Chapter 22

The mood that settled upon Netherfield that evening was one of great excitement. The local families assembled in their numbers full of intrigue to see the inside of the most prominent house in the area, and to meet their illustrious host, the reported charismatic gentleman of five-thousand pounds a year. The revellers arrived at Netherfield Park to the sound of a lively band playing a reel, and an elegant line of hosts who were waiting to welcome them to the festivities. Mr Bingley was instantly approved of by the local families, for he really was a genial fellow, and his sisters played their role of hostesses with as much feigned warmth as they could muster. Mr Bingley had taken the two aside to warn them of the consequences of any misbehaviour, and neither was particularly partial to spending the next few months with their aunt all the way down in Cornwall.

The guests were intrigued to meet their host, and the unknown but elegant gentleman at Mr Bingley's right hand side. He introduced himself as Mr Darcy, of Pemberley in Derbyshire, and immediate curiosity was piqued at the mention of the man who had captured the attention of their Miss Elizabeth Bennet. There were whisperings and murmurings of his ten-thousand-a-year, but these were baseless claims which in fact underestimated his considerable wealth. Not that he or Elizabeth wished for the amount circulating to be increased. He bore their curiosity and fawning with as much equanimity as he was able. At least they also knew that he was very much off limits for their daughters.

Most of the people who Mr Darcy shook hands with had known Elizabeth since she was a small girl, and he felt their critical appraisal as they eyed him up as if he were cattle at the market. It was a fate he had been resigned to for many seasons now to become the principle focus of the matchmaking mamas. He was used to managing first their excitement and insistence that he dance with their daughters, and then their disdain when he did not immediately offer for them. He made a conscious effort to not display his discomfort to them. You will make a good impression, he willed himself, smile and nod. Be genial. Feign interest. If he repeated it enough, he hoped his face would not betray him.

If the crowd were to look closely enough to register Mr Darcy's underlying discomfort, they would also recognise that their host approached the evening with a similar amount of anticipation to his guests. Mr Bingley was a keen dancer, so the prospect of a whole evening of the activity appealed greatly, but it was the prospect of a dance with a particularly beautiful and interesting woman that was the chief reason for his excitement. Despite Mr Darcy's trepidation for all parts of the evening which did not directly concern his lovely fiancée, he at least shared his friend's excitement about the two sets he would be permitted with his love.

He did not have to wait too much longer to behold her delightful figure, for the much-anticipated Bennet family arrived about half an hour after the invitation had suggested. Mrs Bennet was full of apology for their tardiness, although they were not overly late. She caused both of her eldest daughters to blush when she explained that the lateness was owed to the two of them taking much longer over their dress than was usual. Mr Darcy chuckled softly and met Elizabeth's bubbling gaze. She knew from the sparkle in his eyes that his laugh would be a resonant booming sound if they were not in company, and giggled softly at the thought.

In truth, her mother was not embellishing her excuses - even if they were embarrassing to her daughters. Miss Jane Bennet had dressed with care in the hopes that their host, Mr Bingley, would shower her with his delightful attention as he had done earlier in the week. She was not disappointed in her endeavour. He was evidently enchanted by her person, and secured the first and last dance with her almost straightaway.

Miss Mary Bennet was not overly excited at the prospect of a ball, but had taken some small satisfaction for being included when her younger two sisters had been instructed to remain at home with their staff. On the cusp of sixteen, she was eager to be taken seriously and reasoned that being invited to such an occasion was a good first step. She wore a relatively simple gown, and had the support of her father's company for the evening.

Elizabeth, for her part, had reasoned that more eyes than usual would be appraising her, for her marriage announcement had been read that morning by whomever had read the paper, and she knew from her Aunt Phillips that the Meryton gossip houses had been chewing through the news with great zeal. She tried not to be too self-conscious at her mother's words or the open stares from the other guests. And there were many people staring. People she had known all of her life who had never paid her much mind before were gawking now. Still, the look of open admiration that Mr Darcy laid upon her went a long way to soothing her apprehension. If he so evidently approved of her appearance, she would endeavour to not worry herself with anyone else's opinion, whether given freely or otherwise.

"Miss Elizabeth," he said with feeling once she had been handed down the line and came to rest in front of him, "I am delighted to see you this evening."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr Darcy," she replied. It felt strange to use such formal appellations for each other - he had long since become Fitzwilliam in her mind.

"I do not think the pleasure is all yours," he said in a low voice so that he would not be overheard. "But far be it from me to steal any of your happiness." She smiled in a manner that made his breath catch in his throat. She glanced at the others of her family who were old enough to attend to ensure none were eavesdropping, and was amused to see that they were descending upon Miss Bingley in all of their effusiveness.

Mr Darcy enquired about the state of her dance card, and was delighted to discover that she had saved the first and last dance for him in anticipation. He was relieved when she revealed how unhappy she was at the prospect of dancing with anyone else. It was a sentiment shared and delightfully so.

"I do not doubt that you will be stolen from me in between our dances," he grumbled. "For there are many gentlemen searching for a beautiful dance partner."

"I could say the same to you, Mr Darcy," she grinned conspiratorially and he gulped. "I should imagine many young ladies will be sent to take stock of you before you whisk me away to Derbyshire."

"It is a cross I am willing to bear for the reward of the aforementioned whisking away."

She laughed wholeheartedly, which drew the attention of her family and their hosts. She so enjoyed his occasional silliness, especially when it was interspersed with lighthearted flirting.

"I would like to introduce your family to my cousin, the Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, before we are all engaged in dancing and merriment," Mr Darcy addressed Mr Bennet, who smiled to recall the genial colonel. "You will remember him from our time in London. He arrived earlier today and was eager to reconnect with Miss Elizabeth." Something in his tone suggested that he was not so eager for them to reconnect.

"A colonel, how lovely," her mother gushed. Elizabeth glared at her.

"Then by all means lead the way," her father replied at the same time as his wife. There was general agreement from the Bennets and they moved towards the ballroom.

Mr Darcy sought Elizabeth's arm for his own, happy to find an excuse to regain contact. He smiled at his ingenuity in finding a perfect excuse to leave the line-up at the door and spend his time with the woman whom he struggled to be apart from.

~.~

Georgiana gasped when she saw her friend across the room, shocked to see the transformation in her wild and sometimes boyish friend. Elizabeth looked every bit a gentlewoman as she almost glided across the room, so elegant were her steps and air of being. She was moving smoothly and dazzling the room in a manner that befit the name she was soon to inherit. In a similar vein to the evening of her engagement in Pemberley, Elizabeth had made a real effort in her appearance, and it showed. She was radiant. Georgiana was full of gushing praise, which Lizzy accepted as gracefully as she could. There was a slight pinkness to her cheeks which the whole party agreed only set off her elegant dress even more.

"Miss Elizabeth, it is a real delight to see you again," Colonel Fitzwilliam said with a wry smile as Georgiana's excitement subsided. Mr Darcy's eyes darkened in poorly disguised jealousy at Richard's words. Elizabeth chuckled at the similarity between these first words and those of her fiancée. She spared him a teasing glance before speaking.

"Colonel Fitzwilliam, I am sure the pleasure is all mine," she echoed her earlier rejoinder, and squeezed Mr Darcy's arm lovingly to soften the tease. In spite of her hand on his forearm, he stiffened. Rationally, he knew that she had agreed to be his, but Richard's poorly disguised preference for his bride-to-be made him want to let his behaviour be guided by much baser instincts. Especially when she was so unaware of the effect she had on other men. She was too gorgeous for her own good.

Elizabeth made the necessary introductions between Mr Darcy's cousin, her mother and her two oldest sisters.

"What a charming group of young ladies," he said by way of acknowledging the introduction. "Perhaps I might find a space on each of your dance cards, for I do so enjoy an evening of music and dancing."

This was readily agreed to, and the group spoke of various pleasant topics for a short while before Elizabeth's sisters followed their mother to the canapés and punch. She remained behind to spend some time with her dear friend Georgiana before the dancing started in earnest.

Richard and Darcy struck up a conversation, although both found themselves frequently distracted - for Georgiana had a knack for making Elizabeth laugh, and it was quite the sight to behold. Such a carefree woman, her beautiful eyes twinkling with mischief, and her chest raising and falling with her staccato breaths.

Mr Darcy did not notice that Richard was similarly distracted, lost as he was in the divine image of his fiancée. Richard was busy cursing his cousin's good fortune, and looking forward to his dance with her.

~.~

Mr Darcy took Elizabeth's gloved hand into his own as if it were a precious and fragile thing, and led her slowly out into the line of couples eagerly awaiting their cue to start dancing for the first set. The band struck up a lighthearted reel which he recognised immediately. He sunk into a deep bow in reverence to her, and caught a sly look up the low neckline of her dress as she bent to curtsey to him. He smiled privately to himself at the enticement he saw there.

They were silent for a few minutes, as the dance did not really allow for any quiet talking. It was he who broke the silence when their movements permitted.

"You are exceptionally beautiful this evening, my love," he said softly at the first break in the music. He could be well assured that he would not be overheard, focused as everyone was on the music and the steps of the dance.

"I do not think I can claim full credit, for Jane helped with every aspect of my outfit and hair this evening. I merely sat still and withstood her manipulations, which in truth is quite some feat. But here I am glad that her efforts were not in vain."

"Most definitely not, for you are uniquely tempting to me now," his voice dropped to a low and seductive tone. "I do believe it is something about how this particular gown caresses your divine curves. Or perhaps it is the dancing mischief in your expression. Or perhaps it is the fact that everyone in attendance knows that you are mine. As I am yours." She could tell from his smile how much he loved to be able to say those words. "But I allow my feelings to carry me away."

Elizabeth was not sure how to respond in such a public place. In truth, she was unsure how to respond in private too, given her nervousness about the escalating romantic tension between them and how it may manifest when the manifold barriers to their coming together were removed. Her nervousness paled in comparison to her excitement and anticipation, but it was significant enough to betray her in a warm blush that had nothing to do with the exertion of the dance.

She took a moment to compose herself as they were separated due to a step in the sequence.

"I must say, I have never found so much enjoyment in a ball," she mused as she returned close enough to him to speak without raising her voice. He chuckled in shock, disbelieving of her claim.

"Elizabeth, pray do not pretend to me that you are not one for dancing and merriment." Her very essence was life and joy, such that he could not reconcile her as one to shy away from a ballroom.

"Oh I enjoy music and laughter very much indeed, you misunderstand me. I am indeed very partial to a ball. However, I have never had so handsome or engaging a dance partner, nor have I ever been to such a delightfully private affair."

"Then we are of one mind on this topic," he replied.

"You are a very accomplished dancer," she said, applying a gentle pressure to his hand with her gloved fingers. Her inflection spoke of an unspoken second sentence. But he heard her 'I love you' clear as day. It made him long to feel her skin on his, but he accepted the headiness of the give and take of their touch, clothed as it was. He tried to stop his mind from wandering, to how he would dance with her after they were married, and responded to her compliment by deflecting towards a mutual love of theirs instead.

"I am not nearly so talented as my sister."

"I do not suppose you are wrong, even as accomplished as you are. She is rather exceptional at most things," Elizabeth chuckled fondly. "Though I suppose I shall have to wait to assess that particular claim until such a time as she and I are under the same private roof for an evening."

She was teasing him now, and was gratified to feel him inhale deeply in anticipation of an evening in the future when they might dance together in a small party of three at Pemberley.

"Indeed you shall," he said in a tight tone, his voice the only telltale sign of the unquenchable passion he held stoically for her.

The dance precluded the chance to speak more privately as it picked up pace, but he was thrilled to have been correct in his earlier assumption. It had indeed been worth all of the struggles of the past months to hold her publicly as his bride-to-be in a ballroom.