Page 3 of Moments Frozen in Time (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

DARCY

A s soon as Miss Bingley drew close enough, she attempted to latch on to my arm. Wanting to avoid such an unwarranted intimacy, I clasped my hands behind my back, making it impossible for her to do so.

“I cannot believe my brother has forced us to attend such a tedious evening. The gall of these people, thinking so well of themselves.” Miss Bingley’s voice dripped with condescension as she surveyed the room, her eyes narrowing at the lively but modest assembly.

“Such airs they put on; do you not agree, Mr. Darcy? I daresay I could tolerate it better if there were any decent company to be found in this ragamuffin group, other than yours, of course.”

I remained silent, unwilling to encourage her petty observations.

In truth, I could offer no real objection to the gathering.

Whilst the people here did not belong to the highest social circles that I was accustomed to, they possessed a simplicity and warmth far more agreeable than Miss Bingley’s constant need to belittle others.

Moreover, many of those in attendance were members of the landed gentry, a rank that, strictly speaking, was a step above Miss Bingley’s own.

Although her family’s wealth complicated matters, it did not change the fact that, despite her airs, she was not truly superior to the company gathered here tonight.

Perhaps I would have normally considered myself higher, but my mother’s reminders had made me view the gathering more objectively than I would have done otherwise.

Undeterred by my lack of response, she prattled on, her tone growing haughtier the longer she spoke.

“Really, what can we expect from such a county? It is a wonder my brother can stomach it. He would have been much better off leasing a home in another location, perhaps somewhere nearer to Derbyshire.”

She said this with a hint of something in her voice as though she expected me to agree with her or to suggest that she accompany me to Pemberley, something I would never do.

My patience was already wearing thin. Although I understood that Miss Bingley’s pursuit of my favour was relentless, her insistence on insulting those beneath her only deepened my distaste for her company.

In town, I was able to avoid her most of the time.

However, Bingley’s promised house party had turned into a much smaller gathering, just myself together with his family.

This made it more difficult to avoid my hostess and had me contemplating a shortened stay at Netherfield.

When I finally spoke, my voice was measured but firm and, quite frankly, a little sharp.

“Perhaps, Miss Bingley, we would do well to remember that a person’s worth is not always determined by their wealth.

As members of the landed gentry, many of those here tonight are of a higher status than your brother’s.

Moreover, as a new member of this community, he has a duty to make himself pleasant to his new neighbours.

He has taken the largest home in the vicinity and will be expected to do his part to both attend events and to provide his own entertainment to the community. ”

Her expression faltered at the terse set down, although she quickly masked it with a hasty smile. “Of course, Mr. Darcy, I only meant?— ”

But I had already turned my gaze away, letting the conversation fall into silence. It took a moment or two, but Miss Bingley seemed to realise the futility of her present efforts and took herself away.

I did not move from my position along the wall, but my eyes sought out Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

She was dancing with a young man, probably her age or even younger, and he was smiling at her.

Oddly, I felt a pang of jealousy toward the boy—for a boy he certainly was.

As though she were aware of my gaze, her eyes found mine, and the broad smile she sent me soothed the irrational feeling in my heart.

“Damn it,” I muttered quietly, uncertain how to explain even to myself what I was feeling.

How did a smile across the room manage to have such an effect on me?

What was it about this Miss Elizabeth Bennet that seemed to grip me?

The memory of my mother had prevented me from rashly insulting her, but her claim that the lady was my match was surely absurd.

“What was that, Darcy?” Bingley said, appearing at my elbow.

Reluctantly pulling my attention away from the lady who fascinated me, I scowled at my friend. “It was nothing, Bingley,” I answered tersely.

However, as I thought about it for a moment, I added, “Except that your sister continues to be a pest, thinking herself so much better than everyone gathered here tonight. She will be rather annoyed with me later since I reminded her that many of those here are gentry and thus higher than your family as the offspring of a tradesman. Whilst you know that means nothing to me, she believes your family’s wealth and her dowry make her better than nearly everyone she meets. ”

Bingley huffed out a breath. “I know, Darcy, and she has become even more fixed on you of late. She is approaching her twenty-fifth birthday, and I am afraid she is becoming somewhat desperate to marry.”

My scowl deepened. “You know I will never offer for her, regardless of what she may do. I will not be trapped into marriage due to a compromise when I have repeatedly warned the woman off. It is not my fault that she chooses to ignore what everyone has told her.”

“I am aware, Darcy,” Bingley replied, his voice soft and hesitant. “I will try to speak to her again. Now, I know you are reluctant, but if you dance with some of the other women in attendance tonight, it would strengthen my place in the society here.”

Although I had earlier determined not to do so, I agreed. Miss Elizabeth still intrigued me, and I thought that if I danced with her, along with one or two others, it would not put her mother on alert.

“For your sake, my friend, I will make the effort to be more sociable this evening,” I said after a moment. “Might you introduce me to the ladies who are standing with the one you introduced me to earlier? Then we will be able to engage in sensible conversation whilst we dance.”

Fortunately, Bingley complied easily without further questions.

We approached a gaggle of ladies which included Miss Elizabeth and her elder sister.

Bingley introduced me to Miss Bennet and another lady, a Miss Charlotte Lucas.

I requested a dance from all three and was happily granted my requests.

The only dance Miss Elizabeth had free was the last, and I was pleased to realise that I could end the evening with her as my partner.

The rest of the assembly proceeded as one might expect. I remained near these ladies and was introduced to several other men in the area as they approached to claim one of the ladies for a dance. This also had the great advantage of dissuading Miss Bingley from approaching me again.

When I was finally able to claim Miss Elizabeth for the final dance of the evening, I felt a jolt of electricity pass through my hand and into my arm, despite our gloves. I quickly glanced at my partner and noted the slight flush to her cheeks and determined she must have felt it as well .

“Well, Miss Elizabeth, I am glad that I am finally able to dance with you this evening,” I said in opening.

She smirked at me. “Are you? I thought you preferred not to dance this evening.”

The movement of the dance separated us then for a moment, and I took that time to formulate a response. “I was not in the best of moods when I arrived here this evening, but good company has lightened it considerably. I thank you and your friends for that.”

Her eyes flashed with amusement. “I would feel badly for you, sir, had you behaved better upon your arrival.”

I struggled not to laugh out loud at her impertinence, something I had done repeatedly that evening since I was introduced to this lady.

Instead, I grinned. “Should I ask your forgiveness once again for the poor impression I made? Or has my dancing tonight done anything to counteract my initial reluctance for the activity?”

Once again, we were separated by the movement of the dance, and when we came back together, she was smiling at me. “I suppose I ought to forgive you since you did not, in fact, slight me in the end. And you have proved a delightful dancer; I do not understand why you dislike the activity.”

A grimace crossed my face before I could stop it.

“Although Bingley is a very sociable person, I find it more difficult to be in unfamiliar company. I am not as adept as he at catching a person’s tone or at understanding their concerns.

Likewise, Miss Bingley is not the only lady who pursues me as you have seen her do tonight.

I find it easier to avoid raising expectations if I do not dance at all. ”

“So, you are accustomed to being judged solely on material concerns?” she asked me, tilting her head as she looked at me in what I thought was a contemplative manner.

I nodded. “Then I suppose it would be difficult to seek to dance with someone who is likely only interested in me for such a reason. It is fortunate that most of those here tonight have always known me and do not judge me based on my lack of dowry or, worse, the behaviour of my mother. As I am certain you have witnessed tonight, she is not the most genteel of women, nor has she trained my younger sisters in such a way that they would be easily welcomed into polite society.”