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While she spoke she was vaguely aware that someone else entered the room, but was too busy glaring at her father to pay attention. When she did finally glance over her shoulder, her breath hitched in her throat when she saw Will.
“Will,” she breathed.
“Have you heard such a thing?” Mrs Atterton declared loudly. “You should curtsey when in the company of gentry you heathen. Why, have you no manners at all?”
A deathly silence settled over the room. Georgiana’s gaze turned from her father to Will. Silently she pleaded with him to do something to defend her honour. From the cold mask of aloofness on his face, she realised he wasn’t going to help her either. He was a veritable stranger to her now. If she hadn’t been there in person, she might have believed that this afternoon was a figment of her imagination, but she hadn’t dreamt about spending several minutes wrapped firmly in his loving arms only a short while ago.
“It is Lord Traversim to you,” Mrs Atterton snapped as she curtseyed politely, and stared at Georgiana meaningfully.
Defiantly, Georgiana didn’t bother to follow Mrs Atterton’s orders. Why should she? Mrs Atterton was determined to ruin her reputation no matter what Georgiana did, and would succeed given all the support she was getting from Georgiana’s nearest and dearest.
“Oh, such a burden,” Cecily wailed.
“Oh, do shut up, Cecily,” Georgiana snapped.
“Why, you gutter-snipe. How dare you speak to your poor, beleaguered mother in such a way?” Mrs Atterton declared pompously.
Georgiana glared at her but sensed she was losing the battle because she was fighting this particular war alone. She ignored Will, and slowly shook her head at the elderly woman who was glaring at her with condemnatory scorn.
“I hope the next time you are in church the vicar reminds you that it is your Christian duty not to cast aspersions upon others; that you should treat others how you should wish to be treated. It seems to me that you should be the one to apply better manners rather than invade someone’s home with your scandalmongering,” she declared coldly.
“Georgiana that is enough!” George demanded loudly. He launched out of his chair and slammed his fist down on the table, making even Mrs Atterton take a wary step backward.
“Yes, it is. Quiet enough,” Georgiana declared firmly, and slammed out of the room. The resounding bang of the door closing behind her was rewarding, but not nearly as much as it needed to be to ease her fury.
Once inside her room she eyed the bag she had packed earlier and began to pace.
“Is there a problem?” Will asked. He quirked one aristocratic brow at the old woman whose gossipy traits were legendary amongst the villagers and waited.
Cecily, temporarily revived by Mrs Atterton’s dedicated flapping, informed him of the latest round of gossip surrounding her awfully unmanageable daughter.
Will’s temper burned, the flames of which were fanned by Mrs Atterton, whose glee was clear in her eyes as she embellished the shocking scene she had witnessed that very afternoon.
“Are you certain it was Georgiana?” Will demanded briskly.
“Well, there are not many blonde haired girls in the village are there?” Mrs Atterton blustered.
“Yes, but did you see her face?” Will snapped.
“Well, no, of course not,” Mrs Atterton replied. “She was behaving scandalously at the time–with a man, nonetheless.”
“If you didn’t see her face, how can you be certain it was Georgiana?” Will demanded harshly. He had no qualms about letting the woman see how angered he was by her claims and hardened his gaze when she frowned. “It is incumbent upon me to warn you to be careful what insinuations you make about other people’s characters, Mrs Atterton. You are apt to cause many people a lot of offense. I am sure you are aware that once a person’s reputation is damaged, it can rarely be repaired. Why, spreading unworthy gossip about an innocent person can be just as damaging as any scene you happened to stumble upon. I suggest you think carefully about what you claim you saw this afternoon and, unless you can attest upon a Court of Law that you saw her face, be cautious about what scandal you spread.?
? Will was aware of Cecily and George’s astonished looks, but his position within the family meant that neither of them was prepared to challenge him. “Georgiana is right. You really are in no position to cast aspersions upon anybody, especially standing in somebody’s home as you are. Manners are required, even of you.”
When the old lady opened her mouth to speak, Will stalked to the door and yanked it open.
“Good day to you,” he said coldly.
Mrs Atterton looked from George to Cecily, silently seeking support but neither said a word. With a huff, she gathered her shawl about her and stalked out of the house with her nose in the air.
Will closed the study door and sighed deeply.
“Well, I never-” Cecily began only to fall silent when Will threw her a hard glare. He was in no mood to listen to any more of her wailing protests of innocence. He realised then just how many problems Cecily caused.
“You two should consider the fact that Georgiana is no longer a child. She is a young woman now,” he began.
“She is just a child,” Cecily snorted.
