The rhyme is from Gammer Gurton's Garland, a book with a collection of English nursery rhymes from 1784. I'm a little distracted right now because somehow a very, very small ant is crawling around under the top layer of my touch screen in an apparent attempt to figure out how to get back out. NYT, I wasn't trying to suggest your post was about abortion, sorry if it seemed that way. I agree that it is relatable that Darcy's parents struggled to provide for the emotional needs of their child and that even today people can struggle when trying to raise a child that isn't normal. People can definitely still be incredibly cruel to both the children that struggle with disabilities and their parents even today. I was just reacting to what it reminded me of and then followed that train of thought.
I wondered what was keeping my aunt. Tea could not be forthcoming without her key. It was not that I needed any tea, tea had just been the means to the end of spending time with Miss Elizabeth and we were having a perfectly enjoyable time without it.
I heard my sister and Anne returning. Anne held Miss Elizabeth's basket but now it was filled with roses from my aunt's garden. She held them out to Miss Elizabeth without a word.
"Go on Anne," my sister prompted.
"You tell her," Anne told my sister.
Georgiana said, "Miss Elizabeth, Miss de Bourgh wanted you to have these roses."
Anne nodded with a bright smile and handed the basket to Miss Elizabeth, who gave her a beautiful smile in return. "How thoughtful of you, Anne."
"Say it." Anne said to Georgiana.
"Only if you say it with me, Anne." Georgiana replied.
Anne nodded.
Georgiana began, with Anne only joining in at the second half, "The rose is red, the violet's blue, The honey's sweet, and so are you."
I almost rolled my eyes at the ridiculous rhyme but Miss Elizabeth responded very sweetly, saying, "How very kind of you, Miss de Bourgh, roses and a poem."
Was she just being kind or was she truly enjoying those things? Only I would be upstaged in my attempted courtship of Miss Elizabeth by my cousin Anne.
My aunt strode in, servants right behind her with all the makings for tea.
Not waiting to find out what was going on in her absence, she took command of the conversation. "I regret the delay, but I had a staffing matter which needed my attention and tea was not foremost on my mind. There was a dispute between the dairy maid and the cow keeper."
It did not surprise me that she had become involved in that matter. Nothing was beneath my aunt's notice. She then regaled us with all the details of the dispute. Although I did not get to say much more to Miss Elizabeth, at least I was near her and we exchanged some looks over various parts of Aunt Catherine's story. While it was not appropriate for Miss Elizabeth to raise and waggle her eyebrows as she did, and I had to work hard to stifle a laugh, I felt a closeness to her. She was treating me as at least a close friend.
She and I both lingered over our tea, but when the tea was drunk and the biscuits consumed, she still seemed hesitant to depart. Though she did eventually go, I found encouragement in her hesitation. I wondered, what could I do to woo her?
