Chapter 5

E lizabeth would not admit it to anyone, but the tall man from Derbyshire's words had cut her to the quick. After years of her mother's telling her that her looks were nothing to Jane's, what Mr Darcy said was a confirmation of Mama's words and played right into Elizabeth's insecurities.

Her way to deal with the pain, was to turn it into a joke, which she had as she told several of her acquaintances what the man had said. Each time she told the story, she laughed about it to disguise her true feelings. She did exactly what her father had taught her to do with his oft repeated maxim: ‘ for what do we live, but to make sport of our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?'

She could disguise the truth from many, but not from Jane. After she completed her dance and returned to her family, Lizzy told her what Mr Darcy had said. Jane did not miss the hurt in her sister's eyes, while at the same time, Lizzy forced herself to seem cheery and laugh.

"Lizzy, what he said was uncalled for, but you do not know what caused him to do so," Jane soothed, "mayhap it is time to stop recounting the event?"

"Jane you always try and see good in everyone," Elizabeth huffed. It annoyed her that Janey was not fooled by the mask she had put in place. "But I will follow your advice and speak of much more pleasant subjects than that rude, arrogant, insufferable, and hateful Mr Darcy."

Before Jane could react, Mr Bingley arrived to collect her younger sister. "Miss Bennet, would you have another set open for me to dance with you?" Bingley requested before he escorted Elizabeth to the dance floor.

"I do Mr Bingley, I have the penultimate set open," Jane blushed with pleasure. She had enjoyed dancing with the affable man.

"Then I would like to reserve that one," Bingley gave a half bow.

"It is yours, Sir," Jane agreed, her cheeks pinking up even more. Jane took a seat next to Charlotte as this was a set both were sitting out.

Thankfully their mother was engrossed in a conversation with her sister and Lady Lucas, so she did not hear Mr Bingley ask for a second set. The two older Bennet sisters were very grateful for that fact. Otherwise, their mother would have made loud, vulgar effusions had she been aware.

Bingley bowed to Miss Elizabeth and led her to the forming line. For the first minute or two, they remained silent. The next time they came back together, Bingley spoke. "Miss Elizabeth you must allow me to apologise…"

"It is not for you to make amends for that which you did not do," Elizabeth interjected.

"It is not for my friend's words, which he should have never uttered, I am begging your pardon," Bingley clarified. "Rather, I knew he did not want to be at the assembly, and certainly did not desire to dance, but nevertheless I provoked him to anger. For that I am truly sorry."

The dance separated them which gave Elizabeth time to digest what her dance partner had stated. When they came back together, Elizabeth felt no more charitable towards the man who had slighted her. "Mr Darcy is not a child, if he did not want to be here, then he should have remained at Netherfield Park," Elizabeth insisted .

"That is what he had chosen to do…" Bingley began when the dance separated them. "…however, my younger sister threatened to remain with him. Surely you can see that would have been improper for a single gentleman to be in the house alone with my unmarried sister," Bingley completed once they were opposite one another again.

As much as she did not want to, Elizabeth had to concede Mr Bingley made a valid point. However, she was not willing to excuse Mr Darcy. "That may be so, but it does not give a gentleman the right to speak as Mr Darcy did," Elizabeth stated firmly.

"In that we are in agreement. As I said…" the dance led them around other people. "…my aim was not to acquit my friend of his words. Those were his own. Just my part in causing his uncalled for reaction."

Elizabeth inclined her head. "I forgive you for your small part in it," she allowed.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Thanks to both Elizabeth and Mary sitting out the second to last set, they were able to distract their mother sufficiently from the fact Jane was dancing a second time with Mr Bingley, an honour he had not bestowed on any other. Like she knew it would, telling her mother what Mr Darcy did ignited her ire, and was enough to keep Mama staring daggers at the man for the half hour, rather than looking at Jane and her dancing partner.

Yes, Lizzy was her least favourite daughter, but Fanny still loved her. In addition, such a public insult could redound on all of her sisters as well. More than that, she as the mother was allowed to say what she would, but that courtesy did not extend to anyone outside of the family. Mr Darcy had already vexed her when he had refused to dance with her Lydia, insulted her favourite, and had rudely walked away. Hence when Lizzy had related all to her, Fanny had needed to be restrained from giving the rude man a setdown in the middle of the assembly hall.

For Darcy's part, the hellish ball could not end quickly enough. He had done his duty and danced with Mrs Hurst—not a chore—and Miss Bingley—who tested his patience. After he watched the intense conversation between Bingley and Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Darcy was sure he and Bingley would be having words about his performance at the assembly.

The truth was her dance with his friend was the first time Darcy had truly looked at the woman he had insulted. By then he had heard the talk of how all of the young ladies voluntarily sat out two sets due to the dearth of men thanks to the war. That combined with the fact he could see she was far more than tolerable and definitely handsome enough to tempt him, made him feel like a cad of the first order. He would have to find a way to apologise to the lady, if she would hear his amends that is. There was no missing the anger she directed at him when she saw him.

Miss Bingley had been most amused when talk of the insult he had delivered had made its way to her by the time Darcy danced his obligatory set with the shrew. She had stated her approbation for his putting one of the country bumpkins in her place. Thankfully she had had enough sense to move on from the topic when he had expressed his displeasure with it and indicated his thoughts were very much contrary to her own.

As soon as the final set was called, Darcy felt relieved that this nightmare would soon be over.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

"How pleased I am to be away from all of those who are so far below us and once again with those at our level of society," Miss Bingley exclaimed soon after the coach departed Meryton for the two mile journey back to Netherfield Park. "At least no one was discussing Charles and Mr Darcy's incomes. "

"That is because you did not mention them, like you normally do," Hurst interjected.

Seeing her sister was about to object, when what Harold said was nothing less than the truth, she spoke. "Caroline, surely you do not have the memory of a gadfly?" Mrs Hurst enquired. "You and Charles are lower in society than most present, except for the tradesmen and their wives. No matter how many times you try claiming such, you are not higher than any landed gentry."

"We are far richer than any of them!" Miss Bingley spat out angrily. How she hated her roots being pointed out, especially in front of Mr Darcy.

"As you were previously told, it is owning an estate which makes someone a member of the gentry. You may have all the money in the world and it will not elevate you above a gentleman and his family. Until you marry one of higher status, you are as you will be, the daughter of a tradesman," Darcy stated dispassionately. How many times did the harpy have to be told the same thing before she would accept the truth? Finally, he now knew how his purported income was always discussed at balls where he was unknown and the Bingley's were present. If Miss Bingley knew his true income was more than double the amount she bandied about, she would be salivating.

"Before you launch into a tirade, do not forget the penalty you will pay, and if you cannot control yourself on an ongoing basis, you will find yourself travelling north to join Aunt Hildebrand's household," Bingley promised. "Do you really think that mentioning our purported incomes as loudly as you are able to somehow increases your status? It does not! Did you learn nothing at that seminary you boast about so often? Do you not know how crass it is to discuss others' incomes and the amount of your own dowry?"

Miss Bingley arrested the vitriol which was about to escape her mouth. As much as she did not want it to be so, she could see the resolve in her brother's look. She could not like that the days of her manipulating him were behind her. One of the few people Caroline Bingley feared was her widowed aunt, Mrs Hildebrand Higgabottom, née Bingley. Her aunt was her father's only sister and had not been blessed with children. Uncle Higgabottom had been the late Arthur Bingley's partner. Aunt Hildebrand was strict and would not be manipulated by anyone. If one was a guest in her house and did not follow the rules, the punishments were swift and severe. As living with her aunt was the last place in the world she desired to be until she could compromise Mr Darcy, Caroline schooled her features and controlled her ire.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

"La, Lizzy, how could that horrid man say such a thing to you. Even though you are not as pretty as Jane or me, it was no reason to insult you as he did," Lydia sang soon after the Bennet carriage departed Meryton.

"My Lydia has the right of it," Fanny beamed. "If I see that man again he will know that I hate the very sight of him."

"Mama, please remember, although what Mr Darcy said was not true and should not have been said, he is Mr Bingley's friend. From what I understand they are the best of friends so if you accost Mr Darcy it may cause Mr Bingley to leave the area," Jane pointed out. She could not remember enjoying four dances more than the ones she had danced with Mr Bingley. He was everything a young man should be.

As much as she so very much wanted to issue a setdown to Mr Darcy, Fanny's desire that Jane marry Mr Bingley warred with her thoughts of putting the tall man in his place. She had been occupied sending the evil eye towards Mr Darcy, and as such had not noticed Mr Bingley ask Jane for and then dance a second set with her. If Fanny had been aware of that fact before the end of the night, she would have helped her most beautiful daughter catch Mr Bingley sooner rather than later .

"If that is the way it must be, I will not tell that rude, arrogant man what I think of him, but I will pay him no more than the barest of civilities," Fanny asserted with a disdainful sniff.

As it was barely a mile to Longbourn, the six Bennet women arrived home before any other subjects could be canvassed. Lydia was put out as she was about to grouse about not having a partner for three of her sets again. She would have to remove the lace from her dresses to attract more men with her womanly assets. Although she was the youngest, Lydia was the tallest of her sisters, rather stout, and with a full womanly figure at the tender age of fifteen.

Elizabeth was the last to alight. Once she handed her outerwear to Hill, she cocked her head towards her father's study. "He is still within, Miss Lizzy," the butler confirmed.

She knocked on the door and entered before her father responded. He was intently reading a book with a half empty glass of port near his left hand. Bennet looked up over the frames of his spectacles. He was about to ask why he had been disturbed when he noticed who was standing in his sanctuary. He placed his bookmark and closed the book, settling it on his desktop. Bennet looked at his favourite expectantly.

"We just now returned," Elizabeth gave the superfluous information.

"Did your mother manage to marry Jane to Mr Bingley yet?" Bennet grinned. "I am sure she tried to push them together."

"Mr Bingley and Janey seemed to get along very well, and he even danced another set with her. At the time Mama did not notice as she was trying to control her ire at Mr Bingley's friend, one Mr Darcy from Derbyshire," Elizabeth reported.

"Is the man single?" Elizabeth nodded. "Then why would your mother be vexed with him, and not attempting to gain him as another son-in-law? "

"Mama did attempt to…" Elizabeth related all, including the slight aimed at herself, and Mr Bingley's apology for his part in the episode. She explained how Jane convinced their mother to not accost Mr Darcy publicly. As she spoke, Elizabeth had to hide her disappointment at the lack of outrage or even mild upset her father displayed when she had told of the public slight. This was one time she had been sure her Papa would bestir himself and take the man to task. It seemed she was wrong.

"It is a great pity about your mother's resolve to behave around this Mr Darcy. My advice to you Lizzy, is not to pay the man any attention, if he attempts to speak to you once you have greeted him, do not allow him the opportunity." Elizabeth nodded as she accepted her father's sage advice. "The entertainment I would have derived from her exposing herself in the company of others could have lasted me for a long time. The insulting man does seem to have a modicum of sense to have seen Lydia for what she is, a child."

"But Papa, what if Mama's actions had chased Mr Bingley off?"

"Jane would have been well. After all they have only just met, and besides, it is good for a young lady to be crossed in love now and again."

For the first time ever a question of whether their father had their best interests at heart reared itself in Elizabeth's consciousness. She banished the query telling herself that it was just Papa's sense of humour. She would not allow her feelings of dejection she had, overrule her love of her father, just because he did not indicate he would speak to Mr Darcy. She had to believe he would take some action when he saw the insufferable man.

"Away with you Lizzy. I would like to complete the chapter I was reading." Bennet waved his second eldest away and picked up his book again .

"Goodnight, Papa." Elizabeth did as she had been commanded. As she trudged up the stairs, she could not help feeling rather dissatisfied with her time spent in her father's company that night. She plastered a smile on her face before she entered the bedchamber she shared with Janey.

As much as Jane had wanted to remonstrate with Lizzy for teasing their mother earlier in the evening, the hurt her sister suffered at the assembly caused Jane to decide not to do so.