Pride in Meryton, page 2
Chapter 2: Lucas Lodge
There was no mistaking the moment when the Bingley party arrived at Lucas Lodge that evening. Sir William had invited several families from the neighbourhood to his home for an evening of fellowship. Mr. Bingley had accepted the invitation with great enthusiasm but it was quite the subject of debate as to whether or not the rest of his party would attend. Mr. Darcy had mostly made an unfavourable impression on the crowd by his silent pacing and the two ladies had declined to join in the conversation with the local ladies, which had set tongues wagging.
The general opinion of the local ladies was that Mr. Darcy was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, unworthy of being compared to his friend, Mr. Bingley, who was everything a young man ought to be. His sisters, while held to be at the height of fashion, were deemed to most likely be just as amiable as their brother, for how could two ladies from the same family as the amiable Mr. Bingley be otherwise? It was generally assumed that their reserved demeanours would ease with continued residence in the neighbourhood.
Elizabeth knew, of course, that Mr. Darcy could be quite agreeable if he put his mind to it and was unaffected by the harsh criticisms against him. She hoped to see him again this evening but would suffer no regrets by the absence of the ladies.
However, the entire party did indeed make their appearance and a hush fell over the room. Once again, Sir William welcomed them and the mood turned decidedly festive.
~~~
Darcy wondered if he would encounter the lovely vixen again this evening; he had spent the last two weeks contemplating her fine form; she had made frequent appearances in his dreams and he fervently hoped for another opportunity to be in company with her again.
As soon as he entered the house, he saw her standing in the midst of her friends. He locked his gaze on her and he was struck by the intense energy emanating from her extraordinary eyes. However, propriety demanded that he focus his attentions on his hosts and after exchanging civilities with them, he made his way through the parlour, greeting the other guests and inching his way towards Miss Lovely.
As he neared her, he was able to overhear her talking to her friend: “I am glad that you enjoyed your dance with Mr. Darcy at the assembly,” Miss Lucas told her.
“Believe me, he was the last man in the world I wished to dance with that evening,” the lovely lady quietly replied. Darcy dearly wished he could see her face to determine her mood but his back was turned to them as he attempted to appear as though he was observing the party.
“But you must have resolved your differences,” her friend insisted.
“Our differences, as you so eloquently describe them, were all of his own making. He was the one who gave offence,” the lady insisted.
“Which you delicately illuminated,” Miss Lucas observed.
Miss Lovely emitted a quiet giggle: “I was quite harsh, was I not?” she replied.
Darcy could hear them giggling together.
“But he seemed to hold no ill will against you,” Miss Lucas continued.
“No, he was quite generous with his apology,” she quietly replied.
“Do they know I can hear every word they say?” Darcy wondered.
“I think he is quite taken with you, Eliza,” Miss Lucas suggested.
“Oh no Charlotte, you must not say such a thing within my mama’s hearing! There will be no peace at Longbourn if she were to hear of such a possibility!” Miss Lovely urgently whispered.
Deciding to put an end to such speculation, Darcy turned around and greeted the two woman: “Good evening, ladies,” he said exchanging formalities with them.
“Good evening, Mr. Darcy. How fortunate we are that you have decided to grace us at our small party,” Miss Lucas told him with a welcoming smile.
“I could not miss an opportunity to be in company with such delightful ladies,” Darcy replied.
“You are too kind, Mr. Darcy,” Miss Lucas told him. “Shall we encourage my friend to perform on the piano-forte?” she asked him, referring to Miss Elizabeth.
“Oh yes, do you play, Miss Elizabeth? If so, I should very much like to hear you,” he replied with a smile.
Miss Elizabeth feigned annoyance: “Oh Charlotte, must you always insist that I play first at such gatherings? Your talents are so much better than my own,” she insisted with an easy smile. Her friend’s only reply was to walk to the instrument, open the cover and pull out the bench. “Very well, if it must be so, it must,” she replied.
~~~
Elizabeth was delighted that the dashing Mr. Darcy had gone out of his way to be pleasant that evening. Yes, he was the most handsome man of her acquaintance who had a decided flair for dressing with understated refinement. Perhaps the general consensus of his character would improve if he could be observed easily conversing with others, as generally displayed by his friend Mr. Bingley.
She tried to imagine how Mr. Dashing would react to her performance; would he be pleased? Would he think her talents were lacking? He must be acquainted with many ladies with more proficient skills on the piano-forte than her own. She then wished that she had taken more time to develop her skills. She found sheet music that she knew fairly well and played for the group attempting to put her best performance forward. As she sang, she dispelled all other thoughts from her mind, focusing only on the keyboard and the melody.
She dearly loved music; she found it soothed her soul. All of the problems in the world could instantly melt away when the sound of a lovely melody surrounded her and transported her to another world. In this other world she could imagine that everyone was agreeable, kind, generous and infinitely happy. Nothing could ever be unpleasant as long as music was playing.
She finished the piece and needed little encouragement to play another. She was feeling more relaxed and allowed the music to flow through her. Her performance was by no means perfect; she acknowledged that she had played several wrong notes and had paused too frequently where a pause was not called for. However she would not allow minor imperfections to diminish her enjoyment. None of us are perfect, so she thought, and her imperfection reflected her true character; a simple girl from a small town who loved life and strove to be happy whenever possible.
When she finished playing, her sister Mary took her place at the piano forte and played a short concerto with some skill but no emotion. She had hoped that her sister would have taken her advice and attempt to feel the music while she played but Mary chose to concentrate on perfection over emotion.
She observed each of the guests as they listened to the performance. She sincerely hoped that her own performance had not induced such lethargic and bored expressions. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst appeared as though they would rather be anywhere else than in present company. Mr. Bingley paid all his attentions to Jane. He had displayed a decided preference for her during the Meryton assembly and Jane had been quite impressed with him; perhaps something wonderful might come of it! Sir William had closed his eyes and appeared to be asleep. Lady Lucas was listening reluctantly to her Mama, who never allowed propriety to govern her need to gossip with her friends. A few of the officers gazed around the room and she wondered what they might be thinking; perhaps they were considering a hasty retreat, she thought as she giggled to herself. Her gaze then fell on Mr. Dashing; he was smiling at her despite the dreary tones and sombre mood of the party. “Perhaps he does have a sense of humour,” she thought.
After a rather cheerless performance, Mary switched to a Scottish air and the mood dramatically improved. Furniture was cleared for dancing and couples formed a lively set. “Yes,” Elizabeth thought, “Mary’s playing is considerably better when she chooses an upbeat tempo.”
~~~
Darcy stood by the refreshment table where he had the best view of Miss Elizabeth; he was captivated by her performance. It was in no way the best he had ever heard but she played with such depth of emotion, he could not help but be drawn in by it. He allowed his gaze to linger on her as he listened to the music; her dark curls framed her face and a few curls graced her slender neck. Her lips were full and her eyes filled with passion. While other young women may have been trained to maintain a blank façade while playing, Miss Elizabeth allowed the music to occupy her countenance; a lovely expression of youth and vitality.
The mood was considerably dampened when her younger sister took her place at the piano-forte. She played a dreary tune that seemed to go on interminably. He settled his eyes on Miss Lovely and watched her observe the performance. Her eyes danced from one guest to another, observing them and smiling; at what Darcy could not imagine.
The tone of the music turned suddenly cheerful and dancing then ensued. This was infinitely preferable to the sombre tune played earlier. Miss Elizabeth smiled as she observed the dancers and tapped her feet to the music. He could not help but feel happy just by watching her.
He was interrupted from his admiration of the lady by Sir William: “What a charming amusement for young people this is, Mr. Darcy,” he observed. They briefly discussed dancing, or rather Darcy’s avoidance of the amusement, until the lovely lady approached the refreshment table. “My dear Miss Eliza, why are you not dancing? Mr. Darcy, you must allow me to recommend the young lady to you as a very desirable partner. You cannot refuse to dance, I am sure, when so much beauty is before you,” Sir William insisted. He grasped her hand and placed it in Darcy’s, as he had done at the assembly and Darcy infinitely grateful. She was indeed a desirable partner.
She instantly withdrew her hand: “Indeed, Sir William, I have not the least intention of dancing. I entreat you not to suppose that I moved this way in order to beg for a partner,” she insisted, blushing brightly.
Observing her blush, Darcy realized that he had been entirely mistaken about her appearance; she was not merely pretty, she was indeed quite beautiful. He bowed to her: “May I be permitted the honour of your hand, Miss Elizabeth?” he asked.
“You are all politeness, Mr. Darcy,” she replied.
“Indeed he is, my dear Miss Eliza, but you cannot deny me the happiness of seeing you dance and Mr. Darcy can have no objection to such a partner,” Sir William insisted with a merry chuckle.
Darcy had no objection at all and smiled broadly at the beautiful lady while extending his hand. She finally relented and they joined the dance. There was no opportunity for conversation during the lively dance; they were frequently separated and paired with other dancers but Darcy could not have been more delighted than to stand up with her. He was able to admire her form from a much more advantageous perspective and holding her un-gloved hand in his was a sensation that he was ultimately pleased had not been denied to him.
~~~
“Mr. Dashing can be absolutely charming when he put his mind to it,” Elizabeth thought. She had gone to the refreshment table for a cup of lemonade and before she knew it, she was dancing a reel with Dashing Darcy. She had hardly needed much convincing; his smile was more disarming than she realized. He stood there with his hand extended, brandishing that disarming smile; it had taken all of her strength not to swoon! That he had condescended to stand up with her at such a small gathering had taken her quite by surprise; she had not thought that he would entertain the notion. But here he was, dancing a reel with her and by all appearances, enjoying it!
His smile had not diminished during the dance and by the time they finished, she was utterly charmed and desperately in need of refreshment. He led her to the refreshment table and offered her a cup of lemonade. She thanked him profusely and eagerly drank it. “Thank you, Mr. Darcy, for the lemonade and the dance,” she said, feeling quite refreshed. He thanked her in return and left her to return to his friends. She watched him walk away and felt quite satisfied. “Oh yes, Mr. Dashing and Charming has quite redeemed himself,” she thought.
~~~
Coming immediately to his side, Miss Caroline Bingley made no effort to mask her annoyance: “You must be considering how insupportable it would be to pass many evenings in this manner – in such society; and indeed I am quite in your opinion!” She complained of the insipidity, the noise, the nothingness and the self-importance of the locals and urged Darcy to voice his consenting opinion.
He assured her that his mind was much more agreeably engaged on the sight of a pretty woman with a pair of fine eyes.
Her shock could not have been more marked. “I am certain that no one in this party could aspire to such a description,” she sneered, casting her glance in the direction of Miss Elizabeth.
He ignored her as he watched Miss Lovely interact with her friends; her eyes sparkled, her smile dazzled, her countenance glowed and her laugh rang out like a bell. He was transfixed; oblivious to everything and everyone but her. Not even Miss Insufferable could divert his attention from such a captivating creature. The evening came to an end shortly thereafter and he was glad to have spent such a pleasurable evening in Miss Elizabeth’s company.
Chapter 3: Recovery at Netherfield
Elizabeth trudged through the mud on her way to Netherfield. She had received a note that morning from her beloved sister Jane who had become ill and had been forced to spend the night away from home. Jane had been invited to dine yesterday with Mr. Bingley’s sisters and her scheming mama had refused to allow her the use of the carriage, forcing her to go on horseback. Poor Jane had to ride through a downpour and caught a wretched cold; the apothecary had been called to attend to her. Despite her wishes that Jane would find a happy match with the handsome and amiable Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth now wished that she had declined the invitation; nothing was worth risking her health. She had known at the time that rain was on the horizon and begged her mama to allow the carriage but she was powerless against mama’s whims and Jane was forced to agree to the scheme.
When she was presented at the Netherfield breakfast parlour, Mr. Darcy jumped to his feet to acknowledge her. She attempted to show him and his friends every courtesy but her mind was filled with nothing but Jane at the moment and wanted desperately to see her as soon as may be. Miss Bingley assured her that every possible attention had been paid to her sister and showed her immediately to Jane’s guest chamber. She was relieved to finally see Jane, despite the fact that she was suffering from a headache, a cough and a sore throat. The apothecary arrived, examined Jane, declared her to have a violent cold and left her, promising to send a soothing draught. Elizabeth attended her sister as best she could and was loathe to leave her again when Miss Bingley invited her to remain and sent a servant to Longbourn for a supply of clothes. Elizabeth stayed by Jane’s bedside until she was summoned for dinner.
~~~
Miss Bingley’s complaints about Miss Elizabeth had barely gained Darcy’s notice. When she had been announced at the breakfast parlour, he had been mesmerized by her appearance. Her hair was down, with her chestnut curls framing her lovely face and cascading down past her shoulders. Her eyes were shining and her face was glowing from the exercise from the three mile walk from Longbourn. He had been so captivated by her sudden appearance that he had been utterly speechless. Even after she had left the room, his ability to speak did not return; he sat for several minutes recalling her eyes and her worried smile. That she had taken the effort to walk such a distance to be reunited with her sister was remarkable. He would certainly go to such lengths to attend to his sister if she needed him. Her devotion to her family was not unlike his own; a very admirable quality indeed.
Of course, when Miss Bingley returned to the breakfast parlour filled with nothing but complaints, he took his leave and spent the rest of the day in the library. He imagined that Miss Remarkable was tending to her sick sister, giving her tea and broth, reading to her and making her as comfortable as possible. When he learned that she would be staying at Netherfield to care for Miss Bennet, he hoped that she would join them for dinner.
He dressed with the greatest of care that evening, as though he was to attend a formal function rather than a country dinner; his cravat was expertly tied, his waistcoat was his favourite green plaid, his coat was his favourite green superfine, his well-tailored breeches were buff and his boots were shined to perfection.
When Miss Elizabeth appeared in the dining room, she took his breath away. She was wearing the same green muslin gown that she had worn last month at the assembly and he noticed that they shared a fondness for the same shade of green. His only disappointment was that she had pinned up her hair, but her curls still charmingly framed her face and neck.
“How does your sister fare?” Charles inquired.
“She is not much better than she was this morning when I arrived,” she replied with a worried air.
Never one to allow someone else to command the attention of the room, insufferable Miss Bingley went on at length about how much she despised being ill herself, as if that was of interest to anyone but herself and her insufferable sister.
Darcy chose to ignore her and direct his full attention to the lovely lady. “Your sister must feel a great comfort to have you tending to her while she is ill, Miss Elizabeth,” he noted.
“Yes, she was glad for my company and I hope that she will rest easier tonight knowing that I am here,” she replied. “I know I would feel the same if I were in her place,”
“Indeed, I would be devastated to be separated from my sister,” insufferable Miss Bingley replied. The two sisters gazed at each other and nodded in agreement.
“I have now been separated from my sister for the past month and I think of her constantly, wondering how she is faring in my absence,” Darcy told her.
Miss Bingley spoke up immediately: “Oh Mr. Darcy, I am sure that must be most distressing for you! Louisa, can you imagine being separated from Charles for such an extended time? I am sure I could not,” she demurely observed.
Charles scoffed at this: “What are you talking about Caroline? Louisa and Henry took you on their honeymoon trip for three months. I doubt you ever spared a passing thought about me,” he insisted.
