Her cheeks grew warm, but she sternly reminded her body that Mr. Darcy considered her far beneath him and thought her not handsome enough to dance with. He had nothing at stake if he decided to flirt with her, but she would be asking for disappointment if she took him seriously. So she seized on the neutral subject her aunt had raised and began to speak about her young cousin and her pianoforte lessons, which led naturally into the general subject of music.
Where was Mrs. Gardiner? Surely she knew Elizabeth would be embarrassed to be alone with Mr. Darcy for so long!
The sound of the pianoforte tinkling provided a relief. It started with the uneven notes of an early student, and then switched to what was clearly Georgiana’s more skilled hands, making pleasant listening even if the music was simple. Thankfully, Elizabeth could allow the conversation to lapse while she played.
Mrs. Gardiner returned while the music continued. “Well!” she said briskly. “I am most grateful to your sister, Mr. Darcy. She not only helped Margaret work through the fingering that was giving her such trouble, but she performed the piece for her, and now they are happily playing duets. I thought of suggesting that you might be waiting for her, but they were having such a fine time that I could not bring myself to interrupt.”
“I am the one who should be thanking you,” Darcy said gravely. “It is good to hear my sister playing for pleasure again. Of late it has been more of a duty to her.”
How remarkable, that he should be admitting so much to a woman he had only just met! Had his old acquaintance with her brother and father had made Mrs. Gardiner more tolerable to him?
“Then we have all helped each other,” said Mrs. Gardiner. “Just as it should be. I hope you did not mind my asking her for assistance, Mr. Darcy. It is not something I would normally do with a caller, but I thought your sister might be more comfortable in a less formal setting.”
“Apparently you were correct,” Darcy said. “I am hoping you could help us in another way, too. Might you be willing to spare your niece for an afternoon? My sister wishes to visit some shops, and would be glad of her friend's company. They would not be on their own; I would accompany them as far as theshops, but I am not considered qualified to give opinions on ribbons and bonnets.”
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 inCheapside, 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 playanything!” 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 thetonalways 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.
