"Come Darcy. I hate to see you standing about in this stupid manner. I know you are not fond of dancing, so why not try conversing with someone?" Bingley said to his friend.
"I certainly shall not. In an assembly such as this, it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged at present, and there is not a person in the room who it would not be a punishment to talk to," Darcy replied coolly. Bingley scoffed.
"I would not be as fastidious as you are for a kingdom! Why, there are plenty of pleasant people in attendance. The woman I was dancing with, Miss Bennet, is charming. She has a brother, Edward, whom she tells me is very intelligent. There he is now!" He indicated behind Darcy. Darcy turned his head and caught the eye of a young man with dark hair.
"Miss Bennet's claim that he is intelligent was no doubt just an attempt to make her relations seem agreeable. From the looks of him, I would be very surprised if he was not as uneducated as the rest of the people here. Return to Miss Bennet and enjoy her smiles, you're wasting your time with me," he replied. Bingley opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and turned away. Darcy watched as his friend approached Miss Bennet, who was talking to another young woman animatedly.
All of a sudden, Mr. Darcy felt a small force hit his back, and he stumbled forward. Several people watched with amusement as Darcy regained his balance and spun around to see what had caused him to almost fall. Miss Bennet's brother stood there, a wry look on his face.
"I'm terribly sorry, how clumsy of me," he said. With that, he walked off, not casting Darcy a second glance.
Darcy was fuming. How dare he? Does he not know who I am? He was very conscious of the reaction that little scene had caused. Many of the people in the room were whispering and looking pointedly at him, and he could only imagine what they were saying.
He contemplated what to do from here. Storming out and returning to Netherfield was the most tempting choice, but he was not about to let the insufferable man get what he wanted. However, he could not bare to just stand there and be the butt of everyone's jokes. He sighed, knowing what he had to do. He did not like it, but he felt he had no choice.
"Sir William," he called as the gentleman was walking by. Upon hearing his name, he turned to Darcy with a surprised look.
"Would you be so kind as to introduce me to..." Darcy trailed off as he scanned the room. He picked a girl at random and gestured at her. Sir Lucas smiled and nodded.
"Certainly, sir," he said as he began walking over to her. "Maria, my dear! This is Mr. Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire. Mr. Darcy, this is my daughter Maria Lucas." Darcy bowed politely, as Miss Lucas curtsied, a blush overspreading her face.
"Miss Lucas, would you do me the honor of dancing the next with me?" He said stiffly. Her eyebrows immediately shot up, but she regained her composure quickly.
"Certainly, sir," she replied, with a shy smile. She was a young girl, Darcy guessed she was not 17. Her blond hair was pulled back in no particularly special way, and her dress was very plain.
As they began dancing, Darcy noticed that many heads were turned towards them. Excellent. Now, instead of discussing his embarrassing stumble, they would talk about how generous it was of him to ask a country nobody to dance.
"...rich man looks so severe..." He heard as he danced past a couple of elder women standing against the wall. He inwardly groaned. It seemed that no matter what he did, these people were determined to think ill of him. He sighed and attempted to smile at his dance partner.
"Do you enjoy reading, Miss Lucas?" He asked, trying to sound genuinely interested. Maria nodded.
"Indeed, sir, I do. Although, I confess I would rather spend my free time riding," she replied. Darcy felt his eyebrows rise.
"Yes, riding is a very compelling pastime," he replied. Maria smiled and nodded.
"Yes sir. When I was 13, my father taught me how to ride, and ever since, I take every opportunity I can to do so," she said. Darcy nodded approvingly, and she smiled and continued. "Now, I confess I cannot imagine life without Annie."
"Your horse's name, I presume?" Darcy asked in surprise. At Maria's nod, he found himself actually smiling. "That is my horse's name as well. I allowed my sister to name her when I first acquired her," he said. He almost stopped in the middle of the dance floor. Why had he just told her that? She was a young, unremarkable girl whom he had just met that night. However, he had to admit (grudgingly) that he was enjoying himself decidedly more now. In fact, when the music stopped, he found himself somewhat disappointed.
As he came up from his bow to Miss Lucas, he accidentally made eye contact with the young Mr. Bennet, who appeared to be studying him. As he met his gaze, neither of them looked away. Darcy looked at him challengingly, raising an eyebrow. A small smile found it's way to Bennet's mouth, and he finally turned away.
"And Jane was so admired! Mr. Bingley asked her to dance twice. Twice, Mr. Bennet!" Mrs. Bennet gushed. Mr. Bennet sighed and closed his book. It looked as though peace and quiet were a thing of the past.
"Everyone agrees that Mr. Bingley is the most amiable and handsome man as ever there was! And it will not be long now until he falls in love with Jane, and what pin money she will have!" Mrs. Bennet continued, barely stopping for breath.
"If she were to marry Mr. Bingley, she would undoubtedly be in the company of Mr. Darcy often. That is not a fate I would wish upon anyone," Edward said, speaking up for the first time since they had returned. Mr. Bennet raised an eyebrow at his son.
"Mr. Darcy?" he asked. Before Edward could explain, Mrs. Bennet opened her mouth.
"Mr. Bingley brought him along for some unfathomable reason. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man I have ever seen! He slighted poor Edward you know, and flatly refused to converse with him," she said angrily.
"Slighted my son, did he? Well Edward, I would not converse with him even if he did want to!" He replied. His son laughed.
"I believe, sir, that I can safely promise you never to converse with Mr. Darcy."
"Good morning, Mr. Darcy," Caroline Bingley said as the man entered the dining room the following morning. He nodded to her, as well as the rest of the party as he took his seat.
"We were just talking about how tedious last evening was to endure," Caroline continued. Her sister, Mrs. Hurst, nodded from her seat next to Caroline. Bingley rolled his eyes.
"My sisters were talking of it, I however disagree completely. I have never met with pleasanter people or prettier girls in my life," he said to his friend.
"Prettier girls? Charles, you cannot be serious. They were all considerably plain," Caroline said disdainfully. Darcy had to stop himself from nodding in agreement.
"The eldest Miss Bennet was very far from plain, Caroline," Bingley replied.
"Perhaps. But other than her, I confess I saw no woman whom I would consider pretty," she glanced at Darcy. "Especially the young Lucas girl. She has absolutely nothing to recommend herself."
Darcy knew that she had only singled her out because he had danced with her, and felt an odd inclination to defend her.
"Her father is a knight, surely that is something to be proud of. Besides, she was a good conversationalist," he replied, staring at her levelly. Caroline looked away, her face turning red. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bingley smiling.
"Her father has invited us all to a gathering at Lucas Lodge in two days time. I told him that we would be delighted to attend," Charles said.
Darcy looked down at his plate and smiled slightly. While he was not attracted to the young Miss Lucas, he did enjoy her conversation and would be happy to see her again. His smile faded as his thoughts turned toward the Bennets. He was not overly excited to see the young Mr. Bennet again, after the embarrassment he had caused him.
As the Bennets arrived at Lucas Lodge, Mrs. Bennet immediately scanned the room for Mr. Bingley. Upon seeing that he and his party had not yet arrived, Mrs. Bennet instead rushed over to her sister, Mrs. Phillips, and inquired after the latest gossip.
Edward smiled as he saw his best friend, Christopher Lucas, and his sister Maria standing by the wall, talking. They grinned at him as he walked over to them.
"Christopher, Maria," he said, nodding to each of them in turn. He turned towards the door. "It seems that the famous Netherfield party has yet to arrive," he continued. "I cannot say I am upset."
"What, you did not like them?" Maria asked, surprise etched on her face. He shook his head.
"Bingley was a charming fellow, to be sure, but his sisters and his friend seemed very arrogant indeed," he replied.
"Oh, I thought Mr. Darcy was very amiable," Maria replied.
"You just think highly of him because he singled you out to dance," Christopher said jokingly to his sister. She shook her head.
"It was more than that. He seemed genuinely interested in our conversation," she replied. Edward raised his eyebrows. He had observed the two of them dancing, but from where he was standing, Darcy's "genuine interest" looked a bit forced. His thoughts were interrupted as the man himself- as well as Mr. Bingley, his sisters, and Mr. Hurst walked in. After paying their compliments to Sir William, Mr. Bingley immediately sought out Jane, while his sisters were sucked into a conversation with Lady Lucas. Seeing Maria, Darcy walked over to their group. His step faltered when he noticed that Edward was standing by her, but he seemed not to let it deter him.
"Miss Lucas, it is a pleasure to see you again," he said as he bowed.
"Thank you, Mr. Darcy. Allow me to introduce you to my brother, Christopher Lucas, and our neighbor, Edward Bennet," she said. The gentlemen bowed, and Edward caught Darcy's eye as he came up.
"How are you enjoying your time around all of us uneducated people, Mr. Darcy?" Edward asked. Mr. Darcy looked impassive and did not answer.
"Edward, what ever do you mean? There are plenty of intelligent people in the room," Christopher said in confusion. Edward gave Darcy a knowing look, while the gentleman remained silent.
"Christopher, Maria, papa needs our assistance," a younger Lucas boy said, popping his head into the group. He nodded at Mr. Darcy and Edward before scampering off. Christopher and Maria politely excused themselves, leaving Edward and Darcy alone. Edward grimaced and scanned the room, looking for an excuse to get away.
As Mr. Darcy entered Lucas Lodge, his whole party left him almost as soon as they were shown into the room. He did not mind losing the company of Caroline and the Hursts, but without Charles he suddenly felt very self conscious. His eyes fell upon Miss Lucas, and he decided to walk over to her. As he walked, he noticed Edward Bennet staring at him from next to Miss Lucas, and he had to keep his face from grimacing.
As she introduced him properly to Edward Bennet and her brother, he caught the young Mr. Bennet's eye and almost forgot to bow. His eyes were deep brown and very round and doe like. No pair of eyes on the face of anyone in his acquaintance had ever affected him like this. With a start, he realized that the man had said something, and Miss Lucas's brother was now saying something in reply.
"...people in the room," he was saying. Instead of answering, Mr. Edward was giving Darcy a look that he couldn't interpret.
As the two Lucas' siblings departed, he found himself studying Edward. Darcy had never been attracted to anyone, really, but he found Edward's slim figure compelling. His brown hair was slightly longer than Darcy's own, and his face was rather handsome. Luckily, Edward made an excuse and walked away, leaving Darcy to try and banish these odd thoughts and sensations from his reverie.
"I am sorry to have left you like that, Mr. Darcy," a voice at his elbow said. He turned around to see Miss Lucas standing next to him, an apologetic look on her face. This time, she was alone.
"It is no matter, Miss Lucas," he replied. Before he could say anything else, their attention was drawn to an obnoxiously loud laughter emanating from a young girl who was practically running past them. Darcy tried to mask his disgust at the spectacle while turning towards Miss Lucas.
"A friend of yours?" he asked, trying not to seem too affronted by the young woman's behavior. Miss Lucas nodded timidly.
"Yes, that is Miss Lydia Bennet. She is the youngest of the family, and is very...excitable," Miss Lucas replied. Darcy nodded and looked back at the young woman, only to see that she was talking to her brother. The young Mr. Bennet appeared to be scolding her, and she appeared to be having none of it. Darcy had to fight an amused smile off his face at the look of annoyance the brother was giving to the sister.
"Lydia and Edward do not get along very well," Maria said, chuckling.
"Are you and Mr. Edward Bennet close, then?" Darcy asked, noting Maria's use of his first name. She nodded.
"Yes, I have known him for as long as I can remember. When I was a girl, I played together with Lydia and Kitty often, and Edward would sometimes chase us around pretending to be a dragon," she said laughingly. "He's a good man." Darcy nodded, not knowing what to say. He was saved from having to respond by Sir William walking over to join them.
As Sir William began to speak, Maria politely excused herself. Darcy watched as she approached one of the younger Bennet girls, Miss Kitty he believed, and begin to talk animatedly. He was distracted from his reverie when he heard a loud, deep laughter emanating from near where he stood. He turned his head to see Edward Bennet, head thrown back in laughter at something Maria's brother (what was his name?) had said. Sir William, realizing that Darcy had heard not a word of what he had just said, shook his head and walked away to find a more agreeable conversation partner. Darcy did not notice, as he was straining his ears to hear what the two gentlemen were talking about.
"You cannot begin to pretend to know what is going on in her head, Christopher," Edward said. "Even if she is a dear friend of yours, do we men ever really know what is going on in a woman's head?"
"Of course not, but I know what goes through a man's head, and I do not think that Mr. Bingley will pursue Jane if she does not show more interest," Mr. Lucas replied. Darcy raised his eyebrows. He was unable to hear more, for a few of the people in the room had begun dancing as a woman played a lively tune on the piano, drowning out the sounds of the young men's conversation.
"What a charming amusement for young people this is, Mr. Darcy! There is nothing like dancing, after all. I consider it as one of the first refinements of polished societies," Sir William stated, appearing at Darcy's side once more.
"I am not terribly fond of dancing," he replied, wishing to be left alone.
Sir William laughed and shook his head.
"It appears, Mr. Darcy, that our views on the subject are different. Ah, Edward!" he said, as the said gentleman was walking by. Edward stopped and turned towards Sir William with a questioning smile on his face.
"Mr. Darcy and I were just discussing dancing. He says he does not like it, what is your opinion on the subject?" he asked. Edward's smile had vanished when he noticed that Darcy was involved in the conversation, but it began to reappear near the end of Sir William's inquiry.
"It does not surprise me that Mr. Darcy does not care for dancing, given how little of it he did at the assembly last week" Edward said, eyes lit up with delight at the chance to make fun of the man who had insulted him. Darcy almost chuckled.
"It is true, I did not dance as much as some others, but I recall dancing more than you," Darcy said levelly. Since he had arrived at the assembly, Darcy had not seen Mr. Bennet dance a single dance. Edward raised his eyebrows and smiled.
"Well, we can certainly add 'observation skills' to list of Mr. Darcy's positive attributes, cannot we?" he said, turning to an uncomfortable Sir William. Darcy began speaking before the older man could respond.
"I am curious, Mr. Bennet, as to why you were so quick to judge my lack of dancing when you yourself did not dance at all that night?" he asked.
Edward opened his mouth, and then closed it. Darcy, feeling triumphant that he had bested the impertinent young man, bowed to the two gentlemen and walked away.