Elizabeth sighed and felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Perhaps we ought not to be discussing the failures of another gentleman?” His gaze did not waver, and Elizabeth gave a resigned smile. “The morning after the Netherfield ball.”
“Yes, he opened the dance with you.” Fitzwilliam nodded as he remembered. “Tell me: Were you as vehement in your refusal of him as you were with me?”
“I was kinder to Mr Collins than I was to you. You were easier to convince, however.” She laughed. “At least you had no trouble believing I was a rational creature who knew my own mind.”
“When did he offer to Miss Lucas?”
“He made two offers of marriage within three days.”
Fitzwilliam shook his head as he looked out over the horizon, and Elizabeth read all his signs of attempting to suppress some powerful emotion. Elizabeth saw he was tense, and stepped closer to place a reassuring hand on his arm.
“Your proposal still had the advantage over Mr Collins’s. You began with confessing your ardent admiration and love. You must not dwell so much on what has passed. Think instead of how fortunate we are that we met later that morning, after I read your letter.”
He met her eye with a sad smile. “You misunderstand my reticence, although I regret what I then said. My thoughts now linger on how I might have felt if I arrived in Kent and discovered you to be the new Mrs Collins.”
“You cannot believe I was tempted to accept him!”
“Not at all,” he said quickly. “I spent the winter in town trying to forget you. When I learned in January that your sister had arrived, I secretly both wished and feared you might join her. Despite my reservations, I scanned every crowd, hoping to see your face. Every time I heard a woman’s cheerful laugh, I turned to see whether it was yours, and despite my every effort to rid my mind of you, your memory would not leave me. With every opinion I heard, I wanted to learn your thoughts. Not only that, but I found myself curious about all of your concerns, although I had no reason to believe I would see you again.
“By the time I left for Rosings at Easter, I thought I had conquered what I had deemed to be an inappropriate passion. Imagine my surprise to find that, once again, I would be thrown into your company. Had you been married to that ridiculous man, I know not how I could have abided it.”
“There is no reason for you to be so sombre, my love. I did not accept Mr Collins, and Ididaccept you.” She threaded her fingers through his to lead him back toward the path down the hill.
“Let us speak no longer of disadvantageous marriages,” she insisted. “I have already decided we are to be the happiest couple in the world, so we need not discuss ourselves. Perhaps this might be a good time to speak of your friend and my sister,” Elizabeth said sportingly. “Our marriage will bring them frequently together, so he may as well ask her to marry him now.”
He initially refused to speak on the subject, saying it was not their place to discuss such private subjects, but when Elizabeth reminded him about the suitability of discussing Mr Collins’s proposal, he conceded and said he felt Bingley should ask Jane soon.
“Then you have given your permission? I should have guessed as much.”
“Bingley needs no such approval from me! I have interfered enough.”
“You said and did nothing to help direct your friend?”
“Not at all. When he asked, I told him that I could perceive that his attachment to Jane was unabated, and she looked to be much in love with him. It would delight me should they become engaged.”
They arrived at the bottom of the hill, still holding hands, to find their schemes ineffectual. Elizabeth had expected Mr Bingley would make the most of the opportunity of a private tête-à-tête with Jane, and she was disappointed that they had no news to impart as the foursome walked back to Longbourn.
ChapterTwelve
The assembly room was splendidly lit up, full of company, and insufferably hot. Darcy and Bingley greeted the Bennet women immediately upon their arrival and asked their respective ladies to dance. Mr Bennet, thankfully, had remained at home with a book. Memories of their waltz were fresh in his mind as Darcy led Elizabeth to join the dancers. Their hands touched, and Darcy’s lingered on hers as they passed one another.
“Do you recall our last dance, Elizabeth?” He would rather be waltzing with her held close in his arms and looking directly into her eyes.
“Indeed, I do.”
“And how does it compare to this one?” he asked when the dance brought them together.
“It is remarkably similar,” she said playfully as she passed him by, purposefully brushing against him.
“Is that so? I remember our last dance quite differently.”
“You mean because this is a Boulanger and we last danced a quadrille at Netherfield? I am sure we have not danced since then. Whatever are you hinting at?” she teased.
While they waited for the next set to begin, several of her neighbours congratulated them on their engagement. Elizabeth received their well wishes with grace, while Darcy bore it with calm, even after Sir William Lucas complimented him on carrying away the brightest jewel of the country.
As the dance resumed, Darcy noticed Mrs Bennet and Mrs Philips holding court on the far side of the room. Despite the distance and the crowd, he could discern the words “pin money” and “rich as a lord.” Darcy strove to remember how sensible and pleasing he had found the Gardiners. No matter his determination, reformation of character was not the work of an instant.
Darcy watched Elizabeth’s figure as she weaved in and out between the couples. She smiled softly at him when they met, and he finally relaxed in the crowded room, admiring the glow of her smooth skin in the candlelight. The animation of her features as she danced was enchanting, and he was helplessly drawn to her. It was a familiar feeling he was experiencing now, an aching need that she so easily provoked in him.
