Chapter 51 Chaos
Darcy and Lizzy entered the sitting room to find a scene of happy chaos. The party from Netherfield, minus Miss Bingley, was just finishing the round of introductions and greetings. Now, they were starting to break up into conversational groups spread throughout the room.
Bennet, Sir Phillip and Darcy's uncle had engaged Lord Sheldon and Mr. Damask in conversation in a section of the room convenient to the door.
Bingley appeared trapped on the side of the room with the older women.
Darcy suspected that he had been making the introductions and worked himself into a corner.
As Darcy started to join the other men, Bingley gave him a look that clearly asked for a rescue.
Not seeing a ready way to help him without exposing himself to the same danger, Darcy offered his friend nothing more than a slight shrug and a sympathetic look.
Above all the other conversation, Mrs. Bennet's voice filled the air as she enthusiastically thanked Mrs. Damask and Lady Sheldon for hosting her girls and introducing them to society, particularly that of Sir Barnaby Linton.
Her effusions of gratitude allowed for no doubt that Jane's impending wedding was a direct result of their hospitality.
Jane welcomed her friends, Mrs. Cathcart and Lucy Cathcart, while making them acquainted with Kitty and Lydia.
Their group was quieter than the one Mrs. Bennet presided over, but Lydia's voice could still sometimes be heard above the din, only to be lowered after a meaningful look from Miss Parks, who stood nearby.
"Well, well, Darcy," said Bennet teasingly as Darcy and Lizzy approached. "When did you arrive?"
"As I am certain you already know, sir, I arrived a little while before the rest of the party from Netherfield Park, since I came over the fields on horseback. I have been out walking in the garden with Miss Elizabeth and my sister."
Bennet raised an eyebrow questioningly as he made a show of craning his head to search the group assembled in the room, while the other men chuckled. "I see Lizzy," he finally said, "but where is Georgiana?"
His question was answered by the sudden arrival of Darcy's sister. She almost stumbled into the room while carrying two small packages. At the sight of all the people, Georgiana stopped short and her expression froze into a look of fear.
While he might not have been willing to rescue Bingley, Darcy would do whatever was necessary to help Georgiana.
He headed back to the door, accompanied by Lizzy, who obviously had the same idea.
Their progress was stopped short as Kitty and Lydia rushed over to his sister, loudly exclaiming as they did.
"Oh, Georgiana! Are those the chessboards?"
"Can we see them? Please? Oh, do say we can."
"So much for waiting," Lizzy murmured.
Georgiana looked helplessly at Darcy, even as the others in the room noticed her arrival and silenced in expectation of an introduction. Darcy cleared his throat, but before he could continue, Mrs. Hill also appeared in the doorway, closely followed by Anne and Martin.
If he had thought the room was chaotic before, now it was simply an explosion of sound as Kitty and Lydia still asked about the chessboards, Anne greeted Darcy, his uncle and the de Bourghs and Mrs. Bennet loudly wondered what was going on.
Bennet, Mr. Damask and Lord Sheldon were all laughing at the situation and everyone else just seemed confused.
Darcy looked at Lizzy, unsure of what to do. She smiled at him and quietly said, "You know how to take control. Go ahead."
Darcy cleared his throat again, this time very deliberately and loudly. "Excuse me," he said, just as loudly. "I think we have a few more introductions to take care of. If you will all allow me, I will make them."
The room quieted down. Lydia and Kitty still had their attention focused on the packages Georgiana held, but they knew without Darcy's permission they would not get their prizes, so they waited with the rest.
Darcy started by essentially announcing the presence of Georgiana, Anne and Martin.
"Now, although Georgiana is already known to several of you," he said, "It would probably be best if I simply go around the room to introduce everyone who does not yet know my cousins, and those who do not know Georgiana can greet her then as well. "
Although traditionally, he would have started with the person of highest status – Lord Sheldon – Darcy decided that it would be best to introduce the elder Bennets as host and hostess.
Bennet simply offered them welcome, but Mrs. Bennet was almost as effusive in her welcome to Anne as she had been with Georgiana.
Much to Darcy's surprise, Anne responded in kind.
"I am so very delighted to be here, Mrs. Bennet," she said enthusiastically. "Richard has often told me of your kindness to him and how he feels you are simply a part of his family. You cannot imagine how often I have longed to be here and spend time with you and all of your daughters."
"Oh, my dear Mrs. Hanson," Mrs. Bennet replied. "I have already told Georgiana to think of this as a second home and asked her to call me Aunt Fanny as my nieces and nephews do. You and your young man are welcome to do the same. Just consider yourself family as much as Richard does."
Darcy broke in before the discussion went any further.
He decided it was time to get back to tradition for the remainder of those his cousin did not know and next introduced Lord and Lady Sheldon, the Damasks, the Cathcarts and finally all the Bennet daughters.
That sparked a good bit more welcoming conversation, so it was some time before he got to Bingley who, as the son of a tradesman, really was at the bottom of the social ladder in the room.
While all the introductions were going on, Bingley had used the welcoming chit chat as a cover to finally make his escape from the matronly side of the room. He slowly worked his way over to stand beside Sir Phillip. It was probably for the best that he had.
When Darcy finally presented Anne and Martin to Bingley, the first words out of his cousin's mouth were, "Mr. Bingley!
I am so delighted to finally make your acquaintance.
I want to congratulate you on your courtship with Mary!
I hope the two of you will soon decide to wed and that you will be as happy together as Martin and I are! "
"Courtship! With Mary! Our Mary?" Mrs. Bennet screeched. "Mr. Bingley and our Mary!"
She fanned herself energetically with her handkerchief as she looked at Mr. Bingley for confirmation. Mrs. de Bourgh and Lady Sheldon tried to calm her as she continued, "What does she mean, Mr. Bingley? Why did you not say something?"
Bingley had turned red to the tips of his ears.
He tried to speak, but nothing came out, not that he would have been heard over Mrs. Bennet's exclamations.
Anne, however, had no problem cutting through the din, much to Darcy's surprise.
She apparently had more of her mother in her than he had thought.
"Mrs. Bennet! Mr. Bingley! I am so very sorry! Both Will and Richard spoke of the courtship as an established fact and I did not even think that it might not have been publicly announced yet. I was just so happy to finally meet Mr. Bingley that my congratulations slipped right out."
Mrs. Bennet stopped talking, although she continued to flap her handkerchief. Bingley tried again to speak, and this time he managed it.
"I had no idea of keeping secrets from you, Mrs. Bennet," he said.
"Nor did I wish to cause you such distress.
It is true that I am officially courting Miss Mary, and Mr. Bennet has given permission, but she had asked that we wait to announce the courtship until her arrival tomorrow.
Miss Mary wanted to be here with you when you learned the news and celebrated it. "
"More like she wanted to protect her young man from being the prime focus of the celebration," Darcy heard Bennet mutter from somewhere behind him.
"Oh, my dear Mr. Bingley! I am so delighted!" Mrs. Bennet squealed even as Anne tried once more to apologize and the other ladies began to congratulate the Bennet matron.
Darcy heard Georgiana quietly ask Kitty and Lydia if they had known. They were still too interested in the packages to do more than confirm that they had. All three turned to look at Darcy, but there was still too much noise for them to ask again about the chessboards.
As he turned away from them, he spotted Bennet looking at him with a clear challenge in his expression. Lizzy also caught her father's look. She stepped a little closer to Darcy and whispered, "Shall we?"
With another glance around the room, Darcy made his decision. He doubted the noise could get any louder, so why not get it over with and reap the benefits of having the betrothal known. Clearing his throat loudly again, he drew the attention of the room.
"In the interests of full disclosure," he said into the suddenly silent room, "I also have an announcement to make.
We had intended to share the news at the same time as Bingley and Miss Mary, so I may as well tell you now.
Miss Elizabeth and I are happy to inform you that we have agreed to marry, and Mr. Bennet has approved our betrothal. "
Mrs. Bennet proved him wrong. "Betrothal?
" she shrieked at an even louder volume than when she had questioned Bingley's courtship.
"You and Lizzy- betrothed?" She stopped fanning herself.
Her hands dropped to her sides as her eyes rolled up and she slumped down before slowly sliding off the sofa on which she had been sitting and falling into a heap on the floor.
"She has fainted," Mrs. de Bourgh declared to the room.