Like many single, young men of good fortune, Mr. Darcy found himself the object of a great deal of gossip upon his entry into a new society. As he stood in the corner of the assembly room hearing whispers about the income of himself and his friend, his mood darkened. He wondered if the gossiping mothers of the single young ladies would also want to check their teeth as though they were thoroughbreds to be thus judged. His friend Bingley, an outgoing man who liked nothing better than their current surroundings, approached him.
"Come, Darcy," said Bingley, "I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had much better 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. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with." Indeed, the brunette dryad from the neighbouring estate did not seem to be present, and all the other women seemed either to be matrons, spinsters, girls too young to be out, very plain, or just plain disagreeable.
"Did I hear the name Darcy? Fitz Darcy? It could not be!" said a male voice from behind him. Darcy turned to look at who had recognized him.
"Wickham!" Darcy greeted his friend with a partial embrace, expressing his joy at seeing him so well and wonder at what brought him hither.
"I live here now, Fitz! And you would never reckon, but I am to be married soon, so you must wish me joy," responded Wickham.
"Married?" exclaimed both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. Their friend was not the type to marry, or at least he had not been the last they saw him. He was a good man, but a bit of a rake and far too fond of drink, cards, and houses of ill repute. Upon Darcy's father's death, he had been left a living, which Wickham exchanged for three thousand pounds, in addition to another thousand that had been left to him in the late Mr. Darcy's will. He claimed a desire to study the law, and Darcy had sincerely hoped that he would.
"Forgive me, Wickham, but you? You are to marry?" asked Darcy, incredulously.
"Do not look at me so," chided Wickham, "Yes, I am to marry. It came about nearly as you must be assuming that it would – for you know my nature – but I am happy with the result. I have scarcely known her three months, and then only as my employer's niece. We rode out the gale a few days ago in a building together, and thus my honour was engaged."
"I was not aware that you had honour," Bingley joked. Wickham glared at him.
"I do. At least, I do since I received my inheritance and studied the law. I am an attorney now and moved to Meryton to avoid the vices of London. I am quite changed since last you saw me."
"It certainly seems so!" said Darcy, "I am glad that you turned out well. You concerned me a great deal when we were young."
"I know, Fitz. I gave you and your father hell, and I am sorry for it." Wickham said sheepishly.
"Enough of that. Where is your lovely betrothed?" asked Darcy.
"She is just there in the pink, next to her sister in blue." He gestured towards two women, one brunette and quite plain wearing pink, and the other was the blonde woman that Bingley had been dancing with earlier.
"Her sister is Miss Bennet!" exclaimed Bingley, "She is a lovely dancer and everything charming."
"Indeed. Come, let me introduce you," said he, bringing the men towards the two sisters.
Elizabeth saw Mr. Bingley and the other gentleman from his party walking with Mr. Wickham towards Mary and Jane. As he came closer to where she sat, her mortification grew. "It was the man from the woods!" she thought. He was certainly dressed differently, but of course, his clothing would be different when clearing woods than at a ball. Mr. Wickham waved her over. Red with embarrassment, Elizabeth joined the three men and her sisters.
"Ah, Miss Elizabeth, please allow me to introduce two of my friends who I am pleasantly surprised to have encountered this night. This is Mr. Bingley, who is leasing Netherfield, and Mr. Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire. You will remember that I spoke of growing up at Pemberley. Darcy here was my playmate throughout my youth, but we had not kept up a correspondence and had been out of touch for nearly five years. What good fortune to meet them both here!" Mr. Wickham said joyfully, "Gentlemen, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet, the second Bennet daughter."
After the introductions were performed, they entered into conversation. Mr. Darcy was mostly silent, watching her with a look she could not decipher on his face. She raised an eyebrow at him in response, unwilling to be cowed by what she thought to be perhaps a challenge. Their discourse continued until the next set was about to begin. Wickham led Mary to the dance floor. Bingley went off to find his next partner. Jane was asked to dance by Mr. Henry Lucas. This left Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth standing together, so he offered her his hand for the dance.
"It is not a punishment to stand up with me then, Mr. Darcy," she teased.
"Certainly not, although that comment was ill-considered. I was busy looking to see if a woodland nymph I had spied yesterday was present and did not wish to be distracted from the task. Have you seen her?" He asked, returning her light-hearted tone.
"I know of no woodland nymphs in the area, only daughters of gentlemen going to check on some flooding on their estate," she countered, "With all seriousness, I do apologize. My mortification is most acute. Please forgive me."
"It is nothing. I should have corrected you, but I found it diverting that to be mistaken for a labourer. I cannot, however, blame you for your mistake. I was not dressed as a gentleman and was working at clearing the woods. It was a reasonable assumption."
"You are more forgiving than many. I know more than a few gentlemen who would be very offended by my mistake."
"They are not gentlemen if they cannot forgive such an innocent mistake. Whilst my good opinion once lost is lost forever, it takes a great deal to lose my good opinion."
"Implacable resentment, yet a forgiving nature. You are a contradiction in the form of a man, Mr. Darcy. Have many people lost your good opinion?"
"No, not many. Only a few wicked men who show no remorse but let us talk of more pleasant things."
"Indeed, and what pleasant things shall we converse about?"
"Books?" He suggested.
We cannot talk of books at a ball." She responded.
"Why can we not?" He asked with surprise.
"Why, my head is always too full of the moment at a ball. Perhaps we may debate the merits of public balls versus private ones?"
"Based on my earlier ill-judged comment, I believe you are clever enough to discern my opinion. I do not perform well in large groups of strangers. Mr. Wickham and Mr. Bingley have very happy manners that allow them to make friends easily. I have no such talent. Thus, I prefer private balls, particularly where I know many of those in attendance."
"You made the acquaintance of my family rather easily at a public ball. "
"Ah, but I had my dear friend Wickham to serve as my guide. I was not reliant on my own manners to carry the introduction."
"Well, you must practice meeting new people and making conversation. I do not play the pianoforte as well as many of my acquaintance, but I do not take the time to practice as much as they do. Therefore, it is my own doing," Miss Elizabeth said smiling, "However, I find your conversational skills well enough when you take the opportunity to use them."
The rest of their dance was pleasant. They conversed about Netherfield, the previous tenants, Longbourn, her sisters, and Mr. Wickham. Mr. Darcy danced once each with all of the Bennet sisters, Mr. Bingley's sisters, Miss Maria Lucas, Miss Mary King, Miss Grace Goulding, and Miss Caroline Long. For one so reluctant to dance, he made himself quite the favourite throughout the evening by dancing with so many young ladies who had been in want of a partner.
When Miss Elizabeth Bennet and her family returned home from the assembly, she and her elder sister escaped up the stairs to their bedroom whilst their mother outlined the evening and its dances to their father who had not attended.
When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister how very much she admired him.
"He is just what a young man ought to be," said she, "sensible, good-humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners!—so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!"
"He is also handsome," replied Elizabeth, "which a young man ought likewise to be, if he possibly can. His character is thereby complete."
"I was very much flattered by his asking me to dance a second time. I did not expect such a compliment."
"Did not you? I did for you. But that is one great difference between us. Compliments always take you by surprise, and me never. What could be more natural than his asking you again? He could not help seeing that you were about five times as pretty as every other woman in the room. No thanks to his gallantry for that. Well, he certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person."
"Dear Lizzy!"
"Oh! you are a great deal too apt, you know, to like people in general. You never see a fault in anybody. All the world is good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life."
"I do speak what I think, yet I do not wish to censure those who do not deserve it."
"I know that you do. Which makes me think that you might be blind to the foolishness and nonsense of others. What of Mr. Bingley's sisters? They did not speak even to Mr. Wickham, despite his friendship with Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. Their manners are not equal to Mr. Bingley's."
"I did note that they did not speak to Mr. Wickham. I do not know if they were informed of his friendship with Mr. Bingley, however. They may have thought him only Mr. Darcy's friend."
"My dearest Jane, you are too good. I believe that they would not speak to him because he is the son of a steward, and he works as an attorney. He is not a gentleman by birth; therefore, he is beneath their notice."
"I cannot say so. We may find them very agreeable in time. Perhaps they are uncomfortable in the new society in which they find themselves. Not everyone is able to make themselves agreeable to strangers."
"If that was so, would they not be more like Mr. Darcy? He seemed aloof in the beginning. Yet, he was not above talking with the son of his father's steward –even claiming a friendship with the man – and he danced most of the evening, once he had others to assist him with the introductions.
"I will not argue with you, dear sister. I only ask that we give Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst more time before we pass judgment on their manners." Jane appealed in defence of them. Elizabeth greatly doubted that Mr. Bingley's sisters would be more agreeable with time. They seemed to hold themselves above their company. It was not reserve or shyness, but pride that held them apart. Their large doweries, their brother's fortune, and their connexons in London were more important to them than the impression that they gave to the people in Meryton. Elizabeth spoke no more but went to sleep quickly as she was exhausted from the night's activity.