Let Bingley be friendly, it was his neighborhood, not Darcy’s.
So managing, Darcy managed to study his way through several portraits over the course of half the night before a slightly tipsy Bingley stepped out of the line of the dance to intrude upon his reverie. This event came after he’d begun a second turn about the floor with the one actually pretty Bennet sister, whose name Darcy had already forgotten.
“Darcy, can’t stand it! My word, I cannot. You look remarkable stupid standing about here like that.”
The glare that Darcy gave in return to Bingley did nothing to stop his friend's cheerful gabbling.
“Cannot stand it. You will dance. I insist upon it.”
“I surely shall not.”
“Don’t be like that, you had much better dance — aha! Lizzy is sitting over there. She’ll dance with even you.”
Bingley pointed at the girl. Darcy had been aware of her presence near him since she sat a mere handful of feet away from him following her failure to find a partner for this set.
Unable to stop himself Darcy looked over at the woman.
She had looked up also at hearing her name called.
Darcy met her eyes.
Damn, she’d seen him seeing her.
He withdrew his own eyes.
Most likely she had hoped that he would take the hint when she first sat near him and offer to dance with her. To avoid any possibility of politeness requiring him to dance with her, he had studiously avoided letting his eyes go anywhere near her person the whole time, though he had been unable to keep completely out of his awareness the shapely line of a leg that was outlined by the clinging dresses presently in fashion.
A cutting remark rose to mind: “She is tolerable but there is not enough beauty in her to temptme.” Except it was clear from how they had behaved that Bingley really did see Miss Elizabeth in the nature of an additional sister, and he would offend his friend if he insulted her.
Politeness, my old enemy. I am come to fight with you again.
Darkly sighing Darcy attempted demurral. “Bingley, though Miss Elizabeth would be a worthy partner for a set, I am in no good mood to dance.”
“‘Pon my honor. Of course you want to dance. Everyone loves to dance — Lizzy!”
As the girl started up, Darcy was certain that she looked at him with a sympathetic wince and a glance at Bingley, as though they both understood that Mr. Bingley was not the sort of man who could be gainsaid in pursuing pleasure for his friends.
“Lizzy, even though he is a boring bear, you won’t mind doing the honor with Darcy? No?”
“I am notwhollyunwilling.” The lilt in her pretty voice cut through Darcy’s bad mood. “Though the gentleman seems to not be desirous of—”
“Nonsense! Darcy will dance with you, and he’ll enjoy it. Lizzy is the best dancer in the whole county. Well?”
Darcy sighed, bowed, made the request, and was met with assent.
And another one of those sympathetic looks from Miss Elizabeth. Her lips and nose were very mobile and charming, and suddenly Darcy found that he did not mind dancing with her at all.
Bingley rejoined the oldest Miss Bennet while Darcy entered the line with Miss Elizabeth, whose small hand was very sweet and small in his own.
They began in silence, but after the second turn she said to him, “You must not put yourself out on my account. I could see that Charlie pressed you to dance against your will.”
“I am at a ball,” Darcy replied. “On such occasions one ought to dance.”
She smiled at him winsomely. “One wonders from your tone why you are at aball.”
“Politeness required my attendance. Did it not? — I am Mr. Bingley’s guest.”
Miss Elizabeth laughed.
