The sisters all looked forward to the event. Even though they had given up on finding husbands in their small community the girls enjoyed dancing and socialising with their neighbours.
‘I wonder what Mr Bingley’s friend is like,’ wondered Jane as she and her sisters came down the stairs.
‘I have heard that he is a gentleman with a very large estate in Derbyshire,’ supplied Mrs Bennet who was waiting in the foyer for her daughters.
‘And how do you know that?’ asked Elizabeth.
‘Mrs Hill mentioned that Mrs Nicholls heard Miss Bingley remark on it.’
‘Is it not convenient that our housekeeper happens to be related to the Netherfield housekeeper.’ Lizzy gave her mother an impertinent grin.
Mrs Bennet replied with a bland smile, ‘It is certainly most convenient. But hurry up now. We do not want to be late.’
~T~
The first set had just finished when there was a stir at the entrance to the assembly hall. The party from Netherfield had arrived at last.
Sir William Lucas, the self-appointed master of ceremonies due to the fact that he was the only titled gentleman in the area, bustled up to greet the newcomers.
Elizabeth, who had joined her good friend Charlotte Lucas watched with fond amusement until she caught sight of Mr Bingley’s friend. Shehad never before seen such a handsome man and the sight quite took her breath away.
After a moment of drinking in the view, she tore her eyes away and asked Charlotte, ‘What do you know of Mr Bingley’s friend?’
‘Apart from the fact that he is tall, dark, and handsome, only that his name is Mr Darcy and what everyone else in town knows. He owns a large estate in Derbyshire and has come to teach Mr Bingley how to manage an estate. And by the look of it, Miss Bingley seems quite determined to stake her claim,’ she added with a derisive smile.
Charlotte’s comment drew Elizabeth’s attention back to the gentleman and for the first time she noticed Caroline Bingley clinging proprietarily to the gentleman’s arm. Lizzy was chagrined that she had not noticed the lady when she first looked in their direction since she was usually more observant than this.
Now that her attention was engaged, Elizabeth also noticed the tight smile on Miss Bingley’s countenance and the desperate way in which she clutched the gentleman’s arm.
Mr Darcy’s body language was interesting. His posture was exceedingly stiff and not completely upright as he seemed to be leaning away from Miss Bingley. His features betrayed a pinched look beneath a veneer of hauteur.
Elizabeth hid her glee when she said, ‘Mr Darcy does not seem to be enamoured with his company.’ She had come to quite dislike the arrogant Miss Bingley and found it amusing that even her brother’s friend seemed to feel the same way.
Charlotte suggested with a smile, ‘Perhaps he will use the excuse of dancing with the local ladies to get away from his hostess.’
~T~
The local ladies were disappointed as Mr Darcy did not follow Charlotte’s suggestion.
He politely danced one set with his hostess and another set with Mrs Hurst. After he delivered that lady back to her husband, he beat a hasty retreat before Miss Bingley could latch onto him again.
For the rest of the evening, he stalked the edges of the room where he used his exceptional height not only to spot and avoid clutching females, but also to watch Bingley and his interactions with a particular lady.
Darcy was concerned for his friend when he saw the look of relief on Miss Bennet’s countenance when his friend turned away in search of his next dance partner.
He thought of the words Miss Bingley had said to him during a few moments when Bingley was out of earshot. ‘I am certain that Miss Bennet has no special feeling for my brother, but her mother would never allow her to refuse Charles if he were stupid enough to offer for the chit.’
He did not know if the second part of the statement was accurate, but he felt certain of the veracity of the first part. No woman who had any feelings for a man would look relieved at his departure… unless her feet hurt, and she was looking forward to sitting down.
On consideration, knowing Bingley’s popularity with the ladies, this seemed the more likely option.
~T~
While Elizabeth did not have an opportunity to be introduced to Mr Darcy, she could not help but be aware of him during the evening even while dancing.
Although she found his haughty demeanour disappointing, there was a certain stoic quality about it which made her curious. She excused it to herself as an aspect of her delight in sketching characters since he was completely unfamiliar to her. And of course, it was pure chance that when it was her turn to sit out a set to give all the ladies a chance to dance, she happened to pick a chair where she could observe the gentleman.
Halfway through the set Mr Darcy changed positions and Elizabeth wondered if he had been drawn to her since he stopped but a few feet away from where she sat.
