“They certainly do,” Countess de Lieven said, staring Elizabeth full in the face.
“Then they are entirely in error.” Elizabeth spoke with great certainty.
“Our source is good, too good to be disbelieved.”
“That source being a gossip column?” Elizabeth queried. “Is that truly where thetongets its news? How very disappointing.”
“Disappointing?” Viscountess Castlereagh said, now puzzled.
“Indeed; in the country, we thought that the higher levels of society were well-informed and educated. It is hard indeed to now learn that gossip columns are considered reliable sources of information. I know that I, for one, was taught to look more deeply before forming opinions.”
The ladies traded glances. Countess Cowper said, “Might we speak with Miss Darcy?”
Elizabeth said, “Not if it is your intent to castigate her, no. She is a shy and delicate creature, who has already suffered overmuch from society’s opinions, which I now learn are based entirely on agossip column.” She infused the last two words with a good deal of sarcasm.
“I will be kind,” Countess Cowper promised.
Elizabeth looked around the room. “And the other ladies?”
One by one, with obvious reluctance, the ladies promised as well.
Finally satisfied, Elizabeth went to find Georgiana.
“Quickly,” she whispered. “Put on the white dress – the one with the pink roses! The Almack’s patronesses are here!”
Georgiana went white and swayed on her feet. Elizabeth shook her, gently. “No, no, Georgiana; you may have your reaction after they have gone. For now, you hold your head up, my dear girl. You have done nothing wrong!”
Georgiana insisted on having Mary with her. Hand in hand, the two girls entered the room. The difference between Mary, dressed and coiffed as a young woman, and Georgiana, dressed as a schoolgirl with her hair down, was striking.
Once everyone was seated, Countess Cowper began. “Miss Darcy, you do know that there was an article written about you some months ago, do you not?”
“I do, yes,” Georgiana managed.
“Is there truth in it?”
Elizabeth began to answer, but Georgiana overrode her. “Like most good gossip, there is a kernel of truth.”
“And what is that kernel of truth?”
All the ladies leaned forward, eager to hear the tale directly from the girl’s lips.
“I grew up at Pemberley, as you doubtless know,” she began.
“Yes?”
“My parents died when I was young; my brother spent as much time with me as his duties would allow, but he was master of Pemberley, and a good deal of his time was required to manage the estate.”
Again, the ladies nodded.
“I had a friend, though, who was the son of our steward. He spent time with me, as he had little else to do, and I trusted him. I was just a child, of course. You ladies doubtless had friendswhen you were girls, and likely they were other girls, were they not?”
She looked around the room, and saw all the ladies nod. “Yes; but you see, I did not. Pemberley is quite isolated, and my brother was too busy learning his new responsibilities to want to go to Town, and so I had no friends who were girls. It was quite lonely, if I am honest. Quiet and lonely, except for this one friend. Yes, he was young and yes, he was the son of the steward, but what did I care for any of that? I was just a child, with no mother to teach me any better.”
Elizabeth watched the ladies as Georgiana spoke, and saw the first glimmers of understanding on their faces.
Georgiana continued. “Imagine my surprise, then, when I met him at Ramsgate! I had not seen him for many years, and did not know anything about him, other than that he had been kind to a young girl. My companion, Mrs. Younge, encouraged him to visit us, and so he did.”
“But why did she encourage this?” Viscountess Castlereagh asked. “Surely she knew this was wrong!”
