Christmas at Pemberley

Part 14

"Oughtn't you to dance with someone else?"

As soon as Georgiana finished playing - rather abruptly, Darcy thought, but having enjoyed dancing with his wife so much he did not suppose he could blame his sister for wanting to join the merriment rather than merely play for other people to enjoy - the small crowd of dancers took their places for a second dance.

"Someone else?" Darcy slipped into position beside his wife and regarded the rest of his guests. "I cannot think of a single person I should care to dance with more than my own wife!"

"Very kind." Lizzy pulled a face at him that might have been a smile, had it not been accompanied by a teasing light in those dark eyes he loved so well. "But you are the host. Oughtn't you at least pretend to be happy to dance with your guests?"

Darcy's features fell into a grimace, but he did relinquish his hold on his wife. Elizabeth was right. There was an expectation that he, as host of this small dinner and impromptu dance, would dance with more than one young lady that evening. Surveying the small crowd, he passed over several of his guests immediately, by virtue that they would wish to talk him to death, and at last, his gaze rested on his sister, who had practically run from the piano to join the crowd. An amused smile already stretching onto his face, he took a step towards his sister, eager to both obey and subvert his wife's suggestion in one easy move. He was not fast enough, however, for another figure appeared at Georgiana's side, dropping in a bow and offering her his arm. Darcy recognised Mr Lambert and he held his breath, wondering what Georgiana's response would be. He did not think her antipathy towards the new curate had been widely noticed or remarked upon that evening, but he, being well acquainted with his sister's moods and familiar with her expressions, had seen only too clearly the thinly veiled dislike she seemed to bear towards the gentleman who had, until that evening, been a stranger to her. Darcy felt a strange flash of recognition, recalling the very evening he first met Elizabeth, and how he had been pressed to dance with those he did not like, or thought he did not like.

"I suppose you must dance another turn with me!" Elizabeth sighed at his shoulder. He turned. She had stepped lightly across the floor to join him and was regarding, as he was, the interaction between Georgiana and Mr Lambert. Where Darcy's forehead was wrinkled with concern, however, Lizzy's lips twitched with amusement and he discerned she was but a moment from intervening herself and matching the pair together.

"Come, wife, let us take our place," Darcy said, steering her reluctantly towards the head of the group before she could do something either he or Georgiana might regret. With a reluctant sigh, Lizzy allowed him to move her, and the first faltering notes of the piece began. Georgiana's friend was not as skilled at the piano as she was, so the piece was a little simpler, but still popular and familiar to everyone, so they fell to dancing without much further discussion. Darcy could not help but smile wryly at the way Lizzy's head perpetually turned towards Georgiana, her entire body rigid as she strained to hear the slightest word or two of their conversation, from which, Darcy supposed, she hoped to glean the whole.

"You are scarcely keeping time," he remarked, as they passed one another close enough that they might share a word or two, even if the conversations of their friends remained out of reach.

"I am not able to!" Lizzy retorted. "I wish to know that Georgiana is content in dancing with Mr Lambert. I was not the only one to notice her disinclination to talk to him at dinner!"

"Is that why you insisted on forcing them together to prepare this concert?" Darcy asked, his words, at last, forcing Lizzy's attention back to himself and away from the stilted pair she strove to observe. She smiled wickedly, amusement dancing in her dark eyes.

"Was it that obvious?"

"It was not subtle, dearest." Darcy shot her a pained look. "Neither is your angling your head in order to keep Georgiana in view. I assure you no harm will come to her in the parlour, surrounded by friends."

"Harm!" Lizzy laughed. "I have no fear of harm coming to her." She leant closer to her husband, dropping her voice to a whisper that only he should hear. "I am eager to see at what point she and Mr Lambert realise that they are perfect for one another and fall in love!"

This was so surprising to Darcy that he froze in place, missing his next step and almost causing a collision with his fellow dancers which he rectified only at the very last minute, stepping hurriedly out of time to catch up with where he ought to have naturally found himself.

"In love?" he asked Lizzy at last, angling his own head to try and catch a glimpse of Georgiana with even less subtlety than his wife had managed. He could not see anything approaching affection between the pair, although he fancied that they were actually speaking to one another and not pointedly ignoring each other now. There was even the ghost of a smile playing about Georgiana's lips, although Darcy could not be sure that this was not amusement at the poor curate rather than affection or interest in him as a person. He frowned.

"Do not look so concerned!" Elizabeth whispered, drawing his attention back to herself. "Surely you recall one or two dances we undertook when we were rather less than fond of one another and look how well that turned out!"

"Eventually," Darcy grumbled. He had not quite forgiven either Elizabeth or himself for how much time they had wasted in opposition to one another. He sighed. He could not wish the same for Georgiana. She had already suffered at the hands of what she had thought was love.

"You do not like Mr Lambert?" Lizzy asked, watching his reaction.

"I do not know him!" Darcy paused, considering the idea. He had hoped for rather better than a country curate for Georgiana. He smiled, grimly. Particularly a country curate she, herself, did not like. He glanced back at them, surprised to see a smile on Georgiana's face, her eyes fixed on Lambert's features which danced with animation as he spoke.

Lizzy followed his gaze and smiled, laying one hand gently on his arm and squeezing in encouragement.

"I dare say that Christmas is a perfectly acceptable time to get to know him."