Page 54 of Georgiana
“Right away Miss Darcy – forgive me – your Grace.” Although a furious blush colored Mrs. Reynolds cheek at her faux pas she quickly directed one of the footmen to carry out the orders before facing Maxwell again. “Creighton here can carry Mrs. Darcy to her room, your Grace.”
“There is no need Mrs. Reynolds. I do not see the need to give her any more discomfort than what she already has. If you would lead the way, I shall follow.”
“Yes, sir.” Mrs. Reynolds paused and caught Georgiana’s eye. “Would you care to attend Mrs. Darcy now or wait until she’s settled?”
“I’ll wait until she’s settled. I need to find Anna and have her bring up the supplies we’ve prepared for this moment. Also, I need to advise Lizzy’s physician. I’m sure he would like to be here in case there are any difficulties, not that Mrs. Andrews is not a competent midwife.”
“Very well.” With a brisk nod of approval, Mrs. Reynolds turned to Max. “If you would come this way, your Grace.”
Max spared Georgiana a quick glance and smiled ever so slightly before ascending the staircase with his precious load. Loathe to go upstairs too soon and run into him before getting her thoughts in order, she handed her outerwear to a waiting maid and quietly asked her to find Anna and begin preparations. By this time, their butler had appeared and she gave instructions for the doctor to be called out.
“Before I send a footman with the note, would you like some tea. I’m sure it will help settle your nerves before the big event.”
“Carson, you are a life saver. Can you have it brought to the breakfast room?”
“Yes, your Grace.”
She hurried to the breakfast room and sat facing the window. A light snow had begun to fall, coating the bare trees with a soft blanket of white. The pastoral scene outside was calm and peaceful, yet her mind whirled with worry. Lizzy wasn’t due to deliver the baby for at least two to three weeks. She prayed quietly the fall hadn’t hurt the child and that both mother and babe would be healthy. Her thoughts then turned to Maxwell. His arrival, though not unexpected, was also premature. While grateful he’d arrived when he did, for Lizzy’s sake, what precipitated his early arrival?
The door to the room creaked open and she turned expecting one of the staff members to enter with her tea. Instead, the large frame of her husband filled the doorway. She rose to her feet and faced him properly for the first time in nearly five months.
“Good afternoon, your Grace,” she finally managed to say.
“And to you, Georgiana.” He accompanied his greeting with a small nod. “I hope you don’t mind that I joined you. Carson indicated he was bringing tea, and I have to admit, I’m parched.”
“No, I don’t mind, your Grace. I shall leave you to it while I attend my sister.”
She started toward the door but Maxwell did not move aside. Unsure of what to do, she paused.
“Georgiana, please don’t rush off on my account. I know you are angry, with just cause. I have come, heart in hand, to beg your forgiveness and begin to make amends for my past behavior. Can you please stay for but a few minutes before seeing to Mrs. Darcy?”
“You ask for a few minutes to forgive your foibles when you could not spare any time to even introduce me to your staff?” She drew herself up to her full height, which was considerable given her family genes. “My sister’s baby will not wait for anyone, not even a Duke, and I will attend her. Please stand aside. Now.”
Max moved to his right and she swept by, head held high.
~~~~~
Max closed his eyes and drank in the light scent of honeysuckle which lingered after his irate wife made her way upstairs. He’d known he would not be welcomed to Pemberley and as such, had prepared himself for barbs and subtle insults. What he hadn’t anticipated was the cold depth of Georgiana’s anger.
“What did you think? That she’d open her arms wide and tell you how much she loved you?” he muttered.
“You finally figured it out.” The droll tone of Ash gave him a start. The Viscount strolled by, clipping his shoulder with his own as he entered the room exclaiming, “Splendid. Carson provided tea.”
Max shoved down his disappointment and followed Ashton into the room. A footman hurried to provide both of them with a cup of tea and then, very discreetly, left the room.
“Have you been here long?” Max asked, not really caring for an answer but wished to dispel the heavy silence. He thought he detected fatigue around the eyes of his former friend, but Ash led such a dissolute life it very well could be world weariness.
“We have only just arrived. In fact, given the state of your horses at the carriage, I’d say we were about an hour behind you.”
“You didn’t leave him alone−” Colonel Fitzwilliam burst into the room, stopping short at the sight of Max. Instant anger tightened the Colonel’s lips into a thin line and he began stalking toward Max, who’d risen to his feet. Ash stepped in front of his brother and stayed his progress with a steady hand against his chest.
“Let me at him, Edmund,” Richard growled.
“Keep a cool head, brother. I spied Georgiana heading to the second level and our dissolute Duke was here, alone, in the breakfast room. We were about to have tea. Care to join us?”
“I’d rather eat my own boots.”
“Normally I’d say, ‘have at her’, but this is a perfect time for us all to sit down and have a conversation.”
