by Anne Morris
• • •
Jane was improving, and Elizabeth's spirits were bolstered to see her recovering. She hated to see any of her siblings suffer, but especially sweet Jane. The invalid dined in her room, but rallied so much that she decided to come down to spend the evening in company. Elizabeth saw her wrapped up against the cold—it was raining again, and the wind blew against the house worming its way into every little crack and crevice—and saw her downstairs to the drawing room. Only the two ladies were present at first, but their powers of conversation were considerable, and Miss Bingley, in particular, went to remarkable pains to entertain Jane with anecdotes and laugh at acquaintance with a level of humor that surprised Elizabeth.
When the gentlemen arrived, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Hurst said something pleasant about seeing Miss Jane up and about, and looking in better spirits, but Mr. Bingley was full of joy and attention to her. He spent a considerable amount of time piling up the fire lest she suffer from the cold, and then had her move chairs to sit on the other side of the fireplace to be away from a perceived draft. Elizabeth was not certain if the draft existed in that well-appointed room, but the seat was away from the windows and doors, and also away from where the others sat. Mr. Bingley then sat next to Jane and talked scarcely to anyone else. Elizabeth smiled as she watched his attentions to her sister and thought that perhaps Mrs. Bennet did have the measure of it, and Jane would secure Mr. Bingley.
Mr. Hurst could not get anyone to play cards with him so he stretched himself out on a sofa to sleep; the others took up books, but the quiet that descended on the party seemed not to be to the two ladies liking. Miss Bingley would occasionally make some comment which Elizabeth did not attend. Mrs. Hurst did not read more than a page before she went to sit with Mr. Bingley and Jane, though her presence was not welcomed by her brother, and the talk became more animated as they discussed the idea of actually holding a ball at Netherfield.
"Are you serious in meditating a dance at Netherfield?" asked his twin, who closed up her book and looked over at him. "I am much mistaken if there are not some among us to whom a ball would be a punishment rather than a pleasure."
"If you mean Darcy," said her brother, "he may go to bed if he chooses, but I have quite settled it in my mind to host a ball. I like the idea!"
"We do not even know if Netherfield is suited for dancing," said his sister. "Perhaps the drawing room is not large enough or not in good enough condition; I do not believe I have truly looked over it with a ball in mind."
"There has not been a ball at Netherfield in years, probably nine or ten years gone now," said Elizabeth.
"I remember!" brightened Jane. "Sir John had a large party and a ball for his grandson one year. It was sort of like a come-out though young gentlemen do not have come-out balls," she blushed which only made her look prettier. "He was a very handsome young man, Henry Mandeville, an Adonis!" She blushed again and looked down at her hands in her lap.
"You did not go to the ball?" asked Miss Bingley.
"Oh no! I recall seeing him coming to town for a visit that year. I was only twelve—remember Lizzy when we saw him in the marketplace in Meryton?"
"Yes, it was when Sir John and his grandson were still on speaking terms," said Elizabeth.
"They had a falling out?" inquired Mr. Bingley, looking between the two Bennet sisters.
"Yes, and then Mr. Henry Mandeville joined the navy and went to war," said Elizabeth. "He was killed at Trafalgar."
"And was this Mr. Henry Mandeville the only heir?" asked Mr. Darcy joining the conversation but looking pointedly at Elizabeth sitting in a chair opposite.
"Yes, his father died an early death and there was just one son and one grandson," explained Elizabeth.
"That is a shame; Sir John is a baronet is he not? The title will die out with him. I wonder what is to become of the estate," said Caroline Bingley. "It is a disgrace to have any distinguished family line die out."
"What was Sir John thinking to allow his grandson and heir to go off to war? It is inconceivable that he should allow such a thing," exclaimed Mr. Darcy with more furor than Elizabeth had seen the man express. "Had the grandson no consideration for his family and what was due to them?"
"If a man chooses to do something, what right have we to say or judge that he should or should not have made that choice?" cried Elizabeth, "are we to condemn him for not following another man's advice—for not sticking to his own purpose?"
"He should have listened to his head-of-family's counsel!" cried Mr. Darcy.
"Are you so ready to condemn Mr. Mandeville for his faults, such as deciding to join the navy and going to war, and having the audacity to die in a naval battle?" she cried sitting forward in her chair.
"But he should also have remembered what was due to his grandfather and the family name!" exclaimed Mr. Darcy with an intensity that matched hers.
"Did we not just, the other day, discuss sticking to one's purpose and not being capricious about one's decisions, Mr. Darcy?" she cried, looking up at him. "How much you valued a man who held to the principles that he set himself, stuck to his goals and his purpose? Now you appear to be arguing against that."
He looked at her; her eyes were inflamed by her impassioned speech, and he thought himself dangerously attracted; he moved slightly in his spot on the sofa.
"You are correct," he said, drawing a breath in through his nose, "and have caught me between two points. I feel equally strong that a man should both know his own mind but should also know his place and what is due his family." He nodded his head to her. "I thank you, Miss Bennet, for enlightening me."
• • •
There had been a return to their books, with Bingley and Jane Bennet returning to their whispered conversation. Darcy set his book aside for a while and observed his friend and his current paramour. Bingley certainly admired her, and being thrown together like this, with her under his own roof made for the most interesting circumstance. Darcy wondered how much that affected Bingley's sentiments towards the young lady, how much did they encourage his admiration to a greater extent, and how much was he naturally inclined towards this, admittedly, pretty face and sweet-tempered young lady?
Miss Jane Bennet blushed a great deal as the two of them talked, a sure sign that she returned some of Bingley's affections. Darcy wondered how much she truly admired his friend. Jane Bennet had serene nature, so it was difficult to ascertain her true feelings. On the other hand, she was not like so many of those other young ladies, who are so animated with eyes and eyebrows all twitching and moving, with constant smiles showing off their bad teeth that you felt the need to take two steps backwards, if not turn tail and run from the room altogether.
Perhaps Jane Bennet was not such a troublesome creature for his friend to choose as a bride if Bingley was feeling so inclined, but he had not mentioned anything of that nature at all. Darcy thought his friend was not even considering marriage yet; he had never mentioned the subject before. He had often been in love, but never had espoused the idea of marriage. He was still quite a young pup, only twenty-three, which was perhaps a little young for a gentleman to marry; Darcy at twenty-eight had only just begun to seriously consider the need for it. His cousin Radbourne, the Earl's heir, had been just about this age when he had begun to look for a wife. Bingley then, had time. Darcy looked over at the pair. Perhaps Bingley did not, looking at the way his eyes danced over Jane Bennet's face, and the way she smiled softly and could only look down at her hands when she answered him. He could not hear what they spoke about, but Darcy assumed they were sharing confidences as young lovers are want to do.
Darcy took up his book and attempted to read, though his own eyes then strayed from the page across to Elizabeth Bennet and wondered how she was doing with her book. They were both attempting histories; could they too have the same sort of discussion as Bingley and Miss Jane? Share their opinions on books? She steadfastly stuck to her own page and did not look up, despite his eyes lingering on her figure for a long t
ime.
He heard the snap of a book being shut, and looked to see Caroline's own lying beside her, and she was looking at Miss Elizabeth as well. "Miss Eliza Bennet let me persuade you to follow my example and take a turn about the room. It has rained all day, and I know how you love your exercise. Come walk about the room with me."
Elizabeth looked up in surprise at the civility; he knew that Miss Bingley and Miss Bennet were only slight acquaintances. Part of him wondered if Caroline Bingley was teasing him or attempting to provoke him in some way by such an invitation to Miss Bennet. He watched as Elizabeth joined Caroline, and they had just completed one circuit of the room when Darcy stood as they reached him, bowed, and then offered an arm to each lady which they accepted.
"I would have invited you to join us but assumed you would turn us down," said Miss Bingley as they began to move around the room again.
"I did not get out for a stroll this morning, because of the weather," he said to her then looked briefly over at Miss Bennet who smiled at the two of them. "Should you not like to go and examine the drawing room, Miss Bingley, and see if it is suitable for dancing?" Caroline looked over at her brother who was so lost in his conversation with Miss Jane that he had not heard Darcy's suggestion.
"Yes," she sighed with a resigned look, as though accepting the idea that a ball must take place at Netherfield. They left the evening parlor and walked down a broad hallway. A footman was called to give light to the room in question while the trio walked about it.
"It will be too small for dancing," said Caroline Bingley. "I cannot perceive more than eight couples taking the floor comfortably." She let go of Darcy's arm to move farther into the room as she gazed at its proportions. "Whatever is Charles thinking to consider such a thing?"
Elizabeth Bennet let go of his arm and moved to stand beside Miss Bingley. She was taller than her hostess, her form curved where Miss Bingley's was straight. The light from a candelabrum was behind the two women, and lit up their figures as they spoke together about the relative merits of the room for dancing. Miss Bennet considered it would fit twice as many couples as Miss Bingley believed, and the two discussed the point at length while he watched their forms with such interesting illumination.
His name was called, and the two figures turned to face him fully.
"What do you think, Mr. Darcy?" asked Caroline Bingley.
"I think I have no opinion on the matter as I have not been considering your conundrum, but have been admiring your figures as you move about the room. They appear to the best advantage when walking, you know."
"Oh shocking!" cried Miss Bingley. "I sometimes think gentlemen are so abominable and forward in their speech to ladies." She reached over to seize Miss Bennet's arm. "How shall we punish him for such a declaration to us?" Miss Bennet looked at her companion then back over to Mr. Darcy with a slight smile but a light in her eyes.
"It is up to us to torment him and punish him for such a speech," replied Miss Bennet. "We can tease and laugh at him. Intimate as you two are, you must know how it is to be done." Elizabeth looked playfully at her companion, but Miss Bingley blanched as her help was solicited.
"But upon my honor I do not. I cannot claim intimacy with Mr. Darcy." Miss Bingley sounded a little offended and even uncomfortable at that assertion as though intimacy implied more than mere friendship. "Tease a man naturally composed, yet able to take quick, sensible action? He is a paragon. I feel he may defy us there. We will not lower ourselves to his style, either, by attempting to laugh without a subject. Mr. Darcy may hug himself for he has won this round."
Elizabeth Bennet looked then at Mr. Darcy across the room. "That gentleman has an advantage over us, I see, and will surely not surrender it if what you assert about him is true. However, I hope we might be able to overcome it and discover something about him to deride that we might gain the upper hand."
He looked at her dark eyes with narrowing ones of his own, "the wisest and best of men, nay the wisest and best of their actions may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke."
There was a sparkle in those eyes he could not deny as she stood even straighter, "there are such people in the world," she replied, "but I hope I am not one of those to ridicule what is wise or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, and I laugh at them whenever I can. But you possess none of them, I suppose? You shall not give way since you have asserted your opinion."
"I do not believe that is possible for anyone to be without fault, Miss Bennet." He straightened his own shoulders in mimicking her own as he stood looking at her and Miss Bingley. "But it has been the study of my life to avoid any weaknesses of character which expose a man's merits, or his nature, to ridicule."
"Such as vanity and pride?" she said emphasizing the second quality.
"Vanity is a weakness, but pride is not when a man has the breeding and the education—there a man, a gentleman, would always be able to direct his pride appropriately."
Miss Bingley looked over at her companion as he stared back at Miss Elizabeth rather more intently than he intended, but Elizabeth Bennet turned her head and smiled slightly to her hostess, and then led her away as if she were back examining the room, as if they were dancing together to test the rooms' merits and measurements for the ball.
"And how did your examination of Mr. Darcy go. Have you found what you seek?" He heard Caroline ask her. "What is the result?"
"Mr. Darcy has no defect, he admitted to it himself," said Elizabeth, then she turned to look at him again, "I fear we may have to concede he has won this game."
"I have no such pretension," he said, "I have faults, but I hope that they are not of sense and perception of the world. I have worked hard to understand my surroundings, the world I live in, and the people in it. It is, perhaps, in my dealings with others where I fail and I falter. I cannot vouch for my temper, it is too little yielding. I do not forget the follies and vices of others as soon as I ought, and especially any offenses against myself." The two seemed to clasp their arms together a little tighter at his words, "My good opinion once lost, is lost forever."
"That is a failing indeed," said Elizabeth with a rather dull face as she watched him make his confession, "unforgiving resentment is a mark against you, but you have chosen your fault well, and I cannot laugh at that. You are safe from me, and I concede to your superiority." Her eyes had a fire to them as she spoke, and he was not entirely certain whether she still jested with him or not.
"Let us return to the parlor," said Miss Bingley, "I am still uncertain about Charles' designs for a ball. Miss Bennet. I still fear it is too tight for sixteen couples in here," and the two women walked out of the room and left him to trail behind.
• • •
She continually surprised him. Darcy thought he had the measure of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and then she surprised him again and again. He had her traits laid out in his mind, almost as if in neat columns, and then those columns became blurred in their bantering in their evenings together, and that measurement, that picture of her would change. As if he had envisioned her as a mere tree trunk and then she sprouted limbs, and then branches, and he would need to go back to his list and augment it.
How long had he known her? How long ago had he and Bingley arrived in Hertfordshire? A fortnight? No, a little longer. And Darcy considered that she had by no means intrigued him at all on that first meeting; he had been so consumed by his contempt for having been dragged to such a thing as a country Assembly that he had not wanted to find any of the people there entertaining or interesting.
And yet. There she was. His eyes had danced over her and found her wanting that first evening, and on successive evenings he had not noticed her in his desire to be clever, and to take the measure of this banal bunch of people where not many interesting things happened.
Yet they did occur. A man paraded his natural daughter in front of his neighbor's noses under the guise of her being a 'niece.' And he was still consi
dering that large gap in between Miss Lucas and her next sibling. He thought, perhaps, that Sir William had been married and lost his wife, Miss Lucas' mother, (probably in childbirth), and then remarried the current Lady Lucas. It was not a shameful occurrence and could probably be readily verified.
But his little fox hunts had taken second place to his interest in Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and the contemplation of her beauty and her intelligence. He considered that if, as Miss Bingley asserted, her connections were better, he might actually be in some danger.
• • •
Jane felt recovered enough to return home, and a letter was dispatched to request the carriage be sent to fetch them, but Mrs. Bennet, who had calculated on both daughters remaining at Netherfield for a few days longer, could not bring herself to receive them home with any pleasure, so she wrote back and said that the carriage was not to be had for a number of days. Against staying longer, however, Elizabeth was positively resolved, and she was so bold as to request to borrow Mr. Bingley's carriage immediately. The master of the house heard with real sorrow that they were to go and tried repeatedly to persuade Miss Jane that it would not be safe for her to go—that she had not recovered enough—but Jane was firm where she felt herself to be right.
The carriage, therefore, was ordered after their midday meal. They were fortunate as the continual rain had ceased which was another factor in their deciding to return home. It was of no assurance that a delay in going would ensure better weather, and Elizabeth felt that they might be hindered if it rained again as hard as it had on previous days.
The two Netherfield ladies parted with cordiality and good wishes to Jane, and even with civility to Elizabeth. Mrs. Bennet wondered at them giving their host the trouble of borrowing his carriage and was concerned that Jane would have caught cold again. Elizabeth thought about her mother's duplicity, on the one hand she had wished for Jane to take ill in going to Netherfield, but now seemed worried about her catching a cold when it meant returning from the great estate and leaving the side of Mr. Bingley.
