More Discerning (working title)
Have you thought about what would have changed if our two beloved sisters, Jane and Elizabeth, had been able to show more of a good judgement about the quality of people, if they had been more discerning? This story endeavours to discover where such a story would lead our favourite characters.
Chapter 1
Elizabeth chuckled inwardly. Mr. Bingley's company turned out to be rather small. It constituted of his two sisters and out of all the reported gentlemen, only two appeared, one middle-aged and married. The matrons of the ball only had themselves to blame. This is what gossip can do. The families of Meryton were so hungry for new male flesh that they let their desires colour what they heard. The local four and twenty families just did not have enough sons to provide possible husbands for the daughters. Therefore, big was the disappointment on the faces of the assembly. She looked where her mother stood. She could see that she was indignant. She had such high hopes for her girls.
Elizabeth took her time to examine the newcomers. She valiantly wanted to create her first impressions, but her eyes kept glancing at the tall, single gentleman of the group. He stood out from his group, not only by the nature of his height but his almost regal comportment. He stood in the back with his head held high, somewhat detached. He looked straight ahead; he did not look around like other folks would do in a new place full of people. She had the urge to dismiss him as arrogant and one that felt he was above others. On the other hand, she could not dismiss the prevalent whisperings of him having ten thousand a year. He winced. He heard it, too.
He only danced with the ladies of his group in big contrast to Mr. Bingley who seemed to enjoy himself. He danced every dance with a huge grin on his face. Elizabeth usually distant and impartial in her observations, found that this man was harshly judged. It was true that he did not seem to enjoy himself, but he was there, probably in support of his friend. Maybe he did not like crowded places like her father. He had stopped attending assemblies altogether. After all, he did his duty and did dance with the ladies of his own group.
If Elizabeth had been true to herself, she would have admitted to admiring the gentleman. He had a noble mien, a very handsome face, and dark brown ringlets of hair framed his perfect face in a dishevelled manner. He could have been made into a statue of the ideal male. Even his clothes graced his body in perfect harmony. Not like most men, whose clothes always seemed too small for their figures. It was his eyes Elizabeth was in search of. His eyes would tell her more of himself, she was certain. For some reason, she wanted to decipher this man.
He was so different, he was so unapproachable, he was so… alone. She wanted him to notice her. She wanted to look him in the eye and smile at him. She wanted to lift his spirits, like saying 'you do not have to be alone. Come, I understand you.' She imagined him looking at her and stopping in his tracks.
Well, the way it happened was not exactly how she imagined it.
She was obliged to sit out two dances as there was a scarcity of men. She was used to it; she would let other ladies have their turn by taking herself out of the pool of dancers. She sat down. Mr. Darcy happened to stand close to her. She was about to continue her quiet observation when Mr. Bingley approached him and cajoled his friend to dance.
'I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable.' Mr. Darcy answered his friend. This was the first time Elizabeth heard him really speak. He had a deep, baritone voice. It suited him, she thought. So the gentleman was a bit shy. She wondered why a man of the world would have trouble meeting new people. Any crippling disability called at her sympathy. He seemed to avoid everybody so that he did not have to converse with them. She wished the people at the assembly would notice that he was uncomfortable. That such a man would feel that dancing with strangers was such a burden, made her want to help him. Probably his handsome face had something to do with it, she acknowledged reluctantly.
She was mortified at how it played out. Mr. Bingley offered her to him as a dance partner. He was already indignant when he turned and their eyes met for a moment. He immediately turned back as if burnt and said to her ears the harshest thing possible.
'She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men…' She wanted a hole to appear and swallow her whole. He walked off and Elizabeth was left there reeling. It hurt; it could not be helped. This handsome gentleman had just rejected the opportunity to know her. She fervently hoped it was his awkwardness only to make him say such a rude thing. She did not want to consider the other option that, indeed, he found her only tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt him. Nevertheless, she had no friendly feelings toward him just then, her sympathy forgotten momentarily.
She tried to laugh it off, but it hit too close. All her life she had been listening to her mother proclaiming that her beauty was nothing to Jane's, her elder sister. Mrs. Gardiner, her aunt by marriage, tried to balance it by saying that she was just as beautiful and that she should not forget that Jane took after her mother. Of course, she would prefer that. It is always easier to believe the negative things though; therefore, she always had a feeling of inferiority when it came to her looks. If a noble gentleman then proclaimed her only 'tolerable', it would not be taken lightly.
She needed friendly consolation. She stood and went to her best friend, Charlotte. She told her what had just happened. She laughed, but it did not reach her eyes. Charlotte, ever observant, saw that Elizabeth was hurt. She became angry at the gentleman for injuring her friend. She told her not to make too much of it. He had not been in the best of moods after all; he probably just lashed out at his friend. She acknowledged that he should have been more circumspect in his speech. Elizabeth felt justified hearing Charlotte's estimation of the arrogant comment.
The evening soon came to a close. Mrs. Bennet felt validated by the attention to her eldest daughter by the Netherfield party. Mr. Bingley danced with her twice! She already imagined wedding bells. Jane was flattered by the attention. She was too modest though to give it voice, but that was provided by her dear mother. Loud was the journey back to Longbourn and then Mr. Bennet had to listen to all that transpired at the assembly starting with the detailed description of the Netherfield party. By the end of the recitation, Mr. Bennet regretted not going to bed while the house was empty.
The younger girls, Catherine and Lydia, barely out, immensely enjoyed such events as the assembly. Their pleasure came from the fact that they danced most dances. They enjoyed being dressed in their new gowns. They were happy for their eldest sister. Elizabeth also celebrated Jane's success. She was devoted to her elder sister. She knew very well that opportunity to meet an eligible man was rare. She only hoped that their lack of dowries would not prove a hindrance.
When finally the two elder sisters found themselves alone in Jane's room, they discussed the evening's events and their impressions. Jane, finally able to be herself, shared her thoughts about Mr. Bingley and his sisters. She expressed herself in ladylike understatements. She said that she found Mr. Bingley everything a gentleman should be and that she admired his happy manners. She then talked about Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. How they had a pleasant conversation and that they seemed genuinely interested in her.
Elizabeth did not share Jane's enthusiasm about the sisters. She saw their grimaces. In her opinion, they were hugely overdressed for a country assembly, possibly with the intention of showing off. She found the sentiment inconsiderate. Obviously, the local female populace either viewed them with awe or envy. She felt them petty that they would want to create these feelings in the ladies of the neighbourhood. She had the feeling that they asked so many questions from Jane because after their brother had paid her considerable attention, they wanted to know about her. Toward Mr. Bingley, she felt warmly, if for nothing else but that he noticed her sister. He danced with Elizabeth, too. She found him an exuberant, joyful spirit, but he did not make her heart beat faster.
She, in return, told her sister about her unfortunate episode with Mr. Darcy. She was reluctant to share that she was hurt by his insensitive comment. Jane could hardly believe that a friend of Mr. Bingley could be so cruel. She was adamant that he could not possibly mean it. They dissected his every expression and action, and they concluded that he must have been uncomfortable at the assembly, every mother whispering about his income. They agreed that if he had chosen to dance with Elizabeth, their mother would have sung about a second marriage in the making.
'For the sake of my sanity, I must agree with you. I hope we caught him in a bad mood. I would find it very disagreeable that a man like Mr. Darcy would reject me out of hand. Let us see how he will behave in the future.'
'I wonder how two gentlemen with very different temperaments could be such good friends. Mr. Darcy, although older and a member of the first circle, has joined Mr. Bingley to help him with his first attempt at learning about having an estate.'
'Is that why he is here? Mr. Darcy, I mean.'
'Yes, Mr. Bingley told me himself. He cannot be that arrogant if he has a friend whose fortune comes from trade.'
'Well, that was a rather rational observation, Jane. I may have thought better of what you said and disregarded it because you never see the bad in anyone. This, however, I cannot dismiss. It is curious indeed. I will have to defer my judgement.'
…
Some lines are verbatim from Pride and Prejudice
