A Constant Love: A Pride & Prejudice Continuation, page 13
“Scarlatti is rather more out of fashion, than in,” Georgiana said, blushing. “His sonatas were written for harpsichord, but they play well on the pianoforte, I find.”
“I honour you for translating them to your instrument, Miss Darcy.” Looking to Mrs. Annesley, he said: “And you madam, whom do you prefer?”
“I have an enjoyment of music, but not the love of these ladies,” Mrs. Annesley said. “I fear I cannot name a favourite.”
“What of the opera? Is there also anything there I might look forward to?”
“We are to attend the opera with a friend of ours, the Viscountess Tonbridge, but we have not yet fixed on a performance,” Mary said.
“Viscountess Tonbridge!” he said. “You are acquainted with the lady?”
“Yes,” Mary said, “we have known her these five months.”
“She is an old friend of my family,” he said. “I must call on her – is she well?”
“Tolerably well,” Mary said. “She is somewhat affected by gout, but otherwise in good health.”
“Ah, yes, I had that from my uncle in his last letter. I hope it will pass.”
Georgiana longed to mention the viscountess’s musical evenings; such a lover of music as him would surely have much enjoyment in coming to listen, but the invitation was not hers to make. She contented herself in knowing that if he was so well-acquainted with the lady, the invitation would soon enough be given by the viscountess herself.
They walked on, although generally silent, once they had exhausted the topic of other composers and pieces they most wished to hear. After a while, Mary and Mrs. Annesley, neither of them very good walkers, began to fall behind, and Captain Stanton offered them each an arm, which they accepted gratefully. Georgiana, who spent many summers in long walks across the grounds of Pemberley with her brother, had no such need, and yet she felt a strange twinge of envy in seeing them, wishing it to be her hand on one of his arms.
Had she known what Captain Stanton was thinking, she might not have been so envious. Georgiana had a fine, tall figure, and he watched her carefully as she made her way through the slush in front of them with a strong, unencumbered gait. He had been five years in the close quarters of a frigate; he had no interest in women of delicate constitution. At this point, he was intrigued, he admired her, nothing more, yet he began to wonder how he might become better acquainted with the Darcy family.
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Georgiana returned home in a state of agitation. She had never been so discomfited by a man’s company before; she had not realised this was how she should react when presented with someone so handsome. She certainly had not reacted this way when she had met Lord Alfred, and he was not at all unattractive.
The thought of Lord Alfred made her flush. He might make her an offer at any time, and here she was, undeniably distracted by a naval captain! She felt guilty, she thought of how comfortable she had always been in Lord Alfred’s presence, how she always enjoyed his company. And yet – if she could be so attracted to Captain Stanton, did it mean that her heart was not even so committed as she had thought?
They had been engaged to dine with the Fitzwilliams, but their coachman was concerned the slushy streets would refreeze, making them quite treacherous for the carriage, and so the family had a night in. This was a relief to Georgiana; she knew her aunt had invited Lord Alfred, and she was not quite ready to be in company with him again. Instead, she was able to sit with the family for a while, and then retire early, claiming fatigue.
Georgiana spent the next day alternating between thinking of Lord Alfred, and thinking of Captain Stanton, and finding no relief from her confusion. She practiced the pianoforte by way of distraction, thinking she might dismiss Captain Stanton for never having heard Scarlatti, but in truth many aficionados of music of their generation might not have heard Scarlatti; she only knew him for being her mother’s favourite.
It was scheduled to be one of the evenings for the musical club, but their attendance was in doubt until just before dinner, when the coachman inspected the streets and found them to be passable. Georgiana went with no expectation of Captain Stanton’s being there; he might be invited to future musical evenings, perhaps, but he should not be there tonight.
He was there, however; he was there wearing breeches and an evening coat, and tuning a very battered cello, Lady Tonbridge standing beside him. Both of them smiled a greeting at Georgiana, Mary, Elizabeth, and Mrs. Annesley, and they all made their way over to say their good evenings.
“Ladies, I am pleased to see you all again so soon,” he said. “I trust I see you all well?”
As they were nodding in agreement, Georgiana could not help but say: “I did not realise you played, sir!”
“I am but passable,” he said. “I do enjoy it, though. I had capital lieutenants on my ship, which left me with rather more leisure time than you might expect, and playing was my favourite way to fill it, as well as my only way to hear any music at sea, however ill-played it might be.”
“I take it the ladies have somehow become acquainted with you, Captain Stanton?” asked Lady Tonbridge.
“Yes, we met while I was walking in the park with Captain Ramsey.”
“Captain Ramsey, yes, of course,” she said, with a knowing look to Elizabeth, and then continued, motioning toward Captain Stanton. “My friend here called on me this morning, and I insisted he attend tonight.”
“I begged her to allow me to wait until I had at least purchased an instrument fit for polite society,” he said. “She would not have it, however.”
“You ladies know how long I have been attempting to recruit a cellist,” she said. “We shall have some proper quartets, now. When does Lord Anglesey come to town? We must invite him to come listen; I know he loves a good quartet.”
“I do not expect him here for at least another fortnight, but I am sure he would be delighted to attend. Just do not tell him I am one of the four, or he will never believe it to be a good quartet.”
They all laughed at this, and, seeing that more of the club had arrived, went to take seats. As he knew few others in the room, it was natural that Captain Stanton should sit beside them, and he took the seat beside Georgiana. She had no concerned recollections of Mr. Davis, however, she found she wanted him to sit beside her, although she feared they would have very little conversation, between her nervousness and his reserve.
“Tell me, Miss Darcy, am I by any chance to hear your Scarlatti tonight?” he asked her, after some time.
“I am afraid not,” she replied. “I did not think to bring it; indeed I did not think you would be here.”
“Yes, of course. Might I apply to you to play it at a future meeting? I find any composer I have not heard, and even any new piece intriguing. I spent a small fortune on sheet music this morning; I cannot resist new music, and I have quite a lot to become acquainted with since I have returned to town.”
They were interrupted, then, by the viscountess announcing the new addition to their group. There were fewer of them by far than in a usual evening; some had clearly still not thought the streets passable. However, Mr. Talbot and Mr. Wilmington, who played violin, and Mr. Barnham, who played viola, were all in attendance, and every bit as delighted as the viscountess to welcome a cello player into the group. All exchanged bows, and it was agreed that they should attempt something to begin the night.
There followed some discussion among them as they attempted to find a piece all knew reasonably well; finally, they settled on Handel’s Eight Pieces. After a few stops and starts, as each player got a sense of the other’s timing, they settled in, and it was delightful. It had been some time since Georgiana had heard a quartet, and these four, although not professionals, were all passionate about playing, and rather good. Captain Stanton, for all his modesty, played very well, and positively shone on the Sarabande. They were all roundly applauded when they finished, and encouraged to play something else. They would not have it, however; there were enough others present, particularly several young ladies, that should have a chance to perform. They did, however, fix on a few pieces that all should acquire, if not in possession of them already, and practise for future performances.
The viscountess then called on volunteers, as she always did, and Mary was, as usual, one of the earlier players to exhibit. She was working on a new piece, one she found quite difficult, but apart from stumbling a bit in the trickiest passage, she played very well. She was commended by all for the attempt, and invited to play it again when she had mastered it, which they had no doubt she would.
“Very well done, Miss Bennet,” Captain Stanton said, to Mary’s great delight. She had no romantic interest at all in a naval captain; someone who made war for a living was not compatible with her moral standards. However, she enjoyed a compliment on her accomplishments from anyone who should choose to give it.
Georgiana was never one to volunteer, but she was called on by the viscountess to be the last to perform before refreshments were served. She made her way to the front of the room with her heart beating wildly, wishing she had not chosen an Italian song to perform tonight, one that included singing. Mr. Palmer said she had a fine singing voice, but she could never bring herself to believe him, and she had only recently, and after much soothing of her nerves by the others in the group, begun to sing in front of them.
She tried to remind herself that this was the same group she had become so comfortable with, but it was impossible to forget the presence of Captain Stanton. Fortunately, once she took a deep breath and forced herself to begin, she quickly enough became focused on the music and could ignore her audience, enjoying the flow of the song before finally trilling to a crescendo to conclude. It had long been apparent to the group, although they were none of them the sort to talk of such things – and she would never have believed them if they did – that Georgiana was their superior pianoforte player, and quite a good singer as well. She had all the advantages of years of master instruction, but she also had put in hours upon hours of practise, all to build on her own natural talent and love of music.
To only one in the audience was all of this a new revelation on the day, but as Captain Stanton listened and watched her, he was most certainly affected. As someone who also possessed a deep love of music, he might have appreciated the performance with his eyes closed. But that it was performed by a pretty young lady certainly added much to his enjoyment of it, and when she was finished he applauded with as much enthusiasm as anyone in the room.
The footmen began setting out refreshments after a respectable pause, and all in the room began making their way to the two tables that held tea, coffee, little cakes and sweetmeats. Georgiana walked over to one of the tables and made her selections, accepting compliments for her own performance, and complimenting the other players. She did truly love this group, and knew she should not be half so confident a performer were it not for all of them.
“Miss Darcy, your playing was wonderful,” Captain Stanton said, suddenly beside her. “And you did not mention you sang so beautifully.”
Georgiana started, and nearly spilled her tea. “Oh, I do not sing that well. I was very nearly out of my range.”
“It did not sound so to me.”
“I assure you, I was,” she said. “You, however, I must chastise for saying you were only a passable cellist. Your playing was splendid!”
“Perhaps we may call a truce, then, and admit we are both of us a bit modest,” he said. “I will accept your compliments on my playing, if you will accept my compliments on your singing.”
“Very well, I accept your truce,” Georgiana said. “Do you mind if I ask how it is that you came to play the cello?”
“I do not at all, Miss Darcy. It was a project of my uncle’s: I have two brothers, and a cousin, and one summer while we were all staying at his estate, he purchased instruments for us, and sent for a master to teach us to play. He sought to grow his own quartet, you see.”
“That was a fine idea on his part.”
“Indeed it was, although things did not come out as he might have wished. Everyone else soon enough gave up playing – they all had the diversions of land to distract them. So instead of a quartet, all he has to show for it now is a cellist.”
Georgiana smiled at the conclusion of the storey, and after a period of silence during which she desperately searched her mind for a new topic that they might discuss, but thought of nothing, he bowed and stepped away from her.
Their conversation did not go unnoticed; Elizabeth and Mrs. Annesley watched them from across the room, and each was about to comment on their observations, when the viscountess approached them.
“You need not worry about Captain Stanton, Mrs. Darcy,” the viscountess said. “I assure you, I have known him since he was a boy, and he is every bit a gentleman. Although I must note his attention did seem far more welcome to Miss Darcy than that of Mr. Davis.”
“Indeed, it did,” Elizabeth said.
“Was she not near an understanding with Lord Alfred Mallory?”
“We thought so, but he has yet to offer for her,” Elizabeth said.
“Hmm, well sometimes these things take longer than one might expect. If things do happen to tend this way, however, you need not worry about fortune. He has won more than enough in the war,” the viscountess said proudly.
“May I ask how you are acquainted with him?” Mrs. Annesley asked. “I believe you said you have known him since he was a boy?”
“Yes, certainly. His uncle is the Earl of Anglesey, and the earl’s family and mine have been well-acquainted for many generations,” the viscountess said. “He was often at his uncle’s house in town when he was not at sea.”
“You said you knew him when he was a boy – how old was he when he went to sea?” Elizabeth asked.
“Oh, I reckon around eight or nine. His father was the previous earl’s third son, and Captain Stanton was himself a second son. He had to make his own way in the world, poor child. Lord knows why he chose the navy, but it seems to have suited him.”
Chapter 17
The day following the musical club, Elizabeth and Darcy, realising it had been some time since they had seen the Gardiners, determined they would call on them in the morning, and invited all to join them. Catherine, hoping that Captain Ramsey would call, said she should prefer to stay home, and pleaded with Georgiana to stay as well. Georgiana acquiesced, and tried not to tell herself it was because she hoped Captain Ramsey would indeed call, and bring his friend.
Mrs. Annesley said she would stay, Mary chose to go with them, and so Mrs. Annesley, Catherine, and Georgiana were in the drawing room when Captain Ramsey – and indeed, Captain Stanton – were announced. Captain Ramsey did of course sit near Kitty, and Captain Stanton took a place between Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley, asking how they had been since he had seen them at Lady Tonbridge’s. They were quite well, they said, and inquired after his health, which also was good. There followed the usual discussion of the weather, and Captain Stanton commented it had been some time since he had known a London winter.
“I believe you mentioned previously it had been some five years since you had been in London,” Georgiana said, waiting until he nodded his confirmation before she continued. “Might I ask where you were serving during that time?”
“Certainly. I have been in the West Indies and then North American stations, primarily.”
“And have you been able to return to England at all?”
“No, this is the first time I have been on mother soil in all that time. We were always able to refit and resupply away from home, in Jamaica, Bermuda, or Halifax, until recently. We were battered about by a privateer and then a storm in quick succession, and sent back to Portsmouth for repairs. Now that the American war is over as well, we have no hope of returning to sea.”
“What is the name of your ship?”
“She was the Caroline, a thirty-eight gun frigate, and a lovelier sailer I never saw. But now she is to be laid up in ordinary,” he said, sadly, looking to her to see if she comprehended what he said. “I should not complain, of course; I was quite lucky to have her for so long. In that amount of time, every man jack on the ship learns his duty as well as ever he can; I should not have shied away from any fight with such a crew.”
“What has happened to all of them now?”
“Paid off and gone ashore, some of them back to the positions they held before they were pressed, but most to nothing except whatever of their prize money they managed to save. The merchant navy shall have their pick of sailors, now.”
“It must be so difficult for you, after living and fighting with them for so long.”
“Yes, it is,” he nodded soberly. “My lieutenants turned on shore on half pay, my midshipmen with no hope of promotion. I had hoped we should have some sort of major action, so that my first lieutenant might at least be promoted, but we were not so lucky. Once I thought we might have an American frigate, but it was not meant to be; she ducked into port before we had our chance at her – rather cowardly for an American, unfortunately. I could only assume the ship was somehow damaged, and not ready for battle, but oh, how we all wanted that fight.”
Seeing that Georgiana looked nearly as grave as he did, he attempted a smile. “I must not dwell on such things, however. There are certainly many benefits to the peace, and being onshore. As you have seen, I am already overindulging in my love of music.”
“Oh, I do not think it is possible to overindulge in music!”
“That is a sentiment I would not disagree with, Miss Darcy.”
The gentlemen stayed another quarter-hour, and two separate conversations merged into one as the captains talked of what they had been doing in town since they had arrived. They rose to take their leave far too soon, it seemed to both Catherine and Georgiana.
Georgiana, remembering that Elizabeth had left an open invitation to Captain Ramsey to join them for dinner sometime when the weather was better, named a day she knew the family had no plans, and, although in an embarrassed tone, managed to ask if the date might work for both of them to join them in a family dinner. The date was suitable, the captains were all graciousness at the invitation, and they took their leave.
