Pride and Prejudice doesn't belong to me
Taking a turn about the room
Caroline Bingley walked to the desk where Darcy sat writing to his sister and spoke to him again. "Tell dear Georgiana I long to see her." Darcy nodded; this was the third time she'd asked him to do that. He could tell that she wanted him to talk to her but he wasn't in the mood. He wished they would play cards like they usually did but today; Mr. and Mrs. Hurst were content to sit and do nothing. Actually Louisa was just sitting while her husband slept in the chair.
Bingley and Elizabeth were reading and Caroline kept walking up and down the room, trying to engage him in conversation. He looked down at the letter was writing. It was a good thing that he'd begun to write it well before Elizabeth had entered the room because since her entrance he'd just been pretending to write.
He stole another glance at Elizabeth wondering what it was about her that made him lose concentration. At first glance she wasn't the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, to be honest she wasn't even one of the ten most beautiful girls he'd ever seen. But there was something about her. He'd heard when they had just arrived that she known as the girl with the 'fine eyes' and he had to admit that she did have fine eyes. But it was more than that, everything about her from her hair to her shoes, was distracting.
He was still staring at Elizabeth when Caroline came back to ask him to add something in his letter. He told her that he wouldn't have enough space to write everything she wanted and pretended to be hard at work.
Elizabeth sat with a book open before her pretending to read. She watched Caroline try and fail to engage Darcy's attention and she almost burst out laughing. The woman didn't know when to give up. Elizabeth admired Darcy's tolerance. He remained polite to her even though she had repeated her ridiculous request more than once.
Elizabeth felt Darcy's gaze on her more than once, and twice she had even caught his eyes. Both times he had looked away quickly only to stare at her again in a few minutes. She couldn't imagine why he kept staring. 'I hope my dress is properly tied and my hair is in place.'
Caroline saw Darcy stare at Elizabeth again and decided to something about it. She would show him who the better choice between them was; after all her dress was far better and she had more grace in her walk than Elizabeth Bennet could ever hope to have.
"Miss Elizabeth, why don't you take a turn about the room with me? It's so refreshing."
Elizabeth looked at Caroline wondering what she was up to. She smiled and thought of refusing but decided to accept. It would give her a chance to stop pretending to read – Mr. Darcy's presence was too overpowering, and she hoped that the exercise would distract her, help her to clear her head.
They walked arm in arm around the room.
Mr. Darcy knew what Caroline was doing; she must have noticed the attention Darcy had been paying Elizabeth, but he couldn't help himself. He put the pen down unconsciously and looked at them.
'Finally,' Caroline thought, 'I have his attention.' "Won't you join us, Mr. Darcy?" she asked him.
"No." he replied. He couldn't join them, walking about the room was such a ridiculous attempt at getting attention. But it worked didn't it, he told himself; it got you to stop pretending to be writing. He looked at Elizabeth and Caroline and wondered what Caroline would do if she knew that walking with Elizabeth put her and not Elizabeth at a disadvantage.
True, Caroline's dress and her hair were better than Elizabeth's and her manner of walking far superior. But there was something about Elizabeth that captured the eye, the way her eyes twinkled as though she had a secret. The mischievous smile about her mouth, and the way she held her hands. The way her dress fit her and the ease with which she walked, as if to say that if we are going to engage in ridiculous activities we might as well do it well. In a taking-a-turn-about-the-room contest between Caroline and Elizabeth, Caroline would lose by far.
As Darcy prepared for bed later that evening he couldn't help but remember how good Elizabeth had looked while walking around the room. In fact he doubted he'd ever be able to see that room in the same way again. That room was now full of Elizabeth. He reminded himself of the numerous reasons why a match with any of the Bennet girls would never work, but they failed to convince him.
It was a good thing Elizabeth and Jane were leaving in the morning, or he might have done something stupid, like propose to Elizabeth.
It was a very good thing that they were leaving.
What do you think?