Page 66 of The Cheapside Runners
“Do not think your keen observation that first day went unnoticed.”
Mary just smiled, but Jane said, “Might you explain to those of us who are less astute than Mary?”
Elizabeth chuckled again, then fast as lightning, Mrs Black jumped up from her chair, stood tall, and scolded Mr Darcy in a voice reminiscent of a more attractive Lady Catherine. “Mr Darcy, you should not sit there among so many single ladies. Better you sit over here.”
The abrupt change in her countenance, demeanour, voice, and even accent astonished the ladies. Everyone except Mary just sat stunned for a moment, while Darcy found himself halfway across the room by reflex before he even registered what happened, then he stopped cold and stared.
The tableau was broken a moment later when Darcy boomed out in laughter, joined immediately by Mary, and gradually the rest.
Once everyone was laughing because they found the whole situation funny, ridiculous, confusing, or all three—Darcy bowed and smiled. “It is the greatest pleasure to greet you again Mrs Duff.”
“Who is Mrs Duff?” Lydia asked, having finally recovered the power of speech.
Darcy looked over at the young girl, rather startled that her entire demeanour and voice had changed since he last saw her, but then he supposed he ought not be surprised that a course he was willing to pay a thousand pounds for actually worked.
He looked to Elizabeth, who just shrugged and nodded, so he answered.
“As you can imagine, I am not accustomed to being dragged into a dance like a trout on a line, though I did find the exercise most helpful in the end. When Mrs Duff introduced herself, it took me a minute to work it out.”
Mary said, “Very clever.”
“What is clever?” Jasmine Weatherby asked.
“Anglicised Gaelic, I think?” Mary asked questioningly. When she got a nod from Elizabeth, she said, “Dubhmeans Black.”
They all laughed, but it was up to Jane to ask the burning question. “How in the world do you pull it off, Lizzy? And I suppose the more interesting question is—why?”
“Ah, well, those are two entirely different questions. I am not certain I wish to answer the latter, so suppose I attend the former?”
She looked around to find everyone staring in anticipation, so she finally began. “Mary worked it out the very first day. Care to tell the group how you did it?”
Mary thought hard for a minute. “I do not think I am any cleverer than the rest of you. In the end, I suspect it was happenstance. I happened to look at Mrs Black from a particular angle as she did something that reminded me of Lizzy at a young age and the scales fell from my eyes. Once I saw through the disguise it was easier, but still harder to think of Mrs Black as Elizabeth than you might think.”
Elizabeth nodded. “That is expected. I can tell you the answer to thehowhas already been taught in your lessons, starting with the second day observing the soldiers, continuing with the gossip at the modiste, and even Miss Green’s difficulties with the chalk boxes. Who wants to speculate?”
She looked around. It seemed nobody wanted to go first,but she just waited them out as if she had all night (which she actually did).
Finally, Jane ventured, “We see what we want to see… or… what weexpectto see.”
“Correct!The disguise has been the work of years, so theinitialbit of confusion took some effort. I warned you about how dangerous first impressions are. At a ball you meet one man with happy manners who dances every dance, and another who sullenly stalks the edges all night. What do you know about their character?”
Jane frowned grimly. “Very little, if anything.”
“Correct, but my experience says about eight in ten would consider the first man the superior based on first impressions alone. In subsequent meetings, he would get the benefit of the doubt, while the sullen man is guilty until proven innocent. The first man is Captain Blondish from our second day.”
“That makes sense,” Jane said while Mary nodded.
“I can walk anywhere I want wearing a servant’s dress, but none of you could safely, because I took the time to master how servants walk, talk, and act. People will see the dress and continue to see what they expect. If you did so, most would not notice, but some would think there was something just a bit off, and they would be those you least want to pierce the disguise. I work hard to make their first impression so strong they never question it again.”
“Is that why you can speak in servant’s cant with an accent one could cut with a knife?” Kitty asked.
“Yes… that took some practice and instruction… the less said about that the better. What else did I do, Mary?”
“You wore thick soled boots to make yourself taller than me that first day, but they were gone by Brutality Day,” Lydia added.
“Brutality Day?” Darcy asked in some concern.
“Not your business, Brother,” Georgiana replied quickly,which left everyone chuckling.
