This placed Darcy in a serious conundrum, as he would rather shoot himself in the foot and have done with dancing forever than encourage Miss Bingley by distinguishing her with the first dance upon his arrival at the ball.
Hisinitialplan for escape had been Mrs. Hurst. However, that undistinguished lady had already been led to the floor by her husband.
Rather unseemly that the two of them danced so much when they were a married couple, but Mr. Hurst did not cut the sort of figure that would make other women crowd about for the chance to dance with him.
Miss Bingleylookedat him.
Those wide eyes.
Eager eyes, that said, I’ll enjoy the pin money you’ll give me. Much, much, much.
No choice as to it.
Darcy bowed stiffly and asked the pinch faced Miss Mary if she would dance with him.
The young woman was wholly shocked by the request. Her eyes widened, she blushed, she frowned, she looked at him with a puzzled gaze, and then informed him calmly that she did not dance, and that in fact she had merely come to the ball because Mama would be annoyed with her if she did not.
At which statement Mrs. Bennet turned to her daughter, and said with some asperity, “Not dancing when a gentleman offers? Mary, I raised you to show more politeness thanthat.”
“Oh, very well.” The young woman sighed, all exaggeration and drama. “But know that I do it with no pleasure.”
And so saying, the astonishing woman stuck out her hand to Mr. Darcy so that he might lead her to the line.
Something about Miss Bingley’s eyes as she watched the two of them walk out to the line made Darcy twinge with guilt. Just like he would have if he’d kicked the helpless puppy who ruined his boots — which he of course had not, though for a brief instant, the thought had crossed his mind.
Oh well.
Such was required by his honor.
Hewouldask her to dance the next dance — a dance with her was required by the curse of politeness. And then he’d dance with Mrs. Hurst, and then he’d dance withnobody.
Delightful nobody.
His favorite partner!
For a little during the dance with Miss Mary Bennet, Mr. Darcy had a notion that he might find inheran attractive partner — a woman who hated balls. What a perfect companion for his present mood.
Alas, the woman said little at first, but when Darcy did prevail upon her to talk, she started a long learned discourse upon proper behavior in the female sex, with emphasis upon the delicacy of reputation, the importance of education, the value of copying out improving texts every day, and the enormous superiority of reading Fordyce’s sermons to Johnson’s essays. She strongly disapproved of Mrs. Castle, the headmistress of the school that her and all her sisters, along with Miss Bingley, had attended, because she permitted the occupants to readnovelsin strict moderation, and five minutes conversation with her sister Elizabeth would reveal the harmthathad done.
By the end of the dance, Darcy had determined that Miss Mary Bennet was likely the most priggish prig of his acquaintance.
The twenty thousand pounds that was reputed to be the dowry each Bennet sister had was in no way a recompense forthat.
After this dance Darcydidask Miss Bingley to dance with him, and she eagerly — too eagerly — agreed. Light in her eyes, bounce in her step, and a half dozen statements each of which was clearly intended to say that she would be a better wife for him than Helen of Troy.
Mr. Bingley started what Darcy expected would be a proper trip through the Bennet sisters for his second dance, selecting the only one who actually was, in the eyes of a discerning connoisseur, beautiful.
Jane Bennet was, Darcy would admit freely and widely, a lovely creature.
She smiled too much though.
And after that dance, Mrs. Hurst, and then — freedom.
Darcy was able to stand by the portrait of the king and not think terribly much about anything.
He mainly occupied himself in not thinking about Wickham.
A couple of the locals bothered him, but he managed to put them off with short replies, and that haughtiness of manner that politely displayed his disinclination to be pleased with them.
