Page 15 of Miss Gardiner
Miss Gardiner collected the last of the papers from the crates, made notations in her papers and handed all the papers to Mr Clemmons. Mr Darcy directed Mr Banks to move the landscape and the still-life paintings to the family dining room where he and Georgiana could consider where to place them in the house.
“Georgie, once we have a proper frame, shall we hang Mother’s portrait in your sitting room for a time?”
“Yes, brother. Please!” the girl replied, throwing her arms around Mr Darcy. For now, the unfinished portrait of Lady Anne Darcy would remain on a stand in the ballroom to watch over Miss Gardiner as she catalogued each of Lady Anne’s treasures.
The wooden crates that had held the paintings were reassembled and stored in the attics with a paper attached to each one stating which painting it had contained. If Mr Darcy moved the paintings to his estate in Derbyshire, he would have crates for each one.
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It was during their family dinner on Saturday night that Georgiana directed the conversation with her brother to ‘Miss Gardiner.’ They dined alone but for the butler and footman who served the three courses at the dining table. As per their usual arrangement, Georgiana sat beside her brother at the head of the table to allow for easy conversation. On these nights, Mrs Annesley ate in the privacy of her room to read her letters and rest while Mr Darcy entertained his sister for a time.
“How are your lessons in literature?” Darcy asked.
Georgiana frowned slightly, “Mrs Annesley encourages me to look for the meanings hidden in the actions of the characters and in the things around them.”
“Many times, there are hidden meanings,” he agreed.
“But don’t writers just tell stories for fun? Must every story to have a lesson in morality?”
Darcy considered his answer carefully before saying, “At your age, I am very careful with the novels and stories placed before you to read. I do not want you to read revolutionary texts or other nonsense.”
Georgiana made a sour face that made her brother smile broadly. “Perhaps I can find a couple books for you to read that are interesting but that you do not have to discusswith Mrs Annesley.”
“Please, brother. Miss Gardiner tells me that she enjoys reading in the evenings to relax and clear her mind after working with numbers and inventory during the day.”
“Miss Gardiner?” he asked. “You speak of such things in front of the workmen?”
Giving William a look of exasperation that young women her age perfected before they were ten and four, his sister explained, “Our conversations are always in French, so the workmen do not know what we are saying, and Mrs Annesley participates in the conversations.”
“I am not concerned about the topics you discuss with Miss Gardiner. She appears to be a learned lady.”
Pleased with her brother’s characterization of her friend, Georgiana stated, “But she never attended school…”
Darcy replied, “That makes her accomplishments even more impressive. I wonder from where her instruction came?”
With a small smile, Georgiana explained, “Miss Gardiner told me that her father had a suitable library for history, the classics, and Shakespeare. He instructed her to read and speak French, to read history and some of the natural sciences. Her mother and the housekeeper taught her to sew, and her aunt and uncle here in town continued her education. She helps her young cousins with numbers and letters.”
“Miss Gardiner sews? Do you mean pillows and screens?”
“More than pillows,” Georgiana said. “Miss Gardiner tells me that she sews gowns for her aunt and cousins, as well as shirts and even trousers for the eldest, a boy. Decorating a screen is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon but Miss Gardiner showed me how to mend my coat the other day with a stitch that stretches with my movements.
“Did she now?” he asked.
“And Mrs Annesley was impressed and asked Miss Gardiner about hemming undergarments properly,” explained Georgiana as she blushed. “But our conversation was in French, and the workmen never understood a single word.”
Darcy struggled not to laugh aloud but managed to merely look pleased by his sister’s conversation. “And I suppose Miss Gardiner is an accomplished musician too?”
Georgiana looked surprised by her brother’s question for a moment, but she formulated an answer, “I am not certain. How I can determine how accomplished she is on the pianoforte.”
“Once the inventory is complete, perhaps you can invite her to tea and then you can both play the instrument in parlour,” William suggested.
“Yes! May I invite her to tea? I should like to have tea with Miss Gardiner ever so much better than tea with Mr Bingley and his sisters.”
Darcy nodded. “When our business is complete, I shall speak with Mr Gardiner and invite Mrs Gardiner to call with Miss Gardiner.”
“Thank you, William,” his sister replied sincerely.
“Georgie, tell me why you do not care for Mrs Hurst or Miss Bingley? They always came with Charles when I invited him.”
