There was nothing Miss Bingley could tell herself which would make the situation seem positive. Could it be what hersiblings had been telling her, that Mr Darcy would never offer for her, be true? Caroline Maleficent Bingley would not be denied, if she returned to London without the announcement of an engagement to Mr Darcy, she would be a laughing stock! Whatever she needed to do, which she now knew was to effect a compromise, would be done. She decided she needed to act, at least for a short time, as if she had receded. When everyone relaxed their vigil, she would know how exactly what to do.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The first set was about to conclude when the music ceased abruptly, a few bars before the end of the piece, while at the same time a hush fell over the hall as all eyes were directed to the doors.
“You would think that royalty arrived,” Elizabeth directed at her partner.
“That, Miss Eliza is, I believe, the Netherfield Park party,” Johnny opined.
“I daresay you have the right of it. Oh my, do you see the lady with the flaming red hair?” Elizabeth cocked her head. Johnny nodded. “I have seen less feathers on a peacock, and that dress! Does she think she is at a ball at St James Palace?”
Without responding, judging his partner did not need one, Johnny led Eliza back to her mother and sisters just as his own father, who acted as the master of ceremonies, was welcoming the five newcomers.
Elizabeth returned in time to hear Lydia’s whinging that she had not been gratified by anyone requesting the first set from her, and the first set she would dance was the third. If she had thought it would do some good, Elizabeth would point out to Lydia that she was missing two sets like all of the other young ladies present.
Jane was returned by Julian Goulding and Kitty’s partner escorted her back to the Bennet party. Even Mary had been asked to dance the first. As each sister returned, especiallyKitty, Lydia gave them a look to convey her sense of betrayal.
Elizabeth cared not for the youngest Bennet’s whining about not having been squired for the dance. She was too busy observing the new arrivals as Sir William led them over to his family members and made the introductions. She saw the instant the man with strawberry blond hair noticed Jane, right after he had been granted a set with Charlotte, and requested Sir William introduce him and his party.
So far, the way the overdressed lady, who based on Papa’s descriptions when he laughed about his call with her, must be Miss Bingley, was behaving had confirmed the initial sketch of her character—she thought herself a duchess and far above those in the neighbourhood. If she got to know more of the lady, Elizabeth expected there would be much amusement to be had.
She guessed from what Papa had told that Mr Bingley was the one who had been taken by Jane’s beauty and the older lady and the shorter, slightly rotund man, were Mr & Mrs Hurst. The last man was devastatingly handsome and tall. He did look as if this was the last place he desired to be, but Elizabeth did not know if it was the people or if he was affected by some other influence.
She heard Sir William introduce the Netherfield Park party to her mother and her suppositions of who was who had been correct. The unknown man was a Mr Darcy from Derbyshire. It was at that moment, before Sir William could introduce the party to any of her sisters beyond Jane—Mr Bingley requested her next available set telling her he was to dance with Miss Lucas next, Mama decided it was time to gain a partner for the second set for her Lydia.
“My Lydia is not to dance the second, Mr Darcy. Do you dance?” Fanny asked suggestively.
“Not if I can help it, and certainly not with a child!” Darcy barked and turned on his heel making for the nearestcorner of the room. He knew he had been rude, but as he did not want to be here, Miss Bingley’s performance in the coach, coupled with his concerns for Gigi, and his own perceived failures in the matter, his mood was not good.
Although she knew her mother had been very forward in trying to induce a newly met man to dance with someone who was essentially a child, Elizabeth could not excuse his rudeness. There were many ways to bow out without cutting someone newly met.
“Well I never! What a rude, proud, and insufferable man!” Fanny cried. “Just who does he think he is? How dare he call my Lyddie a child?”
Lydia stamped her foot in agreement with her mother.
Miss Bingley was about to put the rude matron in her place when she remembered she needed to lay low for a while. It was her brother who spoke and his tone was conciliatory.
“Please excuse my friend, Mrs Bennet, he is not in good humour today.” Bingley turned to the knight. “Would you introduce the rest of the family, Sir William?”
Sir William did so and before he led Bingley away, he asked for sets of the four other Bennet sisters in descending age order. Elizabeth explained she needed to swap with Mary, as the fourth set was one of the two, she was to sit out. She gave a brief explanation of why before the second set was called and Mr Bingley went to collect Charlotte.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bingley enjoyed the second set he danced—the third of the assembly—greatly. Not only was Miss Bennet one of the most beautiful women he had seen, but she seemed to have a character to match her outward beauty, which in his opinion was rather rare.
At the end of the set, he led Miss Bennet back to her mother, who was beaming at him. There were some minutes before the next set, so he made for where Darcy was trying toblend in with the large vase of foliage in the corner. Bingley saw Miss Elizabeth take a seat close to, and behind, Darcy, and remembered what she had told him about this set.
Darcy scowled when he saw his friend approach him. He was sure Bingley was about to harangue him to dance. He would dance with Mrs Hurst in a few sets, and as much as he did not want to, he had to ask Miss Bingley for a set as well, but that was the sum of the dances he would participate in this night.
“Come, Darcy, you need to dance. I hate seeing you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. The next set will begin in under three minutes. It is time for you to dance.”
“I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this it would be insupportable. I will dance with your sisters in a set or two, and there is not another woman in the room with whom it would not be a punishment to me to dance.”
“Come now Darcy, are you blind?” cried Bingley, “I never met with so many pleasant young ladies as I have this evening. There are several of them who are uncommonly pretty.”
“Youwere dancing with the only handsome girl in the room,” Mr Darcy stated, as he looked across the room at the eldest Miss Bennet.
‘At least,’ Elizabeth thought,‘the proud, rude man is not blind. He is correct about Janey’s beauty.’
