Chapter Nineteen
Elizabeth had enjoyed herself heartily at the ball, but Anne did not, and so she remained close to her friend the next day.
The whole party slept indulgently late after dancing until the wee hours; it was scarcely still morning when they all gathered for breakfast, and past one when they all finally moved into the spacious parlor.
Their numbers had increased, and Elizabeth could feel the frisson of tension in the air. After supper at the ball, Lady Blanche’s old friend from school had made a rather dramatic entrance, accompanied by a spirited young lady she had lately sponsored in London.
Elizabeth had been caught up in the thrill of the evening, but she was not insensible to the considerable panic Anne had displayed when Lady Blanche presented Mrs. Jennings and Miss Marianne Dashwood.
The portly woman, perhaps a year or two older than Lady Blanche, was cheerful and gregarious, and very pleased to meet so many new friends – she was also wildly indiscreet at hinting that her young, pretty companion had some prior history with Mr. Willoughby and Colonel Brandon.
“They were rivals for her affection,” Anne whispered to Elizabeth as the two young women sat together on a sofa, discreetly observing Miss Dashwood. “Mrs. Jennings told me far more about it than any new acquaintance has a right to hear; but perhaps I ought not repeat it all.”
Elizabeth knew that Anne only hesitated to admit that she had come to fancy Colonel Brandon, who was superior to Captain Wentworth in every way that could matter to her poised older friend. She was far too gentle to acknowledge that Miss Dashwood was now her rival.
“I should likely soon hear it from her myself; you may as well tell me now, if I can do you a good turn as a confidante.”
Anne nodded thoughtfully. “Colonel Brandon told me that there was a young lady he recently admired. His attachment was of no little importance to him, being the first in many years, after a heartbreak in his youth. Apparently Miss Dashwood reminds him of his lost love, whose natural daughter he took as his ward when the lady died. Miss Dashwood always favored Mr. Willoughby over the colonel, preferring a livelier disposition to his solemnity. I suppose at her age, I was much the same.”
Anne shook her head, and Elizabeth leaned closer.
“I have heard all about Colonel Brandon’s ward – Lady Rosamund told me, the day you all went sailing.
It shocking that Mr. Willoughby is even permitted in the house!
But I suppose it is amusing, in a wicked sort of way, that he is no danger to anybody I especially like – but Miss Dashwood ought to be warned – she clearly still favors the cad over the colonel. ”
Miss Dashwood had determinedly attached herself to Mr. Willoughby, earning dark looks from Miss Bingley and Miss Elliot, and apparently mortifying the gentleman.
There was a frantic, unsettling air about Miss Dashwood, who struck her as a young lady of more sensibility than sense, for she appeared so fixated on Mr. Willoughby that she did not realize the spectacle she made of herself. Elizabeth rather pitied the girl.
“I only hope Colonel Brandon will not be wounded all over again – and surely somebody ought to warn Miss Dashwood of the truth,” Anne said.
Elizabeth dropped her voice low, grinning as she relished the delicious piece of gossip.
“Lady Blanche told me the colonel challenged him to duel in London, and Mr. Willoughby would not oblige him. He was betrothed, at the time, to an heiress with dirt thousand pounds, who he abandoned Miss Dashwood to pursue at the behest of his benefactress – but when she discovered what he had done to Miss Williams, she threw him over, anyhow.”
“Colonel Brandon said that he told Miss Dashwood’s elder sister Mrs. Ferrars the truth, but it was around the time she became engaged, and there was so much upset in Mr. Ferrars’s family over that match that he doubts she ever passed his confidence along to her sister.
” Anne shook her head sadly. “But I hesitate to involve myself.”
“Because you do not wish to be influenced by your wish that the colonel should prefer you?”
“I am not convinced he ever could, Lizzy. I have enjoyed spending time with him, but I had thought neither of us capable of the grand passions of our youth. And yet – well, he was drawn to your liveliness, was he not?”
Elizabeth had thought, in the days just after her arrival, that the Colonel might have some interest in her, but she had determinedly ignored every sign of it, plainly offered him only friendship, and put Anne forward at every opportunity.
She had lately begun to believe her efforts were blossoming nicely, and she could not like this setback for Anne.
It was evident that her friend desired her to act, as she could not do herself
“Do not distress yourself, dear Anne. I daresay if she continues behaving as she does, it will only diminish the colonel’s regard for her.
But perhaps something ought to be done about Mr. Willoughby.
Perhaps I might speak to Colonel Fitzwilliam, for I know he has been acquainted with Colonel Brandon for many years, and he will hardly object to the impertinence of my request.”
Anne smiled weakly. “Thank you, Lizzy. I dare not ask such a favor….”
“My dear friend, I hope you shall always ask for what you want!”
As if this talk of indulgence had summoned her, Lady Rebecca came to join them.
She had been sitting with her brother and Lady Blanche, and was eager to repeat all the same fascinating discoveries they had already shared – and it sounded as though Mrs. Jennings was informing anybody who would listen of the same.
Poor Miss Dashwood, to have her folly and heartbreak made so public!
Elizabeth could not resist staring daggers at Amex Willoughby, wishing him to the very devil.
Or better still, into the grasping arms of Miss Bingley!
Lady Sophia made as grand and purposeful an entrance as she had done the day before. She was again flanked by footmen, and on this occasion the pair of servants trailed after her bearing stacks of books. Lady Sophia clapped her hands to gain the whole party’s attention.
“Tonight, as you know, you will again don your Tudor costumes for an evening of Shakespeare! A theatre troupe will be joining us after dinner, but before they perform for you, you shall first delight them, and all of us! I shall provide you each a volume of one of the bard’s plays, and you must find amongst you which companions also have that play – and together, you will select a scene to enact on the stage we have had made up in the ballroom. ”
Her daughters rose to help distribute the volumes, seeming to have already decided which was to be given to each person in the room.
Elizabeth was handed a small, leatherbound copy of Taming of the Shrew, and Lady Blanche gave her such a sly look that Elizabeth could be in little doubt as to who else might have been given the same play.
She smiled, though, at seeing both Lady Rebecca and Mr. Bingley receive Much Ado About Nothing.
There was a great deal of discussion, with some of the young ladies of the party negotiating exchanges of plays between themselves; Lady Julia, Miss Elliot, and Miss Dashwood were all keen to be in a scene with Mr. Willoughby, and the latter sulked when she was the disappointed party.
When Rebecca had invited enough chaos to divert herself, and the matter was finally settled, the party broke up into pairs and small groups to begin preparing their scenes.
Of the six comedies, the Goulding ladies meant to occupy an hour, and so Elizabeth was faced with ten minutes of performing with Mr. Darcy.
They all scattered about the house, selecting their scenes and learning their lines, and Mr. Darcy escorted Elizabeth to a gazebo in the garden, not far from where Bingley and Lady Rebecca sat together by the fountain.
Lady Rosamund and Lady Dorothea joined the scattered guests who had ventured out of doors, but their presence as chaperones could not dispel the flustered excitement Elizabeth felt as she considered that come nightfall, she would be back in her revealing gown, speaking words of love to Mr. Darcy in front of the entire party.
***
Darcy could sense that Elizabeth was uneasy, and it surprised him. “I hope you are not dismayed by the task before us, Miss Elizabeth.”
“I might enjoy our activity amongst intimate friends and neighbors in Meryton, but in a large party of those whom I have known less than a fortnight – and in such a costume as I was given!”
“I thought you bold enough for anything.” Darcy instantly realized that he had not expressed his admiration of her character in an especially flattering tone, and he coughed awkwardly.
“That is, I would not have thought a woman of your gregarious and outspoken disposition – your charming ease in company – could shrink from the thrilling challenge presented in performing for the amusement of new friends. Surely your tenacity forbids it.”
Her look of dismay softened into something warm and conspiratorial as she repeated a partially beguiling bit of banter she had volleyed at him while playing the pianoforte at his aunt’s request, on an evening she had visited Rosing.
“What did I say to you in Kent? My courage always rises, with every attempt to intimate me. You have an uncommon knack, sir, for arousing in me the wicked impulse to say whatever shocking thing comes to mind.”
“Think of how well you shall do in confounding me when you need not even trouble to choose your own words. They have been written for you.” Darcy brushed a hand over the small book that sat in her lap.
“Ah, but I believe you must exert yourself as I have long hoped, and rail at me in return. I am sure you must sometimes wish to.”
“No, never.” Darcy breathed out a nervous laugh and fidgeted with his book.