Family (a Pride and Prejudice fanfiction)

A Surfeit of Family

Charles's announcement of the Bennets' arrival had not been needed—as soon as they entered the house, Georgiana could hear a loud, querulous voice and a higher giggle in response, both coming rapidly toward the room where she waited with the two young gentlemen. Of Lizzie and Jane, there was no sign, both of them being of a quieter, more modest temperament. At least in company, Georgiana amended to herself. She imagined Lizzie, at least, had the potential to be much more than modest, in the right company, and her heart lifted with happiness to think that she would be Lizzie's sister and thus would be able to share in the liveliness of her true nature. Georgiana herself had always been rather shy and quiet—more so since the death of her parents, and even more still since the dreadful experience with Mr. Wickham—but she was drawn to the light in Lizzie's face. Much as her brother must be, she thought, although in an entirely different way.

She shrank from the constant stream of talk being uttered by Mrs. Bennet, and the volume at which the older woman spoke, which was obvious even as far apart as they currently were. The owner of the giggle must be Kitty, she realized, thinking back on the descriptions Fitzwilliam had given her.

And then there they were in the doorway, a little plump woman in an over-fussy dress, and a taller girl with dark ringlets wearing a dress of equal busyness. The giggle was emanating from the girl. She hastily covered her mouth as she and her mother entered the room, looking about her guiltily, but her eyes were still twinkling with whatever joke had so amused her.

"Ah!" Charles went forward to greet them, and was effusively fussed over by both mother and daughter, to his evident embarrassment. "May I introduce—"

But he got no further, because the mother was bustling toward Fitzwilliam with her arms outstretched. "My dear boy, what a pleasure it is to see you again! Mind you, I was not at all certain this evening would come off. This morning it looked like rain, and I said to Mr. Bennet that I was sure you would cancel it rather than have us all come all this way in such weather ..."

Over Mrs. Bennet's shoulder, Georgiana saw Jane and Lizzie enter the room. They were arm in arm, and when they saw their mother speaking so familiarly, so querulously and ungraciously, Georgiana felt, with Fitzwilliam, they tightened their grip on each other's arm and exchanged a glance of sympathy and support.

"Excuse me, madam," Fitzwilliam said at last, extricating his hands from Mrs. Bennet's grasp. "May I present my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy?"

Georgiana timidly moved forward, only now realizing that she had been half-hidden behind her brother's shoulder, and immediately the full force of Mrs. Bennet's enthusiasm was turned in her direction.

"Miss Georgie, as I live and breathe! I have been so longing to meet you. Have you met my daughter Kitty? I'm sure you're much of an age and will get on with each other splendidly." Still chattering, Mrs. Bennet enfolded Georgiana into a tight embrace. "My dear, I do hope you will look on me as a mother. Having guided three daughters to matrimony—although two of them are not quite there yet, it won't be long now, and of course the third has married a soldier and gone so far away. You won't marry a soldier, I hope—they do go so dreadfully far off from home." She sighed heavily, oblivious to the looks that flew amongst the assembled company and to Georgiana's own discomfort.

"Georgiana," Fitzwilliam said sharply, cutting into Mrs. Bennet's next flow of talk, "come and meet Mr. Bennet."

"Oh! Oh, yes, to be sure," Mrs. Bennet said in disappointment. The emotion didn't last long, however, as she turned her attention back to Charles, keeping up a lively stream of chatter as she clung to his arm.

Mr. Bennet was a tall man with a grave expression, and Georgiana liked him at once. He took her hand and squeezed it warmly. "Miss Darcy, it is a pleasure. I have heard much of you from your brother and from my daughter, and—" He glanced across the room toward his wife with a look of fond exasperation. "I hope you will forgive us any trespasses on common courtesy."

"Of course," Georgiana murmured. She glanced at the girl who stood next to Mr. Bennet. In contrast to the other ladies of the family, Kitty and Mrs. Bennet in bright colors and much-beribboned flounces and Jane and Lizzie in pastels and a simpler, more elegant style, this girl wore a dark dress and a heavy cloak over it, both cut severely and very plainly.

Mr. Bennet took the girl's hand and pulled her forward, seemingly by force. "My daughter Mary, Miss Darcy."

"Pleased to meet you," Mary said, although her tone conveyed no pleasure at all.

"Likewise."

The three of them stood there, looking at one another in awkward silence for a long moment before Georgiana felt a slender arm slip through hers. "Miss Georgiana, do come over here and tell me all about that lovely gown you're wearing," Jane said softly, drawing Georgiana away from her father and sister. Lizzie waited for them in the quiet corner, smiling.

"Papa means well," she said, "but he goes into company so seldom, and so unwillingly when he does, that he has lost the ability to tell the difference between those he wishes to charm and those he wishes to bore so they'll leave him in peace."

"Oh, no," Georgiana protested, "I found him quite personable."

The remark found favor with both of the other two young ladies—Georgiana could tell from the widening of their smiles and the warmth in their faces. She hoped they wouldn't ask her to praise their mother; she would have been hard put to do so, thus far. Mrs. Bennet was still talking away, and poor Charles Bingley looked most uncomfortable as she clung to his arm and told him the most dreadfully personal stories of Jane's upbringing. Georgiana wondered how Jane put up with it—she would have been mortified, had Mrs. Bennet been her mother. But perhaps they were and simply had learned to cover the emotion by pretending not to feel it. Jane's gentle smile never changed, and Georgiana admired her for it. Better a mother who was an embarrassment than no mother at all, she thought with a pang of longing for her own lost mother.

Fitzwilliam caught her eye over Lizzie's shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile, and she drew her thoughts away from the past and into this crowded room filled with family. This was the moment she had dreamed of since Fitzwilliam had first spoken to her of his Miss Elizabeth—she should put all her effort into enjoying it.