A Wife for Mr. Darcy

ladies who exhibited were quite good, especially Miss King, who performed admirably on the pianoforte. Not as well as Miss Montford, of course, but then few are her equal. However, Miss Montford cannot sing.”
    That was the first statement his sister had made about Miss Montford that could possibly be construed as being negative.
    “But, of course, if you play three instruments, it would be unfair to expect such a person to also have an exceptional voice,” Georgiana continued, “and she does speak French and Italian. On the other hand, with the exception of attending the opera, Italian is not of much use, what with Napoleon’s brother-in-law and sister sitting on the throne of Naples. I mean, no one is going to the Italian peninsula any time soon.”
    Darcy continued to say nothing, but it was clear Miss Montford’s pedestal had a crack in it.
    “And there were so many fine-looking ladies at the ball. Miss Cross and Miss Maria Lucas are very attractive, and, of course, Miss Bennet is perfectly lovely as is her sister, Elizabeth. Miss Elizabeth’s face is not symmetrical, but then neither is mine nor is Miss Montford’s, whose nose points slightly to the right.”
    After hearing the comment about Miss Montford’s nose, Darcy visualized a huge chunk of stone crashing to the ground. If this conversation went on much longer, Miss Montford might find herself without any pedestal at all.
    “But what is most important to me is how much a person smiles, and there were so many happy faces at the ball. It shows a joie de vivre .”
    “Ladies in the country tend to smile more and laugh more freely than ladies in town. I believe Mrs. Quilling cautioned you that a smile by an unmarried young lady is subject to misinterpretation, and one must be cautious. There are few families in the country who have the resources to hire governesses, and as a result, these young ladies do not have the benefit of their wisdom.” A vision of a demure Miss Montford, with her controlled half smiles, appeared before him, as did Elizabeth Bennet, whose smiles were open and contagious.
    “That is why I love being in the country. I am so very eager to go to Pemberley.”
    “As you know, Georgiana, I have business in town. Any plans for Pemberley will be discussed once we are in London.”

    After a day’s rest following the ball, Lizzy’s usual good humor returned. She was not one to brood or pine or cry into her pillow, and so she decided to look to that evening’s supper as an opportunity to get to know Miss Darcy a little better without having to step over the flowers that the Bingley sisters laid at her feet.
    Lizzy also used the dinner to get to know her future brother-in-law. She found Charles to be a delightful man, full of good humor, and perfectly suited to her sister, but he would not have done for her at all. There was no edge to him whatsoever, and although she liked a sunny day as much as the next person, life would be rather dull if it did not rain occasionally. She needed to find a man with more complexity than Charles Bingley, someone like Mr. Darcy, but available.
    After supper, everyone went into the parlor to play a few rounds of whist. Miss Darcy sat at Lizzy’s table and gave glowing reports of just about everything she had seen or heard or tasted since coming to the country.
    “After being in town for less than a week, I was surprised when my brother told me of his plans to return to Hertfordshire. Will never did things like that before he met Mr. Bingley, but I see that Charles has found an antidote for his restlessness,” and she smiled at Jane.
    “Your description of Mr. Bingley’s need for movement is quite accurate, Miss Darcy,” Lizzy responded, “as he danced every dance at that first assembly and made an excellent impression on his company.”
    “And what of Will?” Georgiana asked of a brother whom she loved dearly.
    “He definitely made an impression, which was remarked upon by almost everyone,” Lizzy said in as cheerful a tone as she could command. “Isn’t that right, Jane?” Her sister nodded, but said nothing for fear she would laugh.
    “I am very glad to hear it,” and after playing her hand, whispered to Lizzy, “Sometimes Will can get a bit cranky, but he is the best of brothers.”
    After three rounds, the ladies left the card tables in search of conversation, and the discussion eventually turned to Derbyshire. The Gardiners revealed that they had been successful in convincing