Page 7 of The Best Of Relations

“Oh, Lizzy will get partners readily enough, she’s a pretty young thing, whereas no one will ask an old woman like me to dance,” Mrs Gardiner announced. “You don’t mind if I steal your opening partner, do you, Lizzy?” She winked over her shoulder at her niece.

“I would be no means suspend any pleasure of yours, dear Aunt,” Elizabeth responded, though she could hear Jane choking beside her at Mrs Gardiner’s referring to herself as an old woman. Only just past thirty, though the mother of four children, she was fresh-faced and very beautiful, and could be thought no older than Jane. And certainly, Elizabeth thought, there could be no lady at the ball more finely attired, for not only was Mrs Gardiner’s gown made of that amazing, colour-changing silk, but it was cut in the very latest Town fashion.

Caroline Bingley certainly turned an unpleasant shade of green at the sight of that gown. Confident that she herself would be the best-dressed, handsomest lady at the ball, she stared angrily at this lovely, confident woman dressed in a gown that must have cost no few guineas. She almost strangled on her own rage when she realised that this was one of the Bennets' Cheapside relations!

She acknowledged Mrs Gardiner’s introduction with a miniscule tip of her head and an attempt to look down her nose – which failed rather, as Madeline Gardiner was a tall woman and topped Caroline Bingley by half a head at least. In the end Miss Bingley snapped her gaze away with a dismissive sniff and was then confronted with the obsequiously smiling Mr Collins, who delivered a clumsy bow at just the wrong moment and almost head-butted her bosom. Mrs Gardiner had to conceal a fit of giggles with a few strategic coughs, as did Elizabeth. Fortunately, Kitty was as yet beyond the threshold and did not see.

Mr Bingley, of course, had eyes for no one but his Jane, looking even more lovely than usual in a gold and white gown that flowed around her tall, slender form. Lifting her hand to his lips, he gazed for a long moment into her deep blue eyes. Words failed him until Elizabeth politely coughed, reminding him that he was holding up the receiving line, and even then it took him a couple of attempts to make words come out.

“Miss Bennet, I am awestruck. No doubt my words will do paltry justice to your beauty, but pray allow me to say how very well you look tonight!”

Resolved to be bold, Jane lifted her eyes to his, and very gently squeezed his fingers. “Mr Bingley, thank you for your kind compliment. You look most handsome, yourself, and I am exceedingly flattered that you have asked me to open the dancing with you.” His delighted smile was all the affirmation of his feelings she might have asked for, and she returned the smile with a bright one of her own. It required another subtle cough from Elizabeth before they recollected themselves and Bingley finally released Jane’s hand, turning to greet her sisters.

Elizabeth, looking in vain to see if Mr Wickham had chosen to attend, joined Charlotte Lucas in the drawing-room. Relieved of the obligation of dancing with Mr Collins, she watched with a smile as Mr Bingley led Jane to the head of the line. Mr and Mrs Hurst followed, and then Mr Darcy with Miss Bingley. Some few minutes later the dance brought Mr Darcy face to face with Mrs Gardiner, and Elizabeth watched with some glee as Mr Darcy almost tripped over his own feet, his expression thunderstruck.

“Cousin Madeline,” Mr Darcy gasped, “what are you doing here?”

“Oh,” Mrs Gardiner replied airily, “visiting Edward’s family, dear. Did you not know that Mrs Bennet is his sister?”

The pattern of the dance separated them before more words could be spoken. But Elizabeth saw Mr Darcy glance very frequently at Mrs Gardiner, and then at her mother and even herself. She had not been able to hear their words, but could guess what they might have been from his astounded expression. Miss Bingley, very annoyed at his inattention, badgered him as to the reason, but he could only respond vaguely that he had not expected to see one of his distant relations here.

At the conclusion of the first dance, Kitty, who had been dancing with an officer, came hurrying up to Elizabeth. “He isn’t here, Lizzy, Wickham hasn’t come! Denny said he went to Town yesterday on important business, but he said that Wickham wanted to avoid a certain person here – he must have meant Mr Darcy!”

“Knowing what we do now,” Elizabeth said, “that is no very great surprise. It is rather hard to tell falsehoods about someone when they are present to refute your accusations, after all.” She had spent the half-hour of the first set quietly apprising Charlotte Lucas, and the Misses Long, who were standing nearby, of their intelligence regarding Mr Wickham, and could hear her mother holding court on the subject rather less quietly among the matrons on the other side of the room.

“It is very shocking,” Sarah Long agreed, “he is so gallant, and so handsome!”

“I daresay that it is a lesson to us all that a handsome face is no guarantee of an equally handsome character,” Charlotte remarked.

“Sometimes those not considered so handsome are the very best of people,” Elizabeth squeezed Charlotte’s arm, and her friend smiled at her.

“And those who are both handsome and sweet-natured are like Jane, no one can help but adore her,” Sarah Long sighed, “even if I am just a bit envious. Look, even though Mr Bingley will not dance with her again so soon, he will not leave her alone for even a minute, they are going to sit out this set together!”

Elizabeth smiled at the sight, and at that moment a group of the militia officers came up, importuning them to dance. Elizabeth accepted Captain Carter’s offered escort and took her place in the line. As she did so, she glimpsed Mr Darcy speaking with her aunt, as he escorted her to an alcove where they could talk privately.

“Cousin Madeline, this is an unexpected pleasure,” Darcy had a genuine smile on his face. “I never would have suspected you to be related to the Bennets.”

“Why not?” she asked pointedly, “had not Miss Bingley made you aware of their Cheapside connections, in pointing out their inferiority?”

Darcy winced. Miss Bingley had indeed, several times, emphasizing the word Cheap every time she did. “She did, but I had no idea it was you.”

“What difference should it make? Cousin Fitzwilliam, I shall be frank. My niece has told me that you have been behaving as though you feel yourself very much above your company here in Hertfordshire, finding fault and looking down on the locals, and even severely insulting her appearance.”

“What?” Darcy blinked. “Insulting – whose appearance? Which niece?”

“Miss Elizabeth Bennet.” And when he disagreed emphatically, she raised her eyebrows. “Do the words ‘not handsome enough to tempt me’ not ring any bells in your mind, cousin?”

“Oh, no,” he said weakly, “she heard me.”

“She most certainly did, and I am most shocked at your incivility. Now come, I know your mother and your Aunt the Countess taught you better than that, no matter if you do – erroneously – think the young lady in question to be beneath your notice!”

Darcy attempted to excuse himself by claiming he had only been trying to dissuade Bingley from pressing him to dance, but Mrs Gardiner did not let up; she only pointed out that he should have been doing his duty and dancing anyway, if there were young ladies in want of a partner. And how he could think Elizabeth Bennet not handsome was quite beyond her comprehension anyway!

“I have long since concluded that I was very wrong in that first assessment, cousin,” Darcy said then. “While her face may not be perfectly symmetrical and she has not the classical prettiness of her eldest sister, her eyes are among the finest I have ever seen and her form is most pleasing. I am coming quickly to consider her among the most handsome women of my acquaintance, I assure you.”

“I am glad you have not lost your eyesight as well as your manners,” Mrs Gardiner said tartly. “You owe her an apology. But before I release you to make it, I must let you know that I am here rather suddenly on account of a letter with some rather disturbing intelligence I received from Elizabeth, just yesterday. You are aware, of course, of Mr Wickham’s presence here with the Militia?” She told him of Wickham’s defamation of his character, his attempt to charm Elizabeth and then asked Darcy, very soberly, why he had not already exposed Wickham.

“I cannot, cousin,” Darcy said, clenching his fists. “I dare not.” Very quietly, in a voice so soft that Mrs Gardiner had to strain to hear him, he admitted to her that Wickham had attempted to convince his young sister Georgiana into an elopement the previous summer at Ramsgate, his objective of course to gain control of Miss Darcy’s dowry of thirty-thousand pounds. Only the merest chance had seen Darcy arrive for an unexpected visit in time to forestall their departure. Darcy had seen Wickham – and Mrs Younge, his untrustworthy accomplice who had then been employed as Georgiana’s companion – run out of town immediately, but he dared not do more for fear that the two of them would blacken Georgiana’s reputation.