A Continued Affection

Part 7

"And you're sure the silver will be ready?"

"Polished to perfection, Miss Darcy..."

Darcy glanced towards the door of his study, holding his breath as the voices of the two ladies rose and fell as they passed it. He did not let out a sigh of relief until Georgiana's directions faded to nothing and he could consider himself truly safe from being inveigled into helping prepare for the evening's dinner.

It is enough that I agreed to have it, he recalled telling his sister the previous evening, when she had wheedled and cajoled and demanded his opinion on her choice of food for the evening. I certainly do not wish to be saddled with the burden of decision-making, too.

Georgiana's face had fallen and he'd forced himself to smile, reminding her how fond she was of detail, and how perfect everything would be managed in her delicate, capable hands. That had been all it had taken to restore balance and she had awoken that morning revived, happy to galvanise their staff into action and leave him to enjoy the quiet sanctuary of his study.

The poor staff would be quite overcome with activity, he supposed, for most often when he was in London he lived sparsely, a quiet bachelor life at his club or visiting one or two friends as often as he was at home. With Georgiana here, the house took on an entirely different energy, but he did not lament the change.

He turned a page in his book, wearily attending to a paragraph for a second and then a third time before admitting defeat. He closed it, leaning back in his chair and drumming his fingers distractedly on his desk.

He did not mind Georgiana's desire to entertain guests. How could he? She had been living so sparse and solitary a life in Pemberley for so long that it was surely only natural that now she should wish to see friends. The dilemma lay, then, in the friends she chose to see. Hosting Egerton and his sisters? Darcy could hardly fault that. Nor Bingley, whose presence was so agreeable he would tolerate a dozen Carolines beside him. But Georgiana had gone out of her way to invite the Bennets, demanding details such as names and addresses from him with such frequency that in the end he had given them with all haste, thinking, foolishly, that once the invitation was sent he would cease to think of it. Foolish, simple-minded Darcy. He had spent the next day snatching letters as soon as they arrived and discarding them whenever they did not contain the few words he longed to see. At last, although it could not have been more than a few hours, they received a response in Mr Bennet's clear, careful hand thanking Georgiana for the invitation and promising the attendance of himself, his wife and all five of his daughters. Darcy had run his thumb over this last. All five included the one he wished to see above all others.

"William!"

The door to his study flew open, for Georgiana never bothered to knock, and Darcy bolted upright in his chair, dropping his closed book on his desk and praying that Georgiana had not noticed whatever feeble, faraway look had been on his face.

"Georgiana." He tried to smile but the expression pained him, so he let it drop almost immediately. "Is something the matter?"

"Well you might ask me is something the matter." Georgiana shrieked. "Mrs Redding has just informed me that we may not have peaches this evening. That they are out of season." She pursed her lips, as if crediting this excuse with less than an iota of credulity.

"She is right," Darcy said, calmly. He made some show of sweeping his papers together. "You must recall, Georgie, that we are in London. We have not Pemberley's stores of preserves to rely on."

Georgiana pouted, but soon recovered her equanimity. She was pleased to be here, in London, in company with her brother and in preparations for a dinner with friends - all of which she had sorely been missing during the long duration of her exile in Derbyshire.

All this, Darcy could read in one look, and he dropped his gaze, wondering how much of his fractured thoughts were likewise discernible to the sister who knew him so well.

"Shall I take a look at the dining room? If I am forced to comment on the level of activity you have been having quite a time of it, rearranging my furniture as well as my plans."

"What plans?" Georgiana teased, but she did wait for him to circumnavigate his desk, nestling into his side and walking arm-in-arm with him along the corridor to the dining room, where she paused and looked to him with the tiniest hint of concern until he declared it "very festive!"

"You are aware, Georgie, that it need not be some great formal affair," he continued, after obediently examining the table settings she had attended to with her own hands and counted out the number of diners space was laid for. There would be quite a quantity of them! Not by Pemberley standards, of course, but in comparison to the numbers he ordinarily hosted in London, there would be many.

"It is the first time I am meeting some of your friends!" Georgiana protested. "Not Mr Bingley, I grant you, but I shall not even count one afternoon's visit to Mr Egerton and his sisters as a true introduction. And as to the Bennets!"

She said no more and her silence prompted Darcy to look up at her, sensing, somehow, that she was holding herself in check. In the end, it was the look that betrayed him, and her eyes narrowed in triumph.

"The Bennets." She spoke with a determined ring of innocence, but she was watching him very carefully and it took a great deal of effort on his part to keep his expression neutral.

"That is their name," he said, at last. "And you forget two more: Mr and Mrs Gardiner." He paused, before deciding that pursuing this particular connection might keep Georgiana from making another. "Mrs Gardiner grew up not far from Derbyshire. In Lambton."

Georgiana arched her dainty eyebrows but said no more and Darcy was left wondering whether she had somehow guessed what he and Elizabeth had managed to conceal from all in Hertfordshire. How could she, though? He had made no mention of her. He did not, in general, have cause to mention any of his doings in London - and chose not to, for many of the exploits of those he associated with would doubtless shock delicate Georgiana's ears.

This brought to mind another, and his expression sank. He would have to warn her of the unfortunate connection between Egerton's family and theirs lest it comes up in conversation that evening. He did not suppose it would but he dearly wished for her to be prepared if it did. It would not serve his sister to surprise her with mention of Wickham in mixed company.

"Georgie, are you poised to break from your work? Let us take tea in the parlour, for I have something to discuss with you about Mr Egerton."

"About his blindness?" Georgiana's smile grew, and Darcy was surprised. He did not think the state of Egerton's infirmity a thing to be remarked upon and was surprised Georgie should find anything in it to smile about, but before he could censure her she had spoken again, explaining her response.

"I am surprised you did not notice!" She clapped her hands. "I had the servants remove every piece of furniture from this room that is not essential. I have done the same in the great room - some may care to dance, I expect, so it would need to be done anyway, but I have done all I can to ensure no obstacles to Mr Egerton's freedom of movement." Her smile faltered momentarily. "Oh, but do you think he will mind it? I did it to help, but if you think it is likely to offend him I can have them bring everything back..."

"No! I think it a kindness on your part. I dare say he will not notice - neither he nor his sisters have yet called here and thus have no frame of reference -"

"I did not do it to be noticed!" Georgiana was affronted. "Nor to receive praise. I merely wish for him to be comfortable, and his sisters too. It is so rare that I am permitted to meet new people, William, and if these are friends of yours I hope they may be friends of mine, too." She sighed, pressing lightly at a sheen of perspiration on her hairline. "But now, after my morning's exertions, I am quite spent. I concede the promise of tea is enticing, and you have such a scowl on your face that I must deduce you have a wish to discuss something Very Serious Indeed."

Her eyes sparkled with fun and she tucked her arm through her brother's, leading him back along the corridor to the sunny parlour. Every step made Darcy's heart sink, but he gathered his nerve, prayed a silent, fleeting prayer, and began.

"I must speak to you of George Wickham, Georgiana, and then we shall put him out of mind again, where he belongs..."