As they lined up for the second set, Darcy decided a little impertinence might go a long way, and asked, "Would it be overly forward for me to suggest that you are a practical person, and also not a proponent of gossip."

The lady looked at him critically, and replied, "Not overly forward, but I would query upon what evidence you base this conclusion?"

Eying a group that prominently featured her mother, he said, "If you were, those matrons would be driving the stake and gathering the kindling as we speak."

That brought a completely unexpected small laugh and even a shy smile from the young lady. She tried to regain her severe demeanor, but apparently that was an art she had little practice in, particularly when the gentleman answered with his own smile. She was a bit surprised to find him quite handsome when he lost his forbidding attitude.

As for the gentleman, his chances of retaining any trace of anger at the young lady were completely dashed. He found her laughter to be completely enchanting. He had already found her figure to be light and pleasing, and had to once again berate himself for his unkind and thoroughly inaccurate remarks.

After that spark of levity, the musicians started the dance and it was a few minutes before a somewhat private conversation could be reestablished.

After going down the line, Elizabeth asked, "Was there a reason my propensity for gossip is at question, sir?"

He smiled a bit and said, "Oh yes! There is actually quite a practical reason for the question, and I am a pragmatic man… as I suspect you are."

Another brief interlude was required for actual dancing… after all, they were in a dance.

At length, she answered, "You are half right, sir. I am reasonably certain I am not a man, but I do believe I have a practical bent. To what does this pertain?"

He grinned again, finding their repartee so much more interesting than the typical insipid drivel that passed for conversation in assembly halls. He suspected that if he could extract himself from the doghouse, he might find her manners most pleasing, but he certainly was not out yet.

After another turn around a circle, he gave her another lopsided grin, and replied, "From a practical standpoint, I suspect the gossip production may not be optimal for our purposes if I keep calling you Miss Tolerable, and I suspect your adopted name for your sister will not suit your purposes either."

Elizabeth laughed again, slightly longer, and asked, "Would you suggest another name, sir?"

Darcy suggested, "Easily done, madam. I would suggest Miss Generous."

A raise of a single eyebrow was sufficient to query for more details, so the gentleman after another turn continued, "You have generously agreed to spend your hard won leisure time assisting a blind man to learn to dance, and simultaneously giving instruction in deportment to the stupidest man in England!"

That did it. The lady dissolved in a laugh that could be heard all across the room, quite possibly at Netherfield as well, and gifted him with one of her brilliant and hopefully less rare smiles.

Darcy could hear the matrons preparing themselves to share the tale far and wide, but oddly enough found he did not mind. He had made a lady happy in a dance. A man could not be faulted for that, could he?

He saw Miss Bingley turn red and stalk off the dance floor, so apparently someone could, but found he was even less concerned with her than with the matrons. For just a moment, for the first time since Ramsgate, he was just happy with his lot. Such a state was entirely surprising, and he did not expect it to last long. The lady would recover her anger soon enough, but for the moment, all was well.

Another turn down the line brought them back together, and she executed another neatly disguised curtsey, and said simply, "Elizabeth Bennet"

Following her lead, he executed a bow disguised as a misstep and answered, "I am delighted to meet you, Miss Bennet. Fitzwilliam Darcy at your service"

With proper introductions performed… well, not strictly proper but much better than his last attempt, the pair concentrated on the dance for a bit. Both were somewhat surprised to discover the other to be light of foot and elegant in the dance when they were not spending all their efforts staring daggers at each other.

They even briefly made a try at normal conversation with forays into the weather and the state of the roads, but since neither of them could suppress a giggle at each attempt, they finally gave it up as a lost cause.

The dance ended as all dances must, but both found themselves curiously reluctant to part company.

After the easy camaraderie of the start of the dance, Darcy found himself a little bit nervous, but exerted himself to ask, "Miss Bennet, may I offer you more refreshment?"

The obvious shyness of the request dissolved any remaining doubts in Elizabeth's mind. In the end, she really was no more capable of holding a grudge than Jane was, but she found herself perhaps for the first time in her life a bit on the shy side as well. After such an ignominious beginning, could they perhaps make something of their acquaintance? She would have been completely certain it was impossible an hour previously, but she found she actually liked this man standing beside her. He was a man of such consequence that she would never be any more than a trifling acquaintance, but she thought if she could chip away just a bit more at his obvious reserve, he may be a man worth spending a few hours with before he returned to his home. The slight that began the evening was long-forgotten, and she was only grateful that somehow the fates had spared her the indignity of it being overheard; and she had managed to just barely prevent herself from sharing it with a soul. That would have been a calamity impossible to overcome.

Such was her pensiveness that the gentleman was starting to fidget nervously, so she simply smiled, nodded her head, and then boldly reached over to take his arm which he had not had the nerve to offer. His smile lit up his face to such an extent, that she found herself quite satisfied with her evening's work thus far.

They took their punch and stood conversing on the side of the room through much of the next dance, where they were joined by Charlotte Lucas, who had the temerity to ask Mr. Darcy, "How do you like Hertfordshire so far, Mr. Darcy?"

Darcy simply smiled and said, "I like it very much. The country is much less wild than what I'm used to in Derbyshire, and I have not been through that much of it, but what I have seen I like."

Charlotte owned that they would like to see Derbyshire or the Peaks District one day.

Elizabeth added, "I believe my aunt and uncle may go there next summer, and there is some chance I will be able to join them. I think I would like that very much."

Charlotte's next partner came to take her for their set. Elizabeth noted that John Lucas appeared to be thinking of asking her for a dance, but a quick shake of her head dissuaded him for the moment. They had been friends since childhood. John would come to her aid anytime it was required, but there would never be any more than friendship between them.

After Charlotte's departure, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy found themselves in quite easy conversation about traveling, books and music, finding a surprisingly ease between them, and a quite happy commonality of interests. Most of the first dance of the next set was spent in contented discussion, and both were satisfied when nobody, not even Mr. Bingley, disturbed their little circle.

Elizabeth asked, "Mr. Darcy, have you ever toured the continent?

Elizabeth thought it a perfectly innocent question, but noticed a look of sadness appeared over the gentleman.

He answered somewhat sadly, "I had a grand tour planned, but it was cut short when my father died some eight years ago. I had to take over management of our estate, and the raising of my sister."

Elizabeth's face registered surprise, and then she looked at him with a newfound bit of understanding. He could not possibly have been much older than she was right now, when he had to shoulder such responsibility. Perhaps the burden of carrying that for eight years had left him a little bit rough around the edges, so she should reserve her judgment and almost certainly discard any first impressions.

She replied, "Mr. Darcy, I am so sorry. That must have been very difficult. How old is your sister?"

The gentleman looked inward a bit, and answered almost mechanically, "Georgianna is now 15."

"A difficult age, I am sure!"

She happened to be looking at Lydia at the time. Said sister had clearly made at least one too many trips to the punch table. She was somewhat embarrassing, but nothing out of the ordinary for a Bennet. She hoped Mr. Darcy was not too mortified by the two youngest.

Such was her attention on Lydia that she almost missed the slight gasp that came from Mr. Darcy; since he controlled it very quickly.

He asked, "What makes you think she is trying? What have you heard?"

Elizabeth guessed that she may have stepped closer to the mark then she had intended, but worked to reassure the gentleman, "Nothing at all, Mr. Darcy. I did not even know you had a sister. It was simply a general comment that applies almost universally to 15-year-old girls. My case in point…" She said as she nodded her head towards Lydia.

She could almost see the tension draining out of the gentleman's face and shoulders, and hoped that she had not unduly upset their delicate balance. She next noticed he was apparently deep in thought for a moment, so she simply kept her peace and waited patiently. He would be back sooner or later.

At length, Darcy said, "Are you knowledgeable about such things, Miss Bennet?"

Preferring the less serious version of Mr. Darcy, she said, "You do realize that I have four sisters, and the two Lucas daughters may as well be sisters. I believe I know a great deal about young ladies, both trying and otherwise, Mr. Darcy."

Once again, Darcy thought carefully for a few moments, and then asked, "Could I… I mean… Would I ask too much if I prevail upon you to offer me some advice about my sister?"

Elizabeth was quite surprised by the question, but fortunately the answer was so obvious she need not give it any real thought, and she could worry about how surprising it was later. She replied sincerely, but at almost a whisper, "I will be most happy to assist in any way I can, Mr. Darcy."

Darcy looked around at the assembly room, and said, "It cannot be here." Then he thought a moment, and somewhat shyly added, "Would you mind if I call on you tomorrow? Perhaps we could walk out?"

Elizabeth found herself returning her own shy little smile, and said "That would make me happy."

Darcy noted the rather unconventional reply, and suspected that this young lady did not say words she did not mean. A more traditional reply might have indicated she would accept such a visit either gladly or not; but this answer was a clear indication that she was more than doing her civil duty, that she would genuinely enjoy the company… or that she was just nicer than the average woman, or that they just said things differently here in Hertfordshire. Darcy thought to himself, 'Don't get ahead or yourself Darcy, you are not as knowledgeable about women as you think'.

Elizabeth glanced over towards her sister Jane, who was still apparently in close discussion with Mr. Bingley. She smiled a bit of a naughty smile possibly suggesting minor mischief, and suggested, "If you do not object Mr. Darcy, perhaps when we walk out, your privacy would be better insured if our chaperone was somewhat… er… distracted."

Darcy gave a chuckle, accompanied by another smile, and said, "I shan't even need my horse tomorrow, Miss Elizabeth. All I need do is tie a rope to Bingley, and he will drag me quite comfortably to Longbourn, and in probably less time."

With that, both laughed quite heartily, although they did their best to at least maintain some sense of decorum. Elizabeth glanced over at her mother, and knew that she would have a trying remainder of the evening once the assembly was over.