Kitty and Lydia could not help staring at Miss Darcy. What a lovely gown she had! And her little boots! Could her feet truly be that small?
Georgiana immediately became nervous under their scrutiny. She turned, appealingly, to Elizabeth, who understood at once the cause of their shy guest’s concern.
“Kitty, Lydia, stop staring at Miss Darcy,” she ordered. “She will think you completely mannerless!”
“I cannot help it,” Lydia declared. “Upon my word, I have never seen such a pretty day dress, nor such beautiful slippers!”
“Nor I,” faithful Kitty added. “We must look like peasants in comparison!”
Georgiana, surprised, laughed aloud, causing her brother to turn to her in astonishment. He had not heard her laugh so easily for far too long.
“You certainly do not look like peasants,” she declared. “The shoes are cut in a way to make my feet look smaller. And this is my very best day dress. I only wear it on special occasions.”
Kitty and Lydia grinned at one another, delighted at the idea that meeting them was considered a special occasion by someone as obviously wealthy and important as Miss Darcy!
Miss Bingley could not bear to be ignored, and could bear it even less when someone else’s costume was complimented, and her own was not. She tossed her head, and said, “Oh, of course no one out here in the wild could compete with London modistes!”
Lydia turned to her and opened her mouth – doubtless to say something that would put Miss Bingley in her place – so Elizabeth interrupted hastily. “Miss Darcy, I do hope that you and Mary will agree to play again today. Yesterday was wonderful!”
Miss Bingley looked over at Mary in some disbelief. “You play the pianoforte?”
Mary was unequal to answering Miss Bingley’s sarcasm; she flushed and looked down.
But Lydia was not so easily cowed. “Even out here in the wild, we have pianofortes, Miss Bingley.”
“But not masters of note, I wager,” Miss Bingley said at once.
Georgiana promptly said, “And yet, Miss Bingley, out in the wilds of Derbyshire, I have managed to become proficient.”
Mr. Darcy was now more than surprised; he was nearly shocked. That Georgiana would so voice her opinion to Miss Bingley in order to protect her new friends – it was everything astonishing!He wished he could applaud his sister’s response, but of course he could not. Instead, he nodded with unusual vigour.
Mary rose to go to the instrument. She had been sitting beside Jane, but when she left her sister’s side, Mr. Bingley immediately took Mary’s seat. This was not missed by Miss Bingley; she looked at her brother in astonishment and then displeasure.
Georgiana whispered to Mary, “Do not let Miss Bingley distress you, Miss Mary; she has always been…difficult.”
Mary whispered back, “My sister Lydia would doubtless use a different word.”
Georgiana bit back a laugh. “On four, then. One, two, three, four…” And they began.
The room filled with music. Mr. Darcy glanced at Miss Bingley, whose arms were folded, eyes narrowed, a frown on her face.
Then he moved his gaze to Miss Elizabeth, who had leant back on her sofa, eyes closed, a smile on her face, clearly appreciating the experience. She had told him that she played, though not nearly on the level as the two currently at the instrument. But she did not let petty envy get in the way of her appreciation. She is more than just kind, he thought, recalling how she had immediately jumped in to make Georgiana comfortable when the two youngest girls stared at her. There is something…something lovely about her, he thought. And not just her appearance.
When the music ended, Miss Elizabeth leaped to her feet, applauding, and then walked swiftly to the two pianists and kissed them both on their cheeks. “That was wonderful!” she declared. “I could listen to that every day of my life and never weary of it.”
Everyone else applauded and expressed their delight. Miss Bingley looked over at her brother, still sitting by Jane’s side, hoping to prompt him to ask her to perform, but he was completely unaware of his sister’s expectant face. He was too wrapped up in whispering with Jane.
Finally, Miss Bingley cleared her throat. “I would not be adverse to entertaining the company,” she said, loudly.
Mrs. Bennet looked startled. “Oh, I do apologise, Miss Bingley. I am certain we would be happy to hear you play.”
Mary and Georgiana left the bench and Miss Bingley hastened to take their place. She launched into Haydn’sSonata in E Major, which she played with a good deal of precision and speed. Everyone sat through it politely, and then applauded for her at the end. She smiled and returned to her seat, satisfied that she had made her point about the superiority of London masters.
But the applause faded quickly, and soon small conversational groups had formed. Mr. Darcy found himself beside Elizabeth, though he was uncertain as to how, exactly, he had gotten there. Mr. Bingley did not move from Jane’s side. Kitty, Lydia and Mary surrounded Georgiana, chattering excitedly about everything from music (Mary) to fashion (Kitty and Lydia).
This left Mrs. Bennet and Miss Bingley, and Mrs. Bennet was far too practised a hostess to leave her guest sitting by herself. She moved to sit beside Miss Bingley and did her best to engage her visitor. “Miss Bingley,” she began. “I invited your party to dinner Tuesday next, and your brother said he could speak for everyone’s presence except your own, as he did not know your social schedule. Might you be persuaded to join the company?”
Miss Bingley found herself in an awkward position. She did not want to be in the presence of the Bennets for a minute longer than necessary, but neither did she wish to be left out. After along minute – too long for good manners, truth be told – she finally agreed that she would come to dinner.
