Page 5 of The Vanished Bennet Sister

"And yet, you have already begun attending to the musical controversies of the assembly rooms."

He was aware, as he spoke, of his words coming across as accusatory in place of the teasing tone he had intended. But it was far too late to remedy it.

She stiffened visibly. "The musical controversies found me. I was merely attempting to enjoy the overture."

"And I hear you are from Hertfordshire. Would you share your impressions with me? I have never been."

"I see you have been making enquiries."

"Not particularly. I received the information from my good friend, Mr Charles Bingley."

"That may as well be the same as asking questions, depending on the context. Without further prompting, a quick exchange is unlikely to have revealed anything that required effort to discover."

This was so sufficiently stated that Darcy did not answer it immediately. She waited for his response without any appearance of discomfort.

He decided to change the topic, in the hope of preventing further awkwardness.

"I’m from Derbyshire. It’s a wonderful sight to see throughout the year, especially in the winter."

"And what would you say about it in comparison to being in Town?"

"Derbyshire offers a wonderful break from the relentless socialising that occurs in London. That, and the Darcys have a grand estate that makes being in the countryside enjoyable. But being in Town is a different experience. More tasks are accomplished here, if you’re an ambitious fellow, and there are plenty of connections to be made."

"And do you find Town agreeable, after Derbyshire?"

"I find it necessary. It serves well as a second-choice location."

"The theatre options here are excellent."

"High praise."

"It is the only praise I can offer with veracity. I make a point of not indulging in the other kind."

It occurred to him that she was likely testing him, with a combination of blunt statements and dry humour, and it was difficult to tell if he was succeeding or failing. Or perhaps she spoke this way to everyone, in which case her evenings were likely to prove eventful.

"Pray, where do you stay while in London?" He asked. He already knew, of course, but he did not wish to be accused of having made inquiries again.

"At Portman Square, do you know it?"

"Indeed." He found himself saying, "Portman Square is a popular location at present, but in the past, it used to be described solely as tolerable."

She looked surprised. "Tolerable?"

"The shape of the area was the point of contention. It was not thought to be very appealing."

"By whom?"

"Society. A few acquaintances as well."

"They were wrong. Tolerable suggests the barest sufficiency. The square is, in fact, very lovely. If your sources lacked the vocabulary for finer distinction, I should not recommend you cite them on architectural matters."

She had taken the word and handed it back to him with the implication that he had been inexact, which he doubted was the case, but the argument was organised well enough that pointing this out would require considerable effort.

"I stand corrected."

She smiled vaguely. "We are, then, in agreement on the most essential point."

The dance concluded and they came to a halt.