Pride in Meryton, page 12
“You brought me outside, away from the protection of my family to ask me that?” she said furiously. “We must return immediately!” she insisted.
He struggled for a suitable explanation for his impulsive actions: “Miss Elizabeth, if you will allow me to explain…”
Sir William came through the doorway, offered his arm to Elizabeth and escorted her back inside. Darcy remained outside, pacing and muttering to himself. When Sir William returned to the doorway he said: “Have you taken leave of your senses, Sir?”
“Yes, Sir, I am afraid I have. Please forgive me,” he replied, hanging his head.
“I suggest that you leave immediately. I will inform Mr. Bingley that you are feeling fatigued and I shall escort you home myself,” Sir William suggested.
“Yes, please, I would not want to spoil Mr. Bingley’s evening; he so enjoys the dancing and fellowship,” he agreed.
Darcy waited outside while Sir William went inside to make the notifications and returned with his buggy. On the ride to Netherfield, Sir William told him: “I have a message from Miss Elizabeth.”
“A message, Sir?” Darcy asked.
“Shakespeare. She told me to tell you – Shakespeare,” Sir William told him.
“Thank you, Sir, thank you very much!” Darcy said with much gratitude. “Shakespeare!”
“Mr. Darcy, am I to understand that you admire Miss Elizabeth?” Sir William inquired.
“Yes Sir,” he replied.
“Well then, I might remind you that abduction is not an acceptable form of courtship,” Sir William said sternly.
Darcy was not in the habit of being called out like a school boy but since that is exactly how he had behaved, he accepted the reproach with appropriate remorse: “Yes Sir, I intend to call on Mr. Bennet in the morning and offer my most sincere apologies,” he humbly replied. “Well, I would if tomorrow morning ever comes, but I doubt somehow that it will after tonight’s disastrous performance,” he thought.
“You know, of course, that there could have been serious consequences from your behaviour this evening, Mr. Darcy,” he reminded the younger man.
“Yes Sir, I apologize most sincerely and assure you that no such behaviour will ever occur again in the future,” he said most humbly.
“I should hope not,” said Sir William.
“No one will even remember that it happened,” he thought. “I have failed again!” “I thank you for intervening on my behalf and for your assistance this evening, Sir William, and I beg your indulgence,” he apologized once more.
Satisfied that Darcy was not a kidnapper and just a young man in love, Sir William dropped him off at the front door of Netherfield where the staff greeted him and escorted him inside. Most of the local residents thought Mr. Bingley was most amiable, but that Mr. Darcy was unsuitable company.
When the remaining Netherfield party returned home that evening, most of the party was in high spirits, having just spent an enjoyable evening dancing. Miss Bingley, however was less enthusiastic about the evening’s events.
Charles knocked on the door of Darcy’s chamber and was admitted. “Darcy, are you feeling ill?”
Not wanting to alarm his friend, he replied: “No, Charles, I just have not been feeling quite myself today.”
“Well then, get some rest and all will seem bright in the morning!” he offered.
“Yes, Charles; ever the optimist,” he observed with a smile. When he was alone, he recalled his various conversations with Miss Elizabeth and how she did not agree with everything he said like other women of his acquaintance, how she criticized and made fun of herself, did not concern herself with how she appeared to others, but always maintained proper protocol. Even when she was furious with him, he found her to be the most beautiful, enchanting woman of his acquaintance.
That evening before he retired, Darcy moved his signet ring to his left hand.
Chapter 7: Summer Day Tuesday
In the morning, Darcy awoke to find his signet ring on his right hand, as he knew it would be. After dressing, he quietly made his way downstairs and instead of entering the breakfast parlour, he escaped to the solitude of the library. He always found comfort in the library at Pemberley and hoped that he would find the same comfort here. He perused the shelves and found them sorely lacking; this library had obviously been neglected over the years. He took great pride in his attentions to his own library, which was one of the finest in the country. He searched for a book of sonnets and finding it, he sat in a leather chair next to the window.
On a small table next to the chair was a small decanter of brandy and four glasses. “If I ring for coffee, I will alert the rest of the house to my location,” he thought. “Brandy will have to do,” he concluded. He poured a glass and settled in with his book selection. Two hours later, Charles Bingley found him sleeping next to the empty brandy decanter. He and a footman helped Darcy up to his chamber and left him to sleep it off.
Darcy awoke two hours later, fully dressed on his bed. “That is odd,” thought he. “I have no memory of falling asleep in my chamber.” He rang for coffee and a meal and noticed that he had a slight headache. He pulled his flask out of his pocket and was very glad that he had thought to bring it with him this morning and to fill it with brandy from the library; he took a quick drink. When the tray was delivered, he added brandy to his coffee and ate his meal.
He recalled his last encounter with Miss Elizabeth. Until the latest misadventure, she had been quite friendly and agreeable; her eyes sparkled and she seemed to enjoy his company. He realized however, that she had not been impressed with him last evening. “I must make it up to her,” he thought, “or at least try to improve my performance, since last evening never really happened – again.” He finished the coffee and the meal and went back to the library, where the brandy decanter had been refilled. He took the opportunity to refill his flask before, once again, taking up the book of sonnets and sitting down to refresh his memory. He would recite a sonnet to her, he decided, as he sipped the brandy. He had never recited a sonnet to a woman before, but certainly, Miss Elizabeth is worthy of such attentions. He closed his eyes and could see hers in his mind; those mesmerizing eyes! Her lively demeanour, her pleasing smile, her fine form; he could picture them all.
Two hours later, Bingley found Darcy asleep in the leather chair with a half empty decanter of brandy. He and a footman helped Darcy up to his chamber and left him to sleep it off.
When the Netherfield party arrived at the assembly that evening, Darcy smiled broadly and walked unsteadily into the room, eager to dance with Elizabeth. He approached Sir William and Elizabeth and requested an introduction. “I wanna meet Mizz Ewizabeff,” he slurred.
Sir William was startled at this request and Miss Elizabeth cast her eyes down, attempting to hide her amusement. Despite his better judgment, Sir William made the introduction: “Mr. Darcy, may I present the delightful Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Miss Elizabeth, please meet Mr. Darcy of Derbyshire.”
Darcy bowed, extended his hand and asked: “May I”? She accepted his hand and they joined the dance. He noticed that he was a little unsteady on his feet but did not overly concern himself with this minor issue. He was delighted to be in her company and was eager to impress her.
He hoped to gain Miss Elizabeth’s favour by reciting a sonnet by her favourite author. As the dance began, he began the recitation:
“Mizz Ewizabeff, Shall I compare yee to summer?
Yee are more lovely than, uh… a summer day!
Ruff winds shake the darling buds uh…,
But summer’s eyes are…”
He stammered: “No, that’s not right.” He had to admit that reciting a sonnet while dancing was not his strong suit; besides failing to recall the words of the sonnet, he discovered that he had missed a few steps and turned in the opposite direction from the other dancers. He turned to offer her a repentant smile and noticed that she had stopped dancing and was backing away. “Where is she going?” he wondered.
Sir William approached him and escorted him to the back of the room: “If you will recite Shakespeare, Sir, you must quote it correctly.”
Darcy noticed, oddly enough, that his legs were not cooperating with him and that he was having trouble standing and walking. “I juss wanna speak wiff Mizz Ewizabeff,” he mumbled, uncertain of why nothing seemed to be going right this evening.
Sir William assisted him to a chair: “I believe you have partaken of too many refreshments this evening, Sir,” he told Darcy.
He shrugged and wondered why everyone was looking at him so strangely.
“Yes, quite so. Let us get you some coffee and then back to Netherfield, shall we?” Sir William suggested as he summoned his oldest son and asked him to notify Mr. Bingley that Mr. Darcy was unwell. He asked his wife to bring a cup of coffee and handed it to Mr. Darcy. “Let us try to get some of this down without spilling it, shall we?” he suggested.
Somewhat insulted by this suggestion, Darcy found that he did indeed have some difficulty holding the cup upright and steady. He concentrated most carefully on the cup and was quite proud of himself as he managed to drink the coffee without spilling a drop.
Charles appeared with Caroline and asked: “What is it, Darcy? Are you unwell?” he asked with great concern.
Darcy smiled up at his friend and said: “Ewizabeff!”
“What is he saying?” asked Caroline, looking quite confused.
“Mr. Darcy is in his cups, Sir,” Sir William whispered quietly to Charles.
“Ah, Darcy, I think we should get you home.” To Sir William, he said: “I apologize for my friend, Sir. He is not quite himself today.” Sir William and Charles helped to get Darcy into the carriage and when the rest of the party had joined them, they rode away.
Most of the local residents thought Bingley was most amiable but that Darcy was unsuitable company.
When the Netherfield party returned home that evening, there was no enthusiasm for the evening’s events.
Chapter 8: Forgettable Tuesday
The next morning, Darcy was certain that since the prior evening had been such a disaster, his dilemma had not yet been resolved. He dressed and went to the breakfast parlour, where the rest of the party was assembled for breakfast.
“Good morning, Mr. Darcy! Is it not a lovely day in the country? 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 him, hoping to gain his favour by heaping praises on his vast estate.
“Yes, Miss Bingley, but as I recall, the last time you visited Pemberley, the grounds were completely snow covered,” he reminded her.
“Yes, Caroline, do you not remember?” asked Charles.
“Of course I remember, Charles. I was referring to our previous visit, last summer,” she clarified.
“Miss Bingley, when do you plan to return to London?” Darcy asked.
“Why Mr. Darcy! We have only just arrived here in the country! Why would you want to leave it?” she sweetly inquired.
He imagined that she hoped to impress him with her admiration of the country. “I have no intention of leaving. I was just thinking that London is perhaps your best option for finding a suitable match.” Upon seeing her surprise, he said: “Forgive me, Miss Bingley, perhaps I misspoke and you would prefer to stay unattached for the present time.”
She appeared astounded at this statement and made no reply.
Under normal circumstances, Darcy would never address her in this manner, but having already decided his course of action for the evening, he saw no harm in indulging in his amusement this one time. “Charles, I am looking forward to the ball this evening. Perhaps we shall meet our future wives there!”
“That would be wonderful! Would it not?” Charles agreed with great enthusiasm.
“Yes, I quite agree!” said Darcy, looking straight at Caroline.
Caroline did not appear to be amused. “Yes, I am certain that there will be many young ladies there eager to make the acquaintance of two such eligible gentlemen. Or even perhaps older ladies – you do not have a preference, do you Mr. Darcy?” she asked with a smirk.
“None at all, Miss Bingley,” he replied with a smile.
“Yes, I can well imagine a matronly country woman as the mistress of Pemberley! What a flair she will add to the décor – it will be a refreshing change of perspective, to be sure! And she will certainly bring her own brood of country children with her; a ready-made family! Such joy shall be found at Pemberley!” she said, dripping with sarcasm.
“I shall look forward to it!” he responded with a smile. Eager to be rid of her for a few hours, he offered a suggestion: “I believe I shall walk to Meryton today. Would you care to join me, Miss Bingley?”
She looked stunned: “Walk to Meryton? Is that not several miles?”
“Yes, it shall be quite invigorating!” he announced with the greatest enthusiasm.
“Yes, I would so enjoy a nice walk; however, I believe I have some correspondence to attend to,” she replied, declining the invitation.
An hour later, Darcy went to the stable, requested that his horse be readied and set out for Meryton. He toured the streets and the local shops, exchanging greetings with passers-by. “Did Miss Elizabeth spend her childhood walking these same streets?” he wondered. “Has she been here recently?” He imagined walking the streets and touring the shops with Elizabeth at his side. While in the shops, he bought a bottle of local wine, a sweet pastry and a small wedge of cheese. He enjoyed the pastry during the ride back to Netherfield. When he returned to the stable, he placed the wedge of cheese in a bucket and hid the bucket in a quiet corner.
When he left the stable, he encountered an angry Caroline: “So, Mr. Darcy. Was your walk to Meryton as invigorating as you had hoped?” she asked sarcastically.
“I changed my mind and decided to ride. But I did so enjoy walking around Meryton and touring the shops. You should tour them yourself sometime, Miss Bingley. You will find nothing like it in London, to be sure!” he told her, knowing she would never even consider shopping in Meryton.
“Yes, I can imagine,” she sneered.
Later that day he informed Charles about his plan for the evening: “Charles, I am afraid that I am not feeling well enough to go out tonight.” He normally abhorred disguise of any sort and it pained him to tell his loyal friend a falsehood; however, these were extenuating circumstances – and tomorrow it will have never happened anyway, so… what could be the harm? He had decided to avoid the assembly altogether this evening. He would have another opportunity to get it right tomorrow. It seemed his best course of action, especially since he had no other ideas.
“Is there anything I can do? Should I summon the apothecary?” Charles asked with concern for his friend.
“No, that shall not be necessary. I shall retire early and will be fine by morning,” said Darcy, adapting Charles’s optimistic attitude.
“Well then, I shall cancel our plans to go out this evening. I would not be a very good host if I left you here alone all evening,” Charles stated.
“No, that will never do,” he thought with alarm. “No, Charles, please do not cancel your plans. I would not wish to spoil your evening. Please make my excuses to Sir William and tell him that I look forward to meeting our neighbours at a future event,” he requested.
“Very well then, I shall. Please let the staff know if you require anything,” Charles told him.
~~~
When the Netherfield party arrived at the assembly that evening, Sir William noticed that Darcy was not in attendance. Mr. Bingley notified him that Darcy was resting at home and was eager to make the acquaintance of the new neighbours in the near future.
While Darcy was sitting comfortably in the library with a book and a glass of local wine, Sir William called on him. “Mr. Darcy, I am relieved to find you looking so well.”
“Yes, Sir William, I am quite well and I apologize if I caused you any concern,” Darcy told him.
“Yes Sir, I am concerned; I have a most curious predicament. I have been reliving this day interminably,” he told Darcy, who reacted with great astonishment. “I have observed you most carefully at the Meryton Assembly and have noticed that your behaviour is the only one that has altered from one evening to the next. I must therefore conclude that you are the cause of my distress. I am an old man, in the sunset years of my life and I doubt that the cosmos care what I do. But you are a young man of consequence,” Sir William told him, in a state of agitation.
“Sir, I had no idea that anyone else shared this predicament with me. I am in a quandary as to how to resolve this situation,” Darcy confessed, relieved that he was able to discuss this issue with someone else.
“Mr. Darcy, due to your poor choices, you and I are doomed to infinitely repeat this day. I can assure you that Miss Elizabeth may be willing to overlook simple clumsiness, however she will not be impressed with a man who kidnaps her or over-imbibes, no matter how great his fortune.”
“What am I to do? Nothing has worked,” Darcy told him.
“Nothing, Sir? Have you tried behaving like a proper gentleman, without insulting those in attendance?” Sir William asked him with annoyance.
Darcy mumbled incoherently.
“No, you have not tried that yet. It seems that our misfortunes are aligned, Mr. Darcy. If you do not correct this situation, this day will go on indefinitely, benefiting neither of us. Please be assured that, however this matter is to be resolved, I am at your service,” Sir William informed him.
They discussed the events of the past few evenings and Sir William made his suggestions for gaining favour with the local residents. “I thank you for your assistance and will do my best to ensure that my behaviour meets with everyone’s satisfaction,” Darcy promised the old man. When he was certain of Darcy’s commitment and sincerity, Sir William took his leave and returned to the assembly hall.
