“Mr. Darcy? Are you the owner of the great estate of Pemberley and the nephew of my most esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh?” Collins bowed low.
Elizabeth saw the moment the haughty mask fell in place, and rather than count it against Mr. Darcy, she understood how much of an anathema it was to the gentleman from Derbyshire for someone to talk to him without the benefit of an introduction.
“I am he,” Darcy stated and once again tried to lead Elizabeth to join the line.
“When I last saw your beneficent aunt, the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh, she was in good health, as is expected with one as highly born as she is. Your betrothed, the Rose of Kent, was well too,” Collins managed.
“If you repeat that fantasy of my aunt’s again, I will call you out. Until I propose to someone, I am not betrothed toanyone.” Darcy saw the sweating man was about to protest. “Either close your mouth or you will be choosing the weapon of your preference.”
“But…I…My cousin is required to remain at my side,” Collins blustered.
“Are you either her father or husband, Mr. Collins?” Darcy asked.
“Well no, but her mother…” Collins was cut off again.
“As it is the father or husband who can make such decisions in our society, Miss Elizabeth may dance with whomever she chooses.” Darcy stared at the man, in challenge.
Collins was fighting an internal war. On the one hand, he needed to defend the interests of his patroness; on the other hand, he had no wish to face Mr. Darcy on the field of honour—or anyone else for that matter. Collins had never been so afraid in his life—in the end, self-preservation won out.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Miss Bingley disliked Jane Bennet for trying to distract her Mr. Darcy, but she had hated Miss Eliza with a passion ever since Mr. Darcy’s comments at Lucas Lodge. As she watched the hoyden dance withherMr. Darcy she noticed Jane Bennet nearby.
After seeing his lack of dancing skill, Jane told Collins she was not feeling well and would sit out the next few dances. Collins accepted her lie, so she sat and fumed while Elizabeth danced with Mr. Darcy. How could that be after all the time and effort she had expended to make her hate him?
“Yourbelovedsister is dancing with Mr. Darcy,” Miss Bingley spat out.
Miss Bennet proceeded to share the news of her sister’s soon to be announced union with Miss Bingley. Suddenly, Mr. Darcy’s failure to ask her to dance no longer seemed important. Miss Eliza would be removed as a rival for Mr. Darcy’s affections without any exertion on her part.
“You mean the one who stinks to high heaven?” Miss Bingley asked with glee in closing.
“Yes, the very one,” Jane confirmed.
“It is not less than she deserves.” Miss Bingley saw that Miss Bennet seemed no longer interested in Mr. Darcy or her brother. This made her desirable company, especially as they both seemed to detest Eliza.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Other than a brief mention of Mr. Wickham, the dance with Mr. Darcy had been far more tolerable than Elizabeth had believed it would be. Charlotte, her younger sister Maria, and Renata Goulding distracted Mr. Collins each time he tried to seek out Elizabeth.
The rest of the ball passed without incident. As her eldest daughter had made it clear she was no longer interested in Mr. Bingley, Fanny Bennet decided there was no reason to delay their departure, so the Bennets were one of the first families to leave.
Elizabeth was contemplative in the carriage on the return to Longbourn. She was not looking forward to it, but she had told Jane they needed to talk when they arrived home. She used to believe Jane was her safe harbour in the house, but now she knew that was not true.
For her part, Jane had no idea what Lizzy wanted. She smiled to herself as she believed it would be a request to help deflect Mr. Collins’s attentions. She would agree to do so and then do the opposite.
Chapter 11
After the last of the guests departed, the residents of Netherfield, sans a sleeping Mr. Hurst, met in the drawing room. Miss Bingley was bursting to share the news about Eliza and Mr. Collins, but she would wait until she could use it to her greatest advantage.
“I depart for London in the morning to complete some business that cannot be put off any longer,” Bingley informed the other three.
“Do you object if we close the house and follow you to Town in a day or two?” Miss Bingley asked hopefully. The sooner she was out of this savage society and as far from the Bennets as possible, the happier she would be.
“There is nothing holding us here. In fact, I will send a note to Mr. Phillips and request he sell my lease. If he finds no one, I will pay for the year, but I do not intend to return here,” Bingley stated dispassionately.
“Is there no one you want to say your goodbyes to?” Miss Bingley pushed. She had a good idea Miss Bennet had given up on her brother because he had lost interest for some reason. Mayhap he had noticed her desire to become Mrs. Darcy.
“No, there are none here I will repine not seeing again.” Bingley had always fallen in love quickly, but he decided, due to Jane Bennet, to be far more circumspect in choosing his future partner in life; he now realised looking for physical attributes was the wrong way to find a wife.
