“I don’t wish to wait so long either,” said Georgiana, “but we must. I am certain that my brother will allow the engagement, and we can continue as we are until I am old enough to marry you.”
“There is another way,” said George, “though I don’t know if you would be willing. If we elope to Gretna Greene, Darcy could say nothing about it. Then we would be free to express our love in every way.”
Georgiana thought about it. It sounded so romantic, flouting all the rules of society and the tyranny of a controlling guardian so that she could be together with the man she loved so dearly. She almost gave in.
Then she remembered Catherine telling her the story of what had happened to her elderly friend, Mrs. Parker. She had eloped, but without a marriage contract she had no financial security in her marriage. Georgiana couldn’t imagine George would ever treat her the way Mrs. Parker’s husband had, but recalling the story reminded her of all the reasons why she should not elope.
She opened her mouth to tell him she could not, but the poor dear sat in front of her with his heart in his eyes. How could she tell him no? He loved her so much.
“May I think about it?” she asked, instead.
The moment the words were out of her mouth, a glint of some kind of hard emotion flashed through Mr. Wickham’s eyes, but they softened so quickly Georgiana barely noticed it, and she certainly could not identify what it was.
“Why should you even need to think about it, my sweet Georgiana?” he asked. “I love you, and you love me. We belong together, no matter what the world does to keep us apart.”
Georgiana’s resolve nearly melted at his words. He was right. They belonged together. Catherine’s image wandered through Georgiana’s mind followed by her brother. Doubt raged within her. “You are right, dear George, but I still need time to think. If I am to run away with you, I need to be certain.”
George’s face fell into an expression of heartfelt disappointment. “Please don’t keep me waiting long, my dear.” He then kissed her, and Georgiana was lost. How couldsomething feel so right yet be frowned upon by society and even her own brother? It made no sense.
When they parted, Georgiana said, “I will give you an answer tomorrow, no later.” Internally, however, she was nearly certain. Inside George’s arms was where she belonged, and she would flout all the rules to remain there.
George stayed for another ten minutes, though they avoided talking of elopement. Instead, he asked her if she had seen anything new since yesterday, and she told him of the embroidery project she was working on, presenting it to him so he could admire her work. Only after he was gone did she notice that Mrs. Younge had never returned.
Georgiana waited for her companion for a few minutes. Then she decided to go look for her to ask why she had been absent.
The house was small, and other than the parlor, there was only one other living space, a drawing room which was seldom used. Georgiana checked there, but Mrs. Younge wasn’t there. So, Georgiana went upstairs to see if the lady was in her room. Perhaps she wasn’t feeling well.
As Georgiana approached Mrs. Younge’s bedroom, she was surprised to hear a man’s voice coming from within. It only took a moment for her to recognize that it was George’s voice, and the realization shocked her to her core. What was George doing with Mrs. Younge? What was he doing in herbedroom?
When she came out of her shock, she could hear Mrs. Younge say, “George, you need to go. That girl is going to wonder where I am soon, and if she comes looking for me we are toast.”
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head,” said Mr. Wickham, and Georgiana got a sick feeling in her stomach remembering a time when he had said those exact words to herwith the exact same tone of voice. “I left little Georgiana with her head in the clouds. She will probably be daydreaming about our upcoming elopement for the next hour.”
Georgiana’ sick stomach turned even more when she heard the unmistakable sound of Mr. Wickham kissing Mrs. Younge. She should have turned and walked away, but she was frozen to the spot in utter horror.
Eventually, Mrs. Younge said, “Are you certain she will agree? I thought you said she needed to think about it.”
“She will agree. Her head is so full of romance, novels, and the idea that the world is full of roses and kittens that she can’t even see straight.” Georgiana was instantly offended, but only a moment’s recollection made her realize that the scoundrel wasn’t exactly wrong. “Besides,” he continued, “if she doesn’t agree to go willingly, we will simply dose her with laudanum and carry her away.”
Georgiana’s blood, which had been heated with embarrassment, turned to ice as she realized she was in very real danger. The realization finally made her able to move, and she turned and walked silently back down the hall and down the stairs. She entered the parlor and shut the door quietly, so that it was just as it had been when Mr. Wickham had left. She then sat down to think.
The real problem was that she had no one to turn to for help. Georgiana had been raised to be dependent, to expect that she would always be cared for and always have people around her to serve her needs. She did not know much about the world, and she was relatively powerless despite her wealthy background.
Under such circumstances, Mrs. Younge would be the one she should turn to, but since that lady was actively workingagainst her, that was impossible. Georgiana would have to figure out what to do on her own.
For a few moments, she allowed herself to wallow in pity for herself. She wished Catherine were here to support her. Catherine probably didn’t know much more about the world than Georgiana did, but she was a little older, and she had even older sisters and a mother that she must have learned some things from. Besides, it would be nice to have someone to share her troubles with.
Then, she wished Fitzwilliam were here. She knew he would be arriving in four days, but she desperately wanted him to arrive sooner. If she could just delay Mr. Wickham until her brother arrived, she would be safe. She realized quickly, however, that just waiting would not work. Mr. Wickham and Mrs. Younge knew that Fitzwilliam would be arriving soon. If Georgiana tried to delay that long, she would be forcibly kidnapped.
Was there any way to get Fitzwilliam or Cousin Richard to come sooner than four days? Fitzwilliam was at a house party in Surrey, about eighty miles away, and Richard was in London, also about eighty miles away. A normal letter could get to them in a day, and if they left the next day, they would arrive before the day was over, so the soonest she could expect help would be in the evening two days hence.
It might be soon enough. It probably would be, but to Georgiana’s frightened mind it seemed like such a long time.
She suddenly remembered that there was someone else in the house in charge of her care who was certainly not in league with Mr. Wickham and Mrs. Younge. Millie, Georgiana’s lady’s maid, had been her personal servant since she turned eight years old, and she had been a servant at Pemberley since beforeGeorgiana was born. Her loyalty could not be questioned, and her wisdom was sound.
The moment the thought came into her head, Georgiana was tempted to rush upstairs to Millie, but she stopped herself. If she did that, she might encounter Mr. Wickham or Mrs. Younge. It would be better to wait until Mrs. Younge came back downstairs.
The wait was likely only about five minutes, but it seemed interminable to Georgiana. Once Mrs. Younge returned, Georgiana made small talk for a few minutes, trying her hardest to pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary. She didn’t feel particularly successful, but she hoped that Mrs. Younge would attribute her agitation to her impending elopement.
