Page 52 of Eavesdroppers Never Hear
Darcy and Elizabeth sat next to each other, and Bennet saw that his daughter was far more comfortable with her awkward suitor. The father reluctantly admitted he had probably milked that courtship for all the amusement he was likely to get, and it now remained for his daughter to get over her skittishness enough to gain him access to the Pemberley library.
Bingley looked like a mouse in a room full of cats, but he managed to pull off the idle chatter social rules required for a few moments.
He then seemed to work up his courage to speak. “I do not know if Darcy mentioned it, but I will be hosting a ball on the twenty-sixth, which is Tuesday next. I brought your invitation. You as well, Mr Collins.”
Bennet barely managed to restrain himself from laughing openly as Mr Collins made a long and obsequious diatribe about a ball of this kind, given by a young man of character, to respectable people, can have any evil tendency which the father took in his stride. When the man finished by hoping to secure sets from each of his fair cousins, the look of horror was sufficient to make the entire morning’s excursion worthwhile.
The man even had the temerity to ask for Elizabeth’s first set, but when he saw the thunderous look from Darcy, he corrected himself at once, indicating he had misspoken and would like to dance with Mary. That lady sighed in resignation and accepted, although she thought about it long enough to make the outcome uncertain. According to the rules of propriety, if she declined the set, she could not dance all evening; but Mary would typically consider that more of a blessing than a curse. However, she apparently did not want to hurt Mr Collins’ feelings, so she eventually accepted.
Elizabeth suggested he should focus on the daughters who were not in a courtship, followed by other ladies in the neighbourhood, and the cleric looked like he had just seen a bear trap snap shut an inch below his foot.
The younger ladies were very enthusiastic about the ball, and Kitty innocently asked, “What will you be wearing, Miss Darcy?”
Georgiana stuttered and stammered and finally looked down shyly. “I am not out.”
Kitty and Lydia looked horrified and were clearly working their way up to a remonstrance when Darcy intervened.
“You are not out in London Society. In smaller places like this, though, being out just means going to public events… is that not right, Mrs Bennet?”
Mr Bennet almost laughed at the transparency of the ploy but waited for his wife to say something silly… and waited… and waited… and waited.
She finally said, “Yes, that is the way of it. Nobody has come-out balls like you do in London. Most in this town come out between fifteen and seventeen, mostly going to dances with the people they have known all their lives. It is very different from London, I think.”
Darcy spoke surprisingly gently. “You have the right of it. I believe Georgiana can be out in Meryton society. Since she is new, I would hope you can put it about that Fitzwilliam or I must approve all dancers, and I will ask Elizabeth to ensure they are acceptable.”
“That seems fair, and I can certainly help with that,” Mrs Bennet said with something more akin to her usual enthusiasm, though hardly enough to excite her husband’s sense of amusement.
The discussion of the ball continued for another half-hour, while Mr Bennet noticed Jane and Bingley getting increasingly nervous as time went on. He wondered what had occurred at Netherfield, but not enough to stick his nose in the middle of his daughters’ business. They would ask him if they wanted his help.
The three younger girls eventually excused themselves to go to another room for an epic round of bonnet trimming, and Bennet used the distraction to make his own escape.
Mary contrived at the same time to drag Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr Collins, and Mrs Bennet from the room, leaving Darcy, Elizabeth, Jane, and Bingley, closing the door on the way out.
~~~~~
Elizabeth thought Mr Bingley looked like a first day politician who had been working on his speech for a week but then forgot it all when he was at the lectern. She decided to take pity on him, as Jane did not look the least bit likely to do so.
“Mr Bingley… May I presume you know about William’s apology?”
“I do,” he said suspiciously, as if afraid she would demand the same from him.
“You have no need for anything like that. Your offense, if any, is of an entirely different nature.”
“But I do owe the both of you an apology.”
“You do… but the offense is different, as should the remedy be.”
“What do you suggest?”
Elizabeth smiled, trying to reduce his nervousness, which was endearing but unhelpful. “Repeat after me.”
“All right.”
“Miss Elizabeth, I apologise on behalf of my sisters who are unrepentant termagants, and regret that my defence of the Bennets seemed inadequate at the time. I regret allowing my home to be a bastion of malicious gossip,” Elizabeth said with a flourish.
Bingley looked like she had hit him on the head but gamely repeated the words exactly as prescribed.
Elizabeth arose from the sofa and walked over to approach the gentleman, who stood up to meet her.
