Darcy blushed and waved it away. “Pray tell, how have you used my old employee? I must hear he is profitably employed — my loss should benefit another.”
“He prevented my bankruptcy during the crisis. Mr. Peake has a genius for predicting prices.”
Darcy tilted his head. “Forgive my asking, you did not suffer too much during the panic? Miss Bennet indicated your firm did well. But it is not always a matter that a woman who is a niece would be privy to. Was it not India fabrics that you work in? That has shown difficulties.”
Darcy smiled at Elizabeth. “I apologize though for speaking of a matter of business. But I have always wondered how Mr. Peake got on — I thank you for your letters, you said you have been raised to a junior partner?”
“I ought not brag, but I am now full partner — the firm does very well.”
“It’s entirely his doing. Peake doesn’t brag beyond his due.” Mr. Gardiner clapped his wife’s cousin on the shoulder, speaking in his typical clipped accent. “Making him a full partner, it was the thing to do. The man has some left to learn, but he inherited a little to make up the capital, and Peake is a true genius. I needed to keep him from being bid away. And a matter of gratitude, if nothing else.”
“Gratitude?” Georgiana looked at Mr. Gardiner with shining eyes. “What is the story?”
“Before Waterloo I’d planned to buy a big shipment. Going to go in debt to purchase — the purchase looked like an excellent opportunity. There was risk, but no risk leads to no success. Peake convinced me — three weeks Newtoning numbers in the evenings instead of drinking with his companions, like a proper young man” — Mr. Gardiner delivered that line as a joke which brought everyone to laughter — “convincedmepurchase would be a mistake. We sold as much of our stocks as we could and replaced them withgovernmentstock. I was terrified that day Waterloo was announced. You know the story of Rothschild — clever Jew. I respect the people. They are smarter than us — how he learned a few hours before how the battle went. Made a fortune—”
“The story is a myth,” Mr. Peake said. “I have a friend who works in his counting house, he—”
Mr. Gardiner clapped Mr. Peake proudly on the shoulder again. “Such a fine fellow — friends with a Rothschild—”
“A clerk in the counting house.”
Mr. Gardiner waved the difference away. “The story is too good to be false, even if it is not strictly true. Stories can be like that, while in real life we must stick to facts.”
“I prefer my stories to be truth.” Mr. Darcy glanced at Elizabeth and Georgiana. “And perhaps we should discuss stories. I would not wish to bore the women with tales of business.”
“I quite prefer my stories to be entertaining,” Elizabeth replied. “Too much truth, if boring, is unpardonable in a matter that relates to people who we shall never meet nor care about.”
“I met Mr. Rothschild once and might well meet him again,” Darcy responded. “Thatargument will not work upon me, Miss Bennet.”
Elizabeth grinned back. “You claim you care deeply for Mr. Rothschild?”
“He was respectable enough, for one of his sort.”
Georgiana said, “I wish to hear the story — what happened after Waterloo?”
“We held most of our capital in government paper at the time — not everything, but enough, and we made a tidy profit with Rothschild.”
“I too held a great deal in mortgages and government stock,” Darcy said. “My rents have fallen lower than since my grandfather’s time, but the loss in income was been cushioned by that. I have purchased substantial acreage from less foresightful neighbors.”
“True wealth comes from land,” Mr. Gardiner said sagely.
“Nay.” Mr. Peake shook his head. “Paper is just as muchincomeas anything else. From the perspective of theowner,the difference is an illusion — Mr. Darcy, I have not forgottenyourlessons. There is vast difference between alandlordand an absent owner. Supporting tenants is as much a matter of honor as it is income.”
Despite speaking to Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth noted how Mr. Peake’s eyes flashed toMissDarcy as he made this speech. They flashed often to her, and in turn Georgiana glowed and forgot to look away shyly the way she did with most others.
Very promising. Of course it was not her place to arrange anything, but… “Mr. Peake, you will be present at our ball tomorrow?” Elizabeth said, “Would you mind attending Miss Darcy for the first dance — you are both friends.”
Mr. Peake nodded. “I would be delighted, if you wish it, Miss Darcy…”
Georgiana bounced happily. “Very much.”
Darcy frowned slightly, until Elizabeth turned her fullest, brightest smile upon him, with what she knew were bright sparkling eyes. “Mr. Darcy, I call upon the favor you owe me for your abominable failure to dance with me the first night we met, and I demand that you give me the first tomorrow.”
Darcy blanched. “Pray, do not recall to methatstory.”
Mrs. Gardiner had returned from placing her younger children in the nursery and stood next to her husband. She grinned at the tall gentleman and tapped her forehead. “I fear, Mr. Darcy, it is committed to paper and the memories of many. Forgetfulness impossible.”
“That shallalwaysbe that tale of how we met? Alas. But we will have an entertaining story.” He smiled meaningfully at her and Elizabeth flushed at the intimacy of him suggesting that they would regularly recall it. “I shall offer an additional payment, as supplicant — would you desire me to also be your partner for the supper dance?”
