Page 55 of Her Whole Heart
There was a brief silence, and then his cousins and uncle were laughing at him.
“Well done, Miss Elizabeth,” Milton chuckled.
“She is quite unlike any other lady I have ever met,” Darcy admitted. “She requires that I behave like a gentleman and not depend upon my reputation to be treated as one.”
The earl assessed him keenly. “Is that so?”
Darcy nodded. “I did not even know I was acting in such a way until she pointed it out to me.”
“That is because you did not listen tome,” Fitz complained.
“You are not as pretty as Miss Elizabeth,” Milton informed him.
Fitz nodded. “Point made.”
Darcy addressed his uncle. “Whatever our history has been over the past month, Miss Elizabeth had proven herself a true friend to this family. I shall endeavour to be one to her in return.”
“Well spoken, nephew. It brings me solace to know that the Bennet women may rely upon your support in this. We shall do as the Carlisles have suggested and see Georgiana and Miss Elizabeth through any trouble that may lie ahead.”
Chapter Seventeen
The music room at Carlisle House was filled with the lively chatter of the six ladies gathered within. Elizabeth had started their conversation with several jests at her own expense, and the other ladies had responded with genuine gaiety and attempts to puncture her humility. Jane had made a dry comment about her sister’s willingness to disparage herself in the service of a good debate, and Diana had agreed wholeheartedly.
Georgiana Darcy—who had been Georgiana to them all from nearly the first quarter of an hour of their acquaintance—sat at the pianoforte. She was in the heart of their convivial circle, her initial timidity melted entirely away beneath the genuine warmth and acceptance of her new friends.
Elizabeth was pleased. It was just as she had hoped.
“I confess I am in awe of your musical abilities, Georgiana,” Amelia declared as she leaned on the instrument, her countenance alight with admiration. “You play so beautifully—and to compose original pieces at just fifteen! You have a rare gift indeed. You must promise only to play after me when you are out, for I have no wish to follow you.”
Georgiana ducked her head, a becoming blush colouring her cheeks. “You are too kind, Amelia. I merely follow where my heart leads, and I cannot say it always steers me right.”
“Stuff and nonsense,” Cordelia said with a wave of her hand. She walked to where she had set up her cello and picked up her bow. “True artistry must always come from the heart. If it is not to your standards, you must either take it as a lesson for the next piece or keep working on it until it is.” Her bow danced across the strings in a playful arpeggio as a demonstration.
“You must always challenge yourself,” Diana added, adjusting her spectacles with a knowing smile. “It is one reason I wish to keep learning languages that interest me and took up the guitar only this year. I know we are supposed to be finished with our accomplishments before we are out, but what is the fun in that?”
“I shall never be finished improving my skills with Duchess,” Cordelia said.
“Is that the name of your hawk?” Georgiana asked her.
“My father originally had a Roman name for her, though I do not recall what it was,” Cordelia replied. “She is quite regal and treats me like a servant, so I thought Duchess an apt appellation.”
Elizabeth leaned forward. “I suspect we have each of us weathered our fair share of trials, and it is a certainty that more will come. That is life. And it is why we ought to gather like-minded and supportive friends around us. Do not you all agree?”
This was met by enthusiastic assent.
Georgiana paled. “There is more to come?” she asked. “I do not know that I can be as resilient as all of you.”
Jane reached out to squeeze Georgiana’s hand in reassurance, but Amelia cried, “Of course you can! You are brilliant—what have you to be concerned about?”
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in possession of any modicum of wit, talent, or beauty”—here Elizabeth winked at Jane—“must be in want of a thick skin. For the ton is ever eager to tear down that which it cannot readily comprehend or control. And Georgiana, you have at least two years before you are out. Practice makes perfect, you know, and we shall all practice with you.”
“And when you do come out,” Jane said seriously, “you will have us to help guide you if you ever feel you require it.”
“But . . .” Georgiana glanced around their group. “I find it difficult to fathom that any of you have endured the censure of wagging tongues. Beyond that of my own cousin, of course.”
“Oh dear,” Cordelia said with a smile. “You have not taken our measure at all, I am afraid. I love to play the cello, though I cannot play it in mixed company because the manner in which I must sit is not proper. Not to mention I am a female falconer.” Her bow never ceased its fluid dance across the cello strings. “I am thought of as eccentric at best in certain circles. As if the mere act of finding joy in an activity I can share with my father renders one a hopeless oddity!”
Diana made a moue of distaste. “And let us not forget the aspersions cast upon any young lady who dares to exercise her intellect beyond the acceptable bounds of French, Italian, and perhaps German. After I have the customary languages mastered, I am supposed to turn to embroidery and watercolours. My ardour for linguistics has earned me no shortage of barbed remarks, even from my own brother. Personally, I do not think he appreciates his sister being smarter than him.”
