Page 32 of Heiress of Longbourn (Pride and Prejudice Variations)
Music Room
Pemberley
A Few Days Later
Music filled the air, and Georgiana concentrated intently on the musical score on the rack in front of her. One day, she would have this piece down by heart and could let her mind drift into full enjoyment instead of focusing. But for now, she was still learning to do Master Mozart's first sonata true justice, each note falling from nimble, skillful fingers. She had yet to perform it flawlessly, but her long practice was starting to pay off, and she looked forward with anticipation to being able to play it perfectly before long.
Georgiana reached the end of the piece and contentedly let her hands drop into her lap.
A familiar sound startled her, and she turned to discover her beloved brother and Miss Bennet standing slightly inside the door, both smiling and clapping.
“Oh,” Georgiana exclaimed, her cheeks warming. “Thank you very much, though I did not play it quite perfectly.”
Miss Bennet moved a few feet closer and said, “You played it very well, and I honor your diligence in practicing, as that particular piece obviously requires a great deal of rehearsal. But what a lovely pianoforte! Might I play a few notes to enjoy it?”
Georgiana nodded, stood up, and stepped away. “Please do, Miss Bennet. Fitzwilliam purchased it for me only six months ago, and it is wonderful.”
Elizabeth Bennet promptly sat down, stretched her fingers, and began playing a Scottish reel from memory. It was not a particularly difficult piece and one that Georgiana had learned several years earlier, but she was impressed by the joie de vivre in Miss Bennet’s performance, and the honest pleasure on her face. Most ladies of her acquaintance seemed to play music as a way to garner praise from those around them, instead of actually enjoying the tunes themselves. She was confident that Miss Bennet genuinely found pleasure in music.
The reel came to an end, and Miss Bennet removed her hands from the ivory keys and said, “It is a truly wonderful instrument, Miss Darcy.”
“It is, and I am most grateful to my brother for obtaining it,” Georgiana replied, glancing at Fitzwilliam. To her surprise, her brother was staring at Miss Bennet with a stunned expression. Silence fell for a few seconds, and Georgiana realized she should continue the conversation.
“I did not realize you were visiting today,” she said, “but am delighted to see you, as Fitzwilliam does not want me out and about with the measles spreading. Would you care for some tea, perhaps?”
“I would, very much, thank you,” Miss Bennet replied, rising to her feet, and Georgiana was relieved when her brother shook himself out of his reverie and held out his arms to both ladies. The threesome made their way down a long corridor to the east sitting room, whereupon Darcy sent for tea.
Mrs. Annesley arrived a few minutes before tea said, “Miss Bennet, I understand that you have been visiting the tenant farmers where there is illness. How are the families doing?”
Miss Bennet sighed. “The measles continues to spread, unfortunately, though there have thus far been no deaths. At my brother-in-law’s request, I am no longer entering the cottages themselves. I had the measles as a child, but there is some concern that the contagion might cling to my garments. Thanks to Mr. Darcy’s generosity, we have been able to provide additional blankets and clothing, along with food and fuel, for the afflicted families.”
“It is my honor and my responsibility, of course,” Darcy said gravely.
A tap at the door heralded the arrival of the maid with the tea tray. It held the silver tea service, as well as a platter of ratafia cakes in a pleasing pyramid. Mrs. Annesley cleared her throat softly, but it proved an unnecessary reminder. Already Georgiana was reaching for the tea pot to pour for everyone.
For a moment, everyone savored their first sips and nibbles, before the conversation started up again on a less somber note. Darcy looked at Elizabeth and asked courteously, “Do you enjoy the theater when you visit London, Miss Bennet?”
“I do,” she said with a smile. “I know that it is intellectual to prefer the tragedies to the comedies, but I confess to finding Master Mathews’ performance at Covent Garden most diverting when last time I visited my aunt and uncle.”
“Oh, indeed,” Georgiana said eagerly. “How he made me laugh!”
Talk drifted awhile along similar lines, favorite actors and actresses, plays that the Darcys and Miss Bennet had seen, Shakespeare’s plays and others. Georgiana sat drinking her tea, listening with both astonishment and, yes, enjoyment, as Miss Bennet argued cheerfully with Fitzwilliam. Many women had pursued the wealthy, handsome, well-connected Darcy, and Georgiana knew how much her brother disliked the unctuous flattery these women heaped upon him.
So she was not entirely surprised to see his smile, the way his eyes warmed as Miss Bennet debated him, with spiritedness and light-hearted archness. The lady was holding her own, standing solid on her own formulated opinions. It was obvious that Miss Bennet had put thought into what she was now saying, and it was equally obvious that she was widely read and fully comprehended many subjects. Georgiana, remembering the dull conversations at her finishing school, regarded Miss Bennet with wonder.
Mrs. Annesley cleared her throat gently, and Georgiana turned, following her companion’s significant glance down towards Darcy’s empty cup. Georgiana leaned forward to refill it and happened to glance at her brother as she did. She paused a moment, arrested by the expression on his face. His eyes were very warm as they rested on Miss Bennet, and a strange small smile played on his lips as she spoke. He was listening intently … admiringly, even.
Georgiana straightened again, her mind working busily. She was not certain how she felt about Fitzwilliam finally finding a lady he liked . For so long, it had only been the two siblings, and the thought of welcoming a sister by marriage was a peculiar one. However, Georgiana liked Miss Bennet better than any of the other women who had hoped to marry the Master of Pemberley. Miss Bennet not only took notice of the tenants, but she was kind and generous to them, giving of her time and her resources to see to their well-being. She did not put on airs regarding her own accomplishments, but embraced them – or not – through her own joy in them, and was honest and forthright about her skill level. She was kind to Georgiana simply because she was kind, not because she wished to ingratiate herself with Darcy. She argued with Fitzwilliam because she knew her own mind and would not change it to suit the tastes of a wealthy, powerful man.
It was an interesting situation, and Georgiana, watching her brother as he in turn watched Miss Bennet, pondered it for the rest of the visit.
***
Darcy’s Office
Pemberley
11 O’clock
For the third time, Darcy tried to read a letter from Mr. Christie, his man of business in London, and for the third time, he found his mind wandering within a few sentences of Christie’s carefully penned missive.
Darcy had long prided himself on his ability to control his thoughts, but such pride was giving way to chagrin as he realized just how much Elizabeth Bennet had bewitched him.
She was beautiful, yes, but that was not all. Her eyes were filled with life, her movements graceful, her body full of vigor. She did not droop languorously, nor was she disdainful of practical matters such as estate and tenant business.
She was so very different from the ladies of the ton, but then, she was a country woman, not a highborn member of society, with the wealth and connections to make her a suitable bride for a Darcy.
But it was growing harder and harder for him to remember why that was so important.
There was a tap at the door, and he called, “Come in!”
To his surprise, his sister entered the room, still dressed in her dinner attire, her expression anxious.
“Georgiana! I had no idea you were still downstairs. Is something wrong?”
The girl hesitated and then said, “I wished to speak to you about something of importance, but if you are busy, I can wait.”
“Not at all,” Darcy assured her, his eyes searching her face carefully. “Do sit down by the fire, dear one; it is cold outside.”
Georgiana obediently took a seat on the small settee nearest the flames, while Darcy threw in another log, stirred the fire, and then lowered himself next to his only sibling.
“What is wrong, my dear?” he asked gently.
Georgiana scrunched up her nose and said, “Nothing is precisely wrong, Brother; it is merely that I have something on my mind and wish to share it with you, but I also do not wish to, well, it is rather personal…”
“You can always speak to me on anything at all.”
She nodded and then turned to face him directly. “It is this. Am I correct that you admire Miss Bennet?”
This, coming hard on his own thoughts about the lady in question, caused him to sit back in surprise and repeat, “Miss Bennet?”
“Yes?” Georgiana said, now timidly. “You seem to gaze at her a great deal, and I thought … but perhaps I was wrong?”
He opened his mouth to deny it, but he quickly concluded that to do so would be both ridiculously dishonest and unfair. He closed his mouth, and silence hung in the air.
“I do admire her,” he said finally with a sigh and turned to look at the fire. “I only wish, well, she is not well connected, unfortunately, and thus not an appropriate bride for me.”
“I do not understand,” Georgiana said in a bewildered tone. “Is she not a gentleman’s daughter? Is her sister not married to Mr. Bingley, your dear friend?”
These were both true, and for a moment his heart leaped within him. Was it possible that Miss Bennet was a worthy wife?
But no.
He turned to her again and reached out to take her hands in his own. “She is a gentleman’s daughter, yes, but her maternal grandfather was a solicitor, and she has an uncle in trade. As for Bingley, well, the want of connection is not as serious for him as his own fortune is from trade, while Darcys have lived at Pemberley for more than one hundred and fifty years.”
To his surprise, his sister’s eyes grew shiny with tears, and she looked away and gulped hard.
“My dear! Whatever is wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” the girl replied, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a handkerchief to wipe at her tears. “I am just sad that you are not able to wed such a excellent lady. It does not seem fair to Miss Bennet or to you.”
He felt his heart beat faster at these words. “You are saying you really like Miss Bennet?”
“Oh, I do, so very much, Fitzwilliam! I think she is wonderful and more than that, a very good match for you, not that I know a great deal about finding a marital partner, of course.”
“Why do you like her so much?” he asked eagerly.
Georgiana frowned, shifted her gaze to the candles on a nearby table, and considered for a long minute.
“I do not know her well yet,” she finally said, “but she is obviously very clever. She loves to read and is able to discuss books with intelligence and wit. She also does not always concur with your opinions, and I admire that, as most ladies seem disinclined to argue with you and instead parrot your views in a false and superficial way.”
Darcy leaned forward and said, “It is more than that though, is it not? She does not only dare disagree with me, but I think on some occasions, she deliberately takes an alternative position for the sheer joy of debating me.”
Georgiana shifted her gaze to his and smiled. “Do you think she truly believes that the original King Lear by Shakespeare is poorly constructed and that the more cheerful version, by Nahum Tate, is far better?”
Darcy chuckled. “I do not know, but her argument was well thought out, at least.”
“Exactly, Brother! She is very clever, but she is also honest and sincere. Moreover, she is kind. Just look at how she visits the tenants twice a week, and determines what their needs are! What more could you want in the mistress of Pemberley?”
He gazed at her with such amazement that she flushed in the soft light of the flames and turned away. “I am sorry, Brother. I did not mean to overstep my position.”
“You really wish for me to marry Miss Elizabeth Bennet?” he asked softly, longingly.
His sister shrugged a little and said, “Perhaps? If you love her? I want you to be happy, Fitzwilliam. You have so many responsibilities as master of Pemberley and my guardian. Would it not be a wonderful thing if you wed a woman you truly admired?”
He found himself staring blankly at the wainscoting a few feet away. Could it truly be that simple? Could he wed a woman without fortune or good connections, but merely for love and respect and admiration?