just … I don’t believe it is wise for me to go so soon,” she replied as she pointedly looked away from her aunt and uncle and started putting food on her plate. She hoped that would be the end of the matter, just as it had been last year.
Her uncle sighed but didn’t give in this time. “I know you have … reservations about going back to London. That is why I didn’t push you to go last year, and your aunt and I made our excuses, so we could all stay in the country together. This year, your aunt and I are going, and you can’t stay here all alone.”
Georgina swallowed hard, not feeling at all hungry anymore. She could already imagine the feel of the stares she was bound to receive if she attended the season. “I … I, um. I understand… Couldn’t I stay somewhere else? Just for this year? Perhaps with one of my cousins? I really don’t want to go. I would like the rumors to die down just a little more. Perhaps in another year or two?”
“And we understand that, too, dear,” her aunt quickly replied, placing a hand on her husband’s arm. “Staying away from social gatherings may eventually help people forget a little more about you and Walt- I mean, Baron Bartlett, to be sure. However, it will also give them fuel for other rumors. We don’t have to stay for the whole season if it proves too much for you, but we think it would be best if you attended as many events as possible.”
“That’s right, dear,” her uncle added. “We are not asking you to search for a husband or anything like that. If you do meet someone there, well, we shall have no objections. We just want you to be happy. But to keep postponing something as important as this ... well, isn’t it better to get things of this nature settled sooner rather than later?”
Georgiana felt her eyes watering and had a strong desire to shake him in a defiant refusal to go anywhere near London again—to go anywhere near the place where her heart had been broken and her lover had essentially abandoned her nearly two years ago without a word or any explanation.
She heard more than saw Adelaide get up and move behind her; her aunt’s arms wrapped around her shoulders before she spoke again. “And as far as rumors go, I hear those concerning you are not as bad as you might expect.”
That brought to mind some of the rumors Georgiana heard before she had all but fled to Uncle Jonas’ country estate. They had hinted she must have done something terrible to offend the baron to cause him to behave in such a manner. Or that he had discovered something distasteful about her, enough to make him deem her unworthy of his attention. Though she had not heard as much, she had fully expected, and feared, the next logical direction for the rumors to take would be for the gossips to suggest she was not chaste.
She felt her aunt smooth her hair affectionately. “I understand how you feel, Georgiana, but your uncle is right. It is best to get this over with. You used to enjoy the season so much, and I know you can enjoy it again if you give yourself a chance. We won’t force you to come with us but, please, do it for us?”
However, as much as Georgiana loathed the thought of being subjected to the ton’s scrutiny once more, she recognized her aunt had a point. She heaved a long sigh of defeat and resigned herself to her fate.
Her aunt and uncle had done so much for her after all, taking her in at the tender age of five when her parents had died. They had already raised their own children, who lived far away for the most part. They hadn’t needed to start all over again by raising her. It wouldn’t kill her to do this for them.
“Is Ambrose going this year?” she asked hopefully, as her aunt kissed the top of her head before going back to her seat beside Jonas.
“I don’t know,” her uncle replied. “He may not be. He hasn’t said anything about going, and he has made no secret of the fact he dislikes having to attend such events.”
Georgiana felt herself tensing again at the thought of facing all those curious stares alone… “Very well. I will consider going but only if he