Chapter 7 #2
Darcy tightened his grip on Georgiana’s arm, and together they began moving again. He found his eyes fixed on the sight of Elizabeth’s slender form moving gracefully on the ice, her skirt rippling in the breeze, and his heart pounded within his chest. She was magnificent.
***
“Are you going in, Lizzy?” Jane asked as Elizabeth passed her on the way back to shore.
Elizabeth blew out a breath, which showed white in the arctic air, and nodded. “Yes. I have had a marvelous time, but I am tired and thirsty. Our aunt and uncle are already in the cabin.”
“We will see you in a few minutes,” her sister said gaily, continuing to skate alongside Mr. Bingley.
That gentleman’s skills on skates had progressed such that he was able to maintain his balance most of the time and even move forward some of the time.
Jane was forced to pull him along on occasion, but it was obvious that she did not mind in the least.
Elizabeth skated the rest of the way, climbed onto the bank with some difficulty, and tottered over to the cabin.
She took a moment to appreciate the picturesque scene, with warm golden light shining through the window and competing with the sun to illuminate the icicles dangling from the eaves.
But a shiver went through her, and reminded of the cold, she opened the door.
She was greeted by her uncle, who held out an arm to assist her to a nearby bench across from the only window in the cabin.
It was not a large building, but it was clean and neat, with exuberant flames crackling in the fireplace, and several glowing lamps distributed throughout the cabin, making the space warm and cozy.
She began unstrapping the skates from her boots with a sigh of relief.
Skating was great fun, but she was using muscles that were unaccustomed to the exercise and were now rather sore.
A minute later, while she was still wrestling with a recalcitrant knot, the door opened again, and Mr. and Miss Darcy blew in with the wind, both of them smiling. Elizabeth was happy to see that Miss Darcy looked far more at ease than she had even an hour previously.
“Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy has arranged for coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. What would you prefer?” her aunt inquired. The Gardiners had left the ice some twenty minutes previously and were seated side by side on a rough wooden bench with steaming cups clutched in their hands.
“Hot chocolate, but I can pour it,” she said, setting her skates aside and removing her gloves, whereupon she blew on her cold fingers.
“Nonsense, my dear,” Mrs. Gardiner responded, standing up and walking over to a wooden table to the urns of coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.
She carefully poured a cup and carried it over to Elizabeth, who wrapped her chilly hands around it for a few seconds before lifting it to her lips for a drink.
“Heavenly!” she said, turning her gaze on Darcy, who was kneeling beside his sister to help her out of her skates. “Mr. Darcy, I cannot thank you enough. I like tea, certainly, but hot chocolate is the perfect drink to warm oneself after vigorous exercise in the cold.”
“It is my pleasure, of course,” Darcy said amiably. “Georgiana is very fond of hot chocolate.”
“Miss Darcy and I are in complete agreement, then,” Elizabeth said approvingly.
“I confess I do not particularly like tea,” Georgiana muttered, her eyes downcast.
“May I get you a cup of hot chocolate, Miss Darcy, or would you prefer to pour it yourself?” Mrs. Gardiner asked.
Startled, the girl turned beseeching eyes on her brother, who nodded reassuringly.
“Thank you, that would be very kind,” she murmured. Mrs. Gardiner promptly poured a cup and handed it to the young lady, who took it with a soft whisper of thanks.
“Mrs. Gardiner,” Darcy said, “might I trouble you to pour me a cup of chocolate as well?”
The older lady did so as Darcy removed his own skates, set them aside, and took the cup with a smile and murmur of thanks. He inhaled a deep breath of warm, sweet vapors and then took a long drink. He was not usually prone to cold, but more than an hour on the ice had left him chilled.
“I understand that you enjoy music, Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth said with a smile at the younger, taller girl.
Georgiana flushed and ducked her head. “Yes, very much,” she whispered.
Elizabeth kindly turned her attention to her aunt and said, “Aunt, am I correct that Mr. and Miss Darcy’s father paid for the organ in the church at Lambton?”
“Yes,” her aunt concurred. “My father was quite at his wits end as the previous organ was badly damaged by rain when a section of the church roof leaked. Mr. Darcy heard about the problem and graciously gifted us a very fine organ along with the funds to fix the church roof. My father was most grateful.”
“Did you ever meet my mother?” Miss Darcy asked softly.
Mrs. Gardiner smiled, though her eyes were sympathetic.
“I did not, though I saw her at church once – indeed, both of your parents were gracious enough to attend the service when the organ was unveiled. Mrs. Darcy was a lovely lady, not only in physical beauty, but more importantly, in her heart, which was generous and kind to all.”
Georgiana released a quiet sigh of pleasure at these words, and Darcy looked at Mrs Gardiner gratefully. He knew that his sister had few memories of her mother, who had died when Georgiana was only six years old.
“I do hope that Jane and Mr. Bingley are not lost out there,” Mrs. Gardiner said in an amused tone.
Elizabeth turned in her seat to peer outside, and started in surprise.
Mr. Bingley was facing Miss Bennet, one knee down on the cold ice, his gloved hands in Jane’s, and for a moment Elizabeth thought he had fallen and was trying to get back up.
But no, Elizabeth knew her sister better than anyone else in the world, and she could tell from Jane’s posture that she was overjoyed.
Elizabeth found herself both ecstatic that Bingley was finally proposing to her sister, and amused that he had chosen an ice floe for such a delicate operation.
But then, nothing about their courtship had been typical.
Elizabeth turned back to the group and said sedately, “They are still on the ice, but I am certain will be back soon. Uncle, have you ever been to Derbyshire?”
“I have not,” Mr. Gardiner said, “though I had the pleasure of visiting Leicester before I married your aunt, and I spent an interesting day in the cathedral there.”
“Am I correct that the church was built on the site of Roman ruins?” Darcy asked.
“Yes. Richard III was buried nearby, too, at a friary which met the fate of its brethren when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. It is a town where the names of the very streets remind us of England’s antiquity…”
The historical conversation continued between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Gardiner, with occasional comments by Elizabeth, while Mrs. Gardiner spoke in a low, comfortable tone with Miss Darcy, who had relaxed sufficiently to speak a few words on occasion.
The door opened suddenly, and Jane Bennet stepped somewhat awkwardly inside on her skates, with Bingley a few feet behind her. Elizabeth leaped to her feet and gazed lovingly into her sister’s face, which was wreathed in smiles, her eyes shining with joy.
“Jane?!” she asked, her mouth widening into a joyful grin.
Bingley, who had clambered within and collapsed onto a convenient chair, said, “Ladies, Gentlemen, I have wonderful news. I have proposed to Miss Bennet, and she has accepted my hand in marriage!”
The following few minutes were exuberant, as Jane hugged her relations and removed her skates. Bingley, who was equally delighted, introduced a note of comedy as he could not get his own skates unlaced, and Darcy was forced to assist him.
Elizabeth, in the midst of her elation, noted the happiness on Miss Darcy’s face – proof, if she had needed it, that neither Bingley nor Darcy’s young sister were interested in a match.
The carriages arrived a few minutes later, and all piled on board their respective vehicles. Elizabeth was thankful that her relations were able to manage the appropriate level of thanksgiving for this delightful excursion. She was so happy that she could barely speak.