“Oh! She is the most breathtaking creature I have ever beheld! But there is one of her sisters sitting down behind you, who is very pretty and, I dare say, very agreeable.”
“She might be agreeable but not handsome enough to tempt me.” Turning around, he looked for a moment at Miss Elizabeth till, catching her eye, he withdrew his own and said, “I am in no humor at present to give consequence to any young lady. You had better enjoy Miss Bennet’s smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.”
“Darcy!” Bingley gasped.
“I should not have come.” Even now, Darcy loathed being the center of a matchmaking mother’s attention. Folding his arms, he leaned against the wall. He was irritated, and he wanted to be left alone.
Of all thehorrible things for a stranger to say. Mortified to have her neighbors hear his insult, Elizabeth stood after Mr. Bingley censured his friend. Stepping closer, she said, barely above a whisper, “Tell me, Mr. Darcy, is it only at present that you are in no humor, or is this a malady you suffer from regularly?”
She forced a smile, curtsied, and then, without waiting for a reply, she moved across the room to stand next to Charlotte and Jane, doubly irritated that she could not return home because she needed to keep an eye on Kitty and Lydia.
If only Papa were here.
7
As she walked away, Darcy’s conscience pricked at him until he felt the sting. Miss Elizabeth did not deserve his disdain. When they were introduced earlier in the evening, she had not put herself forward like the ladies of theton. Instead, she greeted him with a friendly smile. She acted as the responsible one of the family by trying to monitor her youngest sister’s conduct, something he found admirable. It was the outrageous conduct of Mrs. Bennet and her two unrestrained daughters that stirred his ire. Yet, it was not Mrs. Bennet he insulted. Why did he blame Miss Elizabeth when it was not her error? Disgusted with himself, he vowed to apologize. Miss Elizabeth Bennet had no fault in the turmoil that was his life or in the conduct of her siblings. Nor could she know how one act ofhissister left his life turned upside down.
Approaching Mr. Crosgrove, he asked if he would accompany him. He needed to speak with the lady.
“Miss Elizabeth Bennet.” He bowed. “Might I have a moment of your time?”
His palms were sweaty. His cravat threatened to choke him.
She stood as stiff as a poker.
Checking to see that Mr. Crosgrove was close and no one else was within hearing distance, Darcy said, “Miss Bennet, I beg your pardon. I allowed my sour mood to overreach the good manners my mother instilled in me. Not one word I said about you was true. If you cannot forgive me, at least allow me to correct my errant speech. You are, as my friend already noted, uncommonly pretty and very agreeable.”
He hoped it was enough to remove himself from her black books. When she tipped her head to the side, squinted her eyes, and surveyed every inch of his face, he worried that his attempt to be gentlemanlike was unsuccessful.Could the evening get any worse?
Her sharp look unsettled him.
Finally, she said, “Agreeable? On what basis could you possibly conclude that I am agreeable, Mr. Darcy?”
“I…well, I…” He shifted his weight to his other foot. “Are you not agreeable?”
She laughed, the merry sound settling around him. “Of course, I am agreeable. I agree your words were cruel. I agree I am uncommon, especially in comparison with my younger sisters. I also agree that when held up against Jane, who is a true beauty, I might be considered merely pretty.” She shrugged. “There. I am agreeable, am I not?”
He did not know how to reply to such a confusing woman.
Mr. Crosgrove jumped in to help. “Now, Miss Lizzy,this gent is a simple farmer like me. Only he has far better trappings. Do grant him the favor of forgiveness, for we spend more time conversing with livestock than lovely ladies.”
“A simple farmer, Mr. Crosgrove? I cannot imagine how you might consider yourself to be simple, for I know how reliant Mrs. Crosgrove is on your good judgment, sir. And she has a clever mind of her own.” Her smile was solely for the older man. “Mr. Crosgrove, you presented a mental image I shall have difficulty removing from my mind, one where you and your compatriot here are slopping hogs and milking cows. I suspect that Mr. Darcy is far more than a plower of wheat or a shepherd. Nonetheless, you make a valid point. I am not one to hold a grudge. I will not tell Mrs. Crosgrove that she is married to a simple man. Nor will I report your poor conduct to your mother, Mr. Darcy.”
“She died when I was twelve,” he answered without thought.
Her smile vanished. “Oh, I do beg your pardon, sir. For as much as my mother can be a constant source of irritation, I am blessed she is still here to vex me.” She clasped her hands together in front of her. “As I am charity itself, I shall forgive your breach in manners, sir. However, you shall not escape a penalty for uttering the insult loud enough that my friends and I could hear. Mr. Crosgrove can be our witness.”
He stiffened his shoulders, anxious about what was to come. He knew nothing of her other than her attentiveness towards her sisters, the richness of her laugh, the loveliness of her smile, and her eyes—her eyes were luminous in the candlelight. Whatever she required ofhim, he would do his best to perform. After all, he was a man of honor.
“My father assigned me the task of keeping watch over my two youngest sisters, who are determined to ruin the Bennet family’s name completely before the evening is over. Therefore, if you are sincere about accepting your penance, it shall be your duty to keep them from harming themselves or others. As she has all evening, Kitty will follow, so you only need to concern yourself with Lydia.” Hurriedly, she dipped a curtsey. “Enjoy the assembly, Mr. Darcy.”
He barely kept his mouth from gaping as she looked at him expectantly.
The heavy hand of Mr. Crosgrove slapped his shoulder. “What are you to do now?”
Of all the senseless things for her to ask! Supervise an uncontrollable girl?How could he protect overtly rebellious young ladies like Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia when he could not keep his sister from danger?
He sighed. “I will remain at the assembly until the last guest leaves, doing exactly as Miss Elizabeth requested.”
