Page 95 of Roses from Pemberley
Yet, she was not always this way. Up until a few weeks ago when she met Elizabeth, Georgie was still quite shy and reserved. Now she spoke and acted more confidently. Now she put herself forward and laughed with the other young ladies. She had played the pianoforte for strangers and had walked into Meryton with her new friends and called on Mrs. Philips and Mrs. Long. And now she was in the same room as Wickham, while Wickham’s new wife spoke about her wedding, and was not even paying attention to it.
“I believe Georgiana’s confidence is all your doing, Elizabeth,” he said quietly. “And I just wished to thank you.”
She took a sidelong glance at Georgie, and then at him, and said, “I did nothing, really, except treat her like my other sisters.”
Suddenly he laughed and everyone turned to look at them.
“Is that all it took, Elizabeth?”
She smiled but said nothing and the two of them looked across the room.
“Is Almack’s really as grand as they say, Diana?” Kitty was asking.
“Oh, I do not know. It is probably no more grand then other balls I have been to. And it is all so tedious. Youngmen with jewel-encrusted snuff boxes and iridescent waistcoats, preening before the ladies, talking about the latest cigars they have obtained or their latest purchase at Tattersall’s.”
“Yes, but it still must be quite a sight,” said Kitty. “Why, I have never seen an iridescent waistcoat!” She turned to Georgie and added, “You shall be presented next year, shall you not? You must be looking forward to it.”
“I was not before, but I believe I am now.”
“I am certain you shall be quite popular.”
Darcy saw that Wickham was staring in Georgie’s direction with something that looked like regret.
“Oh, I do not know about that, Kitty. I am certain there shall be many young ladies more popular than me.”
“Georgie is proud but not vain,” whispered Elizabeth, leaning towards him.
He smiled and nodded.
“Kitty is right, Georgie,” said Diana, as the young ladies continued to converse on the other side of the room. “I already know of at least one gentleman who is looking forward to meeting you…when you come out next year, that is.”
“And who is this gentleman, Diana?”
“Yes, tell us,” said Kitty. Then she added, “Is he handsome?”
“Terribly.”
“Who is it, then, Diana?” asked Georgie. “Or are you just making this up?”
Diana rolled her eyes. “Of course I am not making it up! Very well. His name is Sir Edward Pennington. But his friends refer to him as ‘Penn.’”
“Sir Edward Pennington,” repeated Georgie with a dreamy smile. “Penn.”
“He went to Oxford and is one or two years younger than your brother.”
“But I do not remember meeting him.”
“You did not. But he went to my house one day to call on Richard, and he happened to see you there playing the pianoforte. I suppose he was very impressed by your musical abilities. I actually saw him not long ago and he asked about you.”
“Really? And what, precisely, did he say?”
“Oh I do not remember, exactly. He simply asked after you, and said he looked forward to meeting you when you came out.”
The conversation continued but Darcy stopped paying attention. It seemed that Georgie was more interested in discussing Sir Edward Pennington than worrying about something so minor as Wickham. He felt like laughing again.
He looked at Elizabeth, took her hand and kissed it. He knew at that moment that getting engaged to her was the best thing he’d ever done.
Soon, the party broke up as Lydia wished to have a rest and a bath. The Netherfield party was invited to dinner but the young ladies demurred, saying they wished to have an informal evening of their own. Thus Mary and Kitty would spend the night at Netherfield with Georgie and Diana, while Darcy and Bingley would return to Longbourn later and have dinner with the other Bennets.
