Perilous Siege

by C. P. Odom

  He shared a warm smile with Darcy, who said, “Your grandmother seems to have been a fount of considerable wisdom.”

  “She was a very traditional lady, which you would understand more easily if you met the man she married. Sergeant Major Calvin McDunn III was the top enlisted man in the entire Marine Corps. Ramrod straight both physically and mentally, he never deviated from a course once he decided on something. But that’s neither here nor there. Miss Darcy, would I be correct in assuming you had something to ask of your brother?”

  Georgiana didn’t say anything at first; then she looked up at her brother through her lashes.

  Uh-oh, McDunn thought in amusement. She wants something!

  “I would like to know about the assembly, William,” she said earnestly. “I know you prefer not to speak about such things, especially since you did not wish to attend and only did so because it made Mr. Bingley happy.”

  Darcy looked helplessly at McDunn, who only smiled broadly at him.

  “I could never deny my sisters anything when they asked like that, Darcy. They learned how to manipulate me very early in life.”

  Darcy threw up his hands in defeat. “Very well, Georgiana,” he said with a sigh. “But then you must promise to retire to your bed.”

  “Of course, William,” she said with a demureness that did not fool McDunn in the slightest.

  It likely did not fool her brother either, but he had no choice but to begin.

  ***

  Mrs. Bennet had much to relate when she returned to Longbourn, having seen her eldest daughter so much admired by Mr. Bingley and his sisters with the added dividend of her next-eldest daughter being asked to dance by the famous—and wealthy—Mr. Darcy. The evening had been, as she related to her husband, a triumph in all respects.

  “Mr. Bingley danced with Jane not once but twice!” she told her husband with even more than her usual enthusiasm. “And Lizzy heard Mr. Bingley say that Jane was the most beautiful creature he had ever beheld. And Lizzy herself, Mr. Bennet—Mr. Darcy asked her for a set though he danced with no other ladies except for Mr. Bingley’s sisters. Oh, it was a marvelous evening!”

  Her husband listened closely at first. His curiosity had been stimulated by the heightened expectations at having such a wealthy newcomer to their neighborhood in attendance at the assembly. In fact, he had rather hoped his wife’s expectations of this young man would have been disappointed, but such had clearly not been the case.

  But he had heard all he desired to hear, and as his wife’s descriptions continued, his patience rapidly dissipated. He had no interest whatever in hearing how Mary was described to Bingley’s sisters as being the most accomplished young lady in the neighborhood nor how marvelous it was that Kitty and Lydia were never without a partner. But when Mrs. Bennet, completely oblivious to her husband’s displeasure, moved on to a description of the gowns worn by Mr. Bingley’s sisters, Mr. Bennet raised his hand.

  “I will hear no descriptions of finery, Mrs. Bennet!” he declared, interrupting her in mid-sentence. His displeasure was so great that he would not even listen when she attempted to change the subject and give details of Elizabeth—alone among all the young ladies in attendance—being asked for a set of dances by Mr. Darcy.

  “Enough!” Mr. Bennet said firmly, ushering his wife from his library and closing the door behind her.

  ***

  Only when the two eldest sisters were upstairs could Jane speak more freely. While she felt pleasure similar to her mother’s at the attention of Mr. Bingley, she felt it in a quieter way and had been significantly more subdued in her praise of him earlier. Now that she and Elizabeth were finally alone, she could be more forthright in her admiration.

  “He is just what a young man ought to be. Sensible, good humored, lively, and with such happy manners. So easy, so well-bred—”

  “And so handsome and so possessed of an admirable fortune,” interjected Elizabeth. “He has everything a young man ought to have, and you have sketched his character completely. As I have said, such a young man must be in need of a wife.”

  “Oh piffle, Lizzy. You have to admit Mr. Darcy is even more handsome than Mr. Bingley, and he clearly admired you enough to solicit a set, which is more than he did with anyone else.”

  Elizabeth suppressed a shiver as she remembered the dizzying effect Mr. Darcy incited within her when she first saw him and even more when they danced. But she made herself smile wryly.

  “But Mr. Bingley asked you for a second pair of dances, which Mr. Darcy most explicitly did not. He said he was afraid of raising any expectations on my part.”

  “I was disappointed when you mentioned that, though it seemed to amuse you more than anything else. But I must admit I was flattered when Mr. Bingley asked me to dance again. I did not expect such a compliment.”

  “It did not surprise me at all. You are always surprised by compliments, never expecting them. But what could be more natural, Jane? He could easily perceive no other young lady was close to being as pretty as you.”

  “But what did you think of Mr. Darcy, Lizzy? Were you not surprised at his invitation?”

  “Yes, I have to admit I was,” Elizabeth said, careful to portray an expression of thoughtfulness since she was not at all sure what she thought of Darcy. “At first, I did not realize he was the Darcy we had read of—the one who is building the telegraph lines throughout the country, and I only realized it when I overheard a comment from Lady Lucas. I would have liked to discuss it with him, but he was not at all interested in further discussion after we danced. He is a very reserved, taciturn man, Jane. Not cold exactly but very controlled in his emotions and his expressions.”

  “Oh, Lizzy! You are very particular!”

  “And I am afraid you are a great deal too apt to like people in general. You never see a fault in anyone! You think of everyone you meet as good and agreeable, and I doubt I have ever heard you speak ill of anybody.”

  “I do not wish to censure anyone unfairly, and I say what I think. I am not being deceitful.”

  “I know, Jane. It is that very fact which makes you so remarkable. I know you to have good sense, yet you can simultaneously be blind to the follies, nonsense, and deceits of others! Why, you even think well of Mr. Bingley’s sisters, yet they have not a fraction of his excellent manners and amiability!”

  “I was uncertain of my opinion of them at first, I must admit. However, upon further conversation, I found them both quite pleasing. Miss Bingley is to remain at Netherfield and keep his house as she did in town. I believe we shall find her a very charming neighbor.”

  Elizabeth did not disagree openly, but she was not of the same estimation since she was less inclined to deceive herself than Jane. Bolstering her opinion was the fact that both sisters had not gone out of their way to make themselves agreeable to anyone except Jane and had openly boasted of their substantial fortunes and their education at a fine establishment in town. In fact, she had heard enough to conclude they were in the habit of associating with people of rank and, therefore, were entitled to think well of themselves.

  It had long been her judgment, even at her tender age of nineteen, that people who held themselves in such high regard often thought meanly of others, and Mr. Bingley’s sisters had done nothing to change her opinion.

  ***

  It was only when Elizabeth said good night to her sister and returned to her room that she had an opportunity to think more on the bewildering Mr. Darcy and the extraordinary effect he had had on her.

  It was not simply when I looked at him the first time, either, she thought, perplexed by her inability to explain what happened. When our fingers touched, even through the gloves we both wore, I felt something similar.

  What disturbed her most was that her reaction to Darcy was solely physical. It was not accompanied by any approval of his char
acter—not at all. She was still convinced the man was as haughty, reserved, and disagreeable as she had first thought.

  She did not believe in love at first sight, despite its new popularity in literature. She was certain this was nothing similar.

  Yet, with real concern, she remembered the tingling sensation on her skin and the wild, forbidden thoughts it evoked. She gave a moan as she imagined the touch of his hand on her bare skin. She threw herself onto her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin in reaction but gave another moan as an inexplicable vision of his warm fingers moving along her thigh entered her mind.

  She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to dismiss the images, but that was worse. It was then she saw Darcy’s handsome, cold face lowering toward hers from above until his lips finally touched hers…

  From whence are such depraved thoughts coming? Am I being possessed by demons?

  Elizabeth Bennet knew only what any other inexperienced woman of her time could know. Thus, the merest hint of feeling any sort of passion for a man would have been considered an abomination in her naïve view of the world. Her mother had always said the physical act of procreation between a husband and wife was a duty, and one should simply let it happen, after which her husband would leave her alone for a while.

  But a mother’s advice was useless to Elizabeth as she wrestled with trying to find some resolution between the never-before-suspected desires of her body and the more sober needs of a young lady who had to be careful in any involvement with the opposite sex.

  Sleep was long in coming, and she gained little rest, having been asleep only an hour when she was suddenly awakened by a disturbing dream she could barely remember other than the rapidly dissipating but intense rush of mysterious pleasure surging throughout her body.

  It had been years since Elizabeth had last cried, but she sobbed uncontrollably that night. The sun was well above the horizon before her sobs diminished and she was able to return to a fitful slumber.

  Chapter 13

  Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.

  — William Shakespeare,

  Much Ado about Nothing

  Tuesday, October 22, 1811

  Longbourn, Hertfordshire

  With the events of the previous evening so much a topic of conversation, and with Lucas Lodge within such an easy walking distance of Longbourn, it was natural to find the Lucas sisters calling there the following morning.

  After the appropriate greetings were exchanged, Mrs. Bennet said, “You began the evening well, Charlotte. You were Mr. Bingley’s first choice.”

  “Yes, but he seemed to like his second better.”

  “Oh, you mean Jane, I suppose,” Mrs. Bennet said, feigning ignorance, “because he danced with her twice. Yes, it did seem he admired her.”

  Elizabeth winced at her mother’s inability to refrain from gloating, but Charlotte, as usual, gave no sign she had heard.

  “More than simple admiration, I would say. I told Eliza about overhearing Mr. Bingley say the eldest Miss Bennet was the prettiest girl in the room. He said there could not be two opinions on that point.”

  Jane blushed scarlet and lowered her eyes at hearing such a compliment.

  “And you had the good fortune to secure Mr. Darcy as a dance partner, Eliza,” Charlotte said. “There was considerable whispering throughout the hall when he led you to the floor.”

  “Especially when he asked no other young lady!” Mrs. Bennet said immediately. “It was very noteworthy.”

  “It did not appear so as the evening went on, Mama. It was not long before I heard many criticisms of his haughty pride, saying he was the most disagreeable of men.”

  Charlotte nodded in agreement. “I heard the same. It was not very surprising with so many mothers wishing desperately for their daughters to be as lucky as you. Imagine what would have been said if Mr. Darcy had asked you to dance a second set!”

  “Such an event would have been insupportable, Charlotte,” Elizabeth said gaily. “My own opinion of the man is rather conflicted, but I tend to think his disagreeable inclinations overwhelm any compliment he might have given me by his invitation.”

  “Do not speak such nonsense, Lizzy!” her mother cried. “How can you be so foolish? Why, he is very wealthy and quite famous!”

  “Would it make him a suitable person with whom to spend my life, Mama? I think not. And remember he specifically avoided asking for a second set since it might give rise to ‘unwarranted assumptions.’”

  “Oh, silly girl! Here you are very fortunate, and you do nothing but chatter absurdities!”

  “Everyone says he is truly disagreeable, Charlotte,” Kitty said in eager agreement. “Mrs. Long said she sat close to him for a full half-hour without him ever saying a word. And the two of them had already been introduced.”

  “That cannot be the case,” Jane said, rising to his defense. “I saw Mr. Darcy talking with her.”

  “Only because Mrs. Long asked him how he liked Netherfield Park, and he could not help answering her.”

  “Miss Bingley told me he never speaks much unless among his intimate acquaintances. With them, he is remarkably agreeable,” Jane said.

  “What do you think of Mr. Darcy’s friend, Major McDunn, Eliza?” Charlotte asked. “I found out he really is a soldier, as I suspected.”

  “An American, who freely admitted he was not a gentleman and never learned to dance,” Mrs. Bennet said, giving a sniff of disdain. “He should not have been allowed inside the assembly hall!”

  “And he does not even wear regimentals!” Lydia said. “Imagine!”

  “Mr. Bingley said he is no longer a serving officer,” Jane said. “He was in the American Corps of Marines some years ago.”

  “A hard, tough man, I would judge,” Elizabeth said.

  “That man has nothing to be proud of,” Mrs. Bennet said forcefully. “Not like Mr. Darcy, certainly.”

  “Mr. Darcy’s pride does not offend me as much as pride often does,” Charlotte said. “There is an excuse for it in his case. He is a very handsome and wealthy young man with a growing reputation from his accomplishments. If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud.”

  “Perhaps you are correct, Charlotte, but he remains very reserved, taciturn, and more than a little disagreeable,” Elizabeth said in response.

  “Pride,” Mary said, “is a very common failing, and human nature is particularly prone to it. Most people seem to cherish a feeling of self-complacency on some quality or other, real or imaginary.”

  Elizabeth looked at Charlotte in merriment since they both took great delight in ridiculous statements, which Mary quite often supplied.

  “If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy,” cried a young Lucas lad, who had come with his sisters, “I should not care how proud I was! I would keep a pack of foxhounds and drink a bottle of wine every day!”

  “Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought,” Mrs. Bennet said, “and if I were to see you at it, I should take away your bottle directly.”

  The boy protested she should not, while Mrs. Bennet maintained she would. The argument ended only with the visit when he had to accompany his sisters back to Lucas Lodge.

  ***

  Wednesday, October 23‒24, 1811

  Hertfordshire

  The ladies of Longbourn hesitated only a day before waiting on those of Netherfield, and the visit was returned in due course. McDunn had been present when Mrs. Bennet and her daughters called, and while he soon left to ride with the other men, he remained long enough to observe Caroline Bingley and her sister show a distinct, if rather supercilious, preference for Jane’s company.

  They had done their best to ignore the other sisters, and though it was not possible to do the same with Mrs. Bennet, they had spoken to her as seldom as was possible, doing so in such a subtle an
d fashionable manner, the poor woman did not perceive she was being snubbed.

  Jane received these attentions with pleasure since she did not perceive their condescending treatment of everyone, even herself, as her sister did. Elizabeth still could not like them, and not even their expressed admiration of her dearest sister was enough to repair their defects in her eyes. She knew their attentions were motivated by their brother’s admiration and not real friendship.

  In the following days, Bingley was invited to most engagements because of his general approval about the neighborhood. The Bennet family—or at least Mrs. Bennet and her daughters—were also included in those invitations. Such events gave Bingley and Jane many opportunities to see each other, and Elizabeth was pleased to see Bingley’s admiration for her sister continue. She was also pleased by Jane confiding to her that her good opinion of the young man was increasing.

  Because of his friendship with Bingley, Darcy was included in these invitations despite the general disapprobation in which he was regarded. Such engagements necessarily threw him and Elizabeth into company though not with a similarly favorable mutual regard. Elizabeth could not determine Darcy’s opinion of her, but it did not matter since she had no intention of trying to win his admiration.

  But his physical effect on her continued to be so intensely disturbing, she wavered back and forth between staying as far away from him as possible and being drawn to him as a moth to the flame that would consume it. Only her love for Jane kept her from pleading one excuse or another to remain at Longbourn.

  McDunn saw little of this since he was seldom included in those invitations and Darcy was not inclined to discuss such social events.

  That Jane was well on the way to being in love with Bingley was clear to Elizabeth, and she was certain it was equally clear to Bingley until she happened to mention the matter to Charlotte one afternoon where a large party had been invited.