Elizabeth had found only a moment to speak with her while other guests were still arriving and was relieved to hear that her friend was truly considering the scheme of attracting Mr Collins. She offered a faint smile as Elizabeth passed. But half a second later, she could not help but overhear Lady Lucas drawing to her daughter’s side.
“Charlotte! You were to stand beside Maria.”
“But Mama, I—”
“No, no, for I’ll not have her chasing after that heedless Lydia Bennet. Come look sensible beside her so someone will ask her to dance.”
Elizabeth sighed and cast a look over her shoulder… as Charlotte’s head bowed in defeat.
Wickham followed her gaze and remarked, “Miss Lucas is looking radiant this evening.”
Elizabeth nodded slightly. “Yes, she is. If only she would find a bit of kindness in the room.”
“Oh, I should not be too concerned about that. I intended to ask for the honour of her company for the supper set, as I must surrender yours to Darcy.”
Elizabeth snapped her gaze to him. “But she has already—” She closed her mouth. “That is to say, I… I believe my cousin Collins meant to ask her.”
Wickham laughed. “Will he not step on her feet? Come, you would not condemn your friend to a lumbering partner for all that while, would you?”
“No, I… well, I suppose it is not for me to decide, is it?”
“My philosophy exactly, Miss Elizabeth. Why, if I had the arrangement of the evening to my liking, you would have a different partner as well.”
She smirked faintly. “You object to my intended partner, sir?”
“Not at all. No, Darcy is a fine gentleman. It is only a pity he cannot appreciate your liveliness and charms as well as others might.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Sir, I cannot know what you mean by that.”
Mr Wickham chuckled as he turned her at the end of the set. “Ah, Darcy. Always the enigma. I fancy he thinks very little of admiring a lady’s finer qualities, but then, he can afford to be overly choosy. You know, his presence here has disappointed quite a few ladies in London.”
Elizabeth swallowed. “Disappointed? How so?”
“Oh, it is not that unusual. He merely has a habit of charming ladies and then withdrawing his interest. It is especially surprising given that he is supposedly engaged to Miss Anne de Bourgh.”
Elizabeth’s heart skipped a beat. “Engaged? I had no idea.”
“Indeed,” Wickham continued, as if sharing a secret. “It is a long-standing arrangement, though I doubt he will honour it. His popularity with the ladies is quite remarkable, despite this well-known engagement.”
Elizabeth’s thoughts churned with this new information. She glanced again at Mr Darcy, whose intense gaze seemed to pierce her across the room. “But surely my cousin Mr Collins would have mentioned such an engagement if it were true?”
“Oh, I am sure he will. It sounded as if he only learned of Mr Darcy’s presence when he arrived.” Wickham laughed. “I daresay you will hear far toomuchof the engagement when next you speak to the man! But whether Mr Darcy intends to fulfil that promise is another matter entirely. Many think he prefers to keep his options before him, and well, he might. As I said, he is quite sought after. But I should be surprised if Darcy dishonoured the lady, no matter what the gossip may be.”
Elizabeth felt a pang of doubt. Wickham’s words, though cloaked in admiration, cast a shadow over Darcy’s character. She turned her attention back to the dance, but her mind was far from settled.
Darcy watched as Elizabeth’sprevious partner returned her to the side of the room. Her gaze flicked around, and for a moment, their eyes met. She looked guarded, but Darcy steeled himself, determined to claim this dance as they had agreed. His head had been relatively clear tonight, thanks to a day spent in a dark room swimming in laudanum. He approached her, his heart pounding.
“Miss Elizabeth,” he said, bowing slightly as he reached her. “Shall we?”
She offered a polite smile, though there was a hint of reservation in her eyes. “Of course, Mr Darcy.”
He took her hand, and a tremble of nerves travelled up the cords of his arm at the contact. “You said you have never waltzed before?”
She lifted her shoulder. “Neither have at least half the other people in this ballroom. But I daresay that will not prevent some rather valiant—and perhaps clumsy—efforts.”
“It is simple enough. Just follow my lead. Start by placing your right foot behind your left,” he instructed softly. “Then glide smoothly forward. One, two, three… Yes, that’s it.”
Elizabeth followed his guidance, her brow furrowed in concentration. “Like this?” she asked, her steps hesitant but graceful.
