Welcome to our Pride & Prejudice prequel! P&P: Prelude to Pemberley tells the story of the time leading up to the events of Pride & Prejudice, including what Darcy and Elizabeth were doing and thinking, Georgiana Darcy’s story, the events of Ramsgate, how Mr. Bingley came to lease Netherfield, and much more! Join us on our journey as the Austen Variations authors post the events of 1811 in real time on the date they happened – 214 years in the future.
Lady Catherine Deals with Georgiana
29 April 1811
As long as her brother and her uncle were in the room, Georgiana sat in a state of subdued, if sullen, silence. Mr. Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam joined together to do their level best, in trying to lighten the atmosphere. Cheerfulness was impossible, but at least the efforts of the two young men kept Georgiana from making any angry or resentful outburst about her feelings at having been brought to Rosings. Still better, Lady Catherine did not launch into any sort of lecture or denunciation of the girl, as she was plainly on the edge of doing.
After two solid hours of maintaining this peace, however, Darcy and Fitzwilliam had had enough, and announced that they would take a survey of the grounds and visit certain cottages. Any excuse would have done, and as they made their escape their relief was very nearly visible. Both Georgiana and Lady Catherine tacitly understood, without any need to mention the fact, that the two young men would not be seen for the rest of the afternoon.
Lady Catherine reached for her ivory-topped black stick, and struggled to her feet with what Georgiana apprehensively thought was a menacing air.
“Now, young lady, is the moment for me to have a word with you. The gentlemen are gone out, and Anne is having her afternoon sleep. Poor dear, she has not your strength, and requires incessant care.”
“I am sure she does,” said Georgiana fervently, “and I do think it best for you to sit with her. I do not need any special attention, I assure you, and I advise you to watch Anne and see that all is well.”
“Now, Miss,” said Lady Catherine with asperity, “I do not require a young chit like you to teach me my duty. Especially a young person who has shamefully displayed such shocking behavior at a disgracefully young age, as you have. Barely fifteen, and sent away from school! Never in my life have I ever heard of such a thing!”
“Very well, Lady Catherine,” said Georgiana resentfully, “if you have now had your word with me, you may consider yourself satisfied.”
“Not so fast, young lady. My talk with you has not even commenced. I insist that you come outside with me, and take breaths of fresh air, to improve our discourse.”
“Since I shall not have any thing to say,” retorted Georgiana, “I do not consider additional airing needful.”
“Silence! Do not be impertinent, Miss. I will tell you that this is my usual time of day to inspect my flowers, and the roses in particular are in their prime this very week. It is essential that I walk amongst them, and you can hardly escape learning something from being in my presence. Here is your chance for two branches of study at once: deportment, and horticulture.”
“Oh very well. Since you insist, Aunt,” said Georgiana indifferently, perhaps thinking it best to get the inevitable over with.
Once in the garden Lady Catherine made a stately promenade amongst the roses, naming their species and variety, to which Georgiana paid no heed and consequently heard nothing.
“There now. I am glad to have edified you somewhat on the subject of the finest flowers in creation. The rose is exactly that, and the very finest sorts of roses are found nowhere else than in England; and in England the best are in Kent. It need hardly be stated that the best roses in Kent happen to be right here in this very spot: on my selfsame very own property, the most aptly named ROSINGS.”
“Very apt indeed, Aunt Catherine, and I am sure you are justly proud of your roses,” murmured Georgiana, as she knew she must.
“That is a very suitable sentiment,” nodded her aunt, with grudging approval, while Georgiana tried to stifle a yawn. “But do not think I may be placated by compliments. I must continue on to more serious matters, as is my duty, however distressing it may be to myself.”
“Oh, by no means must you distress yourself, Aunt Catherine, surely there is no need for that,” urged Georgiana, trying to stem the tide.
“I must,” said Lady Catherine firmly, “when your whole future life rests in the balance.”
“Oh, surely not,” protested the girl, apprehensively.
Her Ladyship nodded vigorously. “Indeed it does. I must and shall tell you how. Will you sit down upon my particular little garden seat, Georgiana, the better to hear me.”
“If you wish it, Aunt. Will not you seat yourself?” Georgiana suggested uncertainly, doubtful if the delicate wooden bench would support her aunt’s considerable weight.
“No. It is good of you to think of my comfort – I will take that into your account – but I can form my thoughts best when standing erect,” Lady Catherine replied, looming over her niece with her hand on her sturdy stick in a way that Georgiana did not consider fanciful to think threatening.
“Now then,” commenced Lady Catherine, first clearing her throat, and then giving an emphatic thump with her stick. “Taking the worst of your offenses first, it is unconscionable that you have offended Miss Dalrymple.”
“Oh,” said Georgiana, “is it?”
“You seem surprised. Is that offense not what you were expecting me to name as your most serious?”
“Why, no, as a matter of fact.” Georgiana spoke candidly. “I thought that you would consider my knocking out Miss Lloyd’s tooth and breaking her nose, the worst thing.”
“Certainly not. You are a well brought up young lady of one of the finest families in England. If you had to resort to such methods, I have no doubt that you felt justified in fighting for your life, while undergoing a vicious unprovoked attack. Was it not so?”
Dumfounded, Georgiana fumbled for a moment for a reply, and managed, “Well, not exactly, but it is true that the girls had been abusing me for months, and none of the mistresses stood up for me.”
“I knew it! You were attacked by ill bred girls who never should have been allowed into the school, and were left unprotected against them. Shameful.”
“Well – yes.” Georgiana was startled by Lady Catherine seeming to take her part, so unexpectedly.
“So no, my dear, what you did in that instance was not what I meant. The worst thing of all that a young lady can do is to commit a social breach. Such can prove fatal, as you will understand when you are more experienced. By offending Miss Dalrymple, inadvertently pulling her in an awkward position, you have lost all chance of having her help in placing you in the social circle you deserved, on the occasion of your coming out. Even though that need not be for two or three years yet, there is absolutely no chance that Miss Dalrymple will forget the offense, even after that period of time is elapsed. Thus, her important assistance is forever denied to you, and unless your family can carry out extreme measures, and that quickly, your reputation will be lost for ever.”
“But dear Miss Younge did not think it would be taken that way. She said it was only a childish freak and would be soon forgotten.”
“Forgotten! Never. Oh, a quarrel between two girls, yes. But it the offense to the headmistress, Miss Dalrymple, is more serious. That is what may constitute your ruin. The loss of the most important influence you could have, and a scandal never to be erased. And who, pray tell, is Miss Younge?”
“Why, she is the best teacher I ever had, and the only one who was kind to me,” explained Georgiana. “She taught me privately, and I hope that if my brother sets up a household for me, as he has spoken about, he will put her at the head of it.”
“Perhaps he may,” said Lady Catherine thoughtfully, “and I must give much thought to who else will be employed in positions about you. Several strong footmen to guard your safety for one thing. I shall consult my sources to find the best available, who are all of the most impeccable reputation.”
“But why do I need so many strong men – why such exceptional protection?” asked Georgiana wonderingly. “I am only a schoolgirl, and with Miss Younge as my governess, and whatever other teachers and masters my brother hires – and with Darcy and Uncle Fitzwilliam so frequently with me, why should I require what sounds positively like a troop of guardsmen?”
Lady Catherine walked over to Georgiana, seated herself deliberately on the bench beside her (which fortunately stood up under her weight), and took her hand. “My poor dear child, you do not understand,” she said. “I know it is hard, but you must accept that your reputation is inalterably, irrevocably, ruined. You can never again attract the attention or interest of a decent young man of fortune or standing. No one, in fact, who is particular about his wife’s character.”
Georgiana gasped. “Oh, how can you say such a thing, Aunt Catherine!” she exclaimed.
“Because it is true. You are no longer a worthy prospect for the kind of man you ought to have married. No nice young man can ever fall in love with you, or more to the point, marry you, with this blot, this stain, upon you. No, that is the terrible fate that I am so afraid of for you, Georgiana. The only attention you will receive is from men of that dreadful catalogue of reprobates known as fortune hunters. That is the reason why you must be fenced in, guarded, protected for the rest of your life. Or until a respectable marriage can somehow be made for you, God willing.”
“Why, you make it sound as if I shall be in prison!”
“So you shall be. With such a blemished reputation as yours, any man who approaches you from now on must have his motives suspected, or why would he seek out damaged goods? You will be fair game from all sorts of villains. Poor girl, you will never know when such a one may be scheming about you. Why, there may be some one plotting to entrap you and your fortune at this very moment!”
“How horrible! But I cannot endure such confinement, such punishment, Aunt. I will run away – I tell you I will!” cried Georgiana.
Lady Catherine nodded. “Yes, I thought you might take it that way. It is all the more reason you must be most carefully guarded at all times.”
Georgiana sat in shock, staring before her hopelessly.
Lady Catherine pulled herself up. “Do not take it so hardly,” she said cheerfully. “With great care we may find someone in a few years’ time who may join with you in removing the stain. Perhaps a clergyman, like our Mr. Collins, though I still hope we may find one with a fortune of his own. “
Georgiana was speechless, but her aunt continued. “And now, let us have another look at these antique roses. Only one row of petals you see. The Lady Anne Rose. They were named so as being your mother’s favorite. Dear me, how distressed she would be, to see you, her precious daughter, bringing so much ruin and disgrace upon the family. I am really quite glad that she cannot know it.”
1 comments
Well! We now know why Georgiana agreed to elope with Wickham! Apparently no other man would ever want her. What on earth did Lady Catherine think she was achieving here! Talk about unhelpful help!