Chapter 8: The Netherfield ball
Netherfield was lit brightly for the ball. Miss Bingley had planned the ball meticulously to impress Darcy. She had also taken great care to plan something else to trap him into a compromise.
He is a man of honour. He will have no choice but to marry me. She was certain about her plan.
When the Bennets arrived, Mr Bingley immediately took his side by Jane.
Elizabeth noticed that Darcy had the same look of disapproval on his face when she saw him in a social setting.
She sometimes noticed a slight smile play on his lips when he looked her way.
She searched for Wickham. She asked officer Denny about him.
"Oh! Wickham, he wanted to be here. But he also wanted to avoid being in the presence of a certain gentleman. I will inform him that you missed his company, Miss Elizabeth." Elizabeth sensed something sinister in the way he uttered the last line. She moved away towards the coffee table.
She saw Darcy approach her.
"Miss Elizabeth, if you are not otherwise engaged, would you do the honour of dancing with me?"
Elizabeth did not incline to dance. But Darcy's request took her by surprise. She could not make up an excuse, and she agreed. Darcy was looking forward to dancing with her.
Both of them were silent for the first few minutes of the dance. Elizabeth hated awkward silences and tried to make conversation with him.
"Now that we have discussed the weather, it is your turn to say something, Mr Darcy."
"Do you talk by rule when you dance?"
"If I miss my steps, I do try to make it up with conversation."
Darcy smiled.
"How do you like Hertfordshire? I think you have spent a good time here to form an opinion."
"My visit here was to aid my friend. My opinion of any country remains the same. I prefer it to town."
"My father used to say the same thing." She bit her lips once she uttered the words. She felt it was a personal topic to discuss with Darcy.
"I am sorry for your loss, Miss Elizabeth."
"I thank you, sir."
Darcy noticed the pain in her eyes. He recollected the death of his excellent father.
His life had altered so much by the single drastic event.
They stayed silent for the rest of the dance. Before parting, he informed her about his departure from Netherfield the next day. Elizabeth found him to be an exceedingly good dance partner. His steps very confident and graceful. She admitted to herself that she enjoyed the dance more than she had expected to.
She walked around the room aimlessly. She found a beautiful painting behind a pillar and stood admiring it. The drinks table had been set on the other side of the pillar. She could not help but overhear the conversation between Officer Denny and his friend.
"I cannot believe it. She looks so proper and principled. But what Wickham said must have been true."
"What are you saying?"
"It is Miss Elizabeth. She asked about Wickham as soon as she saw me."
"So, are you saying she is in love with him?"
"That is what Wickham told me yesterday. He seems to have enjoyed her company a bit more during her walks to Oakham mount."
"Do you mean they..."
"Yes, he said she reciprocated his kisses passionately."
"Maybe she thinks he makes a lot of money. Maybe she wants to secure him to get their family out of trouble."
"Ah! Whatever it may be, Wickham said he just wanted to have fun with her. She is indeed beautiful. Maybe one of us to could have a chance with her, once Wickham breaks her poor heart."
Elizabeth could not believe her ears. She was completely mortified. She wanted to give both the officers a tight slap. But she saw Jane and Bingley dancing and laughing together. She did not know how to react.
She felt enraged at Wickham's lies. He must be a scoundrel in disguise.
Unknowingly, tears streamed down her eyes. She could not believe that people could assume her to behave so unprincipled just because they were poor. Elizabeth had been depressed for a long time. Her heart was not strong enough to hear such a disgrace and take it lightly. She did not want to create a scene. She moved towards the balcony door and ran out into the dark.
She cried out, knowing that there was nobody to hear her.
She was angry at herself was being so sensitive. She did not realise that Darcy was walking towards her, and she ran into him in the darkness.
Within moments everything happened. Both of them fell, and the sleeve of her dress tore due to the collision.
It was dark, and both of them did not realise who the other person was.
Before Elizabeth could get up, they heard a woman scream.
"Compromise! Mr Darcy compromised her. They are compromised."
Both Darcy and Elizabeth looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in faint light standing near the door.
Elizabeth did not recognise her. Oh! God! Who is she? This is not a compromise. It is an accident. She thought.
"Mr Darcy? I am sorry. I did not see you. It is my fault. I can explain this to that woman." She said, trying to free the lace of her dress, caught in his coat button.
Darcy was enraged. He immediately confirmed that Elizabeth had trapped him into a compromise.
In a few seconds, Mrs Bennet and the others arrived at the scene, shocked.
Yes! Elizabeth and Darcy were compromised.