”
Looking at each of us girls closely, she pursed her lips in contemplation. “I believe each may reveal their perspective on what they have seen. Perhaps it would be best should they tell their tale in the order it occurred.”
Mr. Bennet nodded as he looked at each of us. “Very well then, Lizzy, we shall begin with you and last night’s dinner.�
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Elizabeth appeared startled, quickly glancing at Fitzwilliam and away again. “But, Papa, we discussed that last evening.”
“You are correct, Child, but Kitty and Lydia were not present and do not know what was said.”
Hesitantly, Elizabeth drew a breath and looked to her younger sisters. “I was rude to a guest in our home last evening, but I have explained my reasoning to Papa. Mr. Wickham …”
“Wickham? What was he doing here?” Fitzwilliam clasped her hand.
Mr. Bennet responded for his daughter. “Unfortunately, a few officers were also trapped at Longbourn due to the storm and were forced to dine with us. They were seen back to Meryton once your missive was received and we determined they would arrive safely.” He motioned for Elizabeth to continue.
I watched as she carefully slid her hand from under Fitzwilliam’s, as though she were trying not to draw attention, and placed it in her lap. “Mr. Wickham had made certain claims which Lydia believed to be true …”
“You believed him too, Lizzy, when he told you at Aunt Philips. Why should you say it was only me?”
“Quiet, Lydia! Lizzy, continue.” Mr. Bennet eyed his youngest, his patience clearly nearing its end.
A look of exasperation crossed Elizabeth’s countenance as she looked at her sister and her words were harsh when she spoke. “As Lydia decided dinner was the appropriate time to mention Mr. Wickham’s lies, I felt it necessary to shed more light on the subject. It was clear Lydia was attempting to make Georgiana feel ill at ease, and I wished to protect her.”
Lydia leaned forward as though to protest, but her father’s glare silenced her.
“I questioned Mr. Wickham regarding his interest in the church as I was aware he had refused the position and received remuneration for it.” Her gaze fell, and a moment later I saw Elizabeth lay her hand upon Fitzwilliam’s twitching fingers just before she looked back at her sisters. “I was aware Mr. Wickham was not what he appeared to be, and I should have warned you both away from him prior to then.”
“Very well, Lizzy.” Mr. Bennet glanced at her hand, which she quickly moved back to her lap, before he turned his attention to his other daughters. “As I am now aware of the man’s habits, I have decided he shall not be welcome at Longbourn. What’s more, you shall not be seen in the presence of officers unless one of your older sisters is with you. As I doubt I can trust you to follow this dictate, you shall not venture to Meryton without one of your older sisters.”
“Papa! No! Are we simply to believe Mr. Darcy?” Lydia cast a disdainful glance toward my brother.
“As he has a longer acquaintance with Mr. Wickham and documentation to support his claims, yes.” Mr. Bennet’s expression held no amusement as he stared down his youngest daughter.
Begrudgingly, Miss Lydia looked away first as she crossed her arms and sulked in her seat. “But what of today?”
“No,” Mr. Bennet said softly, still watching her. “There is one more incident which occurred last night.” Leaning forward, he waited for Miss Lydia to raise her eyes to his. “A guest was in need in our home, and you refused to provide assistance.”
I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks as I knew Mr. Bennet was speaking of the dress. My gaze fell to the yellow skirt I wore and I picked lightly at an embroidered flower.
“Have you nothing to say for yourself? You were quite vocal last evening.” Mr. Bennet ignored the others in the room, focusing completely on Miss Lydia.
“I suppose I might have simply given Miss Darcy one of my dresses.” Her tone suddenly changed from repentant to petulant. “But Lizzy pushed her way into my room and began rummaging through my things.”
“Is this true, Lizzy?”
“Having seen Lydia’s suspicious expression when she finally agreed to lend Georgiana a dress, I thought it best to choose one myself for fear our guest would come down in rags this morning or something else that was inappropriate.” Elizabeth shot a disapproving glance at her sister. “As it was, Lydia still made attempts to injure Miss Darcy.”
“Yes, yes, I shall get to that.” Mr. Bennet waved her away. “Well Lydia, what have you to say for yourself?”
“I did nothing to that dress!”
“To what dress?” he asked sardonically.
Suddenly uncertain, Lydia glanced around until her eyes fell on Kitty. “Lizzy took the blue dress from my room. I did not see it again. I do not know why Miss Darcy was wearing Kitty’s yellow dress this morning. Perhaps Kitty did something to the blue one.”
“Well, Kitty?” Mr. Bennet asked in a bored manner.
A moment passed while Kitty twisted a stray thread about her finger. Slowly, she raised her eyes and glanced across Miss Lydia to meet my gaze. I nodded encouragingly. “Last night, before we fell asleep, Lydia said Miss Darcy would find the blue dress uncomfortable. I woke before her this morning, as I had barely slept, and took my yellow dress to Maggie to let the hem out so Georgiana could wear it instead.”
“Yes, Mrs. Hill brought the blue dress to my attention this morning. It appears gravel had been rubbed into the seams. I can imagine it would cause the wearer to be quite uncomfortable.”
Everyone looked to Miss Lydia, but she was sitting quietly staring at her lap. From my vantage point, I could see my brother was becoming exceedingly displeased, but it appeared Elizabeth was reassuring him.
“So, we now come to the events which led to Mr. Darcy’s injury.” Mr. Bennet leaned back in his seat and took a deep breath. “Lydia informs me that she was quite disturbed by Miss Darcy’s glares and stumbled over the leg of the chair causing her to spill her tea on Mr. Darcy’s hand. She came to me as she was afraid she would be accused of doing it intentionally.”
I sat taller in my chair, mouth agape in astonishment. I was about to respond when Elizabeth came to my defence.
“I find that quite difficult to believe, Papa, as I witnessed Georgiana giving Lydia the best imitation of Mr. Darcy’s glare just last evening and Lydia was completely unmoved.”
“’Tis true, Papa.” Kitty nodded rapidly. “In fact, Lydia appeared about to confront Georgiana, so I asked her to assist me with my bonnet. Lydia was not in the least daunted by Georgiana.”
“Very well, then what did happen, Miss Darcy?” Mr. Bennet turned toward me; his expression was neutral, but humour glinted ever so slightly in his grey eyes, allowing me to lose a bit of my unease.
My voice was soft when I spoke, but I was pleased it did not shake and reveal my nervousness. “Miss Lydia witnessed Kitty sketching my likeness and appeared most displeased. When she attempted to look at the drawing, Kitty took it away and sat it beside Elizabeth. Tea was being served and I saw Miss Lydia step up behind my brother. I could not understand why she stood where she did. I turned her way and that is when she looked me directly in the eye and leaned forward, pouring her tea on Fitzwilliam’s hand.” I lowered my gaze and took a shaky breath. “She then used Kitty’s sketch to soak up the spilled tea.”
“Is this true, Lydia?” Mr. Bennet turned once more to his youngest daughter and waited for her response.
Lydia looked around the room at each of us. Slowly, her lower lip began to tremble and tears filled her eyes. “Papa, they have all contrived against me to make up these lies. I never would injure anyone by design. How can they think so ill of me?” She sobbed into her hands.
“You have hurt me repeatedly!” Kitty suddenly cried out, jumping from her seat. “Papa, do not believe her! I have bruises covering my legs from where she kicks and pinches me when she does not get her way. Shall I show you?”
“Oh, Kitty,” Elizabeth stepped quickly to her side and drew her into an embrace. “Why did you not speak of this before?”
“No one would listen. Mama told me that I must go with Lydia wherever she goes as no one else would; she never asked if I wished to do so. All that matters is what Lydia desires.” She broke down in tears upon her sister’s shoulder.
“Hush now,” Elizabeth comforted her. A glance p
assed between her and her father who nodded and she led Kitty from the room.
As the door closed behind them, Mr. Bennet sighed. “I am grieved this played out before you and your sister, Mr. Darcy.”
“I assure you, sir, neither of us will speak of it.” Mr. Darcy approached my chair and took my hand. “I do, however, believe it best that I be going.”
“I would agree; but how shall you manage your horse with your injured hand?” Mr. Bennet shook his head. “No, I fear it may be best that you remain our guest until we determine the safety of the bridge to Netherfield. You would do better to return in the carriage with your sister and her companion.”
“I would not wish to be a burden, sir.”
“Nonsense. I believe a few of the ladies will be pleased with your presence.” He smiled in my direction, his eye nearly closing in a wink. “Miss Darcy, would you show your brother back to the parlour while I speak with my daughter?”
“Yes, sir.” I stood and took my brother’s arm as we left the room. Once outside, I felt as though my legs would not hold me and Fitzwilliam slipped his arm about my waist as I clung to him.
“Georgie?” The concern in his voice nearly undid me. “Has it been terribly unpleasant staying at Longbourn?”
Suddenly a giddiness filled me and I trembled with the effort to restrain it.
“Georgie?”
A giggle escaped as I shook my head. “No, Brother. Only Miss Lydia has been a trial. Mrs. Annesley and I have both been welcomed warmly here. Jane allowed me to spend the night in her room so I would be closer to them and not have to hear Mr. Collins snoring through the night, Miss Mary has invited me to practice with her on the pianoforte this afternoon so we might play a duet this evening, and of course Elizabeth and Kitty have been quite wonderful.”
Fitzwilliam smiled. “So Jane, Elizabeth, and Kitty, eh? I suppose by the end of this day it shall be Mary also?”
“Oh, I hope so.” I squeezed his arm as we approached the parlour. “I do like being around so many women close to my age. I would very much like to call them my sisters.” I felt a slight bounce enter my step. “Kitty and I share the same birthday. We have decided we are as good as sisters already.”
Georgiana Darcy, Matchmaker Page 11
