Affair of Pretense

Twenty-four

"For my part, it will be a flattering suit, of course," declared Lady Emerson, eyeing her former protege with some concern, "but how could Denver browbeat you into accepting it when you have the very least desire to? I declare it is the shabbiest thing in the world!"

Georgie tore her gaze from the teacup she was holding and fixed it at her hostess. "Oh, no! Not exactly! I would not go as far as to say that he's browbeating me, ma'am, but merely that he — he expects me to accept it as if I did not have any choice in the matter."

"Where could the difference lie? It still all the same to me," responded her ladyship. "You poor child! I suspected, when I clapped eyes on you for the first time in ages, that you are sadly low in spirits and that it has something to do with Denver. And I was right!"

She smiled faintly. "Ma'am, I hope you would not be unjust with him, for it is partly my fault, I think, for making him cross with my fantastical notions. I merely said those stuff because—well, how could I possibly accept Mr Lanley's offer, dear ma'am, when I am only pretending to be someone else?"

"Pray, hush!" rebuked Lady Emerson sharply, throwing a surreptitious glance at the door. She quickly went to close it then sat again. "In all honesty, I cannot like your position above half," confided her ladyship.

"I can't either. Oh, what should I do? If I am to marry Mr Lanley and if he discovers who I really am, and Lady Dawson also, I might—I might end up at Newgate!" she cried.

At this, her hostess broke into a short laugh. "Nonsensical child! Of course not! However, I can see now that this is a much bigger predicament than I had first supposed. You have every reason to feel apprehensive."

Georgie said anxiously, "If—if I run away, would it be so very bad?"

"Run away—!" gasped her ladyship. "Good heavens, your situation is not as desperate as that!"

"Yes, but I'd as lief not marry Mr Lanley!"

Her ladyship surveyed her with a frank gaze then said, "Is it really so revolting a prospect for you? You know, the more I think of it, the more I am inclined to agree with Denver—not with him browbeating you, of course! But on the whole, it would be an ideal way to put an end to this—this farce!" Observing a look of mortification in her countenance, Lady Emerson added hastily: "Of course, I don't mean to put it badly, my dear! I don't condone deception, but with your case, I can't help but be moved to pity! To own the truth, I do not want to see you being used so wretchedly! But then again, I could not see any way out of this for you. Not but what, I definitely lay the blame at Denver's door!"

"Well, but I think it's partly my fault, too, because I consented when I knew it would be so disagreeable."

"You were obliged to — out of your unhappy circumstances!" said her ladyship kindly. "For my part, I know you to be good-natured, but life forces us to make some difficult choices which to others might seem undesirable. This case is no exception."

Georgie stood up and paced about the room, wringing her hands. "But, dear ma'am, my dissemblance will not end upon my marrying Mr Lanley. In fact, I have to do it for the rest of my life and it sounds extremely unscrupulous to me, to be obliged to deceive him day upon day! To be sure, I had not foreseen something like this would happen at some point, but it was all because of Lady Dawson's and Aunt Lil—I mean, Lady Lillian's scheming that this whole thing came about!"

"I see," said Lady Emerson slowly. "Be that as it may, but only consider what position you'd put Denver in if you just disappeared! Besides, where will you even go?"

Georgie looked away. "You are right, of course," she agreed weakly. "But then, he would not have to trouble himself for some excuses to wash his hands of me."