Elizabeth reached up, gave the housekeeper, who had kept her halfway sane more than once as a child, a big kiss on the cheek, and turned towards the stairs.
Assuming what was good for the goose was good for the gander, Anne stepped on tiptoe and did the same, much to Mrs Hill’s delight, though she quickly swatted the young heiress away.
“Off with ye, young miss.”
~~~
When Elizabeth and Anne returned, they found only their youngest sisters.
Kitty stood, curtseyed, and spoke brightly but decorously. “Welcome again, Miss de Bourgh. I apologise; my parents are not here to greet you. They will see you at supper.”
Elizabeth was not surprised. It was discourteous, but not outrageously so. By her father’s standards, it was typical. By her mother’s… well, Elizabeth could not work that one out at all. Anne de Bourgh was of high status, a potential source of gossip, and probably a good way to gain intelligence about her dearest Jane; yet Mrs Bennet had abandoned the field. It made no sense. Perhaps the lady sat in her room crying that there was yet one more attractive and eligible lady here to steal away all the men. Whatever the cause, Elizabeth would not worry.
Tea arrived, and Elizabeth poured for everyone while her companions engaged in the usual social inanities. Elizabeth waited for the first awkward question or faux pas, but eventually gave in to curiosity.
“Kitty, Lydia, I am curious about your—”
She stumbled to a stop, searching for a polite way to ask the question, but Lydia gently interrupted. “Give up, Lizzy. You are trying to find a polite way to ask why we act with decorum.”
Elizabeth nodded.
Both girls giggled, though not terribly, and Kitty said, “I win, Lydia.I told you she would not be able to work it out.”
Lydia laughed. “I should have known better than to bet that Lizzy could do the impossible, but the impossible for others is just a challenge for Lizzy.”
Anne joined in. “I am certain this makes sense to you, but I believe your sister and I suffer from a lack of… context? While I agree that betting on Lizzy accomplishing the impossible is usually sound, I do not follow the rest.”
Lydia laughed. “Oh, I think we shall get along very well. I shall explain.”
She leaned towards Elizabeth. “As you can plainly see, we are trying to learn proper decorum—Better late than never?”
She turned back to Anne. “I am certain Lizzy would not speak disparagingly about her sisters to you, Anne… Oh, my!”
Lydia flushed, and both she and Kitty stared at their shoes. Elizabeth could not work out what her sister had to be embarrassed about, nor did she believe either sister capable of the emotion.
Fortunately, Anne showed not the least confusion, and replied gently, “It is all right, Miss Lydia. I will be in this house for some time and hope to become close. I give you leave to call me Anne, and respectfully ask the same of you.”
Lydia smiled, and both girls replied together, “It would be our privilege.”
Elizabeth remained perplexed—Lydia Bennet, embarrassed by such a tiny, niggling propriety violation!
Anne continued, “Perhaps you were trying to politely say that your sister is surprised your manners have improved to a degree that Lizzy finds startling?”
Lydia giggled much too exuberantly. “Since we were practically savages when she left, I imagine the… Oh, Kitty, what is the mathematical term we seek?”
Kitty and Lydia exchanged a glance and said together, “Delta!”
Anne frowned in confusion.
“Lizzy loves to talk in mathematical terms, so Lydia and I thought we would try to speak her language," Kitty said. "Delta is the 4thletter of the Greek alphabet, and it looks like a triangle. It means change. The increment seems unreasonable to Lizzy, so her mind busily searches for a potential explanation. Is that not right, Lizzy?”
Kitty punctuated the question with the traditional kick in her sister’s foot, and Elizabeth laughed. “You do know that finding the best way to say something in your listener’s preferred frame of reference is the absolute height of good manners?”
To her surprise, both sisters beamed at the compliment—yet another unexpected development.
Elizabeth leaned forward. “I applaud your improved decorum, but pray tell me you have not snuffed out your liveliness in the process. It is easy to overshoot.”
“Oh, we are still improving, but you no longer need worry about us,” Kitty said mischievously.
