A Wife for Mr. Darcy

first of December and St. Nicholas’s Day is but six days off. It is the perfect tune for the season,” and Georgie left her brother so that he might perform.
    “I am warning you, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Elizabeth, that I play badly,” Darcy said, and looking at his sister for a reprieve, which she refused to grant, he told her, “Put Pepper out of the room or he will start barking.”
    “Don’t worry, Darcy. I intend to sing very loudly to cover your poor performance,” his cousin teased him.
    After Darcy had finished, he asked Mrs. Gardiner what she thought.
    “The colonel has a fine baritone.”
    “You cannot avoid the question, Mrs. Gardiner. What did you think of my playing?”
    “Sir, I will tell you what I tell my children: Practice, practice, and more practice will get you the desired results.”
    “Gently put, Mrs. Gardiner,” Darcy said with a smile.
    Aunt Gardiner turned to her niece. “Elizabeth, dear, will you sing, ‘I Liked But Never Loved Before’?”
    “Oh, no, not that maudlin ballad,” Mr. Gardiner groaned. “Please forgive my wife. She has an insatiable appetite for songs about lost love and other tragedies that will have everyone in tears.”
    “I am only asking for the one ballad, Mr. Gardiner.”
    “Very well, Aunt, if you will accompany me,” Lizzy said, agreeing to her request. Lizzy had a pleasing alto voice and, like her aunt, had a weakness for romantic ballads, and no sheet music was needed as they knew the song by heart.
    “I liked but never loved before
I saw thy charming face;
Now every feature I adore,
And dote on every grace.
He never shall know the kind desire,
Which his cold look denies,
Unless my heart that’s all on fire
Should sparkle through my eyes.
Then if no gentle glance return
A silent leave to speak
My heart which would forever burn
Alas! Must sigh and break .”
    Lizzy bowed her head in appreciation of the applause, and although she knew it was unwise, she looked at Mr. Darcy and felt tears welling up in her eyes.
    “As you can tell, my uncle was correct, at least as far as I am concerned,” Lizzy said. “These love songs always make me cry.”
    Mr. Darcy sprung out of his chair and handed her one of his handkerchiefs, and looking at her, he shook his head ever so slightly, as if to tell her that she need not cry and that all would be well.
    Georgiana, who had organized the night’s entertainment, signaled for Avery and Potter, two of the footmen, who were accomplished fiddlers, to come in. The chairs and tables were quickly moved to the side, and the footmen began with a lively Scottish air. For the remainder of the evening, Lizzy was able to forget that the following day was to be her last at Pemberley.

The previous evening, Georgiana had suggested that the last day of their guests’ visit should be spent exploring one of the many caves in the Peak and mentioned Thor’s Cave, which was considered to be one of the most spectacular caves in all of England.
    “Georgie, that is not possible,” her brother said. “With the short days and the vagaries of the weather, it cannot be done,” which his sister already knew.
    “Maybe we should go Shepherd’s Cave? That is within easy distance of the house.”
    Earlier in the day, while her brother had been otherwise engaged, Georgiana had conspired with Richard, and behind closed doors, the pair had plotted how best to get the two together and had settled on Shepherd’s Cave.
    Since meeting Lizzy, Georgiana regretted her role in promoting Miss Montford to her brother. When she first had visited with Letitia, she found that she was not a particularly good conversationalist but believed that would change once a friendship was established. On her second visit, Letitia had played a sonata by Beethoven so exquisitely that she had been moved to tears. At that time, she decided that this sweet, accomplished lady would be kind to her brother, which was of utmost importance to her because she did not want someone like Augusta Selridge or Caroline Bingley for Will. It was only after experiencing Lizzy’s wit, intelligence, vivacity, and wonderful curiosity did Georgiana realize she had been championing the wrong lady.
    “As you know, Richard, it is very tight in the cave, and as they make their way to the rear, they will be close enough to embrace.” With her vivid imagination, she could picture her brother taking Lizzy in his arms, and while so entwined, the colonel and she would