Page 6 of First Impressions (Passion and Perseverance #1)

Chapter Four

Beth wished she was drunker than she was, then maybe by the morning the alcohol would erase all the humiliation she felt from her memory.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t quite at that point yet and Char’s shocked-turned-sympathetic stare told her that she wasn’t the only one who had heard Mr. Darcy’s response.

Determined not to let someone she barely knew ruin her night, or to have her friend worry about her, Beth quickly brushed off her dismay.

“Who describes someone as tolerable? What does that even mean?! He’s such a pompous ass.

I don’t see anyone lining up around the block to dance with him, let alone talk to him, so he’s one to talk.

” Beth followed her sarcastic response with a quick laugh – it was her best attempt to convince Char that she wasn’t bothered by the exchange.

She hoped that her friend wouldn’t turn the ordeal into more than she wanted it to be; the last thing she wanted was to feel pitied all night, especially when she had worked so hard on her appearance.

“I can’t believe he just said that about you B.

Seriously, who talks about someone that way?

It’s no wonder he’s not married yet – even with all that money.

Who would be able to stand someone like that?

Are you sure you—” Char was interrupted by one of her fellow associates who stopped to ask her to dance.

With an apologetic look that also said they would continue this discussion later, Char left Beth standing alone at the bar on the other side of the column from where Mr. Darcy was still residing.

Left alone to collect her thoughts, Beth stared out into the crowd.

Now, she knew that she must have imagined that disconcerting moment between them earlier; ironically, her spirits fell with that reflection and she was frustrated because she didn’t understand why.

She didn’t even know this man; and what she did know, she didn’t like - except his looks, those were exceptional.

Tolerable .

Seriously, who says tolerable, number one, and number two, she looked phenomenal tonight.

After the three large glasses of wine, she felt comfortable admitting that to herself: she looked phenomenal and she was pissed.

She didn’t care who he was or that he was richer than Bill Gates; she was determined to put that intolerable ass in his place.

She turned, asking the bartender for a shot of Jameson, and quickly downed it.

With a deep breath and some liquid courage, she gathered her wits and rounded the corner of the bar to give this man a piece of her mind.

As she came around the column, Mr. Darcy’s eyes recognized her and flashed momentarily with surprise and concern, which he then quickly concealed.

“Mr. Darcy, so nice to see you again. I hope you are enjoying your evening,” Beth stated in her most cordial tone and ended with, what she hoped was, a dazzling smile.

Strangely for such a composed man, he seemed off-put by her statement and warm manner.

He stared at her for a moment, like he couldn’t think of what to say.

His brown eyes turned a molten amber as he held her stare, almost making her forget what she had confronted him about.

Another guest bumped into Darcy as he walked by, startling him back into reality, and as quickly as it had come, the emotion melted from his face and his stoic mask returned as he responded.

“Yes. It’s very nice, thank you,” was all he managed to get out; even though his eyes seemed to look right through her, his voice was strained.

“Good, I’m glad,” Beth forged on before she forgot her purpose or realized that she probably shouldn’t make a scene.

“It seems that Jane and Charles are getting along very well, don't you think? He seems to be bringing out the best in her, even just from their short conversation earlier. Anyway, I don’t want to bore you. I hope you find the party to be ‘on your level’ and that you manage to discover some other aspects of the evening to be more than ‘tolerable.’” With that retort and one last accusatory stare, Beth turned around to walk away and was abruptly stopped when Darcy grabbed her arm.

Heat and electricity shot up her arm, turning all her senses on high alert with an immediate wave of intense desire.

Her breath sucked in as she quickly turned around to face him.

He stared at her with lust raging in his eyes, taking in the sight of her face, flushed from alcohol, then anger, and then desire.

Trailing his gaze slowly down her body, it was as if he were stripping her down right there.

Then, just as quickly, he released her arm as if he couldn’t even bear to touch her; or maybe he was just shocked that he had made such an impulsive gesture in public.

“Miss Bennet—” he began but Beth interrupted him.

“It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Darcy,” Beth said with all the vehemence that she had attempted to restrain.

As she spoke, she crossed her arms over her chest and tried to walk away as gracefully as five drinks would allow.

The shock and instantaneous regret that passed over his features when he realized that she had heard him had been a mild ointment on her bruised pride.

It was quickly surpassed by the tingling sensation and diffuse warmth that had spread through her when he had touched her.

If she didn’t detest him so much, she would have admitted that it was the strongest attraction that she had ever felt.

However, she was too proud to be attracted to someone who had insulted her so rudely, and therefore, quickly allowed the alcohol to take the blame for her physical reaction.

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully for Beth.

She found Char after that song and the two spent the next hour or so catching up.

Char hadn’t seen her confrontation with Darcy and, thoughtfully, didn’t mention the ‘intolerable’ incident again.

While that was a minor reprieve, Beth forced herself to acknowledge that she would have to see Mr. Darcy again while the business with the law firm was being settled.

The biggest highlight of Beth’s night was seeing how surprisingly well Jane and Charles were getting along.

They danced several more times together she noticed, and spent the time between those dances talking mostly amongst themselves.

She wanted her sister to be happy, and she hoped that, if these observations were any indication, that this merger might be promising in more ways than one.