Elizabeth did her best to soothe her sister. “He will seek you out and explain it all soon—once supper ends, if not before. I am certain of it.”
Her brow gently furrowed, Jane nodded. “I am sure you are right. I am thankful my mother did not know he was supposed to dance with me again. I could not bear to hear her remarks about him not standing up with me or her worries about why.”
Elizabeth did not know what else to say. She took Jane to the retiring room and dabbed at her face with a cool cloth before they returned to eat supper. The meal itself was excellent, and Elizabeth had the satisfaction of seeing Jane’s mood improve a little bit. Her sister was engaged to dance after supper and agreed to find Elizabeth should she need her.
“Promise you will not fret about me, Lizzy. Enjoy the rest of the ball, and I shall do likewise.”
Elizabeth reluctantly acquiesced.
I wish I felt more confident that when Jane and I next speak, she will be full of her usual smiles, Mr Bingley having prettily begged for her forgiveness.
Throughout supper, Mr Bingley gave every evidence of being much occupied with other people. Elizabeth found it odd that he seemed unconcerned about Jane, but she prayed he would make it up to her sister before the end of the ball. The gentleman he had shown himself to be over the previous two months could act no differently.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE
Darcy searched for Miss Bingley before supper to request she dance with him later in the evening, but he did not see her. During the meal, she and Bingley appeared distracted. When he saw Bingley slip out of the room at the end of supper, Darcy followed him.
“I looked for your sister earlier, to secure a set, but could not find her, I did not see either of you amongst the lines before supper, and you do not seem your usual self. If it is none of my business, tell me, but has something untoward occurred? You know I am glad to help if my assistance would be valuable.”
Bingley laughed and waved a hand dismissively, though his gestures were not entirely convincing. “There was a minor issue in the kitchens. Some anxiety about a dish or two, but Caroline sorted it all out. Do remember to ask her for that dance. You know how much she enjoys spending time with you.”
With that, Bingley clapped Darcy’s shoulder and walked away.
Rather than approach Miss Bingley immediately, Darcy sought out Miss Elizabeth. She was standing with one of the Goulding sons and another couple when Darcy approached. She caught sight of him and grinned, her eyes meeting his. She looked especially beautiful tonight, which was saying something, since Darcy considered her the handsomest woman of his acquaintance. His hand began to lift of its own accord, reaching out to touch her, to clasp her hand or caress the smooth surface of her cheek.
“Mr Darcy! I hope you have come to talk to me. We have exchanged no more than half a dozen words all evening.”
How he wished they lived in a different place or time, one in which he could take her somewhere private and demand she tell him everything about her connexion to Mr Collins—the depths of her feelings, how she could ever think she would be happy with him, and whether she had chosen this course of action only because Mr Collins was her father’s heir. If they were headed to the altar, Darcy would kiss her and beg her to givehima chance to convince her to love him instead. It would be ungentlemanly, and if she had even tacitly promised herself to another, it would be wrong of him to put her in such a position. It was not even that Darcy disliked Mr Collins, let alone knew any evil of the man. Simply put, Mr Collins was Miss Elizabeth’s inferior by every measure that mattered, and the very thought of her married to him revolted Darcy.
Still, there was a sliver of doubt in his mind, an iota of hope that he did not have the right of the situation. Until there was an actual marriage, or the wedding banns were read, nothing was certain.
In answer to her statement, he said, “To my great regret. If you are at liberty for the next set, will you do me the honour of standing up with me?”
Her smile widened and her cheeks flushed. She narrowed the gap between them, leaving her companions to their conversation in favour of his company, which lightened his mood.
“I would be happy to accept, thank you. Are you enjoying yourself?”
He shook himself out of the daydream of her returning his affection that had instantly begun forming of its own volition. Her welcome was so promising, was it not? The way she gave him all her attention, almost as though she forgot they were standing in a crowded ballroom, and the brightness of her eyes, which did not leave his and made his knees quiver.
“As much as I ever like such large events. Have you been well amused?”
“Very much. We are celebrating my cousin’s good fortune as well as the treat of a private ball. Waiting for him to obtain a decent position has been the source of great anxiety for him, my parents, indeed all of us, these last months, and it feels wonderful to have it behind us. I am pleased for him.”
Forhim. Those two little words bounced about inside Darcy’s skull as she chatted about her cousin working very hard at university and his many efforts to find an appointment that would allow him to earn his living. They seemed to signify a great deal. If she were to marry Mr Collins, would she not have said she was pleased forthem?
“It is excellent news. I spoke to him about it briefly earlier. Regrettably, too many good men take orders, and then the only employment they can find pays them a pittance while demanding they do a great deal of work,” Darcy said.
She accepted this but did not seem inclined to discuss the matter any longer. “Miss Bingley did a lovely job with the arrangements. It is no easy feat to plan a ball. We shall be talking about it all winter—perhaps even until the next ball at Netherfield, whenever that might be!”
Darcy smiled when she laughed. “She and her brother will be glad to know their neighbours approve. They have been grateful for how welcoming everyone has been and wished to repay their kindness.”
She gave a gentle shrug and again changed the subject, asking how he had passed the last few days, and talking about her frustration at being confined to the house. “I was prepared to go out for a walk despite the rain, but my mother forbade it. I do not know that her telling me not to would have been enough to convince me, but when she mentioned I might fall ill and, as a consequence, miss tonight, I decided to be cautious. I do not often succumb to colds and the like, but how dreadful if this time I do, all because I wanted more activity and exercise and to breathe in the fresh air.”
“I, too, found it difficult to be indoors for so long.”
“Ah, but there is an important difference between us, Mr Darcy.”
Her teasing tone was one he could happily spend his life hearing. Whenever she directed it at him, he felt like he shed ten pounds. “What is that, Miss Elizabeth?”
