Chapter 9 #2
“This way, Miss Bennet,” Georgiana said impatiently, and Elizabeth hurried after her young hostess, who was walking rapidly toward the front of the house. Georgiana opened a door and stepped inside, and Elizabeth followed her, only to stop and gasp in wonder.
Pemberley’s library was awe inspiring. Her father’s library at Longbourn was a fine room, but this vast chamber was at least five times larger.
Gleaming wooden shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, and nearly every inch of space on those shelves was filled with books.
Comfortable leather chairs were in each corner, and a settee and wingback chair flanked the currently cold fireplace.
Last of all, large windows let in plenty of light from the glowing sun outside.
“Oh, how incredibly marvelous!” Elizabeth exclaimed.
“In the winter, my brother spends much of his time here,” Georgiana said.
“My father would love it as well,” Elizabeth commented. “He is a great reader.”
“Come here, Miss Bennet. The painting is in the northeast of the room,” Georgiana said imperiously, striding toward the far corner of the library.
“Do give me a minute to recover,” Elizabeth returned playfully. “Otherwise I might faint in astonishment. This library is truly spectacular.”
Georgiana halted with a frown and waited impatiently as Elizabeth spun around, her eyes taking in the multitude of tomes with covers of brown, blue, red, and green.
She had never seen so many books in a private residence.
A soft huff pulled her attention to her companion, and Elizabeth smiled and walked over to the younger woman.
“Please, do show me the portrait of the peacock,” she invited.
/
Darcy was writing a letter to his banker in London when he heard feminine voices emanating from the room next to his study.
He puckered his brow in confusion and looked at his watch.
It lacked fifteen minutes until the noon hour, and the ladies of the house were generally doing needlework and practicing their music at this time of day.
Georgiana, of course, tried to visit her peafowl every morning, and Miss Bennet might be with her.
But why would they be in the library? Georgiana was not a great reader; not because she found it difficult, but because her interests were narrow, and she found most books to be dull.
She often joined him in the library on winter evenings, but that was because she enjoyed his companionship, not because she wished to delight herself in the multitude of rare volumes on the shelves.
He set aside his letter, stood up, and walked over to the side door which led into a corner of the library, which was partially obscured from the rest of the book room by a small table holding a porcelain Chinese vase.
He opened the door in time to hear Georgiana say, “The painting is in the northeast of the room.”
“Do give me a minute to recover,” her companion, Miss Bennet, said cheerfully. “Otherwise I might faint in astonishment. This library is truly spectacular.”
Darcy watched as Miss Bennet began spinning around slowly, her lips curved upward, her eyes dancing, her yellow skirt swaying, as she gazed at the multitude of books.
The lady was blessed with a beautiful face but now, with the joy on her face, she was equal to her elder sister, which was saying a great deal. What an exquisite woman!
Georgiana, now openly impatient, finally made an irritated noise, which caused Miss Bennet to stop and look toward her with a cheerful countenance.
“Please do show me the portrait of the peacock,” Miss Bennet said, walking over to Georgiana, who quickly made her way to the Cradock painting in the corner of the room.
Darcy, realizing that neither woman had noticed his presence, found himself standing in place, his heart beating with strange rapidity.
He almost never observed single ladies when they were not aware of his presence, and those of marriageable age always postured before him in the hopes of drawing his attention and, perhaps, an offer.
But, he suddenly recognized, Miss Bennet was an exception to that rule.
She was well-mannered and polite, but she never flattered him.
Perhaps that was why Georgiana had taken to the woman so quickly; as the sister of the wealthy, unattached Mr. Darcy, the girl had been the focus of many fulsome compliments in the hopes that if Georgiana was drawn to a woman, her wealthy brother might be as well.
But Miss Bennet, it seemed, liked Georgiana for Georgiana, not because she was attempting to ensnare Darcy.
By this time, Elizabeth had joined Georgiana in the corner of the room and was leaning toward the painting.
“Where is the…? Oh, I see, yes, some of the neck and flight feathers look white. The white feathers can appear anywhere on the body, then?”
“Yes,” Georgiana said. “After Fitzwilliam acquired this painting and I noticed the white feathers, he wrote to a gentleman friend who has a flock of peacocks, and he confirmed that some of the birds have white feathers. My brother purchased Neptune from his friend.”
“And now you will see if Neptune will sire sons and daughters with white feathers,” Elizabeth commented.
“Yes, exactly. Are you familiar with Sir Robert Bakewell, Miss Bennet?”
“The agriculturist? Yes, indeed. My father has some literature regarding his work in selective breeding.”
“We probably have the same texts!” Georgiana said excitedly, hurrying over to a shelf.
“Look here. I have read all these many times, and I am quite certain that I can do similar work with my peacocks, not to the extent of Sir Thomas or Coke of Norfolk, of course, but I can breed Neptune, and breed those of his progeny who have white feathers…”
“I wonder if someday, there will be an entirely white peacock,” Elizabeth said dreamily.
“Oh, that would be the most wonderful thing in all the world!” Georgiana exclaimed, clasping her hands together, her face beaming.
Darcy, uncomfortably aware that he was effectively spying on his sister and her friend, withdrew quietly into his study, closed the door gently, and wandered over to the window.
He had just observed a scene which surprised him greatly.
Could it be that Georgiana had found a genuine friend, a friend who was kind and generous, but who also did not always submit to Georgiana’s immediate demands?
A friend who was intelligent and interested in the things that Miss Darcy was?
If Miss Bennet was truly the woman she appeared to be, she was a great gift to the unusual, vulnerable daughter of Pemberley.
Nonetheless, he must be cautious, as he could not afford to make a mistake in this matter as he had with Georgiana’s previous companion, Mrs. Younge.
Miss Bennet seemed a truly exemplary individual, and not on the hunt for a wealthy husband.
Nonetheless, he owed it to Georgiana to be careful about those whom he allowed in her orbit.
He determined to learn more about Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn. He would keep his precious sister safe.