“I am pleased to hear my brother’s antics have some value, if only to entertain.”
“Not just your brother, as there are others for whom the printers must buy their ink by the barrel,” Lizzy said, thinking of the Prince of Wales and his brothers.
“Do you pity me then, Miss Bennet? As a younger son, I am destined to a life of self-denial and dependence while my brother has his every wish granted. As milord frequently says, ‘Richard got the looks and hair while I got everything else.’”
Lizzy laughed at his comment. She had read enough about Lord Fitzwilliam to know he had no interest in his own wife but could not stay away from anyone else’s, and that he played at high-stakes card games where he would lose a fortune one night and win it back the next.
“Truthfully, Colonel, when has a want of money ever prevented you from going wherever you chose or procuring anything you wanted?”
Darcy laughed to himself. He had warned his cousin that having a conversation with Elizabeth was quite different than anything he was used to because she always spoke honestly.
“There is truth in your question,” the colonel answered, “but our habits of expense make us too dependent. Unlike my cousin here, younger sons cannot marry where they wish.”
Georgiana, seeing that her brother did not like Richard’s last comment, interrupted by relating news from Longbourn that Lizzy had shared with her. “Elizabeth, please tell my brother about the Crenshaw children.”
“The Crenshaws? Those hellions?” Richard said in a surprisingly animated manner.
“Yes, one and the same,” Georgiana answered, “but I have good news. The beasts have been tamed.”
“I do not believe it,” Fitzwilliam and Darcy said in unison.
“They are beyond reformation,” Richard said. “If I were of a litigious bent, I would have sued their father for destruction of private property. They put some putrid plant in my new boots, making them perfectly useless. When Darcy and I got our hands on those twins, we took them up to the house by the scruffs of their necks to their mother, and do you know what she said? ‘They are infiltrators executing acts of sabotage behind enemy lines.’ And Darcy said to the two boys, ‘Do you know what happens to saboteurs when they are caught?’ but then the mother saved them by telling them to go to their rooms. She then assured me that her husband would pay for a new set of boots, but he must not have known where to send the cheque because I never got it. Bingley made good on it.”
“Richard, I am sorry. I did not intend to upset you,” Georgiana said in a soothing voice, “but it is true. The beasts roar no more.”
“And who accomplished this miracle?”
“Miss Jane Bennet.”
Darcy broke out into laughter. “Richard, now I am sure Georgie is joking. I know the lady, and an unkind word has never passed her lips.”
“I thank you, Mr. Darcy, for being so complimentary of my sister,” Lizzy interjected, “but I can assure you that Jane did succeed where the colonel and you could not, and she did so by the use of her reason.”
Darcy sat back in his chair and gave Lizzy a look that clearly showed he did not believe a word of it.
“We anticipated your skepticism, Mr. Darcy, and so I have brought Jane’s letter for you to read. How such a feat was accomplished begins halfway down the page.”
After reading all of the details of the singular afternoon at Longbourn, Darcy nodded his head in approval. It was true. Miss Bennet had succeeded where everyone else had failed. After putting down the letter, Darcy briefed his cousin on its contents and said, “Well, Fitzwilliam, we must give Miss Jane Bennet her due. She was very clever. I would have thought it would have been easier to raise Lazarus than to get those twins to behave.”
“Call me a doubting Thomas,” Richard grumbled, “but I would have to see them in action to believe it. Never mind. I never want to be in their company again.” Everyone laughed at the absurdity of such young children having so many adults tied up in knots.
“So, Mr. Darcy, will you concede that, in this case, brains succeeded where brawn had failed?”
“I readily concede that female ingenuity won the day, Miss Elizabeth, and I would not debate the point in any event as I have been on the losing end of every argument since I first met you.”
“If you truly believe that, Mr. Darcy, then your losing streak has come to an end because, in this case, I agree with you.”
“I will make a note of it in my journal.”
“Will, I think you are deliberately putting your fingers on the wrong keys,” Georgiana said in frustration. “We have played this duet numerous times.”
“But not for more than a year, and despite what you say, I am not doing it on purpose.”
“Georgie, do you have the music for ‘I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In’?” Richard asked in an attempt to stop the sparring. “Will knows how to play that tune, and I will accompany him.” Georgiana quickly went through her music chest and found the sheet music for the carol.
“Richard, that is an excellent suggestion,” Georgiana said, “as tomorrow is the first of December and St. Nicholas’s Day is but six days off. It is the perfect tune for the season,” and Georgie left her brother so that he might perform.
“I am warning you, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Elizabeth, that I play badly,” Darcy said, and looking at his sister for a reprieve, which she refused to grant, he told her, “Put Pepper out of the room or he will start barking.”
“Don’t worry, Darcy. I intend to sing very loudly to cover your poor performance,” his cousin teased him.
After Darcy had finished, he asked Mrs. Gardiner what she thought.
“The colonel has a fine baritone.”
“You cannot avoid the question, Mrs. Gardiner. What did you think of my playing?”
“Sir, I will tell you what I tell my children: Practice, practice, and more practice will get you the desired results.”
“Gently put, Mrs. Gardiner,” Darcy said with a smile.
Aunt Gardiner turned to her niece. “Elizabeth, dear, will you sing, ‘I Liked But Never Loved Before’?”
“Oh, no, not that maudlin ballad,” Mr. Gardiner groaned. “Please forgive my wife. She has an insatiable appetite for songs about lost love and other tragedies that will have everyone in tears.”
“I am only asking for the one ballad, Mr. Gardiner.”
“Very well, Aunt, if you will accompany me,” Lizzy said, agreeing to her request. Lizzy had a pleasing alto voice and, like her aunt, had a weakness for romantic ballads, and no sheet music was needed as they knew the song by heart.
Lizzy bowed her head in appreciation of the applause, and although she knew it was unwise, she looked at Mr. Darcy and felt tears welling up in her eyes.
“As you can tell, my uncle was correct, at least as far as I am concerned,” Lizzy said. “These love songs always make me cry.”
Mr. Darcy sprung out of his chair and handed her one of his handkerchiefs, and looking at her, he shook his head ever so slightly, as if to tell her that she need not cry and that all would be well.