Iknew it!” Lady Catherine screeched. “I would never, never have let that happen!”
Anne, who had dropped her fork in surprise, said, “What is it, Mama?”
“Listen to this,” Lady Catherine said. And she read aloud fromThe Morning Post.
We have just learnt that a certain Miss GD of Derbyshire was one step away from eloping with the steward’s son before her brother caught the unlucky pair just in time. We can only wonder what possessed her! Perhaps Mr. FD is not as attentive a brother as one would hope?
“Could they possibly mean Georgiana and Darcy?” Anne wondered.
“Of course!” Lady Catherine snapped. “Who else could it be?”
“This is bad,” Anne said.
Lady Catherine stared at her daughter. Was the girl simple? “Bad?Bad? It is a disaster, Anne! Georgiana’s reputation willnever survive this! I told Darcy years ago that he should send Georgiana here, that he was not capable of raising a girl, and he refused me! And this – this! – is the result!” She threw the newspaper down onto the table before getting up and striding purposefully to her writing desk.
Darcy,
I knew something like this would happen! You have only yourself to blame, you know, for I told you that you could not raise a girl! Georgiana should have been brought here to Rosings Park years ago, and then none of this would have happened! I demand that she be sent here now, at once!
Aunt Catherine
Chapter Four
Bingley House in London
Charles! Charles!” Miss Bingley’s voice was shrill with horror.
“Yes, Caroline?” Mr. Bingley looked up from the slice of ham he was cutting.
“You must listen to this!” She read aloud from her newspaper.
We have just learnt that a certain Miss GD of Derbyshire was one step away from eloping with the steward’s son before her brother caught the unlucky pair just in time. We can only wonder what possessed her! Perhaps Mr. FD is not as attentive a brother as one would hope?
Then she looked up and stared at her brother with wide eyes. “It must be about Georgiana Darcy!”
Mr. Bingley’s eyes opened wide. “But – it is not possible! Darcy would never have allowed her to be on her own!”
“Do you not recall something about her being allowed to go to the seaside with her companion?”
Pushing his plate aside, Mr. Bingley considered it. “I do remember something of the sort.”
Miss Bingley threw the paper onto the table. “I am certainly glad I did not marry the man! Heavens, thetonwill never forget this! Whatever was Georgiana thinking?”
Mr. Bingley refrained from pointing out that Mr. Darcy had never offered her marriage; instead, he rose at once and went to his study to consider how he might assist his friend.
Chapter Five
Iwill not talk to her!” Georgiana screamed.
“You must, Georgiana; it is her right as your aunt to know what occurred at Ramsgate.” Mr. Darcy’s voice was gentle, but firm. “She saw the article, just as we did.”
“You cannot force me!” A solid wooden door separated them, but her shrill voice had no difficulty in penetrating that barrier.
Mr. Darcy sighed. It seemed he did a good deal of that of late. And his sister was quite correct; he could hardly force her to speak to her Aunt Ellen. He turned to his aunt with an apology in his eyes.
“Let me try,” she suggested. She leaned against the door and spoke just loudly enough to be heard on the other side. “Georgiana, I just want to know what happened.”
“No! No! You want to yell at me or lecture me, and I have heard enough – quite enough! – of all that!”
