The Houseguest A Pride and Prejudice Vagary (8 page)

"Yes, it would have," she said feelingly. “So you see dear girl, in
the end you chose to do the right thing, and that is what you must remember.
Now that you know there are men in the world like Mr. Wickham, you will know
how to recognize them and avoid them in future. Look at it as an invaluable
lesson. Then think about it no more."
"That is good advice. Thank you, Elizabeth." Georgiana sighed
tiredly.
"When we were little and Jane wasn't feeling well, she liked for me to
sing to her until she fell asleep. In truth, we still do it upon occasion.
Would you like me to do that for you?"
"Yes, that would be nice." Georgiana closed her eyes and snuggled
into Elizabeth’s side. 
Darcy was walking down the hall toward his bedchamber when he saw a light under
Georgiana's door. He knocked quietly, but when he didn't get a response, he
thought she'd fallen asleep reading before blowing out her candle again. He
opened the door quietly and tiptoed into her room. A few feet away from the bed
he could tell no one was in it, and looking around he saw no trace of her. He
heard a quiet humming coming from the dressing room door, and stepped towards
it. He heard the sweet sound of Elizabeth's voice singing a lullaby. Realizing
that Georgiana must be in bed with her and that she was likely singing to his
sister, he involuntarily reached out and touched the door between them.
“‘
Domestic Bliss.
’’
"
He smiled slightly and headed to his own room.

Chapter
6

Elizabeth
looked up at the canopy with unseeing eyes. After Georgiana fell asleep, she
lay awake and thought about what she had told her. How had she been so taken
in? She, who prided herself on her judgment and strength of character. 
Oh, what a fool I have been!
 she
thought. 
She had listened to Wickham, sympathized with him, and sided against Darcy, and
for what? Wickham had lied to her and abused her trust. He had taken advantage
of an innocent girl. He was a cad and a rake and a liar of the first
order. 
Stupid, stupid girl! Wretched, wretched mistake! Even though she was alone, she
felt everyone could see her folly. She had not made her preference for Wickham
a secret. Even when he had ceased his attentions to her in order to pursue Miss
King, she had excused him, thinking him realistic; when in fact he was simply
mercenary, and nothing else. She felt the heat of shame burning through her.
She had been so willing to believe him! She had readily bought everything said
about Mr. Darcy, even though she had known Wickham but a moment and Darcy for a
month. Bingley trusted him, and what she herself knew of Darcy spoke to truth
and honesty. He may not have been the most cordial or amiable man, but she had
not believed he could be so despicable when she first heard Wickham’s tale. How
quickly she had capitulated! 
Wickham had flattered her and favored her, and she had rewarded him with her
trust. Darcy had insulted her vanity, and she had returned in kind with
contempt and hostility, often teasing him mercilessly. And if she were being
honest with herself, she often did it with the intent of making him
uncomfortable or angry. She'd thought he deserved it.
How long must the man be punished for one rude statement, spoken in an assembly
months before? Elizabeth felt wretched. Here she lay in a soft bed in his more
than comfortable house, enjoying his hospitality, befriending his sister, and
all the while thinking contemptibly of him. How could she have made such a
grievous mistake? She must rectify her behavior. She would be nice to Mr.
Darcy.
With this new resolution in mind, Elizabeth closed her eyes and found a fitful
sleep.

~

The next morning Elizabeth sat up quickly and slid off the bed. She tiptoed to
the dressing room and shut the door gently behind her. She washed up in the
basin, which thankfully had been filled with warm water, 
God bless Hannah!
,
donned a lilac morning
dress and sprinkled lavender water in her hair. Twisting her hair up into a
simple braided knot, she headed downstairs to the breakfast room.
Checking the clock at the bottom of the stairs, she realized it was still
rather early, and began planning what she would do until Georgiana awakened. As
she walked down the wide hall, she noticed a half-open door on her right.
Looking swiftly inside, she saw a massive library filled with books from floor
to ceiling. She let out a light gasp, then afraid she would be caught snooping,
quickly made her way to the breakfast room.
Well,
now I know how I will spend my time when Georgiana is unavailable.
Stepping into the breakfast room, Elizabeth was surprised to see Mr. Darcy
sitting at the table with a newspaper. She quietly made her way over to the
sideboard and began to fill her plate. The soft clinking of dishes made Mr.
Darcy aware that someone else was in the room, and he peeked around the side of
his paper.
"Good morning, Miss Bennet," he said with a smile as he rose and
bowed.
Slightly startled, Elizabeth turned around and curtsied. "Good morning,
Mr. Darcy," she said with a bright smile. 
See how nice I’m being?
 Darcy looked somewhat
surprised, but recovered quickly.
Elizabeth was walking to the table with her plate when she noticed Mrs. Hawkins
entering the room. She set her plate down in front of her chair and walked to
her side. She quietly addressed the housekeeper. 
"Mrs. Hawkins, would you please let Hannah know that Miss Darcy can be
found in my chambers this morning?"
"Yes, Miss Bennet. Thank you."
"Thank you, Mrs. Hawkins," Elizabeth nodded and headed back to the
table. Darcy had been standing the entire time, waiting for Elizabeth to be
seated.
His curiosity piqued, he couldn't resist asking her, "Miss Bennet, what
business could you possibly have with my housekeeper?"
Elizabeth looked at him oddly. But deciding he looked more curious than put
out, she decided to tell him. After all, she was being nice now. "I simply
asked her to let Hannah know that Miss Darcy was to be found in my chambers
this morning and not in her own."
"Oh, did she stay with you all night?"
Elizabeth found this line of questioning a little odd, especially coming from
someone as formal as Mr. Darcy.
"Yes, we were speaking together until rather late and she fell asleep. I
did not want to wake her," she answered hesitantly, her look clearly
telling him she would give away no more.
Slightly embarrassed for his awkward question, Darcy went back to his
newspaper. After a few minutes spent quietly sipping her tea and reading the
lines on the back of Darcy’s paper, she interrupted him.
"Mr. Darcy?"
"Yes, Miss Bennet?"
"I wonder if I could possibly use your library this morning, unless you
had other plans for it?" She looked at him expectantly, a small sparkle in
her eyes.
"Of course you may. I am surprised you have not already availed yourself
of the library. Did Georgiana not give you a tour when you first arrived?"
"She showed me the drawing room, dining room and breakfast parlor, the
music room, and of course my own chambers, but I'm afraid we quite missed the
library," she said with an impish grin.
"Ah, I see," he said with a grin. "Well, I shall show it to you
after breakfast. You're welcome to use it any time of course. My study is in a
separate room, so you will be disturbing no one.”
"I thank you, sir."
Elizabeth finished her breakfast in silence, wondering why Mr. Darcy was being
so friendly. He had already smiled at her several times and even offered to
escort her to the library. This was not the Mr. Darcy of Netherfield
Hall. 
Armed with new information from her conversation with Georgiana, Elizabeth was
beginning to look at Mr. Darcy in a new light. Everything Mr. Wickham had said
was false, she knew now, but she had disliked Mr. Darcy before Wickham. Why was
that again?
Oh, yes! How could she forget? He had refused to dance with her and said she
was merely tolerable. Elizabeth knew she wasn’t as beautiful as Jane, but no
one was. Jane’s beauty was only enhanced by her sweetness, something Elizabeth
knew she would never have. But she was pretty in her own right, and had a
bright complexion. Several people had told her so, and she had eyes and a
mirror.
Yet he had been disdainful to her then and was solicitous of her now. Why the
change?
Oh, Mr. Darcy was an enigma. Just when she thought she was getting a feel for
his true nature, he surprised her.
Well, he certainly makes for an
interesting character study.
And now I have
something else to do during my stay in London
, she thought with
a grin.
“Miss Bennet,” his voice broke through her reverie. “Is something amusing?”
“I’m sorry? Amusing? No, why do you ask?” she asked, slightly chagrined to be
caught thinking about him in his presence.
“You were smiling.”
“Might a person smile without anything being particularly amusing?” She knew it
sounded weak, but she was irritated at being caught and annoyed with herself
for not saving her thoughts for when she was alone. “One can think of something
pleasurable without it being amusing.”
“Indeed,” he said, not fooled in the slightest. “And what pleasures were you
pondering, Miss Bennet?”
“The library, sir. And all the treasures I might find therein." She smiled
innocently.
He set his napkin down on the table and rose. "Then let us be on our way,
Miss Bennet. Far be it from me to suspend any pleasure of yours." His
expression was smooth, but neither missed the significance of his words, nor
had they forgotten the first time he had spoken them. She swallowed hard and
rose to follow him.
The library was on the main floor and not too far from the breakfast parlor.
Thinking they would head to the room she had passed earlier off the main
hallway, she was surprised when Mr. Darcy turned a corner into a short corridor
and opened the door at the end. No wonder she hadn’t seen it on her own; it was
rather out of the way.
When she entered, Elizabeth gave a small gasp. Her eyes widened as she stepped
into the room, her gaze falling upon shelf after shelf of books. The cases went
from floor to ceiling, which was rather high, and there was a rolling ladder in
the corner to reach the highest volumes.
The far wall had three large windows, beginning knee height off the floor and
extending nearly to the ceiling, twice the width of a normal window, and
bathing the room in light. Each had a seat built into it, covered by a thick
cushion. Between each window was another bookshelf, filled with leather spines
and gold leaf print.
Elizabeth turned around slowly, taking it all in. Her eyes only became wider as
each new view showed more bookcases overflowing with perfectly kept books.
There was a fireplace on one end of the narrow room, flanked by a pair of
wingback chairs. In the center of the room, there was a round table with four
chairs and a sofa and smaller tables on the other end.
Every wall was covered in bookcases, each shelf filled to capacity. The only
sound was Elizabeth’s breathing and the crackling of the fire.
She had forgotten Darcy was there, fascinated as she was with this incomparable
room. As she turned back in his direction, she noticed his expression. It was
different somehow; softer, less guarded. His eyes met hers and they regarded
each other silently for a moment. In his eyes she saw something she had never
seen there before; generosity, warmth, a sense of comfort she wasn’t used to
seeing in him.
“Forgive me, Mr. Darcy. I fear I am a bit overcome,” she said quietly.
“There is nothing to forgive, Miss Bennet. Please, enjoy the library as much as
you’d like on your stay here. If you’ll excuse me,” said Darcy, and with a
slight bow, he turned and left, retreating into his mask of civility once
again.
Elizabeth shook off her shock and began to explore the library. She found the
cases to be organized according to subject, and within that, according to date.
“An organized and fastidious library, for an organized and fastidious master,”
she murmured to herself. She found a shelf with poetry, and choosing a volume,
she quickly made herself comfortable in the soft chair in front of the fire.
On the other side of the wall, Darcy was in his study trying to concentrate. It
was becoming increasingly difficult with the knowledge that Elizabeth was, at
this very moment, on the other side of the wall, relaxing in his library.
Alone.
He was manfully fighting an intense urge to take her by the hand and show her
his favorite books in the library, then lead her to settle in front of the fire
where he would hold her in his arms and read to her - among other things. “Get
a hold of yourself, man! You can withstand this. You
shall
withstand this!”
The look on her face as she’d taken in the library, the expression in her eyes,
was unforgettable. She was completely enraptured, perfectly happy, and totally
genuine. She was so unguarded, so utterly artless, he could not fail to be
drawn into her joy. His pleasure at her enjoying his home so much – his 
library, his favorite room in the house – was immeasurable. He couldn’t fathom
how he could feel so happy over something as small as Elizabeth liking his
library. It made him want to make her happy again, and before he knew what he
was about, he was envisioning all the places he would like to show her and see
that look of wonder in her eyes again.

~

Friday afternoon brought Lady Matlock to Darcy House. As it happened, Darcy was
fencing with Sir Malcolm, and as usual, Georgiana and Elizabeth were working on
their latest duet in the music room when the butler announced her Ladyship.
“Lady Helen!” Georgiana sprang up from the bench and walked quickly to her
aunt, clearly holding back a skip.
“I hope you don’t mind dear, I just had Hawkins bring me straight back. I hope
I’m not disturbing you? Do you have guests?”
“Of course you’re not disturbing anything, Aunt! May I introduce my friend,
Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn in Hertfordshire.” Elizabeth curtseyed.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, dear. Georgiana has gone on and on about you.”
Georgiana blushed and looked at the carpet.
Elizabeth smiled widely and said, “She has told me much about you as well, your
Ladyship.”
The three ladies spent the next hour discussing all manner of topics and doing
a great bit of laughing, when Lady Matlock suddenly interjected, “Oh,
Georgiana! I have been having such a pleasant time, I almost forgot what I came
here to tell you. I am hosting a ball in a fortnight and I want Fitzwilliam to
bring you. And you must attend as well, Miss Bennet, of course.”
Georgiana went pale. “You want me to go to a ball? But I am not yet out.”
“Yes dear, I know, but you did just turn sixteen, and it is not unusual for
girls your age to attend family functions such as this. Of course you will only
be permitted to dance with family members, but between the Earl, Fitzwilliam,
and your cousins, I imagine you’ll have a lovely time. And it will give you
practice so that you’ll be better prepared for next season.”
Seeing her distress, Elizabeth reached over and grabbed Georgiana’s hand. It
did not go unnoticed by Lady Matlock.
“It will be a small affair, dearest. Only the family, and our oldest and
closest friends. That is why I thought it would be the perfect time for you try
out your dancing and get familiar with the workings of a ballroom. No one shall
ask you to dance that isn’t family, which will allow you to acclimate to the
surroundings. Next year, however, you are likely to have a full card, and
you’ll want to know what you’re about,” she said with authority.
“Yes, Aunt, I know you are right. It is wise for me have some practice. What
should I wear? I suppose I have nothing appropriate.”
“We shall have to go shopping, of course. I’ve made an appointment for Tuesday.
You will join us, of course, Miss Bennet.” It was not a request.
“I should like to accompany you, Lady Matlock.”
“It’s all settled then. I shall pick you up Tuesday morning at eleven o’clock.”
She smiled at them, kissed Georgiana, told Elizabeth how pleasant it had been
to meet her, and departed.
Lady Matlock left Darcy House in high spirits. She had heard about Miss Bennet
from Georgiana, and knowing her nature, she knew how difficult it was for her
to make friends. And knowing how attractive her brother, or rather her brother’s
wealth, was to so many ladies of the ton, she knew Georgiana was inundated with
requests for friendship by women wanting nothing of the sort, but who only
wanted to ingratiate themselves with Darcy’s beloved sister. It was widely
known how devoted he was to her, and more than one lady had tried to take
advantage of that fact.
A certain Miss Bingley came to mind. Lady Matlock had been able to scare off
all the others, but because Mr. Bingley was Darcy’s good friend, she could
hardly make Darcy House forbidden to his sister. At least she wasn’t on the
guest list for the ball; there was one simpering smile she could forego for the
evening.
As the mother of two rather eligible bachelors and the aunt of another, she
knew her fair share of blushing ladies and their scheming mamas. She was ever
diligent to protect her family from those whose sole purpose was mercenary.
That was one reason she had ‘surprised’ Georgiana with this visit today; she
wanted to see this Elizabeth Bennet for herself. She was quite relieved to find
that she was a genuine friend, and she hadn’t mentioned Mr. Darcy once, which
was a singular occurrence. When talking to Caroline Bingley, Lady Matlock had
given up counting how many times Mr. Darcy or Pemberley was mentioned in one
conversation when she got to fifteen. She found Elizabeth unaffected and
charming, and that is exactly what she told her husband when she returned home.