When the ladies withdrew from the dinner table, Miss Elizabeth asked, “Will you play for us, Miss Darcy? I have heard of your love for music and it gave me much regret that I did not have the chance to hear you play when I was in Derbyshire last summer.”
Georgiana blushed and looked down at her hands. “If you wish. I do love music, but I am certainly not a prodigy, just someone who has much time to practise.”
Elizabeth’s eyes twinkled as she said, “Well, that already puts you far above my ability. I am afraid I did not apply myself when I was young.”
Georgiana went to the pianoforte and looked through the music. “Here are some arias that I have played before, although they are not the exact arrangements I have. I could try those, if you like.”
Jane and Elizabeth smiled warmly at her and, even on such short acquaintance, Georgiana could see that Jane had a steady, serene temper which would smooth her way in life rather than pushing her headlong against obstacles. She was amused at the difference between Miss Bennet’s temperament and Mr. Bingley’s. Bingley’s temper was equable, but his personality was effervescent and he was always the centre of attention and conversation in a gathering and always the first to laugh. She considered his temper to be much the reverse of her brother’s; his preferred milieu was quiet conversation rather than the merriment of large, noisy parties. Miss Elizabeth was sweet and gentle, but she had a ready wit which suggested that she would hold her own in more lively entertainments. Georgiana liked both young ladies very much upon this first real meeting, but she hoped that her brother and Miss Elizabeth would suit each other after the excitement of the wedding had worn off. It was always so difficult to know if two people were really a good match for each other.
She had been playing the arias while these thoughts were churning through her mind and the distraction had allowed her to forget that she was playing for strangers. She finished the second piece, and Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth applauded, their faces showing genuine pleasure in her music.
“Will you play, Miss Elizabeth Bennet? My brother mentioned in his letter that you play and sing beautifully.”
Elizabeth gave an ironic glance at Jane. “I fear that your brother is hearing my playing with the ears of affection, but I am quite willing to play. It is only fair that we take our turns and not force you to be responsible for all the entertainment.”
Georgiana settled herself on the settee where she could see the performer and prepared to listen. Elizabeth played several traditional folk songs with simple melodies, but they were rendered very pleasing by the performer’s clear, unaffected contralto and Georgiana could easily see how her brother might be charmed. When Miss Elizabeth finished she asked her sister to join her in a duet, which she did, and Elizabeth sang the harmony to her sister’s melody. Georgiana had been correct; Miss Bennet had a very sweet natural soprano, and the two sisters’ voices blended beautifully in a plaintive song which had been popular the previous spring.
By the time the two ladies had finished their duet, the gentlemen had joined them and Georgiana had lost her apprehension over her meeting with the two Bennet sisters and could see the possibility of real friendship with both women, even if she could not yet be herself in front of them.
The guests left early so the travellers could rest after their long carriage ride, but Miss Bennet invited the Netherfield party to breakfast with them at Longbourn the next morning before they left for London, and her offer was quickly accepted by the gentlemen.
“We will see you in the morning, then, Miss Darcy,” Miss Elizabeth said with a squeeze of her hand.
Georgiana blushed, but said in a barely audible voice, “Please call me Georgiana. We will be sisters very soon, after all.”
“I would be delighted, Georgiana; and please call me Elizabeth, or Lizzy, if you prefer. That is what my family usually call me.”
Jane followed Elizabeth’s lead in requesting that Georgiana call her by her first name and then the carriage pulled up to the door and Bingley and the Darcys saw their guests out. As they turned back to the house, Darcy put his arm around his sister and said,
“How did the evening go, my dear?”
“Very well, I think. Both of the Bennets are so thoughtful of my comfort that even I, ‘Miss-afraid-of-her-own-shadow,’ could not help but relax a little in their company.”
Bingley, catching the end of their conversation, made a sound very like a snort and said, “Unlike my sister Caroline, who is so wrapped up in her own importance that she is never aware of the feelings of anyone else.”
Georgiana flushed with shame. “I-I did not mean to disparage anyone else with my praise of the Bennets.”
Bingley gave a brief grimace, embarrassed that he had made his guest feel awkward and then said quickly, “Oh, I know you would never think that, Miss Darcy. Pray excuse me for my abominable manners, but I received a letter today from my sister which was a masterpiece of insincerity and I am feeling a bit annoyed with her.”
Georgiana managed to smile at them both before she excused herself and went upstairs. She lay awake for a while, reviewing the evening in her mind. Her final conclusion was that she had performed adequately; if her conversation was less than effortless in appearance, it was at least correct. She sighed with satisfaction and was able to drift off easily, as she had not done at the inns during the drive from Pemberley.
***
In the Bennet carriage, Elizabeth and Jane quietly talked about the evening. When they came to Georgiana’s performance on the pianoforte, Elizabeth said, “Georgiana’s playing is really excellent technically. You can tell that she spends much time practising, but she did not seem to feel the meaning or emotion of those arias she was playing, and I am curious. Is she just nervous about playing in front of us, or is she too young really to feel the words yet? Or…is she, perhaps, hiding her deep feelings, unwilling to reveal too much of herself to the world? I will be interested to find out. In my experience, shyness is often a matter of too much feeling rather than too little. I think, at least, we were able to help her relax a little and enjoy herself this evening.”
“She is a dear girl, but you may be right; she may be fearful of revealing too much of her soul to strangers. However, we will not be strangers long, and I agree with the assessment you made last summer that she is not at all proud and haughty, just very shy.”
***
The next morning the residents of Netherfield Hall were up early to make sure they were packed and ready to leave for London. They arrived at Longbourn in good time to join the Bennet family at their breakfast, and Georgiana and the colonel were introduced to the rest of the family.
Mr. Bennet was a man of late middle age, with a slightly stooped but wiry frame and a small potbelly. His bald pate was surrounded by a fluffy fringe of grey hair and surmounted by a pair of spectacles. He greeted Georgiana with a bow and a kindly murmur but then faded into the background as the others were introduced. Mrs. Bennet was somewhat younger than her husband and dressed with an excess of ribbons and furbelows. She also possessed a shrill voice which overrode the quieter greetings of the others.
“Miss Darcy! It is so good to meet you at last!” she repeated several times as she curtseyed and pushed her other two daughters forward. “Is it not delightful to meet Miss Darcy, girls? And of course, Colonel Fitzwilliam! You are Mr. Darcy’s cousin, are you not?”
The two younger girls agreed with their mother silently and Elizabeth interjected, “And this is my sister Mary and my sister Catherine, whom we call Kitty.”
Georgiana curtseyed, but was unable to form the appropriate words of greeting, so she merely smiled while the colonel smoothly handled the matter. The youngest Bennet sister, Catherine, seemed quite unable to speak to the colonel, but her eyes were wide as she met him. Georgiana was amused. How could anyone be overawed by her cousin, who was so lacking in false dignity or arrogance…? Not that she should comment about the self
-consciousness of others.
Her attention was diverted by a question from Mrs. Bennet, which she strove to answer sensibly while her thoughts continued to tumble with the myriad of impressions and sounds which surrounded her. She could not help but think to herself, “How could this woman be the mother of Jane and Elizabeth?” The voice alone was a shock, even though her hostess was clearly trying to be all politeness and was most definitely charmed by Colonel Fitzwilliam, particularly when she learnt he was unmarried. Her attitude towards Georgiana’s brother was less clear. In fact, she seemed almost uneasy in Darcy’s presence, but Georgiana could understand that. Her brother, kind and gentle as he was, possessed a formidable natural reserve, which even his own sister sometimes needed courage to breach.
Mrs. Bennet broke the awkward silence which had fallen during Georgiana’s inattention with a flutter of her handkerchief:
“Shall we go into the breakfast-parlour?”
They all followed her, and Georgiana glimpsed a wary look which passed between Elizabeth and Jane, and she thought that she detected a lessening of the tension they had exhibited during the introductions now that the initial ordeal was over.
The breakfast was served upon the sideboard and each diner chose for themselves from among the eggs, kippers, and bacon. Mrs. Bennet invited Georgiana to sit next to her, and so her breakfast was peppered with numerous questions about her life and her accomplishments from her eager hostess. For Georgiana—seeing that Mrs. Bennet was not a lady of flawless refinement—her hostess evoked no awe or fear, and the questions, which were intrusive but friendly, she was able to answer without much difficulty. Mary and Kitty ate their breakfast silently but listened to her answers to their mother’s questions with interest. Jane and Elizabeth did not say much, either, but their eyes were alert as they watched their mother, and they attempted to smooth the conversation with occasional comments and illustrations. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy were absorbed in a discussion between Bingley and Mr. Bennet, and so Georgiana did not feel their expectations weighing upon her.
Nonetheless, she was relieved when breakfast was over and their hostess followed Elizabeth and Jane up the stairs with a simpered, “I had best make sure the girls have everything they need.”
Georgiana smiled and curtseyed and began to move towards the door with the three younger gentlemen and Mr. Bennet. They paused to await the Bennet sisters, and the conversation languished until Mr. Bingley began to discuss hunting with Mr. Bennet and made a tentative engagement to meet at Netherfield again after their return from London. Georgiana watched her brother as he stationed himself at the edge of this conversation, listening but not participating in the discussion, and so she saw when he became aware of Miss Elizabeth descending the stairs.
The two young ladies glided elegantly and silently down the stairs, their mother fidgeting and fluttering behind them as she chivvied them under her breath. Before the group had taken more than two steps down the staircase, Darcy’s head had turned, seemingly without his volition, towards Miss Elizabeth, and Georgiana saw a look upon his face which she had never before seen. His calm and dignified mask slipped for a moment and she saw his lips soften into a slight curve, his eyes kindling as he regarded his fiancée. Georgiana glanced surreptitiously at Miss Elizabeth to see her response to his burning look and saw her step falter briefly as her eyes locked with her fiancé’s. It could not have been but a second’s pause, but Georgiana felt a flush of heat from the almost visible connection between the two pairs of eyes. She dropped her gaze to her gloved hands, feeling that she had intruded upon the privacy of her brother and his bride.
The moment passed, and the Bennets continued their progress down the steps and joined their friends for the final farewells. Georgiana managed to thank Mr. Bennet and turned to his wife in time to catch a look of naked triumph on the older woman’s face as she watched the two couples before the door. Mrs. Bennet pasted a complacent smile on her face when she saw Georgiana observing her, and said, “We thank you for joining us, Miss Darcy, and I hope we will see you again very soon.”
Georgiana, disconcerted by Mrs. Bennet’s sudden change in demeanour, stammered a few words, she hardly knew what, about her pleasure in meeting the Bennets, and turned quickly to follow the others to the carriage.
The ride was just noisy enough to make conversation inconvenient, so she looked out of the window at the countryside as they drove. The placid fields and hamlets soothed her, and she felt the tension in her body from the pressure of meeting so many people at one time disperse. The relaxation of her rigid muscles left her limp but with a mind which was still whirling; she had plenty to think about.
Chapter 3
For how do I hold thee but by thy granting,
And for that riches where is my deserving?
—William Shakespeare, Sonnet 97
With all the sights and sounds of the morning to review the drive went quickly, and it was not long after noon when the carriage pulled up in front of a neat brick house on Gracechurch Street. Georgiana had never been to the commercial areas of London and was pleasantly surprised at the elegance of the street on which the Gardiners lived, even though the house was only a few minutes from Mr. Gardiner’s warehouses. They all went in to exchange courtesies with the Gardiners while the Bennet ladies’ luggage was unloaded by the footmen, but they did not stay long. When Darcy rose to go, Elizabeth put on a severe expression and chided him:
“So, you are abandoning us to the mercies of seamstresses and milliners while you disappear on your mysterious business?”
He merely replied with dignity, “Do not worry, my dear Miss Elizabeth, your Aunt Gardiner’s kind invitation to dine tonight will ensure that I return promptly to your door. I have not the least doubt of my future wife’s ability to subdue any rampageous bolts of silk.” With a solemn bow he left with Mr. Bingley, who, unlike his friend, was unable to control his mirth, and he burst into laughter as Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley climbed back into the carriage for the ride to Ashbourne House.
When they reached Audley Square and he was helping Georgiana out of the carriage, Darcy said, “I hope that you do not mind missing the first afternoon of shopping with the ladies, Georgiana. I know that the Misses Bennet will be ensconced with the seamstress at their aunt’s house for most of the afternoon, but I would like your assistance with something.”
Georgiana was surprised. “Of course, Brother, I will do whatever you wish.”
“Bingley and I would like to purchase similar wedding gifts for our brides since they are as close as sisters can be and we are marrying on the same day, but we should like a young lady’s opinion on our choice.”
She smiled up at him, pleased that he thought her opinion had merit. “I would love to, Brother!”
“Excellent. We will stop here just long enough to have a cup of tea and then the colonel may return to his work and Mrs. Annesley may have a well-earned rest from her duties while we are shopping.” He smiled at his sister’s companion. “After we are finished at the jeweller’s, Bingley and I will need to spend some time at our tailors and I need to interview several lady’s maids Mrs. Burton has selected as suitable for Mrs. Darcy, so I will send you to Gracechurch Street when we are finished.”
She nodded her agreement with this plan and they entered the house. They changed from their travel clothes and met in the drawing-room for their tea and cakes. Mr. Bingley ran upstairs while they were finishing, and the colonel was talking lightly about a party he was attending the next night as they waited for him.
“I am not very interested in the party—the family have a pretty, but exceptionally dull, daughter with whom they are trying to saddle me. However, their cellar is good and the other members of the family are entertaining enough.”
In the brief pause which ensued, Georgiana abruptly asked, “So, Cousin, could you please answer a question for me?” The colonel nodded benignly and she continued. “Why
did my father make you my guardian along with my brother? I am quite sure it was not that he thought my brother was irresponsible or incapable.” She flushed with embarrassment when the words burst out of her mouth like daggers, but she sat up straight and looked her cousin in the eye.
“Georgiana!” Darcy said, his voice shocked.
“No, no Darcy! My little cousin has a legitimate question, even if not gracefully phrased, and deserves an answer.” Fitzwilliam turned back to Georgiana, whose face was scarlet. “Of course your father had no concerns over your brother’s capability as your guardian, but he probably wanted to lessen the fearful responsibility for the care of a young girl.” He glanced at Darcy and his lips twitched irrepressibly. “He also undoubtedly wanted to leaven my cousin’s rigid respectability and formidable dignity for fear that his daughter would end up a bluestocking of impeccable rectitude and scholarly habits instead of a lovely young lady ready to take her place in London society.”
Georgiana stared at him, not sure whether to be angry or pleased. The colonel’s countenance was perfectly bland and unreadable. She looked at her brother to see how he responded to this indictment. Darcy’s face was calm, giving away nothing, but his eyes twinkled when he finally answered, “Perhaps my father thought that a ruler should have a jester to lighten the monotony of his days.”
Fitzwilliam roared with laughter.
“Well said, Cousin, well said.”
“If you will excuse me, I just remembered that my reticule is upstairs.” Georgiana stood up and flounced out of the room.
When she returned to the drawing-room, Georgiana had reflected on the conversation and tried to put aside her bad temper. She realised that the colonel’s assessment was probably close to the truth. Her father most likely had wanted two guardians for her to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses and her brother and cousin were well matched in that way, as well as being close friends. The two men looked at her warily when she came in the door, and she knew that they were trying to determine if her spate of ill temper had resolved. The colonel bowed to her good-naturedly and left to tend to his own business, and Georgiana was left to be ashamed of her churlish behaviour.
Mr. Darcy's Little Sister Page 3