“What a glorious morning,” she murmured, dressing quickly for their day of exploration. The moisture would not dampen her enthusiasm for experiencing everything the city had to offer. She was British, after all.
Her father was already awake and equally excited. Stepping alongside him, she asked, “Do you miss Hertfordshire’s spring rains?”
“Not at all. I am even of a mind to let Mr. and Mrs.Collins have Longbourn, so Mrs. Bennet and I can come and reside here for the rest of our lives. Imagine, Lizzy! She would have every window box filled with red pelargoniums and a courtyard covered with roses, violets, and sweet peas, which would delight her. While I studied history, she could scour the markets for trinkets, which would be far superior to perusing the same items she always sees in Meryton’s shops.” He grinned. “What do you think, my girl? Would your mama want to uproot herself and travel the world with me?”
Elizabeth studied him. Was he serious? Teasing? Dreaming? “Surely you jest! Mama leave Hertfordshire? Leave her sister Phillips and all her dear friends? Leave the proximity of Jane’s future children?”
“Ah, you have found the fatal flaw in my romantic fantasy.” He chuckled. “I confess, I find the prospect of being free to explore every inch of this history deeply tempting. But truthfully, Lizzy, I could never leave Hertfordshire permanently. You are correct that your mother would never consent to move. Neither could I bear to miss seeing those potential grandchildren grow.”
“Then whatwouldmake you content at Longbourn?” Elizabeth asked. “Is there nothing that might bring you satisfaction without abandoning everything you love?”
He was quiet for several minutes, his gaze distant. “You know, I have found tremendous pleasure in teaching young Tommy to read and write. There is something deeply satisfying when a mind awakens to new possibilities.”
“You are a gifted instructor, Papa.”
He tapped his fingers on the windowsill. “What if?now, I am only considering this option?but what if Iwere to establish a small school at Longbourn’s dower house? Nothing grand. Just a place where I could tutor boys like Tommy. Bright lads who might never have had the opportunity for proper education. If we economized, we could hire a steward to manage the estate, freeing me to focus on the task.”
Elizabeth’s heart lifted at the vigor creeping into his voice. “That sounds wonderful, Papa. You would make such a difference in their lives.”
“And,” he continued, warming to the theme, “once the school was established, I might even bring my most serious students to places like this. To Italy, Greece, or wherever learning might take us. Your mother could accompany us, fussing over the boys like a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings.”
“That is exactly what Mama would do, would she not?” Elizabeth said with a smile. “She would adore having a houseful of young men to care for, especially as her daughters leave for their own homes. What a lovely notion.”
“We would both have a purpose.” Her father’s smile was animated. “Thank you, my dear. You have helped me see a path I had not previously considered.
He turned toward the door. “Now then, shall we find Mr. Darcy and venture forth into this glorious Roman rain? I suspect he is ready to escort us to whatever ancient wonder he thinks will capture your attention today.”
She laughed, knowing he spoke the truth. “To think that I once found his presence irritating. Now I look forward to his company.”
“You have made considerable progress, my dear Lizzy.”
Father and daughterbroke their fast, eating fresh bread dipped in olive oil along with sliced ham and cheese. Shortly after they had finished, Darcy approached them with a familiar elderly gentleman.
“Signore Mario, what a pleasure to see you.” Elizabeth curtseyed politely and then introduced her father to the artist.
“Si, SignoreDarcy sent a note an hour ago and asked me to come. I am to go with you as you shop and see everything today. I will draw your stay inRoma.”
“Mr. Darcy is very attentive to detail.” Although Elizabeth spoke to Mario, she looked directly at him. “IsSignora Rosellinito accompany us as well?”
“Not until this evening.”
With a nod, she smiled. “Then I am ready whenever you are.”
Offering her his arm, he placed the leather strap of the satchel containing her journal over his shoulder, and they exited their lodgings, eager for the day.
Their first jaunt took them through narrow streets lined with shops offering items Elizabeth had never imagined. They spent most of the morning selecting gifts and personal purchases. She chose silk scarves in jewel tones for her mother and sisters, each piece so fine it seemed to shimmer with captured light.
The shopkeeper, a dignified woman with silver hair, studied Elizabeth before stepping behind a partition at the back of her stall. Returning, she held two pieces of delicate fabric. The colors of the Mediterranean Sea flowed like liquid across the worn wooden counter. Thedeep blues melted into brilliant aquamarine with such seamless beauty that she felt transported back to their first glimpse from Gibraltar.
“Oh,” she whispered as her fingers hovered above the delicate fabric, not quite daring to touch an item so exquisite. The silver threads woven throughout created the illusion of sunlight dancing on gentle waves.
The shopkeeper displayed the second scarf, sunset colors that blazed from coral to rose to golden amber, then deepened to lavender and purple. Elizabeth held the soft fabric to her cheek. Here, captured in silk, was the early evening sky with glorious colors almost too vivid to be real.
She was unaware that Darcy was watching her until he whispered her name, “Elizabeth.” He stood transfixed, as though the sight of her pressing the silk against her skin had rendered him unable to say more.
“Papa,” she called, never taking her gaze from Darcy. “I believe I must have both of these.”
Her father approached, glancing between his daughter and the gentleman. “My dear Lizzy, if you continue to glow like that, poor Mr. Darcy may forget how to breathe.”
