“I hoped there might be… more,” Georgiana sighed.
“I will not speculate on what the future may bring. I hold him in higher esteem than I did, and we have had… some… some conflicts and misunderstandings… that have been… ah… partly resolved. Beyond that, I cannot say.”
Georgiana stared at her slippers. “There is something you should know. Well, two things… past and present. They may help you… to… well… to decide. You recall that when I met you, I wondered what you did to my brother?”
“Of course. I would have been shocked at the question, had your cousin Anne not asked it first. That hisbehaviourchanged is readily apparent.”
“His behaviour?”
“Yes. I doubt his true nature has changed, but his behaviour certainly has, and… well… I may understand him better than I once did.”
“Perhaps I should tell you what I noticed that led me to ask the question?”
“That might be helpful. You could start with the seemingly absurd amount of time devoted to discussingme. Does he make a habit of discussing young ladies, as men are wont to do?”
Georgiana smiled slyly. “Never, in fact. He occasionally writes about the ladies in his company when he goes to house parties or balls, but to be honest, he put far more feeling into discussing the drainage at Netherfield than his interactions with ladies. You were the first and only woman he ever mentioned with anything approaching esteem. He started writing about you when you came to tend your sister.”
“What else did he tell you?”
“He said you are absurdly brilliant, but you hide it well when you want to. He said you are extremely good at mathematics,and that I should not be afraid to use analogies or stories with you. It seems best to avoid the more tedious rituals of society.”
“I agree. You and I need to know how to navigate the rituals of society with grace and aplomb, but most of them are tedious and uncomplicated.”
Georgiana ducked her head. “Complicated or not, I need to… well… I do not excel at them.”
Elizabeth leaned forward and took the young lady’s hand, as she would one of her sisters. “You have time. You must be around 16?”
“Yes.”
“Your brother must be 27 or more. You have 11 years to bring your manners to equal his, and I think you shall succeed.”
Georgiana stared in shock, but Elizabeth winked, and they laughed together.
“His manners did not… impress?” Georgiana asked.
“No, but… well, they do not appear immutable. Time will tell.”
Milo of Croton
“Do you know of Milo of Croton?[xxiii]” Georgiana asked pensively.
“I see you are taking your brother’s advice about analogies. Well, throw out your lure, young lady, and I shall bite. No, I have never heard of Milo.”
“He was an ancient Greek wrestler.”
“Do go on.”
“He was reputed to be the strongest of men, rather like Hercules. Legend has it that he picked up a newborn calf as a young man, then carried it every day until he could carry a full-grown bull.”
“This is fascinating. I know my first task when I get to my father’s library.”
“You can read about him here in our library if you like.”
“Perhaps.”
“I suppose I should finish the story. You see, in a way, I have always felt my brother’s life was rather like Milo’s. I know it sounds absurd, but it is just an analogy.”
“I frequently use them and the fit is never perfect. Pray continue.”
