Page 8 of One Night with Mr. Darcy

“I don’t know. All my rules seem to be making me nothing but angry at this point.”

They danced, quiet.

“So, you have nothing to say to me?” he said. “You don’t likeme, I suppose.”

“Oh, Mr. Darcy, really. We have tried two or three subjects with no success. What you think we might talk of, I cannot imagine.”

“But you don’t, do you?” He was looking at her. “You don’t like me at all.”

“Mr. Darcy, I don’t know you. We seem to… rile each other, perhaps.” She let out a breath.

“What think you of books?”

“Books! We’d never like the same books. We’d never have anything to say about that.”

“Well, if we had differing opinions, we could go back and forth for some time. We wouldn’t lack for things to say, at any rate. I don’t mind a bit of… riling, truly. It can be…” He never finished his sentence. He swallowed so hard his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Do you likehim, Miss Bennet?”

“Who?” she said.

“Your clear intended, that wretch of a man who danced with you for an hour straight?”

“Mr. Collins?”

“Do you like him?”

Her lips parted.

“Oh, forgive me, Miss Bennet, my tongue, it is far too loose. I am quite beside myself. I must… I cannot… let us quit the dance floor.”

“In the middle of the dance, sir?” She was very confused by this entire conversation.

“Either come with me, or I shall simply abandon you here.” He laughed, as if this was a very good joke.

She let him lead her off the dance floor.

Once out of the fray, she extricated herself from him and fled straight for the punch. She downed two glasses of it, one right after the other.

“Lizzy!” said Charlotte. “Was it so very bad?”

“It’s not him, Charlotte, it’s…” Elizabeth looked across the room for Mr. Collins. She let out a moan. “Oh, Ihaveto marry him. I have no choice.”

“Marry Mr. Darcy?”

Elizabeth let out a wild, high laugh. “What? Charlotte! Why would you say such a thing?”

“Marry who, Elizabeth?” Charlotte’s voice was strained. “You have just as few prospects as me!”

“Marry Mr. Collins,” said Elizabeth quietly.

“Oh,” said Charlotte in a small voice.

“I know,” said Elizabeth. “He’s wretched in every way. I’d rather die.”

“Death,” said Charlotte. “Surely preferable.”

Elizabeth glanced at her. Was Charlotte being sarcastic?

But Charlotte embraced her and Elizabeth dismissed the thought. Of course not. Charlotte could see how odious the man was. She understood what Elizabeth was going through.