A Midsummer Christmas

Part 13

For the second time that day, Georgiana played through her Christmas repertoire with Richard by her side. He had insisted, as soon as he and Fitzwilliam had joined the ladies in the parlour, that he would not sit idle while she played.

"Let us see how well I remember my instructions," he had said with a grin, as he took up his position at her shoulder. He did not sit this time but stood, and Georgiana felt strangely comforted by his presence. Comforted, and distracted. She forgot to nod for him to turn the page at least once, but he was paying closer attention than she realised because he anticipated her place and turned the page without needing to be asked.

They went on this way through two pieces and then a third before Richard threw up his hands and declared he had had enough of standing still.

"And Georgiana is surely eager for a change in occupation. Come, Mrs Darcy, and take your turn at the instrument!"

Lizzy opened her mouth to refuse but Richard would not hear it, and with friendly laughter and assurances that she had played perfectly agreeably at Rosings and might do so again this evening, Lizzy obediently exchanged places with Georgiana who stood a little awkwardly to the side.

"Play something we might dance to!" Richard suggested, catching Georgiana's hand in his own and tugging her into the centre of the room. "We must have at least one run-through before your ball if you do not wish for me to embarrass myself and you amongst the elevated sectors of Derbyshire society!"

"We are not in London," Fitzwilliam reminded him, from his chair at the side of the room. "And you are a soldier! If you cannot march in time by now I do not suppose there is any hope for you!"

"Do you hear your brother, Georgie? It is almost as if he wishes for me to embarrass him before his friends."

"You could never embarrass us!" Georgiana said, but hearing the words aloud made them sound a little over-eager and she bit her lip to keep from saying any more, obediently allowing Richard to steer her into place and begin to pace out a simple jig.

"Well? Do we make a pleasing enough pair?" Richard asked, turning his head to enquire of Elizabeth, when Fitzwilliam offered nothing by way of reply but a roll of his eyes.

"Delightful!" Lizzy assured him, fumbling a chord and striving to recover her place. "And you will look much better when you are not the only two dancing!"

"Are you offering to join us, Mrs Darcy? Do feel free! See if you can't encourage your husband to take his place, as well."

"And then who will play for us?" Lizzy protested, increasing her pace to rush to the end, which she finished in haste. "There, that is all I shall be pressed to play this evening. The proper dancing must wait until we have other musicians, I'm afraid, although I am now more eager than ever for our masquerade ball!"

"More eager than our neighbours, I expect!" Darcy admitted, with a droll laugh. "I am not sure how well talk of your midsummer Christmas celebrations are going down in Derbyshire. I dare say our neighbours find the whole thing rather amusing."

"I hope they do!" Elizabeth declared, flopping down in the chair next to her husband and kissing him on the cheek as she did so. "Life can be dreary enough without a little amusement now and then!"

"Dreary?" Richard stopped dancing all at once and Georgiana felt herself jerked by the sudden shift in motion. He looked at Elizabeth and then at her, and she hastily forced her lips to curve into a smile she doubted was very convincing. "What can be so dreary about life at Pemberley?"

"N-nothing!" Georgiana said, swiftly freeing herself from his grasp and moving towards a chair of her own. She was breathless from the exertion of their unexpected dance and felt suddenly on show, even if only before her family. She sat primly and tugged a loose golden curl into place.

"Nothing that is not improved by your presence here," Lizzy said, loyally. "Is that not so, Georgiana? Are things not greatly improved since Colonel Fitzwilliam's arrival?"

"Only because his coming here persuaded you into a week of parties," Fitzwilliam grumbled. He did at least accompany his words with a smile, which reassured Georgiana he was not serious and merely teasing his wife, who pulled a face at him and leaned closer to Georgiana.

"I never need very much persuading to have a party," she confided, her eyes sparkling at Georgiana. "But it is good to have an additional excuse."

"Then I am glad to be of service." Richard made an exaggerated bow and then took a circuitous lap of the parlour before taking his seat on Georgiana's other side. "So what are our plans for the morrow? It will be all lost to preparations for the ball, I suppose?"

"Not at all!" Lizzy straightened, clapping her hands in excitement. "Tomorrow we shall go visiting!"

Fitzwilliam let out a grown that everyone else in the room ignored.

"It is customary at Christmas, is it not, to visit the poor and bring them baskets? I have decided we shall not make our midsummer celebrations entirely selfish! And there is such a bounty with which we can bless our neighbours at this time of year!" She clutched Georgiana's arm warmly. "We can pick some wildflowers and make little posies."

"Well, now! That sounds like a remarkably pleasant occupation." Richard leaned back in his chair and allowed his eyes to flutter closed. "Count me in!"

"To pick flowers?" Fitzwilliam asked, his lips quirking with amusement.

"To be put to work in whatever way you ladies need me." Richard stifled a yawn. "I am glad to be of service, whatever service is required." His breathing grew heavy and it was soon apparent that the burst of energy that had spurred him into his impromptu dance with Georgiana had left him entirely spent. Georgiana could not help but glance his way, thinking how different his features looked at rest - asleep - than when he was awake.

I am so glad he is here, she thought, content to acknowledge the thought without considering why it was true.