Vol 1, Chapter 9 #2
“That proud man only looks upon us to find fault, I am sure!” Elizabeth then remembered her mother’s words. “To be honest, Jane, I have no notion of why Mr. Darcy does what he does.” Elizabeth replied in a calmer voice and Jane was relieved at the hearing of it.
The Bennets and Mr. Collins traversed the receiving line. Miss Bingley made some snide remarks that none of the Bennets paid heed to and then Jane drew level with Mr. Bingley at the head of the line. “Welcome, Miss Bennet,” he said, bowing over her hand.
Jane was about to pull her hand back from his grasp when it seemed he was about to bestow a kiss on it, but she was rescued by Elizabeth’s timely intervention.
Elizabeth nudged Jane slightly, breaking Bingley’s contact with her sister’s hand.
“My apologies for the interruption, Mr. Bingley, but our family is waiting for us before we go in. Thank you for inviting us to your ball, sir,” Elizabeth ran on before Bingley had a chance to react, taking Jane with her.
Mr. Darcy, who had been descending the stairs, saw the whole interaction.
‘Miss Bennet cares not a whit for Bingley! Miss Bingley has been going on about Miss Bennet accepting him for his fortune alone. If she did, that would be true, but I get the idea she would not accept him at all! Quite singular!’
Darcy was then distracted as he noticed Miss Elizabeth in her green velvet gown, which perfectly matched her magnificent eyes.
She was a vision, an angel! Bingley always went on about angels, to include the enigmatic Miss Bennet, but here before him was a true angel.
Before he could stop himself, Darcy found himself standing before Miss Elizabeth as if his feet had minds of their own.
“Good evening, Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy bowed.
“Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth curtsied.
“May I have the pleasure of a set?” Darcy asked before he even realised he was speaking. It was too late now; his honour would not let him retract his offer.
Elizabeth stared at him as if he had grown a second head.
She had no choice as she had no intention of forgoing the pleasure of dancing for the rest of the night.
Darcy was beginning to worry that she would again refuse him when she gave her answer.
“The only sets I have open are the ones before and after the supper set.”
“Then please allow me to pencil myself in for the set prior to the supper set.” Darcy took the proffered card and pencil and wrote in his name.
He saw for himself that the only open set after he reserved his was indeed the one after supper.
He bowed again and walked towards the side of the ball room.
“Eliza, did Mr. Darcy just ask for a set?” A surprised Charlotte asked.
Before Elizabeth could answer, Mr, Collins, who was standing at his betrothed’s side, dutifully interjected. “Miss Lucas, did you say Mr. Darcy?” he asked excitedly.
“Yes, that is the name I spoke,” Charlotte confirmed.
“Would that be Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire? The nephew of my esteemed patroness Lady…” Collins stopped himself, just remembering his cousin’s strictures and turned to discover if Mr. Bennet had heard his mistake.
“You can relax, Mr. Collins,” Elizabeth assured him.
“Yes, that is, in fact, the nephew of your patroness.” Elizabeth pointed toward Mr. Darcy, knowing her cousin’s penchant for introducing himself.
She felt somewhat mischievous as the portly man walked as fast as his plump legs would carry him toward the man.
Darcy watched as Miss Elizabeth spoke to a couple. The corpulent man in black was gesticulating wildly. Then Miss Elizabeth pointed toward him, and the overweight man started in his direction.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Wickham, will you not be joining us at the Ball?” Denny asked.
“I…um…will not be attending if that man is in attendance,” Wickham indicated. Denny shrugged and joined the rest of the officers, along with Colonel Forster and the latter’s young wife, to depart for Netherfield Park.
Wickham had never been in a situation like he found himself in here in this little market town.
Not only had he been denied credit everywhere in the town regardless of the type of establishment, when he had had a day of liberty he had gone as far as Stevenage and there too no one would extend credit to him, regardless of how much of his charm he employed.
Adding insult to injury, not one girl in Meryton and its environs had fallen for any of his tried-and-true methods of seduction.
He could not accept that he was seen for what he was, so he blamed Darcy.
He also blamed Darcy for the scars that he bore from when Darcy hit him, the ones that seemed to be inhibiting his ability to make conquests in the area.
Libertine that he was, Wickham took great pleasure in charming what he wanted out of na?ve young girls. He had never, nor would he ever, take a girl’s virtue by force; it was much sweeter when she surrendered to him. That was a line even Wickham refused to cross.
Normally, he would simply take off in the middle of the night, but even that was problematic.
He was a member of the army, albeit the militia, but the same rules for desertion during wartime were enforced—death by hanging!
Wickham would not chance being hung, so until he found another solution he was stuck where he was.
He had signed a contract that he would not sell his commission for two years.
For now, he was secured to his current position in life with a Gordian knot.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Miss Bingley was fuming. She had seen Mr. Darcy ask the country hoyden for a dance, something he had not yet done with her, his hostess! No matter how many hints she dropped, the man was determined to keep his distance.
And to her frustration, when she had tried to enter Mr. Darcy’s suite, the door had been locked and she had been without the key. She would not make that mistake again this night! Her patience was at an end; it was time for her to become the Mistress of Pemberley and Darcy House!
Louisa would give her some minutes to allow her to accomplish this, and then come to discover her sister in an assignation with Mr. Darcy. He would have no choice but to marry her then. Let him dance with Eliza tonight, for tomorrow he would be hers!
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“William Collins at your service, Mr. Darcy,” Collins blurted out followed by one of his low scraping bows.
Although Mr. Darcy did not answer, Collins decided that he should proceed.
“I have the distinct pleasure and honour to have been bestowed the living at Hunsford by your astute and beneficent aunt, the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Last I saw her and her daughter, the jewel of Kent, or I dare say the Kingdom, some days ago they were in the best of health. Your betrothed…”
“My what?” Darcy growled dangerously. Even Collins picked up the displeasure in his patroness’s nephew’s tone.
“As I would be the one proposing, and as I have not proposed to anyone, I am not betrothed! If you do not want to incur my wrath, you will never repeat that falsehood to anyone!” Darcy’s tone was one that conveyed the message that he brooked no opposition.
“B-b-but I-I-I h-have -i-it fr-fr-from h-her l-ladyship’s own m-mouth!” the fear filled man returned.
“It is none of your business, Mr. Collins. Other than in my aunt’s imagination, there was never an agreement for me to marry my cousin Anne. Return to your party, Mr. Collins.” Darcy commanded. With another low bow where he almost kissed the floor, Mr. Collins scurried away.
‘What will Lady Catherine say if she hears that I angered her nephew so?’ As Collins puzzled the conundrum, he remembered that Mr. Darcy was not the first to point out that his patroness may not be as infallible as he believed she was.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Charles Bingley was despondent. It was very out of character for a man that normally had an optimistic outlook.
One dance! That was all he would have with his angel tonight.
He did not blame her. She was a popular figure in the neighbourhood, so it was natural that once word of the ball had gotten out that her dances would have been snapped up.
‘Why did I not ask for the first, supper, and final sets the night I had the idea for the ball? That way no one else would have secured any sets before me! She is the most beautiful angel and this time I am sure I am really in love. She is modest and all that is good, so I understand why her behaviour is restrained. I am sure that she feels the same for me that I do for her.’ Bingley shared a trait with his younger sister.
There were times when he only saw that which he desired to see.
There was the business that he needed to take care of in Town and then he would return to Netherfield. Then, as soon as he refreshed himself, his destination would be Longbourn to request a courtship with most visually stunning woman that he could remember seeing.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Charlotte found out very quickly that dancing was one of the many accomplishments her betrothed did not possess.
It was only halfway through the first dance of the first set and Mr. Collins had trod on her toes twice and gone the wrong direction as many times.
She envied Eliza and her sisters, who had been spared her betrothed’s requesting them to accompany him for a set.
She was racking her brain to find a gracious way to exit the dance floor without humiliating the man more than he was doing to himself.
Not only was there still another dance in this set, but she was to dance with her betrothed for the supper and final sets as well. Charlotte decided that it was time to become lightheaded. She stumbled dramatically but caught herself on Mr. Collins arm.
“My dear Miss Lucas are you ill?” Collins asked with genuine concern.