He winked at her and Elizabeth laughed.
Mr. Bennet said, “This was when — oh fourteen. Lizzy had been reading Plato, and a few days before Christmas she had a desperate craving for one of the puddings and could not wait—”
Mrs. Bennet said, “Our Christmas puddings are of the finest quality. Everyone in the neighborhood agrees. The Bennets have made the finest Christmas puddings for generations.”
“Which iswhyLizzy stole one from the pantry.” Mr. Bennet continued, “I expected to punish her, as she knew they were not to be touched till Christmas Day. But Lizzy sat in a corner of the house, with a completely empty plate, not even the crumbs left—”
“Unfair!” Elizabeth, laughing, interrupted her father. “There were crumbs.”
“—not even the barest crumbs left upon her plate, and she groaned piteously. The poor girl looked sick — and well she should be. An entire pudding. A fair-sized object. Lizzy clutched her stomach and she looked mournfully at me, and said” — Darcy watched Elizabeth blush prettily — “Papa, two horses draw the human soul, one full of reason, and the other which solely desires pudding. And I must strive to only give rein to that horse which will not give me such an awful tummy.”
“Must you include ‘tummy’ every time you relate the story? It is a quite…childish word.”
Mr. Bennet grinned. “No need to punish her; upon hearing such a statement, I knew the crime had become its own punishment.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Mr. Darcy, I entreat you, do not build yourentireimpression of me upon such stories.”
Mr. Lucas stood again. “The time for another dance.”
“I am exhausted,” Mr. Bennet said. “I shall retire and leave the floor to the younger blood. You do not want me and Mrs. Bennet to hover about the entire night — Elizabeth and Jane can host you admirably. Lizzy, do not light fires to the draperies to stave off boredom. The fire might spread to the books, and we would be left in the cold tomorrow.”
“No promises, Papa. No promises. You ought to stay out if you wish to protect your drapes.”
“Nonsense.” Mrs. Bennet giggled, her color high and enthused from her dance. “You are quite old enough, the lot of you—”
“Even me, Mama? Unmarried as I am?”
Mrs. Bennet stopped and frowned. “Now, Lizzy, do not go on pointing it out to everyone. It does you no credit to refer to your age.”
“I assure you, Mrs. Bennet, your daughter could pass with ease for a girl of twenty.” Mr. Darcy bowed in her direction, wanting to do something to mollify the older woman.
Mrs. Bennet smiled in surprise at Darcy. “That is very kind of you to say.”
“Goodness I hope ‘tis a polite lie,” Elizabeth replied. “Georgie, you are a pet, but I would not wish to be mistaken for so young as you.”
“I am not so very young. And I have lived a great deal, and—”
“Youth, always believing itself to be maturity. I shudder to imagine how my aged self, when I am atyourstage of life, dear Mama, will consider my current pretensions to wisdom. I quite despise, with just cause, myself at twenty.”
“I,” Mr. Darcy replied, “have a high opinion ofmyselfat twenty.”
“Heavens! That terrifies myself more than anything.” Elizabeth grinned at him.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet retired from the room. Mrs. Goulding returned to the piano, but Elizabeth pushed her away. “No, no, no! Go. Dance. My pleasure this evening has been had.” Elizabeth smiled brilliantly, and Darcy thought she looked at him as she said that “—Have your turn. I do not practicesomuch, but I can turn my way around a piano, a little. Mr. Darcy, I demandyouto turn my pages for me — if the master of Pemberley can manage such a task.”
“For a lady, I can manage anything.”
“But what about me?” Georgiana bit her lip. “I must dance with Fitzwilliam to complete the set.”
Elizabeth glanced at Mr. Lucas and then at Darcy. Both gentlemen gave small nods, and Elizabeth said, “You shall dance with Mr. Lucas for the next, and perhaps Mr. Goulding after.”
“But…” Georgiana looked at Darcy, pleadingly.
“Do go on,” he said. “I would like to watch you in a dance.”
She looked at Mr. Lucas. “I never have… except Fitzwilliam, and… the instructors.”
“It shall be my deep honor, and it shall also be my pleasure.” He took her hand and charmingly brushed his lips over it.
