Chapter 16
Ballroom
Netherfield Hall
An Hour Later
Elizabeth curtsied to her partner and returned his bright grin.
Samuel Lucas, though the eldest of the four Lucas sons, was in many ways still a callow youth.
Nonetheless, his manners as he offered her his arm, drilled into him by a canny mother, were impeccable as he escorted her back to Lady Bennet.
An empty chair stood against the wall where Lady Bennet sat, and young Mr. Lucas bowed Elizabeth into it.
She smiled her thanks and watched idly as her erstwhile partner went off to claim the hand of the next fair maiden for the following dance.
Elizabeth snapped her fan open, plying it vigorously to stir the air and cool her heated cheeks. Already the ballroom was becoming overly warm, and the previous dance, a cotillion, had been a particularly energetic one.
“Oh, my dear Lizzy,” her mother cried out, “just look at Mr. Bingley and Jane. I am confident we will see her installed as mistress of Netherfield soon!”
“Perhaps, Mamma,” Elizabeth replied, following her mother’s gaze to where Jane and her admirer were standing near the fire, talking animatedly, “but keep in mind that Jane may not wish to marry Mr. Bingley.”
Lady Bennet turned wide blue eyes on her second daughter. “Not wish to marry Mr. Bingley? Whatever are you speaking of? Of course, Jane wishes to marry Mr. Bingley! He is rich and handsome and charming. What more could she want?”
Elizabeth winced at her mother’s strident tones and said, “Mamma, Jane and Mr. Bingley have not known one another for very long, and…”
“It does not matter! You know that we will lose Longbourn when your father dies, and…”
“And we own Emerald Island, and the house on it,” Elizabeth interrupted, reaching out to take her mother’s left hand in her own hands. “We will not be thrown to the hedgerows, Mamma. In fact, we can live very comfortably on Emerald Island.”
“Perhaps you can, but I cannot! That house is so small and bare and dull, and the society on the island is even duller. Jane simply must marry Mr. Bingley, she must!”
“She will only marry him if she is confident they will be happy together,” Elizabeth said sternly and then turned as her mother’s gaze shifted abruptly to the right.
Mr. Darcy was standing a few feet away, and she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. It seemed almost certain that he had overheard the conversation, and while she was inclined to blame him for eavesdropping, they were in a ballroom, and Lady Bennet was making no effort to lower her voice.
“Mr. Darcy,” she said, lifting her chin and staring at him.
“Miss Elizabeth,” he replied with a bow. There was a quizzical look on his face, but he continued, “I do not know whether you are available for the Boulanger tonight. If you are, might I have the honor of dancing that set with you?”
“I am sorry, sir,” Elizabeth said promptly, “but I have already agreed to dance the Boulanger with Mr. Pratt.”
“Oh, but I daresay Mr. Pratt would understand if you wished to dance with Mr. Darcy, my dear,” Lady Bennet exclaimed, her expression eager.
“I do not think he would,” Elizabeth replied in an even tone, “and in any case, Mr. Darcy, much as I appreciate your request, I fear that if we danced twice tonight, it would cause rumors among my neighbors, and I am confident neither of us wants that.”
The gentleman stared at her, and she thought she observed surprise in those dark eyes, and then he bowed and said, “Of course. My apologies.”
“Think nothing of it,” Elizabeth replied politely.
***
Bookstore
Meryton
Tuesday, 19th November, 1811
“Here you are, Mr. Darcy,” Mr. Stimpson said, placing a book on the counter.
“Thank you,” Darcy said courteously. He looked down and took a moment to admire the pristine leather, dyed a dark dusky blue, and with the title embossed in gold.
Astronomy Explained on Sir Isaac Newton's Principles, the lettering proclaimed, with Ferguson's name modestly beneath.
Darcy had been intrigued by Miss Elizabeth's mention of the weighty tome over dinner at the ball a week previously, and he had formed the intention of acquiring a copy for himself.
He could not, if pressed, have said with any great precision just why he desired the book.
He had no better answer than that Miss Elizabeth had mentioned it.
Such an excuse was slender at best, since Darcy was not in the habit of purchasing books on a whim born of a chance comment over dinner, but the truth was that Miss Bennet continued to prove the most fascinating lady of his acquaintance.
True, she admitted that the book had been beyond her skill, but how many ladies – or gentlemen either, for that matter – did he know who would even attempt to read it?
No others, to the best of his knowledge.
Nor was Miss Elizabeth's considerable intellect her only unusual quality. She had refused to dance with him a second time at the Netherfield Ball, and he found that astounding.
Darcy could think of some dozen damsels who had attempted in vain to induce him to stand up with them even once, and in far more refined and strict circles than a private ball in the country.
Because of his wealth and connections, he was assiduously sought after on the Marriage Mart by predacious mothers and their simpering daughters.
The daughter of a Duke, or even an Earl, might view him with indifference, but that the daughter of a simple country knight, no matter how brilliant or well-connected, might do so was incredible.
It seemed that Miss Elizabeth had different criteria for her future husband than did most of the ladies of the ton.
He was also still surprised by Miss Elizabeth’s conversation with Lady Bennet regarding Bingley’s courtship of Miss Bennet.
It had perhaps been not quite polite of Darcy to eavesdrop, but Lady Bennet had not taken pains to lower her voice, and Darcy was concerned for the future happiness of his friend.
He had listened without compunction to the ladies' discussion, noting that Lady Bennet thought the union between her eldest daughter and Charles Bingley as good as accomplished.
He had been taken aback when Miss Elizabeth had sought to temper this notion of her mother's, cautioning that her elder sister would not marry without genuine affection.
If Miss Elizabeth was to be believed, her elder sister would not wed Bingley because of his charm or wealth, but only because she loved him.
It was a startling perspective for young ladies in a tenuous situation.
Longbourn was entailed away from their family, and it was remarkable that Miss Bennet was not throwing out all the lures that her considerable charms lent her to snag the wealthy Bingley.
No one could accuse her of doing so. She initiated no distinguishing attention; she was kind to him, but she was kind to everyone she met, so there was nothing uncommon in that.
It seemed that Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth, at least, refined a great deal on this mysterious Emerald Island.
Darcy did not recall seeing the name on any map, so it must be a fairly small island, but the Bennets would know best whether it would support their family should the worst happen to Sir Thomas.
It was no doubt a relief to know that the numerous ladies of the family would not be left destitute when Longbourn was lost to them.
In such a vein had Darcy's thoughts run in the days following the ball.
They had preoccupied his mind as Phoenix had carried him into Meryton and while he had gone into the bookstore to request that Mr. Stimpson order from London a very specific book on astronomy.
It was not that he considered Miss Elizabeth a worthy bride, even with all he had learned about her, but she was interesting, and he enjoyed her conversation.
Moreover, Sir Thomas and his daughter Miss Mary would likely be returning soon, and Darcy was curious to meet the eccentric knight, and he had enough pride that he wished to hold his own in a discussion with so scholarly a gentleman.
From his earliest youth, Darcy had enjoyed the gaining of new knowledge and the exercising of his mind.
He paid the bookstore proprietor with a courteous word and a sincere smile, accepted the brown paper-wrapped parcel, and stepped out into the crisp air of the street.
A sharp gust of wind caught at his coat, and Darcy shivered, tugging his scarf more snugly around his neck.
Above him, heavy clouds presented an uninspiring gray vista, lending a depressing bleakness to a day that a searching wind had already rendered nippy.
Phoenix, tethered to a fence and not entirely pleased with the wind himself, nickered a greeting to his master.
Darcy's fingers were by now becoming cold and stiff, and he petted the warm black mane a few times before untying the reins and mounting.
The stallion, thinking of such beguiling comforts as a warm stable and hot mash, was eager to follow his master's direction and turned for Netherfield at a brisk trot.
They had not gone beyond the butcher's when Darcy exasperated his horse by reining him in at the sight of a cluster of people on the sidewalk.
Miss Bennet's fair head was instantly recognizable, with her handsome youngest sister beside her.
His heart sped up as Darcy eagerly searched the group, but Miss Elizabeth's trim figure was not visible, nor her appealing voice raised to be heard.
Firmly quenching his disappointment, Darcy gathered his reins again, glancing as he did so at the two gentlemen conversing with the knot of women.
He vaguely remembered the red-coated officer as one of the attendees of Bingley's ball.
Darcy's glance skimmed to the man beside the officer, and he froze, the breath dying in his throat as he recognized those familiar features.
What was he doing here?!