“She loves you, Georgiana, and would do nothing to harm you.”
“But she loves you as well, I am certain of it!”
“She does; and there is the difficulty.”
Georgiana could think of nothing whatever to say to this; she sat back in the carriage to consider all that she had learnt.
***
Going to Longbourn every other day allowed Georgiana to become quite friendly with all the Bennet sisters. Elizabeth – or Lizzy, as everyone called her – was already Georgiana’s dearest friend. Mary was a more accomplished pianist than Lizzy, and she was ready to play duets with Georgiana every day. Kitty was very interested in fashion, and she was eager to hear anything that Georgiana could tell her about new styles and colours. Jane was everything gentle and kind, though Georgiana spent very little time with her, as she was quite caught up with Mr. Bingley, as well as her duties as mistress of Longbourn.
Georgiana, knowing how much she loved hearing about her own mother, encouraged her new friends to speak about Mrs. Bennet. It was difficult for them at first, as they struggled to speak through their tears, but after a few false starts, they began telling Georgiana stories about her.
“All she cared about was getting us married off,” Kitty said. “She would do anything – anything at all! – to encourage male interest.”
“She was ready to marry Kitty here to John Lucas when Kitty was fourteen,” Mary said.
“Fourteen?!” Georgiana was horrified.
“Mama was joking, Mary,” Elizabeth put in.
“I think not,” Mary returned. “Lady Lucas said that the moment Kitty could claim two thousand pounds as her dowry, the wedding would take place!”
“I would not have married him in any case,” Kitty returned. “He has spots on his face!”
“Not any longer,” Elizabeth teased her. “Perhaps you could still have him.”
“Mama was famous for her dinners, Georgiana,” Mary told her. “Anyone in the neighbourhood will tell you that.”
“What would she serve?” Georgiana asked, and was rewarded by a good many descriptions of dinners, of courses, of the guests, and so on.
Elizabeth gazed at the young lady she hoped would be her sister with a good deal of appreciation. Georgiana could not possibly be interested in such details, but she was, very cleverly, helping to heal her sisters’ wounded hearts. What a dear girl! Elizabeth vowed again not to do anything that would hurt Georgiana’s future prospects.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
There had been a good deal of excitement at Greenfield House lately. It appeared that Lady Greenfield had been invited to take tea with the Countess of Matlock. Beatrice was full of self-important talk about what sort of gown her ladyship might wear to the tea, which gloves, which bonnet, and so on. Edith rolled her eyes as Beatrice held forth at the servant’s meals, but Lydia, who had always been very interested in fashion, listened keenly. She ventured a comment. “Beatrice, I recall that not long ago Azure Blue was the fashionable hue; is it now Imperial Blue?”
There was a long silence, while Beatrice stared at Lydia. Finally she said, “What does a farmer’s daughter know of such things?”
Lydia said, quickly, “One of the neighbours receivedLa Belle Assembléeevery month, and she gave the old one to her maid whenever the new one arrived, and the maid was sister to one of the servants – “ Flustered now, she concluded, “Well, in any case, I did get to read it on occasion!”
Edith saved the day by adding, “Yes, I got to see it once in a while as well, not that I recalled the names of the fashionable colours!”
***
That night, though, Edith scolded her. “I know full well yer no farmer’s daughter, Lydia Lucas, say what you will! But ya need to be a bit more careful afore the others.”
“But why would anyone even care?” Lydia asked.
“Because if yer of higher birth, the others get resentful; and if they get resentful, they will find a reason to get ya outta the house. I heard Miss Alice tell Letty how you had been found half-starved in the middle of the city. Do ya want to go back there?”
“No! Heavens, no.”
“Then mind yer tongue.”
“You are right, Edith. I thank you for your good advice.”
“See? Even the way ya talk! Hmmph.” With that, Edith rolled over and was soon snoring away. Lydia lay awake, recalling again the terrible nights she had spent huddled in a doorway. She would do anything at all tonotbe turned out of the house.
