Chapter 26
The Netherfield party called as promised, delivering the Bennets invitations to the ball by hand, reserving dances, and expressing delight. Little could be done to restrain Mrs. Bennet or Lydia, fortunately, their good cheer was quite pardonable given Mr. Bingley's own happy exhortations at the event.
Colonel Fitzwilliam and Fitzwilliam Darcy were suspiciously absent, but Carolina Bingley was available to scowl and subtly show her disdain for hosting such an event, and for such a society at that. Her incomparable schooling and fine taste would naturally be wasted on the undiscerning gentry of Hertfordshire. Her brother would chase after Miss Bennet like a fool and Darcy's eyes would never stop following Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She was participating in her own insult, in her mind, presiding over an elegant event so that the very people who ought to raise her estimation were in fact meaning to humiliate her.
Caroline prompted Bingley to leave, on more than one occasion, until her brother was quite concerned she would offend their hostess and rose to take his leave.
"Miss Bennet, may I reserve the first set?" inquired Bingley. If Caroline meant to make him leave before he secured his place on Miss Bennet's dance card, she was to be disappointed.
She smiled, but her mother answered. "Oh, of course, she will Mr. Bingley, I am sure she would be delighted. Such a compliment to you, Jane."
"It would be glad to dance the first with you, Mr. Bingley." Jane smiled again, shyly but sincerely, more than a little embarrassed at her mother answering for her.
Bingley faltered, but remembered her first smile, "May I also request the supper set?"
"I would be delighted to accept Mr. Bingley," Jane rushed to answer. She looked him squarely in the eye, hoping he knew it was her wish as well as her mother's.
Bingley knew not what to make of it, he knew she was trying to communicate something, but he could not make it out. Perhaps she was pleading with him to slow his attention in front of her mother? Or perhaps, she meant to remind him she already confirmed she wished to dance with him twice. He remembered her smile faltering, both here and at Netherfield. Did her mother reply because she was afraid of Miss Bennet's answer? He wished Darcy were here, with his unbiased eye, he would studiously share his perspective and inform him what was to be done.
"Really, we must be going Charles," cried Miss Bingley. Did her brother mean to stand there staring all day, as though he had no sense? This was too much, she had to remove him to London where he would surely find another distraction.
They took their leave, with everyone expressing their excitement for the ball. Miss Bennet was still trying to communicate something to him, but he still knew not what. I wished Caroline were not with him, that she had not insisted on being included in the call so that he could request a stroll in the garden, and try to better understand her.
He wished he had simply asked her at Netherfield if she would prefer him to not be so obvious with his preference for her. He had no wish for her to accept his attention under the duress of her mother's insistence. Oh, that he could be a fly on the wall for just a day and make sense of it all somehow.
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So what do you think of this Darcy? He's repentant far sooner than he was in canon, but he didn't have the advantage of knowing himself completely in Love and then having months to fix himself while in misery. He's sorta figuring out how to be better as he goes, he's trying, as he becomes aware of things.
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And what are your thoughts on this Wickham? I recently watched a video by Dr Octavia Cox on why he elopes with Lydia. She really uses cannon to explain how truly selfish and depraved he really was. It helped me highlight his mindset. I promise there won't be any violence, he won't be any worse than cannon, in my opinion. I'm not sure where one review got that notion but I wanted to let everyone know that won't be the case. Here's the video watch?v=lrnzf8Ezmk0