“Would you wish to join me in my music lessons?” Elizabeth asked.
Mary’s head snapped up.
“You would not mind?”
“No, of course not. You have shown great improvement in your playing this year. I know Mrs. Fitzwallace is a good teacher, but Mr. Squire is excellent, and though he is patient with me, he will be delighted to have you to work with. You are much more diligent in your practice. And perhaps you would like to try the harp. If you learn to play, maybe we can convince Papa to buy one for us at Longbourn so I don’t have to go nine months in between practicing.”
“I should like that very much.”
“Wonderful, we will be playing duets in no time,” Elizabeth declared, drawing closer to Mary and looping their arms. “Or perhaps you shall play with Georgiana, and I will sing.”
Mary looked at her sister for a long moment before asking, “Do you think Miss Darcy will like me?”
“Mary, you need not worry,” Mr. Gardiner answered, “Miss Darcy is very kind and will welcome you with open arms.”
Though she nodded, Elizabeth sensed her sister was not entirely satisfied with this answer.
“That is very true,” she told Mary. “I also know she will like you straight away. You and she remind me of one another. You are both shy in larger groups or with people you don’t know. You are both kind and intelligent, and you both like music—studying it and playing it.”
“I look forward to meeting her,” Mary said.
“And she you,” Lizzy answered. When Mary regarded her with a question in her eyes, she went on to explain, “When I knew you would be accompanying me, I wrote Georgiana to tell her. I have told her of all my little sisters for years, and she is excited to get to know you in person and not simply through my stories. I imagine she wants to see if I have been truthful in my characterisations.”
“And have you?” Mary asked, a rare hint of teasing in her voice.
“More or less,” Lizzy answered with a look of mock solemnity. “You will have to ask her yourself. I hope we might visit Pemberley as soon as tomorrow.”
“The Darcys returned to Derbyshire last week. You and your aunt can pay a call tomorrow. I am certain she kept her schedule clear for that very purpose.”
And though she had done so many times before Lizzy spent the next few minutes describing Pemberley, its stables, woods and gardens to her younger sister, who listened and questioned Elizabeth as if this was all new information. Mr. Gardiner listened to them with delight. He had not seen Mary since they spent Christmas at Longbourn two years ago and was not certain what to expect from their fourteen-year-old niece. She was the sister Elizabeth spoke of least often. Elizabeth’s letters and her tales when visiting were full of Jane, as they spent the most time together. She mentioned Kitty and Lydia nearly as often—relaying the games she played with them, the silly fights they had or the new things they were learning and doing through the years. Mary was an occasional character in the family picture Elizabeth painted, often in the background and never really developed. If the interactions he had with her over the past day and those he observed between the sisters were any indication, Miss Mary would be a wonderful addition to their family party for the summer.
“Will you join Lizzy in her music lessons, Miss Mary?” Mr. Barlow asked shortly after the five of them sat down to dinner.
It was, not unusually, a congenial affair. Mary had already opened up a great deal. This was likely due to her aunt’s kind attention and Elizabeth’s enthusiastic recitation of all thethings, people and places she would introduce her to It was also helped by the smaller number of people around the table vying to be heard.
“She has invited me to,” Mary responded with some hesitation. After looking to her sister, who nodded and smiled her encouragement, Mary added, “I should like that very much if my aunt and uncle have no objection.”
“Of course, Mary,” Mrs. Gardiner replied, knowing her husband had already given his enthusiastic consent during their journey. “We would be delighted. I will send word to Mr. Squire that we shall extend the length of his lessons to accommodate an extra pupil.”
Mary and Georgiana met the very next day when that young lady and her father called at Barlow Hall. The ladies of the house were taking tea in the parlour, while Mr. Barlow and Mr. Gardiner visited a neighbouring estate to discuss an issue with flooding which affected both properties.
“I hope you will excuse our terrible manners,” Mr. Darcy said after they were announced. “Miss Darcy and I were eager to see Miss Elizabeth and meet Miss Mary.”
“With such a defence as this, how could we not excuse what is, in reality, no offence at all,” Mrs. Gardiner answered.
“You are too good.”
Mrs. Gardiner smiled her acceptance of the compliment and began to perform the introductions.
“Mary, this is Mr. Darcy and Miss Georgiana Darcy.”
Mary, though blushing and standing half behind her sister, acknowledged the introduction with a quick curtsy.
“Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy this is my niece, Miss Mary Bennet.”
“We are so pleased to meet you at last, Miss Mary,” Mr. Darcy said, smiling softly at Mary.
When it seemed that neither Mary nor Georgiana was able to overcome their inherent shyness to allow them to speak, Elizabeth stepped in.
