“What? All at once?”
“Of course not,” she said with some exasperation. “He danced first with Lydia, and I believe he was quite struck by her, for he was smiling and laughing the whole time. He asked Kitty next and then Mary after her. The two fourth he danced with his fiancée, Miss Bingley. An elegant lady, I suppose, but not nearly as pleasant as her brother or Mr. Darcy. I did not much care for her.”
“Nor I,” Lydia said. “She is unbearably superior.”
“Jane was his partner for the two fifth dances,” Mrs. Bennet continued. He was overheard to say that she was without a doubt the prettiest girl in the room. The two sixth he danced with Charlotte Lucas, which had me very much vexed, for I had hoped he would dance a second time with Lydia. It was obvious that he very much admired her, but Lady Lucas was determined to push her daughter forward. Lizzy was his partner for the Boulanger, but I do not think she made a very good impression upon him, for he scarcely smiled at all. He looked very serious indeed, and he is not at all a serious sort of person.”
“He did not like my Lizzy? Yet you will have me believe him to be charming. I do not expect to find him as agreeable as you do, Mrs. Bennet. It sounds to me as though he must be one of the silliest men in England.”
“He is,” Elizabeth said, “and I do not much care whether or not he likes me, for I do not think much of him. His behaviour and his conversation were both foolish, and I have quite decided that I do not like him. He thinks only of himself, and not of others, in a most selfish fashion. That type of person has no appeal to me.”
“How can you say so?” Kitty protested. “There is nothing selfish about him. Indeed, he never once said anything about himself.”
“He is nothing of the sort,” Mary said at the same moment. “I found him to be a man of superior intellect, and his conversation was very sensible. He agreed with me on a great many things.”
Elizabeth hardly felt that this was any recommendation since Mary’s ideas were no reflection of good sense or intellect.
“He is a silly fribble,” she pronounced. “An empty-headed man with no taste or sense, and no idea how to behave in a manner befitting his consequence. A man in possession of 10,000 a year and a vast estate ought to take more pride in his consequence and behave with some semblance of dignity. As far as I can tell, he is proud of nothing beyond his fine appearance, and concerning that, I will take this opportunity to say that I do not think him so very handsome.”
“You must be blind,” Lydia declared, “Mr. Darcy is the handsomest, most agreeable man we have ever met.”
“He certainly is,” Mrs. Bennet agreed, “and a man of 10,000 a year may do exactly as he wishes. There is nothing which will lower his consequence, but I thought Mr. Darcy a very gentlemanly person. Extremely elegant and so fond of dancing! His only fault lies in not being single. I really think that Lydia might have had a chance with him if he were not already attached. It is a great shame; however, it is a consolation that Mr. Bingley was obviously very taken with Jane. In their case I have high hopes. Very high hopes indeed. He had to dance first with Charlotte Lucas, but afterwards he asked Jane, whom he noticeably admired.”
Here followed an enumeration of Mr. Bingley’s partners, which caused Mr. Bennet to groan, and a declaration that his manners were almost as charming as his friend’s. This had Mr. Bennet convinced that Mr. Bingley must be as silly as his friend. Even Lizzy’s insistence that he was much more sensible did not persuade Mr. Bennet to think that the gentleman would make a fine neighbour; however, he went to bed anticipating that the two fribbles would provide some amusement until such time as they grew tired of country society and took themselves back to London.
When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former was finally able to talk of her impressions of the evening, which had stood little chance of being heard in the drawing room, and the latter became aware that her sister had formed a high opinion of Mr. Bingley.
“I admire your preference,” she said. “It is a relief to know that you were not so taken with his silly friend.”
“Mr. Darcy was very agreeable,” Jane said, “but to my taste, Mr. Bingley’s manners had an even greater degree of warmth and happiness.”
“He is also more handsome,” Elizabeth said, keen to credit him above his friend in any way.
“He is,” Jane agreed. “They both are. Did you really not think Mr. Darcy at all handsome?” He is perhaps not quite as good-looking as Mr. Bingley, but I thought him a fine figure of a man.”
“Not at all,” Elizabeth said stubbornly, but her lips betrayed her. The corners were turning up of their own will as she recollected his pleasing features, engaging eyes, and attractive smile. She gave way to a grin, then a giggle and finally laughter which caused her to collapse upon Jane’s bed.
“He is not only the handsomest man I have ever seen,” she confessed after she had at last composed herself. “He is the handsomest man I can imagine ever seeing. I have to confess that in appearance, he fits my ideal perfectly. It is a great pity that his character falls far from it.”
“Perhaps he may turn out to be different after you get to know him better,” Jane observed. “One evening of dancing is hardly an opportunity to make out a man’s true character.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “It does not seem as though much effort need go into making out Mr. Darcy. There is so little substance to him. It is a pity, but I shall not be disappointed. After all, if he were a more dignified person, he would probably think himself considerably above me.”
CHAPTER 4
Mr. Darcy journeyed back to Netherfield in a state of mixed emotions. He was delighted to realize that he had been well liked, bewildered that such a thing had been so easily accomplished, and confused to find that his thoughts kept centering on the one person with whom he had not succeeded. His triumph was spoiled by a feeling that the failure to gain her good opinion was to his discredit.
Still, he was rejoicing in his success at having annoyed Miss Bingley. With her he was as unpopular as he wanted to be. “I do not know what came over you tonight, Mr. Darcy,” she lectured him in the carriage. It is not like you to behave in such an undignified fashion. I do hope we shall see no more of that sort of behaviour.”
“I think there is a very good chance that you shall,” he replied. “We are in the country, after all. There can be no purpose to town manners here.”
“There is always a purpose to superior manners,” she countered.
“I find country manners charming,” Mr. Bingley contributed. “I had a splendid time tonight.”
“I quite agree,” Mr. Darcy said. “I do not think I have ever enjoyed a dance more.”
“You are both being absurd,” Miss Bingley said. “This insignificant assembly compared very unfavourably to the sort of dances to which we are usually invited. It was attended by some of the most vulgar and unfashionable people it has ever been my misfortune to meet.”
“I saw nothing vulgar, especially in the elder two Miss Bennets and Miss Lucas,” her brother said.
“I suppose they were not quite as bad as the rest of the company. Miss Elizabeth Bennet struck me as a sensible girl with excellent notions of what is right, but one could hardly call either her or her elder sister fashionable, and as for the younger sisters, it is a disgrace that they are allowed out in society.”
“They were not so very bad,” Mr. Darcy said, in part because he was still determined to set himself up against Miss Bingley at every opportunity, but also because he was not inclined to be entirely judgmental of his new friends. “They were a little vulgar, I will grant you, but they had their redeeming features. The younger two impressed me with their happy natures and artlessness.”
“You are far too generous. What you call artlessness is better described as a lack of sophistication.”
“If that is the case, then I pronounce myself in favour of such a lack. I think I prefer more natural manners. One knows exactly where one stands with young ladies who have no
need for deception and calculation.”
She changed the subject. “I have decided to pay a call on Miss Eliza at the earliest opportunity. I believe her friendship to be well worth cultivating.”
“I do not,” Mr. Darcy said, determined to forget that he had wanted her to like him if she was to become Miss Bingley’s friend. “She has pert opinions.”
“She has more discernment than all the rest of Meryton put together. I shall be careful to discourage the other sisters, however. I have no wish for any intimacy with them.”
“Not even Miss Bennet?” her brother asked incredulously.
“She is tolerable, I suppose. I shall not mind seeing something of her, but I vastly prefer Miss Eliza. She is more discerning than any of her sisters, and such a delightful girl.”
“Well, I shall cultivate Miss Bennet’s acquaintance,” Mr. Bingley said. “I liked her very much.”
“Certainly,” his sister said in an agreeable tone. “She was pleasant enough, but really the whole family is quite beneath us. You must not encourage the younger ones.”
She did not say anything to Mr. Darcy, but he perceived a sharp glance in his direction and felt himself admonished for his encouragement on the previous evening.
It occurred to him that he would much rather marry any one of the ladies whom she so deprecated. Miss Lydia Bennet could be counted on to frequently embarrass him in society, but he would rather hear her laughter than Miss Bingley’s constant carping, and he would have a better chance of influencing her behaviour for the better. Miss Kitty would agree with and adopt all of his opinions, so he might easily mould her into a fairly satisfactory companion. Miss Mary would be so enthralled by his library that she would hardly trouble him at all, and under his influence she might grow in her understanding. It would be a pleasure to instruct her, to see the resulting improvement of her mind, and to create a suitable companion for himself. The eldest Miss Bennet would compel him to be happy whether he wanted to or not, and Miss Lucas would provide many hours of excellent conversation.
He would even prefer to marry Miss Elizabeth Bennet. No doubt they would argue all the time, but he had an idea that arguing with her would be much more enjoyable than with Miss Bingley. At the very least he would never grow tired of her company. Sparring with her would provide excellent entertainment. The more he thought about it, the more he was persuaded that if he were compelled, strange though the concept was, to choose a wife from among those six dance partners, there was a great danger that he would pick her. She would resist all his attempts to mould her, but their life could be counted on never to be dull. And who wanted a wife who needed moulding anyway?
It was she who remained on his mind as he prepared for bed and at last lay his tired, aching body upon the soft mattress. He fell asleep wondering how their discussion might have gone if he had told her all the truth. Whose side would she have taken then?
He woke to find that the ache had turned into soreness. Every muscle was hurting from unaccustomed use, and Mr. Darcy felt quite old and decrepit as he stiffly made his way to the breakfast room. He carefully lowered himself into a chair, and Miss Bingley gave him a look which clearly said “it serves you right.”
Mr. Bingley seemed none the worse for wear, and was in an excellent mood.
“Shall we ride today?” he asked his friend while they were eating.
Mr. Darcy groaned. “I think a slow walk might be better. Or perhaps a carriage ride.”
“A very good idea!” Miss Bingley exclaimed. “I shall come with you. It will be refreshing.”
Mr. Darcy stifled another groan. He carried on eating without making further comment, but at the end of the meal, he said, “I think I might be able to manage that ride after all, Bingley.”
Making a great effort to hide his pain, he rose cautiously from the chair and walked away with the pretense of being much recovered. It was only with assistance that he was afterwards able to mount his horse, but Mr. Bingley agreed to gentle pace, so the ride was manageable. It was a pleasure to get out of the house and away from the ladies, who were probably continuing to disparage everything about their new neighbourhood.
The brother took up the same topic but he continued to approve of everything, especially the eldest Miss Bennet, on which subject he revealed a greater admiration than Mr. Darcy had perceived on the previous evening. He had noticed his friend single the lady out for a second dance, but that in itself was not so unusual. Bingley often fell for a pretty face. This morning, however, he spoke of more than her beauty. Her manners and character came in for their share of admiration as well, and Mr. Darcy began to suspect a particularly strong attraction.
Wondering if something might come of this, gave him reason to engage in serious reflection while his friend rambled on about the lady’s attributes. For all that he had played things down for the purpose of provoking Miss Bingley, it was impossible to ignore the weighty objection which could be made to Miss Bennet family’s. On the previous evening, they had displayed a want of propriety which ought to be giving Bingley cause for concern, but he spoke as though his angel had no flaws.
The situation was worth watching. If the strength of Mr. Bingley’s attraction grew, and anything did happen to come from it, then he would have to decide if something ought to be said. It might become necessary, in good conscience, to give advice which would be contrary to his friend’s wishes.
On the other hand, if the family improved upon acquaintance, there would be no strong reason to say anything against a prospective match. Miss Bennet was a charming girl and he had been thinking just yesterday that she deserved a kind and cheerful husband. Someone just like Mr. Bingley. Although he was largely disposed to consider the situation from a rational viewpoint, Mr. Darcy was not immune to thinking that happiness was also an important consideration. His own recent experiences had left him more inclined to value felicity in marriage.
There was one other consideration which he mulled over with amusement. Miss Bingley had already set herself up against her brother’s noticeable preference. If her brother’s interest extended to a view of marriage, she would likely protest the connection. Since any encouragement of it would annoy her, Mr. Darcy could not help being hopeful of finding himself able to oppose her wishes and favour the match.
CHAPTER 5
While the gentlemen were out riding, discussions of the assembly were taking place in nearly every house in the neighbourhood. It was generally agreed that this had been the best assembly ever held in Meryton. Two additional gentlemen had been much appreciated, and for them to have been so handsome and charming was quite miraculous. Mr. Hurst, who had not danced once and could not be called handsome by any stretch of the imagination, was conveniently ignored. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley were everything, and they were almost universally adored.
Elizabeth was the lone dissenter, at least with regard to one of them, but she kept quiet on the subject while her mother and sisters talked over the ball with Charlotte and Maria Lucas, who had come to visit for that very purpose. It was only when there was opportunity for private conversation with Charlotte Lucas that she gave expression to her opinion.
“I am sure you cannot agree with everybody else about Mr. Darcy,” she said. “Did you not think his manner of dancing ridiculous and his general attitude a selfish one.”
“He did dance with an odd sort of wildness,” Charlotte conceded, “but I saw nothing which led me to think of him as selfish. He asked my opinion on a number of subjects and listened most attentively to everything I said. He seemed very interested to understand what sort of books I read and what I thought of them.”
“He did not say anything of books to me. I rather had the idea that he is not much inclined toward reading.”
“You are quite wrong, I can assure you. Mr. Darcy obviously reads a great deal, and his understanding is excellent.”
“I am all astonishment. He gave no such impression to me. He seemed a silly sort of man with foolish behaviour and opinions. Di
d you see how foolishly he pranced about with Kitty and Lydia?” I did not like how he encouraged my sisters to excess.”
“Perhaps he only wanted them to enjoy the evening and to enjoy it himself. “I had the feeling he was in need of some amusement. He seemed so quiet when he first came into the room, but then he livened up a great deal once he started dancing. You should not fault him merely for having a bit of fun.”
“It seems to me that an engaged gentleman ought not to think so selfishly of his own pleasure. But then, Mr. Darcy seems to be no fan of the married state. A man who thinks so little of it ought to make a point of remaining single. I cannot understand how he came to be engaged.”
“Now that is a puzzle. I am not astonished at his being engaged, but that he should have chosen Miss Bingley does surprise me. I found them very unalike and did not think he gave any appearance of being a man in love.”
“He certainly did not. But whether he loves her or not, his treatment of Miss Bingley was abominable. A gentleman ought not to neglect his fiancée so disgracefully. What do you have to say to that?”
“Only that I think you have formed a determined prejudice against him because you did not like his encouragement of your sisters.”
“I suppose I have,” Elizabeth admitted, “but I still cannot think well of him. Not that it matters. He did not appear to like me much either.”
“I believe he was annoyed with you for so helpfully accommodating Miss Bingley.”
Elizabeth smiled. “I suppose there was prejudice on both sides. It seems that Mr. Darcy and I are destined to dislike each other; however, I do not care. His good opinion is worth nothing to me.”
“I cannot agree. After my conversation with him, I believe that his good opinion is well-worth earning.”
“It is as though we met two different men,” Elizabeth said. “It seems impossible for us to agree upon the subject of his character.”
Mr. Darcy Dances: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 3
