Copyright 2023 Elizabeth Frerichs
Cross-posted on elizabethfrerichs dot com and wattpad
The moment the Bingley sisters left, Elizabeth heaved a sigh of relief. Thankfully, they had, for the most part, not considered her worth their attention at all. Miss Bingley had sent several little barbed comments her way, and any sympathy she had felt for the woman this morning had evaporated. It was no wonder Mr. Darcy did all he could to escape Netherfield. At least the Bingley sisters were kind to Jane. Hopefully that kindness would last even if Mr. Bingley proposed.
"Will you be attending the ball, Mr. Collins?" her mother asked after several minutes of enthusing over what a compliment the ball was to Jane.
Mr. Collins bowed. "Of course. I assure you that a ball of this kind, given by a young man of character, to respectable people, cannot have any evil tendency, and—"
"Lady Catherine approves of dancing?" Elizabeth interrupted, a faint smile on her face. She could not wait to tell Mr. Darcy whatever ridiculous opinion Mr. Collins spouted.
He nodded sententiously. "Lady Catherine recognises that socialising is an integral part of creating community, and, in her day, she was an accomplished dancer. If her daughter was healthier, I am certain that Miss de Bourgh would have blessed us with dancing more fair than any in all of England. Unfortunately, her illness precludes her from partaking in any sort of strenuous activity. I am confident, however, that my fair cousins will shine nearly as brightly as Miss de Bourgh when on the dance floor. In fact, I shall hope to be honoured with the hands of all my fair cousins in the course of the evening." He gave Elizabeth a significant look. "And I take this opportunity of soliciting yours, Miss Elizabeth, for the two first dances especially—a preference which I trust my cousin Jane will attribute to the right cause, and not to any disrespect for her."
Elizabeth cringed internally. Having gotten into the habit of daydreaming about marrying Mr. Darcy, she had forgotten entirely that she still had to deal with Mr. Collins. "Yes."
Jane cleared her throat delicately.
"I would be happy to dance the first set with you, Mr. Collins," she said, trying to smile.
"I, too, believe dancing to be a healthful activity," Mary put in. "After all, as Dr. Fordyce says, dancing is 'adapted to promote health and good humour, a social spirit, and kind affections between the sexes.'"
Mr. Collins nodded, his eyes flickering to Mary for a brief acknowledgment before returning to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth suppressed a grimace. If the man stared at her constantly between now and the ball, she would go mad.
Mrs. Bennet clapped her hands together. "Well, such an excellent event as a ball given in dear Jane's honour requires new gowns, as I am sure your father would agree."
As Jane began to attempt to rein in her mother, Elizabeth excused herself, citing the need to examine her own wardrobe. Before Tuesday, she might have gone to her father about Mr. Collins. Now, however, things had been awkward between them. More so because he did not even recognise the awkwardness. Of course, it had only been two days to him, so he might be forgiven for not noticing her distance. She could no longer look at him in the same way though, not knowing that he had refused to take the threat of Wickham seriously, and not when she had Mr. Darcy's commitment to growing to compare her father's failings to. Maybe it was just a part of growing up. Whatever it was, she could no longer view him with the same willingness to excuse his foibles. She would always love her father, but he was no longer her refuge.
With a heavy heart, Elizabeth locked herself in her room, determined to avoid Mr. Collins by herself.
A/N: Thanks for reading and engaging with this story! I so love having you guys along for the ride :)
As always, if you notice anything amiss, please let me know. I really do read all your comments (even though I haven't had time to reply to all of them) and things get changed in the final version.
See you on Thursday!