Chapter 17
Bennet was enjoying his set of dances with Miss Louisa Bingley. Other than when he squired one of his daughters on the dance floor, either at an assembly or for dance lessons at Longbourn, he could not remember a more pleasant time during the activity.
He knew that his dancing was well practiced thanks to being the only thorn among the five roses; so when a male was required by the dance master, unless Gardiner or Phillips happened to be in attendance, it was Bennet who did the honours.
Not that he complained. It was good exercise and he derived much pleasure from being around his daughters.
Bennet was certain that Miss Bingley was not often asked to dance, thanks to the idiotic prejudices of most. However, she was adept at the activity. She was very light on her feet and danced like one who knew the steps very well.
“I hope my neighbours are not mistreating you, Miss Bingley,” Bennet stated when the dance brought them together.
“Over the years, as it began at home with my late mother and my younger sister, I have become inured to the staring and slights,” Louisa owned.
She caught herself. Why was she being so open with this man?
She would fathom that out later. “It is part of the human condition that many of us deride that which we do not understand.”
The dance separated them. “Is that why you wear a veil? I saw no reason to hide yourself away when I called at Netherfield Park,” Bennet said. “But you are correct, many are driven by their ignorance.”
For the first time in her life, Louisa was experiencing an attraction to a man in the romantic sense. She wondered if it could be because Mr Bennet was one of the first men outside of family members in Scarborough, Aunt Hildebrand, Charles, and her late father who saw her and not her birthmark.
Louisa had long since given up the dream of marriage and having her own family. Especially after her experience with that Mr Hurst those years ago at the carriage works in York. She knew that she needed to guard her heart.
Louisa realised that she had been lost in her thoughts and had not replied to Mr Bennet as the first dance of the set came to an end.
Like others who had been dancing, she clapped politely to acknowledge the musicians.
Then she turned back to Mr Bennet. “I used to wear the veil in public to save myself the stares and comments. As I do not allow them to wound me any longer, I wear it for the comfort of the ignoramuses you mentioned.”
Before Bennet could ask Miss Bingley if she required some refreshment, the second dance of the set began. Having discussed more weighty issues during the first dance, he now kept the conversation light. As the dance ended, Louisa found herself wishing it would continue.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As Bingley danced with Miss Bennet, he discovered that she was so much more than a beautiful face. She could converse sensibly on any topic, and from the half hour they danced together, he deduced that she had a broad spectrum of knowledge.
He was sorry when the dance was over. At the end he led Miss Bennet back to where her father and sisters were standing with Lulu.
He was very grateful Mr Bennet had danced with his older sister, and he had not missed the looks of joy on her face or the pleasure Aunt Hildebrand showed that a man was treating Lulu like a lady and not some damaged piece of baggage.
During his dance, he had momentarily thought that by now Caroline would have discovered she had been left at the estate. As quickly as he thought about his selfish, pretentious sister, he forgot about her and concentrated on his very pleasant dance partner.
The old Bingley would have asked Miss Bennet, and possibly Miss Mary, for a second set.
Part of the process of maturing had been that he had realised that doing so raised expectations, and that was not something he would do, unless and until he found the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his days.
“Miss Bingley, are you dancing this set? If not, I would like to spend some time with you while I sit out the next set,” Elizabeth repeated her invitation just after Mr Bingley and Jane reached them.
“No, Miss Elizabeth, I am not engaged for the dances, so I will happily sit with you,” Louisa replied.
“Lizzy, Miss Bingley, you do not object if your aunt and I join you, do you?” Bennet wondered. On seeing the shaken heads, Bennet offered his arm to the older Miss Bingley and followed the other ladies to where they found four seats together.
Bingley led Miss Mary to the forming line. At the same time, Jane was collected by Julian Goulding for their dance.
Elizabeth found four open seats next to each other near the large potted plant in one corner. They were not aware that Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy was skulking on the other side of the pot doing his best to be invisible.
The four sat, with Elizabeth the farthest from the plant. She was next to the younger Miss Bingley, then the older one, and lastly Papa right next to the pot.
“Miss Bingley, will you not tell me of Yorkshire? I love studying maps, but I have never had the pleasure of travelling anywhere but London.” Elizabeth looked at Papa, who had his eyebrows raised. “I am not complaining, I love our life, but I would love to see more of this island.”
Bennet knew what Lizzy meant, but he had enjoyed teasing her into believing he did not.
It was not hard for Louisa to tell that Mr Bennet was jesting with his daughter. ‘He is a very good father, from what I am able to tell,’ she thought. “Miss Elizabeth, do I ask too much that you call me Louisa or Lulu?”
“No, Lulu, you do not. There is one condition, and that is that you address me as Elizabeth or Lizzy,” Elizabeth responded.
“As you know, Yorkshire is by far the largest county in the country,” Louisa began.
“Yes, I read it is over six thousand square miles in area and twice the size of the second county in size, which is Devonshire, which is just under two thousand six hundred square miles. I also saw that there are three Ridings: a North Riding, a West Riding, and an East Riding. And if the book was correct, they were created by the Danes in the ninth century, the borders all meeting in York.” Elizabeth blushed when she realised she had been regurgitating facts she had read some years past.
“I believe that is all accurate,” Hildebrand managed. “How is it you know so much about Yorkshire?”
“It is not only Yorkshire or counties. Lizzy hates to boast, but when she reads, sees, or hears something once, she never forgets it, any of it,” Bennet revealed. “As she will tell you, it can be both a blessing and a curse.”
“In one of the books I read, it mentioned some very rare cases of those who have this type of recall. Lizzy, until meeting you, I thought it to be a myth,” Louisa said.
“It is very real,” Elizabeth responded with a sigh. “When my sisters have an ‘I said it, no you did not’ argument, which are few and far between, if one of them remembers I was present, they turn to me to settle the debate. The only problem is that one is always happy and the other not so much.”
“Miss Louisa Bingley, I understand you enjoy chess.” Bennet changed the subject away from Lizzy’s memory, knowing she was not very comfortable discussing her abilities.
“Yes, I do. I enjoy the game greatly. Due to most men believing a lady has not the ability to play the game, with my late father’s assistance, I subscribed to the Chess by Post League based in London. My father registered me as a man, Lewis Brentwood, that way I used my true initials.”
“You are LB? I play as TB using the same service,” Bennet revealed.
“My, now that is a small world,” Hildebrand observed. “And how did you do against Mr Bennet, Lulu?”
“He is up by a few games,” Louisa admitted.
“I hope all of you will visit Longbourn, and we will be able to play our current game across the board from one another. If you are brave, you may attempt to play against Lydia.” Bennet was delighted that Miss Bingley was his opponent of many years.
All he ever received from the office in London was a slip of paper with her move, but he felt like he already had keen insight into the workings of her mind from the way she played the game.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bingley was dancing with Miss Mary when he noticed Darcy hiding away in the corner, trying to blend in with the foliage hanging over the edge of the large pot as the first dance of his set was ending.
“Miss Mary, I need to speak to my friend. Would you object to my taking the time between the dances to do so?” Bingley requested when the dance ended.
“I will be here when you return,” Mary allowed.
After bowing to his partner, Bingley made for where Darcy was hiding himself.
“Come, Darcy,” Bingley said before Darcy could discourage him.
“I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. The next set will begin after the second dance of this set. You had much better dance.”
“I certainly shall not,” Darcy retorted with asperity.
“You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable. I do not see your older sister, and I will request a set of her, but there is not another woman in the room that would not be a punishment for me to stand up with.”
“I would not be so fastidious as you are for a kingdom!” Cried Bingley, “Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening, and there are several of them you see who are uncommonly pretty.”
“You have been dancing with the only two handsome girls in the room,” said Mr. Darcy, looking first at the lady who Bingley danced the first with and at the miss waiting for him to return to her.