One Thread Pulled: The Dance With Mr. Darcy (4 page)

After listening to her converse with her numerous friends in the course of the evening, he concluded that they all regarded her articulate opinions highly, and she shared them freely. He found her knowledgeable and surprisingly practical for a female.
 
With this information, he carefully selected a topic that could not offend.

“The reason?” Mr. Darcy stammered, for he had not expected such a challenge. “Surely it is obvious.”

“No, Mr. Darcy, indeed it is not. Should we have held this conversation publicly, the suggestions of my friends would have resulted in more excellent options for your pursuit. I fear you have selected your consultant poorly and limited your alternatives in so doing.” The last sentence she said gaily, with a laugh.

“Miss Bennet, I am perfectly satisfied with the alternatives you have presented. I did not wish for Miss Bingley or her sister to be party to, or indeed to hear any word of our conversation, for they would insist upon injecting themselves into my acquisition, and I prefer to make the selection myself. I hope my questions have not been an imposition....”

“Oh, no.” Elizabeth assured him, inwardly flattered that in spite of his obvious pride and preference for quality society, it was
 
her
 
opinion he had sought. “It just seemed odd, that is all. I will not disclose the details of your errand to anyone. You may count upon my discretion. I do hope your sister appreciates your gift.”

At this, Mr. Darcy was emboldened and turned to look directly into Elizabeth's sparkling, dark eyes. They smiled back at him with a warmth and intelligence such as he had never seen and for several seconds his mind simply stopped working, so lost was he in the spell of those eyes, thickly fringed in long, lush lashes, twinkling with the reflected candlelight of the room. After a moment, she flushed and averted her eyes away, unsure as to what was happening between them.

“I am certain that she will, Miss Bennet.” He finally muttered. “Thank you for your advice.” He placed his hand gently beneath her elbow and guided her back into the room, bringing her within a few steps of Charlotte Lucas before he disengaged and walked away.

Elizabeth joined her friend, who immediately asked, “What did the elegant Mr. Darcy want of you, Eliza? You look quite out of sorts.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “It was nothing really, a trifle.” She watched his back as the man gracefully walked toward Jane and Mr. Bingley. “There really is nothing to tell.” Elizabeth shivered, which brought her out of the dazed state that had overtaken her.

“Lizzy, I saw the way he looked at you just now ... and you at him. Is he to call on you? Are you to dance?” Charlotte was too observant to let the moment pass unchallenged.

“I really cannot discuss it.” Elizabeth replied. “I gave him my word.”

“You will have to discuss it, I fear, for your mother also witnessed your little tête-à-tête with great interest, and you know her too well to doubt that she will press you.” Charlotte warned.

“Oh, I can manage my mama, Charlotte. I will just divert her attention back to Jane and Mr. Bingley, and we shall not hear the end of that subject for an hour.” Elizabeth laughed, glancing at where Jane was now engaged in conversation with Caroline Bingley.

Shortly afterward, Mr. Bingley and his sisters, along with Mr. Darcy said goodnight and left the party at Lucas Lodge.

Elizabeth joined Jane, who gushed with excitement. “I have been invited by Caroline to join her and Louisa to dine at Netherfield tomorrow. She expressed a wish to know me better.”

Elizabeth, who had always joined her sister in their excursions to Netherfield, did not say anything about her exclusion from the invitation. “Then you shall see Mr. Bingley tomorrow as well?”

“No, Caroline said that the men were to go hunting tomorrow.” Jane responded.

Mrs. Bennet, standing a few feet away exclaimed, “What? That will not do!”

“It must do, Mother, for I am certain to dine again at Netherfield.” Jane smiled reassuringly at her mother. “If Caroline and Louisa wish to know me better, it is a great compliment.”

“Oh, yes, that it is!” Mrs. Bennet crowed. “It is a compliment to your beauty, your social grace and manners. You should learn from your sister, Lizzy, for if you were more like her, you would be invited as well, but your impertinent ways have caught up with you now, can you not see?”

“Yes, Mama, but do not despair. I shall survive the humiliation.” Elizabeth smiled at Jane. “A compliment to my sister is all I need to be happy.”

Chapter Five

You Must Take a Horse

J
ane!” The cry came moments past dawn. Mrs. Bennet was usually still abed as the sun found its place in the sky, but today, her spot in the bed was already cold. “Jane! You must be about dear girl, quickly, quickly!”

Jane, still in her dressing gown, with the creases in her cheek not yet faded, located her mother on the stairs. “What is it, Mama?”

“Jane dearest, you are to go to Netherfield today!” Mrs. Bennet cried.

“Yes, Mama, I know.” Jane blushed prettily. “But that is not until much later in the day. They have invited me to dine, and it would not do for me to appear while their breakfast is still upon the sideboard.”

“Of course not. That is pure nonsense.” Mrs. Bennet huffed. “But you must take extra care today to look especially nice and as beautiful as you are, it will take the better part of the morning to mark an improvement.”

“But why, Mama? I am to dine with Caroline and Louisa, for they are alone today in the house, and begged me to come and let them entertain so they would not be in danger of hating each other. I cannot see how improving my appearance will have any bearing on it.”

“But the men, they are hunting today, are they not?”

“Yes.” Jane nodded.

“Well, can you not see it is going to rain? That will drive them back to the house, to be sure, but you must be there when they return. Then you will thank me for the extra care that went into your appearance! Mr. Bingley will see an angel in his drawing room when he arrives. Ooooooh!” With her last syllable, Mrs. Bennet's eyes glazed over slightly, as if the vision of Jane at Netherfield was appearing before her very eyes.

“Can I take the carriage, Papa?” Jane asked as her father crossed the hallway at the bottom of the stairs.

“Jane, no!” Mrs. Bennet interrupted. “You will take the horse. It must be upon horseback that you go, for the carriage will not do.”

“But you said it was to rain....” Jane looked at her mother strangely.

“If it were not for me, you girls would never marry!” Mrs. Bennet declared. “You must go on horseback to increase your chance of encountering the hunting party on your way. They will be nowhere near the road, so you must take the shorter route through the woods. I daresay Mr. Bingley will see what a fine figure you are upon the horse and quit the hunt altogether.”

“Mama, I do not think that plan is safe.” Elizabeth, who stood upon the landing interjected. “They could accidentally shoot Jane.”

“Nonsense!” Mrs. Bennet shrieked. “They are shooting at birds, not at women on horseback. You know nothing, Lizzy, and it is nothing to do with you.”

“If I take the horse, how am I to return if it is raining?” Jane asked softly.

“You are beginning to see my plan, you clever girl!” Mrs. Bennet said. “They will be forced to keep you for the night, and then you shall break your fast with Mr. Bingley in the morning!”

“The Bingleys have a carriage, Mama.” Elizabeth could not hold her tongue. “What makes you suppose they would not transport Jane home themselves?”

“Because,” Mrs. Bennet looked at Elizabeth as if she were stupid, “Mr. Bingley will see the opportunity to keep her there, and how can he resist this temptation, when such beauty is before him?”

Jane looked mortified. “Will not Mr. Bingley see this plotting as treacherous?”

“Treacherous!” Mrs. Bennet snorted. “Miss Bingley invited
 
you
. There can be no deceit in accepting her kind offer. If they ask why you did not come in the carriage, you must tell them that only one horse could be spared from the fields. It is a matter easily explained. Treachery indeed! Now go and make ready, Jane.”

“Mama, this is folly.” Elizabeth tried to reason.

“Hush, child, I will hear nothing more of the matter. It is settled.” Mrs. Bennet sniffed indignantly at her daughter. “I know what is best here, for I am your elder by many a year. I daresay when you are my age, you will do the same for your own daughters. Until then, you can have nothing more to say.”

~*~

Elizabeth watched from the window as Jane rode away. She had to acknowledge to herself that even though the mount was merely a farm horse, Jane's seat upon it was so elegant and graceful that she was indeed a lovely vision.

Jane's thoughts as she rode along were full of Mr. Bingley. Although it was only his sisters she was to see, anything connected with Charles (as she permitted herself to think of him) was a pleasure worth seeking. Since she hoped to someday be related to Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, this visit alone with them was a welcome opportunity to cement the friendship.

She noted, with unease, the gathering storm clouds in the distance but calculated that she would arrive at Netherfield before they were overhead; so she permitted herself to daydream, only guiding the horse in the general direction of the Netherfield estate.

She was within half a mile of the house and able to see the chimneys above the trees when, suddenly, a brace of pheasants rose noisily from a small pond ahead of her, followed within seconds by several loud gunshots. She saw no birds fall, for the sudden thunderous sound spooked the mare and she found her full attentions focused on her efforts to stay in the saddle. She clung to the reins, with insufficient leverage to pull on them. Finally losing her seat, she found herself upon the ground, the sound of the horse’s hoofs fading in the distance.

Mr. Darcy saw the riderless beast first, barreling past the group. He whistled loudly, and the horse slowed to a stop as the hunting group all turned together to see what was the commotion. “Bingley!” he shouted. “It has a side-saddle!” Darcy raced to where the horse stood, its sides heaving and its eyes wide with alarm. “Settle down, girl.” He whispered as he approached. He was comfortable with horses, so they were generally responsive to him as well, and the sweet white mare was no exception. “Who was your rider?” he asked, and as if in answer, the horse looked in the direction she had come from, shaking her head as she took one step in that direction. Darcy stopped to get his bearings and said to Mr. Bingley, “This horse has come from Longbourn.”

Mr. Bingley paled and began to run down the path toward the Bennet estate. He did not go far before he found Jane. She was still on the ground, although she was attempting to sit up, a trickle of blood trailing down her forehead. “Miss Bennet!” He looked at her desperately then fell to the ground on his knees beside her. “Do not move! Are you well? What has happened?”

Jane looked at Mr. Bingley as if in a trance. “My horse...,” she began, “… there were pheasants ... I think I have fallen.” She peered at him. “Mr. Bingley, do you have a brother?”

Charles, taken aback by the question looked mystified as he shook his head and denied it with a simple “No.”

“But there are two of you, and each is as handsome as the other.” Jane looked back and forth in agitated confusion. “I fear I am not well. The ground here is in constant motion, and if it does not stop its wretched spinning, I am going to be ill.” She closed her eyes and abruptly lay back down in the grass.

“Bingley.” Charles turned at the sound of Darcy's voice to find Mr. Darcy and the rest of the hunting party gathered in a half-circle behind him. “We must get Miss Bennet to the house immediately, before the rain strikes. We must take care, since we do not know the extent of her injuries.” Darcy removed his coat, and instructing the stable hands who had accompanied them to go and find some long branches, they constructed a makeshift stretcher for Jane while Mr. Bingley tended to Jane’s forehead with his handkerchief.
 
Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Hurst and one of the hands carried her while the other hands ran ahead to alert the house.