Section I, Next Section
Posted on Monday, 31 October 2005
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"
Ecclesiastes 3:1, King James Version
Fitzwilliam Darcy knocked on the door to his father's room. After a few seconds' wait, the door opened and his father's manservant allowed him to enter before he left the room and shut the door behind him.
The room was dark and smelled of sickness overlaid with peppermint but Fitzwilliam pressed forward and sat next to the bed where his father lay propped up on pillows.
"You wished to see me, sir?"
The old man nodded. "Yes my son. I find that I will soon join your mother-" Fitzwilliam started at this statement and his father gave a dry laugh. "I thought that by now, that was quite obvious, but I suppose we humans are quite skilled at not seeing what we do not want to see, particularly when it concerns someone we love. I ought to be flattered that you are not merely concerned with the speed at which you will become a very rich man."
"Father your good health-"
Old Mr. Darcy silenced his only son with a movement of his hand. "I wanted to ensure that you know I have no worries concerning your future management of Pemberley and my other estates. You have grown into a fine young man and I have no doubt that you will achieve that which I most want you to achieve."
"What is that sir?" Fitzwilliam could not remember his father ever speaking on this topic before and was eager to discover the substance of his greatest ambition.
His father looked at him for a few moments as if sizing him up before he answered the question. "That your achievements will exceed my own, that you will become a better man than I have been."
"Papa," Fitzwilliam unconsciously used the name he had abandoned so many years before, "you have been the very best of men and your achievements have been great. I am -"
"Much more prepared to take on this burden than you realize. You are far ahead of where I was at three and twenty. When you have a son of your own you will understand my desire. But we have other things to discuss. On the table is a copy of my final will, I do not wish you to be surprised at anything in it."
Fitzwilliam handled the document gingerly, as if its mere existence further endangered his father's health, while the elderly gentleman outlined several provisions concerning the estate and the guardianship of Fitzwilliam's younger sister before he instructed his son to turn to the final page. "Now we have only a few more items before we can turn to other things. If young Mr. Wickham takes orders, I want you to give him the living at Kympton. It is valuable enough that no one will say you have not done well for the young man even if you never offer him any further patronage and the distance is such that the two of you need not be bothered with each other's company."
"Sir?"
Mr. Darcy gave a weak laugh, "I am well aware that the two of you dislike each other, and as much as I would wish it otherwise, it seems unlikely you will ever be friends. A pity for both of you but not one I am willing to waste time on."
"Yes sir."
The two men sat in silence for some few minutes before old Mr. Darcy began again. "Before my illness I had begun considering whether Georgiana ought to be sent to a school. I do not believe you will face much difficulty on that account, so long as you choose an appropriately rigorous institution." Mr. Darcy continued with some further advice to his son before his daughter was brought in to be given all the assurances of her father's love and told her father had no doubt that she would be a good girl for her future guardians.
It did not take long for the elderly gentleman to grow too fatigued to continue this farewell and soon he sent her to join her brother in the corridor. Fitzwilliam had another brief conversation with his father before the two siblings left for a brief traipse through their father's snow-covered gardens, not knowing that when they reentered Pemberley House, ownership would have passed to Fitzwilliam.
Posted on Monday, 31 October 2005
School Principal: I'm sure your children will be very happy here.
Gomez Addams: If we'd wanted them to be happy we would've let them stay at home.
The Addams Family
Georgiana sat staring out the carriage window while her fingers pinched at her black mourning dress until her elder brother's hand stilled them. Georgiana glanced at him, and Fitzwilliam turned towards her as if sensing her gaze.
"Attending school will be an excellent chance for you to make friends with other young ladies of similar situation to your own." Fitzwilliam sounded apologetic, and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before he continued reassuring them that he was doing the right thing. "My father was concerned that his illness denied you the opportunity to do so."
Georgiana nodded, wishing she could think of a way to prevent them from discussing this unpleasant topic.
"Richard and I count ourselves fortunate to be able to place you at Mrs. Boyd's seminary. We discovered finding a school that met our requirements was more difficult than we anticipated."
Georgiana was grateful to her new guardians for their care in choosing a school for her and for not insisting that she begin it immediately after their father's death. Instead, they had stayed some weeks in Derbyshire, briefly joined by her father's godson, George Wickham, who had plied her with amusements and distractions before he left Pemberley in order to tend to some urgent business. Georgiana wished he could have stayed longer or joined them at the London house as he had the last time she had been there, three years previous. But Fitzwilliam said that circumstances made it impossible for them to invite him any time in the near future.
Georgiana continued following this trail of thought after the carriage stopped in front of an impressive building with a plaque that proclaimed it was Mrs. Boyd's Seminary for Young Ladies. Fitzwilliam escorted her to the door and Georgiana found herself wishing that he had given her his hand rather than his arm.
The door opened almost the moment he released the knocker and a young maidservant led them to a small parlor where two women waited for them.
"Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Georgiana Darcy, Ma'am."
The older, heavier woman with gray-streaked hair and strict eyes arranged her mouth into a smile. "Mr. Darcy, how very good to see you again."
Fitzwilliam made some polite remark before he introduced Georgiana and informed her that the woman was Mrs. Boyd, the school's headmistress. Mrs. Boyd did not look pleased at having her seminary referred to as a school, but maintained her smile as she turned to Georgiana. "Miss Darcy, I am so very pleased to meet you at last."
"I am also pleased to meet you," Georgiana answered automatically, while wishing her brother would just take her home so they could discover that the past few months had only been a nightmare or some big mistake and that their father was still alive and in perfect health, waiting for them at Pemberley.
Her response, however appeared perfectly pleasing to Mrs. Boyd, who introduced the younger, smaller, less elegantly dressed woman as her niece, Miss Gold, who "was a great help in running the seminary," before directing Fitzwilliam to an impressive arm chair and leading Georgiana past Miss Gold to a small settee across from the his chair.
They all sat while Mrs. Boyd told them various things about the school, Miss Gold occasionally voiced her agreement with her aunt, Fitzwilliam contributed an occasional question or statement and Georgiana answered a few direct questions. In this manner they established what Georgiana's curriculum was to be, various school rules - particularly with regards to guests - and various other matters including the Seminary's occasional student exhibitions which Mrs. Boyd assured them were not open to the public but were instead more like an evening party such as the girls might attend after they came out. The guests were exclusively the exhibiting pupils' parents, guardians, and occasionally other family members. Two or three times Mrs. Boyd mentioned that Mr. Darcy and Major Fitzwilliam would always be welcome to attend any time they were in town, to which Fitzwilliam replied that when it came time for his sister to exhibit he would make every effort to attend. The final time he gave this answer, Mrs. Boyd hardly let her smile disappear before she suggested that perhaps they should begin the tour of the Seminary.
Miss Gold excused herself from the party and slipped away before Mrs. Boyd could begin explaining that the room they had met in was her private sitting room, where she entertained guests and managed many of the school's affairs. She then showed them the classrooms, music rooms, sitting rooms, a large dining room, and a library that doubled as a study hall, before she led them up to the third floor.
"Now up these stairs, we reach the students' rooms. Two pupils generally share each room. I prefer to let students share rooms as it encourages friendships and avoids discord among them. Miss Darcy's roommate will be Miss Emily Simper." Mrs. Boyd turned to address Fitzwilliam directly. "You need not have any concerns in regards to Miss Simper. While her family's fortune is not as great as your own, her connections are impeccable and she is a great favorite here."
Mrs. Boyd waited for Fitzwilliam's nod of approval at this statement before she continued leading them down the corridor and opening the door to one of the rooms. "This will be Miss Darcy's room."
Georgiana followed her brother into the room and tried not to be too disappointed. She had not known what to expect, but she had hoped for something more similar to her room at Pemberley, with its large windows and comfortable furnishings. Her new room was not defective in any way and Georgiana reminded herself that she ought to be grateful it was not like one of the other schools she heard of where all the pupils slept in the same large dormitory.
The room was long but rather narrow, with one flat window at the end. Most of the furniture was in duplicate. The small fireplace had matching chairs in front of it and two desks across from it; further down that wall stood two narrow beds with the same coverlet, and two matching bed stands stuck out from the wall across from a largish clothing press that Mrs. Boyd explained the two girls were to share. She went on to explain various rules and regulations, ending with an explanation that while men of any sort were not generally allowed in the pupils' rooms unless there was a matter of pressing necessity, and then only under the strictest of supervision, she would withdraw to allow Mr. and Miss Darcy privacy for their farewells.
After the door closed, the two of them merely looked at each other for several moments before Fitzwilliam took her hand and drew her into a comforting embrace. "I am certain you will be quite happy here. I shall arrange for some things to be sent for your room; a new rug for the sitting area and perhaps a few prints for the walls, though you may find that your dormitory's simplicity has an appeal of its own. When I consider my own school days, I believe that our personal quarters' Spartan nature lent itself to making the whole experience rather more agreeable than less so."
Georgiana nodded against his waistcoat.
"I would remain in London longer if I could, but our northern properties cannot be neglected any longer."
"I understand."
"Sweetling, it will not be so very bad. Richard and I will both write as often as we can and our aunts have all promised to call on you here when they are in London. You have been too secluded from other young women, and now you shall finally have the opportunity to be among them. It is my understanding that young ladies are generally very eager to become friends with their roommates. Perhaps Miss Simper will prove to be a surrogate for the sister you have always wanted."
"Perhaps." Georgiana tried not to sound too certain of this outcome so that her brother would not guess that that outcome had been her intention since her father had told her she was to go to school following his death.
The parting lingered on, with Fitzwilliam promising to visit her whenever he was in London and both siblings promising to be faithful correspondents during their separation. It was only when neither could think of anything else to say that Fitzwilliam led Georgiana out of the room and to the front door where Mrs. Boyd joined them as they gave the last of their farewells.
After Georgiana had watched her brother's carriage start down the street, Mrs. Boyd turned to her and neither kindly nor unkindly bade the young girl to follow her.
They went to one of the front sitting rooms, where a girl was waiting for them. Mrs. Boyd greeted the other girl and introduced her as Miss Emily Simper. After the girls made their curtsies, they were left to themselves so they could get better acquainted with one another.
Both were silent for some moments while the two girls examined one another. Miss Simper spoke first. "I suppose I ought to welcome you. Did you have a pleasant journey?"
"Yes, my brother took care to ensure we had no difficulties."
"Your brother, not your parents?" Miss Simper glanced over Georgiana's black dress, "or were they the ones who died?"
Georgiana nodded and whispered, "My father, this January; my mother, when I was a little girl."
"You are an orphan, then. I am sorry for you."
Before Georgiana could formulate a response to this observation, Miss Simper had taken her by the arm and was leading her up the stairs, while informing her of all the latest school gossip.
Posted on Monday, 14 November 2005
"The essence of lying is in deception, not in words."
~ John Ruskin
By the time her second week at Mrs. Boyd's seminary was nearing its close, Georgiana had experienced the bliss of being surrounded by a small group of girls her own age who seemed eager to befriend her followed by the despair of discovering herself to be a sudden pariah among the same girls.
She had arrived at the Seminary on a Friday afternoon, and by Sunday evening she had come to recognize her good fortune at having the most popular girl in the seminary as her roommate. Friday evening, while the two girls shared the box of sweets Lady Matlock had given Georgiana the day before, Emily coaxed Georgiana into telling her life's history and had reciprocated by telling her their fellow pupils' secrets. Emily explained that roommates must tell each other everything and the two girls made easy promises not to further publish the information they received.
Emily seemed particularly interested in Georgiana's life in the country and the care she had given her father in his final illness. Emily's surprise at the things Georgiana told her left the new girl feeling slightly shamed by her previous life and she was grateful when Emily noticed this and turned the questioning to her previous education. Emily soon appeared just as interested in this history, particularly in how four of Georgiana's five governesses had been sacked for various infractions (the remaining governess had left her post to marry the Kympton apothecary) and old Mr. Darcy's subsequent decision to personally oversee his daughter's education.
They spent Saturday in the back garden, attended by the other girls their age, of whom Emily appeared to be the designated leader. Georgiana became nervous when she heard that Miss Cane, the teacher over their room, was rather difficult to get on with, but Emily explained that Miss Cane really was quite agreeable if you got to know her. To prove Miss Cane's amiability, Emily dragged her new roommate over to where a woman of approximately thirty-five years was keeping watch over the largest sitting room. Georgiana glowed and Miss Cane allowed the corners of her thin lips to rise when Emily introduced Miss Cane to her newest friend, Georgiana Darcy and Georgiana to her favorite teacher, Miss Cane. Miss Cane had made a few remarks about hoping Georgiana proved to be as satisfactory of a pupil as her dear Emily was before she had left them to rebuke some of the younger girls.
The only thing that marred Georgiana's first week at the seminary was her heightened awareness of the ugliness of her mourning wardrobe, she couldn't help but wish she too could wear the pretty frocks and cheerful hats her fellow pupils adorned themselves with. Emily was very conciliatory about this unhappy subject and several times offered her assistance in selecting clothes for Georgiana once she could "wear pretty things again." Emily's friendship also led to her insisting that "dear Georgie" must sit next to her, at church, in the dining and classrooms, and everywhere else. Miss Cane found her a most satisfactory pupil, even more advanced than her pet and praised her for her quickness in learning her lessons. To add to all these joys, Emily marked Georgiana's one week anniversary by insisting they must retire early to discuss the week's events before Suzy or Julie could find them and insist on tagging along.
At the end of her second week at the seminary, Georgiana received a call from the unlikely combination of her Aunt Fordham along with her cousin Edmund and a young lady whom Lady Fordham stiffly introduced as "Miss Cecily Green, who has recently accepted my dear son's proposal of marriage."
Miss Green did not seem to notice her future mother-in-law's reticence and greeted Georgiana eagerly, expressing the hope that they would soon be very good friends. Georgiana returned the greeting as well as she could and asked her aunt's leave to introduce Mrs. Boyd to them. Lady Fordham agreed, but did not conceal her displeasure at the acquaintance and Mr. Fordham remained comfortably aloof and dismissed the lady with his expression of his pleasure at making her acquaintance.
After Mrs. Boyd departed, Georgiana learned that the reason for this visit was that Miss Green was quite eager to meet and approve of all her new fiancé's relations and Lady Fordham noted that Georgiana was at present the only one of her dear son's female cousins in London. Following this, Lady Fordham's share of the conversation consisted of a critique of the seminary, which appeared "rather more genteel than I expected from such an establishment, but I have always thought your dear brother inherited my sister's taste and refinement in a surprisingly undiluted state."
Miss Green did not say much during Lady Fordham's commentary, but she did continue the subject and discover Georgiana's favorite subject was music and that she was very fond of her roommate. Lady Fordham interjected here to ask several questions concerning Emily's family and gave an expressive sniff after Georgiana answered.
The visit did not last much longer before Lady Fordham announced they must leave and swept to the front door on her son's arm, with Georgiana and Miss Green following slightly behind. The procession passed Emily in the hallway outside the sitting room but when Georgiana went to join her friend, she was no longer there.
Georgiana did not see Emily again until it was time to prepare for dinner. Emily did not say much until Georgiana took out the necklace her father had given her at Christmas. It was a pretty sort of piece that a young girl might wear and was made dearer for having first belonged to Georgiana's mother.
Emily appeared interested in her for the first time since their morning lessons. "That is a very pretty necklace; might I borrow it for dinner?" She held out her hand.
Georgiana's fingers closed around the pendant while she attempted to formulate a response. After two or three miss starts she finally was able to say "this necklace is special."
Emily shrugged, "I thought I was your best friend, you should be able to share everything with your best friend. Besides, you really ought not wear jewelry like that while you are in mourning."
Georgiana silenced an uncomfortable thought that Emily never shared anything with her before she continued with a further explanation. "This was my mother's necklace. It was the first thing my father gave her after their engagement. He gave it to me last Christmas and said he wanted me to keep wearing it to help me remember that my parents loved me." Emily did not say anything and Georgiana continued, "you may borrow any one of my other necklaces."
Emily frowned and shook her head. "No, I only wanted to borrow that necklace, not another one."
Emily would not hear Georgiana's conciliatory statements and left the room before Georgiana finished her own preparations leaving her to her guilt as she fastened the clasp around her own neck.
At dinner, Georgiana could not help but feel that something was wrong. She sat among her peers but everything felt different than it had before. The other girls did not seem as happy to include her in their conversation, Emily and Susan Lewis appeared to include her only to correct her opinions, while some of the other girls giggled, and Horatia Sinclair and Julia Elmhurst would blush and look at their plates every time they almost looked at her. This awkwardness continued throughout the entire meal from the first course to the last and it was not until the girls retired to their usual place in the sitting room to take turns reading their novel aloud that Georgiana could feel comfortable again.
The novel's end closed their reading period before their regular interval was up. None of the girls were talking now and Horatia and Julia were not the only ones refusing to look at Georgiana. Emily appeared undaunted by this as she grasped her roommate's hand and introduced a new topic for discussion. "Georgie, we need your opinion on something. There's a girl called Alice Brooke who thinks she's our friend."
Emily proceeded to enumerated Miss Brooke's faults, from her poor style of dress to her irksome habit of tagging along everywhere, if they let her. At the end, Georgiana was asked for her opinion concerning what ought to be done about her. Georgiana was conscious of the dreariness of her own mourning garb when she made some comment about giving her fashion advice and letting her know she did not always need to be with them before she asked why they wanted her advice.
Emily nodded at this advice and accepted the compliment to her own taste in clothing and society. The enumeration of Miss Brooke's faults had taken so long that this was all the girls had time for before their teachers began sending everyone to bed.
Georgiana entered the schoolroom the next morning to find Susan in her seat next to Emily. Those two girls were in close conference with each other and did not acknowledge Georgiana's presence until she was forced to interrupt them and ask Susan to move.
Emily's voice was sweet when she replied that "No, this isn't your seat anymore. I asked Miss Cane to change her seating plan so that I could sit next to Suzy. I was certain you wouldn't mind. Your new seat is there." She pointed to a seat at the back of the room but Georgiana remained in place, unable to move from the shock. Emily smiled again "Georgie dear if you could please take your seat, Suzy and I have important things to discuss."
When Georgiana requested more information on this change and Emily raised an eyebrow before she a waited a moment before she gave any reply, waiting until she had the furtive attention of all the other girls in her group and several of the other, younger, girls before she gave an answer.
"For someone as clever as you think you are, I am surprised you have not yet realized that you are Alice Brook."
Emily held Georgiana's gaze for a moment before she and Susan continue their conversation as if there had been no interruption. Thus dismissed Georgiana had few choices but to go to her new place at the back of the classroom. Her mortification at Emily's sudden betrayal lasted through the end of that day, making her uncommonly stupid during her lessons and more than once earning her Miss Cane's wrath. Beyond this it did not take Georgiana the morning to discover that losing Emily's favor meant that the other girls her age were not so eager to share her company.
The day's unpleasantness was only mitigated by a short note she received from Miss Green, thanking Georgiana for her kind hospitality the previous day and asking whether Georgiana knew what flowers her cousin preferred and if she did not know that information, did she prefer roses or orange blossoms?
In her brief response she wrote that she did not know what flowers her cousin might prefer but that, in her own opinion, roses would be very beautiful. Having sealed and prepared the message for tomorrow's post, she determined it was late enough for her to go to bed without raising anyone's suspicions.
Posted on Wednesday, 7 December 2005
"The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves."
~ William Hazlitt
Georgiana straightened in her new seat while turning the page of her German primer. ... konnte laut bellen; aber er lief langsam und konnte laut nicht bellen.
Without realizing what she was doing, her left hand reached up to fondle her mother's necklace. Leute würden kommen und Hans und seine Geshwister sahen wollen.
She heard a rustle to the side before Miss Cane grabbed her wrist and Georgiana felt the necklace's clasp dig into the back of her neck, tangled with the wisps of hair that had escaped her braid.
"Miss Darcy, jewelry is not permitted in the schoolroom. Remove it immediately."
Georgiana's hands were trembling as she worked the tricky clasp. When her father gave her the necklace he had promised to have the clasp repaired or replaced soon afterwards, but he had died before he could carry out his intentions and Georgiana had not wanted to bother her brother with the problem. When she finally managed to remove the necklace, Miss Cane, snatched it away with one hand and pointed with the other. "To the front of the room."
Georgiana walked to the dais with Miss Cane scowling behind her and stood in front of the teacher's desk. From her position at the front of the room, Georgiana could see all of the other girls watching her humiliation. Emily caught her eye and offered her a triumphant smile before Georgiana's attention was brought back to Miss Cane, who now held wooden pointer. "Hold out your hand." Georgiana hesitated. "Your hand girl, hold out your hand." Georgiana put it forward and flinched as the pointer came across her hand once, twice, three times. "You will stand in the corner for the remainder of the lesson and this evening you will write me an apology for disrupting the class."
With tears of shame and embarrassment and unable to look beyond her toes, Georgiana did as she was told.
Later that evening, after finishing her additional assignment and feeling all the injustice of being forced to apologize when she did not believe that she was at fault, Georgiana began composing her response to her brother's weekly letter. After dispensing with the opening pleasantries, she debated how she should answer his questions concerning how she was getting on at school before her desire to complain about her ill treatment overcame her desire to not cause her brother any worry.
School is very different than home. Today I was punished for wearing my mother's necklace in the classroom. After these words were on the paper Georgiana poured out the whole story of Miss Cane's reaction to seeing Georgiana's necklace and her subsequent punishments. After lessons were over Miss Cane refused to return my necklace even after I promised not to wear it during lessons anymore. She said that I had shown I could not be trusted with it. I did not mean to break the rules, but I forgot to take it off last night and did not remember I was wearing it before lessons.
Georgiana considered asking her brother for advice about Emily, but decided that she had given him enough to be concerned over and she ought not make it seem as if she was blaming him for sending her to school, no matter how much she detested the place. So with indignant force she sealed her letter and addressed it to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley.
After marking the letter to be posted Georgiana felt a great relief to know that soon, something would be done and the hateful Miss Cane would be forced to return Georgiana's most prized possession.
Georgiana was learning to hate the free time afforded to the seminary's pupils. Once Emily's sponsorship was lost, she was alone and although her musical abilities were improving greatly, she missed the camaraderie she had once enjoyed and felt shamed by her solitude. Besides her music and reading, Georgiana spent some time every day calculating when she would receive the letter where Fitzwilliam informed her that she need not worry because her necklace would be returned shortly. This, naturally enough, was followed by thoughts of Miss Cane's apology to her, as Georgiana was becoming more and more convinced that she had not done anything wrong. She was also looking forward to being done with Emily's snide comments concerning the incident.
After a week of waiting and calculating, Georgiana was summoned to Mrs. Boyd's sitting room. Entering that room, the first thing she noticed was her brother's tall frame standing by the front window while Mrs. Boyd and Miss Cane sat near the writing desk. After the briefest of greetings, Mrs. Boyd explained that Fitzwilliam had visited the school to discuss a "horrible misunderstanding."
This was Miss Cane's cue to offer her apologies for confiscating Georgiana's necklace and being unduly harsh in her subsequent reprimands followed by the necklace's return. This being done, she and Mrs. Boyd returned to their other duties, leaving the siblings alone for a more affectionate reunion.
When they were alone, the siblings communicated their most important information to one another. Fitzwilliam had heard of their cousin's upcoming wedding and Georgiana was happy to tell him about her meeting with Miss Green though she had not been speaking very long before her brother steered the conversation away from the topic of Miss Green's amiability and her affection for their cousin by asking to examine Georgiana's necklace.
"Did my father tell you this necklace was in the fire that killed my mother?" Georgiana shook her head and he continued. "Everyone was amazed that it survived unscathed. Lady Margaret thought it ought to be buried with her, but my father declined to do so as my mother always meant for you to have it." He began to work at the clasp, frowning at the difficulty and Georgiana hastily explained it had always been like that. He gently rebuked her for not informing him of this before and gave his promise that the clasp would be repaired and returned with all due speed.
After the treasure was safe in Fitzwilliam's coat pocket the conversation turned to Georgiana's impressions of the school. Georgiana was able to truthfully state that there were several things she did enjoy and once again considered informing her brother of Emily's treachery, but stopped herself when she realized how much more trouble that would cause everyone. When Fitzwilliam stood to leave he gave his sister a warm embrace and a kiss on the forehead before commending her for the strength he felt she had shown in the previous months. Georgiana's response had all the admiration that a man of nearly two and twenty could wish for as she thanked him for his praise and assistance and with these formalities, another embrace and Fitzwilliam bending low enough for Georgiana to kiss his cheek their adieus were complete.
Georgiana's return to her lessons was marked by a raised eyebrow from Miss Cane and a snicker from Emily, though she was given no further notice in that room for the remainder of the day and hardly any more the next day. For her part Miss Cane seemed to content herself with ignoring Georgiana as often as she could and responding with condescending civility when she could not.
That evening Georgiana was once again alone when one of the seminary's elder pupils sat next to her with the remark that she ought not spend so much time alone. She remained there for long enough to remind Georgiana that her name was Amelia Bell and to engage in some preliminary pleasantries before she insisted that Georgiana join her friends while they practiced duets in another room.
While Georgiana had always enjoyed playing the pianoforte, she had never before performed as anything other than a soloist. For this reason, she initially demurred when Amelia announced it was her turn to play. Amelia was not to be daunted and insisted that if she did not know how to play duets, she must play with Catherine Burke, who was their most accomplished duetist.
The resulting duet was not a masterpiece, due largely to Georgiana's unfamiliarity with the intricacies involved in sharing a keyboard, but Georgiana discovered that the experience was enjoyable for its own sake and that a pleasant effect of performing with a partner was that she was also shared the post-performance praise and did not have to stand alone with everyone's attention on her. That music could be as or even more enjoyable as a group activity was a pleasant discovery and Georgiana was pleased to accept the invitation to join the older girls the next evening.
Posted on Thursday, 22 December 2005
"'Stay' is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary."
~ Louisa May Alcott
Miss Bell's friendship was a balm to Georgiana's bruised affections, but even so Georgiana recognized that it was not offered out of a great particular desire for Georgiana's friendship but out of her concern for and kindness towards nearly everyone. Even so, there was joy to be had in the comradeship of one who if she ever felt annoyed by Georgiana's presence was too kind to say anything.
Georgiana did feel an unpleasant shiver of jealousy when, coming in search of Miss Bell after discovering Emily looking through the box she kept her jewelry in, she saw her near the heart of a small commotion around two girls Georgiana had not yet seen. It was soon clear that those girls were returning to Mrs. Boyd's Seminary after an extended absence of some sort and that she was very good friends with the eldest girl.
Georgiana stood on the outskirts of this little crowd, hoping someone would think to introduce her before she wandered off in search of pleasant solitude.
Georgiana was pretending to read in the garden when Miss Bell came out with the two girls who had just come back to school. Georgiana saw Miss Bell point her out before she led the other girls down the path to her.
"Georgiana, I do not believe you have met either of the Miss Russells. This is Sarah Russell," Amelia gestured to the older girl, "and this is Jean Russell." The younger girl gave a slight curtsey. "Sarah, Jean, this is Georgiana Darcy, she arrived here the day after you left on your holiday."
Sarah expressed her pleasure at making the acquaintance while Georgiana and Jean both stammered out their own pleasantries. As soon as this formality was completed, Amelia took the elder Miss Russell's arm and made their excuses. Miss Jean Russell looked as if she might follow the older girls but was stopped when her sister placed a hand on the small of her back and gave her a slight push in Georgiana's direction along with a pleasant, "I will see the two of you at dinner," before she and Amelia walked away.
The two remaining girls eyed each other surreptitiously for a few moments before Miss Russell went forward and sat on the bench next to Georgiana. Georgiana wished she could know what to say to the other girl, but none of the polite phrases she had been taught sounded quite right.
The other girl did not wait long before deciding to fill in the silence herself. "You are Emily Simper's new roommate aren't you?"
Georgiana nodded. "Yes, I am."
"How do you like it?"
Georgiana looked at the ground rather than answering.
She saw the other girl's skirt move as if she were fidgeting "She does not like me at all; I do not know why."
She looked up and after she examined Miss Russell's expression, Georgiana acknowledged that she too was banished from Emily's circle. The two girls stood in uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Miss Russell started speaking again and Georgiana was relieved to hear her speak on a less tender topic. "Amelia says that your family is from Derbyshire, mine is from Leicestershire that makes us almost neighbors."
Georgiana gave her agreement to this, leading to a conversation about their respective homes and families during which Georgiana learned that Miss Russell was the fifth of seven children born to General and Mrs. Oberon Russell and was returning after an extended trip home due to her eldest sister's wedding. As weddings were a subject that Georgiana could scarcely hear enough of and Miss Russell had no difficulty speaking of, this led to a complete detailing of Mr. and Mrs. Moss's wedding and all the related happenings until the elder Miss Russell returned to remind her sister that she must put her things away.
Miss Russell looked annoyed, but accepted the instruction, explaining "Sarah knows that if I am left to myself, I will put it off until the summer holiday." There was an awkward pause before she asked if Georgiana would like to accompany her. Georgiana hesitated but accepted after a moment when Jean gave a disappointed whisper that she understood if Georgiana wished to return to her book.
Once they reached the bedroom Jean shared with a girl called Harriet Wilson, Jean started asking about Georgiana's thoughts concerning the school while she pulled various personal items from her trunk. While she did this, Georgiana sat on Jean's bed, glancing over interesting items until she worked up the courage to ask Jean about Emily.
Georgiana need not have worried as that was a subject which, in the privacy of her room, Jean was ready and completely willing to speak on. "Emily Simper has been at this school forever, since she was four years old. Her parents almost never send for her to come home, though I do not blame them for that since if I could send her away, I would."
Georgiana nodded her agreement to that statement while examining the patterns on Jean's embroidered bookmarks.
"You can have one to keep if you like, or if you'd rather make your own you can borrow one to use as a pattern. Anyway back to Emily, she's the youngest child and has several older brothers. She likes to brag because two of them are officers in the 10th Hussars, commanded by the Prince of Wales himself; but my father says that all the officers in that regiment are heartless rakes and-"
"Really? Every last one of them?" Georgiana had never thought that there could be enough rakes in the world to populate an entire regiment.
Jean nodded vigorously, "That is what my father says, he also says that he will never allow any of his daughters to be introduced to any officer from that regiment if he can possibly help it and he means it too. Last summer a lieutenant from that regiment asked to be introduced to my eldest sister so he could ask her to dance and my father refused. I do not think Alice minded much as Mr. Moss asked her to stand up with him so she would not be forced to sit out, and they are married now." Georgiana's face twitched as she considered this information and Jean paused briefly before beginning in a smaller voice, "Your cousin is not in the 10th Hussars, is he?"
"Oh no," Georgiana shook her head violently, not wanting her new acquaintance to think poorly of her connections, "Richard is in the 49th Dragoons."
"I do not recall that Papa has ever said anything about the officers in that regiment. I will ask him what he thinks about them in my next letter home." Georgiana was not worried about General Russell's response to such an inquiry. Richard would not join a regiment where he would be among officers who misbehaved themselves and the 49th was the very same regiment that her own father had served in before inheriting Pemberley from his brother, making it inconceivable for the officers of the 49th to be anything other than perfect gentlemen.
The two girls' desire to become friends was aided by the efforts of Amelia and Sarah to the result of having their friendship steadily working towards permanency by the next day's evening meal. Georgiana and Jean sat at the fringes of Amelia's group of friends and following that meal moved to follow them to the music room. As they went Georgiana noticed that Emily was walking near them and gave the appearance of someone trying not to look as if she was eavesdropping. Georgiana took this as a perfect opportunity to ask if Jean would care to join her in a duet that evening.
Emily had indeed overheard and took the opportunity to interject her own thoughts on that matter. "A duet with Jeanetta? Georgie dear, surely you cannot be so desperate to appear to advantage that you would do that. Well, at least I know I ought not to approach the music room this evening without plenty of cotton for my ears."
After Emily stalked off, Georgiana saw the blush that covered Jean's down-turned face and repented of her earlier question, admitting to herself that it had been partially motivated by a desire to show Emily that there were people who were interested in being her friend. Jean did not say anything and instead led Georgiana to one of her hiding places, a small niche with enough room for both girls to sit facing each other if they kept their knees close to their chests.
"She is correct," Jean began while hugging her knees, "you do not want to play a duet with me. I am not much of a musician. Even Mr. Piper," Jean paused slightly after naming the Seminary's kindly, not quite middle-aged music master, "even he is not very encouraging. I heard him tell my father it might be better to concentrate on my other talents but my father said I might have music lessons so long as I want them." She gave a slight smile. "I can play two pieces passably, but not well enough to exhibit and certainly not well enough to accompany anyone."
Georgiana nodded, still wishing she could unsay her request for a duet. She wished she could apologize to Jean for creating an opening for Emily's insults, but to her great frustration was unable to find the words. Rather, in hopes of redirecting the conversation, Georgiana asked if Emily ever called any of her fellow pupils by their proper names.
Jean laughed at that and it seemed that the slight on her musical abilities was forgotten. "Not unless there is nothing you can do to their name or they are significantly older than we are. I do not think she has ever called me by my proper name."
"Why Jeanetta? I understand why she uses Georgie for me," Georgiana made a face, "but I would have expected her to call you Jeanie."
Jean sighed and seemed almost embarrassed. "A few years ago, I tried to improve my name by making it into Jeanetta. Miss Cane and Emily were horrid about it and Emily hardly ever gives up an opportunity to use it."
"Jean is not so bad, and both Jeanie and Jeanetta are much better than what she calls Horatia."
Jean gave her agreement to that before continuing, "When I was born, my mother wanted to call me Genevieve, but my father has always said that a good, plain, everyday name is much better than a fashionably romantic monstrosity and insisted I be called after my mother's grandmother instead. Do you know how you got your name?"
Georgiana shook her head, "I believe part of it was because my parents' given names were George and Anne but I do not know for certain."
"Perhaps they merely had excellent taste in names."
Georgiana flushed at that. Although her father, brother and other relations often bestowed compliments on her, the delights of praise had not been as since her arrival at school. And while she recognized Jean's sincerity, praise from someone who was neither an instructor or a childhood intimate was enough of a novelty to leave Georgiana uncertain as to the proper response beyond giving her friend a smile to accompany the blush that burned her cheeks.
Jean also appeared uncertain as to what to say at this conversational dead end, leaving the girls to sit in silence until Georgiana thought to request information on what she must do to earn a promotion out of Miss Cane's room.
"First Mrs. Boyd must believe that there will be room for you in Miss Gold's room, and Miss Gold always has fewer pupils to give her more time to run the school while Mrs. Boyd entertains our parents and guardians and her friends with her teas and dinner parties."
Georgiana prevented a giggle by sucking her lips inside her mouth and then pressing it against one of her knees.
Jean ignored this. "After Mrs. Boyd decides that someone will be promoted she selects Miss Cane's most advanced pupil." Jean smiled, "You should have seen how angry Emily was when I was promoted instead of her. When we found out that Mary Vernon was to leave school Emily started putting on all sorts of airs about how it was her turn to advance, stupid of her because we all know Mrs. Boyd's criteria and Emily was entirely aware of how much further along I was than her, but I imagine she thought her being Miss Cane's favorite would give her an advantage."
"Is Emily likely to be next then?"
"I am not certain. She was second to me; due more to the amount of time she has been in lessons than to cleverness and Sarah does not believe that Miss Cane would want to risk having her favorite decide she liked Miss Gold better. Besides that whenever anyone does anything better than Emily she either insults the accomplishment or accuses the other person of showing off."
Georgiana caught the sly look Jean sent her way and felt a glow of happiness at that statement as she thought over Emily's not infrequent accusations that she was showing off. "I would like to advance before she does, is the opportunity likely to come very soon?"
Jean nodded. "Most of us spend the summers with our families in the country and usually one or two girls do not return. Sarah is not likely to remain at school for very long now that Alice is married and Jane Evans is seventeen, so I cannot imagine her parents will keep her here for very much longer."
The friends were soon determining their plan for securing Georgiana the very next opening in Miss Gold's room while the distressing possibility of multiple openings was conveniently forgotten or ignored.
Posted on Sunday, 23 April 2006
Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.
~Jane Howard
Some weeks after the announcement of their engagement, Edmund Fordham and Cecily Green were united in holy matrimony. Miss Green's father and aunt were eager to agree with Lady Fordham that the son and heir of a baron ought to take full advantage of the privileges offered by a special license, and so the wedding took place at three o'clock in the afternoon in the grand salon of Lord and Lady Fordham's townhouse. This was quite naturally followed by a tea luncheon to allow the small group of close friends and relations the opportunity to congratulate the newly married couple.
Georgiana was one of the first to congratulate her new cousin and listen to her raptures on her new entry into the married state while her husband stood by with a charming smile and words of thanks for his guests. Mrs. Fordham singled Georgiana out for special thanks, embracing her and announcing that they must spend more time together after she and her husband returned from their wedding tour. But in spite of this show of favor, Georgiana was soon forced to give way to the others who wished to offer their congratulations.
At first, this was not so bad, as she found herself speaking with Lady Catherine, her mother's younger sister and the Matlocks, who told her of the wonderful scheme that they had concocted. The Matlocks claimed a slight acquaintance with General and Mrs. Russell and Lord Matlock had written to them to invite the two Russell sisters to accompany Georgiana and Richard so far as their father's estate later that month when Georgiana was to return to Pemberley. Lord Matlock explained that he had volunteered his younger sister, the Lady Margaret Fitzwilliam, to act as a chaperone for the three young girls saying that Lady Margaret could not object to the plan since it was nearly identical to the one she herself had insisted on some weeks prior.
When Georgiana was finished expressing her thanks and delight, Lord Matlock laughed, and informed her that he had been just as delighted when his wife told him that his niece's particular friend was the daughter of General Russell, whom Lord Matlock thought highly of and had long wished to have his son introduced to. His lordship then promised to send Georgiana a note as soon as he received the General's reply. Then he and Lady Matlock moved off to greet some other relations and Lady Catherine asked Georgiana to keep her company while she waited for her carriage.
Her ladyship began the conversation by expressing her pleasure at seeing her sister's treasured necklace adorning her niece's throat. "Lady Margaret thought your father ought to bury it with her, but I am pleased to say he had the sense to heed my counsel over my sister's. As a married woman and a mother, I have a greater natural ability to understand my dearest sister's wishes in this matter. As a spinster, my sister cannot understand a mother's desire to give her daughter those personal things she treasures."
Georgiana's hand came up to fondle the necklaces as she nodded and gave her own gratitude that she had been given the necklace. "My brother had the clasp repaired for me and gave it back to me this morning." She did not tell her aunt that she would be returning the necklace to Fitzwilliam's stewardship before she returned to the school. The decision to ask that he continue to keep her treasure had been difficult but Georgiana had considered it necessary after she caught Emily carefully rummaging through her small, lockless jewelry box.
Lady Catherine patted Georgiana's hand in response and began questioning her on her studies, expressing her approval of Georgiana's interest in music and stating that she "must perform for myself and Anne this afternoon. Poor Anne did not feel well enough to attend the wedding but your dear brother has already promised that you will call on us before he returns you to school this afternoon."
Georgiana, who had never been entirely comfortable in her ladyship's presence since her terrible scene at Rosings that had resulted in her second governess's dismissal, responded with a nod and a quiet agreement to perform.
After her ladyship's carriage was announced, Georgiana found herself without a partner for conversation and after spending some time standing at the fringes of various groups of her relations before she escaped to the next room where she amused herself by watching the rain fall on the other side of the window.
She was not long alone in that room before she heard a young man speak and the sounds of people entering the room. Georgiana turned from the window and saw that her brother was among the small group of gentlemen. At first she considered going to him before they resumed their conversation, but changed her mind and decided to shrink further into the window and let the draperies hide her rather than make herself known.
The room was large and the men were far enough for Georgiana to return to looking out the window without concerning herself with their conversation until she heard Fitzwilliam's disapproving tone.
One of the other men laughed. "Darcy, you are too young for such prudery and too old for such naiveté."
Fitzwilliam responded that morality was neither prudery nor naiveté.
"Not all of us have fathers with the goodness to die when it is time for them to give way to the younger generation."
Georgiana gasped at the voice's unfeeling words. She was certain that the gentlemen must have heard her and that discovery was imminent, but it did not come. Instead Fitzwilliam strode out of the room, his face white with anger while the other men remained, chatting and chuckling amiably on some topic for at least a quarter of an hour before they followed Fitzwilliam out of the room.
Georgiana left the room some just in time to watch the bride and groom enter the carriage Mr. Fordham had purchased in honor of his wedding. When it had disappeared, she saw Fitzwilliam approaching her accompanied by a young lady and gentleman.
"Sweetling, the carriage is waiting for us, but first I have someone to introduce to you. You remember my friend Charles Bingley," Fitzwilliam nodded towards the gentleman who Georgiana now remembered having met before and then gave a slight gesture towards the lady. "This is his younger sister Miss Caroline Bingley, who is also a cousin and former schoolmate of the new Mrs. Fordham. Miss Bingley, my sister Georgiana Darcy." Miss Bingley was a handsome, well-dressed young woman of approximately the same age as Mrs. Fordham, who expressed her pleasure at the introduction and desire to form an acquaintance with the younger girl.
Further conversation was impossible as Fitzwilliam was already saying his farewells to the Bingleys and leading Georgiana towards the door. He gave the driver a brief instruction to take them to Lady Catherine's London residence and when the carriage door was closed Fitzwilliam grasped his sister's shoulder and pulled her into an embrace that she melted into.
"Her rank and connections are certainly lacking, but she brought a fortune of nearly one hundred thousand pounds, when you include what her father paid to settle Edward's debts. If he had shown more practical economy there would have been no need for such a choice; but then, I have always noted that some of my nephews are more responsible than others." Lady Catherine gave Fitzwilliam a fond glance before she continued her post-wedding analysis. "It is my opinion that the members of great families, particularly heirs to the great estates, have a duty to live within their means in order to set the example for those of lower orders. It is only natural for them to wish to emulate their betters and so their landlords must ensure they always present themselves as persons of respectability, judgment, soberness and economy." Fitzwilliam nodded his own agreement as he received another fond smile from his godmother.
Lady Catherine had been discussing the wedding since Georgiana and Fitzwilliam arrived at her townhouse, dwelling heavily on Mrs. Fordham's unsuitability since there was little else to criticize. Her ladyship had covered the future Baroness's youth, paying particular attention to the fourteen year difference between her and her husband (apparently forgetting the seventeen year difference that had existed between Georgiana's parents); her lack of connection; and the fact that her father's wealth was not a full generation removed from trade. Those topics being canvassed to Lady Catherine's satisfaction, she had moved onto the subject of Edmund Fordham's deficiencies and their relation to why he married with no consideration for anything other than his pocketbook, a permissible topic since, for reasons unknown to Georgiana, Lady Catherine's rule against speaking ill of relations did not apply to her eldest sister's family.
After the Honourable Mr. Fordham's character was sufficiently abused, her ladyship turned to the matter of Georgiana's schooling, stating again that Georgiana ought to be sent to Rosings where she could attend to any problems that might arise without requiring her nephew to put aside his other responsibilities and rush to London. "And Anne would so enjoy the luxury of having her cousin's companionship. Would you not my dear?"
Anne agreed with her mother before returning her attention to petting her spoiled pug.
"If it were not for my father's statement that he thought Georgiana would be best served by attending a school, Richard and I would give that option serious consideration. As it is, my father was quite specific in his instructions for Georgiana's education and I would not feel right going against his wishes at this time. "
Lady Catherine did not look terribly pleased by this answer but did not dispute the last wishes of her brother-in-law. "You will, of course, remember that I and my home are at your complete disposal should anything necessitate Georgiana's removal from that school."
After Fitzwilliam assured his aunt that he would not forget her generous offer, Lady Catherine turned to Georgiana and began asking minute questions as to how she was enjoying school. Georgiana answered these as truthfully as she could without saying anything that would cause her aunt to insist that she be removed immediately and sent to live at Rosings until one or the other of her guardians "established himself in a suitable home for her by marrying a young woman of suitable birth, connections, and fortune." Georgiana knew her aunt meant well and would do all she could to promote her education so that in a few years she would be ready to "take her rightful place in society and enjoy all those things that dear Anne's health prevented her from taking part in," but the thought of living at Rosings indefinitely and without either her father or brother's presence was too horrible for words.
Later, after Fitzwilliam had redeposited her at Mrs. Boyd's seminary, Georgiana thought over the circumstances that she felt would always prevent her from being entirely comfortable at Rosings.
Lady Catherine always assigned Georgiana to the pink and white bedroom on the third floor and Georgiana did not wish to ask for another room, since she would be forced to explain why she disliked that very comfortable room. It was one of the family rooms as opposed to an impersonal guest room, large and airy with a wonderful view into the garden, in many ways it was as nearly much Georgiana's own room as was her room at Pemberley. Its only deficiency was in location. The pink and white bedroom was only two doors down from Rosings's old nursery, which Georgiana never could fully convince herself was not haunted, particularly on nights when the wind blew against her windows and the corridor outside the bedroom was full of creaks.
Several autumns before, the Darcys attended a large family party at Rosings accompanied by Georgiana's second governess, Miss Black. Miss Black had a love of Gothic novels and a talent for spinning tales in such a way that made it sometimes difficult to remember they were not true. Before they had been at Rosings two days, Miss Black had discovered the entire history of the old nursery, how it had been shared by Anne and her two elder brothers until all three children became ill with Scarlet Fever some weeks before Easter. Lady Catherine and Sir Lewis had called in at least three different doctors, each a specialist trained in the most up to date medical techniques, but in the end, Lewis and Frederick De Bourgh died at the beginning and ending of the same day and although Anne recovered from the fever, she was left sickly and prone to other illnesses.
The day that the doctors agreed that Anne was well enough to be moved, she was taken out of that nursery to the new nursery, filled with new toys and dresses, on the second floor across the hall from her parents' suite. Thus the old nursery had been left with all of the two boys' belongings, and a good many of Anne's, still in it and the nursery door was kept locked for several years, during which time the toys and furnishings grew old and shabby. When the door was unlocked, Lady Catherine refused to have any changes made beyond having it cleaned. The servants said she had personally supervised the maids to ensure that they did not unduly disturb the room or move anything out of its previous place.
The full story was too much for Miss Black's imagination, and she had retold it, with the proper embellishments, to six year-old Georgiana when she was putting her to bed. She left nothing out, and gave special attention to the rumour, mentioned by more than one of her sources, that the ghosts of Georgiana's dead cousins remained in the old nursery. The story was enough to frighten little Georgiana quite a bit and the combination of it and the gothic novel Miss Black used as a reading primer, was enough to give the girl nightmares that caused her to leave her room in search of elder brother, who could be trusted to make certain the ghosts and monsters disappeared.
The night had been dark and Georgiana had not been very familiar with the house, which could explain how Georgiana wound up in the old nursery instead. The wind was blowing against the nursery's windows and Georgiana was very near crying when a very cold, slightly damp hand grabbed her shoulder. In her fright, she screamed and jumped backwards only to feel herself become drenched in freezing cold water. She had screamed again and then again when the cold hands grabbed at her and she could not remember precisely what happened next, only that she had wanted desperately to get out of that horrid room. The next thing she remembered clearly was Fitzwilliam wrapping her in his woolen dressing gown before holding her tightly against his chest and whispering that she was safe while she sobbed onto his nightshirt.
When he stood up, still cradling her close, was when Georgiana had peaked over his shoulder and seen that her brother was not the only person who was in the old nursery. Several of her other relations as well as a handful of servants had been woken and gone to see what was the matter. Fitzwilliam carried her out of the room while several other Fitzwilliams started giving orders to whomever was convenient. She also saw her uncle Henry Fitzwilliam leading one of his sons, who was also rather wet, down the hall by his arm. Sir Lewis, Lady Catherine and her father came last, having been fetched to the scene.
While her brother transferred her to her father's arms, she heard Lady Catherine's reaction to the mess in the old nursery. It need not be said that her ladyship had been exceedingly displeased and even though she had never charged Georgiana with any of the blame, Georgiana had not been able to help remembering the scene when she was at Rosings or in her aunt's company.
The morning after her ordeal, Georgiana woke Fitzwilliam, who had stayed the rest of the night with her, with her coughing. A doctor was fetched to give the official pronouncement that Georgiana had caught cold. She had not been very ill, but Lady Catherine had acted as if her niece were on death's door, insisting that Georgiana remain in bed a full two days after she said she felt better and nearly having an apoplexy when Georgiana's father announced his intention to follow his original plans and leave the following day. Ever since then, whenever Lady Catherine had the slightest hint Georgiana might be ill, she had taken upon herself to prescribe noxious remedies that Georgiana had once heard Richard say made him think that dying was a preferable option.
When she said her prayers that evening, Georgiana remembered to thank God that her guardians would not send her to Rosings indefinitely.
Posted on Friday, 19 May 2006
A journey is best measured in friends rather than miles
~ Tim Cahill
It was not take very many days before Georgiana received the note from her uncle which informed her that General Russell had agreed to his plan and that the girls' departure date had been fixed for sixteen days hence.
Over the next two weeks the main topic among most of the girls at the Seminary was their individual preparations to join their friends and family in the country for the duration of London's oppressive summer. The only girls who did not speak of this continually were those in Emily's set, as Emily would not be leaving the school for the summer and tended to grow unpleasant when she heard of other girls plans to do so. This made things quite unpleasant for Georgiana since Emily could not very well ignore her roommate's preparations. Lessons became tortuous as Emily appeared to search out ways to sabotage Georgiana's progress and to whisper snide remarks that Miss Cane never seemed to hear.
Georgiana also took to spending less and less time in her own room. Harriet Wilson was much nicer than Emily and she and Jean were friendly if they weren't exactly friends. She was to leave Mrs. Boyd's Seminary for good a few days before Georgiana and Jean's scheduled departure, as her stepmother was about to have another baby and had decided she desired her eldest stepdaughter's assistance with the household and the other children. While they did not speak of this in front of Harriet or her friends, Georgiana and Jean had decided among themselves that they would do what they could to ensure that Georgiana became Jean's new roommate.
Jean had written her parents and Georgiana her guardians concerning this desire. The day before Georgiana and the Miss Russells were to depart for the north Georgiana received Fitzwilliam and Richard's promises to contact Mrs. Boyd on this subject giving both girls every reason to expect that the change would be effected.
The two girls enjoyed a long discussion on this matter the night before they were to begin their journey. According to Jean, the fact that Georgiana's guardians were rich and single gentlemen was what was important to Mrs. Boyd, and she was likely to do whatever possible to meet their requests. Georgiana pointed out that Richard himself was not very rich, being only a younger son with only the interest from his twenty thousand pounds to supplement his soldier's income, but Jean thought that that was enough to turn Mrs. Boyd's head, particularly since his father was an earl. "Mostly what Mrs. Boyd wants is to be able to associate with the highest levels of society. Major Fitzwilliam is not rich himself but his connections are good and he can be expected to know rich men. That is important because Mrs. Boyd is always trying to throw Miss Gold at single rich men, probably so one can fall in love with her and marry her and support Mrs. Boyd for the rest of her life. "
"Do you think Miss Gold is likely to cooperate with such a plan?"
Jean shook her head. "I doubt it. I would think that if she did marry a rich man she would not feel any obligation to support Mrs. Boyd even if she did raise her, it is not as if she has gone to any great expense or trouble to keep her. She was treated as a charity pupil when she was younger and was always expected to help with the youngest pupils. Until a few years ago Miss Gold had to sleep with the youngest pupils in the nursery room. When Mrs. Boyd promoted her to instructress she was then given her own room." Georgiana shuddered at that thought, the nursery room was shared by the five or six youngest students, while most of them were very sweet little girls, the humiliation of being forced to live in that room after you were more than six or seven years old was worse than the idea of being Emily's roommate.
"But Miss Gold has not yet fallen in love with anybody who has fallen in love with her."
"No, she has not and I do not think she intends to fall in love with any rich men."
Georgiana considered for hardly a second before she spoke again. "I think she should marry Mr. Piper. He is a very nice man and it is a shame that he is not married yet."
Georgiana watched Jean's mouth move in a show of brief concentration before she nodded. "That is a very good idea. He is too nice to remain single forever and his income from teaching music lessons ought to be enough to support a family. I think he would make Miss Gold an excellent husband. How do you think we ought to help them fall in love?"
Georgiana was not very experienced in these matters, Miss Mercer, her last governess, had given her some training in matchmaking but she had not been long in her post before Georgiana's father sacked her for inappropriate behavior. However she and Jean were able to come up with some rudimentary plans that they could bring to Sarah and her friends that evening so they could then use the benefits of their superior years and experience to refine the plot and prepare it for implementation.
Sarah and her friends approved of Georgiana and Jean's plan to make Mr. Piper and Miss Gold fall in love with each other and congratulated the two younger girls on coming upon an idea so perfect that several of them opined that someone ought to have thought of it sooner. Duets were forsaken in favor of discussing how they would discover Mr. Piper and Miss Gold's matrimonial preferences and what could be done to make them spend more time in one another's company.
The scheming was only interrupted when Miss Gold herself came to tell them it was time for bed. As the girls filed out of the room, Miss Gold pulled Georgiana aside to tell her that it had just been decided that Georgiana would be moved to Miss Gold's room when she returned to the Seminary.
Miss Gold's gracious responses to Georgiana's jumbled expressions of pleasure only increased Georgiana's happiness and heightened her hopes that her aunt would be in an amiable or sleepy enough mood to allow her charges the opportunity to talk over their plans during the upcoming journey.
Contrary to Georgiana's hopes, the carriage ride did not provide her and the Russells further opportunity to discuss their plans for Mr. Piper and Miss Gold on the nearly two day journey from London to the Russell family home. Georgiana had known from the moment that her uncle said that Lady Margaret would act as chaperone, that the pleasantness of the entire trip rested on her ladyship's humor and at that time she had reason to hope that her aunt would be in good humor for the journey. From the moment Richard stepped out of the carriage, however, she was almost certain her hopes had been in vain.
The final preparations, mostly in the way of loading the last pieces of luggage, began almost as soon as Georgiana saw her cousin walk up to the Seminary's front door and soon Georgiana and her friends were waiting outside the carriage where Lady Margaret and her companion remained in their seats. While they waited for the Russell sisters' trunks to be loaded onto the carriage, Richard offered to ride alongside the carriage to allow more space for the ladies but her ladyship insisted that there was plenty of room in her brother's carriage. Further assurance on his part that it was not a burden for him to ride resulted in her ladyship's indulging in a fit of extreme agitation and refusing to be quieted until her nephew agreed to ride in the carriage as the son of an earl ought instead of spending the day in the saddle like some carriageless nobody.
When the others prepared to enter the carriage Lady Margaret instructed her servant to move to the backseat and instructed Georgiana and Jean to sit next to her on the front seat, as they were the smallest and least likely to crush her, while Richard and Sarah were instructed to sit next to the paid companion.
After they took their seats and Richard assisted a blushing and staring Sarah into the carriage they were finally able to begin making their way out of London with the shades drawn to protect Lady Margaret's eyes and her charges' complexions against the morning sun.
By the next afternoon when the carriage's occupants had their first glimpse of the structure that Jean informed them was Hinckley Hall, Georgiana was eager to escape her aunt and could only assume that her companions must feel the same. During the times that Lady Margaret decided not to insist that her traveling companions remain quiet so as not to disturb her rest, she dominated the conversation, first asking the Russell sisters every question she could think of concerning their family and then giving all three girls lectures and advice on proper behavior and decorum.
Their best respite during the trip had been when Richard offered to escort the girls on a stroll through town after the first day's travel was over. Georgiana and Jean had lagged behind Richard and Sarah, giggling over how Sarah's blush had scarcely left her face since meeting Richard and how she had spent the carriage ride carefully avoiding looking to her left. For his part, Richard had been no more nor less amiable and considerate to Sarah than he was with any other lady Georgiana had witnessed him with and divided his attention between Sarah and the two younger girls. However, an idea was planted in Georgiana's head that it really would be a fine thing if her guardian were to marry her friend's sister.
She could not speak of this idea to anyone during the remainder of their journey, you never could be certain when Lady Margaret might be listening to you, but she could, and did, think it over during their second day of travel. By the time that Jean started pointing out her favorite landmarks, Georgiana had decided her idea's only flaw was that General Russell would not allow any of his daughters to marry until after her eighteenth birthday, a decision that allowed her to put aside these thoughts and concentrate on her friend's words.
When the carriage finally stopped in front of the stone and brick house that was little more than half the size of Pemberley, Georgiana was a contradictory combination of fidgety and languid while the prospect of being home apparently gave both Russells an increase of energy. Jean was out of the carriage the second after one of her father's footmen opened the door and Sarah did not bother to wait for Richard to disembark and offer his hand to assist her descent.
It was a merry meeting for Georgiana, General and Mrs. Russell were very kind to her and appeared pleased with her and Jean's friendship. Soon Jean was taking her on a tour of the house on their way up to her room, naming all the rooms and pointing out anything she thought might be of interest. Their longer route upstairs made the girls slightly late in arriving at the sitting room where they joined Mrs. Russell, who was talking with Sarah and a little girl who was introduced as Mary, the youngest Russell child, while Richard and the General held a serious looking conversation on the far side of the room.
Neither Lady Margaret nor her companion deigned to return downstairs, leaving the rest to a pleasant evening that ended much earlier than Georgiana would have liked.
The early bedtime led to an early start time for the journey from Hinckley Hall to Matlock, allowing them to arrive in the early afternoon.
Lady Margaret spent the last miles of their trip warming her vitriol in preparation of their arrival, allowing her niece and nephew a preview of her displeasure at having been used as "a lowly nursemaid" without her express approval when "one of Darcy's carriages ought to have been sent for them so I could travel in peace." Her ladyship's ire was further raised when the travelers saw that no one was waiting outside to meet them. Instead the housekeeper informed them that their rooms had been prepared and that they might find Lady Matlock in the green parlor. Lady Margaret gave the housekeeper a glare for her pains before she stalked towards the private apartments with her faithful servant in toe. Georgiana had nearly decided to follow her when the unexpected but very welcome form of Fitzwilliam approached them.
Fitzwilliam had not only traveled to Matlock in order to escort her to Pemberley himself, but had brought with him a letter for her from the new Mrs. Fordham, explaining that it had arrived at Pemberley the day before and he had thought she might like to have it sooner rather than later.
They had originally intended to stay the night at Matlock, but Georgiana found herself wishing that she could be home rather than almost home. After a brief consultation Georgiana convinced her guardians that she was not too tired for them to continue their journey and that she really did want to continue on and was not merely saying so to suit their preferences.
In Fitzwilliam's carriage, the conversation began with his inquiries into the earlier parts of their journey, but soon Georgiana found herself quite bored as the two gentlemen began discussing whatever it was that Richard and General Russell had spoken of the previous evening, affording her the opportunity to read her letter without concern that she might be missing something important. She discovered it was full of Mrs. Fordham's raptures at the joys of being married to so wonderful a man as Mr. Fordham and ended by informing Georgiana of the dinner party she and her new husband were to hold upon their return to London.
It will our first opportunity to host a party together and my dearest husband has said I ought to consider it to be in honor of my eighteenth birthday, even though it will be some weeks after that event. Was that not sweet of him? He has been most thoughtful and kind ever since he announced that we ought to throw a dinner party. When I told him of all my ideas, and I have too many to use half of them, my dearest told me I might make whatever plans I wish and he will look them over to make certain I do not embarrass the family. He has also volunteered to write out the guest list, which is a relief as I do not believe I am familiar with one-tenth of his connections and was agonizing over the thought of accidentally leaving out someone who must be invited.I wish I could invite you, my dear cousin, as I believe you are my favorite of all my new relatives, my dear husband excepted of course, and your presence would be comforting as I do like to think we have already become friends. However, in order for me to forgive you for not being able to attend this party, you must promise me that I might host one in your honor when it is time for you to enter society. I shall be an old married woman by then, with oodles of experience at these things and I daresay we shall have great fun planning that event together. Please write back to me and say you promise. Until then I remain
Your affectionate cousin,
Cecily Fordham
Despite her lack of enthusiasm for large parties, Georgiana was pleased with the letter and Mrs. Fordham's wish of holding a dinner party in her honor at some unnamed future date when Georgiana supposed she would be seventeen or eighteen years old herself and possibly quite accustomed to society and certainly much more able to acquit herself credibly in it. She shared this wish of Mrs. Fordham's with her guardians while they were traveling to Pemberley and while neither appeared to have very much interest in discussing their cousins' new marriage, both listened very nicely to Georgiana's prattle on the subject of dinner parties and even offered suggestions when Georgiana began to amuse herself by planning a hypothetical one to be held at Fitzwilliam's townhouse when she was quite grown up.
This amusement carried them to the point at which they could clearly see Pemberley House. The carriage did not stop nor do anything else to mark the spot but Georgiana felt the sudden change as she realized that she truly was on her way home.