Yes, a very important distinction. Husbands are infuriating.
"You could have taken your port in here," I ground out, my jaw clenched in annoyance.
"We had things we needed to discuss privately," Darcy said with a significant glance towards Mr. Bingley who was clutching the coffee I had just handed to him, standing nervously in the center of the room as if he did not know what to do with himself while staring longingly at Jane.
Meanwhile Jane was not looking at Mr. Bingley at all, very purposefully not looking athim, as she discussed beetles solemnly with Dora.
I thrust a cup at Darcy who winced as a good deal of coffee sloshed over the edges onto his hand.
"Let's play charades."
My announcement elicited a happy exclamation from Mr. Bingley, pleased smiles from Georgiana and Jane, and a tolerant grimace-that-is-trying-very-hard-to-be-a-smile from Dora. From Darcy it evoked a wrathful glare as if I had just suggested sacrificing a goat in some sort of demonic ritual.
"No," he said. Rather forcefully and I think he realized he had said it too forcefully for he looked abashed for half a second. Which of course only meant he had to reassert his stupid statement because he is Mr. Darcy and he will not be made to feel abashed.
"I don't like charades," he said as if it were some justification for ruining the amusement of everyone else.
"Fine," I said crossing the room to the pianoforte. I sat down at the instrument. "I will play. You said only yesterday how you wished to hear me."
"I did?" Darcy asked with some confusion. I gave him The Stare. If he can use The Glare I can use The Stare. It's only fair.
Darcy, perhaps finally realizing he was a gentleman and therefore could not be seen to be contradicting a lady, said "Yes, of course I did."
"And you will turn the pages for me," I added.
"Surely Georgiana could—"
Again I utilized the Stare.
"Of course I will," Darcy said reluctantly, then he crossed the room to stand next to me.
Mr. Bingley took the seat next to Jane and spoke some quiet message that made her smile. Mwahahaha.
"You are a menace," Darcy whispered.
"Genius, you say?" I asked, pretending I misheard him. "I don't know about that, but I am certainly brilliant."
"What will you play?"
I shifted through the sheet music hoping for something familiar. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
"Whatever you wish."
"Yes, I should choose since I so desperately wished to hear you play."
"Exactly."
Darcy smirked. I did not like that smirk.
"This," he said, selecting a song that was most certainly beyond me.
Jane's careful, pleasant laugh rang out, harmonizing with Mr. Bingley's more ebullient chuckle as they shared some private mirth reminding me why making a fool of myself was completely worth it. I started to play. My progress was halting and terribly out of time and Darcy appeared pained.
"You are not going to sing?" he asked.
"I am doing well just to play."
"Are you?"
