“Papa,” she said to stop him. When he turned around, she said, “There was some jewelry that Jane and I found. We would like you to take a look at it to see if it is worth purchasing.”
“We can go there before we leave town,” Papa said without even hesitating.
Elizabeth noticed Mr. Darcy watching the duke as he walked away. Eventually, Mr. Darcy said, “The entire town would be in uproar if they knew the new duke was shopping here with his daughters today.”
“It is just as well, then, that we are still dressed in our normal clothes rather than the finer gowns that will soon be required of us,” said Elizabeth.
“I look forward to seeing you arrayed in finery as you should be,” said Mr. Darcy. “You are beautiful as you are, but you will be a sight to behold when you are dressed as a duke’s daughter is expected to be. The first ball you attend as Lady Elizabeth will be an event unto itself.”
There was something in Mr. Darcy’s tone and expression that caught Elizabeth’s attention. Given his proposal only weeks earlier, she expected admiration, and she wasn’t disappointed. What surprised her was a sort of wistfulness, almost sadness. Then she realized. Mr. Darcy was not titled. Despite his wealth, it was entirely possible that he would not be invited to her first official ball as Lady Elizabeth.
The idea struck her as wrong, somehow. Mr. Darcy was the one who had helped them. Despite his former pride, he had willingly given them all the help they needed to adjust to their new lives. He had spent many hours looking over ledgers that weren’t his and teaching the new duke how to manage his new property, and he would likely spend many more days doing the same thing.
In thinking this, Elizabeth realized that her attitude toward that gentleman had materially changed in only two days.
“Whenever that day is, I will make certain you have an invitation,” she said.
She could feel his gaze shift from staring off into the distance to staring at her face. She could not meet his gaze, however. She did not understand her own motivations in saying such a thing, so she did not know what expression to wear.
“Thank you,” he said eventually.
Not long afterward, the group decided they had enjoyed their shopping quite enough for one day, and they made their way back to the jeweler’s. Papa immediately agreed to purchase the sapphire set, but he could not purchase Elizabeth’s comb, because in the intervening hours, it had already been sold.
Elizabeth tried not to show her disappointment, but Mr. Darcy must have seen it anyway. He looked at her with sympathy and some other expression she could not identify.
~~~~~
Dinner that evening was pleasant as the three young ladies chatted about everything they had seen in Derby while the gentlemen looked on with pleasure. Both men were happy simply to see the ladies happy.
The next day, the duke put some of his workers to the task of hanging the new wallpaper. He had a set of carpenters and builders whose job it was to maintain the cottages and houses he rented out, but he temporarily pulled two of them from their scheduled work to take on this small task. In the meantime, Jane set the two maids who wished to be seamstresses to work hemming the sheets, and she was happy to see that neither maid complained.
The morning mail brought a reply from Mrs. Rigby, saying that she would be more than happy to take on the position of governess and teacher to the family assuming His Gracefound her suitable. Papa immediately dispatched his carriage to Nottingham to fetch her for an interview. Since it was only twenty miles away, it would be easy enough to pick her up and return before dinner.
Jane, Elizabeth, and Miss Darcy spent the day on various small projects as well as exploring the house and gardens. By the end of the day, Jane had requested Miss Darcy call both her and Elizabeth by their first names, and they returned the favor by calling her Georgiana.
Elizabeth was simply grateful to have a friend who lived relatively near her new home, though she couldn’t help but wonder if her friendship with Georgiana would have any effect on how Mr. Darcy saw her or what he would do in the future.
When Mrs. Rigby arrived, she was shown directly to His Grace. After only fifteen minutes, the duke escorted the lady into the parlor where the ladies of the house were chatting away.
“Jane, Elizabeth, I have decided to hire Mrs. Rigby. I will be performing a complete investigation into her references to verify them, but she will begin her work immediately,” said Papa.
“Welcome to Lockwood,” said Jane.
“Thank you, my Lady,” said Mrs. Rigby as she curtseyed far more gracefully than Elizabeth ever had.
Elizabeth glanced back and forth between Mrs. Annesley and Mrs. Rigby. It was clear they were sisters. They were so similar, in fact, that Elizabeth wouldn’t have been surprised to find that they were twins, though Mrs. Rigby’s hair had a few streaks of gray that Mrs. Annesley lacked.
As she watched, Mrs. Annesley came forward and embraced the new lady. “It is good to see you, sister,” she said.
~~~~~
A week passed. The sheets were completed, and the maids were set to work on the gowns for Jane and Elizabeth. Based on their first few days’ work, it seemed as though Jane would be able to recommend them wholeheartedly. The sisters’ days were full of activity within the house as well as plenty of conversation with Georgiana. Their evenings were spent with Papa and Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth found in that week that Mr. Darcy was a very interesting person to speak with. Many times, after dinner, they sat together talking while the other members of the household amused themselves in other ways.
No matter the subject, Mr. Darcy always had something to say, even fashion. When Elizabeth questioned him teasingly as to why he had any knowledge of ladies’ fashion, he chuckled and reminded her that he had a younger sister who quite adored finery.
Their conversations reminded her of the pleasant time she spent with Colonel Fitzwilliam in Kent, but somehow, now that Mr. Darcy was more relaxed around her, this man was even easier to speak with than the colonel had been, though he was perhaps not quite as lighthearted. His well-informed mind and straightforward manner inspired respect and interest in Elizabeth.
