Elizabeth, meanwhile, was embarrassed as she stood primly behind her two youngest sisters, who were giggling and jesting all the while as Sir William Lucas presented them in turn. Mr. Bingley was convivial; Miss Bingley, as expected, barely civil; the Hursts were all politeness; and Mr. Darcy did not look at them at all. He gave a curt nod and stepped away.
Elizabeth watched as Miss Bingley followed after him. She took his arm and, being a tall woman, easily tilted her head to whisper in his ear. She chuckled softly at whatever she said and pressed herself against him. Elizabeth was surprised to witness such intimacy in public.They must be a courting couple,she thought.Perhaps they are betrothed.They are well-suited, both tall, elegant, richly dressed, proud and arrogant.She sighed inwardly.So much for the Arthurian dream, Sir Lancelot, and heroic conquests.
Still, he was beautiful and she took great pleasure looking at him. She had never seen such a man, but he was proud; he had avoided the introduction by walking away. She drew her gaze from him and caught Mr. Collins staring at her. She flushed. Had he seen her staring after Mr. Darcy? Had he guessed at her unruly thoughts? Then she turned away as she realized her cousin's eyes were raking down her figure. He was leading Miss King to the dance floor, yet he had roving eyes.
She looked down. Was her clothing amiss? Was there a torn sleeve, or was an ankle showing? A brief check showed everything in order. She turned to find Charlotte, but her friend was dancing. Mr. Bingley was escorting Jane onto the floor, and Elizabeth smiled at the modest pleasure on her sister’s face. Shelooked around, found an empty chair, and sat down. Perhaps she would have a partner for the next dance.
Mary joined her. “Lizzy, I wish there were more partners as amiable as Jane’s. Everyone here is either married or ancient. With our friends gone away to university, or to the continent to serve, we spend most of our time sitting out dances.”
Elizabeth tilted her chin down and sighed. “And that bodes ill for our marriage prospects. I wish Papa would send Jane and me to London. Perhaps Uncle Gardiner could find us husbands among his friends and business acquaintance.”
Mary took her hand and pressed it. “Then you could invite me to visit and find me a husband as well.”
“I would do so for both you and Kitty. But here we are, buried in the country with no prospects to speak of.” Elizabeth looked at her sister, her eyes solemn. “Oh, Mary, I do not ask for much. I do not care for wealth or position. I only wish for a man who will love and respect me, and whom I, in turn, can love and respect.” She looked up and added softly, “From my lips to God’s ears.”
The two sisters turned when they heard Mr. Bingley importuning his friend.
“Come now, Darcy, you must dance,” Bingley urged. “I cannot bear to see you standing about like this. You would do far better to dance.”
“I most certainly shall not,” Darcy replied coolly. “You know very well how I dislike dancing with strangers. At an assembly as low as this one, it would be intolerable. Your sisters are already engaged, and I see no other lady in the room with whom it would not feel a penance to stand up.”
“I would not be so particular as you are,” Bingley laughed, “not for a kingdom! Upon my word, I have never been in a room with so many pleasant young women. Several of them are uncommonly pretty.”
“You are dancing with the only handsome girl here,” Darcy observed, his gaze fixed on the eldest Miss Bennet.
“Oh, she is quite the most beautiful creature I have ever seen! She is an angel, Darcy, but one of her sisters sits just behind you, Miss Elizabeth, who is very pretty as well.”
“Which do you mean? I was introduced to five daughters and did not distinguish one from the other,” Darcy said, turning briefly to look. After a moment’s glance, he withdrew his gaze with studied indifference and said coldly, “She is tolerable, but just barely, certainly not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humor to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.”
Mary turned to her sister. Elizabeth’s brow furrowed as she looked at the elegant man, then she shut her eyes.She was not good enough, certainly not for this paragon. She squeezed her eyes tight to keep the tears at bay.It was nothing different than what Mamma had always said of her. And she had not been enough for Nicholas either. Mary patted her hand in comfort. “Do not pay him any attention, Lizzy. Everyone says you are as beautiful as Jane. You are counted among the local beauties.”
Charlotte slipped into the empty chair on her other side. “Lizzy, that was dreadfully rude of him to say, but Mary is right. You are a beautiful woman, no matter what he thinks. That man had no call to speak of you so, unless he meant to shake off his friend by offering an insult.”
Mary added, “And it worked. Look there, Mr. Bingley has returned to Jane’s side.”
“It was badly done. His voice is so carrying. Half the neighbors heard his rejection.” Charlotte placed her hand over Elizabeth’s shoulders in a sisterly embrace.
Mr. Collins moved nearer. “Never mind, cousin. He is the nephew of my patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and by all appearances as proud and disagreeable as she is. She is the daughter of an earl and never lets anyone forget it. That makes Mr. Darcy the grandson of an earl, and he looks as though he never forgets it either.”
He lifted his head toward Darcy. Elizabeth followed his gaze and found Darcy looking their way, his expression cold and unsmiling. Miss Bingley was smirking at her. She had been near enough to hear the insult and was now gloating. Elizabeth sighed.
“Come, cousin,” Collins said, “let us dance.”
She found him a skilled dancer. He led her through the figures with ease, conversed freely, and even made a few amusing remarks. But as the dance progressed, she grew uneasy, for he began to make inappropriate remarks. As they moved to the center of the dance floor, he said, “Your figure is so graceful that I find it impossible not to stare.”
Her cheeks flamed, and she lowered her eyes.
“Come now, Cousin Elizabeth, surely you know that a gown which clings in all the right places will bring a man to his knees.”
Elizabeth knew not where to look, nor did she reply. When they met again in the figure, he said softly, “I confess, yourlovely curves beneath that muslin gown are a most exquisite distraction. I wonder that I have not already lost my step.”
“That is too much, sir,” she said sharply. “Comport yourself. You are impertinent.”
He gave a low laugh. “I wondered how much goading you would endure before you fought back. I find myself drawn to a woman of spirit. I can see it in your eyes, Elizabeth, though I believe your mother’s ceaseless barbs have nearly crushed your will to fight.”
She attempted to walk off the dance floor, but he tightened his hold and laughed again as he guided her through the steps. He bent to whisper, “You are not going anywhere, my dear. You were made for me, cousin Elizabeth.”
At last, the dance ended, and Elizabeth walked straight to her father and sat next to him.
