“La, Maria, you sound like your father. If he is always inviting him, why did Mr Darcy only attend tonight? Maybe his mistress is vexed with him!”
“Lydia! Keep your voice down.” Elizabeth was mortified.
“Why ought I to? My mother and Mr Collins do not approve of him, and half of the people in this room think him wicked. He is a disagreeable man regardless of the rumours.”
Elizabeth conceded that he was unpleasant, but still left them to sit with her mother. She had grown tired of standing; thank goodness no one was playing and she needed no excuse not to dance.
She noticed that Mr Darcy had been asked to make up a fourth for whist, and saw with a mixture of shame and pity that he had been paired with Mr Collins.Even rude men with a want of principles do not deserve that. Her cousin was normally a man who had more to say than could be managed in the expected time to speak it, but Mr Collins was silent on discovering who his partner would be. Elizabeth suspected his silence would not be enough to improve his whist skills. Since the card table was quiet, the players could certainly hear the chatter of the women seated near them.
“Do you see Mr Bonham, talking to Miss Watts? I have a very good eye at an adulteress,” their hostess said with a teasing lilt.
“No, no, that is not she, I assure you, Lady Lucas. You must fix on Miss Peart,” Mrs Bennet proclaimed.
“Which do you mean? The eldest? That cannot be her. She is not as pretty as I expected.”
Elizabeth thought Miss Peart’s face had the same defect of plainness as her sisters, but sat in silence. No good could come of gossiping, but the other ladies continued with enthusiasm.
“Miss Peart is like any other short girl with a wide mouth and a fashionable dress and exposed bosom.”
“She is highly rouged, but then an adulteress usually is,” Mrs Bennet cried, and her friends laughed with spirit.
“Mamma, where shall we find our best morality?” Mary said loud enough for all to hear. “You ought not to speak against Miss Peart. Youall must followmyexample and preserve yourselves from this abominable suspicion of her improper attachment to Mr Bonham.”
“Oh, Mary, it is harmless. We know no real ill of her.”
“I cannot approve of any of you to speak against a lady’s reputation. The hint of indiscretion is ruinous to one’s reputation, and the loss of female virtue is irretrievable. Miss Peart’s reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful.”
What was worse? The spiteful old ladies of Meryton gossiping away an evening, or her nineteen-year-old sister taking joy in crushing their amusement with inept moral extracts?
“A man’s reputation is stronger than a lady’s. Have you anything to say against us speaking about an unsocial gentleman who rents a lodge?” Aunt Philips asked Mary, who thought her sincere and gravely bowed her head in permission.
Elizabeth rose, not wishing to hear another version of the younger girls’ discussion. Mr Darcy was either a recluse who ought to be more in company, or he was a recluse who ought to be shunned for living with a woman without the benefit of marriage. The sister was either ill, or she was not his sister at all. Regardless, to Elizabeth, he was an insufferable man.
She moved about the room, talking with all of the little groups that had formed. After the whist table had broken up, Mr Darcy often stood within a short distance of her, quite disengaged, never coming near enough to speak. This curious behaviour continued, and Elizabeth could not answer for it. After half the evening had gone, she lost her patience and addressed him directly.
“Mr Darcy, hair worn flat with waving curls or hair dressed in the antique Roman style cannot hold your interest, can it?”
“Certainly not.”
“Then what can you mean by attending to my conversations?”
He looked surprised, but then composed himself. “I hoped you might speak ofThe Magic Fluteafter all.” Elizabeth stared. “You spoke to some of the ladies of your time in town and mentioned the opera. Did you sit in a private box?”
“Heavens, no. I sat in the gallery. I had hoped to stay in town long enough to seeThe Marriage of Figaroalso, but I was obliged to comehome. I admit I was underwhelmed, though. Few in the audience took notice of the opera whilst they were gossiping and laughing.”
Mr Darcy looked at the chaperons seated near the fire. “You appeared not to mind gossip and laughter earlier this evening. That speaks to a degree of hypocrisy on your part.”
If she did not show some impertinence, she might grow afraid of this severe man, whoever he was. “Oh no, Mr Darcy, it cannot be gossip if the subject is a party to the discussion. Allow me to include you: one of their theories is that you are here because you live alone and are in need of good society.”
“I do not live alone; I live with my sister. But I assure you my evenings are not blank, and I do not require constant society.”
“You are not fond of society?” This was not difficult to believe.
“I am fond of society in my own way.”
“That is hardly a compliment to your host and neighbours.” Mr Darcy bowed, but his face showed that he might have preferred to shrug or roll his eyes. He was incapable of devoting himself to the business of being agreeable.
“I cannot believe we are still here, Lizzy!” Lydia bounded to her side without a curtsey to Mr Darcy. “Why is Mary not sleepy all the time? It lasted for weeks with the last baby, and it was always a good excuse to leave a dull party. At least she has given up playing now that she is married. Will you play? Lady Lucas will ask you if I make her do so.”
