Pride in Meryton, page 10
George appeared quite pale upon hearing this warning: “I understand,” he nervously replied.
“I thought you might,” Darcy replied with a cheerful smile. He clapped George on the back: “Thank you, old friend. I have enjoyed our discussion immensely!” With a nod of his head, he returned to the carriage where Charles awaited him.
“Is that all settled?” Charles inquired.
Darcy smiled broadly: “We have finally come to an agreement and I expect no further trouble from that quarter.”
~~~
Darcy and Charles were announced by the housekeeper at the Longbourn drawing room. Darcy locked his gaze on Miss Elizabeth and was instantly relieved to be in her company again. Mrs. Bennet arose from her chair, appearing to be greatly surprised: “We had not expected you, Mr. Bingley!” she exclaimed, but catching herself added: “But you and Mr. Darcy are most welcome, to be sure!”
“My business required my presence in Town for a few days, Mrs. Bennet, but I could not bring myself to stay away any longer,” Charles told her.
“Well, I should say not! And we shall expect you both for supper this evening, if that is agreeable.”
“Yes, most agreeable, thank you!” Darcy replied, bowing in deference to his hostess.
She invited them to be seated and they exchanged the usual civilities, while the Bennet sisters remained silent. Miss Elizabeth averted her eyes from Darcy but frequently glanced in his direction, pleasing him with her blushes and smiles.
Charles rose to address his hostess: “Mrs. Bennet, might I have a private audience with Miss Bennet?”
Mrs. Bennet failed to disguise her glee and jumped to her feet: “To be sure, Mr. Bingley! I am quite certain that my Jane would like nothing better, would you Jane?” she exclaimed, wildly fluttering her hands as she urged her other daughters to rise from their chairs.
Miss Bennet blushed brightly and hung her head.
Mrs. Bennet grasped Kitty’s hand: “Come along, girls. Come and keep Mr. Darcy company while Jane speaks with Mr. Bingley,” she instructed, rushing them all out of the room.
They all left the drawing room. “Please do not trouble yourself on my account, Mrs. Bennet,” Darcy told her with a bow. “I shall take a walk in the gardens, if you have no objections.”
She waved her hands excitedly: “No, no! None at all Mr. Darcy,” she replied as she hovered near the drawing room door.
He gave one last glance to Miss Elizabeth and left the house through the front door, walking around to the garden. He had not walked far when he encountered Miss Elizabeth. “I had hoped you would join me,” he replied, enjoying her smile.
“I had hoped to receive an invitation,” she teased him.
“I can hardly invite you to tour your own gardens, I should think,” he teased her in return.
She grinned: “Where are my manners? Mr. Darcy, may I invite you to tour the Longbourn gardens with me?”
“I should be delighted, Miss Elizabeth,” he replied, extending his arm which she happily accepted.
They walked on in silence. Now that he was alone with her, he had not the smallest idea what to do about it. He had imagined this moment many times; none with great satisfaction. Even in his own imaginings, he never said the right things; he struggled to formulate the declaration of adoration that he felt so deeply but had trouble expressing.
“I am glad you have returned, Mr. Darcy,” she told him, gazing warmly at him.
He gazed at her smiling face: “I am glad to see you again, Miss Elizabeth.”
He stared down at the ground and they walked on in silence. Why was this so difficult? He was an educated man. He had studied the masters; he knew sonnets and love poems by heart. What was so impossible about openly stating his feelings? Could it possibly be that he had never done so in his entire eight and twenty years?
“Is Miss Darcy well?” she politely inquired.
“Yes, I found her in good spirits and enjoying her studies,” he replied gazing into her eyes which danced with admiration. How could he ever have contemplated leaving her?-he wondered. “It will not do! My feelings will not be repressed! You must allow me to tell you how much I love and admire you!” he finally blurted out.
“Please do, Mr. Darcy!” she replied, with an affectionate smile.
He gazed into her eyes and found all the inspiration he could possibly need. “I love you, my dearest, loveliest Miss Elizabeth. Since the first time I met you, I knew you were a remarkable woman.”
“You insulted my appearance, if I recall correctly.”
He was undeterred: “From the first moment I gazed into your eyes, I knew I would never meet anyone as beautiful and intelligent as you are.”
“And you refused to dance with me,” she continued with a teasing smile.
He stopped walking and grasped her hands: “From my first dance with you, I knew I would never wish to dance with another,” he told her, gazing deeply into her eyes.
She smiled warmly: “I did enjoy dancing with you.”
“Even after you insulted me, I knew that only the most impertinent, infuriating woman would ever do for me,” he replied, his eyes never leaving hers.
She averted her eyes, blushing lightly. “No, please do not look away,” he told her. “I want to see your eyes when I tell you that I love you, most ardently. I want to look into your eyes when I tell you that I have never loved a woman in my life and now I shall never love anyone but you.”
She sighed and her lip quivered.
“Miss Elizabeth, will you do me the honour of accepting my hand?”
“Yes, Mr. Darcy,” she replied with an affectionate smile and misty eyes. “I would be pleased to accept your hand.”
He raised her hand to his lips, kissing her fingers.
“I can be quite impertinent,” she warned him with a lovely smile.
He smiled in return: “I love your impertinence.”
“And outspoken,” she added.
“We shall have the liveliest debates,” he replied, undeterred.
“I have a paltry dowry,” she insisted.
“Then we shall be as poor as church mice,” he answered.
Her eyes danced with merriment: “I somehow doubt that, Sir,” she replied.
Mrs. Bennet screeching voice could be heard from inside the house: “Oh my dear Jane! I knew how it would be! I always knew it!”
Miss Elizabeth shook her head and sighed: “My family is absurd.”
“I shall not attempt to dissuade you from that opinion.”
“My Mama will most assuredly succumb to nervous complaints once she learns of your proposal,” she warned him.
“We must not delay the inevitable,” he calmly replied, offering his arm.
She grasped his arm with both hands and they walked back towards the house. “Are you certain about this, Mr. Darcy?” she inquired.
“I have never been more certain of anything in my life.”
They walked through the tranquillity of the garden into the chaos of Longbourn.
~~ ~~ ~~
Meryton Revisited
Chapter 1: Tuesday, October 15, 1811
On Tuesday morning, the occupants of Netherfield Park were assembled for breakfast; Mr. Charles Bingley, the master of the house, his two sisters; Miss Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Louisa Hurst; Louisa’s husband, Mr. Henry Hurst, and a family friend, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Caroline, sensing an opportunity to gain favour with the handsome and eligible Darcy, was singing the praises of the countryside: “How I love the country, Charles! So much fresh air and such beautiful scenery! The gardens here at Netherfield are quite lovely; of course they are no comparison to the grandness and beauty of Pemberley. Do you not agree, Mr. Darcy?” she asked, hoping to draw him into conversation.
“Yes, quite so,” Darcy replied, hoping to avoid her.
“Yes, even the country fashions are so quaint, so appealing. Nothing like the fashions in town, to be sure, but still, quite pleasing,” she said, trying to maintain a positive outlook, even though she truthfully found the country and its inhabitants to be terribly dull. Unable to gain any notice from Mr. Darcy, she and Louisa spent the rest of the meal discussing their plans to attend the country ball later that evening.
~~~
The previous day, they had been visited by a local gentleman, Sir William Lucas, who owned a neighbouring estate. While he was being introduced to the newcomers, a fierce rain storm engulfed the house, spewing bright lightning and loud thunder. Mr. Bingley welcomed Sir William to his home and encouraged him to extend his visit until the storm passed. During their visit, the storm raged; lightning and thunder pounded them relentlessly. They discussed their respective towns, homes, family members, and neighbours. Sir William invited them all to attend the local ball to be held the following evening at the Meryton assembly; which Mr. Bingley accepted on behalf of all of his guests. Just as quickly as it arose, the storm then passed. Sir William took his leave of his new neighbours and set off for home.
When the Netherfield party arrived at the assembly that evening, Mr. Bingley made a point to acquaint himself with as many neighbours as possible and was considered a pleasant and amiable man. He danced every dance and enjoyed the evening with great liveliness. He paid special attention to Miss Jane Bennet, the most beautiful creature he had ever beheld.
Darcy, however, was in a foul mood and was not inclined to make any new acquaintances. He danced only two dances with members of his own party and sulked the rest of the evening. As a result, he was considered proud and disagreeable by the other attendees. Mr. Bingley attempted to encourage his friend to dance and offered to introduce him to the sister of his favourite partner, but Darcy refused: “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.” [6]
This remark was overheard by the subject of his scorn, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, which she received with the greatest humour, as she delighted in all things absurd; but the remark was received with great disdain by everyone else. Insulting one as lovely and lively as Miss Elizabeth was considered to be an offense most intolerable.
When the Netherfield party returned home that evening, Mr. Bingley was in high spirits, having just spent an enjoyable evening with a beautiful angel and in the company of congenial neighbours; however, no such enthusiasm for the evening’s events was enjoyed by the rest of the party.
Chapter 2: Tuesday, October 15
In the morning, the Netherfield party was assembled for breakfast and Miss Bingley was singing the praises of the countryside, much to Darcy’s dismay. “Why does she continue to ramble on about the countryside and its charming occupants after the spectacle that we witnessed last evening?” he wondered silently. He paid little attention to her and concentrated on his breakfast.
“Oh Louisa, I am so looking forward to attending the country ball this evening!” Caroline exclaimed. “It shall be great fun! I wonder what type of fashions we may enjoy from the locals?” she pondered aloud.
“Another ball? Haven’t we quite had our fill of balls, Miss Bingley?” Darcy asked her.
“Oh Mr. Darcy, what a thing to ask! Of course, one could never attend too many balls. It is a great opportunity to meet new people,” she responded.
“Yes, Darcy, Sir William was quite amiable and I am looking forward to meeting the rest of my neighbours. Please do not say you have changed your mind about attending tonight!” Charles beseeched him.
“No, Charles, I have not changed my mind, but….”
“Excellent! We shall have an enjoyable evening, to be sure!” Charles was looking forward to the evening with such great anticipation; how could Darcy refuse?
When they arrived at the assembly that evening, Darcy sought out Sir William and asked him: “How often do you hold balls in the country, Sir?”
“This is a monthly event, Mr. Darcy,” Sir William replied.
“Certainly, that cannot be correct,” thought Darcy. “There must be some mistake.” He moved to the back of the room and observed those in attendance. He recognized many of the same people from the previous evening. The “beautiful creature” that Bingley so admired was wearing the same pink gown as the night before and her sister was wearing the same green gown. “Certainly country girls have more than one gown to wear to a social event such as this,” he imagined. Even the music was exactly the same as the night before. “This is most odd,” thought he, pacing the back of the room, muttering to himself.
~~~
Mr. Bingley’s attempts to encourage Mr. Darcy to dance or to be introduced to the neighbours fell on deaf ears. Those assembled thought Mr. Darcy most arrogant and devoid of proper manners, to ignore everyone and accept no requests for introduction.
When the Netherfield party returned home that evening, Mr. Bingley was in high spirits, having just spent an enjoyable evening dancing in the company of congenial neighbours. He especially enjoyed the company of one beautiful girl and looked forward to seeing her again; however, no such enthusiasm for the evening’s events was enjoyed by the rest of the party.
Chapter 3: Tuesday the 15th
In the morning, the Netherfield party was assembled for breakfast and Caroline was singing the praises of the countryside, much to Darcy’s dismay. “No, this is not possible,” he said aloud.
“Yes, of course, Mr. Darcy, Netherfield is nothing compared to Pemberley, to be sure, but the country is so refreshing after being cramped in the city for so long. Do you not agree?” she inquired, hoping to draw him into the conversation.
“This must be a bad dream,” thought he. “Is this not the second time we have had this same conversation?” When Caroline mentioned the upcoming ball and her interest in country fashion, he jumped up from his chair, muttered his excuses to his hosts and ran out of the room.
Charles encountered Darcy a few hours later, as he was returning from the stables. “Darcy! There you are! Did you have a good ride?” he inquired, knowing that Darcy was always refreshed by a ride in the country. When Darcy confirmed that he did enjoy the ride, Charles informed him that a bath was being drawn for him and that he had two hours to prepare for dinner, prior to the ball that evening.
Darcy went to his chamber and tried to enjoy the hot soak, but was overwhelmed with confusion.
When they arrived at the assembly that evening, Sir William approached him and offered to introduce him to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, who was standing beside him. He remembered her as the green-gowned sister of Bingley’s angel and agreed. “Mr. Darcy, may I present Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Miss Elizabeth, please meet Mr. Darcy of Derbyshire.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said. She had heard that Mr. Bingley was bringing a friend and was glad to have made his acquaintance.
As she spoke, Darcy noticed that her eyes were quite striking, drawing him in. Her smile was also quite pleasing and overall, her appearance was not at all how he remembered her. “Miss Elizabeth, would you care to dance?” he asked and was cheerfully accepted.
During the dance, Miss Elizabeth attempted to engage him in conversation: “Do you have family in Derbyshire, Mr. Darcy?” He responded that he did have a younger sister, who was at home pursuing her studies. When he did not ask about her family, she offered that information: “I am well aware of the struggles and rewards of having sisters. I have four sisters of my own.” Since it was not his custom to engage in conversation during a dance, he nodded but made no reply. After a few moments of silence, she inquired: “Do you plan to stay long in the country, Sir?” He replied that the duration of their stay had not yet been determined. After failing to draw him into conversation, she abandoned the attempt and they finished the dance without further communication.
He escorted her to the refreshment table where he was introduced to her mother: “Oh, Mr. Darcy, it is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance. I do hope you enjoyed dancing with Elizabeth. She is an excellent dancer, is she not?” she said with great enthusiasm.
He agreed quietly, bowed stiffly, excused himself and quickly left the refreshment area. He concluded that somehow his previous failure to dance with a local girl was the cause of the circumstances he found himself. He decided that now that he had danced, the day would finally come to an end and he would be able to go on with the rest of his life. He nervously paced the back of the room until the ball was over and his party was ready to leave.
~~~
Observing this behaviour, the local residents thought Mr. Darcy exceedingly conceited and disagreeable.
When the Netherfield party returned home that evening, Miss Bingley bitterly complained that Mr. Darcy had not danced with her. Mr. Bingley was the only one in the party who expressed any enthusiasm for the evening’s events.
Chapter 4: Tuesday
In the morning, Darcy decided to have breakfast in his room, rather than endure Caroline’s wrath. He hadn’t meant to ignore her the night before but was in such a quandary that he hardly knew how to react. He relished the peaceful silence and enjoyed his meal until he opened the local newspaper that had been included on the breakfast tray, which was dated Tuesday, October 15. Initially he panicked, and then realized that today’s newspaper had, of course, been delivered to Charles, as the master of the house. He rang for a servant and requested that today’s newspaper be delivered to him when Mr. Bingley was finished reading it.
“Yes Sir, Mr. Bingley has already sent today’s newspaper with your breakfast tray,” the servant informed him.
“I require the newspaper for October 16th” he stated, slightly agitated.
