“I am truly grateful for your assistance, Mr. Darcy,” she said.
“We have not been introduced,” he said. “You may know my name, but I do not know yours.”
“Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” she said with a curtsey.
He bowed slightly and said, “Well, Miss Bennet, I can only say that I am grateful to have been on hand to assist. That could have been a very nasty tumble.”
“It could indeed,” said Elizabeth. “Now, if you will excuse me, it is cold out here, and I must be returning indoors.”
Though she said as much, in truth she was no longer cold. The warmth from Mr. Darcy’s hold still surrounded her. If nothing else, the heat from her cheeks where she could feel herself blushing would keep her warm for quite some time.
“Then I hope you enjoy the assembly,” he said.
She turned to go inside. As she took a step away, she heard his voice say,Why not?She was certain it was one of his thoughts rather than his voice. She was beginning to recognize the difference between them.
Then his voice actually stopped her when he said, “Miss Elizabeth, I wonder if you might grant me one of your remaining dances.”
Elizabeth turned around to face the man. “I am afraid I cannot, Mr. Darcy. My dance card is full. The only reason I have this one open is because I put my own name down as a placeholder. I am truly sorry.”
She hoped he could hear the sincerity in her voice, for she would have liked very much to dance with this man. She stillcouldn’t see his face very well, but the general shape of it seemed quite nice, and it had certainly been quite pleasant to be in his company.
“Perhaps another time, then,” he said.
“Certainly,” she said, “though I will warn you that dances and balls are few and far between around here. The only home in the neighborhood which has a ballroom is Netherfield. The rest of us make do with a few informal dances at the end of a dinner party or soiree.”
“Then I shall simply have to wait and hope, Miss Bennet,” he said.
Elizabeth did not know how to reply to this, so she simply said, “Good night, Mr. Darcy. I hope you enjoy the rest of the assembly.”
No other words passed between them, either spoken or unspoken, and Elizabeth finally returned to the warmth of the assembly.
The rest of the assembly passed much as the first part had. She danced every dance, somehow tolerating the altered manners of all her male neighbors. She tried to excuse their manners, telling herself that it was only natural that such men with little wealth of their own would at least try to win her heart now that she had an independent fortune.
She was somewhat successful. At least it softened her response from anger and indignation to weary resignation.
Chapter 10
After the assembly, Alan Goulding found it difficult to sleep. His mind kept replaying his dance with Mary. It was the first time he could ever remember that she seemed truly pleased to give him her attention.
Always before she had given it begrudgingly simply because he forced her to. Now, however, she seemed genuinely happy with him. Though she had not smiled during their dance, her eyes had glowed with pleasure, and her cheeks had gradually become quite rosy.
He would have been content with just that, more than content in fact, but when the dance was over, she had given him one of her rare smiles.
Some of his neighbors and friends thought that, because Mary didn’t smile often, she must be rather unpleasant company. Alan knew better. When allowed to speak her mind, she had a keen sense of humor. It was only that her laughter tended to stay inside rather than bursting out with a raucous sound like her mother and younger sisters.
Alan actually liked the fact that she didn’t smile much. It made her eyes so much more interesting when they reflected the laughter that was within. Besides, everyone knows that things that are rare are worth more. It was the same with Mary’s smiles. The few that he had seen were treasures he had stored away in his mind.
Alan had spent many hours this way over the years, replaying scenes and images of Mary and experiencing all over again an echo of the pleasure he had felt in her company. The activity had never kept him awake like this, however.
What was keeping him awake was that he realized he had come to a crossroads. He had promised to explain to Mary why he had behaved the way he did when they were younger. As he tried to organize his thoughts, he realized that he could not possibly explain it in any believable way without confessing to feelings which, once expressed, would be expected to be followed by a marriage proposal.
Alan loved Mary, but he wasn’t certain he was ready to marry her. He was only twenty-one, old enough to know what a responsibility it was to marry someone and raise children but young enough to not truly wish to take on such responsibility. There was still more fun to be had.
That thought stopped him in his tracks. Was there truly more fun to be had? He had gone to London to chase such “fun,” and what had the experience gained him? A daily hangover and a life he could only remember hazily.
Would it truly be so bad to settle down? His parents would certainly let him have the dower house until they were ready to hand over the main house to them, and he could only imagine how Mary would gradually fix it up and turn it into a perfectly comfortable and welcoming home.
Eventually, children would come along, and Mary would be the perfect mother for them, gently teaching them all they needed to know and instilling those principles that would help them grow up to be useful, happy adults.
