Chapter 30

"You are in trade?" Lady Catherine asked Miss Bingley with a scowl as they gathered in the drawing room before dinner.

"I am not in trade, my lady," Miss Bingley informed her in a tight voice.

"It is my understanding that your father was a carriage maker and your brother has yet to purchase an estate, therefore his income dervies not from the land, but rather Mr. Bingley's ventures. How is that not in trade? Do not seek to correct your betters. I am quite attentive to these things you will find."

"Mr. Bingley is a very gentleman like man, Aunt Catherine, and Miss Bingley went to an exclusive seminary," Elizabeth said her eyes twinkling.

"Likely one of those trumped up academys promising to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse," Lady Catherine grumbled assesing Miss Bingley with displeasure. "Well what did you learn at this institution you attended?" she barked at Miss Bingley.

"The accomplishments of a lady," Miss Bingley demmured.

When she did not continue, Lady Catherine demanded, "Such as? Do you not know what those are? Are you imparied?"

Before Miss Bingley could recover herself from the great dame's onslaught and answer, Elizabeth spoke up again. "Music, drawing, a through knowledge of the modern languages, something in her air and in her manner of walking."

Eyeing Miss Bingley up and down slowly, Lady Catherine drawled, "From what I have observed thus far, they have failed. Tis not suprising, for what school can teach that that is innate to a certain class?"

While Miss Bingley sat there red faced, embarrassed and fumming, Elizabeth took pity on her and said, "You are to harsh, Aunt Catherine. I do not believe that nature of birth can be responsible for a person's character. Certianly the environment one grows up in may influence and shape it, but these are not innate things. Otherwise why would there be gentlemen that gamble away their estate's profits while others nurture and care for their estates? How could that sense to care for an estate and its dependants be innate in one gentleman and not another if it was due to their birth and station?"

"Save your debates for Darcy," Lady Catherine said with a huff.

"Shall you join us to shop for some festive ribbons before the Holiday Assembly Ball, Miss Bingley?" Jane asked once the great Lady, at Elizabeth's instigation, turned her fire away from her outlet for her displeasure.

"An assembly? Why am I not suprised that we shall find ourselves at yet another country assembly," Miss Bingley said with displeasure. "It seems unfeeling to me, for all to go gadding about, when dear Miss Darcy is not out and cannot attend. I am sure your brother has no intentions of leaving you to fend for yourself alone, without even your companion to see to you. He must be planning on staying behind himself-"

"My brother and my cousin Richard have said I may attend, with a few strictues in place. After all, this is not London and my aunts, uncle and many of my cousins shall be there to keep watch over me," Georgiana said in a rush.

"Your brother I imagine will wish to dance the first with you," Miss Bingley observed.

"I am afraid that privilege falls to my brother Richard," Elizabeth said archly to Miss Bingley, causing a satisfied smile to cross the laters features.

"Shame on your cousin for usurping Mr. Darcy," Miss Bingley said with a cat that got the cream smile to Georgiana. "He shall naturally be forced to choose another for his first set. Will your eldest brother or your father be leading you, Eliza?"

"Neither, Caro," Elizabeth said, deliberately shortening Miss Bingley's name and raising her eyebrow.

"Well if none of your brothers intend to do their duty by you, my brother would be honored to claim your first set," Miss Bingley said with a false air of graciousness.

"Oh that, won't be necessary," Elizabeth assured her. "My first set has been spoken for."

"And which of your charming brothers will you dance with?"

"None, my brother has requested her first set," Georgiana said speaking up. Both Lady Catherine and Miss Bingley sucked in a breath of air at this. Lady Catherine said nothing, but Miss Bingley was not as circumspect.

"I am pleased for you, Eliza," she bit out condescendingly. "Mr. Darcy is an excellent dancer. We often stand up together, intimate friends as we are. It would be impolite for him to avoid a dance with his cousin and my dear friend."

"You forget, Caroline," Jane said sweetly, "Lizzy has danced with Mr. Darcy previously during the ball at Netherfield, she is aware he is an excellent dancer."

"Yes. Just so," Miss Bingley responded, her smile brittle before she excused herself to go lay down, requesting a dinner tray be sent to her room. If she hoped her absence would be noted and remarked on when the gentlemen entered the drawing room, it was, but not as she hoped. She was vexed when no inquiries to her well-being from the party were presented.

With Bingley now in attendance, the carpets were eagerly rolled back for dancing after dinner. But when Elizabeth went to take the seat at the pianoforte, Georgiana forestalled her, insisting she would much rather play for the first set. Darcy would have liked to dance with Elizabeth, but her eldest brother promptly claimed his sister's hand. Knowing Darcy would hesitate to request Anne to dance because of Lady Catherine, Richard gamely did so, while Bingley partnered Jane. The unequal numbers of females to males had Henry bowing to Issac and requesting his first set. Playing along, Isaac agreed in a high falsetto. David seeing himself as the only brother left, appealed to his mother. After her acceptance, he jested "Poor Darcy, to be slighted and not found tolerable enough to dance with."

"If Miss Darcy would like to dance with her brother, I would be pleased to play for the evening," Mrs. Jenkinson spoke up saying.

Thus Mrs. Jenkinson claimed the piano for the evening and neither Georgiana or Elizabeth were required to sit out a single song. Despite this though Darcy found Elizabeth's brothers repeatedly thwarting his attempts to claim her as a partner, with Henry at one point simply shouldering him out of the way and grasping Elizabeth's hand before Darcy could, amid the laughter of the party. Any of the brothers not in the current set after Lady Matlock had declared herself done with dancing and Anne required a rest, even made a show of stepping in front of Darcy and taking his place when any part of the dance called for him to be by Elizabeth, rather than his own partner.

As the dancing drew to a conclusion, David said with satisfaction, "Well Darcy, perhaps next time you will be allowed the consequence to dance with our Elizabeth if you have learned your lesson. That is if she finds you tolerable enough."

"That I have. Cousin Elizabeth is enchanting and I am dismayed to again have been denied the opportunity to dance with her," Darcy said wryly. "Tomorrow I hope that I can be granted a set or two."

"Or two? My, my, aren't you ambitious?" Richard drawled.

"I see your scheme, sir," Elizabeth said laughing. "You shall dance with, Georgiana, Jane, Anne and than myself twice to avoid offering a set to Miss Bingley? The lady will be utterly devastated. It is a bargin," she added sticking her hand out and making a show of shaking his.

Rather then let her hand go, Darcy brought it to his lips and kissed it and said, "I look forward to our dances, Elizabeth."