Chapter 16
Jane was even more beautiful than usual Elizabeth thought. The blush pink of her ballgown complimented her blonde locks and blue eyes. But it was the shine in her eyes, that made her especially stunning this evening. Elizabeth’s own gown, the bodice adorned in cream beads, was the loveliest she had ever worn. Their father having provided funds for new gowns for all his ladies for the Netherfield ball. Gaining great praise from their mother for his generosity.
Her father was, unusually, attending the ball. He assisted her mother into the family carriage and the he gave his hand to his eldest daughter next. Once all the Bennet girls were inside he closed the door.
“Ah,” said Mr Collins, as he stood beside the carriage.
“We are on top Mr Collins,” Mr Bennet explained.
“But surely there is room in the carriage for one more,” he beseeched. Looking down the entrance way to Longbourn House. Elizabeth fancied he was looking in the vain hope that Lady Catherine’s carriage would reappear. He was not to be so lucky. She had lent him he use of one of her carriages to delivery him to Longbourn. But once that service had been completed the coachman had returned to Kent.
“No need to force the ladies to wrinkle their gowns,” Mr Bennet said, pointing to the steps to the seats beside the driver. Mr Collins sighed deeply and manoeuvred his bulky form up the steps to the seat beside her father.
“Move on John,” their father instructed once he was seated.
The evening had been going so well, Elizabeth thought. Mr Bingley had claimed Jane’s first dance while they were still in the receiving line. Elizabeth had been in high demand as a dance partner. And even Mary had danced once. The only sour point had been the missing Lieutenant Wickham.
But Elizabeth was not made for sorrow, so she proceeded to enjoy the evening without his company. Then Mr Darcy had asked her to dance. Her surprise had been such, that she had been un enable to invent an excuse to say no.
So here she was standing up with Mr Darcy. Charlotte had told her it was a great honour. It was an honour she would have gladly done without.
“One must speak a little, you know, while dancing for an entire half an hour together;” Elizabeth said, breaking a silence she felt had gone on for too long.
Mr Darcy merely raised an eyebrow without speaking.
“A very little may service,” she continued.
“Whatever you wish for me to say should be said,” he assured her.
“When you met us there the other day, we had just been forming a new acquaintance,” Elizabeth continued.
“Mr. Wickham is blessed with such happy manners as may insure his making friends; whether he may be equally capable of retaining them, is less certain.” Elizabeth as not entirely happy with this response but knew not how to move the conversation forward.
“I could wish, Miss Bennet, that you were not to sketch Lieutenant Wickham’s character. He is more complicated that he appears, and I fear that the performance would reflect no credit on your skill.”
Elizabeth thought this an unexpected opportunity to learn more of the matters between the two men. Unfortunately, Sir Lucas passing across the dance floor interrupted to admire they dancing. He also took the opportunity to allude to an expected marriage between Mr Bingley and Jane. This caused a frown to appear on her partners’ face and ended all conversation between them.
Elizabeth left the conversation with Mr Darcy in a thoughtful mood. Given how Lieutenant Wickham had told her Mr Darcy had treated him, she expected a more impassioned response to her enquires. But mayhap Sir Lucas had forestalled Mr Darcy.
She was pulled by this pensive outlook by the screeching of her youngest sister. She was surrounded by officers of the militia and was brandishing one of their swords. Kitty giggling at her side. “You must intervene Papa,” Elizabeth beseeched her father.
“Let them be Lizzy,” her father responded.
“But Mr Bingley, Mr Darcy?” Elizabeth started to explain but her father raised a hand halting her speech.
“We need to know who Mr Bingley is. Will he be cowed by a couple of silly girls or will he resolute.”
Elizabeth nodded at this but was still frowned.
“Do not worry Lizzy, I will be speaking with your sisters on the morrow. And the promised governess is due from town on the overmorrow. Their behaviour this evening will decide how that lady manages them, and what freedoms they will retain,” he said. Elizabeth had to be satisfied with this.
Elizabeth was not engaged for the next dance. She had purposely left her card blank to give herself a break. She drew close to her mother’s side.
“That matters not,” Mrs Bennet said. “My Jane has no need to marry Mr Bingley. We are to go to town for the season,”she paused, and Elizabeth could see it was to make sure everyone of her neighbours understood to what she alluded. During the pause Elizabeth noted Mr Darcy on the far side of her mother. She could tell by his look that he was straining his ears to hear what her mother was saying. “And that will throw the girls into the path of other rich men,” her mother ended in a clear tone. Elizabeth saw her neighbours nodded in agreement. But it was Mr Darcy’s face, which had gone from curious to a concerned, that drew her attention. Elizabeth was unsure what of her mother’s statement he heard. But she felt sure he had not heard the total of it.
Elizabeth had been happy to see an end to the evening. It had started with such high hopes, but she had left the ball unsatisfied. Both with Mr Darcy and with the behaviour of some of her family. Jane’s face however marked that her evening had been quite the opposite.
Mr Bingley had opened the ball with her. Claiming the first dance at the earliest possible opportunity. He had then proceeded to claim the dinner set. These attentions all marked his clear intensions. Elizabeth expected that he would be calling on the morrow to seek permission to court her sister. Mr Bingley was a friendly, gentlemanly man, and Elizabeth had to own that he would make an excellent brother.
