“Oh, then yes, of course I want to go… you don’t think I would embarrass you?” The young woman’s eyes darted between Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s.
“No,” Darcy said flatly.
He started gripping Elizabeth’s hand tightly.
Elizabeth smoothed out the back of his knuckles with her other hand, and he let out a long sigh. “Mr. Wickham is enrolled in a militia regiment that is presently stationed in Meryton. While we would try to keep your paths from crossing, I believe it likely you would see him. Possibly he would try to force a meeting.”
Georgiana’s breath whooshed out. “You think I would be easy prey for him once again?”
“Do you think you would be?”
“No!” Georgiana frowned… and then she said more slowly, “I do not think so.”
“I would have thought so as well, except your choice to keep that portrait of Mr. Wickham deeply concerned me.”
“Ah.” Georgiana flushed. She looked rather embarrassed.
“And when you further said that you still loved him.”
Darcy stared at his sister, and Elizabeth did not at all think it was at all her place to interfere with this conversation. Except that she wished to support them both, as she cared for both of them deeply.
“I… did I not say that I did know that he was unworthy?”
A raised eyebrow was the reply.
Despite the way that Darcy looked — quite fierce —Elizabeth could tell from the way that the hand she still kept holding felt that he was now perfectly calm.
Georgiana rubbed her face. “I can say nothing that would convince you. Or that should. But I do not think I care about him at all anymore. I… it was as though I never had a chance to be sad, to be really sad about what I learned of Mr. Wickham. I was supposed to just know better. But even though I knew… And then… When I talked with Lizzy about him, and we talked about him a great deal, I had a chance to sob, and to think. He just…” Georgiana shrugged. “I do not think I still feel that way.”
Darcy smiled at Georgiana. He squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “Lizzy is quite capable of helping us to see things differently through her conversation.”
That made Elizabeth blush deep red and cough, even though Darcy surely did not have any double meaning in mind.
“I don’t want to see him again,” Georgiana said suddenly. “I’d especially be scared if he somehow had a chance to speak to me alone. I do not like to think of him. The more I remember, the more I get a sick feeling in my stomach, about how nearly my life ended up in an irretrievable disaster. It would have been a disaster if I married him, and then I’d never have any choice about anything important again.”
Darcy looked a little haunted as he nodded at her. “I’d have still protected you, if I’d had a way.”
“You probably shouldn’t take me,” Georgiana said very sadly. “There isn’t anything I could say which would prove that I won’t become his fool again. Words don’t work that way. Maybe during the season, we could invite Lizzy’s family to London? Or visit them after Wickham’s regiment leaves?”
“What isyourpreference?” Darcy said.
“But—”
“If you were choosing, solely on the grounds of your own preference, where you knew I would let you do what you askedme to. Would you wish to come to Netherfield with us?”
Georgiana sat and thought about that for a long time. Then she slowly said, “I truly do not want to see Mr. Wickham again. But I do want to meet Lizzy’s sisters, especially Jane, and also… I wouldn’t want to not go only because I was scared of Mr. Wickham. That would be terrible, to always live my life with that sort of fear. I want to be brave.”
“In that case we shall all go.”
“We will?” Georgiana exclaimed, her voice almost a squeak.
“We will,” Darcy confirmed in a solemn voice. “But I will keep a very close eye on you, and hire a man to stare at Wickham, no matter where he goes.”
Georgiana suddenly leapt up and embraced her brother. “I am so happy you trust me in this!”
He smiled back at her.
And Elizabeth thought he had never looked more handsome.
