“You? Help me? How?”
“How is it that you do not understand this? Jane, was the situation not explained to her?”
Jane shrugged, helplessly. “She hears what she wants to hear, Lizzy. You know that.”
Elizabeth lost her temper. “Caroline, despite your high opinion of your beauty and your dowry, you are now twenty-three years of age and unmarried. You have had three Seasons in Town, as I understand it, with no results. Surely you are aware that in another three years, you will be considered on the shelf.”
Caroline gasped and leaped to her feet. “I willneverbe –“
“I am not quite done,” Elizabeth said, teeth gritted. “Sit down.”
Caroline obeyed, now white-faced.
“I have offered to help you make a match, as you seem unable to do so on your own. I will host a number of dinners and teas, and of course a ball for Georgiana, and I will invite you to those events to help you meet eligible gentlemen. But I will not have you ruin Georgiana’s chances. The moment – the very moment! – that I think your behaviour is poor, I will cancel your invitations. Now repeat back to me what you just learnt.”
Caroline looked furious, and she shook her head.
“No? Then I think you have not understood me. Shall I repeat it? I will host –“
Caroline broke in, voice tight with rage. “Yes, I understand. You will invite me to your events as long as I do not anger you in any way.”
“Basically, yes. But it is less about angering me and more about poor behaviour. Do you not understand that saying negative things about one’s hostess is poor behaviour? For that matter, saying something negative aboutanyoneis poor behaviour!”
“As long as that person is not in the room, you mean!” Caroline corrected her.
Jane and Elizabeth shared a baffled glance.
“Caroline,” Elizabeth spoke slowly now. “It is one thing to voice your opinion privately to a friend, but it is a completely different thing in a social situation. Hold on for a moment; I wish Georgiana to hear this as well.”
She went to the bell cord and pulled it. A maid appeared at once; Elizabeth asked to have Georgiana brought down.
Georgiana, now in a simple cotton dress, joined the group in the drawing room and sat down at Elizabeth’s request.
Elizabeth said, tightly, “I will start again. You may voice a poor opinion in a private setting, but only to someone you trust not to repeat it. A lady is expected to keep her poor opinions very much to herself. Expressing a poor opinion in company is considered very unladylike.”
Georgiana nodded. “That is what Mrs. Annesley says as well.”
“Ah, yes. Georgiana, will you ask Mrs. Annesley to join us?”
When Mrs. Annesley walked into the drawing room, she curtsied to the room at large and then asked, “How may I be of service, Mrs. Darcy?”
“I was just saying that a lady keeps poor opinions of others to herself. I thought perhaps you might discuss other attributes expected of a lady intonsociety.”
“I shall be happy to, as Georgiana and I have discussed this at length. Modesty is important. A lady is expected to not be eager to call attention to herself; she is better served praising others instead. Kindness is highly valued by society, and this is not just kindness to one’s friends and acquaintances, but also kindness to servants and the lower orders. Berating a servant is the mark of someone who is not a lady. The servant’s grapevine, particularly here in London, is active and swift. Your servants will have no compunction about sharing their opinion of you with other servants, who will then report back to their mistresses.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Annesley,” Elizabeth said. “That is exactly what we needed to hear.”
Once Mrs. Annesley had departed, Elizabeth looked hard at Caroline. “The friendship of ladies leads to introductions to sons and brothers, so making friends with them is important. Ladies will not wish to befriend someone who cannot even be kind to a sister’s sister! Did you not notice that the young ladies in attendance today clustered around Georgiana, but not you? Do you understand, Caroline? If you cannot behave like a lady, I cannot have you associated in anyone’s mind with Georgiana. I will not allow you to lessen her chances. It is that simple.”
Caroline could bear no more. She rose and walked from the room. Jane cast a quick glance at her sister, saying, “Elizabeth, I will see you soon,” and followed Caroline.
Georgiana stared after them, and then said, “I hope she learnt something. But I rather doubt it.”
Chapter Ten
Upon arriving back at Bingley House, Caroline went directly to her room. When she did not come down for supper and instead asked for a tray, Mr. Bingley asked his wife if perhaps Caroline was unwell.
“In a manner of speaking, I think she is,” Jane replied, an odd smile playing about her lips.
