Update Ch 25
"Lean over the table so that you may see the angle you are using." Elizabeth calmly instructed Maria on how to play billiards. "Take your time. To make the ball go towards the pocket, you must hit it right here." She pointed towards the spot she indicated. "Follow your cue as an imaginary line in front of your ball. Does it line up?"
"I believe so." Maria said skeptically.
Elizabeth agreed with her skepticism. Moving around the table, she leaned over and adjusted Maria's cue arm. "Now what do you think?"
"It must be better." Maria would not admit that she could not tell the difference. With a great swing, she thrust the cue into the red ball, sending it knocking into the white ball which fell into its pocket. The resulting whooping and cheering caused her immense blushing when the gentlemen entered in the midst of her celebration. She froze mid cheer and nearly fell over in her fright.
Mr. Darcy quickly apologized for entering so quickly, but the colonel simply laughed and declared that they had insisted on enjoying the fun.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I suppose you have come to kick us out. This is, after all, a man's game."
"We would not dream of it." Mr. Darcy declared, with a small half smile as he gazed at Elizabeth's impish grin.
"We shall join you, of course! Gentlemen versus ladies!" The colonel quickly reset the game so that they could join in. "Winner gets to select a prank for the opposing team to carry out!"
Elizabeth paused. "What sort of prank?"
Maria looked terrified at the thought.
The colonel chuckled. "Nothing horrible, which you are imagining. No harm shall be permitted to come to any person in this room or without. Just simple fun… and nerves."
Mr. Darcy, seeing Elizabeth's hesitation, began to protest.
Elizabeth cut him off. "Very well. I have a few ideas that should amuse me greatly." She studiously avoided Mr. Darcy's critical gaze as she smirked at the colonel.
The colonel blushed, wondering what he had gotten himself into. After all, he had only known Miss Bennet for a fortnight. She was intelligent, witty, and clever. She also had many siblings, as did Miss Lucas. Likely, they both were very skilled at deflecting and perpetrating pranks.
"Well, since you set up the balls, I shall start." Elizabeth declared. After she scored 15 points, she paused. "What score shall we set to announce the winner?" She turned to her adversaries who were standing silently against the wall on the other side of the billiard table. "Twenty, thirty, forty?" She asked, smiling sweetly and slowly pulling out the white ball for another shot.
Mr. Darcy licked his lips as he watched her performance.
The colonel, less distracted by the tempting vixen, quickly spoke up. "Fifty ought to do it. We have a few more hours to play."
Elizabeth nodded and proceeded to score another ten points while the gentlemen watched helplessly. Maria watched each shot in awe of the ease with which Elizabeth played.
Lining up her next shot, Elizabeth pulled her arm back, when the colonel coughed loudly enough to startle Elizabeth. She missed. As she rose to her full height, she nearly growled at the colonel, who was now laughing with delight. "Two can play at that game, colonel. Consider this your warning."
The colonel was still laughing as he pulled out his first shot, scoring only one point.
She meant to allow him three shots, but he fuddled his second, putting the game back in Elizabeth's court. "Maria, it is your turn." She pulled Maria up and to the table, whispering in her ear suggestions on how to ensure easy shots.
"Now, now. We are not teaching now!" The colonel complained.
"Teams ought to be able to speak to one another." Elizabeth quipped before turning back to Maria and nodding in support.
With a great nervous sigh, Maria placed her cue into position. Elizabeth moved to the other side of the room while Maria lined up her cue. When Elizabeth nodded, Maria released her arm, sending two balls into pockets.
"Now, I heard you teaching Miss Lucas how to aim. That is quite the improvement! There is no way she could be that good already. I smell something fishy." The colonel looked between the two ladies suspiciously.
"How could I have helped her from the other side of the table?" Elizabeth asked innocently.
"Hmph." Was the only response the colonel could make as he poured himself another shot.
Maria scored ten points before the colonel finally figured out their ploy. "Your mouth tells Maria how to move her cue. You are aiming her cue. I call foul! Darcy! What say you?"
Mr. Darcy would not admit he had notice for some time but had failed to speak as he was enjoying watching the movement of Elizabeth's kissable lips. "I could not say for sure."
"Yes, you can, but you won't. Traitor! Miss Bennet, I insist you turn around while Miss Lucas plays." He would not relent until Elizabeth agreed and turned her back to the game.
Maria, hands shaking, missed her shot.
"A drink for each of you. A little liquor ought to loosen your shoulders and bring the game back onto our side." Elizabeth acquiesced to the punishment, though she did not drink as quickly as Maria. Maria was eager not to seem too young to be in the room, so she downed her small cup like she had seen the gentlemen do, resulting in a coughing fit that lasted a full five minutes. Mr. Darcy had to summon a maid to bring a glass of water and some biscuits before he could begin his play.
Elizabeth watched with eagerness as he took his first few shots. His skill was undeniable, and he easily scored ten points before Elizabeth decided to begin to distract him. As she had done in their previous games, she moved to stand directly opposite him so there was no chance she could not be in his line of sight. She took a slow drink, finishing with licking her lips.
Mr. Darcy hit the ball at an angle that barely gave him one point as the ball hovered at the edge before going in.
Elizabeth shrugged. The next time he lined up his shot, she went down on her knees so that her eyes were in line with his cue and ball. Then she moved ever so slightly to the left. He shifted to keep her playful eyes in sight and missed the ball. Mr. Darcy barely cared.
Instead of taking an open cue. She moved directly to Mr. Darcy and claimed his cue. "Thank you for warming it up, sir." Her voice was so sweet, she might as well have sung the words. She fluttered her lashes in delight at his obvious response.
"Foul!" The colonel replied. "Miss Bennet, you are too tempting by half to be a truly worthy opponent."
Elizabeth shrugged. "We did not set any rules for sideline behavior. Perhaps you should have thought of that before suggesting the game."
Ready for battle, Elizabeth lined up her shot and scored five points. "Oh, it looks like that puts us at forty. I had better start thinking of my first prank."
The colonel cried foul and tried to distract Elizabeth, but she was well prepared for him. Within four more shots, she claimed victory. "Now, how shall we determine your tasks?" Elizabeth pulled Maria into the corner where they talked. Well, Maria spoke and giggled, and Elizabeth tried to talk sense.
Before they came into an agreement, Maria, too excited for her idea, pulled away and quickly announced that the colonel must abstain from pudding for the next week. The colonel's reaction delighted her, though Elizabeth could tell he was grateful for such an easy task. She had observed him skip pudding on a few occasions at dinner and doubted that he preferred sweet treats.
Elizabeth watched Mr. Darcy fiddle with his sleeves, wondering what prank would best suit him. Hearing his first words flit through her memory, she smiled devilishly. "Mr. Darcy, you must dance every dance at the ball, unless there are no ladies sitting down in want of a partner, regardless of rank or your acquaintance with the lady."
Mr. Darcy paled, and the colonel laughed. "A very fitting test, to be sure. Mr. Darcy will finally do his duty and dance with all the eligible ladies." He laughed and took another drink, pouring for everyone in the room. "You cannot be content to dance with only those of your own party." He turned to Elizabeth to add, "You should add that he must make himself agreeable to his partners." He paused as a wave of laughter had him bending in half. "I should love to see you flirt with your partners. I dare them to attempt to call on you the following morning, with Lady Catherine holding court in the parlor." The colonel stopped speaking as another wave of laughter overtook him.
His cousin stood motionless in the corner, staring at Elizabeth as he processed her remark. The colonel thought her request was meant to mock him, but he knew her better. She wished him to be more agreeable to the dancers.
This time, Maria sipped her drink slowly, eating biscuits between sips. Elizabeth enjoyed her drink. She was starting to feel a little dizzy from the alcohol, but she thought it was a very pleasant effect.
Mr. Darcy passed his cousin as he attempted to speak to Elizabeth. He vowed he would do his best unless someone needed his attention requiring he absent himself from the dancing. "Now, shall we play another game. First to twenty?"
Elizabeth noted the challenge in his eyes and agreed. She attempted to take the cue from him, but he pulled it away. "You began the last round, so I believe I shall begin this one."
The colonel was still laughing in the corner, but after Mr. Darcy's third hit, he sobered. "Another challenge, eh? Excellent, excellent." He positioned himself opposite to Mr. Darcy so that Elizabeth could not dominate his view and distract him.
Mr. Darcy scored fifteen points before ceding to Elizabeth's skill. She managed 18 points before the colonel tripped over her as she played, sending her ball recklessly nowhere. She fumed at him.
"Five points ought to be fairly easy. I shall not be distracted." He looked up from the table to view his spectators. "Everyone to the outer edge." He would not play until everyone was standing against the wall. Maria leaned against Elizabeth, giggling and hiccoughing repeatedly. Elizabeth took her glass away and asked a footman stationed in the hall to bring some water. Elizabeth knew his skill was not such that she should be concerned.
The colonel was about to swing again when Elizabeth announced she needed another drink, he swerved in surprise and flew his ball into Elizabeth's ball, sending it into a pocket instead of the object ball. "I still earn points! You cannot best me, Miss Bennet. I am unshakable!"
"You are drunk, is what you are." Elizabeth stated calmly as she stopped moving to get a drink and remained by the table. "You would have missed entirely had I not intervened."
"So you say." He replied as he lined up his next shot. "Two points needed. I shall be victorious!" Swinging, he hit both his ball and Elizabeth's ball. "Cannon shot! I win!" He paused as he looked over to his cousin. "We win, Fitz!" He turned to the ladies with a mischievous grin. "For my prize, I expect a kiss from each of you."
"Colonel Fitzwilliam!" Elizabeth was astonished he would be so gallant.
"A kiss on the cheek, then? For me and my cousin."
Maria agreed, still hiccoughing. Worried she would be next to play, she was thrilled not to make a fool of herself again. She quickly moved to the colonel, raised up on the tips of her toes, kissed his cheek, then moved to Mr. Darcy. She was too inebriated to notice his nervousness as she rose up to kiss his cheek. He had to lean over so she would reach him. He then turned to Elizabeth to watch her reaction.
Elizabeth squared her shoulders and moved to the colonel. She was taller, so she only needed to rise slightly to give his cheek a quick kiss. The colonel was an easy person to like. He smiled affectionately, as a friend would. "And now my cousin, Miss Bennet."
Elizabeth turned towards Mr. Darcy and walked up to him quickly, happy that her drink increased her courage. He stood there silently, not indicating whether he wished for her kiss or not. "You are too tall, Mr. Darcy."
He chuckled, nervous. He leaned down, so eager for her kiss that he instead moved to kiss her cheek instead. They both blushed.
The colonel cried outrage. "Miss Bennet, you have not fulfilled your end of the bargain yet."
Mr. Darcy stared into her eyes with an intensity that almost made Elizabeth shy away. With a deep breath, Elizabeth raised herself as high as she could, leaning her hand over his chest to steady herself to kiss his cheek.
At the last moment, the colonel shouted, "What?" loudly enough to disturb Mr. Darcy who turned his head to view his cousin, resulting in Elizabeth kissing his lips instead. Equally thrilled and mortified, Mr. Darcy blushed deeper. Not remembering the colonel's distraction, he watched Elizabeth pull away, apparently deeply mortified.
"I believe it is late." She declared, taking Maria's hand and pulling her swiftly from the room. The door shut behind them with a resounding thud.
"You kissed her." The colonel stated. "How do you feel?"
"Like an arse, cousin. You tricked us."
The colonel laughed and poured himself another drink. "She likes you, do you not see? If she didn't, then she would not have been affected. You saw her reaction to me."
Mr. Darcy took his cousin's drink and downed it quickly. He stood quietly by the window for some time before finally saying, "This is not the proper way to court a lady."
"Ideally, you should not be living in the same house for propriety's sake, but since the only alternative is for one of you to return home, I believe we can safely say propriety be hanged. You have done nothing you should be ashamed of, at least not in the last se'ennight." The colonel was tired of speaking to Mr. Darcy's back. "I think it is time you should ask for her hand. She is not indifferent to you, and she will make you an excellent wife. Goodnight, cousin." With those words, he left Mr. Darcy alone.
Mr. Darcy did not sleep well that night as he planned and replanned and wondered how he could convince her to marry him. Falling asleep in the early hours of dawn, he made a choice to propose when they returned from the ball. He would publicly court her at the ball and show her how much of a gentleman he could be.
AN: I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Perhaps it is a bit out of character, but I think a group of healthy adults stuck in the same house would become more cordial than propriety of the time would allow. They are after all breaking propriety by all living together, but that can't be helped. The fire was not their fault. At any rate, the ball is tomorrow, and I can't wait to see what happens. Well, it has happened so often in my head that I know what happens, but we are finally here and I can write it!