Butler took the glass, meeting Darcy’s gaze boldly but with a hint of worry. “Thank you. And you are correct in your assumption. I hope you are not dismayed by Miss Darcy’s disclosure of a private matter or, worse yet, angry at her?”
Darcy smiled and shook his head. “I have never found it easy or natural to be angry at my sister for anything. Rather it is most comfortable for me to indulge and spoil liberally. I daresay you may encounter the same difficulties.”
“I already have,” the younger man confessed with a laugh.
“Glad to hear it. Truthfully, if the relationship between our branches of the family were the same as two years ago when we first met, Mr. Butler, I would not be forgiving in the least. I am a very private person and this particular situation is emphatically one I do not want discussed openly.” He paused, piercing Mr. Butler with an intense scrutiny. The moment stretched, Sebastian maintaining the contact, his face open and relaxed. Finally Darcy nodded, visibly loosening his posture and easing back into the cushioned chair. “Obviously the relationship between our families has altered and I am thankful you were here as a support for my sister. Your company and dependability were invaluable. I owe you a debt of gratitude, Mr. Butler.”
“Thank you, sir, but you owe me nothing. It has been my pleasure, and relief, to be here for Miss Darcy and to comfort as possible.”
“It is easy to identify the nature of your relationship with my sister so unless I am grossly mistaken in my conclusions, I presume you have a request of me?”
His smile was friendly, in truth his heart overjoyed at his sister’s great fortune. Therefore, he was surprised when Mr. Butler sat his glass down and leaned forward with a serious cast to his face.
“Indeed you are correct, Mr. Darcy. My feelings for Miss Darcy are strong and sure. I am not at all being melodramatic when I say that I would be crushed beyond repair if your response to my desires regarding Miss Darcy were not granted in a positive way. I believe she would be crushed as well.” He lost his composure briefly, clearing his throat before continuing. “My affections for Miss Darcy are genuine and intense, as is my respect for her and appreciation of her relationship with you. In the weeks we spent together as friends prior to our sentiments maturing to love, we talked frankly, on dozens of occasions, about our families. I am sure it is no surprise to you, sir, that Miss Darcy is devoted to her family, primarily you. I easily comprehend this, as my devotion to my sisters is as powerful. It is out of this comprehension and respect that I wish to be honest before formally asking for Miss Darcy’s hand in marriage.”
“Is there some impediment to your union I am unaware of?”
“No! Not in any way you might imagine. I promise that. My heart is set and constancy on my part, and I trust on Miss Darcy’s part as well, is not in question. Please, bear with me as I explain.”
He paused again, taking a large gulp of lemonade to wet his parched throat. “You know, of course, that as the eldest son I will someday inherit my father’s title and lands. God willing this will not occur for many years or decades to come, but I want to assure you, Mr. Darcy, that my ancestry and estate are dear to me. Miss Darcy will be a wonderful Lady Essenton, I have no doubt, and I will be blessed to have her by my side in that capacity, when the time comes. However, you may not fully appreciate that music has forever been my first passion. I have single-mindedly pursued this course; it is a drive that has unfortunately created some tension between my father and I. Additionally, my focus on music nearly caused me to lose Miss Darcy, both of us misinterpreting our goals and desires profoundly.”
He chuckled then, sitting back into the chair and shaking his head. “I am not sure if you can empathize, sir, but young people newly in love can be stupid about it!”
“You might be surprised how well I empathize, Mr. Butler,” Darcy answered dryly.
“Well, it appears we both have intriguing stories to tell. The point I am struggling to make is that although my love for Miss Darcy supersedes everything else, I am not prepared to give up on my dreams and studies. Nor does Geor… Miss Darcy wish me to.” He blushed at the slip, but Darcy just smiled, nodding for him to continue. “And this brings me to the crux of the matter. The truth is that among the numerous attributes I love about your sister and the commonalities we share, our musical passion and gifts bind us in a unique way.”
He scooted forward in his chair, zeal etched upon his face and in every gesture. “Mr. Darcy, do you realize how phenomenally talented your sister is? She is incredibly gifted in both composing and playing, and this is not just a lover speaking. I recognized her talents well before my heart was lost. Furthermore, I have shared her work with professors and musicians at the Conservatoire in Paris, each one impressed by her skill. We both recognize that we do not possess the brilliance of the great masters, but our hearts are as one in our yearning to embrace this shared passion. In fact, we have discovered our inspiration and proficiency improved with collaboration.”
“Mr. Butler,” Darcy interrupted, “so far all you have said merely affirms my pleasure in granting you the hand of my sister, so I am confused as to where the conversation is leading. Georgiana is transparent in her feelings toward you and vice versa, and despite my distraction this past week, I have not been unaware of the piano music constantly drifting through the halls. I make no claim to possess a finely discerning ear for music, but I will attest that what I have been hearing is fantastic.”
Sebastian’s head lifted in pride, his gray eyes bright. “Thank you for the compliment. You are correct, however, in that I have been rambling a bit. Very well, I shall be blunt.” He took a deep breath and kept his eyes steady upon Darcy’s face. “Mr. Darcy, I humbly and with all my heart bare before you, ask for the honor of marrying Miss Georgiana Darcy. I promise to fulfill every vow placed upon me by God and the love I hold for her. I have tendered my heartfelt proposal to her and she has accepted. We will bow to your wishes in the matter, but our prayer is that you will agree and allow us to marry before the summer is over as we mutually desire relocating to Paris, where we are enrolled for study at the Conservatoire in the fall.”
Darcy blinked in surprise. “Georgiana has been accepted into the Conservatoire?”
“With honors, sir.”
Sebastian controlled the urge to squirm impatiently in his chair, waiting a full minute for a silent Darcy to respond. When he did, the surge of relieved energy was so intense Sebastian experienced a moment of extreme light-headedness and almost missed the words uttered.
“I cannot believe she has kept silent.” Darcy’s voice was an awed murmur, followed by a shout of amazement. “This is extraordinary! I am no longer sure which brings me greater delight, her fortune in securing a quality man who loves her or this incredible accomplishment. By God, a Darcy studying in Paris! And music no less.” He laughed again, grinning and blue eyes shining when he refocused on Mr. Butler’s face. “I cannot recall the first time Georgiana sat on a piano stool. My mother attempted to teach me how to play, and I learned the basics, but lacked the aptitude or interest. I remember once when Georgie was seven I sat beside her on the bench of our old harpsichord, turning pages as she impressed Father and me with new material she had been practicing. She began a sonata by Scarlatti, one of the few pieces I knew how to play tolerably well, so I joined in. We played all three movements, Georgiana smiling and nodding encouragingly throughout. I knew my poor proficiency was unmatched to the skill she wielded even then, but she adjusted her tempo to my dismal performance, laughing and applauding as if it were brilliant and the highlight of the evening.”