Darcy led the man into a corner away from his family. “Mr. Bennet, it has come to my attention you have erroneously, and publicly, spoken of my being engaged, specifically to my Cousin Anne. Is this correct?”
“Yes, I did tell my family that. But I am confused Mr. Darcy, Lady Catherine never told me the engagement was of a secret nature,” William Bennet confessed confusedly.
“That is because, regardless of how many times my aunt repeats it, there is not, nor has there ever been, an engagement between my cousin and me.” Darcy saw the clergyman was about to protest and he raised his hand. “It is no more than a wish on my aunt’s part. My uncle, Lord Matlock, holds proof from my parents that they never agreed to an engagement of any kind. As one of the principals, you must own I would know if I had ever proposed marriage to anyone, would you not? In addition, if you ever see my cousin away from her mother, ask her. She has no desire to marry me or any other.”
William Bennet was in a state of pure confusion. He had always held whatever his patroness said as rote, but he could not refute Mr. Darcy’s words. If he stated there was no engagement there could not be one. The fact he gave leave to speak to Miss de Bourgh only bolstered his claims.
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Darcy. I had no reason to question Lady Catherine’s word. I will inform my family I was wrong in my assertions,” William Bennet bowed to Mr. Darcy.
“You did not have all the facts so I forgive you. I would wager your family has been apprised of the truth of the matter as I informed Miss Elizabeth while we danced. Now please excuse me, I need to collect Miss Lucas for the next set.” Darcy gave a half bow and made his way to where Miss Lucas was standing next to Colonel Forster.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Rather than ask her to dance, Mr. Darcy was dancing with Miss Lucas, the plain, old spinster. Miss Bingley felt the rage building within her, but she knew if she vented it in this setting Mr. Darcy would not be impressed. For that reason alone, she pushed down her fury.
Her plan to leave this benighted neighbourhood took on a new sense of urgency. She had originally planned to wait for a few days before having the house closed and following Charles to London. That would no longer do. It would have to be on the morrow. She would not—could not—remain an hour longer than was absolutely necessary.
Thankfully, Charles would be departing at an ungodly hour in the morning. If Mr. Darcy kept to his routine, he would ride out at about the same time Charles was to depart. While Mr. Darcy was out riding, she would order the house closed. What cared she if a bunch of servants had to be sacked. By the time he returned, it would be afait acompli. She was sure Mr. Darcy would not object to returning to London, after all he would be able to see that insipid Miss Darcy who was to be Charles’s intended.
She could not approve of how close brother and sister were, but until she became Mrs. Darcy, there was naught to be done about it. One of her first actions would be to pack the brat off to some boarding school, preferably one which operated all year.
As the second set drew to a close, Miss Bingley prepared herself as surely Mr. Darcy would approach her for a set now. She watched as he walked the spinster back to her friends. Rather than walk towards her, he led the malleable Jane Bennet to the floor. What was happening? This could not be true! Surely, he would not snub his hostess.
She soothed herself with the fact there were many more sets to go.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Darcy came close to asking Miss Bennet about her feelingsvis-à-visBingley, but he discarded the notion as being far too intrusive and ungentlemanly. As he danced, he noticed Miss Bennet smiled at him the same way he estimated he had seen her smile at Bingley and other men.
Now the question became, should he say something to Bingley or wait until—if he did—Bingley asked his advice? At that very moment, the emerald-green fine eyes of Miss Elizabeth intruded on his consciousness as they were often wont to do. Darcy realised he would need to find an opportunity to speak to Bingley as much for himself as for his friend.
If Bingley married Miss Bennet, then Darcy would be thrown into Miss Elizabeth’s company. One thing he was sure of, there was only so long he would be able to stay the course and not give in to his heart regarding the enticing woman.
After this set, Darcy was committed to dance with Miss Mary Bennet and then Miss Maria Lucas. Once he had discharged his obligations, he would ask Mrs. Hurst to dance the set after supper—then he would retire for the night. If he did not remove himself from the field, it would be almost impossible to not ask Miss Elizabeth to stand up with him again.
There was no missing the hatred being sent to anyone he danced with from Miss Bingley’s eyes. She never had any fashion sense, but this night she looked laughable. He was certain he had noticed not a few people snicker behind their hands at the outfit Miss Bingley thought the epitome of high fashion.
Possibly he should have told Bingley he would not dance with his younger sister at the ball, but based on their conversations about her unrelenting and doomed chase of his person, Darcy was sure Bingley would not be angry with him.
He planned to enter the card room for the supper set as he was positive the virago would approach him and make what she thought were witty comments and drop hint after hint about him standing up with her for the set.
While he had been in conversation with Miss Elizabeth during the first dance of their set Darcy had seen the venom Miss Bingley was directing at his partner with her looks. He did not know whether Miss Elizabeth noticed Miss Bingley or not, but of one thing he was certain—Miss Bingley did not intimidate the feisty second Bennet sister in the least.
Given the orange monstrosity’s obsession and delusion, Darcy was concerned Bingley would have to commit his younger sister to an asylum one day.
His thoughts moved on to the Bennets as a family. He knew not what had occurred, but ever since, and including, her visit to Netherfield Park, he had never again seen the vulgar, fortune-hunting woman he had met in the form of Mrs. Bennet. Each subsequent time he had been in company with her, she had acted with decorum and had not pushed her daughters at anyone. In addition, it seemed the youngest two, especially the youngest and most crass Miss Bennet, had not been seen socially since the assembly.
This confused him greatly. One of his arguments he planned to use if, or rather when, he dissuaded Bingley from Miss Bennet was the behaviour of her mother. As much as he hated disguise, he knew he would have to refer to her behaviour in the past and make it seem current, to make his criticism of the Bennet matron’s behaviour relevant to the task at hand. Darcy was not proud of the arts he would have to employ, but it was what needed to be done.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bennet was on his way to supper when Mr. Bingley requested a few minutes of his time. He followed the younger man back to his study.
“You asked to see me?” Bennet enquired.
“Yes Sir, I did. Earlier this evening, I asked your eldest daughter for her hand (Jane had warned him to be specific to cut off an avenue for her father to tease him) and she has done me the supreme honour of accepting me and agreeing to become my wife.”
It was impressive. Mr. Bingley had not left him an opening to rib him. “I get the idea your sisters, especially the younger one, do not look on this match with favour. How will you protect Jane from Miss Bingley’s vitriol?” Bennet pushed.
