“It was awful!”
“What was awful? You must tell me precisely what happened if I am to help you.” Mrs. Bennet held the girl at arm’s length and stared at her, putting as much kindness and compassion into her face as she could. “Just tell me. I am a married woman. I assure you that nothing you say can possibly shock me.”
Georgiana hid her face in her hands.
Mrs. Bennet lifted the hands down and said, softly, “Tell me, Georgiana.”
“He – he pushed me down onto the sofa, and put his – his tongue in my mouth, and his hand up my skirt!” Having got that out, she sobbed even harder.
“Nothing more?” Mrs. Bennet asked, trying not to smile.
“More? What more could there be?” Georgiana sounded shocked.
“Oh, dearest child!” Mrs. Bennet wanted to laugh in relief. “No, you are not with child, I promise you.”
“But how can you know that?”
Mrs. Bennet debated whether or not she had the right to tell this girl how a man was with a woman, but recalling that Miss Darcy had no mother, she decided it was her duty. In a few short sentences, she summarised how women became with child. Georgiana’s face went through a myriad of expressions before settling on horror. “That cannot be right!”
“I promise you that it is, and I have five children to prove that I know whereof I speak.”
“But surely no woman would allow such behaviour!”
“They do if they wish for children and, Georgiana, when you are with a man you care for, it no longer seems disgusting. I promise you. Look at me.”
Georgiana raised her eyes to Mrs. Bennet’s.
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” Georgiana whispered.
“Then you may believe what I tell you. And if you have any questions that you do not feel comfortable asking your brother or cousin – for what do men know, anyway! – then you are to come to me.”
“You are so very, very kind! And oh, I am so very, very relieved!” Georgiana began to laugh through her tears. “I was so worried!”
“Most young girls know too little about how the world works,” Mrs. Bennet declared. “And they get into all sorts of trouble as a result.”
“Do your girls know – well, what you just told me?”
“They do,” Mrs. Bennet said. “Otherwise, heaven only knows what sort of mischief Lydia would get up to.”
A quarter of an hour later, Mrs. Bennet left Miss Darcy’s room and went to find Mr. Darcy. A footman led her into the library, where he sat with the Colonel. Both men rose to their feet as she entered, fear in their eyes.
Before either of them could say a word, she declared, “I can promise you that she is not with child.”
Mr. Darcy sank back into his chair, relief writ large upon his face. Then he looked up, confused. “But what did he put in her…” He trailed off, embarrassed to even ask the question.
Mrs. Bennet laughed. “He put his tongue in her mouth!”
Both men stared at her, open-mouthed, and then laughed with relief, with joy, with gratitude.
Mrs. Bennet added, “She was quite worried about it herself, as she had no notion as to how children were conceived. I took it upon myself to explain…well, certain matters as to that particular topic. I hope I did not overstep in doing so…” She trailed off, sounding uncertain.
Mr. Darcy rushed to reassure her. “On the contrary, I am everything grateful to you, Mrs. Bennet. I could not imagine having that conversation with her myself.”
Mrs. Bennet laughed. “Then I am glad I did so.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
