Sir William approached. “Such a pleasant sight, eh, Darcy? To see the young people dancing. Dance is one of the chief refinements of civilized society.”
“And uncivilized society,” Darcy replied. But then he kept himself from biting out an annoyed, “every savage can dance.” Had he already forgotten the determination he made when apologizing to Miss Elizabeth to not allow his ill moods to lead him to speak rudely, even to those who were beneath him?
So after a pause Darcy added, “You must be delighted to have such a chance to see the size of your rooms displayed to advantage by having some five couples standing up at once.”
“Capital observation!” Sir William rubbed his palms together. “A very fine house. But I have at times thought of establishing a residence in London. But Lady Lucas’s health prevented it. I attended St. James several times — do you often dance at St. James?”
“Never,” Darcy replied with a small smile. He really was rather amused.
“Oh! Oh! I apologize. I forget — that was most rude. To suggest dancing to you, a cripple — ah, but Miss Eliza, do come here.”
Miss Elizabeth had been walking around the edge of the room, and Sir William called out to her as she passed them. She inclined her head to both of them.
Sir William said, “Mr. Darcy, do you not agree that if you had been able to dance, that Miss Elizabeth would have made a lovely partner?”
The woman in question flushed and mumbled something. She seemed rather embarrassed by what Sir William had said.
“I assure you,” she said more clearly, “that I have no desire to dance tonight.”
“That is a pity,” Darcy said. “For if I could keep up with the reel, I would certainly ask you if you might be interested in a set.”
Elizabeth’s eyes turned towards him again. She smiled then. “It is fortunate then that youcannot, since I would be deeply disappointed to disappoint you.”
“Are you certain that you would have been impossible to convince contrariwise?”
Miss Elizabeth smiled and shrugged. “There is hardly room for another couple.”
“Aha!” Sir William exclaimed. “I must speak to your friend Mr. Hurst. He asked me about the port we had for dinner — a very fine port, I assure you, Mr. Darcy. We have no reason to be ashamed of our table!”
So saying he jovially rubbed his hands together and walked off. The archetypal “hail and well met” English gentleman
Elizabeth said once he was distant, “I apologize if… well it is always my determination to look upon the foibles and follies of others with delight, rather than to take offence.”
“Do you refer to how he spoke of the way I find walking a matter of unusual… difficulty these days? In truth I prefer when a man speaks directly of my infirmity, rather than speaking around it and pretending it does not exist. I am only a little annoyed that he would use a word such as ‘cripple’ or ‘invalid’ to refer to me, for I consider myself neither.” Darcy gestured to the seat next to him. “I beg you to sit down, Miss Elizabeth, I find it most awkward to be seated while a lady near me stands.”
She sat down next to him. Darcy had a strong awareness of her body just a few inches from his own. He had a half crazed impulse to place his hand on her knee.
“Do you find it difficult to remain standing for a long time? — oh, I apologize if it is a sensitive matter to ask. My curiosity gained the better of me.”
“Not at all. Should I find offence in an honest question? It is difficult to support myself for a great period of time without moving. The sinews of the arms were not so well shaped by their creator for motionless tension as those in the thighs and calves — yet should I rest on the crutches the area under my arms will become painful quite quickly, so I must constantly keep that tension. This is easier for me today by far than at first.”
“You truly do not seem bitter.”
“And I ask, for what reason ought I feel bitterness? These are my circumstances now, and they are not so bad — I can still walk a reasonable distance, ride a horse, navigate stairs, shoot grouse, swim, write letters, conduct my business, and in some ways I am healthier than I ever have been before. I am yet possessed with considerable means of finding enjoyment and pleasure in life, and I think my situation, all things considered, would be a matter of envy to more people than pity.”
“Ah!” Miss Elizabeth suddenly smiled and shook her head.
“What portendsthatexpression?”
“Merely that I now wonder how your behavior in company and at the assembly in particular would have been different before your unfortunate illness.”
“To what does this question tend?” Darcy asked, tilting his head.
Miss Elizabeth’s mischievous smile in reply was quite delightful. “Merely making out your character — I take delight in drawing such sketches in my mind, and settling the particulars of everyone around me — do please answer. Do you imagine that you would have been a sociable man, speaking to everyone in the room and dancing every dance at the assembly ball?”
“The deuce, no!” Darcy winced and grimaced at the thought of being such a giddy butterfly in such a company.
His companion laughed. “No, not at all?”
