Chapter 5 #2
Miss Darcy moved to make room for another chair to be brought by one of the staff at the tearoom, and Mr Darcy was soon seated.
“Have you read Mrs Laurence’s first book, Miss Bennet?” Miss Darcy asked excitedly.
“Yes, I have,” Elizabeth replied. She hoped her face did not give away how nervous she felt. Prudently, she tried to steer the conversation away from herself. “And what about you, Mr Darcy? Do you enjoy reading?”
“I do. Very much, in fact.”
“And have you read anything from Mrs Laurence?” Mr Gardiner asked.
“No, I have not had the pleasure.” Mr Darcy said tightly.
He glanced at his sister. “I suppose they do well enough to entertain young ladies. But I do not have the time to read as much as I would like.” He smiled again, but Elizabeth could not like this smile so well as the first. Was it not rather patronising?
But it would not do to take the comment too personally. Mr Darcy obviously had intended no offense, and he could not know that he was presently speaking to the book’s author. “What do you enjoy reading, Mr Darcy?” Elizabeth asked.
“Oh, when I am afforded time in my schedule, I enjoy reading a wide variety of subjects. I love history and the arts, as well as science, philosophy, and so on. Other than the classics, though, fiction does not make up a significant part of my reading.”
“My brother is too serious for such things,” Miss Darcy said with a good-natured smile.
“I, however, have been dying to read Mrs Laurence’s next book.
How fortunate you are to know her publisher!
However did you come into the connection?
I think it must be frightfully interesting to know someone who works in the publishing world. ”
For a moment, Elizabeth was entirely at a loss for words. She looked to her uncle for help.
Thankfully, he took the hint and came to her aid. “As I own a trading company, I have many acquaintances around the city. Mr Tilney is a friend of a friend,” he explained.
“It is only a recent acquaintance,” Elizabeth said hurriedly, feeling guilty for the small lie. She had to find a way to get them off the subject of publishing before all was lost. “I hear Derbyshire is very beautiful.”
“Oh, it is,” Miss Darcy agreed. “How I love it! Doubtless I am quite prejudiced, but I think our home is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Such woods we have, and such beautiful hills and mountains! Have you ever been to the Peak District, Miss Bennet?”
“I have not. But I do long to travel someday. As it is, I have only been to London and my former home of Hertfordshire.”
“I hope you may have the opportunity to travel to Derbyshire one day, Miss Bennet,” Mr Darcy said. “My sister has not exaggerated. It is indeed a most beautiful part of the country. But I am afraid we have taken up a great deal of your time. Georgiana, we really must be going.”
Miss Darcy looked disappointed, then turned to Elizabeth.
“Well, I am beholden to you, Miss Bennet,” she said.
She stood, and her brother soon followed.
They said their goodbyes, and Miss Darcy repeated her promise that she would guard the book with her life and ensure nothing happened to damage it. Elizabeth thanked them both.
Perhaps Mr Darcy had been motivated by the knowledge of another appointment, as well as a wish that Miss Darcy should not importune them, for the Darcys soon left the teashop. Elizabeth looked at her uncle with a half-smile.
“That was quite the strange occurrence, was it not?” Elizabeth remarked.
“It would seem we should leave before you are convinced to give away your other copies. I am not sure your aunt will appreciate having hers given away if any more young ladies should beg you for assistance,” Mr Gardiner said with a chuckle.
He pulled her chair out for her, and they were soon back in the carriage heading home.
Elizabeth could not help but think about the sweetly shy Miss Darcy and her brother.
He was a handsome fellow, to be sure. He might do rather well for a hero in a future book, in fact.
Solemn, rather impressive, with a sudden, flashing smile…
he would have to have some secret for the heroine to discover, of course, all the better for her to fall in love with him.
But while Elizabeth’s heroines might be a perfect match for a fictional Mr Darcy, she was under no illusions that he, or indeed any man of such obvious wealth and consequence, would look at her in such a way.
Given the vast social gulf between them, likely they would never see each other again.
He would send back the book with a servant, and that would be the end of it.
Elizabeth looked down at her hands, thankful she had worn gloves to cover the ink stains on her fingers. She did not think she could have borne up under the derisive glances she would surely have received if they had noticed her hands.
When they arrived home, her uncle frowned deeply to see that smoke was still billowing up from the neighbour’s chimney, making them choke and gasp as they hurried into the house. “I shall have something to say to him about such folly, mark my words!” Mr Gardiner said with a shake of his head.
Mrs Gardiner met them at the door in the foyer. “What is this?”
“Never mind,” Mr Gardiner said as he ordered the door quickly shut. “We have had a very interesting afternoon, have not we, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth smiled and set down her two remaining copies of The Castle of Skybree. She took off her bonnet, pelisse, and gloves, then turned to give her aunt one of the precious copies. “We have indeed.”
“Well, come into the parlour and tell me what you have been up to. I did not think you would be gone for so long!” Mrs Gardiner ordered tea to be brought in for her and the children, and they all sat around the hearth to warm themselves.
Elizabeth raised her hands toward the blazing fire to warm her fingertips, seeing again the smudges on her fingers.
She folded her hands in her lap and tried to calm her frayed nerves.
She ought not to let herself be so unnerved simply by going out. Was she slowly turning into a hermit?
“We conversed with a very pleasant young woman today while we were enjoying some refreshments at a teahouse after picking up the copies from Mr Tilney.”
“Oh? And do we know this person?” her aunt asked.
“No, I’d never seen her in my life,” Elizabeth replied.
“Miss Darcy is her name. Apparently, she had been searching the city for a copy of my book and could not find it anywhere. She introduced herself so she could ask where I had purchased these.” Elizabeth held out the two remaining books.
“Here is your copy, by the by.” She handed over the volume, and her aunt took it gratefully.
“Thank you, my dear. I cannot wait to retire this evening so I can start it.” She frowned after placing the volume in her lap. “But I thought that you had set aside three copies for yourself. I see only one more here.”
“There were three, to be sure — one for you, one for Jane, and one for Charlotte. But the last is with the young woman I mentioned to you before.” Elizabeth smiled at the thought of Miss Darcy, looking so nervous and discouraged when she had come to the table.
How brightly she had smiled upon being told that she might borrow a copy!
“I told her that these were given to me as a gift by the publisher, who is a recent acquaintance.”
“You lied?” her aunt asked with a slight frown.
Elizabeth sighed. “I know, Aunt. I do not care for it either, but I am afraid it was a necessity. Besides, I have told much bigger lies — the fact that I write under a false name being chief among them.”
“That is not a lie, Lizzy. Many people write under a pseudonym to keep their anonymity intact. But to lie outright to the young lady? Do you think it wise?”
“As I could hardly tell her the truth, I believe it was necessary. Whether or not it was wise, it is done. At least Charlotte will not mind waiting a little for her copy. She has a son to care for, so I doubt she will have ample time for reading, at least for the time being. I told Miss Darcy that I could give her one copy on loan, provided that she promise to return it as soon as she can finish the book.”
“Well, I think it very kind of you to loan your book to a stranger.”
Elizabeth nodded. “She looked so very sad I could not bear to watch her go away with nothing.”
“One has to keep one’s devotees happy,” Mr Gardiner smiled. “Can you believe that you have already sold out of one thousand copies? It is a staggering number, and for people still to be thronging to get it?” He shook his head and then took Mrs Gardiner’s hand. “We are very proud of you, Lizzy.”
She blushed under her praise. “Thank you. I can only hope that I would have made Papa proud.”
“He would have been delighted, my dear.”
“Do you really think so?” Elizabeth asked.
She had wondered about that ever since she had decided to write her first novel.
In the back of her mind, there was always the thought that her father would be rolling in his grave at her becoming a working woman, and to write scandalous Gothic novels at that.
But when he had passed so suddenly, and Mr Collins had asked them to vacate the property, she could think of nothing else to do.
Had she become a governess or companion, she could have provided for herself — but not for her family.
Thankfully, they had many friends in Meryton, and her uncles had joined together in paying the rent on their little cottage those first few months.
Still, Elizabeth’s doubts persisted. “Sometimes, I wonder if I am disgracing the family,” Elizabeth said at last, her voice low.
Mrs Gardiner left her husband’s side and came to sit beside Elizabeth. “Dearest Lizzy, I do not think your father would believe anything of the kind.”
“Your Uncle Philips and I could not have kept your mother and sisters in anything like their present comfort without the funds you provide, Lizzy. What you are doing is anything but shameful,” her uncle added.
“Yes, I suppose.”
“Now, I will hear no more of this kind of talk!” Mrs Gardiner said.
She stood, clutching the book to her breast. “I do not think I can wait any longer. Would you mind very much if I started reading now, my love?” she asked her husband.
“I believe Mary needs to practice the pianoforte. Perhaps I will sit over in the corner near the instrument and help her along, if it is needed. The rest of the children seem content enough.”
Mr Gardiner gave a wry smile. “Go, my dear. Lizzy and I will keep our eyes on the rest of the children while you read.”
It was very flattering that her aunt could not wait a moment longer to start reading her latest literary endeavour.
And as Elizabeth sat with her uncle, chatting and playing with the children, she spared a thought for another of Mrs Laurence’s devotees.
Was Miss Darcy enjoying her book at that very moment?