Chapter Twenty-Six
I returned to sit next to Elizabeth, my head spinning.
I could hear the Bingley sisters gossiping about me, and Mr. Bingley asking Jane if she was too hot or too cold, but all I could focus on was the utter horror of my situation.
Darcy had no memory of me or our time together, and I was now stuck here without any obvious way of getting home, and totally alone.
“Do not be alarmed, Miss Knight,” Elizabeth said, leaning in to speak to me in a low, conspiratorial voice.
“Mr. Darcy is a proud, conceited man who delights in humbling those he sees as less virtuous than himself. I dare say that he has made your acquaintance before but feigns unfamiliarity for his own entertainment. I shall be most relieved when I no longer have to endure his company.”
“Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my example, and take a turn about the room. I assure you it is very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude.”
I looked up at the familiar line, and realized that while I’d been lost in my despair, Jane had left and Miss Bingley was now parading up and down the room.
Elizabeth got up to join her, and I watched as Darcy lowered his book and observed her walk.
This was a scene I loved in Pride and Prejudice, but as much as I wanted to sit back and watch it play out for real in front of my eyes, I knew this was an excellent opportunity to catch Darcy’s attention and trigger his memory.
“Mind if I join you?”
I was on my feet before I knew what I was doing.
Miss Bingley wrinkled her nose in displeasure, but I ignored her as I took Elizabeth’s other arm and joined their promenade.
As we walked, I looked at Darcy, but his eyes were on Elizabeth as if Miss Bingley and I weren’t even there.
Damn it! If I was going to get Darcy to notice me, it seemed I needed to more actively join the plot, even if it meant interfering with one of my favorite scenes.
Desperate times called for desperate measures…
“Would you care to join us, Mr. Darcy?” Miss Bingley asked as we passed his place in the room.
“Thank you, but I can think of only two motives for you choosing to walk up and down the room together, and I fear my joining you would interfere with either of them.”
“What could he mean, Miss Bennet?” screeched Miss Bingley. “Can you understand his meaning at all?”
Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond, but I got there first. “Not at all, but depend upon it, he means to be severe to us, and our surest way of disappointing him will be to ask nothing about it.”
I sent up a prayer of thanks to the BBC circa 1995 for embedding this scene in my mind, so I knew I was pretty much word-perfect. I glanced at Darcy to see if he was looking at me, but he was still watching Elizabeth.
“Mr. Darcy, pray explain to us what is the meaning of your words,” Miss Bingley demanded, right on cue.
“I have not the smallest objection to explaining them,” Darcy said. “You either choose this method of passing the evening because you are in each other’s confidence and have secret affairs to discuss…”
At this, I saw Elizabeth raise her eyebrows almost imperceptibly; clearly, she had nothing she wished to discuss with Miss Bingley. Darcy continued, oblivious.
“…or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking; if the first, I should be completely in your way, and if the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire.”
“I have never heard anything so abominable!” Miss Bingley screeched, and for once, I had to agree with her; I’d never have allowed Darcy to get away with saying something so sexist. “How shall we punish him for such a speech?”
Miss Bingley was looking at Elizabeth, but again, I got in first. “Nothing so easy, if you have but the inclination. We can all plague and punish each other. Tease him, laugh at him; intimate as you are, you must know how it is to be done.”
Darcy had been watching Elizabeth up until this point, but now his eyes swung to me, and I felt a stab of relief. Yes, notice me, Darcy! Remember you know me, please, because I’m freaking out and desperately need to talk to you.
I waited for Miss Bingley to say her next line, but instead she let out a bored sigh.
“I tire of walking; do let us have some music. Louisa, you will not mind my waking Mr. Hurst?”
She moved toward the piano in the corner, and Elizabeth returned to her seat, leaving me standing in the middle of the room, my mouth hanging open like a fish.
What had just happened? I knew this bit so well, and there should have been loads more chat between Elizabeth/me and Darcy, but now it had all fizzled out and Darcy had gone back to ignoring me.
With a huff of frustration, I slunk back to my seat next to Elizabeth.
“Miss Bingley is a total pain,” I muttered to her, but rather than respond, Elizabeth turned her back slightly away from me.
I felt my heart sink. Oh shit! On top of everything else, had I just made an enemy of Elizabeth Bennet?