( when mr hickinbottom begins to fawn over miss bennet, atticus turns back in his chair, the movement obscuring his eyes rolling. does the gentleman believe miss bennet is easier to be played on than a pipe? he is under the illusion that if he says the right words, he will win her hand. it will not be by force but by duplicity. surely, he has not been misled into thinking that miss bennet's dowry is anything substantial or that their marriage will yield any influence? it is not as if the wealth and power of her brothers-in-law has spread to her like water over a smooth surface. if by some act of the devil they were married, he, mr bingley, and mr darcy would remain nothing more than associates bound together through marriage. atticus cannot claim to know either of the gentlemen well, but he does believe that mr darcy would reach the same conclusion within the first moments of their meeting.
unless mr hickinbottom has also deluded himself into believing he can charm and deceive whoever stands in his way. it is a delusion indeed! call atticus whatever instrument though he can be fretted, he cannot be played upon.
the pair rejoin the others at the table, and a frisson of delight surges through him from miss bennet's compliment. his ears redden as he sips his tea and asks, ) Do either of you play, Mr and Mrs Gardiner?
( mrs gardiner answers, "i do, but nowhere near as well as mary. our eldest, caroline, is currently taking lessons, and we hope the others follow when they are old enough. mr gardiner and i are united in the belief that skill in music is but one facet of a well-rounded individual."
atticus smiles, nodding in agreement. ) A noble belief indeed.
( eager to appear prudent, mr hickinbottom mirrors his expression and also nods.
"i think mary mentioned you play the violin, sir. did your parents observe a similar principle?" mrs gardiner asks. )
Perhaps. ( his mouth works as if a stone was caught in his teeth, and his expression dulls like a cloud passing over the sun. ) Forsooth, I hardly knew their motivations in anything.
( his mother, lady madeline, played the violin, so it may have been her wish that he did as well. she was talented enough that she should have played in front of audiences and royalty, if her father had not forbidden her. playing then is a kinship, perhaps the only one atticus shares with her. he knows so little of her that he has to seize at anything. lord stuart wishes he had never picked up the violin, or that's what atticus believes. music or even the act of entertainment never brought his father any joy as it did when his mother performed it. the servants had to take it upon themselves to place the violin into atticus's hands and then hire a tutor. after the light of his life was extinguished, his father veiled himself from further illumination.
it's a plight that plagues every child: unravelling the tangled knots left behind by their parents. he had only one parent for most of his life, but his mind is like a ball of twine after a roll down a hill. )
It's a great disappointment that I did not bring my violin to London. Rarely am I ever presented with the opportunity to play for a group of music enthusiasts such as this.
( the cloud passes by atticus's face, and a glee shines in his green eyes as they slide across to mr hickinbottom, who is unimpressed by the discussion of his accolades. atticus would have insisted on a duet with miss bennet. )
no subject
unless mr hickinbottom has also deluded himself into believing he can charm and deceive whoever stands in his way. it is a delusion indeed! call atticus whatever instrument though he can be fretted, he cannot be played upon.
the pair rejoin the others at the table, and a frisson of delight surges through him from miss bennet's compliment. his ears redden as he sips his tea and asks, ) Do either of you play, Mr and Mrs Gardiner?
( mrs gardiner answers, "i do, but nowhere near as well as mary. our eldest, caroline, is currently taking lessons, and we hope the others follow when they are old enough. mr gardiner and i are united in the belief that skill in music is but one facet of a well-rounded individual."
atticus smiles, nodding in agreement. ) A noble belief indeed.
( eager to appear prudent, mr hickinbottom mirrors his expression and also nods.
"i think mary mentioned you play the violin, sir. did your parents observe a similar principle?" mrs gardiner asks. )
Perhaps. ( his mouth works as if a stone was caught in his teeth, and his expression dulls like a cloud passing over the sun. ) Forsooth, I hardly knew their motivations in anything.
( his mother, lady madeline, played the violin, so it may have been her wish that he did as well. she was talented enough that she should have played in front of audiences and royalty, if her father had not forbidden her. playing then is a kinship, perhaps the only one atticus shares with her. he knows so little of her that he has to seize at anything. lord stuart wishes he had never picked up the violin, or that's what atticus believes. music or even the act of entertainment never brought his father any joy as it did when his mother performed it. the servants had to take it upon themselves to place the violin into atticus's hands and then hire a tutor. after the light of his life was extinguished, his father veiled himself from further illumination.
it's a plight that plagues every child: unravelling the tangled knots left behind by their parents. he had only one parent for most of his life, but his mind is like a ball of twine after a roll down a hill. )
It's a great disappointment that I did not bring my violin to London. Rarely am I ever presented with the opportunity to play for a group of music enthusiasts such as this.
( the cloud passes by atticus's face, and a glee shines in his green eyes as they slide across to mr hickinbottom, who is unimpressed by the discussion of his accolades. atticus would have insisted on a duet with miss bennet. )