Hello. My name is Georgiana Darcy, I'm sixteen and I don't need a governess. No, Wait-that's from "the Sound of Music". I love that film but everyone would think I was silly if I said so. However, it is true. My brother says Mrs. Reynolds is the housekeeper, but I know he employed her to watch over me while he's away with...
I'd better start from the beginning.
My mother died when I was six and my father when I was eleven. Dad was apparently a very good investment banker. He must have done something right because my brother and I have never wanted for anything. But my brother's remarkable. He was 23 when Dad died and he applied for sole custody of me. They let him have me too, God help him, but jointly with my cousin, Fitzwilliam. That's his last name but it's what he answers to. (A hang up from an all boys' school education) My brother's actual name is Fitzwilliam as well but as if I'd call him that! He's never been anything else but Will. Will doesn't really have a job. He just manages Dad's investments and we live very well off the income.
The reason I'm writing this is to tell you of a great story that happened last year. Not much happens in my dreary old life but last year, something happened. For reasons I will go into later, I changed schools very quickly last autumn. I was going to Mrs. Young's Academy, a boarding school in Ramsgate but Will moved me to Meryton Girls College in London so that I could live at home with him. To celebrate the beginning of each term, there is a big assembly and then a dance for all the girls and their families in the school hall. Will didn't want to come but I made him as it was compulsory for me and I didn't want to be the new girl with no friends or parents.
Will brightened up a bit when he found out his best friend Charles "Bingley" Somerset was coming. He's called Bingley because he's always so happy that when he enters a room it's like someone went "BING!" His sister Caroline is a prefect and thinks she is top stuff just because her brother is a highly paid obstetrician. She's one of those girls that are on the debating team just to get the badge. I think she has a big crush on my brother. The Somerset parents live in Scotland so Charles was dragged along to keep up Caroline's appearances.
We sat at a table next to the family of a girl in my form, Lydia Bennet. She's in that silly group of friends with Harriet Forster and Maria Lucas. All they talk about is "boys and bonnets" as my mum used to say. I can see now why Lydia's like that. Her mum is just the same and her Dad doesn't seem to care. There are five girls in the family. "Must be Catholic" Caroline said rather loudly as one of the older girls walked passed. I think Bingley actually looked up to apologize but then he stopped still and couldn't say anything. The oldest Miss Bennet was smiling down at him.
Both tables saw this meeting and after an embarrassingly long time, all Bingley could half say was "Would you mind dancing the next...with me...Miss Bennet?"
Although he didn't know her name or put a noun in his sentence, it sounded perfectly natural. She smiled and off they went. Will, however, was not having a good time. He was bored and prefers staying at home reading to going out with people he doesn't know. As such, he was in a right mood that night. When Bingley returned to the table, he walked right up to my brother.
"Come, Darcy," said he "I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about in this stupid manner" (here here)
"I certainly shall not," he said. "You are dancing with the only good looking girl in the room." (Thanks!)
"Oh, she is the most beautiful..."(hello?) "But there's one of her sisters sitting down behind you who's very pretty" (she is too)
Will looked around and caught the eye of Elizabeth Bennet. The second daughter after Jane, ( Bingley did find out her name), Lizzie is doing English and Biology at University. She is one of those people you can tell are really smart just by the look in their eyes and hers were now fixed on my brother. Will got all nervous and flustered so turned back to Bingley and said, "Oh, She's tolerable, but not enough to tempt me"
I think this was supposed to be a joke but it didn't work. I wanted to crawl under the table and Bingley left to reclaim Jane for the twist. Elizabeth obviously thought it was very funny because she immediately jumped up grinning and with a quick look over her shoulder at Will, hurried across the hall to tell Maria Lucas' older sister who thought it was really funny as well. I wanted to ask Will if he saw her but didn't have to as his eyes had followed her and were continuing to stare intensely at her with I look I've never seen before.