“Welcome, Miss Bennet,” Miss Bingley managed before Jane moved on to stand opposite Mr. Bingley.
Bingley had not missed the look he had received from Miss Bennet. It was not her normal placid smile, rather it was a smile full of love and promise. He was in love with the angel, not only because of her outward beauty, but if it was possible, she was even more so on the inside.
Until that moment he had been unsure of himself regarding declaring himself to Miss Bennet. Not knowing if she returned his regard had made him unwilling to say anything yet. After seeing the way she looked at him, and especially now as she stood before him, he knew it was time to move forward.
“Miss Bennet, you are most welcome,” Bingley stated as he bowed over his angel’s hand. “I am looking very forward to the first set.”
“As am I, Sir,” Jane replied while holding his eyes. “In fact, never have I looked more forward to a dance.”
Jane felt very daring, almost wanton. First, she had given him a look which reflected her feelings and now she had spoken out so boldly. All she could do was hope and pray he did not find her too forward.
Darcy waited for a few moments before he followed the Bennets and the gentleman into the ballroom. He did not miss the way the man seemed to want to speak to him, but held himself back as they had not been introduced yet.
His traitorous feet took him to where the Bennets and Lucases were standing and conversing. “Good evening, Mr. Bennet, your family is well, I trust,” Darcy bowed to him. “Same with you, Sir William.” Another bow.
“We are all well, especially with our Mary lately engaged,” Bennet replied.
It gave Darcy an opening to discover who the man bouncing on the balls of his feet excitedly was. “Would you mind introducing me to your daughter’s fiancé,” Darcy requested.
“Mr. Darcy, allow me to introduce Mr. William Collin Bennet, the rector of the Church at Hunsford in Kent. Mr. Bennet, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire.”
“You are my aunt’s parson,” Darcy stated.
“Indeed I am, Sir. I am the recipient of your noble aunt’s beneficence and it is my distinct honour to inform you both your aunt and cousin were in good health when I left my home almost a fortnight previously,” William Bennet bowed low with one of his signature greetings.
“When are you and Miss Mary to marry?” Darcy enquired.
“The twentieth day of December this year. My beneficent patroness has granted me leave away from my parish until then,” Collins bowed again.
To save having a long conversation with the loquacious man, Darcy turned to Miss Elizabeth without thinking about his words before they were spoken.
“Miss Elizabeth, would you honour me by dancing with me for the opening set?” Darcy requested.
Elizabeth was shocked to be so singled out. She wordlessly handed Mr. Darcy her dance card to allow him to write his name in. To cover for his error in asking Miss Elizabeth for the opening set, he engaged Miss Bennet, Miss Lucas, Miss Mary, and Miss Maria for the next four sets.
From a resolution not to dance, Mr. Darcy was engaged to dance every set prior to the supper set. One resolution he intended to keep—he would not dance with Miss Bingley—ever again. She read far too much into things he did purely for his friendship with her brother.
Darcy bowed to the members of the two families and made his way to the other side of the ballroom to await the time to collect Miss Elizabeth.
Not having seen Charlotte for some days, Elizabeth was rather surprised to see Charlotte’s countenance light up when the officers—sans Mr. Wickham she noted—entered the ballroom.
Colonel Forster made directly for their party and bowed before Charlotte. For the rest of the time, he remained steadfastly by Charlotte’s side. Elizabeth gave her friend a questioning look.
Charlotte mouthed ‘on the morrow’ back. The Bennet and Lucas sisters always met the day after a ball to discuss it. Elizabeth felt there would be much to learn from her friend on the morrow.
Chapter 21
Jane Bennet glowed with happiness as Mr. Bingley, his receiving line duties completed, came to collect her for the first set. He bowed over her hand and then led her to take their place at the head of the line.
Had Bingley not already been sure of Miss Bennet’s feelings towards him, thanks to her reaction on seeing him when she arrived, the way she lit up with pleasure as he approached her to claim the first dance with his angel, would have convinced him. Miss Bennet was normally stoic and demure making it very hard to discern her feelings. That seemed to be in the past.
In that instant, he made a decision, one which would irrevocably change the course of his life for the better. “Miss Bennet,” Bingley said softly so only she could hear, “if you will hear me, I would like to find some time between the sets to have a private interview with you.”
“It would be my absolute pleasure to hearanythingyou have to say to me,” Jane replied while steadily holding Mr. Bingley’s eyes with her own so he could see such a conversation was more than welcome to her.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth stood on the side of the dance floor watching Jane walk to her place in the line with Mr. Bingley. Never had she seen her older sister be so demonstrative with her feelings. She could feel nothing but happiness for Jane. If her allowing Mr. Bingley to see her true feelings for him produced her heart’s desire, so much the better.
She felt ambivalent about her upcoming dance with Mr. Darcy. On the one hand, she looked forward to dancing with him having seen how well he danced—regardless of his expressed disdain for the exercise. On the other, she was sure it was no more than a dance. To that end, she reminded herself he was engaged, so this was just an interlude between indifferent acquaintances.
