he lacked the sparkle of his cousin, he could hardly help it. Not everyone could be animated and compelling.
Georgiana secretly decided that he was a little dull.
Meanwhile, Mr Channing expressed an eager desire to learn all about America from Clarissa and Frederick.
"You have to tell me all about it," he said. "It must be quite a change to come to Kent from Boston."
Frederick snorted. "Very different indeed!" But he was little inclined to continue the conversation, and wandered off to talk to enquire of Elizabeth what book she was reading.
49
MONICA FAIRVIEW
"From Boston, yes," replied Clarissa, "for I have never lived in the country. I grew up in town, so it is quite new for me to be in a country environment."
"In that case, you must find it doubly tedious to be here."
"Not at all, Mr Channing. I have discovered a whole new family over here, and I am very glad to become acquainted with them, at least for now." She smiled impishly. "You will have to ask me a year from now, if I continue to live in the country, and then my answer would perhaps be quite different."
"A woman after my own heart!" exclaimed Mr Channing. "For I will admit that I find town living far superior to country living.
But then Gatley here will disagree, I am sure."
"For each its season," said Mr Gatley. "I enjoy London for a time when everyone flocks to London. But then when I tire of it, I am more than happy to retire to the country and forget about London entirely."
"How can one forget London?" said Mr Channing. "It is far too amusing. I must tell you, Miss Clarissa, that you will quickly tire of being here."
"What about you, Miss Darcy?" said Mr Gatley. "Which do you prefer?"
Georgiana thought of many lonely hours spent alone in Pemberley, walking through the hallways, staring at the pictures of her ancestors, and feeling like a wraith.
"To me town is infinitely preferable."
"Huzzah, Miss Darcy! So you see, Gatley, you are the odd man out here."
Mr Gatley smiled. "If you hope to make me change my mind because of that, I should tell you from now--you will not. I am certain that when you have reached my age, you will all be in agreement with me."
50
THE DARCY COUSINS
"So he speaks from the grand old age of twenty-six! With what gravity you must see the world from that lofty vantage-point!"
The young ladies laughed. Mr Gatley merely smiled and insisted that he would remind them of this in the future.
"A wager!" said Mr Channing. "I smell a wager."
"You do not smell anything," replied Mr Gatley, "for I will not wager on a certainty."
It was easy to like Mr Percy Channing. Fortune had bestowed on him everything that could please a young lady, but for Georgiana, he had an ability she longed to have herself and always appreciated in others: the ability to put people at ease. Before she knew it, Georgiana was talking to him as though she had known him all her life.
"I cannot comprehend why we did not meet before, Miss Darcy. I know your brother well, but I never became acquainted with you."
He almost certainly knew the most recent reason for her absence from the neighbourhood. Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth had incurred Lady Catherine's wrath when they married against her will. It was only the birth of little William Lewis--the new Darcy heir--that had softened her towards them. She was grateful to him for not referring to it.
"I was at school until recently and only used to visit at Easter.
Afterwards, I settled in Derbyshire. I have not visited my aunt for some time."
"In that case, you must grant me the opportunity to show you and your cousins around the area. You may know it a little, perhaps, but I am sure your cousins will be eager to discover it."
51
MONICA FAIRVIEW
"I am sure they would be delighted," she said sedately, not wishing to sound too eager for his company.
"And you? Would you be delighted?"
She was pleased that he asked.
"Thank you, I would."
"Then we will arrange for something very soon. I wish the weather
Georgiana secretly decided that he was a little dull.
Meanwhile, Mr Channing expressed an eager desire to learn all about America from Clarissa and Frederick.
"You have to tell me all about it," he said. "It must be quite a change to come to Kent from Boston."
Frederick snorted. "Very different indeed!" But he was little inclined to continue the conversation, and wandered off to talk to enquire of Elizabeth what book she was reading.
49
MONICA FAIRVIEW
"From Boston, yes," replied Clarissa, "for I have never lived in the country. I grew up in town, so it is quite new for me to be in a country environment."
"In that case, you must find it doubly tedious to be here."
"Not at all, Mr Channing. I have discovered a whole new family over here, and I am very glad to become acquainted with them, at least for now." She smiled impishly. "You will have to ask me a year from now, if I continue to live in the country, and then my answer would perhaps be quite different."
"A woman after my own heart!" exclaimed Mr Channing. "For I will admit that I find town living far superior to country living.
But then Gatley here will disagree, I am sure."
"For each its season," said Mr Gatley. "I enjoy London for a time when everyone flocks to London. But then when I tire of it, I am more than happy to retire to the country and forget about London entirely."
"How can one forget London?" said Mr Channing. "It is far too amusing. I must tell you, Miss Clarissa, that you will quickly tire of being here."
"What about you, Miss Darcy?" said Mr Gatley. "Which do you prefer?"
Georgiana thought of many lonely hours spent alone in Pemberley, walking through the hallways, staring at the pictures of her ancestors, and feeling like a wraith.
"To me town is infinitely preferable."
"Huzzah, Miss Darcy! So you see, Gatley, you are the odd man out here."
Mr Gatley smiled. "If you hope to make me change my mind because of that, I should tell you from now--you will not. I am certain that when you have reached my age, you will all be in agreement with me."
50
THE DARCY COUSINS
"So he speaks from the grand old age of twenty-six! With what gravity you must see the world from that lofty vantage-point!"
The young ladies laughed. Mr Gatley merely smiled and insisted that he would remind them of this in the future.
"A wager!" said Mr Channing. "I smell a wager."
"You do not smell anything," replied Mr Gatley, "for I will not wager on a certainty."
It was easy to like Mr Percy Channing. Fortune had bestowed on him everything that could please a young lady, but for Georgiana, he had an ability she longed to have herself and always appreciated in others: the ability to put people at ease. Before she knew it, Georgiana was talking to him as though she had known him all her life.
"I cannot comprehend why we did not meet before, Miss Darcy. I know your brother well, but I never became acquainted with you."
He almost certainly knew the most recent reason for her absence from the neighbourhood. Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth had incurred Lady Catherine's wrath when they married against her will. It was only the birth of little William Lewis--the new Darcy heir--that had softened her towards them. She was grateful to him for not referring to it.
"I was at school until recently and only used to visit at Easter.
Afterwards, I settled in Derbyshire. I have not visited my aunt for some time."
"In that case, you must grant me the opportunity to show you and your cousins around the area. You may know it a little, perhaps, but I am sure your cousins will be eager to discover it."
51
MONICA FAIRVIEW
"I am sure they would be delighted," she said sedately, not wishing to sound too eager for his company.
"And you? Would you be delighted?"
She was pleased that he asked.
"Thank you, I would."
"Then we will arrange for something very soon. I wish the weather
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