Georgiana thought about this. Finally, she said, “But I am not Lydia. Lydia is so brave!”
“No one is Lydia except Lydia,” Elizabeth said, dryly. “But you can take a page from her book and be brave Georgiana, rather than brave Lydia.”
Georgiana recalled how thinking of Lydia helped her when she had first heard of Mr. Wickham’s death. “I will, Lizzy. Brave Georgiana, going to her first ball!”
“Yes; and unlike Lydia, you have ready-made dance partners in your brother, your cousin, and your uncle.”
That gave Mr. Darcy an idea.
***
When they returned to Darcy House, he spent ten minutes in his study before going upstairs to his bride. The note he gave to the footman read:
Aunt Ellen,
Might the Viscount not attend the ball and also dance with Georgiana?”
Darcy
And then he all but ran upstairs to Elizabeth’s room.
Chapter Seventy-Three
The next day, the new Mrs. Bingley came to visit. Elizabeth met Jane at the entrance to the drawing room. Elizabeth knew that Mr. Darcy had taken great care to make her wedding night as enjoyable as possible, and hoped Mr. Bingley had done the same for Jane. She took Jane’s hand and whispered. “Are you well, Jane?”
Jane whispered back, with a happy smile, “Very well, indeed! And you, Lizzy?”
“Also very well! Do come in!”
Mr. Darcy and Georgiana greeted Mrs. Bingley, and everyone sat together in the drawing room while Elizabeth rang for tea. All the events of the wedding were reviewed, as well as Colonel Fitzwilliam’s surprising wish to have Mary join them in London. Mr. Darcy assured them that the carriage had departed earlythat morning and was doubtless on its way back even now. Having his own tasks to fulfill in Town, he left the ladies alone.
When Jane got up to leave, Elizabeth pulled her back down. “Stay a bit longer,” she begged. “Mary is on her way here!”
Indeed, Mary arrived within the quarter hour, and there was a happy reunion of the sisters, including the ‘sixth Bennet girl,’ Georgiana.
“How is our father?” Elizbeth enquired.
“Not very pleased just now,” Mary said.
“With just Lydia and Kitty left in the house, I can well believe it!” Jane chuckled. “And Mama?”
“Oh, she could not be happier!” Mary declared. “Lady Lucas is afraid to visit, as all Mama does is brag about her two married daughters!”
“And I can well believethat,” Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes. “But Lady Lucas can always look around the Longbourn parlour and imagine Charlotte as mistress there; that should soothe any wounded feelings.”
After another half an hour, Jane finally made her departure. Elizabeth and Georgiana took Mary up to her room. Her trunk was already there, and Anna had unpacked for her. “Mary, this is Anna, who takes care of me and has offered to take care of you as well, as your room is just down the hall from mine.”
“This is luxury indeed!” Mary said. “Anna, it is a great pleasure to meet you, and I thank you in advance!”
“You have very nice hair, Miss Mary,” Anna ventured. “It will be a pleasure to dress it for you.”
“Me? Nice hair?” Mary’s brow was furrowed.
“Oh, I can tell, even though you have done your best to hide it,” Anna assured her.
Georgiana was already taking the pins out of Mary’s hair and letting it fall down her back. “She is right, you know, Mary. Look how thick it is!”
“So thick that it never holds a curl,” Mary said, mournfully.
