Page 14 of Elizabeth in Scotland (Elizabeth and Darcy Abroad #2)

Elizabeth smiled at her. “It is largely a matter of practice, Miss Darcy. I am nothing special. I have only made a point of reaching out to new people and trying to get to know them.” She shook her head.

“When I first started out, I was not as comfortable with it as I am now. But practice has given me the confidence to step out and engage with people, to do my best to help others feel at ease, when I might once have feared to speak.” She touched Miss Darcy’s hand.

At first, Miss Darcy startled, almost flinching.

Then she stilled, and did not move her hand away.

“You could learn to do it, too,” Elizabeth told her gently.

Miss Darcy only shook her head. “Oh, no, I could never —” Her words trailed off. “I am too awkward and shy. Besides, there is no earthly reason a man would want to talk to me.”

“Why do you say such things?” Elizabeth hated that she had so little confidence in herself. She was, in fact, a pretty young woman. Better still, each subsequent meeting had confirmed her first impression of Miss Darcy as both intelligent and kind. “You cannot mean that.”

“I do. I am to come out soon, and I am so filled with doubt, Miss Bennet. How am I to find a suitable husband, not only by society’s standards, but for my own companionship, when I would not blame a man for refusing to come near me?

” She picked up a pinch of her skirt and let it drop with distaste.

“I am destined to be an old maid. I hate my clothes. And I have never known how to arrange my hair. There is no reason a man would want to court me, much less talk to me.”

“You dislike your gowns?” Elizabeth asked. She had been afraid to say anything before, but now that Miss Darcy had opened the subject, she might have her chance to give some suggestions.

“I despise them. Most of my gowns were selected by my previous companion. At the time, I agreed with everything she suggested. I thought she knew what was best for me. But I am sure I look dreadful in them. I selected one myself only months ago, but it was just as bad. The fabric looked so elegant in the bolt, but on me…” Miss Darcy sighed. “Horrible.”

Elizabeth was beginning to see why Miss Darcy was struggling.

She had had no one to guide her or give sound advice on what she ought to wear.

Elizabeth was not accustomed to considering herself an expert in fashion, but she could at least give Miss Darcy better guidance than she had at present.

“That is something that can be easily remedied. I would be more than happy to give you some suggestions, if you would be open to the idea.”

Miss Darcy’s eyes brimmed with grateful tears. “Would you? I would be most eternally grateful, Miss Bennet.”

“Of course,” Elizabeth said. “Indeed, I think it would be rather fun. We shall have a wonderful time together.”

“Then — I hardly can bring myself to ask, but — oh, no, that would surely be too much —” Miss Darcy trailed off into silence.

“Please, Miss Darcy, tell me what is on your mind,” Elizabeth urged her gently. “If there is something you wish of me, I will gladly help you if I can. And if it is something that I must decline, I still shall not think any less of you for asking.”

Her reassurance seemed to give Miss Darcy courage. In a voice scarcely above a whisper, she made bold enough to speak. “Would you also tutor me in manners? You are so charming and easy to talk to. I should very much like to be better versed in the art of conversation.”

Elizabeth was relieved, for the request was one she could certainly attempt.

Taking this sweet girl under her wing would be an intriguing project, to say the least. And she would like to see Miss Darcy bloom and thrive.

“I would be delighted to help you in any way I can,” Elizabeth agreed.

“Whether or not I am charming is not for me to say, but I do love to speak to others, to draw them out and sketch their characters. If anything I have learned in so doing proves useful to you, you will be very welcome to it. Yes, let us start lessons — or perhaps I ought to say, my best attempt at lessons, for I have never taught anyone anything before — right away. Only, you must not be too disappointed if I am a very imperfect teacher.”

Miss Darcy gave a squeal of delight, drawing the attention of her father and Mr Darcy. Miss Darcy took Elizabeth’s hands and leant in, lowering her voice. “Will you accompany me to my room, and we can start now?”

“Of course,” Elizabeth agreed without hesitation. “Let us begin.”

They excused themselves, and Elizabeth’s heart warmed when Miss Darcy linked her arm through Elizabeth’s as they headed up the stairs to the room.

Elizabeth smiled to herself. Only days before, they had never met, and now they were already well on the way towards becoming fast friends.

Whatever her flaws, Miss Darcy certainly had a warm heart.

When they arrived at Miss Darcy’s guest room, they set about laying out all the gowns she owned and looking them over.

“I see the problem,” Elizabeth said thoughtfully.

“Unfortunately, it would be a bit difficult to rework these gowns to be more flattering. You see, the styles are perhaps not the most becoming to a young woman with a figure as slender as yours, but it is the colours that most draw away from your natural beauty. Here, come and stand in front of the mirror,” Elizabeth beckoned.

“You see, your fair complexion would be much better enhanced by more vibrant colours that did not wash you out. Does that make sense?”

“Wash me out?” Miss Darcy asked, screwing up her nose.

“Yes. It means that they make you look even paler than you already are. And you need colours that will also play on the brightness of your eyes. You want to draw attention to your features, and your eyes are stunning,” Elizabeth encouraged her.

Miss Darcy looked down at her hands, wringing them with embarrassment at the praise that Elizabeth was lavishing on her.

“Ah, let this be your first lesson, my friend.” Elizabeth stepped in front of the mirror and faced Miss Darcy. “Never fear meeting anyone’s eyes, do you understand? A lady always keeps her chin up, carrying herself with confidence. You have beautiful eyes; you should allow people to see them.”

Miss Darcy’s face fell. “But I am so clumsy. I am afraid that I will trip over my long hems, or my own feet, if I do not watch where I am going when I walk.”

“That is the last thing you want to do. You are causing the very thing you are trying to avoid by looking down at your feet when you walk.” Elizabeth drew her away from the mirror.

“Now, watch.” Elizabeth walked while Miss Darcy looked on.

“Now, see what happens when I walk with my head down.” She demonstrated and then looked to Miss Darcy for her thoughts.

“Well, you looked as if you were running from something. Or hiding from something.”

“Exactly. Now, watch this in contrast.” Elizabeth demonstrated again, only this time, she kept her chin level and her shoulders back. “What do you say to that?”

Miss Darcy gave a small clap. “Oh, that was wonderful! You looked as regal as a queen!”

Elizabeth highly doubted that, but she was glad her new pupil was catching on so quickly.

“That is how you must speak to yourself. ‘I am a queen. I deserve to be here. As everyone present is a valued guest, so too am I.’ But most importantly, you must say this to yourself, ‘I have a voice. I have something important to say.’”

Miss Darcy bit her lower lip. “I am not sure if I could say that. I wouldn’t really mean it,” she said shyly.

“It will come in time, do not worry. Every morning, I want you to stand in front of that mirror and say that over and over to yourself, until you begin to believe it.” She smiled. “Now, let us take a look at these gowns and see if something can be done.”

“I do not think I can salvage any of these. Mrs Younge helped me pick them out, you know. She was not on my side —” Miss Darcy let her words trail off, but Elizabeth did not think it would be right to press her.

Not with the sadness that so quickly seeped into her eyes after bringing up the mysterious Mrs Younge.

“Well, we could have a seamstress alter them. I am sure they could take off the collars and rework the styles. It would not alter the colours, but it would still be an improvement.”

Miss Darcy sat down on the edge of the bed and gave a huff of defeat.

“Would it not be easier to start over from the beginning? I do not like any of these gowns.” She picked up a dull grey silk gown, then let it drop back to the coverlet with a scowl.

“Besides, it would be good to leave the past behind.”

“Are you certain you want to start over completely? That will take quite some time, and would be very expensive,” Elizabeth replied. Especially for the gowns that Elizabeth had in mind. For Miss Darcy to truly make the best of herself, she would need a complete redesign of her wardrobe.

“It could not be done all at once, perhaps, but why do we not go into the village and see if there is a seamstress who can work up a few gowns for me while I am here?” Miss Darcy’s face lit up, and Elizabeth hated to crush her hopes.

Instead of speaking to the young and inexperienced Miss Darcy about financial responsibility, perhaps it would be better to speak to Mr Darcy — if only he would listen to her, and not blame her for encouraging his sister to incur such an expense on his purse.

Elizabeth hoped she had not got in over her head.

She genuinely wanted to help Miss Darcy, but it would not do to allow the young, inexperienced Miss Darcy to saddle her brother with a greater expense than he could readily bear.

Elizabeth let the subject of gowns lie for the time being and took Miss Darcy over to the vanity.

She rang for a maid and asked if there was someone who knew how to arrange hair.

Luckily, one of the upstairs maids had worked with arranging hair for the late Mrs Sinclair many years before.

Since her mistress’s passing, she had been demoted to upstairs maid, but she seemed eager to help Miss Darcy.

“What do you think, Mairead? She has such beautiful blonde locks and a heart-shaped face. It would make her look so much more elegant if it were piled up on her head, with perhaps a few curls hanging down to frame her face. What say you?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes, I think you are right. May I, Miss?” Mairead asked Miss Darcy.

“By all means,” Miss Darcy replied.

She and Elizabeth continued to talk as Mairead worked. “Thank you for taking the time to help me, Miss Bennet. I really cannot put into words what this means to me.”

“It is my pleasure, Miss Darcy.” Elizabeth sat beside her, watching as Mairead’s expert fingers arranged her curls into an elegant coiffure.

“It must be fun having so many sisters. I have to admit I am a bit jealous of you, Miss Bennet.” Miss Darcy sighed. “I wish my father had remarried, and they had had at least one more child. Perhaps I would not have felt so lonely growing up.”

“Your brother seems to dote on you,” Elizabeth stated mildly, curious about what it had been like growing up with such a complicated man for a brother.

“My brother is wonderful. Please do not misunderstand, I love him dearly. But he was grown up when my father passed. He was already twenty, and I was only eight. When I was born, he was already away at school much of the time. We did not really have the luxury of growing up together. We are close now. But I wonder how differently my life would have turned out if I had a sibling closer to my age.”

Mairead finished a moment later and beamed at Miss Darcy through the mirror. “What do you think, Miss Darcy?”

Elizabeth nodded, and Miss Darcy looked as if she were on the edge of tears. “It is beautiful,” she breathed. “I never knew I could look so grown up.”

She stood, and Elizabeth took her over to the mirror. “Miss Darcy, you and I are much the same size. Tonight, you shall wear one of my gowns to supper, if you like.”

“Oh, may I?” Miss Darcy breathed eagerly. “That would be divine. But I do not wish to impose. You have done so much for me already!”

Elizabeth chuckled. “Do not worry, Miss Darcy. It is no imposition at all. This is only the beginning.”