Christmas at Pemberley

Part 3

"What a wonderful excuse our dinner has proved to be for us to come shopping!" Lizzy exclaimed as she and Georgiana picked their way carefully down the crowded high street of the village high street. They were but a short carriage ride away from Pemberley. It was, in truth, nought but a short walk from Pemberley, but Georgiana did not share her new sister's affection for walking, particularly when the weather was as cold as it was at present, and when Darcy remarked upon the possibility of snow that morning, Georgiana was moments from refusing to come out at all, until Lizzy suggested they might take the carriage and still go. Left with no recourse, Georgiana agreed and had even exhibited a small amount of excitement at the promise of shopping with her sister-in-law. Lizzy was satisfied, for she grew increasingly concerned about Georgiana's hiding herself away at home. Her desire for solitude rivalled that of her brother, although on Georgiana the characteristic did not suit nearly so well. It was plain to Lizzy that Georgiana was a lively, spirited girl, quick to make friends and fond of spending time with people - or at least she had been, before her run-in with George Wickham. Lizzy's lips turned down at the corner, as they always did when she was forced to recall that man's existence. That George Wickham not only existed in the world but that, by the fact of his marriage to her flighty sister Lydia he must now be considered a member of Elizabeth's extended family was almost too much to bear. Indeed, this was the only dark spot in her otherwise bright and happy married life. Almost instinctively, Lizzy tucked her arm through Georgiana's and snuggled a little closer to her.

"You are right about the weather though, it is certainly bracing!"

She shivered, grinning at Georgiana, who relented at last and smiled back, nudging Lizzy in the side.

"Bracing is one word for it! Look, there is a tea room up ahead. We ought to stop inside for a quarter-hour and take some refreshments. They are sure to have a fire, and we might warm up a little before continuing on with our errands." She peered at the list clutched in Elizabeth's other hand. "I presume you have more than one item on it?"

"You presume correctly!" Lizzy laughed, listing off the first of a dozen tasks. "I do not suppose we can achieve all in one afternoon, but if we can manage half I shall feel quite accomplished indeed."

"I do not suppose I shall be much help in selecting ribbons for your table decorations," Georgiana said, peering at Lizzy's delicate writing. "But I shall certainly not refuse to stop at the music shop." Her smile grew radiant. "I have had some new sheet music on order for a week now and dare to hope that it might arrive before Christmas."

"Then that shall be our very next stop!" Elizabeth declared. "After tea."

They reached the door of the familiar tea room, lit from within by a rosy, warm glow, and paused to stamp the ice from their boots - and feeling back into their numb feet - before crossing the threshold.

"Where shall we sit?" Lizzy asked, unwinding her woollen wrap from about her shoulders. "Is our table free?"

Our table was one distinctly pretty one set in a corner where the entire floor might be viewed easily, by a window that overlooked the bustling street. It had been the table they selected the very first time she and Georgiana had come here to take tea together and had been the one they preferred above all others ever since.

"It is always well-positioned for observation," Lizzy said, meeting Georgiana's gaze and grinning. "And I am sure your brother will ask who and what we saw during our afternoon."

"If you think my brother cares for gossip then I fear you do not know him at all," Georgiana said, with a grin. "But he does care to listen to you, so I suppose you ought really to find something to tell him. Oh, bother! It is occupied." She sighed. "Well, there is another close by. Perhaps that will serve us just as well as its neighbour today."

The two girls made for the second table, a little disheartened by the cramped and shadowy corner they found themselves in, but determined to enjoy their stolen quarter-hour nonetheless. With tea ordered, and two slices of fruit cake that Lizzy could not be dissuaded from requesting, they fell to discussing their plans for the upcoming soiree.

"What a pity we shall have an odd number for dinner. I think it quite unlucky to host an odd number. That is dreadfully silly and superstitious I know, and if I heard those words coming from anybody else's lips I should laugh them out of their nonsense quite immediately but I confess...I fear I am becoming superstitious in my old age."

"Old age?" Georgiana groaned. "I hope you are not going to consider yourself old when you are merely married. The two are not synonymous." She paused. "You are only a little older than I am! And I do not think it is a bad thing that there is an odd number attending, for we shall be amongst friends and when that is the case what does it matter how many are present?" She paused before speaking again as if a thought had just occurred to her. "Although I am sorry that your sisters cannot be present. I suppose you must miss them dreadfully, and at Christmas too! What a pity Mr Bingley could not be persuaded to come north for the holiday."

"Yes," Lizzy acknowledged, pursing her lips as she thought over this possibility. Inviting Charles and Jane had been her first idea for Christmas but Darcy had reminded her, when she mentioned it, that if she was to do that then Charles would be duty-bound to bring Caroline as well. Neither one of them wished to endure Miss Bingley's presence for the holiday and when Lizzy raised the idea in a veiled letter to Jane she received a flurry of happy chatter from her sister by return post detailing all that she had planned to do in Netherfield for the season. Jane was too happy, too content. And in any case, Lizzy had reasoned to her husband. It would be a little cruel to deprive Mama of all of her newly-wed daughters just in time for Christmas. Darcy's brow had furrowed as if he anticipated a further suggestion from his new wife that they invite the Longbourn party, too, but she knew her husband well enough to know that that would be cruel indeed. He deserved to enjoy a little peace and quiet this holiday just as surely as she did.

The gentleman sitting at the table nearest them - their table - harrumphed, and rather noisily shuffled his papers together, darting an annoyed look in their direction. Lizzy met Georgiana's gaze and the two young ladies burst into spirited laughter that only subsided when their refreshments were brought, wherein they fell once more to discussing their plans for the rest of the day and ignored their increasingly irritable neighbour.

You may huff and puff all you like, sir! Lizzy thought, saluting him with her teacup when he next glared in their direction. We have just as much right as you to be here, and shall enjoy ourselves as much as we care to!

She was pleased to see Georgiana smile again. Whatever melancholy had settled over her of late lift a little, and no bad-tempered bookworm would stop her rejoicing in the fact.