Rather than reply Darcy began to croon in a low voice. “Ba-ba black sheep, why are you awake? Have you not already been sheared?”
The girl stirred and buried her face deep into Darcy’s coat, and her eyes fluttered shut as Darcy continued into the next verse.
“Yes, sir, yes, sir. I am still awake, for three, three reasons. One to keep the master singing, one to keep my sweet nurse busy, and one for the happy little girl who lives down the lane.”
Darcy stopped his song for a moment, and then the girl pushed herself up on his chest and exclaimed, “Ge, ge, ge!”
Darcy began the song again, and each time he’d finished a rendition she said, “Ge, ge, ge.”
Eventually though Emily did not make a fierce complaint upon the end of the song. Darcy sang it through once more to be sure, and then he sang one time through the original words of “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.”
He quietly asked, “Can you see if her eyes are shut?”
Elizabeth replied in a whisper, “For the last few minutes.”
“All quite satisfactory then.” Darcy’s voice was louder than Elizabeth expected given the general parental terror ofwaking the baby. Perhaps correctly understanding her expression, Darcy added, “We can speak in an ordinary soft voice. Once she is asleep, she does not awake so easily.”
He sat down on the chair, carefully keeping Emily cradled against his coat. “What subject had we been canvassing?”
“I do not believe,” Elizabeth replied, “that is the version of the song inTommy Thumb’s Song Book.”
Darcy laughed, though he repressed the motion to avoid shaking the baby. “She demands I repeat her favourite songs endlessly.”
“I observed,” Elizabeth replied dryly.
“Yes, well.” Darcy had a half embarrassed smile. “It would tire me beyond imagining, and it would pain my very soul if I could insert no variety into these songs. And she often prefers my little compositions to the originals, in any case.”
“Which I also observed.” Elizabeth pressed her lips together to hide her smile.
“Let me see if I can recall — you asked if I have her dine with guests.” Darcy leaned further back into the chair, changed the angle at which Emily lay on him, so that he did not need to work so hard to keep her stable on his shoulder. “I do not. Emily could not like a meal if I expected her to deny the dictates of nature.”
“The dictates of nature? Whatever do you mean?”
“The need to throw the pudding against the wall, the porridge upon the floor, and to put the meat by hand into themouths of all other persons present, whether they desire to eat more or not.”
Elizabeth laughed at hearing all of that described as “dictates of nature”.
“Her nature further requires that she toss the gravy over all her face and clothes.” Darcy lowered his voice. “She is not tidy at her plates.”
“Atherage!” Elizabeth replied in afauxshocked whisper. “You must be exceedingly shamed to have a child past a year of age who does not manage her forks more neatly than a French nobleman.”
“I am too confused to feel shame. Is it not etiquette inborn in those gentle born?”
“And at what agearechildren expected to have masteredeveryetiquette? Seven?”
“Would it not be excessive to expect them to mastereveryetiquette?”
Elizabeth nodded seriously in reply. “Iam a vulgar hoyden as well. I have no notion of how a woman in China or in unexplored Africa ought to go about the delicate task of proper eating.”
“There would be nothing wanting at any table you graced,” Darcy replied, and then he flushed and looked down.
Elizabeth flushed as well.
It was impossible to not suspect that Charlotte’s view that he admired her was correct.
After an awkward pause, Darcy said, “My clothes have not infrequently become wholly covered in food, to the despair of my valet. When Emily was very young, and expelled her milk constantly, I bought several coats of cheaper materials to wear while I held her.”
Elizabeth sighed laughingly. “You are the perfect father. I understand why you insist that she does not need a mother.”
