Chances Come, Ney Mitch [snow like ashes series TXT] 📗

constant praises of her still render me ever curious about her.”

“My sister is very well, thank you,” he responded.

“Aunt,” I said to her, “we heard a very good report that his sister plays the pianoforte infuriatingly well. Which, I suppose, made it even harder on him when he was forced into hearing me play and sing.”

“You refer to when I heard you play at Lucas Lodge?” Mr. Darcy asked. “When you played alongside Charlotte Lucas.”

“Precisely. How did you stand my attempt at talent?”

“I withstood it in the manner and mode in which anyone can withstand something that they find great enjoyment in. Mrs. Gardiner, your niece plays the pianoforte with such true feeling, and her voice was something that I always experienced unsuspecting pleasure in.”

“All this time,” I said simply, but my eyes were twinkling, “and you cannot abide me teasing you.”

“You were teasing me just now?”

“Yes. To bring life and spirit back between us.”

To my utter surprise, Mr. Darcy smiled.

“Life and spirit? Then tell me, Miss Elizabeth? Was it life and spirit and your teasing that was the inspiration behind you rejecting my offer of dancing with you at Lucas Lodge all those months ago?”

“That was revenge, sir. Which, I suppose, can be labeled as a more vicious sort of teasing.”

“Lizzy, the words that you speak!” My aunt gasped.

“Oh, but it is fine, aunt,” I allowed. “We never speak together, unless we can have a merry war between us. It is our way of making each other feel comfortable. Mr. Darcy would not desire it any other way. Unless I am wrong. Am I wrong, Mr. Darcy?”

“I cannot tell,” he admitted, “for our conversations always take turns in different directions than I foresee them, so I wonder if I am allowed to enjoy them or not. In truth, whenever I believed you were teasing me before, I turned out to be in error. I do not want to misunderstand you ever again.”

“But I say that I am innocently teasing you now. So, you may believe it.”

“Then I am allowed to enjoy this?”

“Yes.”

“Then I find this all very delightful.”

“And you are smiling.”

“Yes,” Jane voiced, surprised as well. “I do not believe that I have ever seen you smile before.”

“I was told that it is something I do rarely,” Mr. Darcy faltered. Somehow, he lost his sense of confidence and became bashful again. The smile faded from his face and was met with his lips returning to a straight line.

“And now the smile has faded again,” I observed. “What have we done to frighten it away?”

“Nothing so simple and nothing that was your fault,” he responded, “I just grew bashful all of a sudden. I must confess, that this conversation has taken a strange turn, and gone in such a foreign direction that I do not know where we are. I want to say something very clever or that would contribute to the conversation, but I am at a loss. I confess, that I do not like being at a loss.”

“Then we can return to safer topics,” our Aunt Gardiner reassured him.

“Oh, thank you,” Mr. Darcy commented, “but no. While I am afraid of having nothing to say, I fear not rising to the challenge even more. Therefore, I want to rise to the occasion and contribute to this conversation very much. I am just at a loss.”

“But does a part of you like the way that you are lost, at least?” I asked.

His eyes twinkled again.

“Yes, and it is a very strange thing. I like how we are speaking, as if we are already in the middle of an acquaintance, rather than the awkwardness that comes from being at the beginning. In truth, Mrs. Gardiner, I must render my character limited in one manner; I have not that talent of conversing easily with people that I have never met before. Your niece, therefore, is trying to help me forget that about myself. Is that not so, Miss Elizabeth?”

“Very good,” I remarked. “The world is outside. Let us all be friends while within doors.”

“Then that is a great pity,” he said, “for, Mrs. Gardiner, I had rather hoped you would allow me the opportunity to take your kind nieces on a walk. I have never traversed in this part of London before, and I was rather hoping that they would show me the sights or the places of interest. If that is agreeable to you?”

Her smile was genuine. “Well, yes! If that is agreeable to my nieces, then I will allow it.”

“I am for it,” I confirmed.

“As am I,” Jane piped up.

Now that we were all assembled, Jane and I put on our coats, scarves, and bonnets while Mr. Darcy got on his coat. In the brief time that I had, I grabbed Jane’s arm and whispered in her ear.

“Jane, forgive me, but I must ask something of you.”

“Ask?”

“After three minutes of us walking, can you untangle yourself from our company and begin to walk a few steps behind? For I wish for a brief discussion between Darcy and me. I fear that he will not speak if anyone else is present. Jane, I promise, this will be for your own good.”

Jane gave me a quick look.

“Very well, Lizzy,” she allowed, “but I will not remain so far behind that you are ever alone.”

“Thank you.” I kissed her cheek and then Mr. Darcy joined us.

“Mr. Darcy,” Jane had said as we began our walk, “I know that this may not be of much interest to you, but our uncle’s factory is but a short walk down the road. Would you be willing to see it? He is so very proud of it.”

“I should like it very much,” Mr. Darcy said, and we led him down the road, to Uncle Gardiner’s factory.

“Our uncle deals in the textile trade,” I elaborated, “and it is a lovely sort of place. Well, it is lovely if you are the sort to value industry. I know that the world does look down on people