“Well, I wonder if I might ask a favour of you? I know it is quite presumptuous, given that we have just met, but your brother told me you are a proficient musician. I am unable to find the best fingering for a particular passage. Might you help me?”
Elizabeth glanced at Mr. Darcy, silently asking him if this was all right. He gave her a brief nod. “It is just a small passage, and likely very easy for you, but too hard for me,” Elizabeth continued.
Georgiana looked up and met Elizabeth’s eyes. She saw simple warmth and friendship there, and something inside her, something that had been frozen for the past many weeks, responded to it. “I would be happy to help,” she said, softly.
“Wonderful! Will you look at it now?” Elizabeth rose and went to the pianoforte without waiting for a reply.
Georgiana looked up at her brother; he nodded encouragingly at her. “Go ahead, Georgiana,” he whispered.
Elizabeth pulled a sheet of music from the stack on the piano and pointed to a measure. “Here; do you see?”
“Oh! Let me try it a few ways and see what works best.” Georgiana sat down at once and played through the complex passage three times with no trouble. “Ah, the difficulty is in the following measure, where you want to be able to reach with the fifth finger. You will need to tuck the thumb under here. Let me show you.”
Mr. Darcy watched Elizabeth and his sister with gratitude. He had not heard his sister speak this many words for several weeks now, and hoped that this might be the beginning of healing for her.
Mrs. Bennet, seeing what her second daughter was about and eager to keep Miss Darcy engaged, said, “Let me get Mary; she would do anything to play a duet with someone who can keep up with her!”
She left the room and returned a minute later with Mary in tow. Mary, seeing a stranger at the pianoforte with Elizabeth, paused in the entryway.
Elizabeth beckoned Mary over. “Miss Darcy, this is my sister, Mary. She is the real musician at Longbourn. Look, Mary. You recall that passage we were struggling with? Miss Darcy has set me to rights. Please, Miss Darcy, show my sister what you just demonstrated.”
Georgiana’s colour was high, but she showed the fingering again.
Mary responded at once. “That is perfect. Tucking the thumb under right there solves the problem.” She hesitated, and then went on. “Miss Darcy, do you, by any chance, know a Handel piece for four hands calledConcerto in C?” She rifled through a stack of music and pulled out several sheets.
“Oh, yes, I do! Do you have a preference for the right hand or left hand?” Georgiana asked.
“I have only practiced the right hand,” Mary admitted.
“Let us switch places, then,” Georgiana said. And without further ado, the two girls rose, changed places on the bench, and began. It took a few tries for them to agree on the tempo of the piece – Georgiana began playing faster than Mary – but they soon were able to adjust to one another. There were, inevitably,errors made and by unspoken agreement, they stopped and worked out the errors. By the end, both girls were laughing together.
By now, Mr. Darcy felt more relaxed than he had in many days. To think he had wondered if bringing his sister to Longbourn might be a mistake!
Meanwhile, Mr. Bingley made no secret of his admiration for Jane. He moved to sit beside her, and engaged her in a private conversation. Mr. Darcy could see that Miss Bennet enjoyed the attention, as she was pink with pleasure.
He could also see that Mrs. Bennet was more than happy to see the two of them together. Doubtless, she would like one of her girls to marry Mr. Bingley, he thought, and his immediate reaction was disdain. Had he himself not had enough of mischief-making mamas? He knew Bingley had as well.
But then he caught himself. He himself was likely no longer much of a catch these days, and if a country mother – one with five daughters! – was interested in seeing one of those girls make a good match, where was the harm in it? And had Mrs. Bennet not gone out of her way to make Georgiana comfortable? She was obviously a woman with a kind, warm heart.
In fact, Mrs. Bennet was speaking to Georgiana now. “Miss Darcy, you have been put on display long enough. Come here and let me warm your teacup, for I do not doubt it is too cold to drink.”
Georgiana brought her cup to Mrs. Bennet, staring at the carpet the entire time, until Mrs. Bennet said, “Why do you hide your eyes, child? Let me see them. Look, what a lovely shade of blue! We all enjoy looking at beauty, Miss Darcy, so do not deprive your friends and family of that pleasure by hiding your eyes!”
Georgiana blushed mightily, but kept her eyes on Mrs. Bennet’s as she murmured, “You have pretty eyes also, Mrs. Bennet.”
Mrs. Bennet laughed enormously and fanned herself. “Oh, such a flatterer! Are you not a dear girl! I am sorry Kitty and Lydia are not here to meet you as well. I sent them to pick up some things in Meryton, and they will be sad to have missed you. You will have to come to dinner some night and meet everyone.”
“You have two more daughters?” Georgiana could not contain her surprise.
“Yes, five in all! It is quite a hullabaloo here at Longbourn some days, you would doubtless have to stop up your ears to endure it!” She smiled widely at Georgiana.
Georgiana smiled back, and her brother was overjoyed to see that it was a real smile!
Mrs. Bennet continued, “You must all come to dinner here at Longbourn. Mr. Bingley. I was just saying to Miss Darcy that you must give us the pleasure of hosting you. Would Tuesday next be acceptable?”
“We would be delighted, Mrs. Bennet,” Mr. Bingley replied, tearing his attention away from the charming Miss Bennet.
“Will your entire party be able to join us?” Mrs. Bennet went on.
