Page 37 of To Go Against Her Heart
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The day of the ball finally arrived, and Mr. Collins sat in the carriage along with Mr. and Mrs. Bennet as the sisters chose to ride in a separate carriage. He was excited about the evening and looked forward to dancing with Elizabeth. He had no plans of leaving Hertfordshire as a bachelor and was resolved to marry her soon.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bingley and Darcy waited impatiently for the arrival of the Bennets, as most acquaintances had arrived, and the ballroom was bustling with energy.
“You have truly outdone yourself with the preparations, Mr. Bingley. This is a spectacular evening indeed,” Sir William exclaimed with appreciation for the grant décor and elegant arrangements.
As disinterested as Miss Bingley was, she did not want to deprive herself of the pride and authority the evening offered her as the hostess. She hoped the story she had shared with Jane would help distance her from her brother. Darcy could sensethat his friend was very much in love with Jane; however, he was still unsure whether Jane returned his feelings.
When the Bennets arrived, Mrs. Bennet was delighted to see Mr. Bingley immediately take his side by Jane. On the other hand, Darcy was vexed to see Elizabeth walk in with Mr. Collins. She wore a simple gown, but the shade complemented her perfectly, and the pearl necklace she wore enhanced her entire appearance. But, in Darcy’s eyes, nothing heightened her beauty so much as the sparkle in her eyes. He had observed it in her unguarded moments, whether in anger or amusement.
I cannot imagine what you are going through to be cordial with this fool,Darcy thought to himself. He still could not believe that her family would favor Mr. Collins as their son-in-law, and finally breathed a sigh of relief as Mr. Collins left her, momentarily. He did not waste an instant in approaching her.
“If you are not otherwise engaged, would you do me the honor of dancing the first set with me, Miss Elizabeth?” he asked after greeting them.
Charlotte waited as much in anticipation for her reply as Darcy did.
“I am not engaged, sir. I would be happy to,” Elizabeth replied confidently.
My courage always rises in every attempt to intimidate me, Mr. Darcy. I will prove that you cannot unsettle me in any way.
Darcy was as surprised as Charlotte by her acceptance.
“This is indeed a surprise, Lizzy,” she declared as Darcy left them.
“I wonder what you call a surprise: Mr. Darcy asking me for a dance after his horrendous insult at the assembly, or me accepting the same shamelessly.”
“The latter, I assure you, but I do not think there is anything shameless about it. He is not the same man who insulted you atthe assembly. There is no doubt that he admires you very much now.”
Elizabeth was silent. She noticed Jane and Mr. Bingley and could see that her sister was not her usual self. She confided in Charlotte about Jane’s predicament because of Miss Bingley.
“Miss Bingley undoubtedly wants to prevent her brother from forming an attachment with Jane. I do not see how Mr. Bingley could favor any other woman while he is head over heels in love with your sister,” Charlotte said.
“But Jane seems very much distressed; she seems very distracted today,” Elizabeth said. Once the music started, the men came to find their partners, and Elizabeth saw Mr. Collins hurrying towards her.
“Fair cousin, allow me to apologize for not asking you earlier. But I was quite occupied with Sir William and partook in some refreshments with Mr. Andrews, who was, if I may say so, quite interested in learning about my life in Kent. Allow me to lead you to the dance floor now, even though you may be inclined to dance all the sets with me; I assure you, I am willing to spare you for a couple of sets,” he said, trying to swallow the last bit of meat pie he had in his mouth. Elizabeth was unable to reply as Darcy stood right behind him.
“Mr. Collins, if you would excuse me, I would like to lead my partner to the dance floor,” he said, and held out his hand, and Elizabeth took it without hesitation.
Mr. Collins never imagined his future wife dancing the first set with anyone else and stood bewildered next to Charlotte.
As the dance started, Elizabeth confidently stared into Darcy’s eyes, and he was mesmerized by her gaze. He wondered if he would ever be able to forget this moment in his life—the first time he held her in such close proximity. To him, everything and everyone around seemed to vanish.
“I understand you are to leave Hertfordshire soon,” she said.
“I was inclined to leave after the ball, but I may extend my stay if circumstances warrant it.”
“At least for Miss Darcy’s sake, I hope circumstances do not.”
How will I leave without telling you how much you mean to me?
They danced in silence for a couple of minutes, and every time they moved apart, they felt incomplete.
“We must have some conversation, Mr. Darcy,” she stressed as she felt the weight of his silence.
“What would you like me to talk about?”
“I do not know. You could say something about the size of the room, and I may say something about the weather, and we could be silent for the rest of the dance.”
