'Perhaps, sir, we should cease. I have now scored upon you four times to your none. Would you care to choose an alternative method of combat?' Elizabeth spoke with no little amusement; the gentleman's breath was rather labored and he was more bent than upright, whilst she maintained her former composure, evidence of her having been extensively trained. Much as she did not wish to bestow an injury on him, his attitude of condescension was insupportable, particularly as he had approached the Bennet family for assistance.
It was, therefore, quite diverting to watch the great man gasping as if there were not air enough in the vicinity.
After some minutes, Mr. Darcy stood fully and declared it conceivable that he should attempt another variety of weapon, as he had not been at leisure to practice exhaustively with the short sword in many years. Elizabeth was quite proud of her equanimity – she did not laugh aloud at his pompous pronouncement.
'Mr. Darcy, it was most fortuitous for you at the previous evening's assembly that my mother had arrived at that precise moment, as I was prepared to instruct you in several aspects of unarmed combat. Shall we introduce the subject now?' She stepped back, adopting an appropriate stance and leaving her opponent chary of her possible skills in this category.
Replied he, 'Miss Bennet, though I am sure your good mother has an estimable sense of timing, assuredly there could have been no advance which you could have undertaken to remove me in such limited quarters.' The conviction in his voice was strong and unassailable.
'Perhaps, sir,' spoke Elizabeth slowly, 'You would care to re-create your stance of the previous evening?' His certainty was more troubling than droll, for an inviolable rule in combat is to never assume inability on the part of one's opponent. Suppositions could, indeed, cause grievous harm to a person – or those for whom one was responsible.
The gentleman assented and stepped closer, to lightly grasp Elizabeth's arm, as he done at the assembly, appearing secure in the belief of his own correctness. She placed her hand atop his own and, to his surprise, wrapped her fingers around his wrist. Smilingly, she glanced upward; he felt his wrist move immediately before an acute pain engulfed his arm, in its entirety. Darcy could not, for the agony, remain on his feet and so released Elizabeth, just prior to his falling down to his knees.
Containing her irritation at the affected man, Elizabeth queried, 'Was that a sufficient exhibition, Mr. Darcy? Are we now prepared to resume our examination? My mother will be most displeased if you are insufficiently prepared. If you are to organize a group similar to this one in your home county, you must be capable of determining other's level of proficiency through your own. As yet, I have not discerned in you any great knowledge of the necessary arts.'
She proceeded to one of the walls, upon which hung a notable collection of quarterstaffs, and selected two. Offering the longer to the gentleman, Elizabeth explained, 'Although few utilize weapons such as these in our time, they are an exceptional method by which one may learn balance. Further, their usage is in some manner similar to that of swords and can be a splendid implement. Let us commence.'
Thus saying, she positioned both her hands and her body correctly, awaiting her visitor's subsequent action. Imitating her attitude, he stepped forward and attempted a strike. Elizabeth parried and, with a movement simple in appearance, spun his stick away; as he watched his weapon distance itself from him, there was an unexpected noise and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy found himself abruptly prone, observing the beams of the ceiling.
'Come, sir,' began Elizabeth, 'right yourself and we must return to Longbourn. I had been tasked with ascertaining your fitness and can only hope that your skill in the saddle is far superior to what you have thus far displayed.' With those words, she replaced all loose implements and walked to the door, halting there until the tall gentleman reluctantly followed, feeling her speech to be unnecessarily abusive.
On their arrival at the house, Mr. Darcy was requested in Mr. Bennet's study. As he sat, Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth emerged from the wall, and placed themselves adjacent to the Master's desk.
'How did you find Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth? What is his degree of facility?' inquired Mrs. Bennet. The daughter dutifully reported her findings in an exact telling of their activities.
Mr. Darcy was in the habits of authority; he was therefore unaccustomed to submitting to another's wishes and preferred to schedule his time as he desired. As he apprehended the matter, he had come, ignoring other pressing matters, to this vicinity in order to find a better solution for his dealings with Wickham. If more than his family were able to benefit by this foray, so be it, but the primary impetus behind this journey would remain his desire to keep his sister and her name secure from any who might seek to sully them.
If these people had not been positively identified by Colonel Fitzwilliam as the likely answer to his conundrum, he would assuredly have already left these environs and sought company with those who wished for nothing more than his approbation. It was mortifying to find himself judged not good enough – him! The Master of Pemberley! – by residents of this small, rural town in one of the least well-to-do counties in England. As a consequence, he was exceedingly upset by his mistreatment at their hands.
'Madam,' opened Mr. Darcy, 'I am afraid that there may have been a misconstruction. My attendance in your presence is merely to understand the organization and operation of a league such as yours, to the end that I might begin one in my home county and is unquestionably not to scrutinize my capabilities in combat. If you cannot provide me with the intelligence required, I must respectfully take my leave.' Standing, he formally bowed to the room's occupants and removed himself before aught else could be spoken.
Elizabeth watched, astonished, at his disrespectful action and looked to her mother, who appeared unperturbed.
Mrs. Bennet calmly said, 'He will likely come back, as his excursion will remain unanswered unless he solicits assistance. Elizabeth, I imagine that Jane may desire your company. Mr. Bennet, you wished to speak with me?' Thus dismissed, Elizabeth left to find her elder sister.
Mr. Darcy did, indeed, withdraw to London after his unsatisfactory audience with the Bennets but could find none better suited to aid him in his task than the same people that he had previously disdained. He thought to discuss the subject with his cousin, the colonel, but chose to refrain; his own conscience – or was it perhaps his pride - would not permit such a discussion. There had been, Darcy recognized, injustice in his words and he had conducted himself in a fashion unworthy of his name.
Despite acknowledging to himself the inappropriateness of his actions, the notion of an admission of his wrong-doing being owed to the Bennets was absent from his thoughts. They were not of import enough in society for a lack of apology to concern him unduly and the daughters were hardly tolerable – particularly that impertinent one. He determined the most prudent course was to return to Netherfield and re-establish communication with Mr. Bennet. There was much to be accomplished and in an amount of time possibly inadequate for his purposes.
The ladies of Longbourn soon waited on those of Netherfield and the visit was returned in due form. Mr. Bingley's sisters allowed Miss Bennet to be sweet; they expressed their inclination to become better acquainted with the two oldest sisters, though the mother was intolerable and the younger sisters not worth speaking of. Jane received these attentions quite happily, assuming they sprung from genuine interest; Elizabeth saw much wanting in the ladies' manner but found value in their attachment, as it could be construed to arise from their brother's admiration.
It was the evening after Darcy's re-admittance to Netherfield that a large party assembled at the home of Sir William Lucas. Mr. Bingley continued in the mind of the neighborhood as a most amiable man, for he ensured his attendance at the numerous occasions that neighbors find to gather. To that fellow's delight, the Misses Bennet were also present and his enthusiastic attentions to Jane did not go unnoticed by Elizabeth. She was gratified on her sister's behalf and took pleasure in closely observing Mr. Bingley and Jane.
Occupied as she was with her sister's fortunes, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she had become an object of scrutiny. Mr. Darcy had noted her presence and began to study her without admiration, only looking to criticize. No sooner had he declared to himself that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he found it rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. Much to his chagrin, this discovery was succeeded by more, equally discomfiting. Watching her move about the room, he perceived her figure to be light and pleasing and her manners, while not those of the fashionable world, caught his eye with their playfulness.
He was astonished at the turn of his mind and solitude was now of first importance to the great man's peace, as he could not properly analyze his thoughts in this crowded space. She had somehow turned his own self against him and he required privacy to understand how this had come to pass.
Impertinent girl.