Page 88 of Miss Bennet's Dragon
“Of course not.” We walked a few steps. “When I found Mr. Rabb this morning, can you imagine whom he knew?”
I stopped, and she looked at me innocently.
“This is most unfair!” I said, and she broke into laughter. A layer of reserve broke as well, and we linked arms to walk as friends.
As sunset colored the sky, our group reassembled, including the Gardiners’ tykeworm, who had been freed from our coach for fear he would claw his way out.
Mr. Gardiner displayed the two trout he had caught, while his fishing companion, Mr. Rabb, ruefully showed his one. I suspected that being outfished by gentlemen was a talent of gamekeepers.
The fish were admired and taken to the kitchen. Then Miss Darcy’s face lit. “My brother!”
In the distance, Mr. Darcy, hatless and dressed in practical riding gear, trotted his gray horse into the stables and vanished.
Miss Darcy invited us into the drawing room, then excused herself to meet her brother.
I sat down, but sitting made me more nervous, so I began pacing the room. On my fourth pass, my aunt got up and invited me to admire the view. We went to the window, glowing gold with sunset, and I blew out a big breath.
My aunt took my hand. “It is evident, Lizzy, that this invitation was not offered because of Mr. Gardiner and myself.”
“Oh, Aunt. You do not know how difficult this is.”
“I am sure I do not. But I am also sure that Mr. Gardiner and I should excuse ourselves before dinner. We shall not be missed.”
“You shall be missed by me!” I said, but she only raised an eyebrow. “Do not leave me alone.”
“We will stay if you wish. But silent stares at Mr. Darcy will not make things less difficult. You must talk it through. To whatever outcome.”
“Do not be wise, Aunt. I am beyond wisdom.”
“You are my most sensible niece and a very competent lady.”
“But I do not even know what Iwant.”
“That is when talking is most helpful. You have made Miss Darcy’s acquaintance. Nothing prevents you from dining at Pemberley with her and her brother.” When I said nothing, she added, “You can always depart after dinner and regale us with tales of finery. Besides, you will not be alone.”
She pointed to the floor, where the tykeworm sat loyally at my feet.
“What do you think?” I asked him and received a bored yawn in response.
34
APPASSIONATA
Lucy,the little housemaid, stepped back from dusting my petticoats, her hands on her non-existent hips and her feather brush dangling. Her bottom lip poked one way, then the other. “I can fix your hair, too.”
After the Gardiners expressed their regret to Miss Darcy, Lucy had shown me to a guest room to tidy for dinner.
“What sort of fix?” I said suspiciously.
“Just fix it,” she said, eyes round with innocence.
Grudgingly, I sat, adjusting the looking glass. While Lucy pulled out pins and began brushing, I said, “What do they teach you at school?”
“Everything,” she answered with unabashed confidence. “Reading, mostly. I didn’t know none of it. But there’s a girl my age with no teaching”—she stopped, then continued in a refined tone—“who had not yet been educated. So, we study as a pair.”
“Goodness. You sound like an elegant lady’s companion.”
“D’you think?” She grinned in the glass, then added, “The boys are learning to blacksmith.”
