Page 71 of Mr. Darcy Comes to Town

“Now, I think,” Darcy said, reaching back onto the seat for the plain wooden box.

He heard the front door open, and they turned toward it. At the same time, a groom hurried around from the side of the house and went to his horse’s head. Darcy nodded his thanks and held out his arm for his sister. She took it, and they climbed the few steps to the porch.

“Good afternoon, Hill,” Darcy said to the middle-aged butler.

“Good afternoon, sir, miss. Kindly enter.”

Hill stood out of the way, permitting Darcy and Georgiana to enter before him. In the entrance hall, they found Miss Elizabeth and Miss Mary descending the staircase to greet them. Miss Elizabeth looked charming in a soft pink and willow-green-trimmed traveling gown, topped with a willow-green spencer. She carried a bonnet of pale straw with long ribands of pink. Darcy noted its shallow brim with approval. Ladies might prefer to shade their faces entirely, but he preferred to be able to see their expressions.

Miss Mary’s day dress, however, had been made from a sober, dusky-blue, with no embellishments. Long sleeves covered her arms, ending in cuffs with the barest narrow ruffle trim. Darcy thought she dressed like a poor relative or a companion, except that the cut was good and the fabric was finely woven.

Georgiana hurried forward to meet her new friends. “Hello,” she said, smiling shyly. “I have brought thank you gifts for you—for being so kind to me. Here, Mary, this is for you. Lizzy, this one is yours.”

“Goodness,” Miss Mary said, smiling hesitantly back. She took the gift with fingers that trembled. “There was no need for a gift, Georgiana. But, thank you.”

“Yes, indeed,” Miss Elizabeth said, smiling broadly. She turned her gaze to meet Darcy’s for a fleeting second before she concentrated on her gift. “Mary, you go first.”

Miss Mary blushed and pulled the riband binding the muslin over the bookmark. The fabric fell aside, and she spied the beautifully wrought bookmark.

“Oh, how lovely,” she breathed.

“I know how much you like to read,” Georgiana explained.

“‘Hope’,” Miss Mary read aloud. With a glowing expression, she said, “Thank you. So much. I love it.”

“You are welcome.” Georgiana looked at Miss Elizabeth. “Now yours.”

Miss Elizabeth pulled the riband on her muslin package, revealing the lace cuffs. “Georgiana, what beautiful cuffs.” She held them to her chest like they were precious. “I must think on which of my dresses I should apply them to. Thank you. How thoughtful you are.”

Georgiana blushed and appeared flustered. After taking a deep breath, she said to Miss Mary, “Shall we go to your music room?”

Miss Mary nodded, and they hurried away, their heads together as they whispered secrets to each other.

Miss Elizabeth turned to Hill. “Will you have these put in my bedchamber, please?”

“As you wish, miss,” Hill said, gently taking the gift and wrapping them once more in the muslin.

“Thank you,” she said. Smiling up at Darcy first, she skipped over to a hall table where a folded piece of dun-colored fabric sat. “I am bringing an apron.”

“Why?” Darcy asked. When she handed it to him, he automatically took it. To his surprise, she peered after her sister and Georgiana, putting on her bonnet at the same time.

Seemingly satisfied, she leaned close to him and softly explained. “I have found some puppies. I thought, if you have no objection, we could drive to see them. I want the apron to protect my dress.”

Darcy blinked at her, surprised. “I have no objection. None at all.”

“Excellent,” Miss Elizabeth said, jabbing several hatpins through the crown of her bonnet. She loosely tied the riband, depending on the hatpins to hold her covering in place. Miss Elizabeth looked at the box in his hands and raised her eyebrows. “What is in your box, if I may ask?”

“I have brought a gift for your cook,” Darcy said, presenting her with the wooden box.

She slowly took it, her eyes wide. “For Cook? Whatever can it be?”

“You may open it first, if you wish. It is not personal.”

Miss Elizabeth blinked several times before she unlatched the box and opened the hinged lid. She gave a short laugh and grinned wide. “A tin mug.”

“I thought she might like to attempt some of her recipes using this mug. The tinsmith lives in your village, too, if she would like to obtain more, or a different one if this one does not do the trick.” He pointed to the card he had put in the box. “His direction is on my card, there.”

“We are familiar with Mr. Munk.” Miss Elizabeth said, shaking her head slowly. “Mr. Darcy, how considerate you are to remember.”