Chapter Twenty-Three

G eorge took Georgiana to the same establishment that Mrs. Cartwright worked at, Madame DuBois' Fine Dresses. Georgiana had mastered a number of complex stitches as part of her education as a young lady, and such talents should be worth money. George impressed upon her that if her body needed more food due to her pregnancy, it would be up to her to earn the money for that food.

Georgiana was given a piece of cloth, a needle and some thread and was told to show Madame what she could do. Georgiana had quickly embroidered a rose, which was evidently acceptable to Madame, as she was offered a position immediately. Georgiana would stay in the back room and embroider designs on dresses per her employer's specifications. Her wages would be a mere pittance, as she had already learnt from Mrs. Cartwright, but the money would, of course, be turned over to George. She was to start the following day at six in the morning.

"I will be gone all day, will I not, George?" she asked him as they headed back to the boarding house.

"Yes; I will escort you to Madame DuBois and then I will escort you home. I do not want my little Princess to come to any harm, do I?" His tone was nasty, and the grin he directed at her was evil.

Georgiana knew full well that George was not concerned about his wife coming to harm; no, he was afraid that Georgiana would find a way to get to Matlock House without him.

"I will not be able to clean the boarding house if I am gone all day," she said.

"No, of course not. Evelina will have to do that herself, as she did before your arrival."

So she had been doing Mrs. Younge's work for her. The very woman that her husband made love to!

"Very well," she said, meekly.

That evening, George and Mrs. Younge were talking in the kitchen while Georgiana cleaned the dishes. It sounded as if they were settling in for a good, long discussion; Georgiana took this opportunity to kick off her shoes and slip silently up the stairs and into Mrs. Younge's room.

Georgiana had been giving a good deal of thought to the relationship between her husband and Mrs. Younge. She recalled that they had seemed very familiar with one another from the start, and that Mrs. Younge always seemed to be touching George. They had evidently known one another for a long time, as they spoke often of mutual acquaintances and past events. And then, of course, she had learnt that they did that with one another.

She went through Mrs. Younge's drawers very quickly, looking for something she only suspected might be there. Her heart was pounding; she was terrified of being discovered. There was no telling what would be done to her if she were to be caught disobeying Mrs. Younge's oft-repeated injunction to not pry.

But there, in the bottom drawer, under a pile of stockings, she found a document that read:

Evelina Mary Younge of this Parish and George Phillip Wickham of this Parish were married in Birmingham Chapel by Banns This day of August the 24 th in the Year 1809 By me, Curate Thomas Barnaby

It was signed by two witnesses.

George and Mrs. Younge were married, and they had been so for the past two years. Georgiana felt dizzy, but knew she had to leave before she was found. Tucking the paper into her skirt pocket, she tiptoed out of the room and returned to the kitchen to finish cleaning, but her thoughts were in an uproar. If George was already married when he had married Georgiana, then his marriage to Georgiana was invalid. No wonder Mrs. Younge had warned her again and again not to pry in the drawers!

She had to get away before Mrs. Younge discovered the absence of her marriage lines, but it was impossible for her to leave tonight. She would have to wait until George took her to Madame DuBois the following day.

When she was done with her kitchen chores, she went into the dining room, where Mrs. Younge and George were talking and laughing together. She wished them a good night, as was her usual habit. But they did not so much as look up at her, which was their usual habit.

She made her way slowly up the stairs, finally reaching the fourth floor. She was surprised to see Mrs. Cartwright waiting for her. The older woman clutched at Georgiana's arm and whispered, "Is it true that you have wealthy relatives in town?"

Georgiana nodded, cautiously. What did the woman want from her?

"There is a back door that we seamstresses use. It faces the back alley, not the street. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

Georgiana had promised herself that she would not go to her relatives for help, but things were different now. Her marriage to George was not valid. She could not be forced to stay with him. So she nodded and whispered, "Thank you!"

Mrs. Cartwright scurried back into her room without a backward glance.