Page 7 of To Love And To Cherish
Mrs. Gardiner lingered by the parlor door a moment, listening with quiet interest as Edward said, “I understand you are soon to embark on a Grand Tour?”
Darcy’s voice, low and measured, carried to her ears. “That is the plan, sir. My tutor is concluding his term at Cambridge and will accompany me and my cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam, come August. Until then, I am here in town, my father forbids me to socialize with my school friends while I wait, so I am, as they say, kicking my heels.”
She smiled faintly and returned to the drawing room. Not long after, the two men rejoined the women.
That evening, after the lamps were lit and the tea things cleared away, Mr. Gardiner persuaded his niece to sing. Elizabeth took her seat at the piano.
Her soprano was rich and full, carrying the sorrow and mystery of each melody with a quiet power that silenced the room. She began with"Brown Adam,"a haunting tale of love and betrayal, followed by"The Daemon Lover,"her voice deepening into its darker tones as the verses unfolded.The Flowers of the Forestbrought tears to Mrs. Gardiner’s eyes, and when she sangThe Elfin King, the final notes hung in the air like mist upon the moor.
Afterward, conversation resumed in hushed tones. Darcy turned to her and said, “Miss Elizabeth, you have an extraordinary voice for one so young.”
Her brow arched. “Is that meant to be a compliment, Mr. Darcy?”
Frowning slightly, she gave his arm a light swat. He laughed.
“That did come out wrong,” he admitted. “What I meant to say is that you have a truly lovely voice. But you are so young, I wondered whether you have studied with a master since childhood?”
Elizabeth’s expression softened. “Ah, I see. No, Mr. Darcy. My voice is simply a gift for which I am very grateful. I have not studied with a master, my mother would not have permitted it, so I never asked. Singing helps me sort through feelings that are sometimes too large to keep inside.”
She brightened and suggested a game of chess, and he accepted. “Though I must warn you,” she said with a sly smile, “I am exceedingly competitive and do not take kindly to losing.
They sat across from one another, the fire crackling nearby, and played in companionable silence, punctuated by quiet laughter and the soft clink of moving pieces.
“Why do you like the stillroom work?” Elizabeth asked as she moved a pawn.
Darcy’s gaze fell to the board. “I suppose, I wish to understand my mother better. She died when I was eleven. But I remember she loved the stillroom. Mother allowed me to sit with her while she worked. I would read, sometimes aloud, sometimes to myself. I only wish I’d been old enough to help her. To learn from her and to talk to her.”
A long silence followed. Then Elizabeth said softly, “I’m sorry for your loss. You were very young.”
After a pause, she added, almost to herself, “I miss my father.”
Darcy looked up. “What’s wrong, Elizabeth? Why are you sad?”
“I miss reading with my father. We were readingThe Iliadtogether.”
His brow arched. “The Iliad?What could a girl possibly find interesting in that?”
She narrowed her eyes and muttered, “Que homem de mente pequena!” Then, looking directly at him, she said, “Do you believe only men are rational creatures, capable of enjoying books and learning from them?”
His eyes narrowed. “Small?” he said. “Miss Elizabeth, did you just insult me in Spanish?”
She frowned. “No, sir. I insulted you in Portuguese.”
“And what was the insult? I insist you tell me.”
“I said you were a small-minded man.”
He chuckled. “Very well, Missy. If you’re so clever, tell me, what have you learned from all your reading?”
Elizabeth rested her chin in her hand. “Helen of Troy. I have been thinking about her. I don’t believe she ever had a choice. I don’t think women today have any, either. Why do men get to choose, and women don’t?”
Darcy considered. “No, I do not believe in fate. I believe we make choices and live with the consequences. Every choice sets a path.”
She nodded slowly. “Perhaps that’s true for a man. But take my sister Jane. She’s as beautiful as Helen of Troy, and Mamma says she was born to save the family.”
“Save them from what?”
“From poverty. From the entail. When Papa dies, Longbourn will go to our cousin. Mamma says he’ll toss us to the hedgerows unless Jane marries well.”
