Chapter 2
TWO
Icannot believe I am dancing with him! Elizabeth thought as she glanced at the tall, handsome gentleman across from her.
It was the twenty-sixth of November, the night of the Netherfield Ball, an evening she had anticipated greatly and had been enjoying.
Why would Mr Darcy ask her for a set? Whatever the reason, she would not let him ruin her good mood.
It was not often she attended a private ball, and despite how little she liked Miss Bingley, there was no denying she had done an excellent job with the arrangements.
Netherfield looked wonderful, and all the guests appeared to be having a wonderful time.
Even Mr Bennet looked pleased, which was saying a great deal, given his dislike of parties and dancing.
The spacious ballroom was full. Elizabeth knew many of the people present.
In addition to neighbours, the guests included officers from the local militia—whom Kitty and Lydia were naturally chasing after, which did not seem to concern Mr and Mrs Bennet—and friends of the Bingleys and Hursts from town.
Jane was quietly delighted with Mr Bingley’s attention.
Surely, there was nothing about which Elizabeth could complain.
Apart from how much two gentlemen vex me!
One was Mr Darcy, but the set would not last long, and after it concluded, they would separate and have nothing more to say to one another—not that they were speaking currently.
The other, more troublesome man was Mr Collins, who was heir to Longbourn.
He had recently come to visit in an effort to establish a connexion with the Bennets.
His self-conceit, long-winded speeches, and insincere compliments were intolerable to all but Mrs Bennet, who saw in him a husband for one of her girls.
The lady he had fixed on was Elizabeth, and despite her attempts to discourage him, he persisted in speaking as though he were in love with her.
Mrs Bennet was gleeful at the expectation that Elizabeth and Mr Collins would marry, keeping Longbourn within the family so that Mrs Bennet would not lose her home upon Mr Bennet’s death.
But there is no chance whatsoever that I will accept him. I would just as soon marry Mr Darcy, and I would refuse him before the words of his proposal had left his mouth! What a miserable life Mrs Collins would lead—or Mrs Darcy, for that matter.
Her dislike of the gentleman had begun at the Meryton assembly in October—not only because he had insulted her within her hearing but also because of his arrogant demeanour.
Whenever they were together, she discovered new reasons to support her first impression that he believed himself superior to everyone he met.
Again, she wondered why he had asked her to dance.
He was taking no pleasure in it. His expression was like marble, and he had not spoken a word to her, which was not surprising.
When she had lately stayed several days at Netherfield, nursing Jane during her illness, he had rarely said more than ‘good morning’ to Elizabeth.
Yet, I am glad he is silent in my presence, since he is incapable of not being provoking when he does speak! Although she generally preferred to chat during a set—was conversation not one purpose of dancing?—she followed his example and kept her lips firmly closed.
Near the end of the set, she startled when he said, “I heard the most astonishing thing about you.”
Elizabeth’s brow furrowed then arched. “Oh?”
“That you were adopted by the Bennets. They are not your true parents.” His gaze was steady on her, almost as though he was judging her truthfulness.
She was surprised, but her circumstances were hardly a secret.
“Mr Bennet is my uncle, and he and Mrs Bennet have treated me as one of their daughters since I came to Longbourn as a small child. I have always known I was adopted, as have most of the people in the neighbourhood. I suppose it ceased being interesting years ago. And, after all, it is no one’s business but ours. ”
He gave a curt nod and asked, “You do not recall your true father? Or mother?”
Elizabeth detected a slight pause before he said ‘mother’, which caused a flash of annoyance.
As if her mother were any less important!
“No, I do not. Naturally, Mr Bennet has spoken to me of his sister a great deal over the years, so much so that I almost feel I do remember her.” Irritated by his questions, she had spent her interest in responding to him.
Instead, she reflected that she believed she understood why she had heard people talking about her more often of late.
Mr Darcy did not seem the sort of person who would waste his time—as he would undoubtedly have seen it—by seeking to learn more about her.
Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley, on the other hand…
Their manners towards Elizabeth had become frosty since she was at Netherfield Park with Jane, probably because they had decided Elizabeth being adopted was disreputable for some reason.
She had supposed it was because they did not like her intruding on their happy family party, even though she had seen little sign of conviviality amongst the inhabitants, especially in comparison to those at Longbourn.
More likely, the ladies simply did not like her; she was pleased to extend the same courtesy to them.
After a moment of silence, and just as Elizabeth thought they would make it to the end of the set without speaking further, Mr Darcy ended her hopes, saying, “I shall be leaving the neighbourhood soon. Tomorrow, in fact. Bingley must go to town on business, and I shall travel with him.”
She made a vague noise to indicate she had heard him.
Soon he would be gone from her life, and she need never see him again.
Had he been at all friendly, had he been willing to talk to her of books or music—two subjects she knew he was familiar with—she might regret his absence.
She did not meet many handsome, intelligent gentlemen, after all.
As soon as the music stopped, he escorted her to where Mary sat by the side of the room, bowed over her hand, and, his tone formal, said, “I wish you the best, Miss Elizabeth.” He gave her a long look, his eyes fixed on hers, almost seeming to bore into her, before he turned and walked away.
Elizabeth shook her head, hoping to dispel the confusion his words and demeanour had left behind. The encounter had been odd, but she was determined to forget it before the end of the night.