Chapter 8: Caroling
At dinner, the idea of reading the play took on a new life. This was mostly due to Lord Devon and his mischievous intentions. "Reading is boring. We have all read the play before. We shall act out the parts. Bingley has a ballroom we can use as a theater. Miss Bennet will only need to come to one room for the day, as we can have tea there as well. She will prefer not being carried around, though I would not mind carrying her."
"You speak as though it is all settled." Mr. Darcy scowled at Devon, pretending he was not jealous that it was not he that had put the enchanting smile on Miss Elizabeth's face. "Perhaps you ought to ask your host if such is his inclination."
"Oh, Bingley will acquiesce. He always does. Besides, this shall be fun, and I shall certainly give him the honor of being Claudio and choosing his Hero. Bingley! What say you to wooing your own Hero in Claudio's name?"
"That sounds delightful. Hero is supposed to be quite fair, is she not?" Mr. Bingley did not wish to admit that he had never bothered to read Much Ado About Nothing. "Miss Bennet, surely you must play that part, despite your inability to walk. Surely there is not much walking required for the part of Hero. That is strange, is it not, that a female should be Hero?"
"Shakespeare was like that with his words. He invented so many words for our language, and so many hidden meanings fill his pages with delight." Elizabeth laughed lightly before she turned to her sister. "Miss Bennet," She paused. It was correct for her to address her sister formally in such company, but it always seemed odd. "Shall you be our lovely Hero for a production? It will be refreshing after our usual performances."
Jane blushed as she explained, "I am used to playing Claudio for my youngest sister prefers to be Hero."
"Yes." Elizabeth quickly took up the tale. "Our Lydia must always be Hero, for she loves to faint when her supposed sins are exposed. She has quite a flair for the dramatic. We know the lines well, for it is one of the silliest plays in all of England, and, as my father likes to say at times, we are five of the silliest ladies in England."
Lord Devon laughed with Elizabeth. "A father should not be so critical, but perhaps he is more speaking out of fun. I should like to meet him. I suppose he will come often to check on the health and recouperation of Miss Bennet."
Elizabeth blushed, but before she could say her father rarely left the library if he did not need to, Miss Bingley changed the subject.
"There is not much dignity in a play." Miss Bingley could read Mr. Darcy's derision and hoped she could earn his favor by stopping the play. She was shocked to hear that a father could insult his own daughters, and she was inherently jealous of Elizabeth and her sisters' fun childhood, if it had been spent with such diversions. She had certainly never acted out scenes in plays before.
"If you want to be really dignified, you would have to be dead!" Lord Devon insisted. "Now, I am determined to play Benedick opposite the witty Miss Elizabeth." He winked at her, causing her to choke on the wine she had barely begun to drink. Only Mr. Darcy noticed, and she stared at him, wondering why he could be so angry with her for going along with his friend's scheme.
Lord Devon continued as though nothing had occurred. "Mr. Darcy, you will be the best Don John I have ever seen. You would play an evil villain so well. Perhaps you are truly evil. After all, you tend to bring dullness everywhere you go." Laughing at his own joke, he did not seem to realize no one else had joined in.
Even Elizabeth, who delighted in the ridiculous, could see nothing funny in such a rude comment. She observed his blush thoughtfully, and for the first time, she could see his discomfort. "Surely, Mr. Darcy is too honorable to bring about my sister's disappointed hopes by turning her suitor against her. Besides, Mr. Darcy would better be served as a director, for he certainly knows the book better than most of us. There is nothing worse than a play brought down by the actors taking liberties with the script, and it shall be impossible with someone so fastidious as Mr. Darcy leading us."
Miss Bingley attempted to contradict Elizabeth, but she found she could not do so without insulting him. She would never attempt a slight towards him. The others seemed to be in a similar state of uncertainty as to what to say. Even Lord Devon watched Mr. Darcy timidly.
"I accept." Mr. Darcy finally said, taking a sip of his wine instead of explaining his reasoning. Mr. Bingley then declared that the other characters were minor and could be played by anyone. "My sister would make a good villain. She is always scheming to make me believe her opinions are my own."
Miss Bingley looked outraged, but she was still confused as to what to say. Thankfully, Lord Devon had a better idea. "The four principal actors are most important. The rest can be determined later or switched around between players.
Instead of reading playfully, Lord Devon insisted they must practice and act out the play. While Elizabeth was not pleased to be playing a role where she would fall in love with Lord Devon, her eagerness for entertainment overran her sensibilities. Therefore, they would practice every afternoon that could be spared from other visitors.
Mr. Darcy used this time to watch Elizabeth closely. Lord Devon would be considered an impressive catch. Despite his gambling, he would make a decent husband. The title and estate were most impressive. Yet, Elizabeth seemed unmoved. She was as friendly to him as she was to Bingley. Instead, she was even friendlier with Bingley, likely because of his attention to her sister. Miss Bennet and Mr. Bingley should have been perfect as Hero and Claudio, except that they kept forgetting their lines if they had to speak to anyone other than themselves.
Most mornings, the men went shooting while the ladies remained warm around the fire in the parlor and entertained callers. Of course, Elizabeth was usually awake earlier, and was easily found trapsing through the woods before the gentlemen were roused for their hunt. Alone, she could fill her lungs with cold air and feel at peace with the world. Mr. Bingley and Jane rarely spent time out of each other's presence, which made Elizabeth rather lonely. Lord Devon flirted with her, but she could tell that it was all good fun. The colonel seemed to pay more attention to her as the days went by, but she supposed he was trying to confirm all the faults Mr. Darcy had claimed.
Occasionally, Mr. Darcy would find her on her walks and join her as she returned to the house. He rarely said much. She could not tell if he was pleased or annoyed by her presence, though she never insisted on his joining her.
One morning, it was rather cold, so she sang to keep warm. She made it through three hymns when it began to snow. She stepped away from the trees and into a small open area and looked up at the bright sky. Large flakes darkened the sky one by one. She closed her eyes and let the flakes fall over her forehead and cheeks. Her cheeks turned rosy as they chilled, but she did not feel it.
The birds' songs grew muffled, as is apt to happen with snow. The quiet filled her with joy. She opened her eyes, lifted her arms and began to twirl in slow circles, singing While Sheperd watched their Flocks by Night by Nahum Tate.
This is how Mr. Darcy found her. His horse had softly led him to her, and he watched as she sang verse after verse. He dismounted and tied his horse to a tree and moved closer to her. Though her eyes were open, she did not notice him until she began the last verse. "Sing with me!"
He obeyed.
"All glory be to God on high
and to the earth be peace;
to those on whom his favor rests
goodwill shall never cease."
He knew he was lost. He could not imagine a more beautiful picture than her. Her eyes lit with joy everywhere. Her laughter warmed his reticence. He wanted her to be by his side for the rest of his life. He would marry her and no other.
"Isn't the first snow the best?" She asked, pulling him from his thoughts.
"Yes." He cursed himself for not being more eloquent, but his revelation was still swirling within him and filling him with hope. Hope of a future filled with pleasant discourse and passionate love. For Elizabeth was passionate by nature, and he felt his own passion stirring and longing for her. "The first snow." He looked up to see that it was indeed snowing. The flakes were smaller now, and there were small white patches on some of the taller clumps of grass.
"I hope you are ready for a bit of lunacy. The first snow means the first boughs of holly can be cut." Elizabeth smiled mischievously.
Yes, he was ready for lunacy, so long as it involved her. "What do you have in mind?"
"We should cut some on our way home, your horse can carry the boughs for us."
"The boughs will dry before Christmas."
Elizabeth laughed. "Hence the lunacy. We must continue cutting fresh boughs to last through Christmas. Lydia began the tradition, for she was very eager to put the boughs over the railings."
"Did your father not scold her for wasting so many branches?"
With another laugh, Elizabeth explained, "Not once he found that it took all of us out of the house regularly. Peace and quiet is a prized possession when you live with six ladies. He encouraged her so long as she waited for the first snow. Many houses in Meryton follow our festive pleasantries." Excited, she took his arm and pulled him towards a small row of holly trees that bordered a field.
His heart skipped a beat as he realized she had initiated the contact. He briefly wondered if she knew his thoughts. His emotions might be that transparent, but he came to realize that she was simply excited and wanted him to hurry. It was enough for now.
His horse seemed to pick up on the excitement, and he neighed in acceptance of this adventure. They reached the trees quickly. "Do you have your knife in your saddlebag?" Elizabeth asked.
At his nod, she moved to the horse to greet it. "Hello, kind lady. I am Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and I ask you to behave, for I am not terribly fond of horses." She patted her nose gently, and the horse responded with a nod. "Good. I thank you." Brushing her hand down the horses neck, Elizabeth moved to the saddlebags and began fishing for the knife. With Mr. Darcy's reticence, she dared not ask permission to use the knife. Finding it quickly, she moved over to the tree before Mr. Darcy noticed she had already unsheathed the knife.
"Wait. Allow me to assist you." Mr. Darcy quickly caught up with her. "I cannot allow you to injure yourself."
"Do you believe me to be unable to cut a branch?" She turned on him with her eyebrow arched, daring him to say yes.
He stopped, "I am sure you are very capable."
"Good answer. Now, I know you feel you ought to be a gentleman, but it is much easier for a smaller person to get between the branches. We must select as close to the trunk as possible, where the leaves are still round and soft. No one wishes to grab a railing with sharp leaves." She turned around again, and with practiced ease, she nestled herself between a group of branches and began cutting the more berry laden boughs.
Mr. Darcy carefully took her offerings and placed them over the saddle. "Just a few more boughs, Lavinia, and then we can return to the stables."
"Lavinia!" Elizabeth exclaimed, fascinated. "Wife of Aeneas?"
"It is a common name, but my sister chose it." He said with a slight blush. "Besides, she is a very calm mare, good for keeping the peace."
"You are very close to your sister, then." Elizabeth smiled, wondering what it would be like with such an older brother. He would have been a very steady influence.
"We are as close as we can be. She is my only family, other than my cousins. Colonel Fitzwilliam is as close as a brother at times."
She paused in her cutting to observe him. He stared back at her, feeling unimaginably vulnerable. He could not account for it. Many had stared at him, but she seemed to be searching his soul. Finally, she replied, "You do seem… lonely. I am sorry for the loss of your parents at such a young age. To have the added burden of a much younger sister is more than any should have to manage. Yet, you seem to have managed quite well. Everyone speaks highly of you, even my aunt who resided for a time in Lambton, knows of your family and only speaks with the highest approbation."
"Lambton, that is close to Pemberley." He wished to move the conversation away from such personal reflections. He hoped this was not the silly aunt in Meryton.
Elizabeth went back to cutting as she described her aunt and uncle in glowing terms. Despite being in trade, they were extremely genteel, intelligent, and well-mannered. "That is enough boughs for today. Jane will be thrilled to help string them around the banisters." She handed him the knife before moving to Lavinia's head to thank her for being such a pleasant creature. Lavinia huffed in return.
They had only returned to the main road when they passed Lydia and Kitty on their way to pick boughs. "You would beat us to our boughs. You were probably out here before it even snowed." Lydia declared.
"I sensed the snow coming." She looked around. More white patches were forming on fences and bushes, but the ground would take longer to freeze.
"Then you shall give us half of yours. You have more than enough." Lydia exclaimed.
"I shall do no such thing. I cannot deprive you of finding the best branches. You always say only you can find the best ones."
"True. Yours are always so long and have too many spiked leaves. Come, Kitty." With a tug, Lydia led the her sister on their way, a footman following behind them with a cart to carry the boughs.
Mr. Darcy was relieved that he would not have to endure them any longer. When they married, the girls would be encouraged to attend a school if he could manage it. Thoughts of her sisters were put aside as Elizabeth began to sing The Twelve Days of Christmas. He thought about joining in her merriment, but he enjoyed watching her and imagining her at Pemberley more.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, was determined that Mr. Darcy would not ruin her day. The first snow of the year was a celebration. He wished to take away everything fun about it. But he was determined to be helpful, if that were any consolation. So she would make him helpful. There was one more item they needed. "This way, Mr. Darcy. We ought to hurry before it gets cold."
"It is snowing, Miss Bennet. One could argue that the weather has already turned cold." Mr. Darcy ventured. "Lead on," he added, just in case she thought him deflecting. He would not wish to leave her company unless necessary.
She led him to a grove of oak trees. One look told him her desire. The tree at the far end looked sickly and was completely laden with mistletoe. He had to contain his joy, seeing an excuse to kiss her. He licked his lips as he moved to the tree.
"Oh, it is too tall this year, and I really ought not to climb the tree. You would quite despise me if I did something so dreadful." Elizabeth explained.
Mr. Darcy was dumbstruck. He could not despise her. He nearly said as much when she motioned for his horse.
"Lavinia, come here please." She made kissing noises, and the horse quickly obeyed. Moving the horse under one of the lower boughs of mistletoe, she turned to Mr. Darcy. "Will you assist me, sir? A leg up is all I need."
Seeing that she wished to use the horse to increase her height, he stepped up and adeptly lifted her by the waist. Not expecting such treatment, she gasped for just a moment before laughing. "Very well, Mr. Darcy. I shall make this work just as well." After steadying herself on the side of the saddle, she reached up and was able to claim a large clump of mistletoe, full of berries.
He reached up to help her down, but she pushed his arms away. "If you do not mind, I shall sit here. I can hold the boughs of holly and mistletoe better if I am not attempting to walk. Would you be kind enough to lead me to Netherfield."
"Very well." Disappointed not to feel her comely form in his arms again, he turned quickly to take the reins and turn the horse toward Netherfield. She sang the rest of the way to Netherfield with Mr. Darcy following her lead.
AN: Well I said I'd do this yesterday, and I forgot. Sorry. At any rate, thank you for reading. I am about half-way done with the next chapter, so hopefully the next one is coming soon. Your fantastic reviews encourage me to keep going. I am a little bummed that I did not finish by Christmas, so I am considering a quick ending, or just letting it flow and taking a long time. I may try to publish it for next year's Christmas season. I should easily be done before then and have time for professional editing.
Thank you to those of you who sent me corrections. I appreciate seeing where I can make the story better.