Chapter Five
“Mary, you must take your head out of your book and take in views,” Elizabeth told her sister, who had been reading beside her for the past two hours without so much as a look out the windows.
Outside, the flat and open fields and sparse trees had made way for the rolling hills and streams of the Derbyshire she loved most. They were just passing Moorwood House, which she pointed out to Mary, who had finally lifted her eyes.
“That means we are only ten miles from Barlow Hall,” Elizabeth told her sister.
“Indeed, we are less than two hours from home,” Mr. Gardiner added.
As she watched the beloved, familiar landscape, Elizabeth noted that Mary’s fingers were strumming in an uneven rhythm atop her book.
“It reminds me of Longbourn,” she told Mary, reaching to take her sister’s hand in hers and directing her to the house they were passing.
“Yes, I can see that,” Mary answered hesitantly. “The trees and garden are different, of course, but the house itself looks quite like ours.”
The threesome passed a few minutes in silence, each watching the countryside, painted shades of green with dots of pinks, reds and blues interrupting the picturesque verdant monotony every so often.
“Have you thought any more about what masters you might want us to procure for your visit?” their uncle asked.
“I do not wish for you to incur any additional expenses,” Mary answered, bowing her head once again, though her book now lay closed on her lap.
“Mary, we mean to do for you just as we do for Elizabeth and have done for Jane. It is no trouble, and we are happy to help you improve yourself.”
“Would you wish to join me in my music lessons?” Elizabeth asked.
Mary’s head snapped up.
“You would not mind?”
“No, of course not. You have shown great improvement in your playing this year. I know Mrs. Fitzwallace is a good teacher, but Mr. Squire is excellent, and though he is patient with me, he will be delighted to have you to work with. You are much more diligent in your practice. And perhaps you would like to try the harp. If you learn to play, maybe we can convince Papa to buy one for us at Longbourn so I don’t have to go nine months in between practicing. ”
“I should like that very much.”
“Wonderful, we will be playing duets in no time,” Elizabeth declared, drawing closer to Mary and looping their arms. “Or perhaps you shall play with Georgiana, and I will sing.”
Mary looked at her sister for a long moment before asking, “Do you think Miss Darcy will like me?”
“Mary, you need not worry,” Mr. Gardiner answered, “Miss Darcy is very kind and will welcome you with open arms.”
Though she nodded, Elizabeth sensed her sister was not entirely satisfied with this answer.
“That is very true,” she told Mary. “I also know she will like you straight away. You and she remind me of one another. You are both shy in larger groups or with people you don’t know. You are both kind and intelligent, and you both like music—studying it and playing it.”
“I look forward to meeting her,” Mary said.
“And she you,” Lizzy answered. When Mary regarded her with a question in her eyes, she went on to explain, “When I knew you would be accompanying me, I wrote Georgiana to tell her. I have told her of all my little sisters for years, and she is excited to get to know you in person and not simply through my stories. I imagine she wants to see if I have been truthful in my characterisations.”
“And have you?” Mary asked, a rare hint of teasing in her voice.
“More or less,” Lizzy answered with a look of mock solemnity. “You will have to ask her yourself. I hope we might visit Pemberley as soon as tomorrow.”
“The Darcys returned to Derbyshire last week. You and your aunt can pay a call tomorrow. I am certain she kept her schedule clear for that very purpose.”
And though she had done so many times before Lizzy spent the next few minutes describing Pemberley, its stables, woods and gardens to her younger sister, who listened and questioned Elizabeth as if this was all new information.
Mr. Gardiner listened to them with delight.
He had not seen Mary since they spent Christmas at Longbourn two years ago and was not certain what to expect from their fourteen-year-old niece.
She was the sister Elizabeth spoke of least often.
Elizabeth’s letters and her tales when visiting were full of Jane, as they spent the most time together.
She mentioned Kitty and Lydia nearly as often—relaying the games she played with them, the silly fights they had or the new things they were learning and doing through the years.
Mary was an occasional character in the family picture Elizabeth painted, often in the background and never really developed.
If the interactions he had with her over the past day and those he observed between the sisters were any indication, Miss Mary would be a wonderful addition to their family party for the summer.
“Will you join Lizzy in her music lessons, Miss Mary?” Mr. Barlow asked shortly after the five of them sat down to dinner.
It was, not unusually, a congenial affair.
Mary had already opened up a great deal.
This was likely due to her aunt’s kind attention and Elizabeth’s enthusiastic recitation of all the things, people and places she would introduce her to It was also helped by the smaller number of people around the table vying to be heard.
“She has invited me to,” Mary responded with some hesitation. After looking to her sister, who nodded and smiled her encouragement, Mary added, “I should like that very much if my aunt and uncle have no objection.”
“Of course, Mary,” Mrs. Gardiner replied, knowing her husband had already given his enthusiastic consent during their journey. “We would be delighted. I will send word to Mr. Squire that we shall extend the length of his lessons to accommodate an extra pupil.”
Mary and Georgiana met the very next day when that young lady and her father called at Barlow Hall. The ladies of the house were taking tea in the parlour, while Mr. Barlow and Mr. Gardiner visited a neighbouring estate to discuss an issue with flooding which affected both properties.
“I hope you will excuse our terrible manners,” Mr. Darcy said after they were announced. “Miss Darcy and I were eager to see Miss Elizabeth and meet Miss Mary.”
“With such a defence as this, how could we not excuse what is, in reality, no offence at all,” Mrs. Gardiner answered.
“You are too good.”
Mrs. Gardiner smiled her acceptance of the compliment and began to perform the introductions.
“Mary, this is Mr. Darcy and Miss Georgiana Darcy.”
Mary, though blushing and standing half behind her sister, acknowledged the introduction with a quick curtsy.
“Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy this is my niece, Miss Mary Bennet.”
“We are so pleased to meet you at last, Miss Mary,” Mr. Darcy said, smiling softly at Mary.
When it seemed that neither Mary nor Georgiana was able to overcome their inherent shyness to allow them to speak, Elizabeth stepped in.
“I am so glad to see you both,” she told them. “How much I have been anticipating our summer together.”
“Does this mean you are ready to discuss Hume?” Mr. Darcy asked as Mrs. Gardiner invited them all to sit.
“It was so kind of you to send the second volume,” Elizabeth said. “I did not expect the opportunity to continue the series so promptly.”
“Well, your prompt reading of the first seemed to warrant it,” he told her.
“I did finish it, just before our journey; however, I do believe I sent you something in return. Did you read it?” Elizabeth asked, a hint of mischief in her voice.
“What did you send?” Mrs. Gardiner asked.
“Lizzy sent him a most delightful novel,” Georgiana answered. “Father and I read it together. Fitzwilliam even joined us occasionally.”
“He read it with you?” Elizabeth asked before she could stop herself. Thoughts of him had not faded since the end of last summer, but Elizabeth felt they had at least become less powerful. Just hearing his name disabused her of this notion.
“Yes, though he finished it far more quickly than either of us and could not seem to stop himself from spoiling things. So we forbade him for a few weeks until we had both finished,” Mr. Darcy explained.
“He enjoyed it then?” Lizzy asked.
“Yes, though being Fitzwilliam, he had several critiques to offer,” Georgiana said with a laugh.
“He did indeed. You should ask him about it. I am sure he would welcome another opportunity to share his thoughts,” Mr. Darcy said, likely unaware of the powerful emotions Elizabeth battled to conceal.
She felt not only the usual swirl of excitement, confusion and happiness thinking of her Mr. Darcy evoked but also the frustration that her response to even the mention of him was as it always had been—just this side of overwhelming.
The others continued talking around her, and as she worked to focus her attention back, she noted her aunt was using her considerable skills to draw Mary and Georgiana into conversation with one another.
The two young girls were soon talking, quietly and haltingly, asking questions and sharing answers about their musical tastes, their favourite activities and their siblings.
Georgiana loved hearing about the Bennet sisters and seemed excited to have a new source on that front.
Mary, for her part, was intrigued by the idea of a much older brother.
“Do you ride, Miss Mary?” Georgiana asked.
“I do not,” Mary answered, ducking her head.
“It is no matter,” Georgiana assured her. “If you would like to learn, I am certain we could teach you, and if not, there is much we can do on our two feet.”
“Certainly,” Mr. Darcy agreed. “I think Miss Baxter regrets how well she taught your sister, or at least how quickly Miss Lizzy stopped needing her lessons.”
When Mary did not respond straightaway, Elizabeth offered her own opinion.