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Jane flushed.

“When Elizabeth went to keep house for Uncle Gardiner, I visited once in ’08 for two weeks and once in ’09 for a weekend. But other than that, I was unable to be spared from Longbourn. Charlotte was never allowed to visit, despite regular invites from my sister. Both of us….”

Jane Bennet stopped.

“It is in the past. My father consented to my visit and here I am.”

Darcy nodded, nothing else needed to be said. It was not just Anne that was under the thumb of her mother.

“When I was in Hertfordshire, right up until the ball at Netherfield Park, I was not aware of the courtship of Mr. and Mrs. Collins.”

Darcy could see he had run into a conversational brick wall. Jane Bennet flushed even worse than Mrs. Collins herself. For once he was grateful to Lady Catherine’s interruption.

That night he stood at his bedroom window, his valet dismissed and thought about the evening. He did not care but had there been a compromise? It seemed extremely unlikely given what he could observe about either party but there was more to this tale was being presented. He counted off the months with his fingers, it was more than four months and Mrs. Collins was as slim as ever. Hmmm.

Chapter 26

The Colonel looked at Darcy in astonishment and murmured to him.

“Has she been at the brandy?”

That Darcy did not immediately upbraid him was proof that he was equally confused. The object of their collective bemusement was Miss Georgiana Darcy. They had left London two weeks ago and she was still suffering the effects of her sojourn to Ramsgate the previous summer. She was naturally diffident but the experience had made her even more shy, and unsure of her place in the world. They had returned to find a young woman, six weeks short of her 16th birthday, giddy as new-born filly, filled with a barely restrained exuberance. They both looked at Lady Susan, who smiled at them. Not least for the matched pair of raised eyebrows.

“She has calmed down since last week.”

Four eyebrows reached ever higher.

“The Earl was heard to laugh three times last Saturday.”

This time both Lady Susan and Georgiana laughed out loud.

“I did not know this broke a record that had stood for years.”

Darcy and the Colonel were now totally all at sea.

“I do not know about Georgie but I could do with some brandy.”

“Richard! You will do no such thing.”

The Colonel winced at his mother’s tone. Darcy went and sat beside his sister, taking her hands in his own.

“Georgie, first of all I am beyond delighted that you appear so full of life. It is as if a shroud had lain over you and it has been cast aside. Could you please tell me what has brought about this miraculous event?”

“Elizabeth.”

Darcy waited for more but he could see from the impish expression on his sister’s face that she was going to tease him and drag out her explanation. It was his turn to smile and he pulled her forward into a huge embrace.

“While I applaud your determination to make me work for your answer, can we please pretend that I have asked lots of questions, you have given lots of one word answers and you have finally taken pity on your old brother?”

The room rang with laughter.

“That is no fun brother, but I will take pity on you nonetheless. May we have tea Aunt Susan?”

Even the simple act of asking for tea, and delaying the explanation, was evidence that Georgiana had changed, and for the better. A few minutes later everyone was settled.

“You introduced me to Miss Bennet before you left for Kent. While you were away I was in her company on many occasions. I was captivated by her relaxed confidence, something that did not come naturally to me and so I decided I should spend time with a Master. It was not formal tutoring but I learned something new every day. I knew that she, at the age of 16, had left home to support her uncle after his accident. It is less than two months until my own 16th birthday and I could not fathom doing the same thing. Now I understand that our circumstances are different but I wanted to hear from her about the experience. So that was the start.

“Over several days she told me of many of her adventures. But last Wednesday we came to the end of the matters that she was prepared to discuss with me. She told me that you would not approve of the other matters being discussed and that she would say nothing else without your explicit permission. I rather pushed the matter. All she would say was ‘I am sadly experienced with the duplicity of men, gentle-born or otherwise, and I hope that you never have to experience the same thing’.”