Shopping. Darcy shook his head. How had he once again been relegated to chaperoning his sister while she visited more shops?
“Thank you for allowing your sister to accompany Mary and me today.”
That was how. The intoxicating lady on his arm was the sole reason he had agreed to take part in yet another shopping excursion. She had haunted his dreams as the play, of which they had been a part, played out in mind the past two nights.
“It is Mary’s first visit to London without our parents,” Miss Elizabeth explained in hushed tones as they walked behind Miss Mary and Georgiana. “She is quite enthusiastic about enjoying all that town has to offer her, or, at least, all that she will be allowed to enjoy.” There was a hint of a laugh in Miss Elizabeth’s tone.
“She seems,” he paused, “different.”
Miss Elizabeth grimaced. “She is.”
They walked on in silence as he waited for her to say more. However, that was the length and breadth of her reply, and it did nothing to ease his confusion about the Miss Mary Bennet he had met two nights ago at the Gardiners.
“Georgiana seems to like her.” Perhaps that would prompt Miss Elizabeth to share more information.
“She does.” Again, the brief reply did nothing to help him determine who this new Bennet sister was.
Just then, Georgiana peeked over her shoulder at him with something a lot like mischief in her expression. The sight was a bit unnerving.
He glanced nonchalantly to his right and then his left. They were removed enough from anyone who might be gathering gossip about what he was doing. If Miss Elizabeth was not going to be forthcoming with information in a casual conversation, perhaps he needed to try a different approach to the topic.
“I must confess that I am uncertain if I should encourage their friendship or not.”
He felt the hand which lay on his arm flinch before Miss Elizabeth slowly withdrew it.
“Can you not help me decide?” he asked.
Miss Elizabeth fidgeted with her gloves as if ensuring they were securely on her hands. “Why do you think the friendship should not be encouraged?”
They had stopped walking in front of a shop while Miss Mary and Georgiana were admiring the items on display in the window. Taking note that both Miss Annesley and John, the footman who had once again accompanied them on a shopping excursion, were attending to the two young ladies, Darcy turned his attention back to Miss Elizabeth. The expression on her face seemed to say that his answer was of great importance. Therefore, he weighed his words carefully before speaking.
“I do not know your sister. I thought I had some understanding of who she was, but,” he shook his head, “she is so different.”
“Lizzy,” Miss Mary called with a wave of her hand beckoning her sister forward. “Do you see the edge of the lace the clerk is displaying to that woman?” she asked once Miss Elizabeth had joined her.
Miss Elizabeth peered through the window.
“Would not Mama love it?” Miss Mary asked.
“I am certain she would.”
“Shall we get it for her?”
Miss Elizabeth hesitated before answering. “If it is not too dear, but remember, there is also the book for Papa’s gift that we must purchase.”
“But you are happy with the lace as a present for Mama?”
Miss Elizabeth nodded and smiled. “Delighted.” She turned back to Darcy. “We would like to enter this shop, sir.”
“You may enter whichever shops you would like.”
His sister pressed her lips together as if she wished to laugh. Then, as Miss Mary and Miss Elizabeth went into the store together, Georgiana wrapped her arm around his.
“Do you not simply adore the Miss Bennets, Fitzwilliam?”
“They are very pleasant company,” he answered carefully.
“Are they both just pleasant company?”
“Yes, what else would they be?”
She shrugged. “Oh, I do not know.” She drew him toward a display case. “Did you know that Miss Elizabeth’s favourite fragrance is lavender?” she asked as she bent down to look more closely at the gloves in the case.
Heat began to creep up Darcy’s neck. “No, I did not know.” Although, he could have guessed it was because she wore the fragrance so frequently. In fact, she was wearing it today. “And does Miss Mary have a favourite fragrance?”
Georgiana nodded. “Roses. It is too bad I purchased those gloves the other day. These are beautiful.”
“Do you wish for another pair?”
She shook her head. “No, I have enough pairs for now, but what do you think of these – for yourself?” She pointed to a fine pair of black leather gloves.
“They appear to be of good quality.” And his were showing their wear.
“They do,” his sister agreed.
He motioned for the clerk for assistance. “This pair, please.”
“Whatever fragrance Miss Elizabeth is wearing today smells a lot like my new one. Do you not think so?”
Darcy turned the pair of gloves over in his hand, paying close attention to the seaming and purposefully refraining from looking at his sister. “I really could not say,” or more precisely he would not say. He did, in fact, know that the two fragrances were similar. “Why do you ask?” He finally looked at her after informing the clerk he would take the gloves.
“Mere curiosity.” Her eyes held his. “Your ears are red. Are you cold?” Then, she turned away with a smile before he could reply.
Her observation made his ears grow warmer.
“I actually find it rather warm in here,” he grumbled, fully unwilling to admit that his red ears had anything to do with their conversation. “This is just part of the trouble with shopping. You dress for the weather so you can abide the out of doors, but then, when you enter a shop you become overheated. I am certain that many illnesses start just this way.”
Georgiana’s shoulders shook as she laughed silently. “You sound like Aunt Catherine when she is complaining about drafts,” she finally said when she had stopped laughing. “Are you prepared to rejoin the frigid weather outside, Fitzwilliam? For it appears Miss Mary and Miss Elizabeth have secured their purchase, which I am certain you know since you are watching them.”
“I am responsible for all of you. I must watch them, as well as you.” Impertinence in Miss Elizabeth was far more becoming than it was in his sister.
“Oh, yes, of course.”
Her words agreed with him completely, but her amused tone did nothing of the sort.
“Shall we?” he motioned to the door.
“I want to walk with Miss Mary when she reaches the street.”
“Very well.”
“Did you know that she is just two years, three months, and five days older than me?”
“No.”
“Did you know her youngest sister is just four months and two days older than me?”
“I knew you and Miss Lydia were close in age, but I did not know how close.”
“Miss Mary plays the piano.”
“That I did know.” Not that he found her playing to be the sort that he preferred to listen to. She was accurate, but there was no emotion.
“Could we visit the sweets shop, and after, go to Darcy House for tea early? Then, I could show her my new book of music.”
“Their aunt will not be there until the prescribed time.”
Mrs. Gardiner had been delighted to give her permission for her nieces to be escorted from shop to shop by Mr. Darcy because she had some tasks she had hoped to accomplish today and the extra time to complete them was most welcome. However, she had been adamant that she would join them for tea. She would not expect Mrs. Annesley to be the sole chaperone for three young ladies in a single gentleman’s home – not even if one of those young ladies was the gentleman’s sister.
Georgiana sighed. “Then, we will have to visit the booksellers next.”
“I do not mind that shop at all.” In fact, it was one of his favourites.
“Which shop is that?” Miss Mary asked as she joined them.
“The bookseller’s shop,” Georgiana answered. “It is the only shop where Fitzwilliam could spend a full day and not complain about it.”
“That is true,” Darcy agreed. “Though I do prefer spending a day in my library since the books there have already been purchased.”
“It is Lizzy’s favourite shop, as well as Papa’s,” Mary inserted.
“I like books,” Elizabeth said defensively.
“So do we,” Mary argued back.
Apparently, Miss Mary already knew that Darcy was not the only member of his family who liked to read.
“Then, it sounds like it will be an excellent place for us all to be,” Mrs. Annesley inserted.
“Do you like books, too?” Miss Mary asked Georgiana’s companion.
“Since before I could read for myself.” She neatly turned Miss Mary and Georgiana in the direction they needed to go. She seemed just as good as she appeared upon his first meeting her. There was not even a hint of anything improper in this companion – unlike Mrs. Young, Georgiana’s former companion.
“They have left us together again.” He offered Miss Elizabeth his arm.
“So I noticed.” She placed her hand on his arm. “They truly do seem perfectly matched as friends, do they not?”
He watched his sister lean towards Miss Mary and whisper something that caused them both to giggle. Georgiana did not usually make friends so easily as she seemed to have done with Miss Mary.
“They do,” he admitted.
“Will you allow the friendship to continue?”
He glanced at her. Georgiana being friends with Miss Mary would make it much harder for him to avoid Miss Elizabeth.
“Please?” Miss Elizabeth added.
“I believe I can do that since I have already gained your assurance that your sister poses no danger to mine.” Though he was still curious about the change in Miss Mary.
Relief washed over Miss Elizabeth’s face as she thanked him.
“Mr. Darcy! Miss Darcy!”
Darcy cringed at the sound of his name falling from Miss Bingley’s lips.
“And Miss Mary and Miss Elizabeth, too?” Mrs. Hurst added. “What a cozy group you all make.”
“Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst.” Darcy gave a nod of his head in greeting. “Is Bingley with you?”
“No,” Miss Bingley gave Elizabeth an appraising look. “Charles refused to join us because he says he has some business to finish before he returns to Netherfield, but Louisa and I just could not wait for him to do whatever it is he needs to do. There are far too many details which must be seen to before the season begins.”
“Mr. Darcy will know about that soon enough, Caroline. It is just one more year before you are out, is it not, Miss Darcy?” Mrs. Hurst asked.
“As you know,” Darcy answered.
“We would be happy to help her prepare,” Mrs. Hurst added.
“My aunt has already claimed that duty.”
Mrs. Hurst’s hopeful expression slid into disappointment for a moment before it brightened again. “I am certain there can be no one better than Lady Matlock to assist a young lady. She is highly respected.”
“And she has such good taste,” Miss Bingley agreed. “Not at all like some who parade themselves around the season.” Again, her eyes flicked to Miss Elizabeth with an assessing look.
Mrs. Hurst tittered as she agreed with her sister.
“You will have to visit us now that we are back in town,” Miss Bingley said to Georgiana. “And you, too, of course, Miss Elizabeth and Miss Mary,” she added belatedly.
“That will be up to our aunt,” Miss Mary inserted. “We are under her care while we are in town.”
“Do you mean your relations in Cheapside?” Mrs. Hurst asked.
“Near Cheapside,” Darcy corrected. “In Gracechurch Street.”
“Oh, forgive me.” Mrs. Hurst gave him a quizzical look. “Have you met them?”
He nodded. “Georgiana and I had dinner with them two nights ago.”
“Oh.” She looked from him to Miss Elizabeth. “How kind of you.”
“Excessively,” Miss Elizabeth agreed.
“We must be on our way,” Darcy said. “We are expecting Mrs. Gardiner to join us for tea shortly.”
“At Darcy House?”
Had he ever seen Miss Bingley’s eyes grow so wide?
“Yes, at Darcy House. If you will excuse us, we have another shop to visit before we return home.” He gave a nod of his head and left them.
“I do not understand it,” Georgiana said once they were away from Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. “Caroline is usually more friendly than that.”
“Not always,” Darcy said. “You have not seen her at soirees during the season.”
“Or in Hertfordshire.” He heard Miss Mary mutter.
“Was she rude there, too?” Georgiana whispered.
Miss Mary nodded.
It was a small movement, but it carried a powerful blow. If Miss Mary found Miss Bingley’s behaviour to be wanting, then, she must have also found his to be in need of improvement, for he had behaved just as poorly. Disappointment with himself settled into his stomach like a heavy rock just as it had always done when his mother had scolded him for poor behaviour. However, unlike when he was young, he could not just redo what he had done improperly… or could he?