They sat next to each other for a while. Elizabeth then stretched and yawned. Her breasts were briefly outlined more sharply against her dressing robe. “I know it is ridiculous. I know that I shall need more dresses than I currently have.”
“Not very many,” Darcy replied. “You might make do with only two pieces for balls, and two or three more for dinners and then several for ordinary life. Not more than ten pieces in total.”
Elizabeth took his hand. She did that increasingly often since they had agreed to marry. He liked that holding his hand gave her comfort. “It would give my maid a horrid case of nerves if I only kept as few pieces as could be managed with—if the laundry had difficulties one day, then she would become distraught.”
“I do not disagree, withthat.” Darcy replied, “But I ask you to please yourself.”
“I should not make my life, and the lives of my servants, more difficult simply as a matter of pride. It is pride, I suppose.” Elizabeth sighed. “So much of everything is.”
“This does not seem to me to chiefly be pride—you are strong, and you have needed to be strong. You fear the possibility of becoming weak.”
She smiled at him, and then sighed, and rested her head against his chest. “Yes, yes. You are right. That is also a great part of the matter.”
“I think we should visit a dressmaker of your choice and order the few pieces that you think are necessary, and that can be ready by the time we leave London, but nothing of extravagance. And afterwards, we shall visit the bookshops along Paternoster and use your ‘book money’ for its primary purpose.”
Elizabeth looked at Darcy with warmth.
The fact was that the visit to the dressmakers exhausted Darcy for the next hours. He found himself obliged to sit on a divan next to the fitting room, unable to move a great deal while he could hear Georgiana enthusiastically encouraging Elizabeth in her purchases, and with Darcyexpected, a great deal more success than any such efforts on his own part could have garnered.
They then went to a park nearby, and Darcy found himself feeling rather stronger after the rest, and he was able to pick Emily and George up for a little, though chasing them about was still beyond his abilities. The children tossed bread into the water for the ducks, and every time one of the ducks waddled up and ate one of the shredded bits that she tossed to them, Emily backed away from the bird while shrieking in delight and pointing.
The expedition to the bookshops was delayed, however until Darcy had a little more energy on a further day.
That evening they went to see a play that Elizabeth had mentioned a strong interest in seeing. During the intermission a great many persons came to visit their box to be introduced to Elizabeth, and something of her cheerfulness and grace as she met his acquaintances led for them to decide that they would tell everyone that they would be available to callers the following morning.
A little after the intermission Darcy fell asleep, and he was woken to return home by his smiling wife kissing him on the forehead.
The next day Georgiana felt quite ill at breakfast, and did not eat much besides cereal, but her poor stomach was studiously not mentioned by any of the adults, though little George was concerned, and made a point of trying to make Georgiana eat one of his lemon tarts. In the end she only nibbled on a dry crust of bread.
Afterwards Elizabeth dressed in the best dress she had, the same lovely yellow silk that her father had purchased for her and which she had worn for their wedding. She sat out with Darcy to receive what visitors might come by. Georgiana sat out with them, but she was quiet, pale, and clearly anxious about her own state.
Georgiana had an embroidery bag, with fine knitting in it, and Elizabeth complimented her on the neatness of the points.
Darcy pressed a hand on Georgiana’s shoulder and told her that all would be well. He resisted the urge to tell her that she could go up to her own rooms, or the library, because he thought it was best for her that she become more used to being around other people.
The children still were engaged in a happy exploration of the many toys that the nursery was supplied with, under the careful observation of Sally. They would have viewed it as a rather serious imposition to be kept in the room to receive the calls, rather than a favor.
The first party, depending upon close friendship to make arriving rather too early for propriety acceptable, was Mr. Bingley and his sisters.
Bingley came in smiling, grinning, and delighted to see Darcy. He was very happy to have the introduction to Mrs. Darcy made. He greeted Georgiana cheerfully, without showing any consciousness of her now being a scandalous object. He then frowned deeply when he referred to Darcy’s recent wound, and begged Darcy to tell him that he was alright, and fully healthy.
Elizabeth replied for Darcy, being far more conversant in his health than Darcy was himself. Bingley’s sisters gave polite, but restrained greetings to both Elizabeth and Georgiana. Darcy thought there was a little resentment or envy in Miss Bingley’s manner of looking towards Elizabeth.
As for Georgiana, they paid her no more attention than that initial greeting—the old habits of calling her dearest Georgiana and loudly declaring that they loved her were past.
Darcy was happy for the change. He’d once had a notion to encourage a match between Bingley and Georgiana, once she was old enough to be properly out. Bingley was one of his closest friends, and further he was the friend who Darcy thought to be by manner and temperament the most likely to make an easy husband.
As soon as Bingley heard from Elizabeth that she lived in Hertfordshire, Bingley exclaimed, “My man of business suggested that I look at an estate that is for lease in the county. I’ve heard that it is a fineplace that will meet my requirements perfectly. Do you know of a place called Netherfield?”
“Netherfield is but three miles from my home—or my parents’ home. I can tell you that the principal rooms are well sized for great dinner parties and balls. In the day of the old baronet, he threw a great many—you may not wish to imitate him too closely in that respect. The debts he took on to fund those entertainments are, I believe, a principal part of why his son found himself obliged to lease out the family seat.”
Bingley laughed. “You are much like Darcy. Darcy always worries that I shall be too generous to my friends—just because I’ve a great pile of money from my father, does not mean that I can spend withnoattention to the future. Ah, but it is so delightful to have a crowd about me, everyone smiling. And private balls are so much superior to public ones, though public ones are likewise so much superior to not dancing at all. But I like very much what you say of this estate.”
“My family would be happy to have you as a near neighbor,” Elizabeth said, “and your friendship with Darcy would be an additional incentive forhimto frequently take us to visit my family home.”
“Of course,” Bingley replied. “You would all be always welcome to stay.” Then he laughed self-consciously at himself. “That is, of course, if I take the place. Can’t offer for you to stay there if I don’t.”
“I willcertainlynot hold it against you if the rooms do not agree with you.Youmust please yourself in deciding where to lease.”
