by Kara Louise
“I cannot have you do that. You must come inside.”
Darcy looked in the window, seeing a variety of items. “Why do you need me? I see nothing here of interest.”
Elizabeth pointed to a set of silhouettes hung in small frames. “I should very much like to have silhouettes made of us!”
Georgiana clasped her hands together. “I think that would be so much fun!”
Darcy shook his head. “I had not planned to stay here that long, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Look, it says ‘silhouettes made in thirty minutes.’” She slipped her hand in his arm. “Come, Fitzwilliam. I shall have one made of me, and you shall have one made of you.”
“I would much prefer a portrait of your beautiful face, but if you insist,” Darcy grudgingly agreed.
They stepped in, and Elizabeth inquired whether it would be possible to have their silhouettes made.
A middle-aged woman behind the counter nodded her head and called to someone in the back room. An elderly man stepped out, shuffling his feet as he walked. Elizabeth and Darcy shared a quick, hesitant glance.
“These fine people would like their silhouettes done.”
“Are you the one who does them?” asked Elizabeth.
“I have been doing them for nearly forty years,” he replied. “Who wants to go first?”
Elizabeth agreed to be first. She sat in a chair, and the older man sat to the side of her so he could see her profile. With a tiny pair of scissors and a piece of black paper, he began to cut. His eyes continually moved from Elizabeth to the paper and back to Elizabeth again. Darcy and Georgiana strained to see what he was doing, but they could not make out any particular shape.
When he finished, he held it up for them to see. “Here! Are you pleased? If you are not, I will certainly do another.”
He had done it so quickly, but he held up a perfectly recognizable profile of Elizabeth.
Darcy, Elizabeth, and Georgiana were amazed at both the intricacy and the accuracy. “It is a very true likeness,” Darcy assured the man and then took his seat in the chair.
The older gentleman began cutting and when he finished, he held it up to them.
“What do you think?” he asked. “Is it to your liking?”
“We are very pleased,” Elizabeth said.
“Good. Most people are. And what about the young lady? Shall we do yours today?”
“Oh, most certainly!” Georgiana decided she would tuck it away and save it as a gift for a special young man someday.
As with the other two, he cut out a remarkable likeness.
“I can give them to you like this, or if you wish, I will set them behind glass in a frame for you. It will take about an hour.”
“Thank you. I believe we want them framed.” Darcy took care of the expense, and when the three stepped out of the store, they all commented on the old man’s extraordinary talent.
“So what shall we do for the next hour while we wait for them to be finished?” Elizabeth asked.
“I think a visit to the town’s cathedral is in order,” Darcy replied.
They walked to the cathedral, and Darcy suggested they go inside to look around.
As they toured the cathedral, Darcy reminded his wife and sister that Coventry was the home of Lady Godiva, who had ridden through the streets on a horse without wearing a trace of clothing in an attempt to force her husband, the lord of Coventry, to lower taxes.
“I can only imagine her riding down these very streets!” laughed Darcy. “It must have shocked many people!”
“Yes.” Elizabeth smiled as she noticed Georgiana's blushing face. “But I would imagine it was her husband who had the greatest shock.”
Darcy mumbled an agreement and continued, “What most people neglect in the retelling of the story is that Lady Godiva told everyone to stay indoors while she rode through the streets. There was a man named Tom, however, who did peek out his window at her. The story is he went blind. And that is where we get the term Peeping Tom.”
Elizabeth laughed heartily and informed Darcy that she had never heard that part of the story. Georgiana thought it was all too improper to be speaking about, especially in a cathedral.
They returned to the shop to pick up their silhouettes. The black portraits were beautifully set against a muted background and placed in a small gilded oval frame.
“Thank you so much!” Elizabeth said, as he wrapped them up carefully for their journey. “I shall treasure these!”
They were soon on the road again and had a good part of the day still to journey before they stopped for the night. The steady rhythm of the horses’ clip-clop lulled Elizabeth and Georgiana into a rather drowsy state. Neither could fight off the lethargy and they were soon both fast asleep.
Darcy fought off the urge to give in to sleep. He finished his book, so he brought up his valise, opened it, and pulled out some correspondence to look over for the remainder of the trip.
As he pulled out a stack of letters, he saw the invitation to the ball in its midst. He opened it up and reread it. You are cordially invited to attend a New Year's Eve Ball at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Moffey. He took a deep breath as he looked at those names, and then he instinctively looked up at the sleeping Elizabeth.
How he hoped things would go smoothly for Elizabeth at this ball. Most of his London acquaintances would be there, but this was only one of the reasons he had accepted the invitation. The other reason was that his wife had opened the invitation first, and, knowing they would be in London on New Year’s Eve, expressed her wish to attend.
It was, however, the thought that Mrs. Moffey's sister, Joanna, might be present that made him shift uncomfortably in his seat. It had been four years since he had last seen her. That had been the night he had gently, but firmly, set things right with her. Due to his acquaintance with her family, he had spent quite a bit of time in her company. She, as well as a number of others, had begun to suspect an attachment and expect an offer of marriage. He, however, had no such inclination.
Following that incident, both had left London, and he had not had any direct contact with her since. His acquaintance with her sister and husband had initially been somewhat strained, but over the years it had gradually improved. When in society with them, the topic of Joanna was always avoided. Now he wondered whether she would be there – their first meeting since that night.
Darcy continued staring out the window, oblivious to Elizabeth’s waking. She turned to see her husband lost in thought and wondered what could be on his mind.
“How much farther will we go today?”
Darcy shook himself from his needling thoughts and flatly answered, “I would like to continue on for another hour. How are you feeling?”
“Just a little impatient to get to London.” She took his hand. “Impatient and eager. I cannot wait to see the sights of London again.”
Their voices caused Georgiana to stir, and soon she was awake. “Will we be stopping soon?”
Darcy smiled at her warmly. “Soon. I am sorry if we disturbed you.”
“Oh, no, I should not have slept so long. I most likely will not be able to fall asleep tonight.” She squirmed a little in her seat and then turned her gaze out the window.
The sun was just above the horizon, and the few clouds off in the distance made a continually changing palette of blues and reds and oranges in the sky. The colours seemed to radiate toward them as the sun disappeared behind the clouds. It was not to make an appearance again. Darkness and cold now seemed resolute on overtaking them.
Elizabeth shivered and Darcy drew up the extra blanket that had been lying on the seat. “Here, my dear. Wrap this around you. It is sure to only get colder.”
She was grateful for it, even though her cloak had kept her adequately warm for most of the trip.
She slid close to her husband and spread the blanket over the two of them. “We can share. It is big enough for both of us.” She leaned her head against his shoulde
r, and he put his arm around her. He turned his head toward her, and she could feel his warm breath on her hair.
As the light grew dim, their books were all stowed away, and for the final half hour of their journey that day, they conversed or sat silent. At length, the carriage stopped in front of an inn, and they stepped out, eager to stretch their legs, eat a hot meal, and get a good night’s sleep.
*~*~*
It was another long day of travel the following day. Books were read, needlework was stitched, and conversation helped pass the time.
As they were finally making their way into London, Elizabeth turned to Georgiana. “Are you looking forward to your time with your friend Laura?”
“Yes, indeed. The last few times we came into town, she was home in the country.”
Georgiana had been invited to spend a few days with Laura Kingston, who lived near their townhouse. She was a long-time friend, and the two often saw each other whenever Georgiana came to town. Laura was a year younger, but they had very similar interests. She also played the pianoforte quite well, and the two enjoyed playing duets together.
She had two younger sisters, and Georgiana, having no younger sisters of her own, enjoyed helping her take care of them. When the youngest one was born, Georgiana had been eleven and Laura, ten. They were old enough and more than eager to help out the nanny in caring for the babe. It was this experience that forged a special place in Georgiana’s heart for children, and she knew that one day she would like to get married and have several children of her own.
“I am sorry that you will not be attending the ball, Georgiana,” Elizabeth told her. “I, for one, would enjoy having you accompany us.”
“It is just as well, Elizabeth. I shall prefer spending time with Laura rather than attending a ball.” She looked at her brother and in a whisper to Elizabeth added, “I do not think Fitzwilliam is eager for me to have my coming out.” She met her brother’s raised eyebrow with a smile. “To own the truth, perhaps, it is I who dreads going before the Queen and being ushered into society.”
Elizabeth laughed. “That will one day soon change, I am sure of it. Perhaps this Season?”
Georgiana bit her lower lip. “Perhaps. I know that at sixteen one ought to have a sense of excitement in coming out, but it is something I am not certain I want to do yet.” Georgiana smiled. “It was something your sisters and I talked much about. Kitty could not understand my reticence, but I think Mary did.”
Elizabeth reached over and patted Georgiana’s hand. “When you feel as though you are ready, we shall be there to take you through it.”
Darcy shifted in his seat and said not a word. His thoughts were on another young lady – his wife – entering society for the first time. He was certain she would go into it with much more confidence, but he knew she might be met with a little more resistance than the other young lady.
The carriage soon entered the outskirts of London. The sight of more carriages filling the streets and people walking about greeted them. Elizabeth was always amazed at the sights, sounds, and smells that were London. They were so uniquely… London!
When the carriage finally pulled up in front of the townhouse, they were more than ready to step out after a second long day of travel. Darcy took Elizabeth's arm and the two walked slowly along the gravel path to the front. Georgiana had eagerly gone ahead and entered through the massive front door that had been opened by Mrs. Howard, the housekeeper.
They proceeded to the dining room where a hot meal awaited them. As they ate their meal, Elizabeth turned to her husband. “Fitzwilliam, tell me about the people who are have having the ball. Their name is Moffey?”
Darcy looked up from his plate slowly, first with his eyes, and then he lifted his head. “Yes, Edwin and Jocelyn Moffey. My family has known Jocelyn Moffey and her family, the Mandrakes, for many years. She and her husband have been married for about six years, I believe.”
It was a simple, concise answer, but he did not appear willing to elaborate. Georgiana looked up and asked, “The Mandrake family often came to Pemberley to visit years ago, did they not? I seem to recall that they did when I was younger. What was her sister's name?”
“Joanna, and yes, they did come to visit Pemberley.” Darcy answered in an abrupt manner, and Elizabeth easily recognized something in his deportment that she discerned as discomfort. Darcy shifted in his seat and then looked back down to his meal before him. Nothing else was said. Elizabeth pondered its meaning.
The next morning Darcy awakened early and was in his study reading when Elizabeth came downstairs. Fires had been lit in the hearths, as the temperature had dropped considerably during the night, although there had been no snowfall. Elizabeth joined him in his study and stood in front of the warming fire. He acknowledged her with a smile and went back to his book. There was nothing overtly discernable, but still there seemed to be a slight edge to his demeanour. Elizabeth was determined to find out its cause.
Their first day in London was spent walking along the promenade and enjoying the vast range of shops that London afforded them. Georgiana and Elizabeth enjoyed looking at items that could only be found there.
The townhouse was just a few blocks from St. James Park, and later that day Elizabeth asked her husband if he would accompany her on a walk to it. He willingly obliged her, and they inquired whether Georgiana wished to join them. She declined, saying she wanted to rest and do some reading.
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy walked down the steps of their townhouse and strolled arm in arm to the park. Elizabeth had only briefly seen the park before in the spring and summer while visiting the Gardiners and loved the beauty of the flower gardens that were then in bloom. Now they were all lying dormant for the winter; however, the park was still very pretty with all the paths running through the beautiful landscape.
During their walk, Elizabeth thought she would bring up the subject of the ball, particularly Jocelyn Moffey and Joanna Mandrake, to judge whether he had the same response as he did last night. “Fitzwilliam, how long has it been since you have seen the Moffeys?”
“I believe I saw them last year when I was in London.”
He seemed to answer without any indication of discomfort. “And what about her sister?”
She felt his arm tense, and he delayed a bit in answering. “It has been about four years since I have seen Miss Mandrake,” he answered flatly, his face turned away from her.
So it was Miss Mandrake who caused this reaction. They walked on in silence, Elizabeth debating whether to ask him about her outright or to give him the opportunity to tell her about this woman on his own. The silence continued until Elizabeth could stand it no longer.
“Fitzwilliam,” she said softly, stroking his arm. “Is there something I should know about Miss Mandrake?” She looked up at him with an encouraging smile, but also to judge his reaction to her question.
He took in a deep breath and his eyebrows briefly knitted together. “Why do you ask?”
She pursed her lips together and endeavoured to appear merely curious. “It may be nothing, but you seem to become uneasy when her name is mentioned. Is there something you wish to talk about?”
“Not really,” he answered harshly and then took in a deep breath. “Elizabeth, there is nothing to talk about. It was perceived by others as bigger than it was.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened and she stole another glance up at her husband. “What was?” she asked quietly.
Darcy shook his head. It was apparent that he did not wish to talk about Miss Mandrake. But when Elizabeth refused to look away, he finally answered gruffly, “Us! She and I!” Elizabeth waited silently for him to continue.
Slowly and softly he said, “We were acquaintances; our families had been friends a long time. When I finished at Cambridge, we saw each other whenever I came into London... with her sister and husband. We saw each other as friendly acquaintances!”
Elizabeth smiled at how he emphasized friendly.
“But everyone thought we sho
uld get married. Everyone thought we were going to get married. I did not love her; I was not sure that I ever could love her. But everyone was very intent on our getting engaged. Rumours among the ton were spreading wildly that I was about to ask for her hand. She started to believe the rumours and began to think herself in love with me. I had never given her any indication that my feelings for her were anything more than that of a friend.” He sighed and Elizabeth saw him struggle with a mixture of anger and regret.
“There was so much pressure on me to ask for her hand, that finally, one night I went to pay her a visit.” He paused, as if searching for the right words. “She thought I was coming to make an offer, but instead, I told her that I did not love her and could never marry her.” Darcy drew up his hand and rubbed his forehead. “I was direct, but I tried to be gracious. When I left her, she was quite distraught. I have not seen her since that night.”
Elizabeth looked up at him intently. “Do you have reason to believe she will be there tomorrow night?”
He let out a nervous laugh. “There is a very strong possibility. But in addition to her, there are all the other people who either fuelled that rumour or...” He turned to Elizabeth. “There were many who flagrantly disparaged Miss Mandrake in the hopes of securing my allegiance. We both… she and I… suffered greatly in many ways because of it.”
He stopped walking and lifted his head to look beyond her. “That is why, when I heard that your neighbours in Hertfordshire were expecting Bingley to ask for Jane's hand, I was so determined to prevent it. I did not want him to propose marriage simply because others expected him to. I was not sure whether his regard for Jane was love or some expectation that everyone else had!” He took in a deep, long breath. “And you know what my thoughts – however incorrect they were – on your sister’s feelings and expectations.”
“That sheds a bit more light on your actions. But how is it that you get along with the Moffeys now, as Mrs. Moffey is Miss Mandrake's sister?”
“It was difficult at first, but I think they eventually came to realize it was more of a misunderstanding between the two of us than any betrayal on my part towards her.”