Chapter 16
Birds were singing outside his study window, as though telling Darcy to forget his account books and the many letters he needed to answer.
Work would still be waiting for him come evening, but so lovely a day ought not to be missed.
Summer was fully upon them at last. Tempted beyond endurance, Darcy stepped away from his desk to take a deep breath of the fresh air coming in through the open window.
The loveliness of birdsong and summer flowers formed a powerful distraction, luring him away from his obligations.
But it was not only the call of the outdoors that had his mind spinning in a hundred other directions.
Having guests at Pemberley was certainly a distraction, but a very pleasant one.
The little Gardiners were a joy to have with them, always running about the corridors as they made up their cheerful games.
Mrs Gardiner had been nervous at first, thinking that Darcy would scold the little ones for having their fun.
But it was refreshing to have life, music, and laughter in the house again.
The halls of Pemberley had been quiet too long.
Georgiana seemed to relish the change as much as he did. How many years had it been since he had last seen her so cheerful? Even before the shame of her near-disaster at Ramsgate, Georgiana had been a quiet girl, weighed down by the loss of their parents.
Now she was coming into her own. Georgiana seemed to feel no shyness towards their guests.
On the contrary, she treated Elizabeth with unrestrained friendship, Mrs Gardiner with deference for her judgement, and the children with a most pleasing mixture of friendship and guidance.
Georgiana was blossoming into a young woman of sense and character, not to mention elegance and charm.
Watching her and Elizabeth talk and laugh together, almost as if they were family…
Well, it made him daydream more than he ought, he was sure. But the more time he spent with Elizabeth, the more he could no longer deny the strong pull he felt toward her. He awoke each morning looking forward to the day ahead.
Much as he loved his home, Darcy was under no illusions that it was merely relief at leaving London. Nor could it be ascribed to the renewed sense of purpose he felt in returning to serve his tenants and take care of the estate.
It was Elizabeth, and the chance to know her ever more deeply. Yes, she had no connections, no fortune.
Darcy was increasingly sure he did not care.
He sighed and put down the missive he had been trying to read for the last half-hour.
He was not going to get any more work done that day, cooped up in the study, all the while with his mind elsewhere.
Having made his decision, Darcy set the letter on top of the stack of others that still needed to be answered, and started out of the room.
He walked down the hall toward the drawing room, where the rest of the family was surely already gathering for tea. He shook his head at the thought. When had he come to think of the Gardiners and Elizabeth as family?
Yet perhaps it might come to be the truth — one day.
When he arrived in the drawing room, Darcy frowned. There was no one to be seen. But the disappearance of the others was not long to remain a mystery. He soon heard the joyous yells of children at play and the laughter of the adults floating to him from the open window that faced the gardens.
“We are here, Fitz!” Georgiana called from the terrace.
He soon joined them and smiled at the sight of his sister coming toward him.
She smiled. “I hope you do not mind, but I had Reynolds and the footmen set up tea outside today. It is such a glorious day, do not you agree? We could not stand to be corralled inside the drawing room another moment!” She linked her arm with his, and they joined the others at the round table.
His sister had outdone herself. The round table was covered with a white linen tablecloth, with bright pink and yellow roses in a crystal vase standing in the centre.
Greenery was spread throughout the flower arrangements.
Georgiana had brought out her favourite tea service, and there was a goodly portion of pastries, delicate sandwiches, and fruits. It was a veritable feast.
“My goodness, is it someone’s birthday? This is almost as lavish as our Christmas teas,” Darcy teased her, with a broad smile to ensure she would not doubt his approval. When she was seated, he took a chair beside Elizabeth. “Well done, sister.”
“Thank you. I am glad you approve. I am surprised at you, though,” Georgiana said with a mock pout crossing her lips.
“Oh? And why is that?” he asked.
“You usually join us much sooner than this. We have been out here enjoying the sunshine for quite some time. Did you have a great deal to do today?”
He sighed. “Yes, I did — and I am afraid I still do. There are still several letters left for me to answer. But I found I could not focus on them another moment. I was eager to be with you all.”
“You, unable to focus?” Georgiana teased.
“I would accuse you of being an imposter if I did not know your eyes so well.” She gave a mischievous smile.
“Perhaps there is another reason you are so distracted?” With highly suspect innocence, Georgiana took a delicate sip of her tea — and glanced meaningfully at Elizabeth.
Darcy cleared his throat and chose not to meet his sister’s eyes.
“There was a reason, in fact. The birds were singing so loudly outside my study window, it made me wish to join them in enjoying this magnificent day. I believe there is a whole flock of them building their nests in the oak outside my window.”
Elizabeth sighed. “It is lovely, is it not? I think there is no better way to be woken up in the morning than with a warm ray of sunshine and the sounds of nature coming to life.”
Mrs Gardiner smiled. “How very poetic.”
“And romantic,” Georgiana sighed, rolling her eyes heavenward. “We were just discussing Mrs Laurence’s book and wondering when she might release her next novel. It is a pity it takes so long between them.”
“Writing is an art, my dear. You can hardly fault Mrs Laurence for only having twenty-four hours in a day,” Mrs Annesley said in her usual gentle way.
“I wonder if she has a husband and family. That would certainly take the bulk of her time. And if her children are young, like yours, Mrs Gardiner, I wonder she has any time at all to write.”
“Yes, I quite agree,” Mrs Gardiner said. Momentarily, her expression seemed rather odd. Darcy could not quite understand it. Perhaps he had only imagined it, for she soon turned to Georgiana with a bright smile. “I cannot get enough of these jelly tarts, Miss Darcy. They are simply divine!”
“Thank you. I shall tell Mrs Reynolds you said so. She will be sure to pass along your compliments to the cook,” Georgiana said.
“It is a shame that you have been cooped up in your study all day, Fitzwilliam. I should think all that letter-writing would become very dull. Do you not have any time for reading anything else these days?”
“Of course,” he told her. “Presently, I am reading a collection of Milton’s essays.
I thought I might select one to recommend to you.
” While this was true, the book presently by Darcy’s bedside was a collection of Donne’s poetry.
But it would not do to say so. Admirable as Donne’s work was, several poems were quite unsuitable to discuss with his young sister.
“If you think Milton’s essays would improve my mind, I shall do my best to appreciate them,” Georgiana said gamely, if with little enthusiasm.
“I hope you do not mind, Mr Darcy, but I have taken to exploring your library with great abandon. You have such a beautiful, extensive collection, I find I am quite jealous,” Elizabeth said.
“I am afraid I cannot seem to restrain myself to one volume at a time. There are fully three on my nightstand as we speak.”
“You may avail yourself of the library as much as you choose, Miss Bennet,” Darcy told her. “Indeed, I consider it a great compliment.”
Elizabeth smiled, but before she could say anything, Georgiana returned to the subject of Gothic novels. “You should read Mrs Laurence’s books, Fitz,” she pressed. “I know you said you prefer philosophy and such, but if you would only give them a chance, I know you would like them.”
Darcy smiled tightly, suppressing a sigh.
The new, more confident Georgiana did come with some disadvantages.
In former days, when his sister feared to disagree with him about anything, she never would have tried to urge her own taste in books on him.
“I prefer more serious reading, you know that, Georgiana. I am sure you would agree that I read a wide enough variety of things.”
“But you cannot bring yourself to read silly Gothic fiction?” Elizabeth said suddenly, softening the saucy remark with a charming smile. Turning serious, she shook her head. “I will not try to convince you otherwise, Mr Darcy.”
“How can you say that, Miss Bennet? You like Mrs Laurence’s novels just as much as I do. Perhaps more,” Georgiana pouted.
“I do,” she admitted. “But there is no use in forcing someone to try her writing when they have set their minds against it.” She gave him a challenging smile.
Her eyes danced with mischief. In that moment, Darcy felt it was already a foregone conclusion; he could not escape falling in love with her.
“Come, Miss Bennet, you must tell my brother what he is missing,” Georgiana pleaded.