A Midsummer Christmas

Part 10

A pretty version of a popular Christmas carol wove its way through the house, filing the air with festive nostalgia.

Richard Fitzwilliam smiled to himself as he descended the grand staircase. Of all the things he loved most about Pemberley, the presence of music ranked high amongst them. Whilst he could not play himself, Richard was fond of music and had little enough opportunity to indulge in the enjoyment of it in his ordinary day-to-day life. His sister-in-law was proficient enough to play a little but even the most ardent admirer would tire of hearing the same three pieces - first fashionable five years previously when she had leaned them - played in strict rotation.

No, for true musical enjoyment, there is nothing like being in my cousin's house! Following the music to its source, Richard strolled into the parlour, breaking into hearty applause the instant Georgiana played her last note.

"Hurrah! Many congratulations to the excellent musician!" He walked up to the piano and squinted over Georgiana's shoulder at the sheet music which was, to him, an entirely illegible mess of spidery annotation. It is another language! he thought, marvelling that anyone could make sense of it, let along convert it to a melody.

"Oh, do no stop!" he protested, as Georgiana whisked the music away. "I have twice disturbed you now and begin to feel my mere presence is enough to forbid you from playing." He drew himself up to his full height. "Upon my honour, it is not so. Play on, do, for I love to hear you!"

"You do?" Georgiana's cheeks were pink at this apparent praise and Richard grinned at her.

"Of course I do. You are the finest musician I know, Georgie, although I'm afraid that is not much of a compliment for you are about the only musician I know! Unless we are counting Miss Arabella Frobrisher and -" He winced, recalling that particularly elegant young lady and the cruelty his heart had suffered at her hands. "Let's not."

Georgiana's smile faded just a little but she obediently turned a few pages in her music book, settled it back on the stand and began to play.

Longing to be useful, and absent Mr and Mrs Darcy to talk to, Richard pulled his chair close to the piano and settled himself into it, designating himself the task of turning Georgiana's pages for her.

"You must nod and tell me when to do so, though, for I'm afraid these sheets make no sense at all to my befuddled brain. I don't see how you can decipher them!"

"Much the same way you decipher maps and tactical plans, I suppose," Georgiana said, with a determined nod.

Richard leaned forward and hastily flipped over the page, watching in wonder as Georgiana continued to play with nary even a pause.

"Why are you staring at me so intently?" Georgiana asked, never looking away from her keys. "Have you never seen a person play the piano before?"

"Not with as much grace and skill as you, m'dear! I think I could watch you for hours!"

Georgiana chuckled, the pink coming back to her cheeks as she fumbled a note.

"Well kindly do not! You are making me nervous and when I am nervous I make silly mistakes" She faltered a chord and a note rang false. "Like that."

"Very well." Richard lifted his head, pointedly looking past her, but not so much that he would miss her nod. His gaze came to rest on the formerly bare mantel, now festooned with greenery and sparkling snippets of gold and silver foil he determined, after squinting, to be carefully cut-out stars.

"And who is responsible for these most delightful of decorations?" he asked, turning another page before looking back towards the hearth. "Dear me!" He let out a hearty laugh. "You have built the only type of fire one could ever countenance having in weather like this - a false one!" He itched to drift closer to examine it properly but he had pledged himself to Georgiana and so he would stay until she finished this piece at least.

"It was Lizzy's idea," Georgiana said, speeding her playing as if she had read Richard's mind and wished to soon free him from his obligation.

"Ah, Lizzy." Richard was not used to calling Elizabeth Bennet - now Elizabeth Darcy - by her nickname but there was something so familiar and companionable about it he wished to try it, at least in her absence. He glanced back at Georgiana, who was fixed on finishing her piece as swiftly and accurately as possible. At last, with a flourish, she landed her final chord and turned to smile at him.

"Bravo!" Richard applauded with enthusiasm for the second time and Georgiana mimed a curtsey from her seat. "Now, talk me through these decorations of yours and point out which amongst them belong to Mrs Darcy so that I may do justice in complimenting her at dinner." He stood, bowing and offering Georgiana his arm in a manner that was almost too formal. He accompanied the gesture with a wink to show he was teasing her and with a laugh Georgiana stood, guiding him towards he hearth and explaining the paper fire, the boughs of greenery and the silver foil stars he could see twinkling there.

"And what are these?" Richard reached for something white hanging from the ceiling suspended in the air by a length of fine embroidery thread. "Snowflakes?" he turned one and then another over, admiring their design, holding them up to the light to see the complexity of the cut pattern and punched holes. "How beautiful! Do we have Elizabeth to thank for these too?"

"Yes," Georgiana said, after a pause. "That is, we both worked on them. I am sure the very best ones are hers, though. Come, Richard, let me show you the candle bridge she made..."