“Does your brother often leave you alone? I imagined he would hover, to ensure you did not waste time on fruitless, overly learned pursuits. To ensure you do not read sentimental novels, or the like.”
There. Subtle.
Georgiana could not possibly gather from that question that she was probing for a serious purpose. Which was to confirm it would be a terrible idea to marry him, if he should ask. Which he would not.
“I am so happy!” Georgiana bounced on the stuffed sofa, unfortunately ignoring the question. “I am exceedingly eager for Bingley’s ball.”
“It will be a little ball, do not expect one of those glittering parties in London with a thousand pair, all titled.”
“Lizzy, the entire peerage is much less than a thousand persons.”
Elizabeth blinked. “It is?”
“Yes. You can count the entries in Debrett’s.”
“Does that include the baronets? They are listed separately by Debrett inThe Baronetage.”
“Uhhh.” Georgiana’s face twisted in an odd expression. “I am not certain…no not the baronets. I did not count them.”
“Gracious, Georgie,whendid you count all the entries inThe Peerage?”
The girl blushed and waved her hands side to side. “I liked Mr. Lucas and Mrs. Goulding so much. So kind! I admire them both. And thank you, thank you, thank you for encouraging me to play — Fitzwilliam was so happy — he cried a little. I swear. I’d never seen him do such a thing.”
Elizabeth had seen him cry and wipe his eyes. It was…surprising. It filled her with something, strong and strange.
“I had so muchfun…”
Elizabeth grinned at her sunnily beaming friend. Georgiana was really adorable, with her long neck and coltish pose. She looked so young, despite having a child and twenty years of age. Her eyes brimmed with enthusiasm.
The two children finished the round of backgammon, Anne winning. They begged permission to open the chests of toys across the room. The women smiled and shooed the children off.
“I felt odd, almost like I was in a dream, to be part of a dinner party. It is my fault Fitzwilliam never entertains.”
“He told me directly yesterday that he does not enjoy parties.”
“Did he? I…I can barely remember before…Wickham. He opened the house oftener. Last night was great fun, so hemustwish to entertain more often.”
He had enjoyed it last night. When she hosted entertainments for him at Pemberley, she would arrange matters so that he could have sufficient solitude to still enjoy his evening.
That deucedridiculousnotion again. Darcy and she would not marry.
Marry? Ha! No, she did not want to marry him. Him? She definitely did not. “Mr. Darcy chose not to entertain more.Hisfailings are his own. Every one of us has failings enough to feel poorly about without addition.”
“Notyou.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I have failings enough — I refuse to feel poorly about them.”
“Why have you never married?”
Elizabeth blinked at the question. “Do not implythatis a fault!”
“Oops.” Georgiana looked down and studied Anne and Bennet, who were engaged in some negotiation involving a wooden soldier Anne held, and a painted pink wooden pony, with a strand of real horsehair for the mane and tail that Bennet held. “I see where your joke came from — I am only curious.”
“You speak as if it ismychoice. A man must ask.”
Georgiana had a superb skeptical look.
“I have, I confess, had suitors.” Elizabeth smiled widely. She could convince him to ask. Elizabeth added in an airy voice, “A fair few, admirers ardent. Alas, none who I wished to wed.”
