Chapter 13 #2
“Oh, that is lovely,” Elizabeth whispered.
“Your playing is lovely, too,” he told her truthfully.
Elizabeth lifted her eyebrows.
“What is it?” he asked, befuddled. Had he not just given her a compliment?
“Either you believe I am requesting that you flatter me,” she replied jauntily, “or you are too much in love to see the truth.” Her mien grew thoughtful. “Oh.” Her breath came a little faster, and when she met his gaze, Darcy felt his heart skip a beat. “I prefer the latter.”
Elizabeth glanced away, and he watched as she lost herself in the music, closing her eyes and swaying a little, her small hands clasped together near her chest as she listened.
They stood together in the doorway, nearly touching.
His breathing quickened to match the pace of his heart.
Her mouth was so close—he could bend down and . . .
The music stopped. “Brother, Miss Bennet, do come in,” Georgiana called.
Elizabeth left him behind as she approached his sister, and Darcy was grateful for the moment to regain his composure.
“Oh, Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth said enthusiastically, “how well you play.”
His sister beamed with pleasure, but did not respond. She was still learning to accept such accolades, and not all of them had been genuine.
“I play,” Elizabeth continued gently, “but I am afraid I do not practice as diligently as I should.”
“But my brother says you play delightfully,” Georgiana said, before her cheeks flushed a deep pink. “He wrote me in a letter.”
So Georgiana had read his letters.
Elizabeth laughed. “I think you will agree that delightfully is not the same as well.” She turned to offer him an impish grin.
Georgiana looked amused. “I never thought of that. Still, you cannot play ill if William enjoys it.”
“I will remind him of that the next time I learn a new piece.” Elizabeth laid a hand lightly on Georgiana’s arm. “May I request a great favor?”
“Of course,” Georgiana said.
Elizabeth took a deep breath. “Will you call me Elizabeth?”
His sister smiled widely, and Darcy’s heart swelled with love for the two most important women in his life. “I would like that, Elizabeth,” his sister answered. “Please, call me Georgiana.”
Elizabeth patted Georgiana’s hand. “Now, I believe you ought to keep playing. Consider it our wedding gift, for I have rarely heard such an accomplished pianist.”
The girl nodded. “My gift shall have to be music,” she said slyly, casting a glance at Darcy. “For my brother knows I cannot sew.”
“Excellent!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “For if you were to do everything as well as you play this instrument, I should be quite frightened of you.”
Georgiana giggled. That was twice in two days. After being deprived of his sister’s laughter for months, Darcy thought he would never tire of hearing it.
As his sister returned to the piano and began the Haydn piece from the beginning, he held his hand out for Elizabeth. “Thank you, my dear.”
Her dark curls bounced when she shook her head. “Georgiana is a dear girl, William. You need not thank me.”
But he knew better. Darcy would be grateful to his betrothed forever, and not only for this.
After Georgiana finished the song, she came out from behind the piano and interrupted their tête-à-tête. She sat, placed her hands in her lap, and laced her fingers together. She lifted her head and tried to speak several times before changing her mind.
“Georgiana,” Elizabeth teased, “will you not speak?”
Given such permission, Georgiana blurted, “I would like to attend the wedding tomorrow. May I, brother?”
Elizabeth tipped her head to one side, bemused.
Did his sister think he would refuse? “Of course, Georgiana,” Darcy told her. “Although you must promise to remain with Aunt Matlock throughout.”
“Oh, thank you, William!” Georgiana launched herself at her brother, surprising him and knocking him back into the settee.
“My dear sister,” he said, standing up and pulling her to her feet. “I would not have had you travel from Pemberley, but as the church is near and Aunt Matlock will be there as chaperone, I see no reason to deny you.”
“I was afraid that you could not trust me.” Georgiana bowed her head. “I know I have disappointed you.”
He nearly denied it, but that would do neither of them any good. “I will not deny that you did, dearest,” Darcy said. “But I also disappointed you. I was not there when you needed me. It is my job to protect you, and I left you vulnerable.”
“No,” Georgiana protested. “You warned me. I made myself vulnerable.” Her expression was wistful. “It is only that I thought Amelia was so grown up. When George appeared in Ramsgate and . . . pretended to be in love with me, I thought that it would be a romantic adventure like hers.”
Elizabeth’s brows pinched together. “Amelia who, Georgiana?”
Darcy knew his sister’s friends and their families. He took in a sharp breath. “Amelia Howard, was it?” He felt Elizabeth stiffen. “I had not thought she was in town at all this year.”
Georgiana nodded. “She told all of us she would marry well and we should have to call her ‘Lady.’” She worried her bottom lip.
“I suppose she may well be wed by now.” She studied the floor.
“Amelia traveled north early in March, and Aunt Matlock has kept me under lock and key since the summer, so I do not know.”
Elizabeth met his gaze and Darcy nodded.
“Georgiana,” she said calmly, “Amelia Howard has not married. She had been sent away by her brother.”
“But why?” cried Georgiana, and then her eyes opened wide in shock. “Oh . . . He . . . and they . . . did not marry. I should have told someone! But she only said they were meeting in the park . . .” She hid her face in her hands. “Oh no.”
“You were not the only girl who knew about Amelia, Georgiana,” Elizabeth reassured her. “None of them said a word, either. And this was before your visit to Ramsgate. I am sure you have learnt better now.”
Georgiana nodded her head vigorously but made no sound.
“Did any of the girls know whom she was seeing?” Darcy asked, trying to keep his voice as level as Elizabeth’s.
“No,” Georgiana said. “Amelia and I were not intimate friends, but no. I do not think so.”
Elizabeth patted her arm approvingly, and Georgiana stood. “I think I shall remove to my chambers if you do not mind.”
“Of course,” Darcy told her, his eyes following her to the door.
The maid arrived as Georgiana exited, and Darcy took the pieces of Elizabeth’s splint from her. The girl bobbed a curtsy and hurried away. “Elizabeth,” he said sternly, “let me see your arm.”
Elizabeth pulled a face, and he shook his head. “Pouting will not help you.”
“I am not pouting,” she said naughtily. “This is pouting.” She pushed her lower lip out just slightly and gazed up at him with sadness in her eyes.
An image of Elizabeth as a small girl flashed before him.
Good God, what if they had a daughter like her?
He would be entirely helpless in the face of this . . . face.
“You are going to be the death of me, Elizabeth Bennet.” She helped hold the strips of wood while Darcy bound her arm. He tied the final knot quite efficiently and gently pulled her sleeve down over his work. “But I will likely enjoy every moment of my demise.”
Uncle and Aunt Gardiner arrived quite early the next morning.
Before they could alight from the carriage, Jane was handed out, and Elizabeth would have run to her sister had Mr. Darcy not reminded her of the ice.
Instead, she began to bounce on her toes.
She held out her arms, and Jane collapsed into them as Mr. Darcy greeted her and stepped away to meet her other relations.
“Oh, Lizzy,” Jane whispered. “I feared I should never see you again.”
For Jane, such a sentence was tantamount to an oration. Elizabeth embraced her sister and teasingly whispered in her ear, “You may not weep, Jane, for it is my wedding day. It would be bad luck.”
It worked. Jane straightened, and the tears did not fall. “I cannot believe it. You are happy! You were so angry with Mr. Darcy. Whatever has happened?”
Elizabeth smiled as she welcomed her aunt and uncle. “Papa?”
Her father was nearly hidden behind the others, but he stepped forward to place a kiss on her brow. “My dear girl,” he said softly. “It is good to see you.” He pulled away to search her face. “So very good.”
She leaned in and embraced him. “I love you too, Papa. Please, everyone,” she called, “please come inside.”
When they arrived in the drawing room, they found Aunt Matlock and Georgiana waiting.
“William,” said his aunt, “You have some preparations to make, do you not?”
Georgiana did not speak, but she was nearly glowing.
Mr. Darcy nodded. “I shall see you at the church,” he told Elizabeth. “Mr. Bennet, sir, I believe there are still papers to be signed.”
Papa nodded and joined her betrothed. Mr. Darcy’s smile was dazzling, and Elizabeth had to catch her breath. He bowed to everyone else, and the two men departed.
Jane turned to stare at her. “I do not believe I have ever seen him smile, Lizzy.”
“And such a smile,” Aunt Gardiner said with a laugh. “Were I not a happily married woman . . .”
“I am suddenly feeling rather de trop,” said Uncle Gardiner merrily.
The earl arrived a moment later. “Mr. Gardiner,” he announced after the introductions, “if you will follow me, we shall leave the ladies to their business, whatever that might be.”
“Please do,” Aunt Matlock said, waving them off with the back of her hand. “We have much to accomplish, and you will only be in the way.”
Georgiana did manage a small laugh at this. Elizabeth was encouraged.
“Georgiana,” she said, “I know you have only just now been formally introduced to my aunt and sister, but l believe you will all get along splendidly. I do have a special request for you.”
“Anything, Elizabeth,” the girl assured her. “It is your wedding day.”