Vol 1, Chapter 9 #3
“I find that I am lightheaded; would you mind if we sit and talk until supper? I am sure that I will recover after the repast,” Charlotte asked with her head down.
“But of course my dear Miss Lucas, your wellbeing is of the utmost importance to me,” Collins stated with feeling as he led Charlotte to a chair against the wall. “May I fetch you some refreshment, Miss Lucas?” Collins asked gallantly once his betrothed was seated.
“Thank you. Lemonade would be most appreciated,” Charlotte replied. She felt badly that she had used deception, but in this case, it was better than the alternative.
Both Elizabeth and Jane danced with one of Charlotte’s brothers. They smiled to one another, knowing what Charlotte had done and why. The dances rolled by and soon it was the set before the supper set. Mr. Darcy came to collect his partner from where she was standing next to her parents.
Darcy led Miss Elizabeth to the line that was forming. Miss Bingley glared, furious to be slighted by Mr. Darcy thusly. The quadrille began and Elizabeth was surprised that he was exceptionally light on his feet given how tall he was. She supposed that he was more than tolerably handsome.
“Come Mr. Darcy, we must have some conversation,” Elizabeth asserted. She was sure her partner preferred to dance in silence so she was determined it would not be so. “Is this not a well-organised ball?” she asked.
“It is Miss Bingley outdid herself,” he replied, and was again silent.
After a pause of some minutes, Elizabeth addressed him a second time, “It is your turn to say something now, Mr. Darcy. I talked about the ball, and you ought to make some sort of remark on the size of the room, or the number of couples.”
He smiled, “Whatever you wish me to say will be said."
“Very well. That reply will do for the present. Perhaps by and by I may observe that private balls are much more pleasant than public ones. But now we may be silent.” Elizabeth allowed.
“Do you talk by rule, then, while you are dancing?” Darcy wanted to know.
“Sometimes. One must speak a little, you know. It would look odd to be entirely silent for half an hour together; and yet for the advantage of some, conversation ought to be so arranged, as that they may have the trouble of saying as little as possible.”
“Are you consulting your own feelings in the present case, or do you imagine that you are gratifying mine?”
“Mine,” replied Elizabeth archly; “I have seen you are of an unsocial, taciturn disposition, unwilling to speak. I on the other hand tolerate far more than you it seems.”
“How near your assertion may be to mine, I cannot pretend to say. You think it a faithful portrait, undoubtedly.” Darcy stated, missing the word that he used at the assembly being used by a Bennet once again.
“I must not decide based on my observations.” Elizabeth replied.
He made no answer, and they were again silent until they had gone down the line, when he asked her if she and her siblings often walked to Meryton.
She answered in the affirmative, and, unable to resist the temptation, added, “When we met there the other day, we had just been forming a new acquaintance.” Elizabeth decided to play devil’s advocate as Mr. Wickham was nought but a cautionary tale to her and gave no clue of her distrust of that man.
The effect was immediate. A deeper shade of hauteur overspread his features, but he said not a word, and Elizabeth, though blaming herself for her own weakness, could not go on.
At length Darcy spoke, and in a constrained manner said, “Mr. Wickham is blessed with such happy manners as may ensure his making friends—whether he may be equally capable of retaining them, is less certain.”
“He has been so unlucky as to lose your friendship,” replied Elizabeth with emphasis, “and in a manner which he is likely to suffer from all his life.”
‘Why did I say that when I know it is not true? Mama just took me to task over this!’ Elizabeth upbraided herself. “Please accept my apology, Mr. Darcy, that was rude for me to say.”
Darcy made no answer but inclined his head in acceptance of her offered apology, and he seemed to be thinking of a response.
Darcy decided not to answer directly and changed the subject.
“What think you of books?” he asked, hoping she at least occasionally read despite the expectations that she would likely only be able to use the circulating library.
“Books! Not a subject I wish to discuss while dancing,” Elizabeth replied with arched eyebrow.
“I am sorry you feel so; but if you would allow the subject, there can at least be no want of topics of discussion. We may compare our different opinions,” Darcy offered.
“No—I cannot talk of books in a ballroom; my head is always full of something else.” Elizabeth reiterated.
“The present always occupies you in such scenes—does it?” said he, with a look of doubt.
‘She is my equal intellectually and does not agree with me blindly. Oh, if only there were not so many social impediments!’ Darcy thought. ‘How is it that I have gone and fallen in love with one for whom I can never offer?’ Darcy was shaken at his private admission.
Worried that he would blurt out a declaration on the dance floor, Darcy did not trust himself to talk for the remainder of the set. At the end of the dance, Darcy returned Elizabeth to her parents, bowed, and disappeared into the crowd.
“Well, I never! You danced with Mr. Darcy, Lizzy?” Mrs. Bennet asked with an eyebrow arched in question.
“I did, Mama. May we not speak on it until we are at home, please?” Elizabeth asked, thankful that her partner for the supper set came to collect her as her mother nodded her agreement.
After dinner, Jane endured dancing with Mr. Bingley.
He went on the whole time about her being an angel and how pretty she was.
Although Mr. Bingley was an accomplished dancer, Jane was never more gratified than when the uncomfortable half hour was over, and she was returned to her parents.
She could not wait to depart for London in two days.
Charlotte had invited Elizabeth to visit her at her future home for Easter, so Jane suggested that after they returned from Broadhurst they should remain in Town until it was time for Lizzy to depart for Kent.
That plan ensured she would not need to see Mr. Bingley and his sisters for several months.
When the ball ended, the Bennets were one of the first families to depart Netherfield.