Christmas at Pemberley

Part 9

A/N - Thank you so much for all the reads and comments so far! I haven't had much time to read them yet as I've been racing to meet deadlines but hoping to catch up sometime today. I hope you are enjoying this sweet little Christmas Story! xx

Georgiana might have been a little sympathetic to poor Mr Lambert. The young man looked utterly mortified by Elizabeth's joke, for, not knowing her new sister as well as Georgiana did, he had clearly not realised she was teasing him and mistook her laughter for censure.

"I must apologise," he said quickly, tripping over himself in his eagerness to make right the mistake. "I was rather uncharitable at the tea room. I was very busy and trying to work. I fear I did not manage the distraction of your presence very well." He ducked his head once more. "Forgive me."

"Lizzy," Darcy said, with an exasperated look at his wife. "Please tell me you and Georgiana were not distracting the poor curate from his work."

Georgiana coloured, realising that that must have been precisely what he had been doing. Now that she thought back over their first encounter, she did indeed recall a small, leather-bound book that might have been a bible, amongst the studious young man's belongings. Opening her mouth to apologise, she stopped short when she noticed the pained smile the man was wearing.

"It was no distraction! And I do not suppose it is right of me to expect young ladies to comport themselves with quietness and sobriety when they are together."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Elizabeth and Georgiana glanced up, seeing her own outrage reflected in the features of her sister-in-law. Darcy noticed just as quickly, interceding and turning with his new wife towards another guest and hurriedly engaging them in conversation before Lizzy shared her thoughts with the curate.

Mr Lambert frowned, as if reading the situation correctly for what it was, yet remaining confused as to why his words ought to have caused such offence. Georgiana smiled, haughtily.

"I suppose you would prefer that young ladies are perpetually seen and not heard, Mr Lambert? Or better yet, not seen at all?"

She turned away before he could concoct a reply, and addressed herself to Mrs Gardiner, who was only too happy to discuss music, of which she was a fond devotee, although rather lacking in the talent to play herself.

"You will play for us this evening, won't you, Georgiana?" she pleaded, as Georgiana's eyes strayed over her shoulder back to Mr Lambert, who stood aloof and alone, observing the milling crowd with an unreadable expression on his features.

"I had planned to," she confessed. "But now I wonder if it would be wise not to, as it seems that Mr Lambert is not fond of such performance."

Mrs Gardiner exchanged a glance with her husband, and Georgiana, misreading their concern for criticism smiled at them.

"But if you would like me to, then, of course I will play!"

Mrs Gardiner squeezed her arm warmly, a silent affirmation that yes, indeed, she must play for them and Georgiana made a silent promise to choose something especially light and jolly which would provide the dual win of pleasing Lizzy's aunt and uncle and putting Mr Lambert's nose still further out of joint.

She glanced over at him again, feeling a stab of guilt as she saw him trapped between two couples, both of whom were turned away from him and chattering quite contentedly together, leaving the curate alone and friendless in a room full of people. She knew that feeling all too well and had rescued her own brother from a similar fate often enough. Perhaps I ought to go over...

Darcy must have seen and made the same decision, for his move was swift and decisive, and he summoned all of his guests to join him at the dining table. In the shuffle, Georgiana realised too late that she was without a partner at about the same moment that Mr Lambert took a step forward, bowing and offering her his own arm. She looked around desperately for somebody, anybody, else but seeing no alternative, smiled stiffly and accepted his offer, following her brother and sister-in-law into dinner.

"Did I hear that you are a musician, Miss Darcy?"

Mr Lambert's question came so suddenly and in a tone of voice so different to the one he had used earlier that Georgiana almost missed it, glancing up at him quickly to ensure he had, indeed, spoken and she was not hearing some other conversation and misreading its audience.

"I am fond of music," she said, surprised by the light that danced in his blue eyes. She had not noticed the deep colour of them before, nor how they seemed to change with the light. She blinked, breaking the spell and forcing herself to recall the anger that had burned in those same eyes as he had stalked away on their first meeting. "I imagine you find it a mere distraction from more worthy pursuits, Mr Lambert? Tell me, do you even allow for singing in the churches you pastor, or must all hold fast for the great, life-altering sermons you deliver?"

He frowned, reading the censure in her voice and evidently wondering what in his question had provoked it. She could almost see him replaying his words to himself in an effort to understand his unintentional insult and she, too, wondered if she had been too reactive in her comment.

"I think -" she began, seeking to roll back her words and be polite, as no doubt her brother would caution her to do. Recall, Mr Lambert is a guest in his house, and I might manage to treat him with civility, even if I think his opinions are utterly objectionable!

"I dare say you are right, Miss Darcy," Mr Lambert said coolly, as they reached the dining room. His features were pinched and when he smiled it barely reached his eyes which seemed to have shifted again, no longer bright, dazzling blue, but icy grey, pale and indifferent. "It is through sermons that men's hearts are changed, after all. It is a great responsibility to bear and ought not to be treated lightly."

Georgiana opened her mouth to challenge him, but after taking his seat he turned abruptly to speak to the neighbour on his other side, and Georgiana was only too pleased to let the matter drop.