Page 81 of Bitterness of Spirit

Their eyes locked again before they continued to walk. No other words were needed.

“Therefore, I told Richard that I would not dance the first two sets. I suspect he will invite you for the first set and Miss Bennet for the second.”

“Thank you for warning me,” she said, laughing nervously.

“I shall ask Miss Bennet for the third set, and if you would do me the honour, I would kindly ask you to reserve me the supper set.”

“I think that is a perfect choice, sir,” she whispered.

They stepped side by side for a while, her emotions mixed and strong. His confession and the explanation he offered were stronger proof of his affection than any dance could be. His kindness towards his cousin did not diminish his admiration and care for her.

“Thank you for listening to me, Miss Bennet. I was reluctant to broach such a subject with you as I feared it would be an awkward conversation. But for many months, I behaved in a way that allowed you to form a wrong impression of me. This time, I wished to avoid any misunderstanding.”

“It was an awkward conversation indeed.” She laughed again. “But I am deeply grateful to you for it. I confess that I hoped you would ask me for the first set—or for any other.”

“This is good to know…very good to know,” he uttered in a low voice.

“Will you come to Hertfordshire?” she inquired sometime later. They were both looking ahead, paying attention to the view ahead, painfully aware of each other’s closeness.

“I shall, but I am not sure of the length of my stay. I would rather go to Pemberley to be certain everything is prepared for your arrival.”

She said nothing but felt so much that her entire being was wracked by chills. Her mind tried to keep her racing heart under good regulation, but not even her fear of assuming too much could dismiss the obvious truth in his words.

Although their walk lasted only an hour, Elizabeth knew its importance could last a lifetime.

They returned home, and the gentlemen soon left, leaving both Miss Bennets with large smiles and light hearts that did not go unnoticed by their relatives. However, the only subject discussed was the upcoming ball.

***

After her conversation with Darcy, Elizabeth began to count the days based on the major events she eagerly awaited: the ball, where she would dance the supper set with him; Jane’s wedding, when he would be in Hertfordshire; and her visit to Pemberley.

A sort of excitement she had never known before filled her, and she felt light-hearted all the time. The more she thought about it, the more she understood the weight of his confession about the ball. She was amused, grateful, and touched that he considered sharing with her the cousins’ plans and confessed his intention of dancing two sets with her. What man would do that unless he wished her to recognize his admiration and his intention of revealing it publicly?

His prudence in not exposing Anne to a distressing circumstance, she could understand perfectly well. She would have done exactly the same. It would have been torturous for Anne to see people talking about Darcy’s preference for another woman while expecting a certain engagement. Even worse, Elizabeth wondered about Lady Catherine’s reaction to such a revelation. Surely, it was outrageous to risk a scandal at the ball Mr. Wilson had worked so hard to arrange. Besides, knowing his intentions was more important than having them actually occur.

On the day of the ball, the large hall, dining room, and drawing room on the first floor were all open and decorated with fresh flowers that added to the house’s elegant beauty. Rooms for billiards and cards were also prepared for those who were not fond of dancing.

For supper, special dishes were prepared to satisfy all tastes: white soup, roast fowl and chickens, stewed peas, French beans and potatoes, salads, pastries, jellies and creams, various pies, cold meats, and cheese. For dessert, fruits—strawberries, cherries and grapes—confectionary cakes, ices, and many others were available.

As for drinks, exquisite wines including claret, port, Madeira, and sherry were abundant. Also, orgeat and ratafia, punch, liquors, tea, and coffee were at the ready. The music for the night was provided by a band of musicians who performed with Mr. Gow, whose presence was nearly impossible to attain on short notice since the famous gentleman was always in demand.

Every day, Elizabeth wondered—and asked her aunt too—why Mr. Wilson was taking so much trouble for a ball that could bring him little gain. But no one knew more than he was willing to explain, and the idea of the ball, once it came to his mind, was carried out in his own way.

Once everything was ready, Mrs. Gardiner and her nieces retired to rest before the ball. Each was restless: worried about the reaction of the illustrious guests and nervous about meeting the Duke of York and two of the noble patronesses of Almack’s.

For all those famous personages to gather in the house of a shop owner’s son—one who started his life without money, connections, or a foreseeable future—was astonishing, inconceivable, and frightening.

The hours flew by, but around seven o’clock, the family was ready to greet the guests. The host declared himself pleased with the ladies’ appearance and expressed his gratitude for their help in preparing such an event in so little time.

As the hour of the ball approached, Mr. Wilson also seemed to exhibit a sort of restlessness that the family had not seen before. His clothes had been chosen with the same care as those of the ladies. He kept his hair long and tied at his nape. His beard—long and thick—was neat and elegant and the scar, although visible, added both seriousness to his countenance and elegance to his features.

“Dear Lizzy, you look stunning,” Jane said. “You are always pretty, but tonight you glow.”

“If I am glowing, I must have caught some of your felicity.” Elizabeth laughed. “You will be the talk of the evening, Jane, as beautiful as you are.”

Jane blushed. “I hope Charles approves of my appearance.”

Elizabeth laughed again. “I suspect he will be thunderstruck with admiration. And then he will not move from your side.”