Chapter 25

Soon, the music fades to the background as the content of the book captures his attention, and for half an hour he is very pleasantly engaged, totally involved in his reading. It is actually not a bad thing to have nothing to do besides reading, after a very busy week he feels a total calm come over him as he enjoys the contemporary poetry he chose to take with him. He still doesn't read novels very often, though Elizabeth recommended some he did like, and he expected to find a serious subject less suitable reading matter with the piano lesson distracting him.

Looking up after half an hour of concentrated reading he finds nothing has changed around the piano: Georgie is still sitting on the broad stool and playing the same few bars over and over again, with Mr Fielding standing over it listening attentively and commenting on her execution. To Darcy it sounds very tiring, to change such minute details in a piece of music that already sounds perfect, but Elizabeth told him she could hear the difference after Georgiana managed to implement all Mr Fielding's tricks of the trade, so he guesses there must be a use to all this nitpicking.

Remembering himself standing over Elizabeth as she was playing, reliving the admiration he felt for her at that particular instance, it occurs to him that he hasn't seen Elizabeth play the piano even once since their marriage. Somehow, that doesn't seem fair, Georgie has learned so much from Elizabeth, she has become so much more self-assured and so witty from having an excellent example, and Elizabeth has just given up on her playing, knowing she'll never reach Georgie's proficiency. But she also knows her needle-work will never match Mrs Annesley's, and still that doesn't keep her from spending entire evenings on some piece of embroidery. He makes a mental note to ask her about it, somehow her playing is just as pleasant to listen to as Georgiana's, simpler, but with plenty of feeling, and a totally different taste in music that suits Darcy perfectly.

His sister and her teacher are just teacher and pupil, there is not a single sign of attachment visible in Mr Fielding, and though Darcy knows Georgie and Elizabeth are not making things up, he decides to take the situation at face value and let his sister have the lessons she so desires.

And Elizabeth will be pleased to have her private concert, if Mr Fielding is prepared to play for them in their family-circle. Maybe there is something more Darcy can do for the young man, though apparently he already has a patron, and it will not be seemly to interfere in that.

It seems the lesson is already done after one and a half hours, for Georgie puts away the pages with the music she is currently studying. Now she makes room on the stool beside her, and Mr Fielding sits very close to her. He puts a few different sheets of music on the stand, looks straight at Darcy, and says: 'Mr Darcy, we've finished our lesson for today, and Miss Georgiana has requested we play together, and she wants me to demonstrate my skills as well so you can hear what she is aiming for. Please enjoy!'

And they launch in a very gay piece meant to be played by two people on one piano, very diverting, and very well-performed. Georgie's concentration is lessened just a bit, and she is clearly enjoying herself hugely, and Mr Fielding is certainly not disdainful of what must be child's play to him. He is playing his part, refraining from comments or even showing that he hears mistakes in Georgie's performance. So he can just enjoy music, too, he is not always ambitious.

The virtuoso piece ends, Mr Fielding skips a few pages, and now they play a very mellow, flowing song, quite literally, for Mr Fielding joins the piano singing. He has a magnificent voice, such a talented young man, and after the first verse Georgie's sweet voice joins his in the refrain. This is quality music, and Darcy truly enjoys himself listening.

When that song is ended, Georgiana sits next to him on the sofa, and Mr Fielding removes all the sheet music and settles in the middle of the stool. Immediately after that he starts to play, and though not in possession of a natural ear for music Darcy can hear why Elizabeth was so overwhelmed by this man's performance. This is superb, as his beloved said, hearing him play makes one realise how much Georgie still has to learn.

Georgie is totally overcome by what she hears, exactly as Elizabeth described, cheeks blushing, face set in rapture, this is what she is striving for, and Darcy cannot fault her for feeling admiration for someone who has such a talent.

All too soon Mr Fielding finishes and looks at his guest, smiling. 'That was superb, Mr Fielding,' Darcy says, 'I understand now what Mrs Darcy told me about your immense talent, you truly are very gifted.'

'Thank you, Mr Darcy,' the young man observes, 'I'm glad you appreciate my music. I wrote it myself, and your sister keeps pushing me to write more, which I must admit I am inclined to do, are in a way forced to do by something inside me, as a player I generally rule the music, but sometimes the music takes over, it just presents itself and sings inside me until I write it down. Then when my mind is quiet once more, I play back what I wrote down and arrange it according to the general rules of music, try to perfect it so to speak. It happens very naturally.'

Darcy replies: 'I certainly agree with my sister that your music seems a valuable addition to the music I have heard. But of course she is the expert in the family.'

Isn't that interesting, Mr Fielding doesn't seem eager to take credit for his own magnificent creations, he makes it sound as if they are brought to him by some higher power, which may of course feel that way to the artist in a creative spell. Isn't that where the ancient Greeks got their muses from?

'Mr Fielding,' Darcy asks, and he can see a tiny bit of apprehension in the beautiful, well-dressed young man, 'will you please honour us with a private performance of your music? You have made such an impression on my beloved wife, that she has begged me to ask you to perform the piece you played to her in its entirety in our family-circle. You will of course be sufficiently compensated for your time.'

That was not what Mr Fielding was expecting him to say, and he doesn't seem unwilling to accede to Elizabeth's request.

'I'm honoured you would ask, Mr Darcy,' he replies, 'and I would love to play my entire creation for Mrs Darcy, she has a natural ear for music, and she greatly enjoyed my playing. And I have to admit that I would love to try Miss Georgiana's instrument, she has told me its maker and I suspect it is a very superior piano. So yes, please, I would love to play for you.'

'Will you be available in two days' time? We leave for a Hertfordshire next week and will probably stay there for at least a week and a half. My best friend is getting married you see.'

'Congratulations, Mr Darcy,' Mr Fielding says, 'and so soon after your own wedding, what a happy circumstance. I suppose Miss Darcy will miss out on her lessons in that time? Hertfordshire is about a day's drive away from the city, isn't it?'

Georgiana clearly doesn't like that idea at all, and seeing that, Mr Fielding adds: 'I can give you a lot of homework, Miss Georgiana, and if you bring your sister to your last lesson before you go there, I can point out your pit-falls to Mrs Darcy and she can correct you when you practise. I suppose there will be an instrument at your friend's house.

'A very good one,' Darcy replies, 'but we can drive you over once or twice, Georgie. It's about half a day's drive, actually, but that may be the difference between a private carriage and post. My fast team could make it in four hours.'

'Bingley's piano may be a very fine instrument,' Georgie complains, 'but it's always slightly out of tune. His sisters usually play it and they cannot seem to hear the difference. But I suppose the wedding will be fun, and if you're willing to drive me over for lessons I'll put up with an out-of-tune piano lightly.'

'I'm sorry we have so few days before you leave, Miss Georgiana,' her teacher says, 'for I can teach you how to tune a piano, but not in a quarter of an hour, and we do need time for your lesson or you will not have anything to practise at your friend's house. Tuning is not difficult to do, if you have perfect pitch it is merely a trick to be repeated a lot of times, a very time-consuming job. But I for one think it is a very useful skill to have for a pianist, even one of noble descent, for one can never be certain when a properly skilled tuner can be employed. Also, it is a special treat to play a piano that one has tuned oneself, there is a special connection somehow.'

Darcy now sees his sister look at him, and she asks bluntly: 'May I take an extra lesson this week, Fitzwilliam, to learn how to tune a piano? I need that skill, that lovely instrument you bought me for my sitting room at Pemberley was not perfectly tuned either, I supposed it was difficult to get a good tuner over there, and I didn't want to appear snobbish to let you have one over from London. No-one but myself and maybe Elizabeth would ever hear. If I can do it myself I'll never be dependent on others again to have a perfectly tuned piano. Please?'

He never heard anything amiss with that instrument, but it is certainly a waste of resources to get her the best piano money can buy then use it badly tuned, no matter how few people can actually hear that.

'I'm totally fine with it, Georgie, it's part of your education after all, but I suppose you'd better take Elizabeth to that particular lesson, she can at least hear what all the fuss is about. I'd just hear the same tone played over and over and get bored to death.'

This causes Mr Fielding to smile and he interjects: 'If it is all right with you, Mr Darcy, your wife could attend as well, she seems to have the hearing required to learn. The ladies could then help each other out the first few times.' Then he seems to picture something in his mind, and doubts: 'Unless you find it unseemly for your lady to crawl under a piano that is.'

That young genius clearly doesn't know Elizabeth, if he thinks Darcy would ever dare judge what is seemly for his spirited beloved. 'Mrs Darcy is her own person, Mr Fielding, very much so. If she wants to learn how to tune a piano, she will. I'll leave it up to the three of you to decide who crawls under the piano and who doesn't. It's not as if the ladies are going to tune pianos in a stranger's house.'

Mr Fielding seems to find that quite funny, for he smiles again, and proceeds to make an appointment with Georgie for her next lesson, and for her tuning lesson. And they indeed settle for a private concert the day after tomorrow, Darcy inviting Mr Fielding to dine with them first. The young man accepts, and seems reasonably pleased to be dining with his pupil's family, so much so that Darcy against starts to doubt that he has unseemly feelings for her.

Satisfied with the morning's accomplishments, they take leave of Mr Fielding and leave, Georgiana hailing a cab once again, and apparently some strain has been taken away from his sister, for she is positively chatty again.

'I'm looking forward to learning how to tune a piano, Fitzwilliam, imagine a piano that is always in perfect tune, that must be like heaven!'

'I'll be glad never to witness your growing irritation anymore when a tuner is late, or slow.'

'Or when the one in Derbyshire hasn't managed to get my instrument in perfect tune, yet again, one would say he would have learned by now.'

'You managed to hide that pretty well, I never had a clue you weren't satisfied. You should have said something.'

'After you gave me a gift fit for a princess? Nice sister I would have been! Besides, what would have been the use? He's never hit the mark even once, he clearly doesn't have the hearing required.

Do you think Elizabeth will mind coming along?'

No, Georgie,' her brother replies, 'I think she will be thrilled. Has she ever played since arriving in town?'

'Now you mention it, no. I suppose that's my fault, for being so good at it. I'm so sorry, I never meant to take a pleasure from her, that is very selfish of me, I only thought of myself, I never offered her a turn at the piano. I cannot seem to stop once I'm sitting behind my piano.'

'You cannot hide behind a piano forever, Georgie,' Darcy gently admonishes his sister, 'you know you will be expected to dance with a lot of different gentlemen at Bingley's wedding. Better get Elizabeth to play again so you and me can put in some practise dancing.'

'Will I be expected to dance with George Wickham, Fitzwilliam?'

Shocked to the core, Darcy has to admit he hasn't even realised his nemesis will be at his best friend's wedding, no sooner had he witnessed the union of Wickham and Miss Lydia, or he had totally forgotten about both the young people, though they were hopefully to become his sister and brother. The fact that Wickham is actually his brother-in-law has been very easy to forget with the thoughtless couple at least two counties away from them and Lydia being a very negligent correspondent to her second eldest sister. Or maybe Elizabeth has been writing her but didn't tell Darcy about it, to spare his feelings no doubt.

'Oh my poor brother, you totally forgot. Well, I'm not sorry to remind you of something you put yourself through immense trouble arranging, it's time we both face the fact that Wickham will be there, chatting up everyone, making himself liked among those who will still fall for it. You seem to be more put out than I am, Fitzwilliam, and you aren't even at risk of being asked to dance with him.'

And Darcy is indeed totally shaken up by the idea of being in public with George Wickham. Though privately he feels a great triumph at having married the worthless bugger off to the most insipid piece of womanhood Darcy knows, Wickham will no doubt see it as his own great triumph, having squeezed at least ten thousand pounds out of Darcy, and being related to him by marriage.

Darcy is so distraught with the idea of having to face Wickham in the one place where Darcy has the big disadvantage, a large group of people most of whom he doesn't know or doesn't like, he cannot even speak for a minute or so.

A kiss on his cheek snaps him out off it, and Georgiana's sweet voice: 'Never mind, Fitzwilliam, when all's said and done you have won, you know. He may be your brother-in-law, and you may have given him a lot of money, but he's still broke all the time and has to work for a living, whereas you are one of the richest men in England. But most importantly, Fitzwilliam, you will be entering the ballroom with the woman you both wanted on your arm. Never forget that, you won, and not on fortune, but on character.'

She's done it again, his little sister, pick out the most important fact. He did get the woman he wanted, and Wickham gave her up for mere money. Elizabeth would have married for love, and if Wickham had been worth her affection she would have lived the life he could have offered to give her. George Wickham had the advantage, a huge advantage, but in the end Darcy won, on merits as his sister points out.

'I guess Wickham may very well ask you to dance with him, just to make both of us very uncomfortable, he has no shame so he won't feel it. Of course you can hide behind the piano all the time to avoid him, but I really want you to enjoy yourself. Refusing him is an option, but again he would feel pleasure at disconcerting you.

Dear Georgie, I have no answer for you here, I'm even stuck with what to do myself, I cannot ignore him, that much is obvious. Let's beg Elizabeth for help, she will think of something, and if we include Simon, they'll come up with a way to turn any attempt from Wickham to embarrass us around to disconcert him instead. We can hide behind Elizabeth, she'll save us from Wickham, she'll rout him horse, foot and artillery. I'm totally comfortable once more, and you can be, too.'

And incredibly, he is, he's not pretending to spare his sister, Darcy really knows Elizabeth will find a solution to this problem, with or without Simon's help.

By now they are back home, and Darcy pays the driver. Walking back to the house he says: 'Thank you, Georgie, for thinking of Wickham. If you hadn't, I might have forgotten about him until he was right before me, and I seriously don't know what I would have done then.'

'Leave things to your wife, undoubtedly,' she replies cheekily, 'and why not? That is what a marriage is supposed to be, isn't it? A merging of two people to a whole that is stronger than both components separately?'

'Georgie, I love you, you know that, don't you?'

'I do, dear brother, but I'm glad you've taken to telling me every so often, somehow that makes your love even more valuable.'

Darcy feels a strong need to hug his sister, and he does it right there on the pavement in front of their house. Georgiana leans into his embrace with relish, and Darcy reminds himself he needs to save some tokens of affection for her, just because he's married doesn't mean Georgie can suddenly do without intimacy. So far, he's the only one who can give it to her, and he will be more attentive from now on.

But when they get into the house, Elizabeth immediately belies his last thought by embracing Georgiana even before she greets him. 'Something happened, I hope nothing bad?' she asks her sister outright.

Looking down on her brother's wife, she is quite a bit taller than Elizabeth, Georgie admits: 'We discussed George Wickham being at your sister and Bingley's wedding. I suppose it disturbed me more than I thought.'

Darcy can no longer wait for his greeting, and he kisses Elizabeth with Georgie still in her arms, but Elizabeth seems distracted somehow. She observes: 'You know, I had totally forgotten about that, but Jane has indeed written me to warn he will be there. I'm sorry, towards both of you. He's absolutely nothing to me, I wondered why Jane mentioned it so pointedly, seems like she was a bit more attentive than I was. I'd be ashamed of myself if it wasn't so much like Jane to think of others before herself.'

She laughs as she sees both her husband and her sister looking at her in wonder, what does she mean to say with that remark? It totally makes no sense!

'Living with Jane all my life I've never had to think of others or feel bad for them, she always did that for me. I went through life wholly unconcerned, just thinking of myself, being reminded of other people's feelings by Jane whenever it could not be avoided.'

As the tension is broken by this droll remark, and Georgie even manages a smile at her sister's audacity, Elizabeth adds, more seriously: 'I didn't feel for you at all after spurning your affections, Fitzwilliam. Though in my defence I may add I did feel ashamed to have treated you unfairly, and to have nursed prejudices against you. But still I didn't feel sorry for the hurt and disappointment I caused you.'

Darcy needs to have her in his arms now, and fortunately Georgiana feels that and makes way for him. His voice is low and feeling as he nuzzles Elizabeth's neck then says: 'I don't wonder, Elizabeth. The things I said, the way I behaved, I'm sure nobody would have expected me to be much affected but by anger. I did not show any sign of being capable of even feeling pain. Though I assure you I did feel it, it made me physically ill, very peculiar. I can still remember the sensation.'

But the memory cannot get hold of him with Elizabeth holding him tightly, giving him little kisses to prove she now knows he's capable of feelings. 'I'm so sorry, Fitzwilliam, to have hurt you so badly. And all this time you were a totally different man than I thought.'

They've had that discussion before, Elizabeth convinced he was merely reticent, and his bad manners were the result of an unacknowledged love, but Darcy knowing better, part of his suffering was wholly deserved, and to have Elizabeth in his arms, here and now, and whenever and wherever he might want to, totally makes up for whatever he may have suffered.

'You'll help us, won't you Elizabeth?' Georgiana doesn't hesitate to break the introspective mood, this must bother her more than she admits.

'Help you with what, Georgiana?' Elizabeth doesn't quite understand the trouble they will have facing Wickham, with his superior people-skills against their respectability.

'George Wickham of course! What if he asks me to dance?'