Chapter 10
“I thank you for finally dancing with me, Miss Bennet,” Mr Darcy said. His voice was light, and there was mirth in his gaze, which she doubted she had seen before.
“Finally, sir? If I remember correctly, it was you who refused to dance before. With me or anyone else,” she answered in the same manner.
“True. But you also refused me twice.”
A little smile was on his lips, and she arched her eyebrow in doubt.
“Surely you are joking. Or perhaps your memories are confused.”
“Not at all. I first asked you at Sir William’s party.”
“At Lucas Lodge? When? Oh, on the occasion you claimed that every savage could dance? Yes, we all heard about that statement,” she teased him.
“Yes, that was the occasion. And you cannot deny it was a refusal.”
“If it was, it was surely well-deserved, considering the request was not a serious one. Neither the music nor the occasion was proper for dancing.”
“I cannot argue with you.”
“And the second time?” Elizabeth asked, amused and growing more at ease with him.
“The second time was at Netherfield, when I asked you to dance a reel.”
Elizabeth’s confusion increased. Was he mocking her? Was he attempting to make a joke or to make her feel uncomfortable?
“You cannot be serious about that one, Mr Darcy. We both know you only asked for the pleasure of despising my taste! You must admit it.”
“Not at all. You expect me to admit a reason which you choose to call mine, but which I have never acknowledged and have had no opportunity to deny.”
His tone was teasing, and so was hers, but there was also some determination in it.
“Is that true? Even if you did not disapprove of me — which we both know you do — would you, who never dance, not even at St James’s, have danced a reel with me, while Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst played?”
“If I asked, I certainly expected either an acceptance or a rejection, and I was prepared for both,” he said with a little smile. “And the reason you assume I asked was as far from my intention as possible.”
“What other reason might you have had, Mr Darcy? If my recollection is accurate, it was the same evening you criticised Mr Bingley’s careless writing and his quickness in doing certain things which led to the imperfection of his performance.”
“Your recollections are similar to mine, yet your assumption is still in error. And your rejection can still be counted,” Mr Darcy insisted. Their eyes met and locked; his smile, as small as it was, revealed his dimples and caused her to quiver again, almost missing a step.
“Very well. I shall not argue with you any longer. Let us call it a truce and enjoy this dance. I confess I did not expect you to be such a skilful dancer, considering how much you dislike the activity.”
“I have learnt, Miss Bennet. There are many things I dislike and still perform reasonably well. But tonight, I am enjoying myself exceedingly. I am glad you are not disappointed with my company.”
“Not at all, Mr Darcy. It is fortunate we are only dancing for the first time now, when the other’s company is not as unpleasant for each of us as it used to be.” Elizabeth smiled.
Mr Darcy seemed undecided about how to reply, and after a long pause, he finally said, “Yes, very fortunate.”
For a while, they followed the music in silence, then a little later, Elizabeth started a conversation about the number of pairs on the dance floor and afterwards about the weather, and finally about the puppies they shared.
The subject brought smiles to both and dissipated most of the tension, though the notion of sharing something with Mr Darcy was disquieting enough for Elizabeth.
She noticed many intrigued gazes on them — and even mentioned it to Mr Darcy.
People were obviously surprised to see the gentleman dancing, and particularly with her out of all the ladies in attendance.
He had not asked Mr Bingley’s sisters, as was expected, but her.
Even her father and the admiral, who were talking and drinking in a corner with Sir William and Mr Phillips, seemed to be discussing them and probably making sport at their expense.
Elizabeth was aware of the stares and whispers and could even guess what they might be saying, since everyone knew of Mr Darcy’s offence against her at the assembly.
She did not feel perfectly comfortable during the dance, though she did enjoy every minute of it. Mr Darcy’s company, as pleasant as it had become, was never comfortable to her and probably never would be.
∞∞∞
Darcy escorted Elizabeth back to her sister Jane, then joined the admiral, Mr Bennet, and Bingley.
He had felt the curious stares upon them during their dance but chose to disregard them.
He was accustomed to people staring at him, but it had seemed to bother Elizabeth, despite her statement that she was enjoying the dance.
Their dialogue enchanted but also puzzled him, and there were words that he would have to recollect and reflect on later. Her feelings were still unclear to him, and his were not perfectly clear to himself, either.
However, he could hardly remember another time when a dance and a conversation had been so delightful to him.
Being the recipient of Elizabeth’s attention and teasing was enchanting.
And the feeling of teasing a bright woman with a sharp mind and sparkling eyes, even in a room full of people and music, was absolutely charming in an intimate way.
Something he had never experienced before.
The musicians were taking a longer break, and some of the gentlemen left the ballroom, including Colonel Forster and most of the officers.
In the hall, a crowd of men were smoking cigars, talking, and laughing, while the ladies remained inside, taking seats to rest. Only a few men remained in the ballroom, Darcy’s little group among them.
“Well, Darcy, what a delight to see you dancing! I wonder if I have had this pleasure before,” the admiral teased him.
“And with my Lizzy, of all ladies,” Mr Bennet added. “You have certainly compensated for your previous sins, sir. At least in the eyes of my wife and her friends.”
“I believe it is the third time I have seen Darcy dance,” Bingley added.
“Now, you must invite other ladies to dance too, Darcy. It is only gentlemanly,” the admiral said. “Since you gave such a lovely performance, you cannot refuse other ladies the pleasure of your skills.”
“I am glad I provided you with such an excellent source of amusement, Admiral,” Darcy answered, causing the gentleman to laugh.
“I am glad too,” the admiral said. “One should amuse himself as much as he can at such parties.”
“Darcy is rather fastidious. As I have told him many times,” Bingley uttered. “He rarely amuses himself at any parties.”
“He seemed to be amusing himself quite well tonight. Am I wrong, Darcy?” the admiral insisted.
“I enjoyed my witty conversation with Miss Bennet,” Darcy said. “Though I could have enjoyed it just as much with no music and no crowd. A library or a peaceful drawing room would have been ideal.”
The admiral laughed again, joined by Bingley.
“I understand Mr Darcy’s dislike of balls,” Mr Bennet interjected. “All the noise, people, and music is really giving me a headache. I would give anything for a little bit of peace and quiet, a book, and perhaps a glass of wine.”
“I would not reject such a suggestion,” the admiral replied. “While I by no means dislike balls or parties, they can become tiresome at times. I would enjoy a little bit of rest too, and I believe the library would be the perfect place.”
Darcy was momentarily confused, but Mr Bennet nodded energetically.
“Will you go to the library now?” Bingley asked, puzzled too.
“Yes, and as soon as possible, while Mr Collins and Sir William are still occupied with each other. Will you join us?”
“I would like to,” Bingley said, “but as the host, I cannot abandon my guests. I shall happily escort you there, though.”
“That is not necessary. We shall easily find both the library and the drinks,” the admiral jested. “Darcy, will you join us?”
Darcy hesitated only a moment. “Gladly, sir.”
The three of them exited, and Darcy turned to see Elizabeth watching them. He smiled at her, but she seemed rather uneasy and averted her eyes, confusing him.
On their way to the library, they walked through the crowded hall, full of the smoke of cigars and clamour of voices. Entering the peaceful room, lit only by the fire crackling in the hearth, was relieving and comforting.
Mr Bennet sighed and immediately made himself comfortable, while the admiral did the same. Darcy lit two more candles and filled three glasses of wine.
“Thank you, Mr Darcy,” Mr Bennet said. “Having you serve me a drink is something I never imagined. I would tell Mr Collins and my wife about it if I did not fear hearing it repeated till the end of my days.”
His tone seemed serious, but there was a twinkle in his eye, and the admiral laughed. Darcy did not know how to take the statement and chose to say nothing.
“Darcy is among the best men I have ever met, and I have met quite a few,” the admiral said.
“Not always pleasant in behaviour nor amiable in manners, especially with strangers, but excellent in character. As well as kind and generous. So, serving us a drink I could well imagine, especially since he is the youngest of us.”
“I dare say Mr Darcy is the only subject about which Mr Collins’s praises seem justified,” Mr Bennet said.
“True,” the admiral replied. “Equally annoying but justified. Darcy, would you be so kind as to pass us a cigar, too? I hope you do not mind.”
“Not at all, sir.” Darcy hurried to oblige, offering each a cigar and keeping one for himself.
“I am not sure whether I should light this,” Mr Bennet said. “I have quite a bad headache. Perhaps some peace and quiet will be good medicine.”
“Mr Bennet, I can ring for a servant and ask for some herbal tea for your headache,” Darcy suggested.
“That will not be necessary, sir. Please do not trouble yourself further over me. It will be gone soon.”
“Perhaps some fresh air will help. I shall open the window,” the admiral said.
“Please, allow me to do it,” Darcy offered, hurrying to the window.
Spending time with the admiral had always been a delight to him, but Elizabeth’s father was an equally pleasant companion.
And, despite his attempt to sound light, Darcy had noticed the gentleman’s pale countenance displaying a trace of some discomfort.
When he opened the window, the first thing that hit Darcy was the cold air, as one would expect on a winter’s night. Some clouds had gathered again, but the moon and a few stars were still visible.
The second thing, and one that froze Darcy in place, was the sound of voices, amongst which he recognised Wickham’s.
He had no desire to listen, but he was stunned to hear the name Lizzy Bennet followed by laughter.
He struggled to understand what was being said and so closed the window and locked it.
“Darcy, what happened? Why did you close the window? Leave it open a little. We need more fresh air,” the admiral said, frowning at him.
Darcy glanced at him, silently indicating towards Mr Bennet, but the admiral continued, heedless.
“Open the window wide, Darcy.”
“There is noise out there…people drinking and smoking and talking…”
“That is expected, for sure. Why would we care about them? We shall refresh the room for a couple of minutes.”
Before Darcy had time to protest, the admiral strode towards him and threw open the window.
“There!” he said with satisfaction. Cold air burst into the room, together with words that carried dreadful, unthinkable meanings.