Page 18 of The Duke of Derby (Pride and Prejudice Variation)
Despite how busy Mama was with planning what would surely be the ball of the season, she managed to order a special dinner for her brother and sister. The night of the dinner brought a couple of pleasant surprises for Elizabeth.
When Mama introduced the Gardiners to Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy was pleasant and respectful. In fact, by the end of dinner, during which he had sat next to Uncle Gardiner, he was almost cheerful. It warmed Elizabeth to see them getting along so well.
After dinner the family played cards for a few hours. Just before the guests left, as everyone was chatting a bit, Mr. Darcy pulled Elizabeth over to the side.
“Miss Elizabeth, I have something for you,” he said as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, handing it to her.
As soon as she was holding it, she realized there was something within the piece of cloth. She quickly unfolded it to reveal the silver comb studded with emeralds she had seen at the jewelers in Derby.
In surprise, she looked up at Mr. Darcy’s face.
He seemed embarrassed. “When you first saw it, I thought you would not ask your father to purchase it, but I very much wanted you to have something that clearly gave you much pleasure. So, while you were at the bookstore, I went back and purchased it for you. You can imagine my dismay when I realized that instead of making you happy, I had been the means of disappointing you when you did, in fact, go back to purchase it.”
Elizabeth did not know what to say. His thoughtfulness was pleasing in the extreme, but she also felt bad for him that his gift had not gone as he had planned.
“I tried to find an opportunity to give it to you at Lockwood, but the timing never seemed right. The few times when I thought it might be possible, I didn’t have it with me. Even here in London, it has been nearly impossible to converse with you directly.”
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy,” said Elizabeth. “Thank you very much. Of all the things I have obtained in the last few months, this is still one of the prettiest. I even have the perfect gown to go with it.” She smiled at him.
The warmth in his eyes that she had first noticed at Lockwood was there, but it was stronger than ever. Somehow, knowing that he still held affection for her after months of separation and a rejection gave her confidence.
“It is the gown I will be wearing at our ball at the end of the month,” she added. “I do hope you plan to attend.”
“I will be there,” he said. “In fact, I am looking forward to it more than any ball I can remember.”
Elizabeth chuckled. “As I recall, you are not particularly fond of dancing.” The memory of him refusing to be introduced to her and insulting her the first time they were in company together immediately halted her chuckle.
No matter how much she liked the present Mr. Darcy, he was still the kind of man who could do such a thing to a stranger.
“In fact, I enjoy dancing, especially when I have a pleasant partner,” said Mr. Darcy.
“What I don’t enjoy is being in a room full of strangers.
I struggle to know what to do with myself, how to behave and how to talk to them.
Because of this, I tend to withdraw into myself, ignoring and avoiding the problem rather than facing it directly. ”
He looked slightly ashamed for admitting this, and it made Elizabeth realize that when he had insulted her, it truly was not personal.
He was trying to protect himself against an unpleasant experience.
That didn’t make it right, nor did it change how much it had hurt her at the time, but she now had a better understanding of the man.
She was reminded of a conversation she had with Charlotte the day after the assembly, where her friend had almost defended Mr. Darcy, saying that his pride did not really offend her because he had so much to be proud of.
Elizabeth’s response at the time was that she could more easily forgive his pride if he had not offended hers.
It was only afterward, when his frequent habit of staring at her cemented her belief that he disliked her intensely, that she had developed such a strong dislike of the man. Yet, she now knew that his strange behavior was due to his increasing attraction toward her, not dislike.
Such a realization pulled down her last bastion of resistance toward the man. Since he had clearly gotten along well with her uncle, there was now nothing save her own willpower preventing her from returning his love in full force.
For a moment, she thought he might ask her for her first dance at the ball, but he did not. She realized that he would not, because he was convinced that he was not good enough for her.
“Mr. Darcy, I wonder if I might ask a favor of you,” she said. “Would you be willing to dance the first dance with Jane at our mother’s ball?”
It was clear that he was surprised and perhaps a little hurt at such a request. “I do wonder why you would want such a thing.”
“Given Jane’s position, she must open the ball, but none of us know any of the gentlemen who will be attending other than you and Colonel Fitzwilliam, and I am the only one who knows the latter.
Papa was going to arrange for one of his new acquaintances to dance with her, but I believe she would be more comfortable with you, since she already knows you reasonably well. ”
He hesitated before answering. “I will, if you truly wish it, but doing so could cause quite a few rumors. Some would be harmless, mere whispered conjectures about possible relationships. Others, however, could be quite damaging to her reputation, such as people insinuating that despite her title she could find no titled gentleman to dance with her.”
“That had not occurred to me,” said Elizabeth. “Very well, then. I will not interfere with Papa’s plans. In that case, however, I would ask if you will dance with me for the first dance.” Being so bold made Elizabeth cheeks warm.
“Are you certain?” he asked. “Though the rumors will not be quite as severe as they would be with your sister, they will certainly circulate, nonetheless.”
Elizabeth straightened her spine the tiniest bit and lifted her chin half an inch. “I am certain,” she said firmly.
“Then I would be overjoyed to dance with you,” he said, and his expression matched his words.
~~~~~
Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam turned his invitation over and over in his hands as he rode in Darcy’s carriage toward the home of the Duke of Derby. Though it was too dark to see, he had read the invitation so many times that it was indelibly imprinted in his mind.
You are cordially invited to attend a ball to be held at the home of the Duke and Duchess of Derby on the evening of the thirtieth of September. Dancing will begin at nine.
At this ball the Duke of Derby will be presenting his four daughters: Lady Jane Bennet, Marchioness Northdale; Lady Elizabeth Bennet; Lady Mary Bennet; and Lady Catherine Bennet.
He was a bit nervous as they approached their destination. It would be the first time he would see Miss Bennet, or rather Lady Elizabeth, again. She had always stood out in his mind as the perfect wife, someone who would make the necessity of marriage a joy rather than a chore.
When he had known her in Kent, he had often thought that if she came with a fortune, he would have proposed on the spot. At the time, however, it was impossible. He could not afford to marry a young lady with no fortune whatsoever.
Now, not only did she have a fortune, which rumor placed at fifty thousand pounds, but she also had status as the daughter of a duke. Richard’s status was just barely within the realm of acceptability for such a lady, and he fully intended to do his best to win her affections and her hand.
He knew he would be in for some stiff competition.
Every gentleman of his status would be trying to win one of the daughters’ hands, which was why he was nervous.
He was so nervous, in fact, that it was only as they were exiting the carriage that he realized Darcy had not spoken a word the whole journey other than a basic greeting.
Since there was no time to question his cousin about his silence as they approached the door, he decided to wait to ask him about it later.
They were allowed inside by the butler who was checking invitations. Once they were fully in the hall, they were greeted by a receiving line consisting of one middle-aged man and five ladies. As soon as his eyes landed on the second lady, however, they would go no further.
She was the most beautiful woman Richard had ever seen. He was so fixated on her beauty, he barely registered when she spoke. “Good evening Colonel Fitzwilliam,” she said. “My sister has told me about you.”
He barely pulled himself together enough to say, “G-good evening.” He should have called her by her name, but he couldn’t, for the life of him, remember what it was. Mentally, he berated himself for being so foolish. No woman had made him this nervous in a decade or more.
With embarrassment flooding over him, he made his way down the rest of the receiving line, barely managing to be civil despite the fact that Lady Elizabeth was clearly pleased to see him again.
Only after he was done with the receiving line and in the ballroom did he realize that the lady who had struck him speechless must have been Lady Jane, Marchioness Northdale.
As he came out of his embarrassed stupor, he realized Darcy was laughing at him. When Richard turned to look at his cousin, Darcy said, “She is a beauty, isn’t she?”
Richard ran his hand down his face. “That she is,” he said. “I wonder if she realizes just what kind of feeding frenzy she is about to incite. Between her beauty, her estate, and her title, every man in the country will be hoping to marry her. She seems far too fragile to handle such a thing.”