Page 42 of Georgiana
“No?” Both Fitz and Richard spoke the word.
“I am not moving from this spot until someone tells me what has been going on.”
Darcy threw a helpless look at Richard who only shrugged his shoulders. Silent communication travelled between the two cousins and Georgiana envied their long friendship. Would that she had anyone who knew her so intimately.
“You’ve got to tell her, Darce.” Richard finally said.
“This conversation should be away from listening ears.” Fitz waved an arm toward one of the front parlors. “Before we have this conversation, please have your maid begin packing your trunk.”
“No, Fitzwilliam. I will hear what you have to say andthenI’ll make the decision as to whether I stay or go.”
Her brother assessed her quietly. “You look and sound so much like Mother it’s quite frightening.”
“That’s one of the nicest things you’ve ever said to me.” Her throat tightened with emotion.
“It’s true, Georgie. Your mother was a fearsome woman to behold when she fought for what she thought was right. The battles she had with Aunt Catherine were epic.” Richard reminisced with a smile.
“If that is the case, gird your loins because I am demanding to be treated as a woman, not a child.”
With that, she gathered her skirts and sailed into the parlor, her brother and cousin falling in behind. For the first time in months she felt a surge of confidence. Once she knew why Maxwell had abandoned her so soon after their wedding, she could set about to repair the damage and they could begin again. Surely it was only a misunderstanding. She settled herself in an elegant brocade chair and waited for Fitz and Richard to stop prowling around the room like two caged tigers. Finally, her brother stopped pacing and faced her.
“I hate to ask such personal questions but there are some things I must know in order to proceed.”
“Ask me anything, brother. I have nothing to hide.”
“Have you lain with Adborough?”
“Lain with him?” she repeated back, wondering why her brother would ask such a question. “I don’t understand what that has to do with anything.”
“We need to know if you and Adborough have been intimate, Georgie,” Richard offered by way of explanation. “If he’s shown you any increased affection.”
“He has kissed me.” She twisted her fingers together in agitation and knew her cheeks were pinkened by embarrassment. “I’ll ask you again. What does this have to do with anything?”
Fitz sat in the chair next to her, leaned over and took her hand in his.
“Adborough believes Slade may have fully compromised you and at this time you may be carrying his child. If you were, he’d proceed to have the child taken care of and only then would he consummate the marriage with you in order to ensure any progeny was his, and his alone.”
“He believes I may be with child?”
Dumbfounded, Georgiana stared, open-mouthed at her brother and cousin. How could Max believe she’d been intimate with Sir Reginald. He himself had seen she was still in her nightgown. Something else must have happened.
“There’s more to this, Georgiana,” Fitz said, his voice sounding almost weary. He stood and paced from the window to the fireplace and back to the window, twisting his pinky ring. Something he did when extremely nervous, which was not very often. He turned to speak and stopped, giving a helpless look toward Richard. That was when she knew what he wanted to say was not good. In fact, it could be very bad, indeed.
Richard took over. “Adborough knows about Ramsgate.”
She gasped.
“We don’t know how he knows, and he does not have all the facts, but he put two and two together and came up with six. That’s the reasoning behind his decision to leave you here until he knew, without a shadow of doubt, you are not with child.”
Georgiana let the words sink in. Instead of having a conversation with the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with, he’d chosen to believe the worst. She lifted her chin with determination. He’d chosen wrong. No longer would she allow others to dictate her actions and pass judgement when she made errors. Today she took back her own life. Today she became her own woman. She rose to her feet. Fitz stopped pacing and Richard remained very still.
“Please give Anna and me an hour to pack. I will meet you in the front foyer.”
~~~~~
Georgiana hurried down to the music room to retrieve her sheets of music. She passed her maid in the hall, her arms full of linens.
“Is that the last of my belongings?”
