One Thread Pulled: The Dance With Mr. Darcy (2 page)

Taking a side-glance at the men, Elizabeth saw Mr. Bingley looking at her, which caused her some alarm. She had no desire to be engaged in the next dance with the arrogant Mr. Darcy, particularly not under compulsion. It was evident that Bingley was going to suggest it to his friend. She abruptly rose from her seat and crossed the room to join her friend Charlotte Lucas who was standing near the refreshments. She acquired a drink from the table and turned to speak to Charlotte.

“Well, Lizzy,” said Charlotte, “I believe you may have lost your opportunity to dance with the illustrious Mr. Darcy. He watched you cross the room just now most attentively, as did Mr. Bingley.”

“I was thirsty.” Elizabeth replied. “And you are quite mistaken. Mr. Darcy detests dancing. I heard him say so himself. He shall not be prevailed upon, that is certain.”

“Lizzy, they are speaking of you still. I am sure of it.” Charlotte murmured as she glanced away from the handsome figures lest the gentlemen assume the same of the two friends.

Elizabeth was less discrete as she looked back from whence she came, laughing. “If they are as you say, dear Charlotte, it cannot be a pleasant conversation. See how cross Mr. Darcy is. And Mr. Bingley, his face is the color of a beet. No, I think they must be speaking of hunting or livestock or similar vexations, for I have done nothing to inspire such aggravation as they reveal.” As she spoke, her eyes met with those of Mr. Darcy, and she could not withhold a winsome smile at his expense, although she turned to speak to Charlotte as it lit upon her lips, leaving him to ponder on the source of her amusement.

The rest of the evening was pleasant enough for Elizabeth, who was once again called upon as a partner by Mr. Bingley. She remained on the floor for the rest of the evening and did not spare one more thought to the wealthy but pompous Mr. Darcy.

~*~

Mrs. Bennet's wrap was still upon her shoulders in the entryway when she began to regale the events of the evening to Mr. Bennet. The music, the refreshments, the dances, the finery, the lace, she carried on, working herself into near hysteria over every detail.

“Oh! and Mr. Bingley!” she exclaimed, just as Mr. Bennet thought she had finished. “I have saved the best part for last, Mr. Bennet, for Mr. Bingley was quite taken with Jane, as were all the young men. Mr. Bingley danced two dances with Jane, a great compliment I am sure. He has five-thousand a year, you know.” A contented sigh escaped her lips, as though she had herself been the belle. “Lizzy danced too, although not nearly so much as Jane!”

Elizabeth smiled at her father, appreciative of the indulgence he gave his wife in listening to her carry on, for it seemed to sooth her mother's pent-up emotions to pour them out upon her husband, and there would be no rest for anyone until she had done so.

“Oh!” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed, once again curtailing a false finish. “I almost forgot to mention that horrible Mr. Darcy, who is hardly worth mentioning, but I must for convention's sake.”

“Mr. Darcy?” Mr. Bennet's interest was piqued merely by his wife's lack of enthusiasm for the man.

“Mr. Darcy is a proud, disagreeable man, who refused to stand up with any of your daughters and wandered about the room looking for all the world as the lord of a kingdom. He may have ten-thousand a year, but such an odious temperament could not be borne. No, Mr. Bingley may call him friend, but he is not worthy of our attention.” Mrs. Bennet sniffed loudly, as if to punctuate her declaration.

“Oh, but he is handsome,” Lydia proclaimed, “although not nearly so handsome nor jolly as the officers in their regimentals!”

“Nor so handsome as Mr. Bingley, I daresay!” Mrs. Bennet added. “He is all that is happy and engaging in a young man. I do hope we shall entertain him very soon at Longbourn.”

Jane, who had been listening with care, graced her mother with an encouraging smile; in this, Jane harbored the same hope as her mother.

Chapter Two

Reflections on the Ball

O
h, Lizzy!” Jane exclaimed with a sigh when the two sisters were finally alone in their bedchamber that night. “Mr. Bingley is all I could ever hope for in a man. He is amiable, to be sure, and handsome, and his manners were very pleasing, do you not think?”

“Why yes,” Elizabeth smiled at her sister, “most pleasing, indeed, especially when he bestowed the honor of a second dance on my sister.”

“I cannot think of why he would pay such attention to me, Lizzy.”

“Jane, he was taken with you. You, of all the ladies in the room captured his favor the moment he set eyes on you.”

“His friend Mr. Darcy seemed to favor no one.” Jane frowned. “Perhaps he was ill.”

Elizabeth laughed with great delight at her sister's comment. “Perhaps he saw nothing in the room that pleased him is more like it. He detests dancing and will only do it with those he is already acquainted with. It is odd, do you not think, to be so reserved at a ball? Why would a man attend if he does not enjoy it?”

“Perhaps he enjoys the music or conversation.” Jane offered.

“The music, perhaps, but his conversation with anyone but his friends was practically non-existent. It may be that he enjoys eavesdropping on the conversation of others.” Elizabeth giggled.

“Lizzy! You do not know the man,” censured Jane. “Perhaps he is shy.”

“Shy? I daresay that is not it. Indeed, it was conceit that placed us all beneath his notice.”

“But, Lizzy, you did capture his notice—when you were in conversation with Charlotte. Had the ball lasted but a bit longer, or had you offered any encouragement, he may well have engaged you for a dance. You must not think so meanly of him, for he is Mr. Bingley's friend, and I will not be able to bear it if you dislike him.”

“I will be as polite as I can, for your sake, should we ever encounter the gentleman again. However, I think it is unlikely that we
shall
ever see him.
 
Mr. Darcy's distaste for the assembly was so complete that I imagine he will quit the county before daybreak!”

~*~

The next morning, as she was always wont to do after a ball, Mrs. Bennet's friend Lady Lucas and all her children arrived at Longbourn, eager to discuss the events of the prior evening with Mrs. Bennet.

“Charlotte, you began the evening well, did you not? I recall that you were Mr. Bingley's first partner of the evening.” Mrs. Bennet smiled charmingly at her friend's eldest daughter, who, having been deemed by the town a spinster at the age of seven and twenty, was no threat to her girls.

“It is true,” began Charlotte, “but I believe that his second partner captivated him the rest of the evening.”

“His second ... oh, you mean
 
Jane!” Mrs. Bennet took the opening. “He did dance twice with her, and I heard of a conversation he had with Mr. Robinson where Mr. Bingley described my Jane as the most beautiful girl in the room. He did her great honor in making such a declaration, to be sure.”

“Yes,” nodded Mrs. Lucas, “to be so singled out by a man of such distinction does credit to your Jane. He also danced once with your Eliza, I believe.”

Mrs. Bennet beamed, nodding and fanning herself with a handkerchief.

“I would have liked to see Eliza dance with Mr. Darcy.” Charlotte interjected. “Had she not walked away from him at an inopportune moment, I am sure he would have engaged her.”

“Mr. Darcy!” Mrs. Bennet fumed. “Well then, for once, my Lizzy had some sense. I am glad to hear it. A man such as that should be set down from time to time to check his pride, if nothing else. If he ever does
 
ask you to dance, Lizzy, you have my leave to set him down again.”

“It is unlikely that he will ever ask me to dance, Mama. His pride will not permit it.” Elizabeth winked at Charlotte with a smile.

“His pride,” said Charlotte, “does not offend
 
me
 
because there is an excuse for it. It is not surprising that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favor, should think highly of himself. I say that he has a
 
right
 
to be proud.”

“That is very true.” Elizabeth stopped to consider. “His prideful behavior served only to isolate his own person from the gaiety of the ball, and so it is only he who suffered for it. It is not as if any of us sustained an injury to our own pride merely by proximity to his, for we laughed at his ridiculous manner all evening. His pride gave us great sport, so one cannot hold it entirely against him.”

“Well, when you say it that way, Lizzy, it would hardly be civil to forbear.” Mrs. Bennet sniffed resentfully. “Let us forgive him and be done with it.” She waved her handkerchief dismissively and, much to Lydia's joy, turned the conversation to talk of the officers,

~*~

Conversation at another house in the neighborhood also turned upon the assembly, for the ladies of Netherfield were eager to share their criticisms with the household. The music was poorly executed, the refreshments not fit for consumption.
 
The assembly room was not ventilated and was too small for proper dancing anyway.
 
Worst of all was the sad group of country folk who had not a farthing's worth of fashion or social grace among them.

Mr. Darcy inexplicably enjoyed the complaining of Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. He was in a foul mood, and the two sisters were skillfully airing his own observations, which amused him.

“Sir William Lucas! Did you hear that the bumbling fool has achieved knighthood? I cannot believe they actually allow one such as him entrance at court.” Caroline simpered.

“Perhaps he is the jester.” Mrs. Hurst added with a smirk.

“He was a gracious host...,” Mr. Bingley attempted to interject.

“And the Bennets.
 
How tedious they were.” Caroline rolled her eyes dramatically. “With a mother such as they have, it is a wonder those girls can dress themselves.”

“Oh Caroline, be realistic.” Mrs. Hurst laughed, “They must have a servant to dress them!”

“The Bennet ladies looked lovely!” Bingley insisted. “And I have never met with pleasanter persons or prettier girls in all my life!”

“Miss Jane Bennet is, I grant you, a sweet girl,” Caroline conceded, “and I would not object to knowing her better.”

“And what of Eliza Bennet?” Mrs. Hurst queried. “Mr. Darcy, what is your opinion? Was she as pleasant and pretty as our brother claims?”

“Do not ask him such a question, Louisa,” said Charles impatiently. “He found her barely tolerable. She was not handsome enough even to tempt him to dance, although had I not met her sister Jane first, I may have had an eye for Eliza myself.”

“Barely tolerable?” Caroline raised a brow. “I too was surprised to hear her called a beauty, but when in the country, I suppose, there is none to compare. Were there any ladies you found pleasing?”

“Besides the two of you, Miss Jane Bennet was the only beautiful girl in the room,” Darcy declared, “although I did not find Miss Elizabeth Bennet to be exactly plain. Were her features more symmetrical or finer in form, she would be pretty enough, but as they are not, I daresay she is
 
tolerable
 
to look at. As for whether she is pleasant, I am not one to say, although she did appear to have many friends at the ball.”

“She is charming, Darcy. You must have seen it,” Bingley said eagerly. “What do you say to our calling upon the Bennet house this very day?”

“Not today, Bingley,” Darcy stalled. “Definitely not today.”

Chapter Three

Oh Little Town of Meryton