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“It is the best place for him,” Will said without apology.
“How is your wound now? Has it healed?”
“It has,” Will assured her.
“Good.”
Silence fell between them. It was awful.
“Is that all you came here for?” Georgiana asked. “I had a letter from Papa only this morning. He could have told me and saved you the journey.”
“I wanted to see you, Georgiana.” Will’s voice was softly.
Georgiana looked steadily at him. “I warn you now that I am not going to return to Cranbury.”
Will shrugged.
It is the reason he has travelled all this way. He still expects you to change your mind. He has gone back to Cranbury for his wedding, and now that is over wants to try to persuade you to return to your parent’s house, she wailed silently.
Before he began to speak, she decided to make it quite clear he was wasting his time.
“My father has made it plain that he has no concerns about me remaining here for as long as I want to. In fact, he was quite amenable to the prospect,” she assured him.
In an attempt to thwart any further argument, Georgiana stood and straightened her skirts. In doing so she made it clear that their interview was at an end.
Will refused to be dismissed and although he stood, he didn’t move from his spot beside the fire. Instead, he moved closer to it and rested one booted foot on the fender as he propped one elbow casually on the mantle. It was a stance that made it clear he was going nowhere. Unless she was rudely going to abandon him she had to stay and listen to what he had to say.
“I have travelled a long way,” he began.
“I do know where Cranbury is,” she snapped impatiently but then sighed when she realised how rude she was being. “I am sorry,” she whispered. “Would you care for some tea?”
“No, thank you.” Will began. “I am not here to try to persuade you to live with Cecily again.”
“Oh?”
Will shook his head. “You were right to leave in the first place.”
Georgiana opened her mouth to argue but then realised what he had said.
“I was?” she asked weakly.
“It made a lot of people realise a lot of truths,” he said. “While at the time it didn’t sit too well with any of us, it has made many people reconsider the way they view life, and you.”
“How?”
“You have always been a part of my life, Georgiana. Although several years older than you, I have always been aware that you were there, hovering in the background somewhere. I never really stopped to consider your life, and what you sacrificed living with your parents. Your mother, if you don’t mind me talking quite frankly-,” he paused and waited for her nod, “-can be irritating, overbearing, and shrill.”
Georgiana’s lips twitched. “Annoying you mean,” she finished for him, willing to be frank with him in return.
Will smiled at her and heaved a mental sigh of relief that she was starting to soften toward him. It was a smile of shared understanding and longstanding friendship which immediately lessened the tension between them.
He coughed around a smile. “Well, let me just say that she is best to be taken in small doses.”
Georgiana remained silent because she had no argument with that sentiment.
“I can understand your need to get away and be yourself for a while.”
“This isn’t for a while, Will. I can’t go back there to live,” she replied quietly. “I just can’t, and it has nothing to do with you.”
