First Impressions: A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice (Tales of Less Pride and Prejudice) (2 page)

It did not escape Darcy that, though he could relish a silent dance, his partner might take offense at his total lack of conversation. As the first song ended he gathered himself to the task of making a rather mundane comment on the performance of the dance. Miss Elizabeth responded only vaguely, as befit the statement, finding that even with her rather extensive communication skills she was at a loss for a retort to such insipidly polite conversation. Mr. Darcy winced. He could only imagine how turgid he must appear to this attractive young woman, she who had been kind enough not to overwhelm him with just such humdrum chatter as he had been blubbering. Struggling for a smile, he strove to redeem himself, “It is your turn to say something Miss Elizabeth. I talked of the dance, now you ought to remark on the number of couples.”

Completely surprised that the quiet man could suddenly prove witty, Elizabeth smiled back and said with an arch look, “What do you think of books?”

“
Delightful,” he replied, suddenly feeling more composed, “much better than the usual ballroom conversations. Shall we pursue Richardson? He is a favorite of mine. But perhaps Shakespeare is more appropriate to the occasion?”

Elizabeth, though noting with approval her partner’s literary taste, could not resist making a mischievous retort. “As you like, sir,” she challenged, “though acknowledging that ‘brevity is the soul of wit,’ perhaps I should execute mine by continuing to hold my tongue.”

Perish the thought! It became him to concede, “If the Bard himself can be harnessed towards such an unfortunate end, Miss Elizabeth, we really must abandon the topic of books altogether.” Elizabeth – it was a name he had always favored and enjoyed using it. How fortunate that she was a younger sister! They must not continue in silence now. “Having already covered the dance, what is there left we can discuss but the weather? Perhaps our health?” Darcy almost laughed at his own jest, so much was he enjoying the novelty of playing interrogator as, typically, his statements were intended to block conversation, not encourage it. But he was soon to discover that novelty is very short lived, if not regretted, as the dancer’s roles reversed with Elizabeth’s mischievous response: “Do you talk by rule then, when dancing?”

“
Obviously not!” he emphatically thought. But who could not be astonishingly intrigued by the humorous glint in what he now recognized as a set of extraordinarily fine, dark eyes? Quite unthinkingly and totally unlike himself, he admitted, “As our dance has amply demonstrated, most certainly not!” They both laughingly accepted the evident truth of this statement.

“
Did I just make a joke at my own expense?” Darcy wondered in amazement. Even more striking was that he found himself unconcerned by the self-inflicted jab, so comfortable was he with this lady he had only just met. Befuddling really, when so many women he had known for years continued to make him uncomfortable – Bingley’s sister Caroline amongst them. He found his partner’s next comment, calculated in kindness to sooth any blow to his dignity, terribly gratifying, “Sometimes a silent dance, well executed of course, can prove far more satisfying than one marked by the strain of broken small talk.”

“
Indeed. Perhaps that is why society was wise enough not to be too stringent in its regulation of this area. Now that we have canvassed the topics allowed us we may happily forgo all further pleasantries, should we so choose.” Though they grinned at each other in amusement, neither wished to pursue such a course. They parted in the dance.

Elizabeth was greatly enjoying herself. Not only did she appreciate the blessing of a graceful dance partner but also the gratification of vanity in receiving such flattering attention from the most distinguished quarter she had ever encountered. But her happiness was threatened when, just as she regained her partner, she observed over his shoulder her mother, from the far side of the crowded room, determinedly striding towards the dance floor with their neighbor, Lady Lucas, in tow. The ladies positioned themselves near the dancers and proceeded to whisper furiously to one another – little doubt did Elizabeth have as to the nature of this conversation. For as long as she could remember, her mother had spoken of none but two topics: her nerves and the disposal of daughters. That the eyes of Mr. Darcy, a single man of immensely large fortune, should fall upon herself was certainly propelling both topics to new heights of interest for Mrs. Bennet.

Chapter 2

“
Now what do you make of this?” that lady exclaimed triumphantly to an ever-patient Lady Lucas. “I must say I always knew Jane’s beauty would attract a wealthy man, if one should be so fortunate as to fall in her path, but I certainly never harbored such hopes for Lizzy! Not that I’m complaining, mind you. If Mr. Darcy should take it into his head to fall in love with my daughter it would be very fortunate indeed. I just hope Lizzy minds what she says. No need scaring him off with that tongue of hers. She can be entirely too much like Mr. Bennet sometimes and I can assure you, my dear, that a particularly becoming young lady he would not make!”

“
Calm now, Mrs. Bennet. Miss Eliza has charming manners; a witty word of hers has never trespassed decorum. Surely you have nothing to fear – Mr. Darcy seems quite taken.” As these words were spoken, Lady Lucas’ eyes were fixed across the room where the two youngest Bennet girls, Catherine (Kitty as all called her) and Lydia, were predictably dancing raucously with their partners. “No,” she thought, “Lizzy will not be the Bennet who frightens away potential suitors. Someone, I know not who, should take those girls in hand.”

Of course Mrs. Bennet and Lady Lucas were not the only ones whose attention was drawn to the elegant couple at the top of the line. The seemingly haughty Mr. Darcy’s favoring of a much-beloved local lady easily rendered this the most exciting assembly of the season. Even Mrs. Long scaled down her previous assessment of his manners: when she had attempted to speak with him earlier, she believed he deliberately snubbed her, but now she was convinced that the man must be hard of hearing on the right, a sad ailment for one so young, “Miss Elizabeth best think twice of an alliance with such a prematurely deteriorating man, ten thousand a year not withstanding. He seems hale enough now but one never knows what the future might bring. She may well find herself tied for years to the sickbed. I knew of a young lady who found herself in just such a predicament; she thought she was very well married but not a year into the match her husband fell ill. She spent years nursing him, wasting her youth, and when the unfortunate man finally died found herself right back where she began, with nothing but her dowry to live on as everything went to his younger brother!” The entire neighborhood was suddenly highly interested in the expectations of Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

“
Kitty!” Lydia called out as they passed each other in the dance “Do look at Lizzy! She is dancing with that handsome Mr. Darcy.”

Kitty, to her great chagrin, missed a step as she surveyed the line, but any embarrassment she felt was swept away with elation for her sister. “Oh, my how exciting! Mrs. Long told me he has twice Mr. Bingley’s income. I do hope he falls in love with Lizzy!” Silently she wondered if she might ever be so distinguished, her heart slightly aflutter with the notion.

Despite such rampant general interest, perhaps only one person in the room could be deemed as concerned as Mrs. Bennet with this surprising development. For Caroline Bingley, the sight of Mr. Darcy, a man who professed to deplore a ball, dancing with one of the local girls was disturbing enough to cause her face to flush with consternation. The effect was not becoming. Upon first perceiving the pair she hurried to her sister’s side, ignored the appearance of her next dance partner on her right, and proceeded to interrogate her sister, Mrs. Hurst, regarding the identity of her favorite’s partner.

“
Louisa, you must know the name of that lady dancing with poor Mr. Darcy! How ever did she inveigle him into such an unpleasant predicament?”

Mrs. Hurst surveyed her sister carefully, taking in the jealous glint in her eyes, before gazing towards the lady in question, “I believe she is one of the Bennet girls and that Charles made the introduction. As you can surely see as well as I can Caroline, Mr. Darcy does not appear to be distressed.” In fact she could not say she had ever before seen him so at ease in public.

“
Oh no Louisa, you are most certainly mistaken! He looks distinctly uncomfortable. And is not Bennet the name of that vulgar woman, the one thrusting daughters at Charles? In such unrefined company, Mr. Darcy must be suffering! Look, there she is now, standing by and ready to pounce on the poor man. Surely we must endeavor to relieve him from such an encroachment?”

“
He is his own man, Caroline. We must trust him to fend for himself.” So disconcerted was Miss Bingley that she failed to notice as her would-be dance partner inconspicuously backed away, anxious no longer to dance with the neighborhood’s new heiress but to share his marvel that the fashionable Miss Bingley was so undone by Meryton’s own Lizzy Bennet instead!

To all this Darcy remained oblivious; for perhaps the first time in his life, he was blissfully ignorant of the scrutiny of others. Even he was surprised by his transformative reaction to Elizabeth’s simple courtesy: never had a young lady, other than his sister of course, not treated him as some stellar prize to be won. Darcy looked down into his partner’s face as they came together at the end of the set and bestowed a smile of sincere gratitude. Elizabeth smiled back, the honest pleasure she betrayed causing his to broaden. He led her to the side of the floor, fortunately choosing that opposite from Mrs. Bennet, where they were met by Elizabeth’s next partner. They thanked each other for the pleasure and parted, Mr. Darcy feeling immensely gratified with the evening and even contemplating, fleetingly, the notion of offering his hand to another Hertfordshire maid.

Elizabeth watched him retreat with a sense of relief for, at that timely moment, her mother made her descent, snatching her away from Mr. Lucas (who was, coincidently, the same patient partner who had been engaged to Miss Bingley for the last) before they could take their place on the floor.

“
Oh my dear, dear Lizzy! Mr. Darcy is such a charming man! So handsome and tall! Ten thousand a year I’m told, plus probably more! Oh I do hope you endeavored to please him my dear. Just think, if he should marry you, how grand you would be!”

Elizabeth looked wearily at her mother as she erupted with excitement. “It was only a dance, Mama, and not even a very lively one at that. Mr. Darcy seems gentlemanly and agreeable but he certainly displayed no signs of being smitten.”

“
This is no time to vex me child! It is up to you to make him smitten of course! You must put yourself forward and perhaps he will ask for a second dance.”

“
You must excuse me, ma’am, but this dance is already promised.”

--

Mr. Darcy had returned to his former station and resumed his survey of the assembly, now casting a visibly more amiable mien on the room. The dance had been most agreeable, far beyond his expectations which, you will easily recall, were decidedly negative and he felt himself more generous in his estimation of the assembly as a whole. Knowing that the neighborhood could boast of some pleasant and sophisticated companionship relieved the entire company of much of its tedium.

Miss Elizabeth had proved to be a most pleasant partner indeed. He watched her as she moved down the dance – though his critical eye was forced to acknowledge more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, her figure was light and pleasing. He wished to know more of her and determined to further the acquaintance. As Bingley was blatantly enraptured with the eldest Miss Bennet (he was, at that moment, soliciting her hand for a second dance), Darcy perceived it would be an easy resolution to which to adhere.

“
I must thank you for introducing Darcy to your sister,” Bingley said to Jane as they took their places on the floor. “Never have I seen him enjoy a dance more.”

“
I am pleased to have been of service, Mr. Bingley. Lizzy has always excelled at putting people at ease.”

“
I wish more people shared her talent. Sadly, while Darcy always receives a great deal of notice wherever he goes, he would much rather go unobserved. In small, intimate groups he fares much better and is exceedingly charming, but in large gatherings he always seems to recede into himself.”

Jane Bennet smiled happily at the handsome man, charmed by the affection and care he displayed for his friend, the honor of his attention, and the excitement of that bestowed on her favorite sister. Never had she so thoroughly enjoyed an assembly.

Chapter 3

The evening, altogether, had exceedingly pleased the entire Bennet family. Mary, our missing middle Bennet, had heard herself mentioned to Miss Bingley as the most accomplished girl in the neighborhood, both Kitty and Lydia had been fortunate enough to never be without partners – all they had yet learned to care for in a ball, and upon their arrival home at Longbourn Mr. Bennet found that he too, like his happy daughters, could wish the assembly had never ended as he found himself assaulted by his wife’s raptures over the triumphant evening.