Carefully, very carefully, she murmured, “Shh… Shh… Georgie… Georgie… that was not for you!That was for him!The man is an absolute scoundrel. I imagine he was after your dowry?”
Georgiana nodded.
“Your companion! Oh, my goodness! Did he corrupt her?”
Georgiana hugged her new friend back. “Brother said I would only have to tell you half of anything I wanted you to know.”
Elizabeth hugged her tightly. “It is not an unreasonable supposition, Georgie… Oh, I am sorry. You never gave me permission—”
“Please! Do not be alarmed. I like it. Nobody ever called me that and… well, I like it very much.”
“Then you shall call me Lizzy. Now, when did all this happen? How old were you?”
Elizabeth could probably guess the details, but she wanted her friend to get it all out, reasoning that Georgiana needed to say it more than Elizabeth needed to hear it.
“It happened last summer. I was 15. Fitzwilliam visited a day early by chance, and I confessed the scheme, so he arranged to end it. He has been afraid to retaliate against the man because he fears for my reputation.”
Elizabeth laughed gaily, though awkwardly. “Do not concern yourself with him. He got on the bad side ofmy15-year-old sister; I doubt he will survive unscathed.”
“Do tell!”
“There is nothing to tell… yet.”
Georgiana grinned, relieved again.
Another thought storm gathered. Elizabeth gasped and smacked her forehead, startling her young friend. “Last summer!That means last autumn—”
“Fitzwilliam was in a frightfully bad humour.”
“I must definitely rethink my first impressions. Shall we return to Milo?”
Georgiana giggled, absurdly relieved. “Back to Milo, and the question about what you did with my brother. As I said, he has always seemed like Milo. He carries whatever there is to carry. Some would see only a rich and spoilt young man, every advantage laid at his feet. I see a careful young man, whose decisions are responsible for the livelihood of nearly a thousand people. He takes itveryseriously, and feels it his duty to do more than is required.”
“An honourable man could not see it any differently. He expected to have years or decades to train with his father. How long did he have in the end?”
“3 months.”
Elizabeth took a sharp breath and squeezed her fist again. “Well… hmm… Certain aspects of his character now make more sense, but I do not believe our Milo is yet finished.”
“Imagine Milo carrying that calf, gradually working his way up to carrying a bull every day. What would that man be like?”
“I imagine it is difficult to have light conversations while carrying a bull. Even if you can manage it, everyone you encounter will spend all their time staring at the horns.”
“Exactly!”
“And a bull is quite valuable, so I imagine if you are carrying one around all day long, you would have to worry about others trying to steal it, or at least part of it.”
“Precisely!”
Elizabeth got more into the spirit of the thing. “A single misstep could spell disaster for both master and bull, so he would have to beverycareful.”
“Indubitably!”
Elizabeth smiled. “Georgie, that has actually been helpful, but something tells me you are not finished.”
Georgiana gave a sly look. “Suppose your Milo—”
“He isnotmy Milo!”
