A/N: Well I can honestly say that I wasn't expecting you to still be here. Not sure how I feel about that to tell the truth. I guess I should thank you for your candor, though you have as much tact in your delivery in such advice is as well executed as Darcy's first proposal. Thanks for saying my story had potential. Yeah, I've written more stories with more thought going into them. I guess not giving my full effort into writing this is what you are referring to. This was an impulse story though.
I'm probably not the only one who likes praise, and I guess I've grown used to getting only that. I do get helpful ones though on occasion. Some a little more kind while others rude. You might say I have an ego I guess after writing for a couple of years. Honestly, I was receiving some negative feedback from longtime readers and it caused a writer's block for weeks. This was my attempt to gain a 'win' and boost myself up again because I was devastated.
I'm not sure about others, but I don't want to disable guest from speaking.
So overcome with shock by her older sisters confession, Elizabeth couldn't speak for a full two minutes before she found her voice again.
"When did this happen? I didn't even see you get his number. What happened to not settling for guys at bars and sleazebags?!"
Jane did her best not to laugh out loud as her favorite sister and closest friend began pacing the small room in agitation.
"If you must know exactly when, it was while you were dragging Lydia away from the bar. To answer your last question, it's not like we're dating or anything. Only talking for now. Besides, I honestly think he isn't a 'sleazeball'."
Elizabeth plopped herself down on Jane's bed and turned her body towards her, "Are you sure this isn't just your niceness speaking? Do you really believe he's a good guy and that his intentions are good?"
"I won't know unless I find out," Jane shrugged before crawling across her bed to sit right next to her sister and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "Our promise still stands, and until I meet my Prince Charming, I shall guard my heart."
Elizabeth could only sigh in resignation, "Just allow me to have the second swing at him after you smack him if he does actually turn out to be your average shallow man."
"Deal," Jane chuckled, and the two hugged.
Darcy wanted to spin on his heels and escape almost as soon as he entered the building.
He had to stop letting Charles talk him into doing things and going to places.
Today he found himself accompanying Charles to a dance studio for lessons for an upcoming social event. The gala was apparently one of the top events held at the Netherfield city hall and besides the silent auction, dinner and the actual socializing part, there was the second half of the event where people could dance. It was all formal and the dances were all ballroom dances including; Foxtrot, Swing, Quickstep, Cha-Cha, Tango and the last being a Waltz.
Charles was determined to ask Jane to be his plus one to the event, and in a step to asking her, he first needed to learn the dances. Darcy was there to make him feel less uncomfortable, but between the two men, both wearing clothes as if they were about to go for a run rather than attend dance lessons, they stood out spectacularly.
"Charles, you've never been one to actually be nervous in these kinds of places, so what the hell am I doing here?" Darcy asked gruffly.
"You're really going to act all disinterested in coming here when you knew Elizabeth was going be here?" Charles cocked an eyebrow up in humor, "Despite what you professed the night we met, you stared at her a great deal of that night. If you really wished to dance with her in the end, why didn't you just ask?"
"Charles, you know I don't just go up to strange women in a bar and ask them to dance."
"But you saw her dance, I'm sure I caught you two or three times watching her while I danced with Jane."
"That just shows how little you attended your own partner," Darcy muttered to himself.
"You're leading away from what I was trying to get at in the beginning. I think this Netherfield ball is the perfect way for you to possibly ask her since you obviously have some interest in her."
"For heaven's sake, lower your voice, Bingley. We don't need everyone hearing our conversation. Besides, I doubt she'd be in attendance."
"She would if you ask her," Charles wagged an eyebrow with a toothy grin.
Darcy only shook his head at his friend and looked around the room of other people who were taking lessons.
There were a few old couples and a bunch of younger people around Darcy and Charles's age. Most of them were already paired with their partners probably both preparing for the gala dance.
One woman stood out from all the rest and Darcy's eyes became fixed on her form as she danced with a man who was about twice her age. She was laughing and was easily giving pointers as they moved before she relinquished her spot to a woman who seemed to be the same age as the older man.
There were a few other people who seemed to be wearing the same logo on their shirts as her, showing who were the instructors among all the students.
"Elizabeth Bennet is a dance instructor?" Darcy turned his head and glared down at his friend, saying his words through gritted teeth.
"How else do you think I found this place?" Charles smirked, "I was asking about events that take place in Hertfordshire, she mentioned the gala and what all happened during it. I asked her if the dancing was formal or not and she said it was and that her sister taught ballroom dance at this dance studio."
"You could've mentioned it before we got here."
"Why? Would you've not have come?"
"No."
"Why not? I mean if you aren't looking to actually dance with her, learning ballroom has its benefits."
Darcy wasn't sure what Charles was considering as a benefit, but was skeptical it was the correct one, "And what benefits are you referring to?"
"Well, a woman likes a guy who can dance, and grinding is not a form of dancing with a woman."
"I would never be seen grinding on any woman," Darcy said in disgust, not even being able to imagine himself doing such a vulgar thing.
The men's conversation was halted by a woman approaching with a warm smile, "Welcome gentlemen, are you are two new additions?"
"Yes, we are," Charles spoke up quickly before Darcy could escape.
"My name is Caroline Lee, one of the dance instructors."
"I'm Charles Bingley and this is my friend Will Darcy," Charles gestured to his friend.
"Darcy? You wouldn't happen to be Viscount Darcy, would you?"
Darcy just nodded stiffly. He had seen that look on many women before. The calculating of his wealth and how much he was worth. That and the fact that he was still single.
To distract himself from her stares, he looked back towards the dance floor to watch Elizabeth help a couple with their steps. Her eyes were dancing with merriment as she laughed and said something to the pair.
"That's very kind of you, but I had a recommendation to work with Elizabeth Bennet," Charles's words penetrated through Darcy's mind and he looked towards his friend again and the woman they were with.
"Elizabeth Bennet," Caroline said, clearly annoyed before something came to mind, "Well but of course. However, though she is a decent instructor, she can't possibly teach you both. I'd be happy to be your instructor Mr. Darcy."
The smile she gave Will made his skin crawl, and he tried to think of a way out, "These are private lessons, correct?"
"Yes," her smile somehow getting wider.
She smiles too much.
"How many other rooms are there to practice in here?"
"Two others, but one is being used currently."
Charles, beginning to sense his friend's unease decided to pull off the biggest wingman save he ever performed in his life.
"Well, since there is only one other practice room besides dancing in this more public room, I believe Darcy should be the one to use it," Darcy threw him a look of betrayal just before Charles finished, "He also prefers to dance with people he's a bit more comfortable with than someone he just met so he should be the one to dance with Elizabeth."
So it was that Darcy found himself standing across from Elizabeth in a room completely by themselves with a radio up against the wall plugged in. Her hands were on her hips and she fixed him with a glare of her own.
"Look, I don't want to be here as much as you probably don't want me to be standing across from you. If I had known you worked here I'd-"
"Never would have insulted me at the bar?" A smile broke across her face then," Don't worry, I won't try to have too much pleasure in 'babysitting' you while your friend learns how to dance. Who knows, you might leave learning something."
"I actually am not a bad dancer," Darcy said, not bothering to mention he had learned how to dance when he was a teenager.
She rose a skeptical eyebrow and looked over his apparel, "Of course."
Darcy only gave a small smirk after she turned to select a song for them to start off with. He dug into his bag to pull out his dancing shoes. It had been a while since he last put them on, but after Charles's request the night before, Darcy couldn't help feeling pleased to pull them out. To be now dancing with Elizabeth was a complete shock he didn't expect.
"So, what are we to be dancing? Cha Cha? Samba? Quickstep? I hope we can move past the basic Foxtrot," he said as he finished tying his laces and stood up. He figured she'd go with the faster songs.
Elizabeth, he noticed, stood a few inches taller than before with her heels. She was wearing soccer shorts, allowing Darcy to see her toned calf muscles and part of her thighs until he trained his eyes up.
She had also been looking him over, noticing he switched shoes and had a fine pair of dancing shoes that actually looked used, but well-kept. The ends of his sweatpants were pushed up over his calf muscles so as not to get in the way. His biceps, which while not ripped, showed no signs of fat when he crosses them over his chest.
Clicking the play button, they assumed starting positions. They instantly became aware of the other person invading their personal space, but neither said anything. Darcy squinted slightly as he heard the beginning part of the song. He tried to figure out which dance this was.
"This will be a Tango," Elizabeth said, somehow guessing what he was thinking.
Darcy mentally nodded and heard a note for which he could begin their steps.
For all his worth, he didn't recognize the song. It sounded almost like the 'Ride of the Valkyries', but then it drifted from that into that of a Tango melody. Darcy stole the briefest glances down to his partner and saw that there was a smile on her face for some mysterious reason. They went around the room in silence for about ten more seconds before words came from the radio singing the lyrics to the song, 'Bust Your Windows'.
It made him want to roll his eyes as he continued to lead them. He listened to the lyrics, a story about a woman's wrath it would seem about a cheating boyfriend.
"Interesting choice, this song. Can't say I've heard it before."
"Jazmine Sullivan. An inspiration to young girls in how to deal with cheating boyfriends," Elizabeth replied evenly.
"Speaking from experience?"
She finally looked up to meet his gaze, "I do believe that is none of your business. Now unless you want to talk about dancing instructions, I do believe it would be best if we keep to ourselves."
Darcy smirked and lowered his head a little so his whisper, though unnecessary in a room by themselves, would be heard, "Keeping to ourselves would be kind of difficult don't you think with us doing ballroom, and definitely a Tango."
Elizabeth shot him a glare before switching the songs on her remote. Purposefully it would seem she changed it to a Foxtrot.
Darcy changed courses and fell into the easy steps of a Foxtrot. He waited a while before trying to draw her into a conversation again.
"Do you like dancing?"
"Yes."
"How long have you known how to do ballroom?"
"Six years."
Ok, so she was going to try and answer with one or two words, was she. He could change the questions to fix that.
"What made you start?"
Elizabeth cast him a frown, "Why are you asking so many questions?"
"You've narrowed down my choices of conversation to just dance and as dancing was intended originally to be a social practice, there must be words between us."
"Dancing instructions only. And while that may be the case and what dancing was intended for, I cannot see why two people with nothing in common or any real high opinion of the other should be forced into conversation."
Darcy could only just blink in silence, too surprised at her words to even find a decent reply.
Once their thirty-minute lesson was over, Elizabeth was out of the room in no time, as if leaving his company was pure ecstasy.
Will couldn't for the life of him understand why she thought he had a low opinion of her. Yes, he did say those things at the bar, which he had to admit after watching her dance later on that same night, was not the case. She stirred up something inside of him that he couldn't understand. Plus, he didn't object to dancing with her today, and he actually tried to engage her in conversation, though she shut him down every time.
It made him want to laugh when he thought about how this was the first time he had ever done so.
Back out in the public dancing area, Charles was struggling still with his Foxtrot. Caroline seemed to have little patience for him and every time he messed up. When their time was over, his friend looked almost as relieved as Elizabeth.
"Rough go?" asked Darcy when his friend took a seat against the wall on the floor.
"I was tired after the first five minutes. Caroline seems... very strict."
"Yeah, I saw that," Darcy mumbled and sat down next to his friend to take off his dancing shoes.
"How was your lesson, Viscount? I'm sure if your instructor was not competent enough, I'm sure I could offer myself as a more experienced teacher. I've been doing ballroom since I was seven," Caroline batted her eyelashes, "Though I'm sure no one with your skill needs help in actually learning anything seeing how you must have already been taught by the very best instructors in England."
Darcy was relieved only Charles was nearby to hear her speech. He had hoped that in America, here at least he'd be free from titles and social climbers trying to marry him. Unfortunately, he had run into the only woman in town who knew of him and his noble family.
"Caroline, your next appointment is here," Elizabeth walked over to join their small group. The woman looked displeased to leave Elizabeth alone with Darcy and his friend, but did so in the end, "I hope your lesson was alright, Mr. Bingley. My sister had informed me you might be coming. I'm sorry you may have had a poor first experience," Elizabeth said, actually sympathetic to a guy for once. No one should suffer an annoyed Caroline Lee.
"It was hard, but I won't be discouraged," Charles said bravely.
Elizabeth stole a quick glance to Darcy before addressing Charles again, "Since it would seem that your friend is actually quite skilled already in ballroom. Perhaps I can take over your lessons."
"That would be great," Bingley said in relief. He remembered afterwards his friend, he looked to Darcy, "That is if you're alright with that arrangement."
"Well, I didn't really want to come anyway. I was only keeping you company."
In truth, Darcy was a bit ticked off that his friend would steal his instructor, though he had no need of one.
It was probably for the best anyway, he figured.
Song: 'Bust Your Windows' by Jazmine Sullivan
A/N: I must confess I have little idea where the heck this is going and who these characters are that I'm creating. Just watching a random show I was binge watching where this guy was a Viscount in America and I thought, why not. So Darcy is just hanging out with his friend in America for a spell.
I decided this scene would be somewhat related to the scene at Netherfield where Darcy asked Elizabeth to dance a Reel. I brought Caroline Lee from Lizzie Bennet Diaries and this time she isn't related to Bingley.
Because someone wasn't happy with the fact that I had a lot of lyrics in the story, I did a scene where it was just them dancing to a song. But if it isn't clear by now, this is like a musical/ book pride and prejudice. The lyrics have meaning where I have them written out, but you can tell me if you want me to trim it down more or just leave the song title for you to find on your own to look up on YouTube. I find both immersive, but I can't tell if you guys are looking up the songs and playing them or not so I leave in most of the song.