The Houseguest A Pride and Prejudice Vagary (16 page)

Chapter
13

Elizabeth stayed to the side with Georgiana, helping her calm her fears and
review her dance steps and how to accept a dance properly. The ballroom quickly
filled with guests and the gentlemen came to claim the ladies for the first
dance.
Elizabeth laughed and smiled throughout the first set, Richard either telling
her something amusing, or doing something to make her laugh. When it was over,
he escorted her to Darcy for the next dance. She had drawn attention with her
smiles and light movements and several men were looking her way. It did not go
unnoticed by Darcy, or by Colonel Fitzwilliam, who winked at Darcy as he handed
her off and took Georgiana’s arm, leading her away.
“Miss Bennet, would you like some refreshment before the next dance?” Darcy
asked her. 
“Not at present, Mr. Darcy, I thank you.” She looked at him carefully, noting
he was more serious than a ball required and wondered if something was
troubling him or if that was his usual demeanor at a ball. Having too much fun
to be brought down, she decided to ask him.
“Forgive me, Mr. Darcy, but is something troubling you?”
“Not at all, Miss Bennet.” He attempted to smile unsuccessfully. “Why do you
ask?”
“You seem rather serious for a ball, sir,” she said with an arch smile while
lifting one brow.
“Forgive me, Miss Bennet. I find I am never completely at ease in large crowds
of strangers. My cousin and I differ greatly in that respect.”
Beginning to comprehend his shyness, and not completely understanding why he
referenced his cousin, she smiled brightly at him.
“Then I shall have to distract you, Mr. Darcy.” Her smile and words had the
desired effect and he smiled in return. He wasn’t as uncomfortable in the
ballroom as he’d intimated, though he certainly didn’t enjoy it, but he could
hardly tell her that seeing her laughing with his cousin made him want to grab
her and kiss her in front of all these people, publicly claiming her, so they
would all know she was his. And possibly throw Colonel Fitzwilliam out the
window in the process.
“And how do you propose to do that, Miss Bennet?”
“I’m sure I shall think of something.”
The music began and they took their place in the line, Darcy never taking his
eyes off Elizabeth. She smiled at him and began moving through the steps. When
she got to Colonel Fitzwilliam, he winked at her and she couldn’t help a
startled laugh, and was chuckling when she returned to Darcy. 
“What is so amusing, Miss Bennet?”
Remembering his comment about his cousin and not wanting to imply Fitzwilliam
was more amusing than he, she thought quickly about what to reply. 
“I find that I am having a difficult time keeping a straight face around your
cousin,” she saw his face become a mask again as they separated and circled
back to each other, “the Viscount. I’m afraid your story keeps playing in my
mind, now that I have a face to put to the actions.” She looked up to see Darcy
looking slightly startled, his expression quickly breaking out into a wide
grin.
“I understand your predicament completely, Miss Bennet. I often find taking the
viscount seriously to be a difficult task as well.” They completed the dance in
light conversation, smiling and laughing frequently, creating questions amongst
the guests as to who the woman was who could make the stern Mr. Darcy smile.
He escorted her off the floor and brought her some punch, returning just before
the Viscount arrived to claim his dance. Elizabeth gave Darcy a meaningful look
and tried to hide her smile as he led her onto the floor. Darcy was relishing
the idea of having a private joke with her, and chose to stand on the side and
watch her instead of finding his own partner.
After nearly 3 hours of dancing, Elizabeth’s mind was whirling. She had met
several men, all nephews or cousins of Lady Matlock’s friends, plus the
occasional younger son of a wealthy landowner. She didn’t really think any of
them would be seriously interested in her, thankfully, but she was having a
good time and they were all polite and kind, some even intelligent or funny.
In between sets, Lady Matlock approached her.
“How is it going, dear?” She had been introducing Elizabeth all evening as a
dear friend of the family, leaving no doubt of the countess’s loyalty or
intentions.
“As well as can be imagined, I believe.”
“What do you think of Mr. Hargrove?”
“Is he the parson from Northampton?”
Lady Matlock gave a light laugh. “Buckinghamshire. Though I am not surprised
you can’t remember. There have been a great many this evening, and there are
more to come.” She looked at Elizabeth meaningfully. “He seems to like you.”
“He does?”
“Yes. His aunt is a friend of mine and was asking me about you. He may call.
Would that be welcome?”
“I hardly know. I only spoke with him a few minutes after the dance and what
little conversation could be had during. He seems like a nice enough man.”
Elizabeth was slightly shocked at herself for discussing such a thing in a
ballroom, and with Lady Matlock, but if she was going to play along, she may as
well play heartily.
“You have yet to dance with Sir Malcolm. The supper set is coming up; I daresay
it will be telling.” She gave Elizabeth a pointed look, patted her hand, and
walked toward her husband.
Elizabeth considered Mr. Hargrove. He had sandy hair, light grey eyes, and a
warm smile. She could not doubt he was a genuine man, but maybe a trifle 
good
 for her tastes. She thought
about the duties of a parson’s wife and whether she could envision herself in
the role. She didn’t have long to think on it; her next partner, a Mr.
Fielding, arrived for the next set. 
Mr. Fielding was a barrister in London and seemed to be hardworking and
intelligent. She would guess his age to be near thirty-two; he was just shy of
being considered tall and had warm hazel eyes. He wasn’t very handsome, but
they couldn’t all be. She enjoyed the intellectual stimulation and thought he
seemed to be a decent man, though her feelings did not go beyond that.
Elizabeth imagined that he would not be in a position to marry for at least a
few years, which gave her leave to relax a little, letting her humor and
vivacity flow freely; until he dropped into the conversation that he had
inherited a house in town from a childless uncle. She instantly knew she wasn’t
interested and it was with relief that she heard the music come to an end.
If only mama could be here! How she would be
crowing about all the eligible men and how I don’t have a single set free!
 Elizabeth
couldn’t help but smile at the thought of her mother in this fashionable
ballroom and she let out an amused sigh.
“I hope that is not a sigh of exhaustion and that you would not try to avoid
our dance, Miss Bennet?” She looked aside to see Sir Malcolm smirking at her.
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Sir Malcolm.” 
“I am glad to hear it. Shall we?” He led her to the floor and they took their
place in the line. 
“How do you know the Darcys, Miss Bennet?” he asked her as they danced.
“I met them in Hertfordshire. Mr. Darcy was staying with his friend Mr.
Bingley, and I met Miss Darcy when she came up for a short visit.”
“I am surprised Bingley isn’t here. He and Darcy are thick as thieves.”
Elizabeth looked at him quizzically. “Yes, they seem to be very close friends.
But it is not Mr. Darcy’s ball.”
“You are right, Miss Bennet, it is not.” They danced in silence for a while
until Elizabeth felt conversation was needed.
“And how are you acquainted with the family sir? You were at Cambridge with Mr.
Darcy?”
“Yes, I was. I knew him a little before that. My father was a friend of Lord
Matlock’s and Colonel Fitzwilliam and I saw each other often as children. Sometimes
Darcy was present.”
“I see. Do you have any other family?”
“Both my parents are gone, and I have a sister, Arabella, who was recently
married to Lord Ashland. She is in the country now at her new husband’s
estate.”
They separated in the dance and when they came together again, he had a teasing
look in his eye.
“And what of you, Miss Bennet?”
“What about me, Sir Malcolm?”
“Do you have any family?”
“Yes. My family lives in Hertfordshire on my father’s estate.”
“And your brothers and sisters?”
“I do not have a brother, and am the second of five sisters.” She expected a
reaction, but he didn’t miss a beat.
“And are all your sisters as lovely as you?”
Elizabeth blushed despite herself. 
“I could not say, Sir.”
They separated again and when she came back to him, he was smiling again.
“Sir Malcolm, is something amusing you?”
“Nothing at all, Miss Bennet. I am merely enjoying the uncommonly good
company.” Elizabeth looked down and when she raised her eyes, the music was at
an end. He offered his arm and began to escort her to the dining room.
Darcy had been watching Elizabeth all night. His aunt had tried repeatedly to
get him to dance and had gone so far as to introduce him to a lady, knowing he
couldn’t refuse if she were standing right in front of him, but after the
dance, he could not even recall her name. 
After leaving the forgettable girl with her mother, Darcy was accosted by Mr.
Graves, an older man with a daughter in her third season. 
“Mr. Darcy! How are you this evening? What a fine party it is! You remember my
daughter, Letitia.” He gestured to the round-faced girl next to him.
Miss Graves – how could he forget: 20,000 pounds, plays the pianoforte and the
harp, sings, draws, speaks French. He nodded out of politeness and continued
around the ballroom, only to be stopped twice more, once by Mr. Harvey and his
daughter, 25,000 pounds, the harp, sings, Italian, cannot draw though – a pity
–  and Mrs. Trantham and her daughter, 30,000 pounds, pianoforte, draws,
German. He paid no attention to any of the daughters and barely acknowledged
the parents.
His attention was entirely focused on Elizabeth Bennet. He watched her every
step, wondered at the cause behind each laugh, and worked to control his anger
each time she blushed from another man’s compliments.
He knew his aunt was watching her and scheming, and judging by the way she had
rushed to the dining room, he could only imagine she was placing Elizabeth next
to Sir Malcolm at the table. He waited until she went back to the ballroom,
then walked over to where she had been standing and saw he was right. 
Elizabeth was placed to the right of Sir Malcolm, a man Darcy didn’t know was
on Malcolm’s other side, and Georgiana was placed next to Elizabeth. He located
his own name on the other side of the table and a few places down and switched
it with someone named Worthing on Georgiana’s right. He then moved himself to
Elizabeth’s right and Georgiana next to him. 
That’s
much better,
 he thought.
As people began filing into the dining room, Darcy was quick to prepare his and
Georgiana’s plates, and was just returning to his place at the table when Sir
Malcolm arrived with Elizabeth.
“Malcolm, Miss Bennet.” Darcy nodded and waited for Elizabeth to be seated.
Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived with Georgiana and Darcy held out her chair as the
Colonel left to find his seat. Malcolm offered to get a plate for Miss Bennet
and he headed toward the buffet table as Darcy seated himself between his
sister and Elizabeth.
“How is your evening going, Georgiana?” he asked her.
“I hardly know what to think! Everything is so grand and there is so much to
see!”
“And you, Miss Bennet, are you enjoying the ball so far?”
Elizabeth laughed gently. “I daresay I am. I don’t know when I last danced so
much in one evening!”
Georgiana leaned across her brother. “Elizabeth! You have not sat out a single
dance. Are you not tired? I should think you could hardly feel your feet!”
“I am a little weary, but sitting for a spell and eating should put me to
rights again.” She leaned slightly closer to Georgiana, putting her in close
proximity to Darcy, which of course had been his design all along. “How are you
enjoying your first ball? Have you enjoyed dancing with real partners?”
“Oh yes! I am so glad I came! I can’t imagine doing this for the first time
next year with gentlemen I had never met before.” 
Darcy was sitting back in his chair to give the two women in his life room to
speak to each other across him. It wasn’t the best manners, but it was late and
everyone was half in their cups in the noisy dining room, so he didn’t think it
very important to be perfectly decorous at the present moment. And he was
enjoying it too much to say anything. 
“I think your aunt was right to insist on a practice ball for you. Though it remains
to be seen whether she was right about other things,” Elizabeth said in a low
voice, with eyebrows raised, but of course Darcy heard her. 
She was speaking more freely than she usually would and he wondered if she’d
had too much punch and was a little tipsy. An inebriated Elizabeth was
something he would very much enjoy seeing. He could imagine how delightful she
would be when completely unencumbered. Though preferably 
not
 at a ball. He could think of
other locations better suited to 
that
 particular
display.
Georgiana’s only answer was a giggle and a pointed look toward Sir Malcolm
where he was approaching with two plates filled with food.
“Here you are, Miss Bennet.” He sat down next to her and for a time everyone’s
attention was given to the food in front of them. 
After a few minutes, Sir Malcolm began to speak with Elizabeth about her home
in Hertfordshire. Darcy was trying to be polite and give his attention to
Georgiana, but she was being rather quiet, understandable since she had rarely
been up this late before and she was looking sleepier by the minute, but he
couldn’t help being drawn in by Elizabeth’s laughter.
“Yes, I often walk about the countryside. Is that so terribly shocking?” she
said laughingly to Sir Malcolm.
“A little shocking, but not terrible, Miss Bennet. Do you walk alone or do your
sisters accompany you?”
“I prefer to walk alone. None of my sisters enjoy it much and I am afraid they
dislike long rambles, which are my favorite sort.”
“And do you ride alone as well?”