Georgiana quietly stood in the doorway, watching Mary practice upon the pianoforte. The firm way her fingers pressed the keys while the girl's eyes remain fixed upon the music impressed her, though her style was not what her music master would find laudable.
When Mary finished the piece, Georgiana clapped softly. Mary whirled about, ready to face ridicule from her younger sisters. Seeing the tall, slim young near-stranger applauding politely, she was taken aback.
"I did not know that I was observed," Mary said sharply, gathering her music and rising. "Did you wish to practice?"
"I was enjoying listening to you," Georgiana said softly. "What is that piece? It is one I have not learned."
Mary awkwardly walked near to her to hand her the music. "Did you really like to hear me play?"
"Yes, your style is so firm and sure. My music teacher is always telling me my hands are too soft on the keys. I wish I could learn from you."
Mary inwardly staggered. No one had ever praised her music except out of politeness, which she had grown to find disingenuous.
"I was going to practice more. Would you care to sit by me, Miss Darcy?" Mary suddenly found herself eager to keep this young woman by her.
"That would be very kind of you, Miss Bennet," Georgiana replied.
Mary led her back to the pianoforte and replaced the music on the stand, helping her to the seat.
Firmly she entered into the piece, her shame at what she had thought of as her awkward fingering giving way to some confidence. As she was not singing, she had more attention for the keys and found Georgiana's quiet but steady attention bracing.
As soon as she had finished, Mary invited Georgiana to try the same piece. She tremulously accepted, sliding over to center herself on the bench while Mary gave way. Georgiana thought of Mary's firm fingers on the keys as she played, strengthening her resolve to press hard on the instrument.
Though the unfamiliar style made her miss a few notes, Georgiana felt her confidence grow during the refrain, and Mary praised her effusively after the last note sounded.
The two girls sat close on the bench, speaking of music, until the hour chimed.
"Am I keeping you from aught?" Georgiana asked, suddenly self-aware of having interrupted.
Mary confessed, "I would be now in my room studying, but perhaps we may take a walk before dinner instead?"
Georgiana was pleased by the invitation, and the two helped each other into their pelisses before venturing into the sunshine together.
Mrs. Romney waited quietly while Elizabeth paced.
Her mind raced as she walked. Mr. Darcy's confession of Wickham's contrary influence on him, his resulting ignorance and inexperience. Elizabeth could not be sure that she did not now know more of the act of passion than he did! She reeled mentally and continued to pace.
Though insensible to his friend's silent agonies, Darcy eventually noticed a servant hovering near the door, and the table full of dishes reminded Darcy that he and Bingley were keeping the maids from their work.
"Let us to the smoking room," Darcy quietly commanded. Bingley helplessly obeyed.
The two girls steadily walked through the pretty wilderness at one side of Longbourn.
"Do you think your brother will stay long in Hertfordshire, or soon return to town?" Mary asked. "It was thought that he did not like the country."
"I know not," Georgiana allowed. "As your sister, Mrs. Darcy, wishes to remain near her home, I believe he will wish to stay."
"That seems backwards. It is ever considered the wife's duty to do as her husband pleases."
"That is certainly how it is preached, but from my own social circle, I oft see that it is the wife's desires that rule her husband."
Mary pondered this. "Do you think this upsetting of traditional ways is a sign of decadence? Our parson would say so."
"It would seem at odds with what St. Paul says of the duties of women," Georgiana said. "But I cannot think it so wrong that a husband would study to please his wife. Does not her happiness bear most strongly upon his?"
Mary frowned. "I have never seen a husband who would put his wife's happiness above his own. I had thought that it was all upon us, upon women, to study our men and supply them with all they desire of us."
"Tis as we have been taught," Georgiana agreed. "It would be a radical preacher, indeed, who taught otherwise. But my heart whispers that it is perhaps not the only way."
Shocked by this unorthodox expression, Mary walked in silence.
Georgiana, shocked by her own brazenness, brought the conversation back to music.
"May I come back and play with you again tomorrow?" Georgiana asked earnestly. "I feel that I have gained much by your example."
Mary's heart leaped with pleasure at this sign of approval from one who had become a model of accomplishment.
"Pray, do. I practice each morning after breakfast, and again in the afternoon after dinner."
"Then perhaps, if Mrs. Darcy stays so long, I could practice with you again this day?" Georgiana found herself desirous of staying with this prickly young lady.
"That would be well," Mary replied, dumbfounded by the sincerity in her new friend's manner.
Georgiana smiled and took Mary's arm as they made their turning.
Elizabeth turned again in her pacing and faced Mrs. Romney.
"I… I believe that it is upon me, to right this thing between Mr. Darcy and myself. He will not feel it possible for himself. I must… I know not what."
"My dear Elizabeth, your heart knows what to do. It is a good heart. Listen to it. It will lead you right."
It was time to dress for dinner. Georgiana, having hoped this visit would be prolonged, had brought a dress, and Mary invited her visitor to her room to change.
Mary awkwardly helped her friend shed her morning dress, revealing a fine chemise scarcely shielding her gentle curves from view. She hastened to help with the evening dress, her own emotions confusing her as she helped hide Georgiana's fair form from her own eyes, then immediately busying herself with loosening her own gown.
Georgiana desired to help, but was hopelessly awkward, having always been dressed by expert hands. She stood close by as Mary removed her dark morning dress and snatched up an equally sober dinner dress.
The sheltered girl felt disappointed in her own inability to help. To be able to gracefully help her friend don the gown was what she desired, but Mary had quickly slid the dress over herself and was absorbed in tying shut the openings.
Georgiana watched, thinking that a red gown would set off her friend's fair skin and dark hair well, but too shy to say aught.
Mary finally glanced up after the last lacing was tied, surprised to see a soft look on Georgiana's face. She felt oddly self-conscious that her dress was so much plainer than the wealthy girl's, a feeling that all her self-sermonizing on the desirability of modesty in all things was at naught to dispel.
Mrs. Bennet had all day been closeted with Kitty, the woman's mind occupied with marrying off whom she thought of us her last eligible daughter. Mary would doubtless do… something, but making an advantageous union was not in the cards, she knew without contemplation.
Drawing out what Kitty found desirable in a husband was plenty of occupation for the pair, and the dressing bell found them with scarce enough time to dress comfortably.
The dining bell found Georgiana and Mary already seated in the dining room. Mrs. Gardiner brought in the sulking Lydia. Elizabeth and Mrs. Romney entered just as Mr. Bennet, Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Romney entered, still chatting.
Mrs. Romney's face lit up as her husband arrived. Mr. Bennet had claimed the men after breakfast as the only fit company in the house for him, and as she had considered it her duty to infuse Lydia with happy ideas of Guernsey, she had sacrificed his company for the morning with a sigh.
The sailor and his wife greeted each other, briefly touching brows before turning to the table and seating themselves.
Mr. Bennet had greeted his wife and daughters in his usual, careless manner, much occupied with Mr. Romney's accounts of the French threat.
"Oh Papa, why cannot I go to Brighton? Everyone is going to Brighton, and as I am now next to a widow, how could it not be right for me to go to Brighton. I could chaperone Kitty—" she broke off as her father turned his sternest expression mercilessly onto her.
"Lydia, you cannot chaperone yourself, much less your sister. You have forfeited any right to dispose of yourself. Leave it for those who are wiser than you. By no means will you be trusted to Brighton or any other encampment."
The girl subsided into her chair, pouting. Mrs. Gardiner whispered angrily into her ear.
The footman bustled in with the fish, freezing the moment under a thin skin of decorum. The guests helped themselves, grateful for the distraction from the family drama.
Mary courageously asked her older sister how long she would be in the country with her new family, claiming Georgiana's company for as long as possible for the sake of both of their playing.
Elizabeth, who had been fantasizing of a swift retreat to Pemberley, took a moment to adjust to this new claim of friendship.
"I do not need to leave when brother does," Georgiana volunteered. "I have my own companion, carriage and household. Perhaps…. perhaps you could come visit me, Mary," she offered with sudden enthusiasm.
Stunned by the thought of leaving Hertfordshire, Mary could not respond, only looking helplessly at her mother, who negligently responded that she could certainly spare Mary for a long visit.
"I would take great pleasure in visiting you," she eventually forced herself to say, scarcely able to believe the offer was genuine.
Elizabeth, instantly seeing the wisdom of removing her pure-minded sister from Lydia's tainted presence, volunteered her husband's sure approval.
"And we must also leave your charming home," Mrs. Romney said. "Mr. Romney must report for duty sooner than we would like." Addressing Mrs. Bennet, "And your daughter Lydia has promised me a visit."
Lydia's protest was silenced by her aunt's swift treading on her toes.
Charmed by the thought of being left to Kitty's marital endeavor, Mrs. Bennet swiftly agreed, taking her husband's consent as given.
"As you two are getting along so well, perhaps I shall leave you and return to Netherfield on foot," Elizabeth proposed to her sister-in-law.
Georgiana accepted with enthusiasm, saying that they had already planned to practice the pianoforte together after dinner.
Mr. Bennet's happiness about the forthcoming calm in his household found form in inviting Mr. Romney and Mr. Gardiner to remain for brandy when the ladies withdrew. The men watched their wives leave, each with very different feelings.
In the drawing room, Lydia again broke out into complaints.
"I would be a married woman had you not interfered, Lizzie," she said venomously. "Now Wickham is dead and I am to be a prisoner. How is that fair?"
"Mr. Wickham, dead?" asked Georgiana tentatively. Elizabeth suddenly aware that neither she nor Darcy had explained events to her. She nodded solemnly. "Because of his conduct during his attempted elopement with Lydia, it became necessary."
"Brother fought him?" she asked. Elizabeth again nodded.
Georgiana turned away and found herself consoled by Mary, who looked fiercely at her sister and stridently reminded her of the Crown's absolute ban on dueling, and the Bible's injunction against murder, still cosseting her friend.
Elizabeth looked helplessly at Georgiana's saddened form, disappointed in herself for not having foreseen this unhappy turn. She attempted to approach and console her sister-in-law, but Georgiana only clung closer to Mary, who looked righteously at her sister and gestured her away.
Mrs. Romney and Mrs. Gardiner bore Lydia away and Elizabeth escaped from the house for another three-mile walk.