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“I have made myself clear, Elliot,” Mrs. Bennet said, and she turned to Mr. Lucas on her other side and picked up the conversation once more.
“I would hope for an early autumn ceremony,” she said. “The weather will be so fine here at Netherfield. Look at these lawns even now. They are a delight, are they not?”
Elliot’s mouth opened slightly as he realised that rather than consider that her youngest son had almost been mired in a scandal, his mama was talking to the Lucases about her expectation that Jack would soon be married and mated to Mr. Bingley! And who knew how long she had already spent on this subject whilst Elliot and Marc removed Louis from the arms of an officer almost twice his age!
Elliot gestured to Jack, but his oldest brother simply shrugged helplessly as Mrs. Bennet continued, and it was clearly an animating subject as she seemed incapable of fatigue while enumerating the many advantages of the match. His being such a charming young man, and so rich, and living but three miles from them, were the first points of self-gratulation.
She then began to consider how promising it would be for her younger sons, as Jack mating so greatly must throw them in the way of other alphas. And, lastly, she mused on how pleasant it was that at her time of life she could finally see one of her sons mated and taking on some responsibility for her other sons.
Elliot silently fumed at those words, given he and Marc had just taken their responsibility for ensuring Jack’s reputation very seriously, and Mrs. Bennet had barely noticed!
Mrs. Bennet concluded with many good wishes that Sir Lucas might soon be equally fortunate, though evidently and triumphantly believing there was no chance of it. Charlie Lucas clearly picked up on that and Elliot reached out to his friend who gave him a sympathetic look in return.
“Perhaps we should return to the ballroom?” Elliot suggested but as he did so the servants began to bring dish after dish of dessert and Mrs. Bennet ignored him entirely.
Her voice rose as she continued her very one-sided conversation with Sir and Mr. Lucas, likely encouraged by the wine that the servants kept topping up, and the creamy richness of the desserts that she and Mr. Lucas busied themselves with. On several occasions Jack tried to steer her in another direction, but she ignored him entirely.
At last Elliot stepped in and tried to check the rapidity of his mama’s words or persuade her to lower her voice, for Elliot had a horrible suspicion that the table closest to them could hear every word…and who else should be on that table but Mr. Darcy!
“Mama, please,” he whispered.
His mother only scolded him for being nonsensical. “What is Mr. Darcy to me, pray, that I should be afraid of him? I am sure we owe him no such particular civility.”
“What advantage can it be for you to offend Mr. Darcy?” Elliot whispered furiously. “You will never recommend yourself to his friend by so doing!”
Nothing that Elliot could say, however, had any influence, and Elliot found himself soon flushing and flushing again with shame and vexation. Had it been just a handful of hours ago that Darcy had asked him to dance, had held his hand, had left just an inch of space between them? Something had passed between them, Elliot was sure of it, it had left him shaken and excited, and full of an odd longing. But whatever it might have been Elliot could now feel it fading, and before long he could not help but look over at the other table and at the man himself.
The expression of Darcy’s face said everything, changing gradually from indignant contempt to a composed and steady gravity.
Elliot’s heart dropped.
Anxiety filled him and he could take no more.
He stood up and held his hand out to his brothers and to Charlie Lucas. They needed no further encouragement and were soon beside him as they made their way back into the ballroom.
What else Mrs. Bennet might have said whilst they were gone from the table, Elliot did not know, and did not want to know, but the rest of the party soon joined them, and Elliot began to hope, and with a sort of quiet desperation, that they might get through the remainder of the night in relative peace. That hope was further bolstered when the Bingleys sought them out, Bingley once more conversing with Jack in that easy way of his.
Darcy did not join them.
Elliot did not know where he was, but he ached to know, and was steeling himself to ask Mr. Bingley when the master of the ball announced that they would encourage interested parties to take a turn on the pianoforte.
Elliot watched it happen as if from a distance. Marc, after very little entreaty, prepared to oblige the company. Elliot tried every silent and significant look in his arsenal, but they were all in vain. Marc might be the best of brothers, but his passion was music, and he did not let his lack of talent stand in the way of that.
Darcy chose that exact moment to join them.
Elliot’s eyes were fixed on his brother with the most painful of sensations, and he watched Marc’s progress through several complex pieces with an acute embarrassment for Marc’s prowess simply was not good enough.
Darcy’s expression became more fixed as Marc began another piece.
At the same time Mrs. Bennet began to talk at length about Jack’s good looks.
Elliot was in agonies. It was like the receiving room at Netherfield all over again, only much, much worse.
He looked at Jack, to see how he bore it, but Jack was very composedly talking to Bingley. Elliot looked at the Bingley sisters and saw them making signs of disdain at each other. And then, because he could not help himself, once again at Darcy, who continued to look very grave indeed.
Eventually a young lady stepped up to take her turn and her simple music was a balm to everyone’s ears, so much so that it placed Marc’s choppy melodies in stark relief. The young lady encouraged a friend to join her, and the friend sang quite beautifully.
“If I were so fortunate as to be able to sing,” Mr. Collins said. “I should have great pleasure, I am sure, in obliging the company with an air, for I consider music as a very innocent diversion, and perfectly compatible with the profession of a clergyman.”
