“But your family name –“
He interrupted her. “I do not care what the newspapers say, nor what anyone else thinks. I only care about us! Oh, Georgiana, do not let this ancient incident ruin our lives!”
“Incident? Incident! Is that what you think this is? Did you not hear me? I almosteloped–“
And here he stopped her in the only way he could think of. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. Her lashes fluttered closed and the kiss went on and on.
“Oh,” she breathed at last.
“Oh,” he echoed, and he held her close. “Yes, just an incident and nothing more. I do not care what the papers print.”
The two sprang apart upon hearing a throat being cleared. Georgiana’s heart almost stopped beating when she saw Agatha, arm in arm with Lady Amelia.
“I think it is time to plan the wedding,” Lady Amelia said, smiling.
***
It took some time before Elizabeth realised that Georgiana had not, in fact, taken Mrs. Annesley with her, nor Cathy.
“Where could she be?” Elizabeth asked Mrs. Annesley, and even as she spoke, she knew the answer. “Of course; Westmoreland House.”
Mrs. Annesley nodded. “She doubtless went to tell him why they could not be together.”
“But in so doing, she herself tells the tale that she wishes forgotten!”
Mrs. Annesley laughed. “I am glad of this, Mrs. Darcy.”
“What? Glad of it! How is that possible?”
“I think he will have no difficulty at all in accepting this part of her past. He loves her, you know, as much as she loves him, and an elopement that never occurred, and three years past at that, is not much of an obstacle in such a case.”
“But Lady Amelia?”
“Well, we shall have to wait and see.”
“Wait and see?! I must go and retrieve her at once, Mrs. Annesley! If Mr. Darcy should learn about this –“
“About what?” Mr. Darcy stood in the door way of the family drawing room.
Elizabeth could not lie to her husband. “Georgiana has gone to Westmoreland House to talk with Lord Fane.”
He frowned mightily. “And no one has gone to recover her?”
“I am advising against it, Mr. Darcy,” Mrs. Annesley said, firmly.
“But why?”
“She will be here soon enough, if I am not mistaken, and if you go to fetch her, you are simply showing her that you do not trust her.”
Elizabeth went to her husband and took his arm. “Our faith in Mrs. Annesley has never yet been misplaced; let us take her advice.”
“Elizabeth, I cannot like the idea of Georgiana out in London on her own.”
“Nor do I, but I think we must show that we trust her, as Mrs. Annesley says.”
Mr. Darcy drew out his pocket watch. “I shall wait precisely one-half an hour, and then I will go and get her. I trust her, of course I do, but how does it look for her to be on her own? What if she is seen?”
It did not take half an hour; indeed, it was merely a quarter of an hour before Taggart announced the arrival of Lady Amelia and Lord Fane, accompanied by Miss Darcy.
