Georgiana Darcy was eager to meet the woman who seemed to have captured her brother’s attention, if not his heart, and Lizzy was equally interested in meeting the young woman who brought a smile to Mr. Darcy’s face whenever her name was mentioned. Georgiana had the dark Darcy hair and gray-green eyes, but little else. She was perfectly lovely and carried herself with a confidence that belied her eighteen years. But her youth was evident once she began to speak, as she talked with the enthusiasm of one who was experiencing everything for the first time.
“I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Darcy, as I have heard so much about you from Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley,” Lizzy began.
“Oh dear!” Georgiana said with a sigh. “Now I know my virtues have been exaggerated, and my shortcomings ignored.”
“Well, their enthusiasm for their subject is a compliment in itself.”
“How kind of them, but let us not talk about me, but of the dance,” Miss Darcy said, blushing. “I just love to dance.”
“Of course, our country dances are nothing to the splendid balls of London.”
“But I enjoy them so much as they provide an opportunity to meet new people. By the end of the London season, there was not one story I had not heard three or four times. I do not know why I was surprised by that, as everywhere I went I was with the same people,” and Georgiana quickly glanced at Caroline and Louisa. “It is different in the country. Every year at Pemberley, we hold a harvest festival and dance. Unfortunately, because of all the rain, we were unable to host it this year. I was sorely disappointed as I find our neighbors to be refreshing in their frankness.”
At that moment, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner joined the party, and Lizzy was pleased to introduce them. She was proud of her uncle who had abandoned the safe career of a country solicitor to strike out on his own in London and had successfully established a company for the importation of coffee from plantations around the world, a topic that proved to be of interest to Mr. Darcy.
“A coffee broker! Why, coffee is my favorite brew, although I must confess I was better off before I had ever drunk a cup. Now, I cannot start the morning without it.”
Mr. Gardiner smiled and confessed to the same addiction. “My wife limits me to four cups a day and nothing after 7:00 at night as there seems to be something in the drink that keeps one awake.”
“Mrs. Gardiner, do you share our weakness for coffee?” Darcy asked.
“No, sir. I do not look to start new bad habits. I have enough already, especially my taste for sweets and chocolate, but I do have something in common with you as I spent my early years in Lambton. My father was the assistant to the apothecary. You would not remember him, as you would have been too young. I remember your parents with great fondness, and I am deeply attached to Derbyshire as it is the most beautiful county in England.”
“Mrs. Gardiner, we are in complete agreement with you,” Georgiana answered enthusiastically on her brother’s behalf. “Will and I spent six weeks there after the end of the season. The views are both spectacular and inspirational. I am no poet, except when I visit the Peak, and any talent I have with a pen falls away as soon as I set foot in London.”
“Mr. Gardiner and I are to visit the Peak in three weeks’ time, and we are trying to convince our niece to join us,” Mrs. Gardiner said.
“You really should go, Miss Elizabeth. The inn at Lambton offers comfortable accommodations, and if you mention our acquaintance, the Culvers will treat you royally.”
Lizzy assured Georgiana that she would give the matter careful consideration, but at that time, the first notes of the fiddle announced that the dancing would resume. She had promised the dance to Mr. Collins, while Mr. Darcy had found a more skilled companion in the parson’s betrothed. Georgiana graciously accepted an invitation from the aptly named Mr. Short, who was as tall as he was wide.
I like Miss Darcy very much, Elizabeth thought. If she were not a Darcy who lived in a mansion in faraway Derbyshire, they might easily be friends. But she was a Darcy and her brother was the lord of the manor, and nothing could change that.
When Darcy wasn’t dancing, he was much in demand with the local gentry. They were impressed with his knowledge of the day-to-day running of a farm. At his father’s insistence, he had served something akin to an apprenticeship to the elder Wickham as Darcy’s father had emphasized that the financial well-being of the family was directly dependent upon the sound stewardship of the land and a good working relationship with their tenants. As a result, there had never been so much as a hint of discontent at Pemberley.
Before claiming his dance with Elizabeth, Darcy went out onto the terrace. If there was any doubt of an attraction between the two before this night, their time together had put an end to all pretenses. However, he had a legacy to preserve, and he could almost feel the eyes of Baron Roger D’Arcy, the first Darcy to set foot on English soil, upon him. But at that moment, his feelings for the lady were such that he wished that his ancestor had stayed in Normandy so that he might not feel this heartache.
“There you are, Darcy. Hiding from the ladies, are you?” Bingley said with a laugh in his voice. “I would imagine you have worn out your boots by now.”
Darcy shook his head and smiled at the only man of his acquaintance who seemed to never have an unhappy moment, and at this particular time, Bingley was the perfect antidote for his dark thoughts.
“I must say it was damned decent of you to dance with Miss Mary Bennet. Not the best dancer. Missed a few steps here and there. But you would have hardly known it from the pleasure she had in being asked by the towering figure of Fitzwilliam Darcy. Are you done for the night?”
“No, I have one more dance with Miss Elizabeth.”
“Darcy, have you given any consideration to…”
“No,” Darcy said, interrupting him. “Let me stop you there as there is nothing to discuss. By the end of the week, I shall be in London,” and after patting his friend on the back, he returned to the ballroom.
While waiting for the musicians to begin the dance, Darcy admitted to his partner that he was enjoying the Netherfield ball as much as any dance in London during the season.
“Perhaps you had grown tired of too much deference,” Elizabeth suggested.
Darcy laughed out loud. “You have the most remarkable observations, Miss Elizabeth. Too much deference? I had never thought of it in quite that way. But, yes, I was bored to the point of exasperation.”
“But you are to return to London?”
“Yes,” he said with genuine regret. “Things are not always as one would wish them to be. Sometimes, our destiny is determined long before we are born.”
“Forgive me for asking a personal question, but during our time together at Netherfield, you mentioned that your mother and Lady Catherine were half sisters.”
“Yes, Lady Catherine’s mother was born a Denby; my mother’s mother was a Devereaux.”
“Did you ever wonder if there was a hullabaloo when your grandmother married a Fitzwilliam, someone who was not of Norman stock?”
“I am sure any objections were mitigated by the fact that he was to be an earl, but I have never given it any thought.” The furrowed brow that revealed so much about what Mr. Darcy was thinking returned, and after many minutes of silence, he added, “Well, I imagine the Devereauxes would have thought their daughter, my grandmother, was marrying beneath her station as the first Earl Fitzwilliam was granted that title only in 1692, merely a few decades before their marriage.”
A smile appeared on Darcy’s face as he realized the implications of Elizabeth’s question. “The Devereaux line goes go back to Baron Guillaume D’Evreux, who was in the meadow at Runnymede in 1215 when King John signed the Magna Carta. To the Devereauxes, the Fitzwilliams were parvenus.”
Following that statement, the conversation reverted to those subjects that Mr. Darcy claimed to disdain. Apparently, his thoughts were elsewhere, and the best he could come up with was the number of couples who wer
e in attendance at the ball.
While the Bennets and Gardiners waited for their carriages to be brought ’round, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Gardiner continued their discussion about coffee.
“I import coffee beans from around the world, Mr. Darcy, but to my mind, the best coffee comes from the Jamaican Highlands. It is grown in the shade, and because it is more difficult to harvest, it is rather expensive, but well worth it.”
“Do you sample the brews?”
“Definitely, sir, as it is I who bears the brunt of any displeasure from the retailers. Now, when you are in London, you must come to our home in Gracechurch Street. I have a whole cupboard reserved for nothing else.”
“I hope you are sincere, Mr. Gardiner, as I intend to take you up on your offer. I confess that I am fascinated by the whole process of a commodity from the far reaches of the globe ending up in my breakfast room.”
At that time, Jane walked over and, after taking hold of her uncle’s arm, invited the Darcys to dinner on Wednesday. “Uncle, we must allow our hosts to retire, and my father has expressed an interest in joining in your conversation. He has just now revealed that he often visited White’s Coffee House as a young man whenever he was in town. Mr. Bingley has already agreed to come, although, unfortunately, his sisters will not be able to join us. Hopefully, that will not be the case with Mr. Darcy and Miss Darcy.”
“I had planned to leave for London on Wednesday, Miss Bennet,” and then he looked at his sister, who was imploring him with her big eyes to accept the invitation.
“Mr. Darcy, if I may speak on Mr. Bennet’s behalf,” Mrs. Gardiner said, “in a house full of females with no interest in angling, you will save the poor man from having to listen to all of Mr. Gardiner’s fish tales—again.”
After agreeing to dinner at Longbourn, Darcy looked for Elizabeth, but she had already stepped out onto the portico. Because she believed she had seen the last of Mr. Darcy, an overwhelming sadness had settled on Lizzy. When Jane informed her that the Darcys were coming to dinner, it did little to lift her spirits. It would only delay the inevitable, and it was not possible to move forward if you remained weighted to the past.
The following day, Georgiana and her brother took a long walk about the property, so that they might talk freely and without the constant interruption of Mr. Bingley’s sisters.
“I had a delightful time at the ball. I wore through my dance slippers,” Georgiana began.
“You always wear through your dance slippers. You buy them by the dozen, do you not?”
“No, I do not, but I think that is the perfect solution to my problem. I shall order them a dozen at a time in ten different colors and be done with it.”
Darcy turned around and started to walk backward. When she was a child, he had done this for her amusement, and he was in an excellent mood because he was very pleased with how she had performed in public.
“Will, you are not as good as you once were at walking backward. If you do not alter your course, you will walk right into a tree.”
“You are trying to make me look as you always did. But I shall not be tricked as I have previously reconnoitered this path in case of such an eventuality.” The two burst out laughing and resumed their stroll side by side.
“My dear sister, you were as charming and gracious as always, and you put a smile on more than one gentleman’s face, but most especially Mr. Short’s. The poor fellow was winded, but he stuck with you to the end.”
“It was a capital idea for Mr. Bingley to send to London for the musicians who had played at the Clermont ball, as the music was first rate. I also thought the ladies who exhibited were quite good, especially Miss King, who performed admirably on the pianoforte. Not as well as Miss Montford, of course, but then few are her equal. However, Miss Montford cannot sing.”
That was the first statement his sister had made about Miss Montford that could possibly be construed as being negative.
“But, of course, if you play three instruments, it would be unfair to expect such a person to also have an exceptional voice,” Georgiana continued, “and she does speak French and Italian. On the other hand, with the exception of attending the opera, Italian is not of much use, what with Napoleon’s brother-in-law and sister sitting on the throne of Naples. I mean, no one is going to the Italian peninsula any time soon.”
Darcy continued to say nothing, but it was clear Miss Montford’s pedestal had a crack in it.
“And there were so many fine-looking ladies at the ball. Miss Cross and Miss Maria Lucas are very attractive, and, of course, Miss Bennet is perfectly lovely as is her sister, Elizabeth. Miss Elizabeth’s face is not symmetrical, but then neither is mine nor is Miss Montford’s, whose nose points slightly to the right.”
After hearing the comment about Miss Montford’s nose, Darcy visualized a huge chunk of stone crashing to the ground. If this conversation went on much longer, Miss Montford might find herself without any pedestal at all.
“But what is most important to me is how much a person smiles, and there were so many happy faces at the ball. It shows a joie de vivre.”
“Ladies in the country tend to smile more and laugh more freely than ladies in town. I believe Mrs. Quilling cautioned you that a smile by an unmarried young lady is subject to misinterpretation, and one must be cautious. There are few families in the country who have the resources to hire governesses, and as a result, these young ladies do not have the benefit of their wisdom.” A vision of a demure Miss Montford, with her controlled half smiles, appeared before him, as did Elizabeth Bennet, whose smiles were open and contagious.
“That is why I love being in the country. I am so very eager to go to Pemberley.”
“As you know, Georgiana, I have business in town. Any plans for Pemberley will be discussed once we are in London.”
After a day’s rest following the ball, Lizzy’s usual good humor returned. She was not one to brood or pine or cry into her pillow, and so she decided to look to that evening’s supper as an opportunity to get to know Miss Darcy a little better without having to step over the flowers that the Bingley sisters laid at her feet.
Lizzy also used the dinner to get to know her future brother-in-law. She found Charles to be a delightful man, full of good humor, and perfectly suited to her sister, but he would not have done for her at all. There was no edge to him whatsoever, and although she liked a sunny day as much as the next person, life would be rather dull if it did not rain occasionally. She needed to find a man with more complexity than Charles Bingley, someone like Mr. Darcy, but available.
After supper, everyone went into the parlor to play a few rounds of whist. Miss Darcy sat at Lizzy’s table and gave glowing reports of just about everything she had seen or heard or tasted since coming to the country.
“After being in town for less than a week, I was surprised when my brother told me of his plans to return to Hertfordshire. Will never did things like that before he met Mr. Bingley, but I see that Charles has found an antidote for his restlessness,” and she smiled at Jane.
“Your description of Mr. Bingley’s need for movement is quite accurate, Miss Darcy,” Lizzy responded, “as he danced every dance at that first assembly and made an excellent impression on his company.”
“And what of Will?” Georgiana asked of a brother whom she loved dearly.
“He definitely made an impression, which was remarked upon by almost everyone,” Lizzy said in as cheerful a tone as she could command. “Isn’t that right, Jane?” Her sister nodded, but said nothing for fear she would laugh.
“I am very glad to hear it,” and after playing her hand, whispered to Lizzy, “Sometimes Will can get a bit cranky, but he is the best of brothers.”
After three rounds, the ladies left the card tables in search of conversation, and the discussion eventually turned to Derbyshire. The Gardiners revealed that they had been successful in convincing Lizzy to join them for their holiday, and Jane mentioned that Charles and she would visit the Peak in the sprin
g.
“To me, the Peak is beautiful no matter what time of year it is. The fruit trees bloom all through the spring, the heather is best seen in September, and the autumn colors are at their peak right now.” Looking to Mrs. Gardiner, Georgiana asked, “Is it not possible to move up your visit as the colors will not be nearly as brilliant in three weeks’ time?”
“Miss Darcy, those dates were forced upon us by the lack of accommodations at the inns. We took the first opening we could get.”
“Yes, that is true. I know the inn at Lambton is very busy at this time of year. I assume you wrote to them as well?”
Mrs. Gardiner nodded.
“I would not recommend any other place in Lambton as some can be rather dirty,” and then a smile crossed Georgiana’s face. “You must stay at Pemberley. Although we will not be in residence, as Will has business in town, the servants will be at your service, and if you ride, the grooms will provide the perfect mount for you.”
Without consulting her aunt, Lizzy answered for the Gardiners in something like a stutter. “No. Thank you, but no. It is appreciated, but it is not possible. No thank you.”
Jane looked at her sister and shook her head indicating that saying “no” so many times might be seen as being ungracious, and when Lizzy looked at her aunt, she watched as her puzzled expression turned to one of understanding. Her niece was in love with Mr. Darcy.
“In years past, we have had many visitors stay at Pemberley when we were not there,” Georgiana said in an effort to try to reassure Lizzy. “If Mr. Gardiner’s business allows him to leave earlier, I would highly recommend that you do so and stay at Pemberley,” and added, “Miss Elizabeth, it is most definitely not an inconvenience. The gardens are particularly lovely at this time of the year, and our gardener, Mr. Ferguson, dearly loves to show visitors about the estate.”
A Wife for Mr. Darcy Page 7
