“Do you not think it possible that you were simply jealous at the sight of two newlyweds so in love?”
“Jealous?” Caroline had experienced two emotions happening at the same time before, though it was an infrequent occurrence in her life, but they had never been this particularcombination of outrage and confusion. “Of the Grimleys? Are you feeling quite well? Why on earth would I be—”
“Only of their wedded bliss.”
“I am no such thing, I assure you. The very sight of them made me feel quite sick. Why on earth would you think that?”
“Because you asked me to help you become a kinder person,” Georgiana pointed out. “And you did specifically say that you intend to become so in pursuit of a suitable match. A love match, no less. And this all happened mere weeks after Fitzwilliam’s marriage to—”
“For goodness’ sake!” Caroline snapped, annoyed to discover that Georgiana’s words held a kernel of truth. Seeing the Grimleys act in such a lovesick manner had made her feel on the verge of regurgitating her luncheon all over her beautiful blue shoes, and yet, something about the way they’d looked at each other had made her feel slightly bitter. They had found each other—and frankly, two such fools deserved each other—but when would Caroline find her own match? And what if she never did? “You know that I wasn’t in love with your brother. I thought I had already made that very clear to you, but if I must do so again, then I am delighted to clarify further.”
“I am not suggesting that—” Georgiana bit her lip. “I only meant that you might be envious of their felicity.”
Caroline opened her mouth to retort, found she had nothing loaded on the gun of her tongue, and closed it again with an audible snap of her teeth. “You misunderstand me,” she said, though in fact, Georgiana had understood her very well. “I simply meant that I could not imagine ever being so awful with my own betrothed. So... simpering. It entirely put me off my luncheon.”
“You had five sandwiches,” Georgiana pointed out.
“In aspiritualsense, Georgie. One must eat to keep one’s strength up. You would not wish me to be swooning all over the place from lack of sustenance, would you?”
“I cannot believe you would ever swoon.” Georgiana still wasn’t smiling, but her shoulders had loosened. “One rather feels that your body would have to petition your mind for approval for such an act, and that your mind would deny the suit.”
Caroline began to relax. They’d been on the brink of an argument, and now it looked as if they had managed to safely steer themselves back to firmer footing. She’d never actually argued with Georgiana before, not properly. Miss Darcy was too patient for that, and far too ready to consider the other party’s side and give it all the same quarter as her own, though in Caroline’s opinion, Georgiana went too far. Surely one could be kind to all beings without actually being forced to like all of them.
“Mr Acton possesses considerable talent,” she said. “Do you not think me clever for suggesting the idea of a portrait to the Grimleys?”
“It was an excellent idea,” Georgiana allowed. “Though I would feel more impressed had I not also suspected that you were entertained by the idea of mocking the Grimleys in a way they could never understand. Or by the notion that Mr Acton now has to spend hours in their company.”
“Does that matter?”
“Everything matters,” Georgiana muttered, steadying herself with a hand on the seat beside her as the carriage went over a slight bump in the road.
“It’s not as if you have to be there, too.” Caroline cocked her head. “Do not tell me you have feelings for the man? He is so below your station, it would be entirely out of the question.”
Miss Darcy rolled her eyes. “I do not harbour romantic feelings for Mr Acton, I assure you. Nor is he interested in me. He is simply a talented artist of low means who has struggled to gain appreciation for his work.” She bit her lip. “I often think that if he had been born a young lord, that his life so far would have been very different. He has had to work hard, Caroline. Scraping pennies here and there in order to live. Such a life might have turned another into a bitter man, yet Mr Acton is patient and good-natured, with an eye for beauty and an appreciation of all life’s little pleasures. I think his disposition, with those circumstances in mind, is very commendable indeed.”
“And he is quite in love with Miss Merryhill. Have you noticed?”
“Of course I have. And I feel rather sorry for him,” Georgiana admitted. “I gather that he cannot afford to marry, though he loves her dearly. She has never told me directly how she feels upon the subject, for she is a shy creature, but I am certain that she feels the same way.”
“Oh, she reciprocates, I have no doubt. Did not you notice her comment about the painting he gave her? She keeps it upstairs, probably in her chamber where she can look upon it every day. That is not the action of a woman who does not care.” The carriage rolled on, the only sound that of the footman murmuring something to the driver, which produced a quick barking laugh. Caroline tapped her thumb against her bottom lip, thinking the situation over. Through the window, she could see the gates of Pemberley approaching; vast, iron, foreboding enough to a stranger but an immensely welcoming sight for a family friend. “Though I cannot see why he is so interested in Miss Merryhill. She is sweet enough, I grant you,but a painter surely wishes to look at beauty every day. What could such a wife offer him?”
She’d meant it as an offhand comment, but Georgiana stiffened again. “I knew you could be judgemental, but I did not think you could be cruel. Beauty is so much more than a pretty face or shapely figure.”
Caroline stared at her, entirely lost. “But it is not as if she is here to hear me. Cruelty would have been saying the words to her face, and trust me, I have known some who would do just that.”
“That does not make it right to say it at all.”
“From what I’ve heard, your own aunt does not mince words. In fact, Lady Catherine de Bourgh is rather known for her forthright nature, is she not?” Caroline arched an eyebrow. “Did she not visit Miss Elizabeth Bennet only a few months ago? I had heard a rumour that—”
“Lady Catherine, while possessing many virtues,” Georgiana said tightly, “is not necessarily the person on whom I would recommend one base one’s commitment to kindness. Look, I am merely asking you to take a moment to consider how your words sound. Imagine, for a moment, that someone unknown to you met us both at a party, and upon their returning home to their family, they declared similar opinions of you. How would that make you feel?”
“But I am neither poor nor ugly. I cannot see how—”
“Good heavens, I am only asking you to think before you speak, not impale yourself permanently on the sword of humility!” Miss Darcy exclaimed, as the carriage slowed to a halt outside of the house. “Miss Merryhill may not be a great beauty, but she is a gracious and generous woman with whom I have beenfriends for a great many years. After my parents passed, she walked to Pemberley once a week to bring a cake she had baked herself, and to check in on me when Fitzwilliam was away. She did so without expecting anything in return. Her friendship, and the friendship of others which you consider so beneath us, became indispensable to me. I will not hear her abused even a little.” Her hands clenched into fists, her knuckles pale. “Heavens, I was prepared for you to be irritating today, but I had no idea you were going to be downright insufferable.”
Georgiana flounced out of the carriage without a backwards glance, leaving Caroline staring after her with her mouth hanging open.Insufferable?She followed Georgiana into the hallway, whereupon the latter tugged off her gloves and threw them with gusto onto the side table.
“I think it a little dishonest to pretend that everyone is worthy of the same amount of respect, no matter how they look or act,” Caroline said. “I disagree that it is unkind to express a preference for one person over another, or to express one’s taste. Nor do I think it unkind to acknowledge that the Grimleys, however you slice it, rather embarrassed themselves today. They may be young and in love, but they lacked decorum.”
