Page 109

When the Bennets entered the assembly hall, the conversation quieted as the host, Sir William Lucas, welcomed them with all reverence.

By the time the Netherfield party entered, the Bennets had moved off to the side where they were partially obscured.

Had Darcy been paying attention instead of thinking how insupportable it was that he had to be among these plebeians, he would have noticed that their party was being paid scant attention.

There were no whispers about his reputed ten thousand a year or the size of his estates.

He was so used to that phenomenon wherever he went that even though it did not happen, in his head he imagined that it did.

Bingley and his sisters greeted Sir William affably and thanked him when he asked if they would like to meet some of the principal families in the area.

Bingley, his sisters, and Hurst answered in the affirmative, while Darcy, letting the dark thoughts about his sister and her suffering come to the fore, rudely walked away without so much as a nod to the host. Lady Elizabeth immediately recognised the man that had sneered at her earlier that day.

She had been willing to try and do what her parents and sisters had urged her to do, to keep an open mind, but when she saw the way the hateful man treated Sir William, who was a sometimes silly and loquacious but harmless man, she was livid.

What she saw confirmed all her thoughts towards the unknown gentleman.

She had never seen such arrogance, and the haughtiness was unparalleled, the way that man looked down on one and all.

‘ He looks down on our friends and thinks he is above everyone! Does the disdainful man not know that he is in the company of a Duke and Duchess? Who does he think that he is? I think that I am going to have to bring this proud taciturn man down a peg or two! ’ As Lady Elizabeth was getting angrier, she did not see the pain displayed on the man’s face, there for all to see as he again berated himself for his perceived failures which had almost caused his dearest and only sister to be ruined.

Lady Elizabeth was snapped out of her reverie when Sir William approached with the Bingley and Hurst party in tow. Lucas stopped and bowed to her parents. “Your Graces, Lords and Ladies, may I introduce the Netherfield party to you?”

The Duke of Hertfordshire inclined his head in agreement to the man that he had known for many years.

“Your Graces, the Duke and Duchess of Hertfordshire, Lord Birchington, Lord Netherfield, Ladies Jane, Marie, and Elizabeth, it is my honour to present Mr. Charles Bingley of Scarborough and London to you.” Bingley bowed deeply to the Duke and his family, “Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hurst of Winsdale in West Suffolk and Miss Caroline Bingley also of Scarborough and London.” As they were presented to their graces and the family, each bowed and curtsied as their name was mentioned.

“Lord Thomas Bennet, Duke of Hertfordshire, Lady Sarah Bennet, Duchess of Hertfordshire, Lord Tom Bennet, Marquess Birchington, Lord James Bennet, Marquess of Netherfield, Lady Jane Bennet, Lady Marie Bennet, and Lady Elizabeth Bennet.” As he named each member of the Bennet family, they inclined their heads.

Bingley was speechless. He had never seen the likes of the beauties before him.

He knew that a daughter of a duke would not be interested in the son of a tradesman, but he could not but admire the radiant beauties before him.

Miss Bingley approached Lady Elizabeth; this was a lady that one did not want to anger, based on what Caroline had heard about her. “Lady Elizabeth, do you object if I enquire of the gowns that you and your sisters are wearing are creations of Madame Chambourg?”

“I have no objection to the question Miss Bingley, and yes they are. You have a good eye,” she said with a small smile.

“You have my thanks your ladyship; I have tried for many a year to get an appointment, but she will not accept anyone that is not referred by one of her well-established clients.”

“That is true Miss Bingley; mayhap one day someone will refer you.” Elizabeth smiled almost as if to herself, as her mother and sisters were the most established clients that Madame Chambourg had.

While they were talking, Bingley, who believed that none of them would dance the opening set with one who was not an intimate, asked if any of the ladies had a set free in which he could pencil his name.

Lady Jane, to his great surprise, told him that she was free for the first, while Lady Marie awarded him the second and Lady Elizabeth the third.

The Duchess demurred stating that she would only be dancing two or three sets with her husband.

Across the hall, Darcy, whose view was partially obscured, could not understand why the Bingleys and the Hursts were spending so much time with one of the lowborn local families.

He had to admit that the group, from what he could see of them, seemed to be better dressed than any others at the infernal assembly, but he was in no mood to think about what he saw, so he dismissed it.

The first set was called, and Bingley was dancing with an ethereal blond beauty.

A replica of her was led to the floor by a man who Darcy neither wanted to know, nor cared, who he was, and then the third lady in the group was led out by another young man.

While the participants enjoyed their dancing, Darcy was stalking back and forth along the far side of the hall so that no one would try to engage him in inane chatter.

As he watched, the dancers seemed to enjoy their dance, which turned his mood even darker as he thought about how much he hated having to be there.

The first set ended, and he was about to go do his duty and ask one of Bingley’s sisters to dance when they were led out by some unknown men.

That they happened to be the two marquesses from the Bennet line, he had not a clue.

The identical blondes were dancing, but the dark-haired one had taken a seat near him.

‘ Slighted already, poor country girl! ’ he derided.

Before the set began, he was approached by Bingley.

“Come Darcy, I must have you dance. You cannot stand about stupidly the whole night; this is an assembly, not a wake.” Bingley tried to use humour to get Darcy to relax. It did not work.

“I shall not, you know I will not dance with one that I am not acquainted with, and to dance with all of these people so below me, is insupportable. Be off with you Bingley, your partner is waiting,” Darcy retorted.

“I have never seen so many pretty girls before,” Bingley said dreamily.

“You danced with one of the only pretty ones here, now go dance with her twin who is waiting for you.” Darcy tried to dismiss his friend.

“I could not be as fastidious as you for all the money in the Realm. Look Darcy, the twins’ sister is sitting there, let me introduce you and you can dance the next with her.” Bingley incorrectly assumed that by now Darcy knew which Bennets were at the assembly.

Darcy gave the lady a cursory look, “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me.,” He did not notice that around him everyone had gone silent in mortification and Bingley had turned white, “I will not give consequences to ladies below me who have been slighted by other…” As he was about to finish, he noted that no one was moving, and Bingley looked like he was about to cast up his accounts.

“Bingley, what ails you? Are you sick? Come, let us leave this infernal place now.”

“Darcy close your mouth. Do you have any idea who you have just insulted?” Darcy looked at his friend and realized he was not sick; rather he was livid with anger.

‘ What is going on here? What did I miss? ’ He made to ask Bingley what he was about when he heard an icy voice dripping with disdain behind him.

“Lower than you, sir? Do you have some unknown rank that places you above the daughter of a duke ?” He turned slowly and saw that other than the woman’s family, not one person was moving, and they were all looking at him with abject disgust and scorn.

‘ Wait did she day ‘daughter of a duke’? Please God, do not let me have made such an error. ’

She looked at Bingley, “Mr. Bingley, will you please introduce this excuse for a gentleman to me and my family?”

“Yes, your ladyship.” ‘ God no! It is those Bennets ! ’ For the first time in a long while, Fitzwilliam Darcy was scared.

“Your Graces, my Lords and my Ladies, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley and London. Darcy,” his friend said his name with no little anger showing, “ Lord Thomas Bennet, the Duke of Hertfordshire, Lady Sarah Bennet, Duchess of Hertfordshire, Lord Tom Bennet, Marquess Birchington, Lord James Bennet, Marquess of Netherfield, Lady Jane Bennet, Lady Marie Bennet, and lastly Lady Elizabeth Bennet. ”

Darcy blanched. He could see the looks of pure disdain directed at him by all the Bennets, and everyone else at the assembly also silently staring at him.

He had heard the stories about Lady Elizabeth Bennet, that she had implacable resentment and once crossed, she could and would make life a living hell.

Said lady was now standing before him with a look of pure, unadulterated hatred in her exceptionally fine eyes.

‘ What have I done! I was worried about rumours of Georgie and Wickham ruining the Darcys in society, but that is nothing compared to what will happen if I cannot fix this, ’ he told himself.

He had to admit to himself, before him was one of the most beautiful women he had ever beheld, with flashing angry eyes that saw through to his soul and caught him before he fell, then dropped him into hell when he realized the passion was hatred.