“Who has a broken leg,” she said.
“Precisely,” he returned. “Miss Elizabeth, might I have the honour of the next set?”
He saw her glance uncertainly at Miss Lucas, and he added quickly, “And will you reserve the following set for me, Miss Lucas?”
Both ladies agreed with alacrity. He offered his arm, and had the exquisite pleasure of feeling Miss Elizabeth place her hand upon it. Her touch was gentle, feather-light. “That was kind of you, Mr. Darcy.”
“Kind?”
“To invite Charlotte to dance.”
“I noted your concern,” he replied.
“But you did more than just note it; you took immediate action. She does not have a good many dance partners at functions such as these; she is truly a woman whose value is more than rubies, but men seem to prefer silly young things.”
“Men are fools,” he agreed.
“They are; but enough of that. What has you so nicely turned out, may I ask?”
He could hardly tell her that it was all for her, so instead he replied that since Mr. Bennet had provided the ticket, he wished to do his best not to dishonour his friend.
“Has anyone yet believed that tale?” she enquired, laughing at him.
He laughed as well. “I do not know; you are only the second person I have tried it on.”
“The first being my father, I would wager.”
“You would win that wager.”
“You must be careful, Mr. Darcy. Ours is a neighbourhood rather bereft of young men, and you may find yourself more popular than you bargained for.”
He laughed again, delighted to be with her, delighted at her teasing. It was truly the best half an hour of his life, he thought. He had Miss Elizabeth to himself, or almost to himself, as the dances required him to exchange partners several times. She was as graceful as a swan, her figure mesmerizing as she turned and spun in the candlelight. He tried to memorise every word she spoke, every smile, every turn of her head.
When the set drew to a close, he asked if she would dance with him again. She hesitated, and finally said, “Mr. Darcy, I would enjoy that, but in all honesty, I would be happier if you would dance with other young ladies. There are too many who are forced to sit out the dances due to a lack of partners.”
He could only assent, of course, as he led her back to Miss Lucas and then escorted that young lady to the floor.
The rest of the evening passed pleasantly enough, and he did his best to fulfill Miss Elizabeth’s request. He danced with Miss Catherine and even with Miss Lydia, as he had promised Bennet, and endured a good many giggles in doing so. But all in all, to his immense surprise, he found that he had enjoyed his evening prodigiously.
***
“Did you enjoy your dance with Mr. Darcy, Jane?”
“I did, indeed, as he is graceful on the dance floor. And you?”
“Very much. Too much, perhaps. And he asked me for a second dance,” Elizabeth said, wistfully.
“I did not see you dance with him a second time.” Jane was puzzled.
“That is because I declined; I asked him to dance with other ladies, those who might not otherwise have a chance to get out on the floor.”
“That was very good of you.”
“No, I cannot take any credit, Jane; I did it solely to guard my own heart. I thought I was in no danger, but now I am less certain.”
“You are wise to be cautious, Lizzy. I do not know why it is that he is not to be regarded as a marital prospect, but Papa would not warn us away if there was not a good reason.”
“You are right, Jane. But I must say that I would give a good deal to learn what that reason is.”
