Chapter 6 #2
Elizabeth felt heat rise in her cheeks. Even though he was only asking for his sister's sake, that he would be willing to seek her out in Cheapside, of all places!
And this from the gentleman who had pronounced her no more than tolerable?
The question was whether his opinion had truly changed, or if it just showed how desperate he was to help Georgiana.
“Lizzy?” her aunt asked. “It is up to you, of course. If you wish to have an outing with Miss Darcy, I have no objection.”
Indifferent. She needed to sound as if this did not matter to her. “I would be glad of a chance to see the shops.”
Darcy looked relieved. “Would tomorrow suit you? Or would another day be better? My sister is eager to go out before Twelfth Night.”
“I have no fixed plans, so tomorrow would work.”
The performance seemed to have come to an end, and a minute later the two young musicians appeared, hand in hand.
“Did you hear that, Lizzy? Mama? Did it not sound marvelous?” Margaret said.
“Indeed it did,” Elizabeth agreed. “You played well together.”
“Miss Darcy can play anything!” Margaret declared.
Georgiana gave a half-smile. “Some things, at least. Your duets were ones I studied years ago. I have some other ones at home, if you would like to try them.”
Margaret's eyes lit up. “Oh, yes! Could we play together again someday?”
Her mother intervened. “Miss Darcy no doubt has a great many demands upon her time.”
Georgiana shook her head. “I would like that. We enjoyed ourselves, did we not, Miss Gardiner?”
“So much!”
For the first time in his life, Darcy wished that there were no limit on the proper duration of a call. He would have liked to stay longer, breathing in the pleasure of being in Elizabeth’s presence and watching her vibrant expressions.
Young Miss Gardiner seemed to share his opinion, though for a different reason. “I wish you did not have to leave! May I walk you to your carriage?” She had already grabbed Georgiana’s hand, just in case her new hero refused.
Darcy let them go ahead, following more slowly with Elizabeth by his side, her fragrance of lavender drifting over him. He said softly, “Your family seems to have a gift for setting my sister at ease. I am grateful for it.”
“Not what you expected to find in this part of town?” she teased, but with a slight edge to her voice.
“Not something I expected to find anywhere. Generosity of spirit seems to be in short supply these days.”
“It is the season of goodwill, after all,” she said lightly. “You may have been looking in the wrong places.”
That was certainly true. Any goodwill that was present among the ton always had a price associated with it. But they had reached the door, so all he could do was thank her for receiving them. As he stepped out the door, he had to force himself not to look back at her.
Amazingly, Georgiana was still smiling as Darcy took his seat across from her in the carriage. “That was good of you to help Mrs. Gardiner's daughter,” he said.
“Oh, it was my pleasure. Such a sweet girl! Our duets may have been simple, but it was the first time I enjoyed playing in so long. Even though I was making mistakes, since I hardly remembered the pieces. She seemed to love it anyway.”
“We all notice our own mistakes far more than anyone else's.” How much had it meant to her to have someone look up to her so admiringly, someone who wanted nothing more than to spend more time with her? Perhaps he should not try so hard to encourage her to interact with the ladies of the ton.
Her brow furrowed. “It is not just that. I felt as if no one there would care if I made mistakes, that they would like me just as well. That they would never think to make fun of me as soon as my back is turned.” She sighed.
“Playing with Margaret was almost like having a sister.” Then she looked directly at him. “I wish Miss Elizabeth were my sister.”
Darcy stiffened. It was clear she was sending him a message, not mentioning an idle fancy. Should he pretend not to understand it, when for once she was telling him how she felt?
No, it was not worth the risk. “I wish that were possible.” And oh, how he ached for it, for his own sake!
“Despite her many fine qualities, for the sake of our family, I must marry someone in high society, with much better connections.” And a large dowry to make up for the expense of Georgiana’s, too, but he did not want to say that.
Her shoulders drooped. “The ladies in the ton care only about your wealth and social status. They pretend to like you only for what they can get from you, just like he pretended to like me. Is that truly what you wish for?”
Stung, he said, “Do you think Miss Elizabeth is any different? That she would not want the advantages I could offer her?”
“She befriended me when she had absolutely nothing to gain from it. And when she discovered I was your sister, she tried to run away, rather than using me to get closer to you. That is just the opposite of the girls who claim to be my friend in order to get your attention. I hate them and their false friendship.”
He stared at her in bafflement. What could he say? There were so many considerations in choosing a wife, and Elizabeth met none of the criteria, neither in her birth, her connections, her education, or her style. Everyone would think him a fool if he married her. His family would scorn her.
Except for Georgiana, who saw her as the one true heart in her world.
His sister was right. How were the young ladies of the marriage mart, dressed up in their silks and jewels, paraded for their accomplishments, taught to flatter any rich gentleman who deigned to dance with them, any different from George Wickham, who pursued Georgiana for her money?
How often had he heard from older men at the club, bemoaning that they had married a pretty young girl who could fill their homes with her musical performances, only to have her stop practicing as soon as the vows were taken?
Elizabeth had picked a quarrel with him. She had told him how he had hurt her sister by warning Bingley off her. She had not sought out his good opinion - quite the opposite! If anything, it seemed she only tolerated him for Georgiana's sake.
But then there had been that kiss under the mistletoe. Her lovely eyes had been soft and dark afterwards, her cheeks delightfully flushed. She had not been indifferent to his kiss.
The kiss he had relived a thousand times since then, that he could still feel through his entire body whenever he looked at Elizabeth.
He took a deep breath. “I understand your point, but pray recall that not everyone in the ton is shallow and venal. There are good people there, too. Cousin Richard, for example. He wants a wealthy wife, but he has no intention of lying to get one, and he will make some heiress a fine husband.”
Georgiana turned her face as if to look out the window, her smile disappearing as if it had never existed. “I suppose.”
Damnation! Why did this have to be so hard? Elizabeth always seemed to know the right thing to say to her. But he, despite knowing her all these years, did not.