Ever since she could walk, Elodie Bennet had expectations set upon her, expectations that all young women had. As the second eldest, she was meant to care for her younger sisters and do what was asked of her without complaining.
This also meant...
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TACITURN WALTZ OF WORDS.
Although the rest of dinner turned out to be rather lackluster, as nothing could really top the scrutiny of the Bennet's lifestyle, Elodie could hardly stop thinking of the astonishment Lady Catherine kept towards the way her family worked.
It seemed that everybody that had associated themselves with the family,had formed some sort of opinion about them. And their opinion wasn't always positive.
Elodie knew her mother and a few of her sisters were wild and lacked many real manners, it was a fact she couldn't deny, but for others to treat her family as if they were odd fools didn't sit right in her stomach. She still had a sense of loyalty.
As the company moved back to the grand drawing room after dinner, Elodie wished for nothing more than to leave with her little sister. She felt out of place and as if she was intruding upon the company and felt even more so when Lady Catherine requested that she play the pianoforte for them.
"Oh, no, I couldn't." Elodie said with wide eyes. "Lizzie is far more proficient than me." Lizzie gaped as her older sister put her on the spot and kicked Elodie's shin for revenge. Elodie held back a yelp of pain.
"Music is my delight." Lady Catherine insisted. "In fact, there are few people in England who have more true enjoyment of music than myself. Or better natural taste."
Elodie stared blankly at Lady Catherine, hoping she would get lost in a long story and forget all about her request or something of that sort.
"If I had ever learnt, I should've been a great proficient." She nodded her head at her daughter. "So would Anne, if her health would've allowed her." Lady Catherine then looked towards Elodie expectantly, her beady eyes pressuring her more and more every second that passed.
To end her own suffering, Elodie simply sighed and moved across the room to the beautiful pianoforte. It must've sat untouched in that corner for quite some time as dust had begun to form along the ivory.
Elodie scoffed under her breath. She had caved under the scrutinizing gaze of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Figuring she shouldn't stall any longer, her fingers ran along the black and white keys, pressing them rather hard as she forced her playing to sound atrocious. If she played horridly, she would never be asked to play for anyone ever again.
After plunking upon the keys for a minute or so, Elodie felt a broad form make it's way into the corner of her vision. She immediately knew it was Mr. Darcy. Her gaze flitted between him and the piano as he stared down at her, his lips sewn tight.
"Do you mean to frighten me and worsen my playing, Mr. Darcy?" She asked with a playful lilt to her voice. Mr. Darcy cracked a smirk but shook his head, an expression that Elodie hated to admit was rather attractive.
