Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

" H e was perfectly amiable," Jane said as she held a tiny gown up to the light, inspecting it for needed repairs. She arched a brow at her sister. "I never believed him to be as bad as you did, Lizzy."

Elizabeth and Jane were seated in the Newfields' cosy parlour, a large wicker basket of baby clothes at their feet. With the birth of Kitty's second child imminent, the sisters were inspecting and mending the clothing that two-year-old Lydia had outgrown.

Kitty waddled into the room and slowly lowered her swollen body onto a chair with an audible ‘oof'. "So why did Mr Darcy go to see Alex?" she asked, picking up a needle and thread and reaching for a partially embroidered gown.

"He came with his sister and her husband, Mr and Mrs Fielding. They have commissioned Alex to restore and rebuild what looks to be a fourteenth-century house on a property Mr Fielding owns in Devonshire," Jane explained. "Mr Darcy was very attentive and interested in the discussion. He seemed to share his brother's interest in architecture. Mr Fielding, it turns out, was an engineer before he inherited his estate in Derbyshire. He is something of an expert in building structures such as bridges. He expressed a wish to see the chapterhouse. Of course, we shall open it up for Gerhard to use when he and Mary arrive."

Elizabeth inwardly marvelled. The Mr Darcy she had known years before would have never allowed his sister to marry a man who had worked at a trade, even if he had subsequently inherited an estate. And he had been so amiable to Aunt Gardiner, implying that he would like to further their acquaintance. "He truly has changed," she said quietly to herself, surprised at how much that pleased her.

Just then a small whirlwind with blonde curls ran into the room and hurled herself at Elizabeth. "Yizzy!" she shrieked, wrapping herself around her aunt's knees. The girl was almost a small replica of her namesake, energetic, boisterous, and big for her age.

The elder Mrs Newfield hurried in after the child. "Lyddie, it is time for your nap. Make your curtsey to your aunties and come with me. You may play with them another time."

The pretty little girl thrust out her lower lip, folded her chubby arms against her chest, and did not move.

"Lyddie," Kitty said, a hint of warning in her voice. "It is time for your nap. Grandmama will tuck you in and read you a story."

The Newfields would never allow her to be spoilt as their sister had been; they were raising her with love and gentle, firm, persistent discipline. Lyddie relented and made a shaky curtsey, and with a quiet bye-bye took her grandmother's hand and allowed herself to be led upstairs.

Elizabeth felt Jane and Kitty observing her wistful expression as her eyes followed her niece out of the room and up the stairs. The two young mothers exchanged a sympathetic glance. Elizabeth knew their thoughts: they had inherited their mother's fecundity, but it seemed that she had not. She was well-aware her three sisters grieved that she had not at least had the comfort of a child after Samuel's untimely death, but to none of them could she confide the truth of her marriage.

After a slight pause, Kitty picked up the thread of the conversation. "Is Mr Darcy still as handsome?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"He is," Elizabeth answered with more feeling than she had intended. She felt her cheeks heat as her sisters fell into gales of laughter.

Darcy was the last one out of the carriage, having waited for Fielding to first hand down Georgiana. He stood on the street and took in the scene. They were near the river, in a part of London unfamiliar to him, it having been given over to commerce. A rectangular stone building, obviously ancient, stood alone on a plot between two large warehouses. It was built of richly carved stone, interrupted by rows of tall stained-glass windows with pointed arches in the Gothic style. There was a remnant of a cloister walk that terminated next to one of the warehouses, and other rows of broken stone indicated where it had once been attached to other buildings.

Sir Alexander had mentioned the medieval building to Fielding when they had met to discuss the house in Devonshire. His interest piqued, an appointment had been made for them all to see the rare find.

He entered the building to find his sister and her husband in a vestibule listening to Sir Alexander's explanation of how the building was rediscovered.

"It was my wife's uncle Mr Gardiner who quite literally uncovered the chapterhouse six years ago, when he purchased this piece of land covered in derelict buildings. He owns several warehouses nearby and needed to expand. As the old wooden walls and timbers were dismantled, the damaged walls of the chapterhouse came to light…"

As he spoke, the sound of voices raised in song emanated from the inside. Darcy straightened, not quite believing his ears. It was Elizabeth—he would know her voice anywhere. Her rich, sweet tone rose in harmony with several others. He took an involuntary step towards the main chamber, but a sharp look from his brother-in-law restrained him from bolting through the doorway.

Sir Alexander smiled. "An added delight. We shall hear music on our tour today. One of the most interesting discoveries about the chapterhouse is its superb acoustic properties. My brother Herr Heidemann is a professor of music and will be directing a series of performances of his own compositions here in the coming weeks."

"Herr Gerhard Heidemann?" gasped Georgiana, her hand moving up to her chest in surprise. "I am a great admirer of his compositions! I always purchase copies as soon as they are published. We shall meet him?"

Sir Alexander bowed slightly. "Yes, let us go now. It will be my pleasure to introduce you."

Their little group proceeded through to the main chamber of the chapterhouse—a large, high-ceilinged room with carved stone benches built into the walls and illuminated by coloured light streaming through the reconstructed windows. As they entered, the people already in the room looked up.

There were three ladies moving about the centre of the open space, working with a measuring tape and gesturing to each other.

Among the faces pointed in their direction, Darcy recognised Lady Magnussen and Mrs Gardiner, and to his surprise another Bennet sister, Miss Mary. But she is married , he remembered. Lady Hicks had insinuated to a music master?

Of course, according to that distorted information, Elizabeth had married a sailor and Miss Jane Bennet had married a carpenter. So, by extension Miss Mary must be…

Lady Magnussen and Mrs Gardiner had moved to greet them and were soon making introductions. "Mr Darcy, do you remember my niece, Mrs Heidemann?" Mrs Gardiner asked in a low voice so as not to disturb the choir.

He bowed. "I do indeed. How pleasant it is to see you again, Mrs Heidemann. I hope you are well?" Wide of the mark again, Lady Hicks .

"I am well, sir, I thank you," she answered. He would almost not have recognised her, she was so altered, though she had not magically transformed into a beauty. He realised for the first time how humourless and stilted her demeanour had been amongst the society in Meryton. She was still of a serious disposition, he would guess, but she appeared more at ease.

The singers began their practice once more. They were clustered in a tight circle, some attending to Herr Heidemann's direction, others focused on the pages of their music. Elizabeth sang, her eyes closed and her head tilted to one side, listening carefully to the harmonies their voices made. She had that faraway expression he had seen before on the few occasions she had exhibited in Meryton, lost in the music.

Reluctantly, Darcy turned back to his company. "Mrs Heidemann, may I present my sister and her husband, Mr and Mrs Fielding. Mrs Fielding enjoys the pianoforte and is a great admirer of your husband's work." He could see that Georgiana was fairly bursting with the pleasure of meeting the composer's wife.

The conversation of the small group took on a life of its own, enough that after a few moments of listening silently, Darcy was able to slip away and walk towards the singers. Unfortunately, as he turned in their direction, the choristers ended their song. After a few words with Herr Heidemann, they began preparing to leave.

Darcy moved to Elizabeth's side. She had gathered up the music and was putting it in order, her head bent over the pages.

"Mrs Bancroft," he said, and she startled and turned quickly.

"Why, Mr Darcy, what a surprise!" She looked at him blankly. "What brings you here of all places?"

"My sister and brother and I came to learn about the chapterhouse, but we seem to have stumbled into a family gathering. I hope we are not intruding," he said as he bowed.

She bestowed upon him a wide, genuine smile that had him basking in the warmth of it as she performed her curtsey. "It did not begin as a family event, but I suppose since one of my brothers is the composer and another restored the building, it has turned into one. It was supposed to be a short rehearsal and a test of how the sound and blend of the voices will carry here." She gestured to Herr Heidemann, standing nearby. "Mr Darcy, may I present my brother-in-law, Herr Gerhard Heidemann? Gerhard, this is Mr Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire."

Darcy bowed and held out his hand. "It is an honour to make your acquaintance, Herr Heidemann. My sister is a devotee of your work."

Elizabeth held up the printed music. "If you will excuse me, I shall take these to Mary." She stepped away.

Darcy's eyes followed her. "Does Mrs Bancroft perform with the ensemble, Herr Heidemann?"

"No, to my regret. I do not understand the English insistence that a lady cannot perform in public without the loss of her status in society." He shook his head slightly. "Lizzy has a warmth and clarity in her voice, a natural quality to her singing that enhances any performance, but today she is merely standing in for our mezzo-soprano. If I could teach that elusive quality to my students, I would be a wealthy man."

The two men made their way to the others as a fashionable-looking older gentleman entered the building, his eyes widening in surprise as he took in the number of people before him. Alexander made the introductions.

Elizabeth laughed at her uncle's expression. "Uncle, you knew that Gerhard and Mary would be here, and Alexander's presence would imply Jane's. Mr and Mrs Fielding and Mr Darcy came with Alexander to learn about the chapterhouse."

As Elizabeth made further introductions, Darcy was astonished to discover the well-spoken, intelligent man was the brother of Mrs Bennet.

"Have you set the dates for the performances, Herr Heidemann?" asked Georgiana.

"I have," the composer said and rattled off a series of dates and what compositions would be performed on each one. "They are composed for soloists and small groups rather than a full orchestra. This venue suits the music very well."

"Mr Gardiner, if I may ask, when you purchased this property, did you have any idea of the ruins concealed within the building?" asked Fielding.

"No, I did not, though I had been told that a monastery was once located in the vicinity but had been destroyed centuries ago," he replied, beginning a long and interesting tale of the building's history and excavation.