Page 20 of Twice Chosen

Elizabeth laughed too, not at Lydia but with her. Lydia grinned.

Darcy watched.

Something softened in his face.

Elizabeth met his eyes. He knew, or at least recognized a change.

Mary spoke from her chair. "An excess of frivolity may be considered injurious to the development of female character."

Lydia groaned. "Mary! Must everything become a sermon?"

Elizabeth turned toward her middle sister. In her first life she would have smiled at the absurdity and perhaps exchanged a glance with her father. Instead she asked, "What are you reading?"

Mary blinked. "Fordyce."

Darcy's mouth twitched.

Elizabeth saw. She nearly smiled. "What do you like about him?"

Mary looked suspicious. "No one asks me that."

"I just did."

Mary glanced at her book. "He values discipline."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Mary considered.

The conversation became real.

Darcy watched, and Elizabeth felt his gaze.

After several minutes Mrs. Bennet directed Mary to play. Mary rose at once. Elizabeth winced internally, not because Mary was dreadful. She was not. She lacked delicacy. She attacked music as though excellence could be achieved by force.

Elizabeth remembered laughing with Darcy about it.

Later regretting it.

Mary sat at the instrument. Elizabeth went to turn pages.

Mary looked startled. "You need not."

"I know."

She stayed.

Mary began. Too fast.

After a difficult passage Elizabeth said quietly, "Would you take the second section again? I like the melody, but I think I missed part of it."

Mary stopped, her face flushing. "You did?"

"Yes. Slower, perhaps."