Page 41 of The Heroic Mr Darcy's Bad Manners
“Never! She despises me, and rightly so. I cannot think of my behaviour without abhorrence. There is not a man in this world less deserving of her approbation than me.”
“She must be a cold-hearted wretch,” Richard asserted with feeling.
“She is anything but. Lady Elizabeth is loveliness itself. Her goodness, compassion, wit, and intelligence are my idea of perfection. But when I entered Meryton’s monthly assembly I did not recognise Eilís. Miss Elizabeth had brown hair, appeared more reserved, and was significantly shorter. The dark, tallow-fogged assembly room did not allow me to see her exceptional eyes properly—the only true feature of hers I glimpsed on the night of the masquerade.”
“The Marquess of Limerick’s relation?”
“The very one…”
“I noticed your penchant for her society, but I did not suspect a serious attachment on such a short acquaintance.”
Darcy disregarded the obvious. When had he ever remained by a lady’s side for an entire evening?
“Bingley began pestering me to dance and pointed out Miss Elizabeth as a particularly desirable partner. As I mentioned before, I did not recognise her as Eilís, or as you would recall her, as Queen Elizabeth.”
He could not go on and repeat what he had said then. He bowed his head and rested it in his hands.
“Knowing something about your unyielding temper, I can imagine how you responded to Bingley’s well-meant prompt. The thought must have been unpalatable because you were already bewitched by Eilís, and once your mind is set, not ten wild horses could change your course.”
“It is worse than that. I was cruel and insulted her to her face,” he groaned.
“It cannot have been that bad. I have never known you to be cruel,” Richard tried to mollify him.
The comfort was undeserved. “Then you do not know me as well as you thought. I called her looks tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me and continued to insult her by proclaiming her slighted byallother men, for no other reason than because she was sitting out one dance. My offences were overheard by her mother and sister, who richly berated my insufferable manners before Elizabeth marched out of the room by way of my toes…”
Richard barked a laugh before his expression sobered. “What a disaster!”
“It turns out that, in matters of the heart, I am nothing but an ignorant blunderbuss,” Darcy admitted dejectedly.
“I assume you have begged the lady’s forgiveness for your callous remarks and assured her of your improved opinion.”
“I sent a message through her father,” Darcy replied lamely.
“And what was her reply? Did she forgive you?”
“It depends upon how faithful a correspondent Lord Glentworth is. It was done as we bade our farewells, and Elizabeth had already left for town.”
It was Richard’s turn to groan. “You truly are a dolt head. You cannot wait for weeks and allow the insult to fester before you, then by way of a messenger ask for forgiveness. This is worse than I imagined. What did she say to you yesterday that has you in the doldrums?”
“Very little. She greeted my sister and pretended not to see me.”
Richard tried, unsuccessfully, to hide a grin behind his coffee cup. “You do not exactly blend in with the furniture.”
“I should think not!” Darcy replied, vexed at his cousin’s mirth at his expense. “Well, I may have turned my head away whilst searching for Eilís. At that time, I was not aware that she was Lady Elizabeth.”
“How did you discover it?”
“When Lady Elizabeth snubbed me, her grandmother called her Eilís. I have since discovered that the name is the Irish equivalent of Elizabeth. Then Aunt Eudora wanted to see her costume. I did not realise what that meant before Elizabeth carried her red Queen Elizabeth dress into the room and pulled out a pair of shoes with abominably high heels. That is why she was so tall at the Argyll Rooms and appeared to have shrunk three inches in Hertfordshire.”
“I still find it hard to believe that you did not recognise her voice or manners much sooner,” Richard complained.
“If I had allowed Bingley to introduce me, I might have. But I did not and therefore had hardly heard her voice. To me, she was just an insignificant country bumpkin whom Bingley happened to single out because she was the sister of his latest angel. Needless to say, Lady Elizabeth took pains to avoid me after the assembly. I am ashamed to admit that I found her behaviour intriguing. I may, on occasion, have followed her about and eavesdropped on her conversations. It is particularly distasteful now that I know she desired me to call and was distraught when I did not. My callous words must have injured her deeply, and then I kept pestering her with my unwanted presence. She must have long desired my absence by then. In retrospect, it is not strange that she was so skittish at Netherfield.”
“Lady Elizabeth resided at Bingley’s estate?” Richard questioned, surprised. “And you still failed to recognise her?”
It was puzzling, and he had admitted, if only to himself, that the former Miss Elizabeth more than intrigued him. It was further proof of his abominable flaws as a suitor.
“Only for five days when her sister took ill with a violent cold. Miss Jane Bennet had dined with Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst one evening whilst we gentlemen were engaged with the militia. Elizabeth arrived the next morning as I was strolling in the garden. I called her name, but she eschewed me by hastening through the kitchen entrance. I did not see her before dinner that evening, when she walked in on us whilst we were disparaging her windblown appearance and long solitary walk.”
