Friends Before Lovers Read online

  Charles introduced his friend and Miss Darcy to the rest of the Bennet family and then they all settled around the parlor to visit. Georgiana's happiness upon seeing her new friend again calmed and she became quiet again realizing that all eyes were upon her. Elizabeth saw this right away and whispered, "Fear not, Georgiana. Although we are a loud family, you will only find friends here."

  Georgiana answered with a smile and then courageously turned to Mrs. Bennet and said, "It is such a pleasure to meet Mrs. Bingley and Miss Bennet's family."

  Mrs. Bennet could hardly contain her enthusiasm when she replied.

  "Oh, we are honored to finally meet you Miss Darcy…and your brother, of course."

  Darcy merely bowed at this bit of civility so Mrs. Bennet continued addressing Georgiana.

  "And I must thank you for assisting Elizabeth with the purchase of my new shawl. When I showed it to my sister Philips, I was sure to tell her of your kindness in helping select it."

  Georgiana did not know how to respond so she chose to smile and nod.

  Mrs. Bennet then turned her attention again to the rich gentleman who had yet to speak.

  "I also must express how lovely your wedding gift to our Jane was, Mr. Darcy."

  When Darcy's only response was another bow, Mrs. Bennet gave up on the odd man and turned to her new son-in-love and Jane to demand to hear all about what they had been up to in Town. This left Elizabeth and Georgiana a few moments to chat before Kitty and Lydia forced their way into the conversation.

  "I adore your bonnet, Miss Darcy."

  "Thank you, Miss Katherine." Georgiana said quietly.

  Lydia snorted, "Oh, Kitty, she certainly makes your name sound elegant!"

  As Kitty and Lydia laughed, Georgiana looked a bit confused. Elizabeth noticed and quickly said, "Lydia, do not tease. Miss Darcy is not acquainted with you to know that you mean no offense."

  Lydia rolled her eyes before saying, "Oh, Lizzy! It is only funny because everyone calls her Kitty." As if this should excuse her behavior, Lydia turned again to address Miss Darcy.

  "I noticed your pelisse when you arrived. What a gorgeous color of green! Mama always says that a dark shade of green compliments my complexion more than that of my sisters."

  Again, Georgiana was unsure as to how she should respond so she simply thanked Lydia again.

  Elizabeth was embarrassed by her youngest sister's lack of manners; however, when she caught Mr. Darcy's calculating stare pointed in Lydia's direction, she quickly suggested that they all take a turn in the garden. To everyone's surprise, Mr. Darcy was the first to respond.

  "That is a wonderful idea, Miss Bennet. Georgiana?"

  Georgiana nodded and then most of the occupants of the room rose to join the party. Once they walked outside, Bingley offered his arm to Lydia and Kitty and began regaling them with tales of the royal menagerie. Jane linked her arm with Mary and began walking. Finally, Mr. Darcy offered his arm to his sister, and then his other to Elizabeth and they followed the group.

  Georgiana broke the silence by commenting on how lovely the gardens were.

  "Thank you, Georgiana; although, they are much lovelier once in full bloom."

  "During our trip here, I found myself staring out the window looking for your favorite landmarks that you spoke of while in London." Georgiana said.

  "I will be more than happy to show them to you while you are here. I must say it again, I am very happy that you have come to visit. It is a wonderful surprise." Elizabeth said earnestly.

  Georgiana's smile grew before her attention was drawn away by Jane asking her to join her and Mary as they were discussing Mary's new pianoforte music. Georgiana excused herself from her brother and Elizabeth before walking ahead to join Jane and Mary.

  Elizabeth glanced at her silent walking partner.

  "You are rather quiet this afternoon, Mr. Darcy." Elizabeth stated quietly.

  At her hesitant tone, Darcy's face softened.

  "Forgive me, madam. What do you wish me to say?"

  "Oh, come now, Mr. Darcy. I cannot believe that my friend who battles the ladies of the Ton is overwhelmed by one boisterous family with several silly daughters."

  Darcy cracked a small smile.

  "I apologize if it appeared that I was overwhelmed, Miss Bennet."

  Elizabeth laughed, "Well, I don't know if anyone else would have read your silence as evidence of being overwhelmed."

  She stopped and looked up at him with a more serious expression.

  "I do apologize for Lydia's behavior. You must know that I would never want Georgiana to feel offended by my sister's actions."

  Her eyes pleaded for his understanding so he nodded and then they continued their walk.

  After a few steps, Elizabeth smiled and said, "However, you cannot deny that I did warn you, sir, of my family's oddities."

  Darcy chuckled and responded, "Yes, that is absolutely true, Miss Bennet."

  When the party returned indoors, Mrs. Bennet insisted that they stay for dinner. The Bingley's readily agreed; however, Darcy hesitated to acquiesce. He was worried about exposing his young sister to the ill-mannered daughters of this family. Yet one glance at his sister laughing with Miss Bennet in the corner of the room was enough to sway his decision and he finally responded in the affirmative much to Mrs. Bennet's great delight.

  Dinner was a loud affair that evening. Mrs. Bennet had hoped to draw out the handsome gentleman by asking questions regarding his London townhouse and relatives but was foiled at every attempt by his mono-syllabic responses. Throughout his wife's inquisition of their illustrious guest, Mr. Bennet snickered behind his wine glass. On a few occasions, he would catch Elizabeth's eye and smirk knowing that his quick-witted daughter must be enjoying the prideful man's discomfiture at his wife's silliness.

  Although her guest's refusal to converse led her to believe that he was a rather odd man, his wealth and status were enough to keep him in her good graces…especially when he made the effort to compliment the cooking. Satisfied, the matron thanked him and then turned her attention to her more jovial son-in-law.

  "We were sorry to find that Miss Bingley and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst did not return with you for the holiday." Mrs. Bennet said to Charles.

  "Yes, well my sister Louisa and Mr. Hurst generally remain in Town until the summer. Caroline decided to remain with them. Luckily, Darcy was able to arrange to be away so that he and Georgiana could join us."

  Elizabeth could not help but glance at Mr. Darcy and caught a shadow of a smile on his lips before he took another drink of his wine.

  Soon after, the Bingleys and Darcys bid the Bennets farewell for the night.

  The next day, Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth arrived at Netherfield early in the day. Her mother had pressed Jane and Charles into agreeing to make some calls with her in Meryton. Elizabeth offered to entertain Miss Darcy while Jane was gone for the morning and the plan was set.

  Once Mrs. Bennet and the Bingley's departed, Elizabeth and Georgiana decided to take a turn in the gardens.

  "How are you enjoying your stay, Georgiana?"

  "Oh, I like it here very much. Your family has been so kind to Will and me."

  "Do you and Mr. Darcy normally remain in Town for Easter?" Elizabeth asked.

  "Well, actually, this is the first time in many years that we will be together. Normally, Will travels to visit our aunt while I spend the holiday with our Matlock relations."

  Elizabeth's brow furrowed and she responded, "Are you not sad to be away from your brother for the holiday?"

  "Oh no! I mean, yes, of course I miss him when we are apart…" Georgiana hesitated and glanced around before continuing in a whisper, "…but my aunt is simply dreadful!"

  Both girls laughed at such a pronouncement.

  "Georgiana, is really so very awful?" Elizabeth questioned with a smile.

  "Truly, Elizabeth, she terrifies me! Nothing I do is good enough in her eyes. Will knows how she intimidates me so he makes the obligatory jo
urney while I am visiting other relatives and makes excuses for me."

  "Yet again you prove to have a wonderful brother."

  Georgiana became serious once again before looking down and saying, "Yes, I certainly do not deserve him."

  "What's this nonsense? Why would you say such a thing, Georgiana?" Elizabeth asked, concerned.

  Georgiana took a deep breath and then turned to Elizabeth.

  "Could we perhaps take a seat? I would like to share something with you."

  Elizabeth immediately nodded her head and followed Georgiana to a nearby bench.

  Georgiana did not immediately begin speaking and Elizabeth could see that her friend was distressed. Hoping to provide some comfort, she took the young girl's hand in her own. Georgiana finally found her voice.

  "Elizabeth, before I tell you this tale, I want you to know that I cherish our friendship. I know that we have only met a short time ago but I feel that I can trust you. I have not been the best judge of characters in the past and friends do not come easily to me."

  Elizabeth gave Georgiana's hand a gentle squeeze in support.

  "I know that my brother told you that I was ill when he declined attending Jane and Charles' wedding; however, that was not true. He was worried about me and would not leave me. You see, I did something incredibly foolish last summer. A man that I trusted…who was a friend of our family…he happened to be in the same town that I was visiting with my companion. It had been many years since I last saw him and he was so handsome and attentive…"

  Georgiana could not maintain eye contact with her friend and look down ashamed as she continued in a small voice.

  "I thought myself in love with him. I thought that he loved me in return."

  Elizabeth's heart ached at the sadness behind her friend's words. She realized that this tale must be what Mr. Darcy had alluded to during her visit to their home in London. Georgiana seemed to collect herself enough to continue.

  "As I said, my judgment cannot always be trusted. Mr. Wickham begged me to elope with him. He claimed that my brother would not agree to our marriage because his father had been my father's steward. I tried to convince him that Will would only wish for my happiness but he was determined that our only option was to elope so…I agreed."

  Although Elizabeth was shocked, she did not release her friend's hand and waited patiently.

  "The day that we were planning to leave, Will showed up to surprise me. It was then that my eyes were open to how incredibly naïve I had been. Mr. Wickham never loved me! He had planned the entire charade with my companion! Will immediately knew and refused to release my inheritance if we eloped. Mr. Wickham was irate…I had never seen such hatred as when he spoke to my brother…then he looked to me and said such awful things…I was very foolish."

  Finally, Georgiana could not continue and broke down into heart-wrenching sobs. Elizabeth immediately gathered her into her arms and softly stroked her hair.

  After some time, Georgiana looked up to Elizabeth and said, "You see, I am nothing but a foolish girl. I do not deserve your friendship or esteem."

  "Dear Georgiana, you are too severe on yourself. This rake took advantage of your tender heart. He is to blame as well as a trusted companion who betrayed you." Elizabeth soothed.

  "Yes, but I knew that it was wrong to see him in private even if my companion encouraged it. I should have suspected something was amiss. Yet, Mr. Wickham…he was so gentle and attentive! I would never have believed he could be so cruel if I had not heard him with my own ears. He never cared for me, never loved me at all." Georgiana said in a dejected voice.

  "Well, it is true that you should not have behaved beyond the bounds of propriety. I suggest you take responsibility for your poor decisions and learn from them. The lessons that you learned will assist you as you navigate your entry into society soon."

  Georgiana looked at her friend with surprise but nodded her head in agreement.

  Elizabeth continued, "However, do not bear the burden of guilt for the whole of the affair. Two people you trusted plotted against you. You were only fifteen…put the blame where it is due, Georgiana."

  "Thank you so much for letting me talk about this Elizabeth. Will has asked me in the past to talk to him but I'm so ashamed of my actions. I can see how it has hurt him."

  "Georgiana, I think that your brother is pained because you were hurt. After all, did we not establish that he is the best of brothers?" Elizabeth added with a smile.

  Georgiana sniffed a little laugh and then they both rose and continued their walk. Georgiana felt as though a great weight had been somehow lifted and was very grateful that she had found a true friend in Elizabeth.

  Chapter 14

  Easter morning dawned bright and clear. Longbourn was bustling as all of the ladies adorned their finest church clothes to attend services at the chapel in Meryton. Elizabeth was wearing one of her favorite new gowns. Her generosity was so great on this holiest of days that she even allowed Lydia and Kitty to wear two of her nicer bonnets after they begged her.

  The Bennet family was invited to dine at Netherfield following church this morning. Mrs. Bennet could not contain her excitement. She insisted that the girls be ready so that they might arrive early to church. She required additional time to ensure that the entire neighborhood knew that the Bennet's would dine at Netherfield with her dear son-in-law and his wealthy friend.

  As Elizabeth entered the chapel, a feeling of peace fell upon her. Ignoring the embarrassing gloating of her mother, she strolled among the pews and greeted neighbors with a smile. As she reached her seat, Elizabeth felt a shiver flow down her back and glanced up straight into the eyes of Mr. Darcy. He was standing at the entrance of the chapel with an odd expression upon his face as he stared back at her. Elizabeth smiled in acknowledgment and he responded in kind before both of their attention was drawn to Mrs. Bennet's exclamation.

  "Ah! There you are, Mrs. Bingley!"

  Mrs. Bennet rushed to embrace her daughter and greet the Darcys while slyly glancing around to confirm that her friends witnessed the display.

  Elizabeth could not decide whether to laugh or cry in embarrassment at her mother's show. Her father certainly did not waver as she could hear his chuckling from where she stood.

  Looking back upon the party that just arrived, Elizabeth was stunned to find that Miss Bingley was on Charles' arm doing a poor job at disguising how pleased she was to see Mrs. Bennet again. Before she could move to greet the party, they walked towards her to take their seats for the morning services.

  Elizabeth slid to the end of the family pew to allow room for Mary, Kitty, Lydia, her mother and finally her father. Georgiana took a seat in front of Elizabeth and the friends shared a smile before Mr. Darcy sat next to his sister. Miss Bingley followed Mr. Darcy with a triumphant smile upon her face before Jane and Charles completed the row.

  Easter service began and Elizabeth lost herself in the words of the priest. When it was time for the congregation to sing, Elizabeth could not help but notice how well Mr. Darcy sang. His face was turned so that he could share a hymnal with Georgiana. More than once, Elizabeth found herself stealing glances at the strong profile of the gentleman and his pleasing voice. At one point, his eyes found hers before she quickly looked back to the book that she shared with Mary.

  Soon, services concluded and they filed out of the church and into the carriages bound for Netherfield. Once they were gathered in the drawing room to await their meal, Mrs. Bennet addressed Miss Bingley.

  "What a wonderful surprise, Miss Bingley! We were sorry that you did not return with Jane and Charles last week."

  "Thank you, Mrs. Bennet. Although London is quite diverting, I found myself longing to spend the holiday with my new sister. Louisa could not begrudge me for reconsidering Charles' invitation to join them in Hertfordshire."

  Mrs. Bennet beamed at the compliment to Jane while Jane thanked Caroline.

  "Yes, it has been such a wonderful week, full of surprises. Wh
at a delight is has been to meet Mr. and Miss Darcy. You know that they surprised Elizabeth too. Elizabeth has certainly found a great friend in such a sweet young lady." Mrs. Bennet said while smiling indulgently at Georgiana who was seated next to Elizabeth.

  "Yes, I was quite surprised to hear that the Darcy's had journeyed to Netherfield. My brother failed to mention their change in plans." Caroline said with a forced smile towards Charles.

  Elizabeth thought that she heard a snort from the direction of the windows…particularly the area where the silent Mr. Darcy was located.

  "Oh Eliza! I must speak to you of the most dreadful news." Caroline exclaimed.

  Elizabeth immediately became suspicious when she realized that Caroline appeared almost gleeful while claiming the news was dreadful. Caroline's comment drew the attention of the room.