Page 7 of Fortuitous Encounters

Elizabeth was somewhat chagrined that Mr Darcy danced with Charlotte with much more careful attention than she might have expected. She certainly found him an amiable man once they were past their rough start, and only a simpleton would fail to assert he was fearsomely handsome, an excellent dancer, and an engaging and intelligent conversationist. She knew nothing would ever come of it, but that did not prevent the slightest pang of—what was it? Jealousy? Impossible!

As to Miss Darcy, the prescribed remedy worked exactly as intended. No bad humour could possibly survive twenty minutes of company with Jane Bennet; everything went according to plan. Nothing in particular was said between Miss Darcy and Jane, but Jane’s easy manner was enough to settle the young girl and bring her back to some comfort, as Elizabeth readily determined, paying almost as much attention to her as her brother.

At length, Miss Darcy put the sequence of events together and determined that the eldest Miss Bennet had never even spoken to her brother; it must be the second eldest who had somehow arranged all the chess pieces on the board to her design.

“Miss Elizabeth, I find myself all astonishment at the events of the evening!” she said without preamble.

Impertinence was clearly required. “I daresay your brother was not expecting you in the least!”

She gauged the young lady carefully for her sense of humour and was rewarded with a small self-satisfied smirk. “Yes, he certainly did not expect me here; but that was not the particular surprise I meant.”

“Whatever could you mean?” Elizabeth asked with perfect innocence.

“How long have you known my brother?” Georgiana asked carefully. “I am inordinately surprised to find him thus engaged. I would say I was astonished if I had not already used that word, and I cannot at the moment think of a stronger expression of wonder.”

Elizabeth was not quite done toying with her prey. “We are at an assembly. It is the custom to dance.”

“Are you avoiding my question?”

“Oh dear, I completely missed the question,” she replied with perfect innocence, and glanced at the clock. “I have known your brother approximately eighty-seven minutes. I cannot be more precise, as I did not pay strict attention to the clock during the introduction.”

Georgiana gasped. “Eighty-seven minutes, you say?”

“Eighty-eight now!”

This sent the younger girl into a fit of giggles, which was what the elder had hoped for. Elizabeth grinned along with her. She noticed Mr Darcy coming close by as the dance moved them down the line; he stared at the two of them giggling together in either open-mouthed astonishment or red-faced embarrassment—it was hard to tell.

Georgiana became a little more serious. “And how, Miss Elizabeth, in eighty-seven minutes have you learned to direct my brother’s dancing exploits—and apparently my cousin’s as well?”

“Oh, you have it all wrong. I am not directing either gentleman!”

Georgiana was not to be put off by half-truths, let alone quarter-truths. “Do you assert that, absent your intervention my brother would be dancing with Miss Lucas, and my cousin with your sister?”

Elizabeth grinned, all innocence. “It is hard to say with your cousin, as he seems quite amenable to dancing, but I must confess that your brother is dancing with my friend at my explicit suggestion.”

“And has he danced with others this evening?”

“Of course! He is here with Mr Bingley’s sisters, and it would be exceedingly impolite not to dance with the ladies of your own party. He has danced with each of them.”

“Once again, pardon my impertinence, but might I detect the slightest bit of prevarication?”

Elizabeth laughed. “Five syllables—you are certainly your brother’s sister.”

Miss Darcy was not to be put off again. “Have you portrayed his entire dancing history for the evening?”

Jane followed the exchange carefully, finding amusement in the tête-à-tête, waiting for the last brick to fall, and fully expecting to find it most diverting.

Elizabeth understood the game was just about up. “I might, perhaps, mention that he just may have danced—”

Jane could bear it no longer. “Two sets with Lizzy!”

Georgiana gaped in astonishment, much to Jane’s amusement, and perhaps Elizabeth’s chagrin. The surprise was apparently enough to practically spellbind the girl.

At length, Miss Darcy regained her composure and timidly asked, “Two sets?”

“Yes, two sets.”

“Four dances?”