The nursemaid came in with the two other children.
“You remember Harry and Thomas, do you not, Mr. Darcy?” said Mr. Gardiner.
“Good evening, sir.” The boys bowed.
“Of course,” said Mr. Darcy, bowing back gravely. “Master Harry. Master Thomas.”
The boys went up to Mr. Millett and talked to him in a familiar manner. It was obvious that the children already knew Mr. Millett very well.
Darcy now wished he had not been quite so formal with them. How stodgy he must seem!
He was not used to such informal settings, he decided. He looked around at the smiling faces, the clear affection between the parents and the children. It struck a strange chord in him. His own family had never been close like this. Mama was always too occupied with visits and friends to offer much more than a quick pat on the head. Papa had taught him how to manage the estate and the requirements of being a gentleman, but in some ways, he was more of tutor than a father.
This was very different.
“Mr. Darcy, would you like to inspect the rocking horse?” said Maggie, tucking her hand into his. “I promised I would take very good care of it, and I have. I made sure my brothers did the same.”
Darcy smiled at the idea of such a small figure holding off her older brothers. “I am certainly relieved to hear it, Miss Margaret,” he said. “Yes, I would like to assure myself of the rocking-horse’s wellbeing.”
Mrs. Gardiner shook her head. “Oh, that is not possible at the moment. The rocking horse has been moved to the nursery, Mr. Darcy.”
She turned to her daughter. “Maggie, you cannot take Mr. Darcy upstairs.”
“It is a long trek for my weary legs, Miss Margaret,” added Darcy, gently, seeing the disappointment on the child’s face.
“Why are your legs weary, sir?”
“You ask too many questions,” said her mother. “Anyway, it is almost time for dinner. Perhaps another day.”
It warmed him to imagine future visits, and that his clumsy proposal had not destroyed his relationship with the Gardiners at least. Perhaps there was hope that he might be able to connect again with Miss Bennet after all.
Meanwhile, Maggie seemed to accept her mother’s statement. She came to perch on the arm of his chair, then jumped up.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” she said. “I have something to show you. I will go upstairs and fetch it.”
She came down soon afterwards with a slate and a drawing of a child and a man standing together.
“Is that me?” he said. “What is that strange object on my head. It is not an eel, is it?”
Maggie giggled. “Of course not! It is a weed.”
It was strange to think that this was how the child thought of him. Not a tall man in a top hat, but a man with weeds in his hair.
“I like this drawing. May I keep it?”
Maggie hesitated. “Umm, I think I should keep it. Then I can look after it properly and make sure the chalk is not smudged.”
Having shown him the drawing, her attention was now diverted to Georgiana, who was explaining a game she had learned at school to the boys. Watching her interact with the children, reminded him how young his sister still was. She may be on the cusp of becoming a young lady, but she was still very much a child.
It warmed him that she, at least, felt at ease in this environment. If only he felt the same!
Then Miss Bennet laughed at something Mr. Millett said, and Darcy forgot about everyone else.
Chapter 16
The table had been set up to encourage conversation rather than formality. Mr. Gardiner, as was the custom, sat at the top of the table, with Mrs. Gardiner on his right rather than at the other end. Except that it was all a very lopsided arrangement. Next to Mrs. Gardiner was Miss Bennet, and, to her left was Mr. Millett, directly opposite Darcy. This meant that Darcy could not speak to Elizabeth without being heard by Mr. Millett.
“Mr. Darcy,” said Mr. Gardiner cheerfully. “Please take a seat next to me. We usually sit like this when the children are with us. I hope you do not mind.”
