“And nothing else,” Elizabeth said hotly. “He merely calls you a thief, a man upon whom every better feeling, every sort of parental piety is lost. That is a great deal.”
The thought of Georgiana came to Darcy’s mind. “Those matters only bear uponme. No one else is affected. If that is the only story he has spread, I do not think that I must act. Especially since in another week I must go first to London for some business, and then to Pemberley.”
“You must?” Elizabeth said with surprise. “Oh, but of course you must. You could not stay here forever. And I knew you meant to return to your home during December.” She smiled weakly. “I have come to like you very much, and you shall be missed.”
“I shall miss you dearly as well. And worry about you when we are separate.”
That led to an almost teary, but still brilliant smile.
Soon the dance ended, and Darcy led her to where Miss Mary stood speaking with Mr. Collins as they had for the whole of the set.
Darcy bowed to Mr. Collins, begged for the hand of his partner in conversation, survived several minutes of the speeches of that gentleman, amply compensated by the smiles of Elizabeth who stood near.
As soon as proper, he took Miss Mary’s hand to escort her to the line, but as he went off he looked at Elizabeth, hesitating, wishing to have more time to speak to her.
“Go, go,” she smiled, “I have already achieved every happiness that I hoped for in this night.”
It transpired that Mr. Darcy spent the chief part of his dance with Miss Mary in a conversation upon books. While she was not so well informed nor sensible as he found Elizabeth to be, Miss Mary made an effort to have serious thoughts upon serious subjects. She was neither so wholly determined upon sticking to her own opinions that argument was pointless, nor so easily swayed that one must lose respect for the firmness of her character.
Darcy rather thought that ignoring the material circumstances that favored her marrying her father’s heir, Miss Mary possessed in full measure a moralistic strain leavened by flashes of humor that would serve her well as a clergyman’s wife.
He of course did notsayso much, but he did not make any criticism, nor even have temptation to laugh when she mentioned once or twice Mr. Collins in a proprietary tone.
Following this Mr. Darcy made the effort he had promised Elizabeth, and applied first to Miss Catherine, and then to Miss Lydia for a dance.
Miss Catherine replied much as expected, curtseyed in reply, wrote him into her dance card, and then danced in a polished manner, but without any distinguishing characteristics. Their conversation was uninteresting, except that he managed to discover that she was extremely grateful to Miss Mary for drawing Mr. Collins’s attention away. “Oh, I do not know how I would have been able to say no to Mama, for she is desperately intent that he marryoneof us. Yet I never could have brought myself to marry him. Poor Mary, not evenshecan like such a dullard. Do not tellJanethat I have said so much. She always acts as though it is a dreadful scandal for me to admit so much as a dislike for my cousin. But I think there is nothing improper in saying that he is the most boring man I have ever had themisfortune of listening to. At least Mary shall be settled far enough away that I need not listen to him often.”
About Elizabeth, Miss Catherine had rather less to say. “Oh she is always so very nice. Except I think she is laughing at all of us. Just like Papa. But she is nice enough. She does not spend all her pocket money and will usually lend me a crown or shilling if I need it. And Mama depends on her.”
“She receives pocket money,” Darcy said with a little surprise.
“The same as the rest of us.” Miss Catherine laughed. “Mama and Papa once had such an argument about it. Though I suppose it was not so bad. Papa just glared at Mama quite angrily. Mama likes that Lizzy is here, it gives her someone to order about who is not a servant, but she would still happily send her away if she could.”
“Do you like Miss Elizabeth?”
Miss Kitty giggled a little. “Oh, well enough. But she isn’t one of us, Mama always makes sure that we knowthat. Not our equal. Mary only forgets that, because she is so plain, and thus isn’t my equal either.”
This sentiment did nothing to improve Mr. Darcy’s opinion of Miss Catherine Bennet, even though she said nothing that was not true. Darcy had an uncomfortable sensation because he too never forgot the inferiority of Elizabeth’s situation. Miss Catherine’s statement was like an echo of how Elizabeth said that of course Darcy saw himself as being above everyone in this neighborhood because of his wealth.
His application to Miss Lydia to possess her hand for half of an hour was met with a shocked look, a giggle, a straight statement of, “You cannot possibly wish to dance with me!”
As Fitzwilliam Darcy didnotin fact wish to dance with Lydia Bennet, he could not argue with that. He stiffly looked at her and repeated the offer.
“Did Lizzy put you up to this? Oh, beyond a doubt! That can be the only reason you danced with Mary and Kitty. Such a joke! Do you mean to make her your mistress? I warn you, she might laugh in your face if you ask. She is too like Papa, queer.”
Darcy felt cold, angry, and hot.
He pulled his shoulders back. He glared at the woman. “I hardly believe that you would suggest—in a public place where there might be persons who can hear you, that a woman who is under the protection of your father, who has grown up with you in nearly the role of sister, who has—”
“La! You are quite as bad as Mrs. Gardiner for lectures. I’ll not be scared of you, not even though you are so tall. Not after Mr. Wickham told me about all you’ve done.”
Mr. Darcy bowed coldly to her. “You have said quite enough, madam. I perfectly comprehend your feelings. Forgive me for having taken up so much of your time.”
“Wait,” Lydia cried as he walked off. “But I beg you, do not tell my mother anything of this! She would be fierce, even with me, if she knew I’d refused a dance.”
“I assure you, madam, that I am most unlikely to do so.”
Darcy wondered if this reception from Lydia was sufficient to release him from the unwanted obligation to ask Miss Bennet to dance.
