But he had told Maggie he would have his chef make them especially for her. He had promised, and even though it had only been a ploy to convince the girl to stay still, he was obliged to do so. He was a man of his word, and a man of his word kept his promises.
When they returned home, he went to his desk and sent out a letter, then went in search of his sister.
“I have written a letter to the Gardiners,” he said. “I remembered a promise I made, and I believe I have to keep it.”
Georgiana smiled and touched him lightly on his upper arm. “I am glad you changed your mind, William. It is the right thing to do.”
Was it? There was no way of knowing, but it was done now, and he just hoped he would not come to regret it.
Chapter 7
Having made up his mind to visit the Gardiners, Darcy was gripped by a sense of urgency. He had already delayed enough. He quickly made his way downstairs to speak to the pastry chef. It would be simpler to explain what he wanted directly, without intermediaries.
The kitchen workers were startled at this unusual visit by the master of the house, curtseying and bowing hastily.
Darcy addressed the French pastry chef. “Moreau, I have come to you with an unusual request, at least for midwinter. I would like you to make some ices.”
If Moreau was surprised, he did not show it. “I can arrange for it, sir,” he said. “What flavor did you have in mind?”
Darcy recalled the game they had played.
“Strawberry.”
Moreau balked. “Strawberries could be difficult this time of the year, Mr. Darcy.”
“But not impossible.”
The chef sighed. “I will certainly do my best, Mr. Darcy. When would you like me to prepare these ices?”
“Preferably today.”
The chef’s brow twitched. “Very well. How many portions did you have in mind?”
Darcy thought about it. It was a great deal of trouble for just one portion for Maggie. Miss Bennet would no doubt enjoy some, and he supposed he should make enough for the Gardiners to enjoy. He did not know if they had other children, so he would count two more. And for him and Georgiana.
“Eight portions will do,” said Darcy. “And it needs to be carefully packed. I will be taking it somewhere else. Send word upstairs when you think it will be ready.”
He left Moreau barking orders at the staff. There would probably be some grumbling, but, unlike many of his peers, he did not make these kinds of sudden requests very often. It must seem whimsical for him to demand strawberries at this time of the year, but it was worth it to indulge a child who had been so terrified.
Next, he had the rocking horse brought down from the attic and asked for it to be cleaned and the wood polished until it shined.
Having accomplished what he set out to do, he went upstairs in a much better mood than he had been in the past few days. He had been wrong to ignore Mr. Gardiner’s letters. Rebuffing the Gardiners simply because they lived in Cheapside had not sat well with him. He had several acquaintances who came from trade. Mr. Charles Bingley was a close friend of his, even though his father’s fortune had been earned exclusively from manufacturing in the north.
He called for his valet to help him with a change of clothing, told Georgiana to be ready, and went to his library to write a note to Mr. Gardiner informing him of his intention to visit later that afternoon. He then settled down to deal with some correspondence while he waited for word to be sent up by Moreau.
It was quite late in the afternoon when a maid scratched on the library door to tell him the ices were ready.
There was no time to be lost. He hurried to find Georgiana, who was reading a novel in the parlor.
“I have received word from the kitchen that the ices have been prepared and packed in ice. Are you ready to leave?”
Georgiana brightened and put her book down. “I am. I would love to see little Margaret again. And Miss Bennet, as well. I am glad you changed your mind, William. I would like to further our acquaintance.”
“Let us not get ahead of ourselves,” said Darcy, determined to limit Georgiana’s expectations. “We are just calling this once, to fulfil a promise I made but I had forgotten.”
Georgiana nodded, but she gave him a quizzing smile. “Very well, Brother. I understand perfectly.”
The arrival of Mr. Darcy’s unexpected note took everyone by surprise. Mrs. Gardiner sent on the message to Mr. Gardiner at his place of work. Mr. Gardiner arrived a few minutes later, and the announcement that he would be calling that very afternoon caused a flurry of activity as Mrs. Gardiner prepared to receive him. She set the servants in a frenzy of cleaning and polishing.
