A few minutes later, music was proposed.
Sir William, delighted by the prospect, clapped his hands together. “Come, Miss Mary, will you not favor us?”
Mary accepted with more dignity than eagerness and moved to the instrument.
Darcy placed himself where he might still observe Miss Elizabeth. She stood near Miss Lucas now, and the two spoke in low voices. Whatever Miss Lucas said caused Miss Elizabeth to glance toward him with a look that might have held amusement had it not been so quickly withdrawn.
He deserved it.
Miss Mary began to play.
The performance was competent, earnest, and somewhat more formal than the room required. Bingley listened with unfailing good nature. Miss Bingley, stationed near Mrs. Hurst, made no effort to conceal her lack of enjoyment.
When the piece concluded, Sir William praised it with enthusiasm.
“Very fine, Miss Mary. Very fine indeed. Now, Miss Eliza, surely you must take your turn.”
Miss Elizabeth shook her head. “You are very kind, Sir William, but I must decline.”
“Decline? We cannot have that.”
“I assure you, you may.”
Miss Lucas smiled. “Lizzy plays only when she cannot escape.”
“Then we must contrive to prevent escape,” Sir William declared.
Miss Elizabeth giggled. “That would be a dangerous precedent.”
Darcy stepped closer before he could reconsider. “Do you dislike performing, Miss Bennet?”
She turned. Her expression remained civil, though guarded. “I dislike performing when others have given no offense sufficient to deserve it.”
A slight smile touched Miss Lucas’s mouth.
Darcy bowed his head. “Then we are fortunate in your mercy.”
Her gaze flickered, perhaps from surprise.
Here was the moment.
“Miss Bennet, I—”
“Lizzy,” Lady Lucas called from across the room, “come and settle this question for us. Charlotte says I have misremembered the order of dances at the assembly.”
Miss Elizabeth turned toward Lady Lucas, then back at Darcy. “Pray excuse me.”
She was gone.
Darcy remained where he stood, the unfinished apology lodged somewhere between intention and speech.
Miss Lucas regarded him with composed interest. “She is very much in demand this evening.”
“So, I observe.”
“Lizzy generally is.” The answer held no malice. That made it worse.
Darcy gave a brief nod and withdrew before he could betray his irritation.
