Mr. Darcy's Little Sister (3 page)

Georgiana blushed, but said in a barely audible voice, “Please call me Georgiana. We will be sisters very soon, after all.”

“I would be delighted, Georgiana; and please call me Elizabeth, or Lizzy, if you prefer. That is what my family usually call me.”

Jane followed Elizabeth’s lead in requesting that Georgiana call her by her first name and then the carriage pulled up to the door and Bingley and the Darcys saw their guests out. As they turned back to the house, Darcy put his arm around his sister and said,

“How did the evening go, my dear?”

“Very well, I think. Both of the Bennets are so thoughtful of my comfort that even I, ‘Miss-afraid-of-her-own-shadow,’ could not help but relax a little in their company.”

Bingley, catching the end of their conversation, made a sound very like a snort and said, “Unlike my sister Caroline, who is so wrapped up in her own importance that she is never aware of the feelings of anyone else.”

Georgiana flushed with shame. “I-I did not mean to disparage anyone else with my praise of the Bennets.”

Bingley gave a brief grimace, embarrassed that he had made his guest feel awkward and then said quickly, “Oh, I know you would never think that, Miss Darcy. Pray excuse me for my abominable manners, but I received a letter today from my sister which was a masterpiece of insincerity and I am feeling a bit annoyed with her.”

Georgiana managed to smile at them both before she excused herself and went upstairs. She lay awake for a while, reviewing the evening in her mind. Her final conclusion was that she had performed adequately; if her conversation was less than effortless in appearance, it was at least correct. She sighed with satisfaction and was able to drift off easily, as she had not done at the inns during the drive from Pemberley.

***

In the Bennet carriage, Elizabeth and Jane quietly talked about the evening. When they came to Georgiana’s performance on the pianoforte, Elizabeth said, “Georgiana’s playing is really excellent technically. You can tell that she spends much time practising, but she did not seem to feel the meaning or emotion of those arias she was playing, and I am curious. Is she just nervous about playing in front of us, or is she too young really to feel the words yet? Or…is she, perhaps, hiding her deep feelings, unwilling to reveal too much of herself to the world? I will be interested to find out. In my experience, shyness is often a matter of too much feeling rather than too little. I think, at least, we were able to help her relax a little and enjoy herself this evening.”

“She is a dear girl, but you may be right; she may be fearful of revealing too much of her soul to strangers. However, we will not be strangers long, and I agree with the assessment you made last summer that she is not at all proud and haughty, just very shy.”

***

The next morning the residents of Netherfield Hall were up early to make sure they were packed and ready to leave for London. They arrived at Longbourn in good time to join the Bennet family at their breakfast, and Georgiana and the colonel were introduced to the rest of the family.

Mr. Bennet was a man of late middle age, with a slightly stooped but wiry frame and a small potbelly. His bald pate was surrounded by a fluffy fringe of grey hair and surmounted by a pair of spectacles. He greeted Georgiana with a bow and a kindly murmur but then faded into the background as the others were introduced. Mrs. Bennet was somewhat younger than her husband and dressed with an excess of ribbons and furbelows. She also possessed a shrill voice which overrode the quieter greetings of the others.

“Miss Darcy! It is so good to meet you at last!” she repeated several times as she curtseyed and pushed her other two daughters forward. “Is it not delightful to meet Miss Darcy, girls? And of course, Colonel Fitzwilliam! You are Mr. Darcy’s cousin, are you not?”

The two younger girls agreed with their mother silently and Elizabeth interjected, “And this is my sister Mary and my sister Catherine, whom we call Kitty.”

Georgiana curtseyed, but was unable to form the appropriate words of greeting, so she merely smiled while the colonel smoothly handled the matter. The youngest Bennet sister, Catherine, seemed quite unable to speak to the colonel, but her eyes were wide as she met him. Georgiana was amused. How could anyone be overawed by her cousin, who was so lacking in false dignity or arrogance…? Not that she should comment about the self-consciousness of others.

Her attention was diverted by a question from Mrs. Bennet, which she strove to answer sensibly while her thoughts continued to tumble with the myriad of impressions and sounds which surrounded her. She could not help but think to herself, “How could this woman be the mother of Jane and Elizabeth?” The voice alone was a shock, even though her hostess was clearly trying to be all politeness and was most definitely charmed by Colonel Fitzwilliam, particularly when she learnt he was unmarried. Her attitude towards Georgiana’s brother was less clear. In fact, she seemed almost uneasy in Darcy’s presence, but Georgiana could understand that. Her brother, kind and gentle as he was, possessed a formidable natural reserve, which even his own sister sometimes needed courage to breach.

Mrs. Bennet broke the awkward silence which had fallen during Georgiana’s inattention with a flutter of her handkerchief:

“Shall we go into the breakfast-parlour?”

They all followed her, and Georgiana glimpsed a wary look which passed between Elizabeth and Jane, and she thought that she detected a lessening of the tension they had exhibited during the introductions now that the initial ordeal was over.

The breakfast was served upon the sideboard and each diner chose for themselves from among the eggs, kippers, and bacon. Mrs. Bennet invited Georgiana to sit next to her, and so her breakfast was peppered with numerous questions about her life and her accomplishments from her eager hostess. For Georgiana—seeing that Mrs. Bennet was not a lady of flawless refinement—her hostess evoked no awe or fear, and the questions, which were intrusive but friendly, she was able to answer without much difficulty. Mary and Kitty ate their breakfast silently but listened to her answers to their mother’s questions with interest. Jane and Elizabeth did not say much, either, but their eyes were alert as they watched their mother, and they attempted to smooth the conversation with occasional comments and illustrations. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy were absorbed in a discussion between Bingley and Mr. Bennet, and so Georgiana did not feel
their
expectations weighing upon her.

Nonetheless, she was relieved when breakfast was over and their hostess followed Elizabeth and Jane up the stairs with a simpered, “I had best make sure the girls have everything they need.”

Georgiana smiled and curtseyed and began to move towards the door with the three younger gentlemen and Mr. Bennet. They paused to await the Bennet sisters, and the conversation languished until Mr. Bingley began to discuss hunting with Mr. Bennet and made a tentative engagement to meet at Netherfield again after their return from London. Georgiana watched her brother as he stationed himself at the edge of this conversation, listening but not participating in the discussion, and so she saw when he became aware of Miss Elizabeth descending the stairs.

The two young ladies glided elegantly and silently down the stairs, their mother fidgeting and fluttering behind them as she chivvied them under her breath. Before the group had taken more than two steps down the staircase, Darcy’s head had turned, seemingly without his volition, towards Miss Elizabeth, and Georgiana saw a look upon his face which she had never before seen. His calm and dignified mask slipped for a moment and she saw his lips soften into a slight curve, his eyes kindling as he regarded his fiancée. Georgiana glanced surreptitiously at Miss Elizabeth to see her response to his burning look and saw her step falter briefly as her eyes locked with her fiancé’s. It could not have been but a second’s pause, but Georgiana felt a flush of heat from the almost visible connection between the two pairs of eyes. She dropped her gaze to her gloved hands, feeling that she had intruded upon the privacy of her brother and his bride.

The moment passed, and the Bennets continued their progress down the steps and joined their friends for the final farewells. Georgiana managed to thank Mr. Bennet and turned to his wife in time to catch a look of naked triumph on the older woman’s face as she watched the two couples before the door. Mrs. Bennet pasted a complacent smile on her face when she saw Georgiana observing her, and said, “We thank you for joining us, Miss Darcy, and I hope we will see you again very soon.”

Georgiana, disconcerted by Mrs. Bennet’s sudden change in demeanour, stammered a few words, she hardly knew what, about her pleasure in meeting the Bennets, and turned quickly to follow the others to the carriage.

The ride was just noisy enough to make conversation inconvenient, so she looked out of the window at the countryside as they drove. The placid fields and hamlets soothed her, and she felt the tension in her body from the pressure of meeting so many people at one time disperse. The relaxation of her rigid muscles left her limp but with a mind which was still whirling; she had plenty to think about.

For how do I hold thee but by thy granting,

And for that riches where is my deserving?

—William Shakespeare, Sonnet 97

With all the sights and sounds of the morning to review the drive went quickly, and it was not long after noon when the carriage pulled up in front of a neat brick house on Gracechurch Street. Georgiana had never been to the commercial areas of London and was pleasantly surprised at the elegance of the street on which the Gardiners lived, even though the house was only a few minutes from Mr. Gardiner’s warehouses. They all went in to exchange courtesies with the Gardiners while the Bennet ladies’ luggage was unloaded by the footmen, but they did not stay long. When Darcy rose to go, Elizabeth put on a severe expression and chided him:

“So, you are abandoning us to the mercies of seamstresses and milliners while you disappear on your mysterious business?”

He merely replied with dignity, “Do not worry, my dear Miss Elizabeth, your Aunt Gardiner’s kind invitation to dine tonight will ensure that I return promptly to your door. I have not the least doubt of my future wife’s ability to subdue any rampageous bolts of silk.” With a solemn bow he left with Mr. Bingley, who, unlike his friend, was unable to control his mirth, and he burst into laughter as Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley climbed back into the carriage for the ride to Ashbourne House.

When they reached Audley Square and he was helping Georgiana out of the carriage, Darcy said, “I hope that you do not mind missing the first afternoon of shopping with the ladies, Georgiana. I know that the Misses Bennet will be ensconced with the seamstress at their aunt’s house for most of the afternoon, but I would like your assistance with something.”

Georgiana was surprised. “Of course, Brother, I will do whatever you wish.”

“Bingley and I would like to purchase similar wedding gifts for our brides since they are as close as sisters can be and we are marrying on the same day, but we should like a young lady’s opinion on our choice.”

She smiled up at him, pleased that he thought her opinion had merit. “I would love to, Brother!”

“Excellent. We will stop here just long enough to have a cup of tea and then the colonel may return to his work and Mrs. Annesley may have a well-earned rest from her duties while we are shopping.” He smiled at his sister’s companion. “After we are finished at the jeweller’s, Bingley and I will need to spend some time at our tailors and I need to interview several lady’s maids Mrs. Burton has selected as suitable for Mrs. Darcy, so I will send you to Gracechurch Street when we are finished.”

She nodded her agreement with this plan and they entered the house. They changed from their travel clothes and met in the drawing-room for their tea and cakes. Mr. Bingley ran upstairs while they were finishing, and the colonel was talking lightly about a party he was attending the next night as they waited for him.

“I am not very interested in the party—the family have a pretty, but exceptionally dull, daughter with whom they are trying to saddle me. However, their cellar is good and the other members of the family are entertaining enough.”

In the brief pause which ensued, Georgiana abruptly asked, “So, Cousin, could you please answer a question for me?” The colonel nodded benignly and she continued. “Why did my father make you my guardian along with my brother? I am quite sure it was not that he thought my brother was irresponsible or incapable.” She flushed with embarrassment when the words burst out of her mouth like daggers, but she sat up straight and looked her cousin in the eye.

“Georgiana!” Darcy said, his voice shocked.

“No, no Darcy! My little cousin has a legitimate question, even if not gracefully phrased, and deserves an answer.” Fitzwilliam turned back to Georgiana, whose face was scarlet. “Of course your father had no concerns over your brother’s capability as your guardian, but he probably wanted to lessen the fearful responsibility for the care of a young girl.” He glanced at Darcy and his lips twitched irrepressibly. “He also undoubtedly wanted to leaven my cousin’s rigid respectability and formidable dignity for fear that his daughter would end up a bluestocking of impeccable rectitude and scholarly habits instead of a lovely young lady ready to take her place in London society.”

Georgiana stared at him, not sure whether to be angry or pleased. The colonel’s countenance was perfectly bland and unreadable. She looked at her brother to see how he responded to this indictment. Darcy’s face was calm, giving away nothing, but his eyes twinkled when he finally answered, “Perhaps my father thought that a ruler should have a jester to lighten the monotony of his days.”

Fitzwilliam roared with laughter.

“Well said, Cousin, well said.”

“If you will excuse me, I just remembered that my reticule is upstairs.” Georgiana stood up and flounced out of the room.

When she returned to the drawing-room, Georgiana had reflected on the conversation and tried to put aside her bad temper. She realised that the colonel’s assessment was probably close to the truth. Her father most likely had wanted two guardians for her to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses and her brother and cousin were well matched in that way, as well as being close friends. The two men looked at her warily when she came in the door, and she knew that they were trying to determine if her spate of ill temper had resolved. The colonel bowed to her good-naturedly and left to tend to his own business, and Georgiana was left to be ashamed of her churlish behaviour.

Mr. Bingley was finally ready and they returned to the coach; Darcy directed the coachman to Sheffield and Sons Jewellers in Bond Street. Georgiana had never been into a jeweller’s before, and she was dazzled at the number and variety of beautiful pieces in gold and precious stones, her shame over her boorish behaviour quickly forgotten. After a survey of the room, she asked Darcy, “Do you have an idea of what you want, Brother?”

“We were thinking of, perhaps, bracelets.” He looked at Bingley for confirmation and received a nod.

Georgiana thought Mr. Bingley looked as overwhelmed as she felt at the number of choices offered them in the shop. The shopkeeper, who had kept a respectful distance while they were conversing, now approached and bowed.

“How may I help you, Mr. Darcy?”

“My friend Mr. Bingley and I are both shopping for wedding gifts for our brides-to-be.”

Mr. Sheffield’s eyes sparkled, and he said, “Of course, Mr. Darcy, I would be delighted to serve you. Did I hear you say that you are shopping for bracelets?”

“Yes, as I was saying to my sister,” he nodded towards Georgiana, “we would like the gifts to match as our brides are sisters and very close.”

“Certainly, certainly, sir.” The jeweller rubbed his hands together for a moment as he thought. “Come this way, please, sirs and miss, and I will show you what we have. If we do not have exactly what you want we can, of course, manufacture or obtain it for you. When is the wedding, if I may ask?”

Darcy told him and he said, “Yes, we should have plenty of time. Come this way, sirs, miss.”

He led them to a small sitting area in the room next to the showroom and seated them then disappeared. In a moment a servant brought them tea, and the jeweller reappeared with a stack of wooden trays lined with velvet.

“I have selected a variety of styles for you to look at, sirs and miss,” he bowed to Georgiana and the gentlemen, “so I can better judge what your taste is in this matter.”

They all leaned forwards as he passed the trays one at a time so they could each see them. There were many bracelets, most with gemstones, of various weights. Many of them were very beautiful and would grace any ballroom in which they were worn, but Georgiana did not see any which seemed quite right. After looking through all of them, she glanced at her two companions and saw that they were also unsure. She said, “Ummm,” and both men looked up.

“P-perhaps we could look at something a little different.”

Darcy encouraged her with a smile and said, “What do you have in mind, my dear?”

“Well, I do not yet know the Misses Bennet well, and I know that it is customary to give impressive jewels for wedding gifts, but it seems to me that a wedding gift has a symbolic meaning far beyond other gifts and should be something that the recipients will see and use daily rather than something which will be locked away until a ball.”

Darcy stared at her for a moment in surprise, and she blushed self-consciously and began to stammer, “B-but perhaps…”

“Do not be embarrassed, my dear sister, I am quite impressed with your insight. You have put your finger on exactly what was bothering me about these bracelets. They just did not feel right to me as a wedding gift.”

She blushed even more and Darcy looked at Bingley for his approval, who said, “I think you are right, Miss Darcy. These are lovely and would make delightful birthday or Christmas gifts, but they don’t quite suit my feelings in the matter of wedding gifts.”

The jeweller, following the conversation, cleared his throat and said to Georgiana, “You are thinking, Miss Darcy, of a bracelet which could be worn every day?”

“Yes, exactly, sir.”

“Aha. Give me another moment, if you please.”

He handed the trays to an assistant and bustled back to the showroom. When he returned he held several more trays, which he presented to Georgiana first.

“Pray look at these, Miss Darcy. Are these more what you are wanting?”

The trays held numerous gold bracelets of various weights and designs. Some had a small jewel or gold charm. She looked them over carefully and finally chose a fine serpentine chain which had a delicate cross set with a ruby hanging from the clasp.

“I-I think that this is the one I prefer. What do you think, Brother?”

Darcy took the chain and tilted his head. “I think it is perfect, Georgiana. What do you think, Bingley?”

“I like it very much.”

Georgiana boldly added, “I would have the cross set with a sapphire rather than a ruby for Miss Bennet, however. The colour will match her eyes. The ruby would be lovely for Miss Elizabeth.”

Bingley nodded and smiled at her. “Yes, you are perfectly right, Miss Darcy.” He turned to the jeweller and asked, “Could you obtain another, identical to this except with a sapphire on the cross?”

“Indeed, sir. The chain itself is a popular style and readily available, but the cross makes it distinctive. We can have the cross with the sapphire added in our workshop. There will be no difficulty at all.”

While Darcy gave his final instructions on the bracelet for Elizabeth, Bingley asked the jeweller to show him some necklaces, as Miss Bennet would have a birthday less than a month after their wedding. After some deliberation, he chose a diamond collar and asked Georgiana for her opinion. When she approved they finished their transactions and left the shop, leaving Mr. Sheffield beaming behind them.

When they finished shopping, Darcy helped Georgiana into the carriage and asked her, “Do you wish to stop at Ashbourne House before you go to Gracechurch Street?”

Georgiana paused, unsure what to do, and Darcy added, “I believe the Bennet ladies are expecting you, and Mrs. Gardiner informed me that they would be in all afternoon with the seamstresses.”

“If you do not mind, let us go to Ashbourne House and I will bring my evening clothes to Gracechurch Street, since we will be dining there.”

Darcy smiled his approval and then gave the orders to the coachman.

When Georgiana arrived at the Gardiner residence, she found the ladies in the parlour surrounded by a blizzard of fabric samples, ribbons, and laces. When the maid announced her, Miss Elizabeth jumped up, saying, “Thank heavens you are here, Georgiana! My mind is spinning with all of these choices to make. Let us take a few minutes for a cup of tea before we plunge back into the maelstrom!”

Mrs. Gardiner nodded to the maid and the ladies moved to the drawing-room after the Bennets had set aside the patterns and plucked off the fabric swatches which were clinging to their gowns. When they sat down, Elizabeth turned to Georgiana and said, “My dear aunt wishes to give each of us a new ballgown for a wedding present, so we must select patterns for those as well as for all our other gowns.
Quelle horreur!
” She grinned at her aunt, with a twinkle in her eye.

Georgiana asked, “Have you decided on your wedding gowns?”

“I think I will have a white silk batiste gown with silver embroidery above the hem and on the bodice. I have a bonnet which I like very well and they are going to make another just like it, except white trimmed in silver ribbon, and with a short veil.”

Jane added, “I am going to have a white gown with Valencienne lace trim, but I have not yet decided on my bonnet. Since it may be cold that late in October, I am going to have a lace spencer to match the gown, as well.”

The conversation continued in a lively manner until they finished their tea then they adjourned again to the parlour, where the modiste had put the patterns and samples in order. The next two hours passed quickly as they looked at designs and material and Georgiana soon found herself making suggestions along with the others. It seemed like only a few minutes until it was time to dress for dinner. Mrs. Gardiner assigned one of the maids to help her dress and she soon returned and joined the others in the drawing-room.

When a footman announced dinner Mr. Gardiner offered Georgiana his arm and she was a little taken aback, but he said, “You are the guest of honour here, Miss Darcy.” He smiled his merry smile at her and added, “Also, I believe my nieces have partners they prefer to their old uncle.” She looked over at the two couples and said quietly, “And do they not look lovely together?”

“Indeed they do, Miss Darcy.”

Mr. Gardiner patted her hand and led her into the dining-room. From her position at his right, Georgiana could observe both couples when she was not engaged in conversation with her dinner partner. Mr. Bingley could not keep his eyes off his beautiful fiancée and thereby neglected his hostess, who was on his other side. Jane showed more restraint in her admiration, but on one occasion when she glanced up Georgiana saw her give Mr. Bingley a long look which caused him to stumble and fall silent in the middle of the tale he was relating. Miss Elizabeth, to whom this story was directed, gave him a brief, amused smile and said, “You were saying, Mr. Bingley?”