Chapter 3.20 #2
“I still have tears in my eyes,” Georgiana said. “Every time I am with her, I discover something new that touches my heart. A sweet child, abandoned by her own mother. How could a woman leave her daughter? Emily said she had not seen her mother since she was little. She cannot remember when.”
“It is hard to judge...We do not know the circumstances that placed Emily in Madame Claudette’s house.”
“My dear, I cannot be as generous as you are,” Darcy interjected.
“From what Madame Claudette said, her mother left with a man and chose not to take her daughter. She was a good seamstress, and that is a skill that could have easily assured her a satisfactory living. At least enough to be able to raise her daughter. Furthermore, she seemed to have made all her decisions herself; Madame Claudette certainly did not force her to leave, she was quite displeased that she had lost a dressmaker.”
“But those circumstances were years ago. I am not generous, nor naive. I cannot understand, nor forgive a woman who abandoned her child if she had a choice. I am only saying that we do not have all the details. What we do know beyond any doubt is how poorly Madame Claudette had treated Emily!”
“True,” Georgiana agreed with a trembling voice.
“Imagine how many other children are in Emily’s position or even worse.
Elizabeth, if not for you, she would be still freezing and starving…
And so many other children still are. Since Emily is here, I cannot stop thinking that, with all the food we have on the table every day, we could easily feed twenty hungry children—maybe more. How unfair life is…”
“Yes, it is, dearest. Until I met Fitzwilliam and you, I considered rich people to be mostly selfish. I have always wondered why they take it for granted and do not appreciate their good luck. I am sure God expects those who have more than they need to give back some to those less fortunate.”
“We are selfish, Elizabeth,” Darcy confessed “because we do not look around with real interest. We are mostly given good principles, but we are allowed to apply them arrogantly. My father always insisted that I must take care of those under my protection, that I must provide them with shelter and the means to live a decent life, to offer my help when they ask me. But what if they do not ask for help? What of those who are around, but not under my care? I have rarely looked with true interest at those outside my circle. At least this was the case, until I met you, my dear wife. You opened my eyes, my mind and my heart in so many ways!”
Both Elizabeth and Georgiana blushed, for different reasons but with the same emotion. The latter considered that she had never heard her brother making such an intimate and heartfelt confession before.
“You are giving me too much credit, husband,” Elizabeth replied. “Both you and Georgiana are kind-hearted and generous. You have all the goodness one could wish for.”
“It is very nice of you to say so, but Fitzwilliam spoke the truth,” Georgiana added.
“I have rarely had the opportunity to meet people from outside our circle, and when I did, I rarely looked at them as I should have. I tried to be polite, but when I observed something unpleasant, I used to look the other way, as if it was not my concern. This is why I never noticed Emily, despite visiting Madame Claudette regularly. Now I keep wondering how we could help other children too. We must find the means. Elizabeth, do you remember the other day, when you said that from your pin money you could dress and feed an entire orphanage? I cannot forget those words.”
“I did not intend to distress you, my dear. However, it is a notion that I wish to discuss with Fitzwilliam further. Perhaps we could do something more.”
“It makes me happy and proud to see how much you two ladies are alike in your care and generosity,” Darcy interjected.
“I would gladly discuss with you anything you wish to, but now Elizabeth is the mistress of this household; and Georgiana, you also own your fortune. You are free to decide as you like. I shall respect and support your actions, as I fully trust your judgement.”
“Thank you, my love,” Elizabeth said adoringly, while he placed a lingering kiss on her palm. For a moment, they both forgot Georgiana was a witness to their tender exchange. The girl averted her eyes, slightly embarrassed but proud at her brother’s praise.
They were interrupted by the impromptu opening of the door and the appearance of Emily, all dressed up, with her face half-covered with a scarf and her hands encased in gloves.
Seeing the three of them just as she had left them, she stopped, disconcerted.
Behind her, there was Sarah, looking as puzzled as the girl.
Still emotional, Elizabeth began to laugh at such an image.
“Forgive us, my dear, we are not ready yet! But we will be soon.”
“So are we still going?” Emily asked, full of hope.
“Of course! Sarah, would you like to join us?”
“No, thank you, Mrs. Darcy. I have spent enough time in the snow with my siblings, and I expect to do so again one of these days. Do you need my help to prepare?”
Elizabeth glanced at her husband briefly, her cheeks burning again. If she was to dress alone with Darcy, they might not complete the task before the storm returned.
So she turned to the maid and nodded. “Yes, thank you Sarah.”
∞∞∞
Half an hour later, the group of four left the residence in Park Lane and headed towards Hyde Park.
It was still snowing steadily, with large snowflakes, and the street was already covered in a white, soft coating.
Elizabeth held her husband’s arm, while Emily and Georgiana walked together.
The fresh, chilly air tickled their senses.
It was not too cold, and the ground was not slippery, but the snow was reaching up to their ankles.
The town seemed empty; very few people dared to confront the storm that had just calmed. Soon they arrived at the park’s entrance, and a fairytale picture was laid out before their eyes. The trees were heavy with snow, and the pure whiteness was spread all around them.
Elizabeth lifted her head, with her eyes closed, allowing the snowflakes to caress her face, while Darcy watched her, enchanted.
Emily saw her too and immediately copied the gestures. She let go of Georgiana’s hand, and, with her eyes still closed, she took one step, then fell into the snow.
“Oh!” she exclaimed with sudden panic, opening her eyes and looking at her companions. She was buried in the snow to her waist and tried to rise to her feet, with little success.
“You fell? How awful!” Elizabeth said in earnest. “What should we do now? Let me think,” she continued, while the girl’s worry increased.
Then suddenly, as Emily tried to stand, Elizabeth threw herself down near her in the snow, much to Darcy and Georgiana’s astonishment.
It was a public place, though completely empty, and seeing Mrs. Darcy playing in the snow would not meet with much approval from the illustrious members of the ton.
Yet, Mrs. Darcy could not care less. She lifted her eyes to her husband and sister, her eyebrow rising in challenge.
“So, did you happen to mention you like snow? I surely do not see that,” she declared, then leaned back, lying full length in the white flakes.
Emily remained dumbfounded for a moment; then she mirrored Elizabeth’s actions, for the first time in her life thoughtless of the cold and her ruined gowns.
“I love the snow!” Emily cried, turning to Elizabeth. “Can you see that, Mrs. Darcy?”
“I certainly can, my dear,” Elizabeth responded.
“I love the snow too,” Georgiana suddenly claimed and, after a brief glance around, she threw herself into the snow too.
Darcy watched them as they played and laughed as three young girls, with their faces already red from cold, the snow decorating their eyelashes, hair and gowns.
His heart melted as he considered that all those small pieces of pure joy were due to Elizabeth. Without her, his life would have been empty and lifeless, and he would not have even known what he was missing.
“I like snow too, but I shall restrain myself from publicly exposing my preference,” he declared with such seriousness that it increased the ladies’ amusement.
“We did not expect to see such a breach of decorum from the ever proper Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said.
Georgiana chuckled, while Emily covered her mouth with the snowy glove, not daring to laugh at the master.
“I am glad you approve, Mrs. Darcy, I feared you would be disappointed,” he replied with a hoarse voice whose meaning only Elizabeth could understand.
“Surely not, sir! I hope you are not disappointed in us; if someone saw us, you would surely have to bear the blame for our unladylike behaviour,” Elizabeth teased him.
She was still sitting in the snow, glancing at him through her eyelashes and he thought that, if they were alone, he would have claimed her lips there, in the middle of the white park.
“I would readily bear any criticism for my wife and my sister, although I see no reason for objection. However, I insist we return. I would say there has been enough enjoyment for the day. The wind is blowing again, and the snow has grown heavier. I would not wish any of you to catch a cold.”
After a brief opposition the ladies accepted and they rose to their feet, trying to brush the snow from their gowns. Despite their efforts, their appearance was far from acceptable, and the lack of other visitors to witness it was fortunate.
They walked back at a hastier pace, with the wind blowing in their faces. Emily looked at her two companions, then at herself, and said, “Mrs. Darcy? My clothes are all ruined…Are you sure you do not mind?”
“Do you think I am in any position to mind your clothes, Emily?” Elizabeth answered in jest, holding Darcy’s arm tightly.
“No, ma’am, yours are far worse,” the girl replied with such seriousness that it made the other three laugh.
They finally arrived home; inside the main hall, the warmth enveloped them as strongly as the cold outside. Their frozen gowns melted, leaving a trace of water behind, while two maids helped them take off their coats.
“Sarah, help Emily; I shall assist Mrs. Darcy,” the master requested.
“Then take Emily to change immediately and give her hot soup or a cup of tea,” Elizabeth added.
“You three should all warm up immediately so that you remain healthy enough to enjoy the snow again over the coming days,” Darcy demanded.
While each obeyed and retired to their chamber, Stevens followed Darcy silently to the door of the master suite.
“Thank you, Stevens, you will not be needed for now.”
“Very well, sir. I just wished to mention that you received a letter half an hour ago; I put it in your chamber. A servant delivered it from Madame Claudette’s shop.”
The valet excused himself and departed, while Darcy remained still, staring along the hall, where Sarah was taking a joyfully chatting Emily to her chamber.
He then looked at Elizabeth and carefully closed the door behind him.
“Are you well, my love?” she asked him.
“Yes,” he smiled back, caressing her wet face and loose hair, which had escaped from the pins. “Let me unbutton your dress and help you change, then you should rest a while. I will be in my room, reading the papers I neglected earlier.
“Will you not join me?” she asked with puzzlement.
“Not now, my beloved. But I will be close, watching over you while you rest,” he said with a voice much deeper and more severe than she expected.
“I shall wait for you,” she replied, and he kissed her hands one more time, then moved to his apartment, as he has not done since they married.