“So, what are these orders?”
“Oh, that! We need to keep the gossip down to a manageable level. So far, the neighbourhood believes you are here to protect Anne, so act accordingly. As our guests, you should dance with all of us just to be polite. Open with Anne, then take us in birth order, mixing in one or two married ladies for colour, and none will be the wiser.”
“I see… and you are telling me this because?”
“Short straw, brother. Be ready on time. My mother detests tardiness.”
Fitzwilliam Darcy, for perhaps the first time in his life, arrived at an assembly at precisely the right time, all due to Mrs Bennet, who managed her daughters like a general preparing for battle. When he attended assemblies with Bingley or Fitzwilliam, they always dragged him there too early, so they might have the first chance to be introduced to the ladies. When he went by himself, he assiduously avoided the first set, and in fact procrastinated until the last minute. He usually calculated that as the very last moment he could appear without giving offence, and the last minute before he would convince himself it was better not to attend at all. With Mrs Bennet in charge, they arrived neither too early nor too late.
Over the previous month, he had reacquainted himself with all the principal families and mended fences. He even visited the Netherfield tenants with Jane and Anne, while making significant purchases from the merchants. He thought it could not be amiss to reduce the number of people in the Meryton neighbourhood who disliked him down to only one.
It was no surprise to arrive at the Netherfield cottages and discover that the tenants all knew Jane well and welcomed her with open arms.
Anne found the experience instructional, and Darcy was happy to know that part of Anne’s education would not fall to his lot. Anne was heir to Rosings, and when she turned five and twenty in a few months, she would have to decide whether to fight her mother for her inheritance, let Lady Catherine play out her last few years, or compromise—though that was not likely to go well. It was a difficult decision that Darcy would help her with but would not make for her. Either way, she needed to be ready to assume the role of mistress, and her mother had not lifted a finger to prepare her—no doubt under her old delusion that Anne would be mistress of Pemberley and her husband could manage the task, thoughwhyLady Catherine thought he would be happy to wed an u skilled mistress escaped him.
Darcy had to assume Elizabeth was familiar with all the duties of the mistress, but just to be sure, he asked Jane. She laughed, and said, “Of course, silly!”
He found spending time with Miss Jane Bennet delightful, as did the tenants, and he once again kicked himself for his interference in Bingley’s affairs. The debacle with Bingley had been his most egregious interference in his life, the very first time he had ventured an opinion about a lady’s affection, or lack thereof. Darcy knew Jane wholeheartedly forgave him, as if she was capable of anything else, and even thanked him; but he stilldid not think that made it right. The fact that all he really did was suggest caution and delay did not mitigate the presumption.
Of course, in the dark recesses of his mind, what little pride remained asserted that, abominable as his interference had been,he was right all along.Jane might have married Bingley and been happy, yet Darcy doubted it. He could think, though never say, that the more formidable Jane Bingley would have emerged at the first crisis.Shewould have become bored and disenchanted with his too amiable friend within a few years at best; thus, the result was for the best.
Walking into the assembly hall with Anne and Jane on his arm, he noted appreciative looks, greeted the company, and wondered why he had made such a fuss. For the first time, heunderstoodwhat his cousin and Bingley had tried to teach him for years. Assemblies were supposed to befun.
“Jane, I believe this is our set.”
“Yes, Fitzwilliam, it is. Shall we? Who knows, perhaps this will be your last assembly as a single man.”
Darcy chuckled. He ought to remove Jane from Anne’s pernicious influence before it was too late—though, in truth, it had been too late for quite some time. Jane had declared Anne’s ability to tease unremarkable after a lifetime with her sister, and that Darcy must harden his resolve. He had seen traces of it, certainly, but Miss Elizabeth kept a firm rein on her impertinence in his presence. He hoped one day to see it unleashed. He even hoped to face her fiery temper, for the reconciliation should be worth the cost.
The opening dance was a quadrille, Darcy paired with Anne, and Jane with the eldest Lucas son. Jane liked the young man, but maintained their regard was fraternal rather than romantic, and would remain so. Jane introduced Mr Lucas to Anne, who thought him delightful if not particularly exciting. He was goodfun for a dance, but unlikely to be anything more. Of course, rumours of Anne’s status had preceded her; nobody in the county harboured unrealistic hopes.
Mrs Bennet was happy to have two guests who increased her consequence and provided fodder for gossip, yet were not in direct competition with her girls. She still had five unmarried daughters—or rather, four in the house and one entirely missing, much to her consternation.
Darcy finished his dance with Jane. During the interval, he left the ladies with some punch and went to give Mr Bennet a chance to make sport of him
“Jane, who is that man? He is fearful handsome!”
Jane followed Anne’s fan and laughed.
“Anne, do not tell me I will lose you at your first country assembly. You Fitzwilliams seem to go mad in this hall.”
Anne laughed. “Yes, I see that. Do youbelieveit? Fitzwilliam Darcy ishaving fun. The world has run amok, and this hall seems the centre of the disturbance.”
Jane giggled. “I will introduce you, but youmust notabandon me before our season. You may return for him at your leisure… although—”
Anne looked at her best friend, who furrowed her brow in concentration.
“You begin to worry me, Jane.”
“Here is my thinking. That ‘fearful handsome’ man—and by the way, I need to remove you from Lydia’s pernicious influence while you still havesomegrasp of the English language—”
“Stop prevaricating!”
“He is a third son resisting his father’s pressure to enter an ‘acceptable’ profession. He told me he has an aversion to bullets, incoming or outgoing, which proves him sensible. He finds the Navy, with months at sea, untenable. And if he spent dayscompiling a list of the most tedious professions in the world, clergyman and attorneys would fight for the top of the list.”
“Oh, my!”
“And he is the most frighteningly intelligent young man I ever met. Papa is afraid of him, and even Lizzy approaches debates with caution.”
