“My late Reggie and I, in fact, all of the family, called Lizzy our little whirlwind. I am happy to report that at Snowhaven, she was as she was when she lived with you,” Elaine smiled the smile only parents can share when they love the same child.
“We all called her a whirlwind,” Will contributed.
“Do not forget Sweetling and Sprite,” Richard added with a grin.
“Lizzy was very intelligent; she started to talk early, although, as you found out, she had not mastered pronunciation yet,” Bennet had a fond smile as he remembered his little Lizzy.“She loved me reading to her, and although she could not read, she always wanted to hold a book when I read to her, and one was never enough.”
“One is definitely not enough even still today; do you have any idea what it is like trying to win an argument with one that remembers every word that she has read? She will take a position that she does not hold at times just to make the debate more interesting,” William shared.
“Iamhere, you know!” Lizzy stated pertly.
“How could we forget, Sprite?” Richard drawled.
“Itch!” If her birth family were not there, she would have jumped up and chased her brother, but she decided to act ladylike, at least for a while longer.
“I believe there was talk of a chess match,” George Darcy reminded the combatants.
“So, Darcy, you want to see me humbled by a young lady?” Bennet asked.
“Just as the rest of us have been when we tried to beat her!” came George’s reply.
As if by mutual agreement, the two took up their positions at the board waiting for them in the corner of the drawing room. The rest of the family formed a semi-circle to watch the game, not just two years in the making, all knowing it was actually far more years than two. Andrew picked up both a black and white pawn, then mixed them behind his back and then offered Bennet the pick. He deferred the pick to Elizabeth, who chose white.
Someone had quipped about five minutes; but it did not even take that long. Bennet was amazed as he watched his second daughter wait for him to make his second move. From that point it seemed as if she had his number, knew what he would do before he did. He was fascinated as her eyes kept track of each piece on the board and how she would make her move the instant he removed his finger from his piece. In less than four minutes it was over.
“When we played by post, you did not have a board set up, did you?” he asked, but he was sure that he knew the answer before she gave it.
“No, Uncle Thomas, there was no board,” she informed him almost apologetically.
“You remembered all in your head. Amazing!” Bennet had heard talk about her memory, but now he started to understand just how special Elizabeth was.“Have you read Romeo and Juliet?” he asked, and she nodded.“Act Four Scene One,” he challenged.
Elizabeth gave him a look of‘that is too easy’and she started to recite:
Enter Friar Lawrence and Paris
Friar Lawrence
On Thursday, sir? The time is very short.
Paris
My Father Capulet will have it so,
And I am nothing slow to slack his haste.
Friar Lawrence
You say you do not know the Lady’s mind.
Uneven is the course. I like it not.
Paris
Immoderately…
“Enough!” exclaimed Bennet, who took a moment to align his thoughts and turned to Will.“Yes, Will, I can see how trying to win a debate against my niece could be very frustrating.”
“But well worth the challenge, Uncle Thomas,” Andrew added.
