An Unusual Incident
Elizabeth Bennet sat, watching the dancers, and listening absent-mindedly to her mother and Lady Lucas discussing, with a good deal of praise, Mr. Bingley and his sisters. She stifled a laugh, when, upon sighting Caroline Bingley dancing with Mr. Darcy, her mother pronounced him an unfit partner. "Such a disagreeable man! Walking here, walking there, thinking himself very great!" Lizzy turned to Jane, who sat beside her, "He would not be half so bad, I dare say, if he danced twice as much, and did not stand quite so tall." Jane stifled a chuckle, "Lizzy, you must not say such things! I believe he is a bit snobbish, but he cannot help his height, or his disinclination to dance."
"Oh, but even you, Jane, cannot think Miss. Bingley and Mrs. Hurst well-mannered. Haughty, and far to fashionable for dear old Meryton, that is what I say." At this, Jane did laugh, for she had been thinking they were better off to have stayed in London. "But, they are very kind to me, Lizzy. You should not be so harsh, simply because they are more like the Town, then the Country." This friendly banter was interrupted when Mr. Bingley asked Jane to dance. Elizabeth moved toward Charlotte Lucas, who was soon to marry Lizzy's cousin, Mr. Collins. Charlotte told Lizzy that Mr. Darcy was on the other side of the large, potted tree that they stood behind. "He has been watching you the whole evening, Lizzy." "Oh, nonsense, Charlotte," Lizzy said gaily, "He would..." She was cut off by Bingley's voice from behind the tree. "Come, Darcy, you must dance. I hate to see you standing around by yourself in this stupid manner. You should much better dance."
I certainly will not. You know I detest it, unless I know my partner very well. At such a party as this, it would be impossible. Your sisters are engaged, not that I particularly enjoy their company, mind you, and there is no other woman in the room it would not be punishment to dance with."
I would not be so picky as you are, for a kingdom!" Bingley cried, "Upon my honor, I have never met with so many pleasant girls in my life, and many of them are very pretty."
"You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room." Mr. Darcy looked toward Jane.
"She is an angel! But there is Miss Eliza, sitting down just behind you; she is very pretty. Do let me ask Miss. Bennet to introduce you."
"Which do you mean?" Mr. Darcy turned and looked at Lizzy, his face turning just a bit darker when he caught her eye. "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me." he said, turning back to Bingley. His eyes wandered back toward her, though, after Bingley had returned to Jane, making his words not entirely convincing.
Darcy walked slowly around to the other side of the ball room, watching the dancers spin and swirl in their fine clothes. He stopped and stood with his hands folded behind his back, and let his gaze wander over the large, well-lit room. He skipped quickly over Mrs. Bennet and Lady Lucas, remembering the overheard comment about himself and the Bingley sisters. His gaze landed next on Elizabeth. Her hair was arranged about her face in a soft feathering of curls, and some had excaped the pins, during the last dance. She laughed at something Miss. Lucas said, and he realized they were standing directly behind the tree where he and Bingley had been, just moments before. His face flushed as he recalled what he had said. He knew Bingley didn't believe a word of it, so there had really been no point. She turned her head, and met his eyes. Darcy looked back, unable to break the connection. Elizabeth's cheeks flushed, but for a moment, she, too seemed unable to look away. Miss. Lucas said something to her, and she turned back toward her
About a week later, Elizabeth stood on the banks of the small pond with the rays of the early morning sun at her back. She slipped out of her dress, leaving only a petticoat over her underthings. Barefoot, she climbed up on a large rock, and dove gracefully into the water, colored gold from the sun above. She surfaced, shaking water from her eyes as she pushed back the hair that had come loose from the ribbon. Diving under again, she swam for the shore, pushing her feet off the bottom when she got closer. Her foot hit something slimy, and it moved! Lizzy tried to regain her balance but instead of the dirt bottom of the pond, her foot hit a rock! It would have worked just as well, if it hadn't rolled beneath her and twisting her ankle, plunging her under the water again. She pushed up, and a stabbing pain rushed up her leg. As she broke the surface, coughing and spitting water, she heard a shout and, to her utter astonishment, their was Mr. Darcy! He flung off his riding jacket and waistcoat as he ran. As Lizzy went under again, she felt a pair of strong arms lift her up, and instinctivly wrapped her arms around his neck. Mr. Darcy carried her toward the shore, the water was just to his waist when a horse and rider came into view. Lizzy felt Mr. Darcy stiffen, and, turning her head, she realized the rider was Mr. Wickham, a soldier from the malitia stationed in Meryton. "Well, isn't this a peculiar sight!" Wickham sat atop his fine steed, sneering at Darcy. "Wickham, stop being rude and go fetch Miss. Bennet's parents, would you?" "I would be most happy to, Darcy!" With that, he whirled and galloped off, leaving Mr. Darcy shaking his head. When they reached the shore, he sat her down on her dress, which was flopped carelessly on the ground. Lizzy blushed as she realized that she was only half dressed! Mr. Darcy wrapped his riding jacket around her shoulders. "What on earth were you doing?" He asked in an annoyed voice, that actually made Lizzy laugh. "What, might I ask, is so funny?"
"Oh, Mr. Darcy, you can't possibly sound mean when your soaking wet!" Lizzy burst into giggles again, resting her head on her knees. "I was swimming, but I think a twisted my ankle." She said when she could speak again. "Let me see." Mr. Darcy gently probed the offending limb, stopping when Lizzy winced. "I am no doctor, but I think your right. It doesn't feel broken." Both their heads came up when the voices of a Wickham, Mr. Bennet, and Mrs. Bennet traveled to them. "Good, If they brought your mother, they brought a carrige" another voice joined the noise, and Lizzy gasped. They had brought the Vicar as well!
Darcy went to Mr. Bennet's side, "Sir, your daughter has sprained her ankle, did you bring a carrige?"
"Yes. But I think that is the least of our worries, now." Darcy watched in astonishment as Mrs. Bennet fawned over her daughter. "Oh, Lizzy! What is to become of us?" Wickham stepped up beside Darcy, who was staring at the three gathered around Elizabeth. "It appears that something more than meets the eye might be going on over there." Darcy ignored him. "Mr. Darcy, I need to speak with you for a moment, if you will." The elderly vicar, Mr. Smith, was walking toward Darcy, and Mr. Bennet followed. Wickham discreetly stepped back. Darcy cast a glance at Elizabeth, only to find she was speaking earnestly to her mother. This was not going to turn out very well. "Mr. Darcy, Miss. Bennet has been telling us how the two of you managed to be in your present stat of undress, and soaking wet. Would you do us the honor of telling us what transpired before Mr. Wickham came upon you?" Darcy stared at the man in disbelife. Surely they wern't insinuating....but it appeared that they were, Darcy realized, looking at the to very serious men before him. He recited the situation, from when he came upon the pond. Mr. Bennet and the Vicar walked over to confer with Wickham, leaving Darcy in a state of relative shock. This could not be happening. Mr. Bennet tossed him a glance that he knew could not bode well for him. Darcy looked over at Elizabeth, and saw that her mother had her up on her feet, and was pulling her dress on over her sopping undergarments. He looked down at the ground. It took only a few minutes, but Darcy couldn't remember any of it, just his shock at being forced to marry Elizabeth Bennet!
Lizzy stood staring blankly over her fathers head, wondering how on earth this had happened to her, of all people. She leaned against her mother, trying to put as little weight as possible on her injured left ankle. She began shivering, as her dress became wet from her dripping underthings."Come, Lizzy dear, we will take you home now." Her father walked over and gently brushed a curl back from her face. Mr. Darcy walked over, and gently lifted her into his arms. "I think not, sir. I will send a servant from Netherfield for her things." with that she was carried over, and lifted onto Mr. Darcy's horse. Lizzy looked over her shoulder, and saw a dumbfounded Misters Wickham, Bennet, and Smith, and a weeping Mrs. Bennet. "Mr. Darcy, I could have gone home, you know." Lizzy wasn't at all sure what he thought he was doing.