Page 4 of First Impressions
As they approached the group, Beth was able to get an even better look at one of the most successful men in the world, and boy did he seem bored; beautiful, but bored. Mr. William Darcy was conclusively the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Her increasing proximity to him revealed his distinct cheekbones and masculine chin, without even a hint of stubble; his tailored suit fit so snugly that every slight movement showed that he most definitely did not just sit behind a desk all day. His presence exuded extreme composure and confidence. Even though he was engaged in the conversation, nodding and responding to the comments made by others, his eyes were vacant – looking at whomever was speaking but seeing right through them. It almost went beyond boredom, his eyes blasé, apathetic; he knew that he was above all of these people and it bored him. A moment just before Beth and her family reached the group, those deep mahogany eyes stared straight at her and flared with emotion; his composure broken for a split second. Whether sheimagined it or not, the effect was still the same; a shiver ran straight down her spine and her nipples hardened as if his gaze had sent an electric shock right through her system.
Thank God, she had decided to at least put on nipple stickers since her dress didn’t allow for a traditional bra, otherwise her arousal would have been even more embarrassing. Beth remembered to breathe again as they arrived at the group. Looking at Mr. Darcy’s face once more, she wondered if she had imagined his reaction since his rigid suit of stoicism appeared to be back in place.
“Gentlemen, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, may I introduce my two eldest daughters, Jane and Beth.” Mrs. Bennet’s voice sabotaging any and all further thought.
Jane blushed attractively as she shook hands with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. It was clear to Beth that Jane’s looks alone had already peaked Charles’ interest as he pulled her hand up to his mouth to kiss it.
Her cheeks reddened even more as he spoke. “It is my pleasure to meet you, Jane. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things from both of your parents,” Charles responded, unable to take his eyes off of Jane. Someone quietly cleared their throat causing Charles to remember himself, he quickly turned to Beth to shake her hand and warmly greet her.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Bingley.”
“Oh, please, call me Charles,” he insisted with a smile.
In comparison with that pleasant greeting, Mr. Darcy gave a brief glance and nod of his head to them accompanied by a curt, ‘a pleasure,’ and promptly resumed his conversation with Mr. Lucas. Charles seemed a bit embarrassed by his friend’s response and quickly took the opportunity to start up a conversation with Jane.
Mrs. Bennet discreetly leaned over to Beth and huffed, “What a snob. All that money and a handsome face can’t buy you good manners I guess; too proud of his own self-importance to converse with you beautiful girls. What a disappointment.”
Mr. Bennet, hearing his wife’s not-so-discreet whisper touched her elbow and gave her a stare that suggested she becareful insulting the man who had the power to make or break their potential business arrangement.
Deciding that the brief spark earlier must have come from her rapid consumption of champagne, Beth enthusiastically threw herself into Jane and Charles’ conversation. By this point, the DJ had started playing some classics and people were moving out onto the dance floor. Starting to feel like the third wheel in the conversation, Beth excused herself from the group and made her way to the bar, hoping that holding a full glass of wine would deter any dance requests.
As she waited for her drink and chatted with some of the other gala attendees, she saw that Jane and her father had made their way to the dance floor along with Mr. Lucas and her mother. Glad that no one had come looking to dance with her, she moved around the corner column to the other side of the bar, trying to hide herself from view and take a minute to herself.
Looking around from her hiding spot, Beth was happy to see Char making her way over to her after being separated earlier before they had a chance to talk. The girls took a few minutes to catch up on work and family drama before they became distracted into silence as more guests made their way out to the dance floor. Just when her mind had returned to gorgeously rude Mr. Darcy, Beth saw him and Charles making their way through the small crowd gathered around the bar to get themselves another drink; fortunately, they didn’t notice that she was standing right around the corner from them as she was effectively obscured by the decorative column. As they waited for their drinks, Beth began to listen in on their conversation.
“I think I’m going to ask Jane for a dance,” Charles stated excitedly as he looked transfixed on his prospective partner dancing with her father.
“Do you think that’s wise? We are about to be in the middle of a business arrangement; it’s never a good idea to mix business and pleasure,” Darcy replied, scolding him.
“Oh, Darcy come on. It’s a party, try to have a little fun. I almost regret asking for your help with this venture, if you’re not going to enjoy yourself.”
“I am enjoying myself, and part of that enjoyment comes from not dancing. You know I can’t stand dancing, especially with someone I don’t know, or even worse, some insipid chit,” Darcy retorted.
“There are plenty of gorgeous, very nice women here. You don’t know any of them so you can’t know that they are brainless,” Bingley replied, appearing to be quite anxiously awaiting the end of the song so that he could make his way back over to Jane to request a dance.
“Charles, your quarry is the only beautiful girl in the room and I’m presuming that you don’t want me stealing her out from under you.”
Charles shot Darcy a look at his smart comment. “Well, I can’t disagree that she is the most beautiful one here; but with your manners, I doubt she would enjoy being stolen by you. What about her sister, Beth? I don’t see her out on the dance floor. She is very sharp, definitely not vapid at all. She’s probably the only one I’ve met so far who could deal with your deplorable social skills.”
Even though they couldn’t see her, Beth blushed slightly at Charles’ compliment and was eagerly waiting for a moment later when she could tell Jane what he had said about her. However, her small pleasure was short-lived as Mr. Darcy responded to his suggestion.
“Beth? You mean the one in the red? I can’t dance with her; she’s barely tolerable, but not my type and definitely not on my level. I’m just not in the mood to entertain someone who is so inconsequential to me. It looks like the song is ending though, so you better go over and find Jane before I decide to.”
Charles looked like he wanted to respond, but Darcy was right, the song had ended and he wanted to ask Jane for the next dance before someone else beat him to it. So, with a disapproving stare, he left Darcy standing at the bar to finish his scotch old-fashioned alone.
Chapter Four
Beth wishedshe 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.
