Georgiana whirled on Caroline. “You spend far too much time looking outward at everyone else and no time at all looking inward.”
Surprised, Caroline cocked her head. “That’s simply not true. I think about myself every single day.”
“I am talking,” she said through gritted teeth, tearing off her wrap with quick, jerky movements, “of self-reflection. It’s a wonderful thing. You ought to try it sometime.”
The action revealed the full glory of Miss Darcy’s considerable bosom; it was truly terrible timing, but Caroline could not help a quick glance at the soft skin, the way it heaved and—
“Are you even listening to me?”
“Of course I am!” Caroline said, more heatedly than she felt, feeling the need to cover up her sudden lapse in attention. “And how does one reflect on one’s self? Ought I find a looking glass?”
“If you’re not going to take me seriously, then I shall stop talking. And what’s more”—Miss Darcy glared at her—“I shall stop helping with your Great Endeavour.”
If even Georgiana’s patience was running out, then there was surely no one on earth who’d put up with Caroline long enough for her to achieve her goal. “No, wait,” she said hastily. “I’m listening. What do you mean by ‘self-reflection’?”
“Well, you might consider sitting in a quiet room and writing about your feelings.”
“Whatever for?”
Georgiana’s long-suffering sigh was almost certainly going to induce sad lung, though now did not seem like a good time to remind her of the dangers of such a condition. “In order to discover what lies inside you, if indeed anything does.” Georgiana disappeared into the library for a moment and returned with a pretty leather-bound journal, which she shoved unceremoniously into Caroline’s hands.
Caroline turned the journal over, admiring the cover, which had been embossed with an intricate floral pattern. “What am I supposed to write?” she asked, but Miss Darcy was already halfway up the stairs.
“You’re so clever, I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Georgianacalled over her shoulder. “Until you do, I shall be otherwise engaged.”
Caroline stared down at the journal. The journal stared back blankly.
Fine, she thought.If Georgiana wishes me to examine the very deepest recesses of my soul,then examine I shall.What could possibly go wrong?
