Chapter 4. Miss Gardiner’s Arrival #3
The young woman interrupted the gentleman when she explained, “Mr Darcy, Miss Darcy and I talk about the many items that are being catalogued, and she enjoys the numbers as well.”
Immediately, Miss Darcy and Miss Gardiner began a conversation in French about creating sums from columns of figures. Mr Darcy had not used French for many months, but he was able to follow the ‘hundreds’ well enough.
He challenged his sister to add together two numbers he called out in French. Georgiana took only a moment to add together the numbers in her head and announce the correct answer, also in French. Then she pouted and added in French, “Really, William, give me a more challenging sum next time.”
Mr Darcy had no further objections to the arrangements his sister made with Miss Gardiner, and they returned to the mysterious crates.
As Mr Banks and the footman examined the first crate, Mr Darcy observed his sister continuing to interact with Miss Gardiner.
The ‘visitor’ in their home was intelligent and educated.
Her French had a bookish accent that could be corrected by a few lessons with one of the native speakers available as tutors in London.
In recent years, London seemed overrun with refugees first fleeing the revolution, and then Bonaparte.
Banks and the footman carefully removed the cover of the first crate to uncover a painting of an English landscape in summer.
Miss Gardiner made certain to find the papers in the crate and after making notations in her papers, she handed them to Mr Darcy.
He immediately handed them to Mr Clemmons who held them up to the light.
“Richard Wilson was the artist,” Clemmons reported.
A second and then a third crate were opened with two still-life paintings by artists working in London fifteen years before.
The fourth crate was opened, and Mr Banks withdrew a canvas that portrayed a lovely lady, but the portrait was not finished.
While her face, figure, arms, gown, and hat were complete, the surrounding canvas held only a few strokes of paint that were unrecognizable.
“She’s lovely,” Georgiana stated, and Miss Gardiner agreed.
“Mother,” whispered Mr Darcy.
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Mr Darcy stared for several moments while the others remained silent. He took Georgiana’s hand and led her closer.
“I remember the artist coming here that summer to paint this portrait. We remained in London rather than travelling to Pemberley so he could work. He preferred morning light in the parlour, but Mother refused to rise before ten in the morning, so he painted her portrait in the dining room with the afternoon sun,” he explained.
“Mother was so very happy that you were to be born, and she sat for the man every day until the day you were born.”
“But he didn’t finish it,” the girl said. “Was it because Mother died?”
“I do not know,” Darcy admitted. He smiled though when he glanced between his sister and the portrait and said, “Georgie, you resemble Mother very much. And she loved you more than anything. She chose your name before you were born, sewed clothes for you, and made me promise to be a good brother.”
Miss Gardiner collected the last of the papers from the crates, made notations in her papers and handed all the papers to Mr Clemmons.
Mr Darcy directed Mr Banks to move the landscape and the still-life paintings to the family dining room where he and Georgiana could consider where to place them in the house.
“Georgie, once we have a proper frame, shall we hang Mother’s portrait in your sitting room for a time?”
“Yes, brother. Please!” the girl replied, throwing her arms around Mr Darcy. For now, the unfinished portrait of Lady Anne Darcy would remain on a stand in the ballroom to watch over Miss Gardiner as she catalogued each of Lady Anne’s treasures.
The wooden crates that had held the paintings were reassembled and stored in the attics with a paper attached to each one stating which painting it had contained. If Mr Darcy moved the paintings to his estate in Derbyshire, he would have crates for each one.
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It was during their family dinner on Saturday night that Georgiana directed the conversation with her brother to ‘Miss Gardiner.’ They dined alone but for the butler and footman who served the three courses at the dining table.
As per their usual arrangement, Georgiana sat beside her brother at the head of the table to allow for easy conversation.
On these nights, Mrs Annesley ate in the privacy of her room to read her letters and rest while Mr Darcy entertained his sister for a time.
“How are your lessons in literature?” Darcy asked.
Georgiana frowned slightly, “Mrs Annesley encourages me to look for the meanings hidden in the actions of the characters and in the things around them.”
“Many times, there are hidden meanings,” he agreed.
“But don’t writers just tell stories for fun? Must every story to have a lesson in morality?”
Darcy considered his answer carefully before saying, “At your age, I am very careful with the novels and stories placed before you to read. I do not want you to read revolutionary texts or other nonsense.”
Georgiana made a sour face that made her brother smile broadly. “Perhaps I can find a couple books for you to read that are interesting but that you do not have to discuss with Mrs Annesley.”
“Please, brother. Miss Gardiner tells me that she enjoys reading in the evenings to relax and clear her mind after working with numbers and inventory during the day.”
“Miss Gardiner?” he asked. “You speak of such things in front of the workmen?”
Giving William a look of exasperation that young women her age perfected before they were ten and four, his sister explained, “Our conversations are always in French, so the workmen do not know what we are saying, and Mrs Annesley participates in the conversations.”
“I am not concerned about the topics you discuss with Miss Gardiner. She appears to be a learned lady.”
Pleased with her brother’s characterization of her friend, Georgiana stated, “But she never attended school…”
Darcy replied, “That makes her accomplishments even more impressive. I wonder from where her instruction came?”
With a small smile, Georgiana explained, “Miss Gardiner told me that her father had a suitable library for history, the classics, and Shakespeare. He instructed her to read and speak French, to read history and some of the natural sciences. Her mother and the housekeeper taught her to sew, and her aunt and uncle here in town continued her education. She helps her young cousins with numbers and letters.”
“Miss Gardiner sews? Do you mean pillows and screens?”
“More than pillows,” Georgiana said. “Miss Gardiner tells me that she sews gowns for her aunt and cousins, as well as shirts and even trousers for the eldest, a boy.
Decorating a screen is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon but Miss Gardiner showed me how to mend my coat the other day with a stitch that stretches with my movements.
“Did she now?” he asked.
“And Mrs Annesley was impressed and asked Miss Gardiner about hemming undergarments properly,” explained Georgiana as she blushed. “But our conversation was in French, and the workmen never understood a single word.”
Darcy struggled not to laugh aloud but managed to merely look pleased by his sister’s conversation. “And I suppose Miss Gardiner is an accomplished musician too?”
Georgiana looked surprised by her brother’s question for a moment, but she formulated an answer, “I am not certain. How I can determine how accomplished she is on the pianoforte.”
“Once the inventory is complete, perhaps you can invite her to tea and then you can both play the instrument in parlour,” William suggested.
“Yes! May I invite her to tea? I should like to have tea with Miss Gardiner ever so much better than tea with Mr Bingley and his sisters.”
Darcy nodded. “When our business is complete, I shall speak with Mr Gardiner and invite Mrs Gardiner to call with Miss Gardiner.”
“Thank you, William,” his sister replied sincerely.
“Georgie, tell me why you do not care for Mrs Hurst or Miss Bingley? They always came with Charles when I invited him.”
Setting down her knife and fork, Georgiana blushed but explained, “Whenever you and Mr Bingley went to your office to talk business or even just to the window to examine a business letter or tell each other stories from your club, Miss Bingley always–always–proceeded to tell me that she would make you a good wife. And she would look around the parlour, shake her head and say that she would redecorate the house to be more fitting to your station as a rich man. Mrs Hurst would look uncomfortable but never said anything until Miss Bingley began to speak of the glittering entertainments, she would organize…”
“Miss Bingley said these things to you?” Darcy asked, his face displaying surprize and distaste. “With her sister sitting in the same room?”
“I do not understand why she thinks the house is not decorated properly,” Georgiana continued. “And I know you do not care for dinner parties with large numbers of people.”
Dracy declared, “Such conversation is completely unacceptable in the presence of a young lady!”
Now Georgiana grinned and revealed a secret saying, “Brother, Aunt Catherine and Aunt Edith speak of little else but who should be your bride when I am in their company. Cousin Anne pays attention to her sherry and Cousin Amy agrees with each statement from her mother’s mouth concerning your forthcoming proposal.
Aunt Edith believes you should entertain more, and Aunt Catherine believes that entertainments are useless… men should just obey her commands.”
“Surely not!” Darcy declared, not wanting to believe his aunts spoke of nothing else in Georgiana’s presence but his sister’s face was serious, and he conceded without argument.
“Brother, when you do marry, please select a young lady for more than her wealth,” Georgiana said quietly.