“There are a few shops that sell souvenirs that I haven’t been to,” she answered. “I was saving them for the end of my trip.”
“There is no need to put it off,” he said. “Let us meet there tomorrow, and you can look at what is available. Then you will have time to think about what items will best remind you of your time here, and you can purchase them at the end of your visit.”
“What an excellent idea!” said Georgiana. “Yes, let’s meet there tomorrow.”
“In the meantime, may I accompany you to the circulating library?” he asked.
“Of course.” She smiled at him. “That would be delightful.”
For the next two weeks, Georgiana saw Mr. Wickham every day, and every day seemed brighter for his presence. On rainy days, when she could not go out, he took the time to visit her at home. When he was not around, she talked about him frequently, and Mrs. Younge was a sympathetic listener. Without her even realizing it, Georgiana’s world began revolving around Mr. Wickham.
One day, in the last week of July, after Mr. Wickham left the house, Georgiana turned to Mrs. Younge and said, “He is so kind to take time every day to visit me.”
“I do not think it is just kindness, my dear,” said Mrs. Younge. “I doubt he could stay away from you if he tried.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed,” said the older lady. “He is clearly in love with you, and though you may not have noticed it, I suspect you return his affection.”
Georgiana took a few moments to make sense of Mrs. Younge’s words, but the more she thought about it, the more itseemed to be true. Mr. Wickham had expressed gentle affection for her during nearly every visit. He had complimented her beauty, her mind, and her taste in various ways. He had even told her a few times that his visits with her were the highlight of his day.
She had thought he was just being kind to his friend’s younger sister, but what if it was more than that? She remembered how she had blushed simply from observing his handsome features. She thoroughly enjoyed the warm looks he gave her, and the few times he had taken her hand to help her down some steps, his kindness, strength, and solicitude had been highly attractive.
Perhaps Mrs. Younge was correct. Perhaps Georgiana was falling in love with Mr. Wickham.
The next few times she was in Mr. Wickham’s company, she blushed and stammered, confused by the new feelings within her. She expected her poor behavior to chase him away, but on the contrary, it seemed to draw him closer. When they walked together, he walked closer to her than ever before. When they sat, he sat closer to her.
Such a thing could easily have felt intimidating, but it was Mr. Wickham. She knew such a friend of the family would never hurt her. Besides, she found his closeness to be both comforting and exciting. A part of her wished they could be even closer with his arms wrapped around her.
A few days later, Mr. Wickham surprised Georgiana by arriving at her house, even though it was a perfectly sunny day, and they had agreed to meet at the tea house. Even more oddly, once Mr. Wickham was settled in the parlor, Mrs. Younge claimed to have business elsewhere and left Georgiana alone with him.
Once Mrs. Younge was gone, Mr. Wickham turned to Georgiana and said, “Dear Georgiana, you must know, you must have felt it. I am madly in love with you, and I have come to ask you to marry me. I know I am just a steward’s son, but I have learned that I cannot live, cannot breathe without you. Is there any way you can return my affection? Can you possibly want to be my wife so that I may cherish you and love you all our days?”
“Oh Mr. Wickham,” she said, “I would like nothing better than to marry you…” She was about to add that she would need to get her brother’s permission, but he stopped her with a kiss.
With his lips caressing hers and his hands stroking her back, Georgiana was lost. Intense feelings, unlike anything she had ever imagined swamped her, and she could think of nothing else.
Eventually, he released her, and a bright smile graced his face. “Dearest Georgiana, you have made me the happiest man on Earth. We shall be the perfect couple, you and I, and I will always make absolutely certain you have everything you need to be happy.”
“I already am happy, G-George,” she said, stammering over the fact that she was using his first name for the first time. He was so pleased to hear his name on her lips that he swooped in for another kiss.
Dizzy with delight and overcome by emotion, Georgiana had trouble focusing her thoughts, but she knew there were complications that they must work out.
After several minutes of endearments, affectionate words and caresses, Georgiana finally managed to pull her thoughts together to ask, “When will you be asking my brother for permission? You know, both he and my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, need to approve before I can marry. Fitzwilliam willbe here in five days, so it will be easy to ask him then, but you may need to travel to London to see Cousin Richard.”
George leaned his forehead against hers and stroked her cheek. “Yes, I know, dear heart. It isn’t quite as easy as you make it sound, but I will think about it and come up with a plan.”
~~~~~
The next day, when George came to visit Georgiana, he seemed very downhearted. Georgiana’s soft heart could not bear to see the man she loved so much be sad.
“What is wrong, George?” she asked.
“Dash it all, Georgiana,” he said with frustration. “I do not think it will work. I was awake all night trying to discover how to approach your guardians, but I know Darcy. He will not consent to you being married until you are at least seventeen.”
He sat down next to her and took her hands in his, peppering them with little kisses. “I cannot wait that long, my dear. I love you far too much.”
Georgiana looked around, expecting censure from Mrs. Younge for her allowing such liberties, but once again, the lady was unaccountably absent.
