Pride and Precipice

by Lelia M Silver

  “I don’t think you can,” he whispered back. “She’s completely oblivious.”

  “I am not oblivious,” Georgiana said, without looking back over her shoulder. “I just happen to find Beethoven more interesting than you two at the moment.”

  Darcy chuckled. “When did Mrs. Reynolds say dinner would be done?”

  “Ten minutes.”

  “Think you can handle a classical pianist for ten minutes?” Darcy asked Lizzy.

  “I’m game to try it if you are,” she answered. “I didn’t realize your sister was such an accomplished musician.”

  Georgiana cast her a disarming smile over her shoulder. “I don’t advertise it. I have only kept up with it because Fitzwilliam enjoys it so much when I play for him. Otherwise I probably would have given it up along with the horseback riding lessons and chess matches.”

  “You wouldn’t give it up if I paid you to, and you know it,” he told her.

  She wrinkled her nose at him and stuck out her tongue. “Know it all.”

  “Always,” he shot back.

  Lizzy watched the interchange between brother and sister with a smile. This new side of Darcy intrigued her. He was easy, smiling, open- the complete opposite of the person he had been in Hertfordshire. The difference was mind-boggling. If Lizzy didn’t know better, she would think he had an identical twin brother posing as him. And yet, it was obvious from his sister’s reaction to him that this was not a foreign situation. This was normal, real. She was used to teasing and playing around with him in this way.

  Mrs. Reynolds appeared in the doorway, just then, to announce that dinner was ready, and they all went in to the dining room to eat. Dinner was served family style, and Lizzy was initially surprised when Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds joined them at the table.

  After a few minutes of amiable conversation, she understood why. The older pair were like a set of surrogate parents to Georgiana and Darcy. It would have been wrong if they had been excluded from the meal, especially after all Mrs. Reynolds’ hard work preparing it.

  The conversation around the table was light, the banter playful, and the evening thoroughly enjoyable to Lizzy’s mind. Her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own throughout the meal. Regardless of how she tried to restrain them, her gaze kept constantly straying to Darcy. She almost didn’t know what to make of the change in him. She liked it. She liked it a lot. Almost too much. This Darcy, the one seated across from her at the table, was a man she could easily find herself falling in love with, despite his many faults.

  He was not proud or arrogant. He was reserved and shy. Seeing him relaxed and at home, she could see the difference with a clarity she would have lacked if she had not seen him in his home environment.

  That newfound knowledge made her entirely uncomfortable. If she could not hate Darcy, what did that mean for their relationship?

  It was a question she pondered the entire way home the next day.

  Chapter 10

  When Lizzy arrived home the following afternoon, she found Longbourn in a tizzy, and it was not only because of her refusal to date William Collins. In fact, it had very little do with her, which she was profoundly grateful for.

  Lydia had been invited to go to Brighton with some friends for winter break, and Kitty had not been. Kitty was inconsolable, Lydia was gloating, and Mrs. Bennet refused to intervene and restore peace to the household. Jane was doing her best to flit from one to the other, soothing feelings and nerves all around, but Lizzy could tell she was strained to her breaking point between them all.

  The relief on Jane’s face when Lizzy walked through the door was almost comical. She rushed forward to wrap Lizzy in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re back! I’m sorry for yesterday. Do you forgive me?”

  “Of course,” Lizzy said, and just that easily, all was forgiven and forgotten between the sisters. “Can you handle things inside for a few minutes? I want to talk to Pappa and see if I can’t get him to intervene before things get out of control.”

  They both flinched at the sound of a wail from the living room. Jane sighed. “I’ve been handling it for this long, I guess I can handle it for a few more minutes.”

  Lizzy gave her another hug. “It will only be a few more minutes, I promise.” Jane just nodded, and Lizzy hurried through the house before anyone else could catch her.

  She crossed the backyard to their office, where she knew she would find her father hiding out.

  Mr. Bennet looked up when she entered and smiled. “My dear Lizzy, you have returned! How was Mr. Darcy?”

  She realized her father must have received the fax from Darcy, otherwise he never would have known where she had gone. She had been deliberately vague on the phone when she had called to check in last night.

  “Darcy was good. But that’s not why I’m here.”

  He arched a brow. “It’s not? I thought for sure you had come back ready to announce your engagement to the man.”

  His teasing annoyed her, although whether it was because her feelings toward Darcy had turned tenderer than she wanted to admit or because he seemed completely unruffled by the havoc being wreaked in his house, she didn’t know.

  “Darcy and I barely know each other,” she told him irritably. “I want to know why you’re allowing Lydia to go to Brighton. You know she will only get herself into trouble if you let her go.”

  “I fail to see how that will affect you or me, other than to preserve a little peace in the household while she is gone. It will do her good to work a little of her wildness out of her system.”

  “What about the peace in the household right now?” she asked. “Poor Jane is about ready to tear her hair out trying to mediate.”

  “Ah, sweet Jane. She tries so hard. She would be better off to step back and let them at each other.”

  Lizzy shook her head. “You don’t really believe that, Pappa. If you did, you wouldn’t be out here hiding.”

  “I’ll have you know, my dear, I am not hiding. I have beat a strategic retreat in which to regroup and plan my attack.”

  “It looks to me like the only thing you are planning to do is enjoy a cup of coffee and some peace in quiet at the expense of your eldest daughter.”

  “Ah, but now you are home, and I know you shall be able to corral the troops and save the day, Lizzy, without me having to lift a finger. So it has all worked out, you see.”

  Lizzy just shook her head. “You assume quite a lot, Pappa, but Lydia will not listen to me. Surely, you must see that it is a bad idea. She shall make herself ridiculous and our family a laughingstock. Think of how it will reflect on our business! We are just now getting a solid customer base. One wrong move and we could lose some of our most influential customers.” Darcy being one of them, she thought. That man had already had too much scandal in his life. He wouldn’t want to be touched by it again or allow it to taint his life.

  “I see no such thing. If she wants to make herself ridiculous, let her make herself ridiculous. It will have no effect on us or the business and she will not be satisfied until she has done it. Then she may be able to come back and be content to live a dull life in Hertfordshire and we may all be happy.”

  Lizzy shook her head. “You shall regret this, Pappa.”

  “I very much doubt that, Lizzy, but feel free to tell me ‘I told you so,’ if it comes about.”

  She rose with a sigh, giving up on trying to convince her father to see reason. “When you decide you are tired of hiding out here, I will be inside with Jane, trying to wrangle some common sense into my sisters.” She stalked off, irritated.

  A week later, Lydia departed for Brighton in a carload of barely legal girls, and Jane and Lizzy left for Pemberley, glad to leave the drama behind them for work.

  Since the work was to be confined to a somewhat small area of the house, Darcy had arranged for them to have accommodations in the family apartments of Pemberley. Lizzy found herself quite looking forward to the days and evenings ahead spent in Darcy’s company, although she was ca
reful not to let on to Jane.

  She had a feeling that Jane and Georgiana would hit it off as well. Jane wouldn’t be able to help loving Darcy’s bubbly little sister. She had high hopes for this project. She wasn’t entirely certain what the next few weeks held, but the possibilities sent her stomach to tingling.

  There were too many factors for her to have any idea of what to expect, so she tried to ignore the fluttering in her stomach as they crossed the county line into Derbyshire. That fluttering could be anything, even a stomach virus, although she hoped that wouldn’t come to pass.

  She didn’t need something like that to interfere with her work. A glance at her sister’s drooping eyelids and the dark circles under her eyes reassured her that she didn’t want to worry her sister by getting sick either. Jane hadn’t been herself since Bingley had left Hertfordshire, but at least now she would have a project to distract her.

  Even Mary was slated to join them at Pemberley later in the week, although Lizzy was a little nervous about that. Her sister wasn’t exactly sociable, and she could only hope her lecturing didn’t put off Darcy and his sister. Then again, maybe interacting with people outside of her own family would be good for Mary.

  They stopped for coffee in Lambton before they headed to Pemberley, and when the barista heard where they were headed, she could do nothing but sing Darcy’s praises. She wasn’t the only one. The lady behind them in line also chimed in, extolling what Darcy had done for the local economy by bringing Bingley Hotel and Hospitality Services to the area.

  Lizzy stole a glance at Jane at the mention of Bingley, but her sister did not seem to notice. She was too busy scanning the menu, a slight frown on her face. Lizzy wanted to keep it that way. She changed the subject to the work they were going to do in the ballroom at Pemberley and her hope that the locals would be able to enjoy the imposing house once again in all its grandeur. To her surprise, she found that the house and property were open to use at certain times of the year, and even sometimes by request for special occasions.

  The lady behind them in line had a daughter who had been married on the grounds. Lizzy was informed the whole town was looking forward to the use of the ballroom once it had been restored. The barista had a son whose fiancée wanted to be married there. Lizzy was shocked by Darcy’s generosity, and once again taken aback by this side of him that she would never have known existed if she hadn’t come to Derbyshire.

  After ten minutes of listening to the locals extolling Darcy’s virtues, they took their coffee with them back to the car and headed for Pemberley. Lizzy smiled at Jane’s sharp intake of breath as they crested the hill and saw the house laid out in all its glory before them. “That’s what I thought, too,” she confessed.

  “I knew you said it was spectacular,” Jane said, “But I just never imagined! It’s amazing. I can’t wait to see the inside.”

  “You’re going to love it. It’s an incredible home, and the history here is amazing. Darcy and Georgiana have wonderful stories to tell about their ancestors in almost every room of the house, and I only got the short tour. I could listen to them for hours.”

  They parked and collected their luggage. The rest of their crew would be arriving the next day and staying at the Rose and Crown in Lambton, bringing with them the trailers that held their tools and supplies. Lizzy and Jane had only their own effects to bring in with them that night.

  Since Darcy was still at work and Georgiana was in class, Mrs. Reynolds let them in. They went around to the side door, which was the everyday entrance that led straight into the family apartments.

  Mrs. Reynolds set Jane completely at ease, as Lizzy had known she would. She showed them to their rooms and helped them to unpack, and then saw them both into the kitchen for a cup of tea and some snacks while she tended to their dinner.

  She drew Jane into conversation, asking her about her work and the plans they had for the ballroom. For the first time since the party at Netherfield and Charles’ abrupt departure, Lizzy saw her sister start to return.

  The time passed quickly as they chatted, and before they knew it Georgiana was home and had joined them on the stools at the breakfast bar. Jane and Georgiana were introduced without delay, and Georgiana’s quirky comments quickly had Jane laughing and giggling. Lizzy couldn’t help but smile at seeing Jane returned to her old self, although she knew her sister’s despair had not disappeared completely. It was only pushed to the side for the moment, ready to return when there wasn’t anything to distract her from her worries.

  Still, Lizzy knew the Darcy household would be a good respite for her sister until Bingley had returned and they could sort things out between them.

  Darcy found them all still around the breakfast bar sometime later, laughing at a joke Georgiana had made. He set his briefcase down on the kitchen table and snatched a cookie off the tray Mrs. Reynolds had set out for them to snack off of.

  “What is all this noise?” he complained with a smile. “I came in the door and thought my house had been overtaken by a slumber party like the ones Georgie used to have as a little girl.”

  Georgiana greeted her brother with a kiss on the cheek. “It is just like those times. Jane, Lizzy, and I have already decided we’re going to have a chick flick marathon in the den after dinner. You’re welcome to join us if you like.”

  Darcy groaned a protest, but snuck a glance at Lizzy as she laughed. “I’ll think about it.” It would be worth it, just to spend some more time in her company, even if he did know his sister would tease him mercilessly about it.

  Lizzy arched a brow. “Are you hoping your presence will make us relent and throw in an action movie for you?”

  “I wouldn’t dare suggest such a thing,” Darcy declared. “I know better than to come between three women and their romantic comedies. It’s not worth the consequences. If you must know, I have a weakness for popcorn, and I happen to know Georgiana cannot watch a movie without conniving Mrs. Reynolds into making her homemade caramel corn.”

  “Oh! That sounds delicious!” said Lizzy. “Do you really make caramel corn?” She directed her question to Mrs. Reynolds, who was just pulling the roast they were having for dinner out of the oven.

  “I do, indeed,” said Mrs. Reynolds. “I wouldn’t mind whipping up a batch if you want to try some.”

  “I’d love that!” Lizzy said. “I’ve never had homemade caramel corn.”

  “Then you’ve got to try Mrs. Reynolds,” said Darcy. “It’s ten times better than that stuff you buy in a box.”

  “I can’t wait to try it.”

  Mr. Reynolds popped in a few minutes later, and they all sat down around the table in the dining room to eat. The roast was exceptional, the mashed potatoes creamy, and the green beans crisp. Georgiana and Darcy were used to Mrs. Reynolds’ phenomenal cooking, but Jane and Lizzy couldn’t help but exclaim over the quality of the meal.

  Their compliments put a warm smile on Mrs. Reynolds’ face. “You two are going to be a pleasure to cook for while you’re here,” she told them. “At least someone around here will finally appreciate all my hard work.”

  Lizzy just grinned at her teasing tone, knowing very well from watching prior interactions between the family that Mrs. Reynolds was very appreciated and she knew it. Darcy and Georgiana wouldn’t be the people they were today without her and Mr. Reynolds. “I’ll be happy to show you as much appreciation as I can, Mrs. Reynolds, especially if you keep cooking like this. I hate to cook.”

  Mrs. Reynolds beamed at her. “I hope you stay around for a long time, then. I already feel like you and your sister are part of the family.”

  Jane leaned over to give Mrs. Reynolds a quick squeeze. “You already feel like family, too. Lizzy and I are very happy that you all have opened up your home to us for the length of this project.”

  “You’ll have to thank Darcy for that. It was all his idea. Georgiana and I only seconded the motion.”

  Lizzy graced Darcy with a smile that set his toes to tingling. Was it ju
st his imagination, or was that a softening in her eyes toward him? His heart sped up until he thought it was going to race right out of his chest. Their eyes caught and held. His breath hitched as the room faded until he was aware of nothing but her.

  He could have sworn the shine in her eyes was meant for no one but him. If they had been alone, he would have pressed her, tried to read a little into what that light meant. But they weren’t, and so when the sound of a throat clearing drew his attention back to the table and the four people watching them with slight, knowing smiles, he started up the conversation again, taking it in a new direction.

  They finished up their dinner, and then Mrs. Reynolds retired to the kitchen to whip up some caramel corn with Mr. Reynolds’ help, while Darcy and the girls absconded to the den to start the first of their movies.

  Darcy let the girls take the couch, situating himself in a large chair meant for lounging. It was the perfect seat for what promised to be a very entertaining evening, not just because of the movie marathon, but because of the company he kept. His seat afforded him a good view of the television, but it also gave him a clear view of Lizzy, who had tucked her bare feet up on the end of the couch.

  The sight of those toes sent his mind back to the very first time he had met her. She had scampered up that scaffolding like a professional, and he had been hooked from the first glimpse of her ankles amid swirling skirts. If he was honest with himself, she’d caught him from the instant he’d turned around and saw her watching him from behind the potted plants.

  He had been intrigued with her from that first guilty start. She wasn’t the only who had been guilty that night. He’d had his share of reasons to be embarrassed. But he hoped they had moved past that.

  Having her here in his home seemed like another step in the right direction. He settled in to watch her as the girls watched the movie.

  Half an hour in, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds joined them with the caramel corn. It was warm and gooey, just the way it should be. It stuck to their fingers and teeth and brought on a round of giggling that had nothing to do with the movie.