Vanity and Vengeance: A Sequel Inspired by Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen by Linda Mako Kendrick

Author:Linda Mako Kendrick [Kendrick, Linda Mako]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Risky Venture Publishing Company
Published: 2017-07-06T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Oats

Georgiana Darcy lowered her eyes and said, “Are you such a man, Mr. Terwilliger?”

Ambrose studied her profile, for she was not looking in his direction. In the course of these few weeks, he had become quite sensitive to the nuances of her moods, and her mood had suddenly changed. Her voice had dropped in volume and tone, and her manner had stiffened. They had been passing the afternoon most comfortably, with music flowing effortlessly, and with an amiable conversation about the symphony Ambrose had attended while in London. What could he have said that would alter her so?

“Would you feel cheated if you did not attend a premiere performance?” she pressed.

A lifetime of being a baby brother to three older sisters prepared him for this one moment. He knew that extreme caution was mandatory. She was not really talking about the symphony, he had discerned that much. But what subject was he being drawn into? And what response was she seeking? Of one thing, he was absolutely certain – this was not a moment for levity.

She swallowed. Why did he not answer?

Ambrose wetted his lips and spoke softly of the excitement of being an invited guest at a debut. She wilted. He stammered something about being witness to an initiation of beauty. He saw her shoulders jerk. He spoke of the privilege of being present at an opening. Her back stiffened. Miss Darcy was disappearing. He had said something that distressed her, and he had no idea what it was. Their acquaintance had taught him early on that she abhorred discord of every kind. If confronted, she withdrew. If she could not retreat from the room – a path often blocked by her oaf of a brother – she would disengage her thoughts and retreat to the deepest part of herself, letting others believe that she was still in the room with them, when in truth she had gone far away. That was what was happening now: She was leaving him.

He did not want her to treat him as she treated others. Those others did not realize when they were being dismissed, but he knew it and he rebelled. Did she not realize how much he had contributed to her progress as a musician? Did she not realize that with just the slightest guidance from him, her music had become bold, seductive, and playful? The others thought her shy. They thought her naïve. Their lack of understanding had stifled her. But he knew, “No frightened child can play the music as she does. No, nor any untouched flower, either.”

And, in that moment, Ambrose realized that he had stumbled upon the true subject under discussion. He recalled his paeans to a first night and cursed his stupidity. He stole a glance at the ever-present Mrs. Annesley. She was fascinated by her knitting.

Ambrose knew that if he allowed her silence to persist, Georgiana Darcy would clothe herself in it and not emerge before he left that day. In fact, she might never return to him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.