Chapter 19 #2
As Elizabeth had been in earnest about wishing to keep her secrets, they parted ways.
The gentlemen made their way to the tailor’s shop.
Wickham stood for a new morning coat, which Darcy surmised would be billed to Pemberley.
Darcy sighed and went to the window. Fitzwilliam gave him an understanding look, but said nothing.
If this was the largest of Wickham’s bills he was presented from the visit, he would count it as prodigiously cheap.
Though most of Darcy’s Christmas gifts were already purchased, an afternoon in Lambton was never wasted.
There was always some tenant who had hesitated to speak to him, but would now take the chance — some gossip which he had not yet heard, but ought to see to — some way for him to help his neighbours.
When Darcy met with Elizabeth on a street corner some time later, he had purchased nothing since leaving the tailor, but he had promised to send a man to fix Widow Garth’s wall, offered the reverend of Lambton Church an additional tithe to purchase the new hymn books needed for the choir, and had firmly informed three farmers’ wives that Lady Catherine’s visit was strictly temporary and they were to disregard any instructions she issued about their homes and gardens.
Darcy smiled at his wife, flushed with the satisfaction of a job well done. “What did you find for me?” he asked, purposefully mischievous. He wanted to see what Elizabeth would say when faced with his more playful side.
She gave him a wry smile, then raised her chin in mock defiance. “You will have to find that out on Christmas morn, kind sir.” She shook her head. “But I did find some lovely sheet music for Georgiana. I was assured by the shopkeeper that it would be sufficiently challenging for her.”
Darcy was impressed that she already knew Georgiana so well.
Then again, perhaps he should not have been surprised.
Elizabeth was the most attentive woman he knew.
“She will be very glad of it. I also bought her some new sheet music, although I had it ordered from a shop in London. She will appreciate having some music that came from one of the shops in Lambton, so close to her old home.” His tone grew sad, a mistake he had not meant to make.
“It is still her home, is it not? If not the place she now lives full time, I hope these few weeks will cement it as a place she will always be welcome.”
Darcy nodded. “I hope so as well.”
The others then joined them. All agreeing that their errands in Lambton were complete and the day was growing colder, they returned to the carriage and made for Pemberley.
Lady Catherine and Cousin Anne were waiting for them in the parlour when they arrived, not long before dark. His aunt waved them all into the room and began scolding them without delay. “Well, I hope you are happy. We’ve waited tea for you so long that I am certain it will be cold.”
“Oh, dear!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “That was kind of you, to be sure, but I am sure we had not the least idea of you waiting.” Briskly, she rang for the servants and ordered tea brought straight away.
Then she turned to Lady Catherine, without giving her the opportunity to issue any further complaints.
“While we are waiting, Aunt Catherine, I have something for you. I thought you might like this.” She took a miniature book out from her reticule and handed it to his aunt.
From the look on Lady Catherine’s face, she was stunned, though whether from Elizabeth having called her “aunt” or from the gift, Darcy could not say.
“Child, I expressly told you I did not need anything —” Lady Catherine began, but her words trailed off. She ran her bony fingers over the gilded title. “Sketches of Derbyshire.” His aunt’s head shot up. “What is this?”
“Oh, it’s just a little something. Think of it as a show of appreciation for all the lessons.” Elizabeth gave a winning smile. “I heard you talking about how much you enjoy the arts and thought you might like a book of sketches. They are quite good, do not you think? They are by a local artist.”
His aunt sniffed, no doubt trying to conceal her emotions. “Well, that was wholly unnecessary.”
“Gifts are unnecessary by nature,” Elizabeth argued merrily. “But the drawings are quite good, are they not?”
Lady Catherine sniffed and waved her hand. “Yes, they are. Almost as good as Anne. She would have been quite the proficient, if her health would have allowed her.”
With a nod of acknowledgement, Elizabeth went to Anne next. “Let me show you your ribbons, Cousin Anne. These are the grey ribbons you asked for.”
“Thank you,” Anne murmured. “They will be a perfect match, I am sure.”
Elizabeth grinned mischievously. “Indeed. I hope you shall not think me presumptuous, but I bought you these as well.” And with that, she brought out another set of ribbons in a delicate rosebud pink.
“They are very pretty,” Anne said in surprise, “but what —”
“Perhaps you might try them on your bonnet instead, if you liked,” Elizabeth suggested. “I think grey and pink are a lovely match. Very elegant.”
“Anne never wears pink,” Lady Catherine remarked.
“But I think I should like to,” Anne said quietly, but with surprising firmness. “Thank you, Elizabeth. I like them very much indeed.”
“Excellent,” Elizabeth said. “I think they will be very becoming on you. Do you not think, Lady Catherine? Anne has such fine colouring that pink and grey would look very well on her.”
“Perhaps you are right, at that,” Lady Catherine allowed. “Very well, Anne. You shall have pink ribbons on your bonnet if you want them.”
Anne raised her eyes to Darcy’s. The cousins shared a smile of equal surprise and pleasure.
Lady Catherine may have intended to bring Elizabeth under her sway, but it seemed that the redoubtable Lady Catherine had met her match — and Elizabeth had outdone her not with bad temper or a will to dominate, but with kindness.
Contrary to Lady Catherine’s gloomy predictions, the tea was not cold — as though Reynolds would ever have allowed such a thing.
Better still, Elizabeth led and directed the conversation, keeping it as warm and comforting as the tea itself, and full of laughter.
From his place on a settee a little apart from the others, Darcy watched with a glow of pride.
Fitzwilliam joined him with a contented sigh. “Your wife has won the day again, Darcy. I do not think I have ever seen our aunt smile.”
“We cannot give her too much credit, for it was only a half-smile,” he replied with a chuckle. Darcy glanced at his wife. “However, I agree. She is quite a woman.”
Suddenly, Darcy thought of the gift he had intended to give Elizabeth on Christmas morning.
It was well enough, or at least he had thought so.
He had purchased a golden chain with an emerald pendant, its gem small but real.
He had thought it an appropriate gift for his wife on their first Christmas together.
It was a piece suitable for the mistress of Pemberley, and the sum it had cost was substantial enough to communicate his respect for her.
But it had no meaning, no emotion behind it, and that meant it simply was not enough for a woman who had so changed his life in a matter of weeks.
With sudden decision, Darcy knew what he would do. He would send for one of the family pieces kept in his London vault — an heirloom piece truly worthy not just of the mistress of Pemberley, but of the woman who had come to hold his heart.