Adele was the only one in the house who was not looking forward to the dinner. Mrs Bennet and Jane were waiting for Bingley. Mary wanted to flatter her new music piece and Elizabeth loved teasing Darcy. Lydia and Kitty were happy with Colonel Forster while Mr Bennet was eager to see the man who slighted the most beautiful lady in all of Hertfordshire.
"At least Mr Bingley can lift your spirit with his good nature," Jane said cheerfully.
"That friend of his, Mr Darcy, is enough to sullen all his liveliness," Elizabeth said mischievously.
"I think Ady thinks about that Mr Pompous and Proper more than his lover would think in her whole life," Lydia commented while Kitty giggled.
"Oh hush! Lydia, I don't think your sister would ever need a man like him. She does have better and rich admirers," shushed Mrs Bennet.
"Whom she had already turned down in the past," smirked Elizabeth.
"Still she receives many flowers and letters, does not she?"
"Yes, and one of those letters was from a man old enough to be my father!" Adele received hearty laughter from all the members for her speech, before the whole family dispersed to get dressed.
_
The guest came to the house and was seated in the evening room before dinner. Mr Darcy stood on a corner examining the whole room when his eyes travelled to the opposite corner where a neat bundle of letters and a lot of flowers were kept.
His curiosity was piqued and by luck, Jane was just beside him talking to Bingley.
"Forgive me, Miss Jane," he said to her in cold civility, "but may I ask why I bundle of letters are kept on a corner with flowers? Forgive me if I am trespassing politeness, I was merely curious."
That day, Adele had got a bundle of letters from her admirers with a lot of thornless roses and even more yellow chrysanthemums. Jane told Bingley and him thus. Bingley, good in the language of flowers -for he had but 5 sisters- merely laughed while Darcy, who had no idea stood looking at Bingley in confusion.
Bingley saw that and explained that thornless roses stood for love at first sight while yellow chrysanthemums denoted slighted love.
"I did not know that Miss Bennet had so many Beaus," Bingley commented while Darcy stood in shock.
"Oh! She had none for she runs away from the very idea of matrimony. Most of these are anonymous."
"Are they from people nearby?"
"No, most of these are from the rich class of London," Lydia said even after Jane tried to push her, "I remember her saying that a certain Earl of Aidenberg, who was old enough to be her father, had taken a particular liking of her."
"Earl of Aidenberg!" exclaimed Hurst, "That old man who is always surrounded by almost all eligible and beautiful Maidens of the country! Your sister must be something."
"Oh! She is for sure," commented Mrs. Bennet, "I remember Sir William saying the other day that Adele is one of the most precious jewels of the county, if not the most."
Darcy was forced to contemplate his own words. Miss Bennet certainly was beautiful with violet-blue eyes and ocean blue flecks on them.
From the time, Adele came down to entertain the guests, till he had not been distracted by Miss Bingley who had suddenly decided to join after hearing of the indirect insult of Adele, Darcy took his own time to observe her. She certainly was beautiful with cocoa brown hair and palest of skin he had seen. She had a pleasing figure and a noble air which piqued his mind.
Though, as he observed, she did not take any interest in gossiping among other young ladies and neither did she smiled much, actually, she did not smile at all. She was rather happy to take a corner with her father and Miss Mary Bennet than be the centre.
During the dinner, she was seated just beside him as Lydia asked to exchange seats so that she may talk to Forster. Adele was a quiet being, though not as distant as Mary and he was shocked to see that she did not even smile while Elizabeth commented wittily on the Militiamen. She seemed to be lost in her own world.
Between dinner and supper, when it was time to be in the parlor, Mary was the one to open the pianoforte, though the poor girl was forced to leave the seat only after the second song.
It seemed that people liked Adele better than Mary. Though, Adele was prevailed only by force and-
"Oh, my dear Ady! Do play, for even I love to hear you," said her father with twinkling mischief in his eyes.
Darcy almost laughed at the falter of her expression after the exchange. She cleared her throat and sat to play.
"I wish to play a dancing roll and thus you all have five minutes to choose a partner."
Bingley chose Jane, a captain Denny was Lydia's partner while Miss Lucas danced with Elizabeth and Kitty forced Mary to dance. Darcy stood where he was and tried not to look in Miss Bingley's hopeful eyes.
He stood observing Adele while her expressions- hidden from the entire room except for Darcy, for his place was at the opposite corner- looked that of melancholy. His heartfelt sour.
_
A few days afterwards, it was the Lucas family who held a gathering at their house. The Netherfield party was called and Adele, the protective elder sister as she was, decided to observe Bingley with Jane. While she made the observation, it was oblivious to her that a different set of eyes were staring at her.
He had begun to wish to know more of her and as the first step attended to her conversation with others. That time Adele was talking with Colonel Forster and Charlotte about the different flowers.
"I find a blue rose much more precious than any other. I have read somewhere that if you give it to someone, it gives the message that they are very close to you and that you find them a mystery, in a good way."
Adele was almost astonished to see that Mr Darcy had taken his position beside her and wished to make him a part of the conversation, which she knew would only trouble him.
"Dare I ask your opinion about this Mr Darcy?" her tone was cold and even Charlotte felt a shiver running down her spine.
"I dare say, Miss Bennet, that I do not find my knowledge of flowers equal to yours, for I believe you to be an expert in the field and quite experienced too after receiving so many with different meanings."
His tone was low and almost accusing, which caused Adele to look at him and he too turned his head in her direction. Her eyes depicted confusion initially but changed to hurt and anger in no time.
"Who told you?" she asked quietly.
"After seeing so many flowers in the evening room with a bundle of letters, I asked Miss Jane about it, though it was Lydia who told me about your Beaus."
"They are not my Beaus, for the sake of god."
Her voice was controlled and much like a hiss.
"Forgive me," he bowed and left the group with a fuming Adele in his wake. Within a few moments, he saw Adele standing by the window and lost in the reverie of thoughts.
_
He stood by the dancing group in silent indignation at such a mode of passing the evening, to the exclusion of all conversation, and was too much engrossed by his own thoughts to perceive that Sir William Lucas was his neighbour till Sir William thus began: "What a charming amusement for young people that is, Mr. Darcy! - There is nothing like dancing after all. - I consider it as one of the first refinements of polished societies."
"Certainly, sir; and it has the advantage of also being in vogue amongst the less polished societies of the world - Every savage can dance."
Sir William only smiled. "Your friend performs delightfully," he continued after a pause, on seeing Bingley join the group, "and I doubt not that you are an adept in the science yourself, Mr Darcy."
"You saw me dance at Meryton, I believe, sir."
"Yes, indeed, and received no inconsiderable pleasure from the sight. Do you dance at St. James's?"
The conversation revolved around dance and then hoped to London and how the air of London would not agree with Lady Lucas, until Sir William was struck with the notion of doing a very gallant thing, on seeing Adele walking their way, and called out to her: "My dear Miss Bennet, why are you not dancing? - Mr Darcy, you must allow me to present this young lady to you as a very desirable partner. You cannot refuse to dance, I am sure when so much beauty is before you."
Mr Darcy, though surprised, was not unwilling to dance with her.
"Sir, if you have forgotten, I do not dance."
"You can make an exception today, I am certain, dear Adele."
"I beg you not to do this again, for I have not made any exceptions till now nor I have any further plans to make."
"Miss Adele," Darcy said with grave propriety, "you will not find an unwilling partner with me."
Adele noticed as Elizabeth was moving from the way, she pulled her towards the group.
"Not me, though, Elizabeth would be happy to dance."
Elizabeth was shocked and thus found herself, with an almost reluctant Mr Darcy, dancing on the roll. The whole room seemed to be shocked except for giggling Lydia, Kitty and Maria Lucas.
Adele looked apologetically at her sister and made her way outside the house and to the gardens.
_
