“You are as distinguished as I knew you would be,” he declared.
Mr. Darcy received this attention with great forbearance. “I understand that you were one of those who defended my character yesterday,” he said.
“Who could have stood by and allowed such degradation of Lady Catherine’s nephew?” Mr. Collins replied. “Speaking of which, I am in a position to assure you that her ladyship was in excellent health when I took leave of her on Monday morning.”
“I am pleased to hear it,” Mr. Darcy said, but he was even more pleased when Mary came forward to detach Mr. Collins and divert his attention elsewhere. His own attention was then given to Elizabeth and being able to sit beside her at dinner formed the height of his satisfaction with the evening, especially as they did not once disagree.
The weather continued to be fine in the days before the ball. On Friday evening, there was a gathering at the Long’s home, which gave Mr. Darcy an opportunity to see for himself the loyalty which Elizabeth had described.
“If Mr. Wickham had not taken himself away, we would have packed him off ourselves,” one of the officers said.
“I understand you very nearly did,” Mr. Darcy replied. Although he did not perceive it to be necessary, he chose to share the real story of the living with them, feeling that openness was an excellent thing in friendships. They all agreed that he had been treated very badly by Mr. Wickham, who had not deserved the original generosity shown him.
For the rest of the evening, he was very content with the companionship and camaraderie which held firm. Without there being anymore foolishness on his part, he still drew laughter from his friends and they made him laugh in turn.
Bingley was in high spirits, which gave him a great source of joy. It was wonderful to see his friend so happy in the anticipation of marital bliss, and quite delightful to join in the teasing by the officers who were jokingly threatening to play some prank on his wedding day. Bingley took it all in good humour, as did Miss Bennet. Elizabeth laughingly assured the officers that they would have to deal with her revenge if they dared to do anything, and she enlisted Mr. Darcy’s support.
“You need not worry then,” Mr. Pratt said. “If Darcy has gone over to your side, we concede at once.”
Mr. Darcy could not remember that he had ever been happier than he was on this evening surrounded by good friends and laughter. The three younger Bennet sisters were not in attendance, but the knowledge of what they were doing at that moment and pride at having played a role in their accomplishments added to his deep satisfaction with life.
On Saturday, he and his friend spent a quiet day together, on Sunday they visited the Bennets after church, and on Monday Mr. Bingley’s relatives turned up. He had told his aunt to bring whomever she liked in return for helping him out, and out of a carriage which comfortably sat four emerged the lady, two unmarried daughters, a married one with her husband, and a son, all of them talking at once and none of them looking worn out by their lengthy journey. They were a boisterous group, not especially refined in their manners, but cheerful and friendly.
They were delighted to see Mr. Bingley and find that he was looking to be in excellent health. Mr. Darcy was immediately accepted and drawn into their circle, and Netherfield was much admired, both inside and out. As the proportions of the rooms and the furniture were appreciated, Mr. Darcy recalled how little pleased Miss Bingley had been with them. She had found fault with everything, but now these Bingleys enthused about the comfort and the beauty of the place and commended their cousin on having found himself an excellent situation. Dinner was a lively meal. Bingley’s aunt made it her business to catch him up on all the family news, and the others did their best to enlighten Mr. Darcy about the people to whom she referred.
There were too many of them, however, and he was soon lost in confusion over what seemed like a dozen each of aunts and uncles and at least fifty cousins. He could understand why Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst wanted to hide this connection. These were not elegant people, and the stories of various family members which they were keen to impart were not in keeping with the image that Bingley’s sisters liked to project. He could well imagine that they would not want all of London to know about the uncle who had a keen eye for a bargain, the aunt who liked to bake her own cakes, or the cousin who was married to a mere shopkeeper. These things would represent all that was disgraceful to them, but Mr. Darcy was charmed by the willingness of these cousins to impart a great variety of information without any shame or embarrassment, and the evident affection which seemed to exist between this large group of relatives.
Nothing was said which disparaged any member of the family. Achievements and accomplishments were claimed with pride, but not boasting, foibles were spoken of affectionately, and various endeavors, both business and personal, seemed to have the support and hopes of all the family behind them. It was a family dinner which Mr. Darcy never forgot, and he afterwards strove to encourage such allegiance and devotion in his own children, with the happy result that in later years he was surrounded by a circle of friends and relatives who had these traits in abundance and held them in great value.
On Tuesday morning, there was great excitement for the ball and an equal enthusiasm to help with anything that needed to be done. Even though there were plenty of servants to do all the fetching and carrying, the husband and brother were perfectly willing to assist and could not be happy until they had picked up a few things and made themselves useful. The sisters looked over the list of dishes for the supper and told Mrs. Nichols that it sounded perfectly delicious, a compliment which would never have fallen from Miss Bingley’s lips. The housekeeper went back to her domain in a very happy mood, and told the butler that Mr. Bingley’s relatives were the nicest people and she was starting to think Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst could not possibly be his real sisters.
Mrs. Bingley and her daughters afterwards walked about, examining the arrangements with admiration and approval, a contribution of vital importance since it made the servants feel valued and appreciated, as well as determined that everything would go perfectly for their gentleman and his relatives.
As the evening approached, the gentlemen had another service to offer by assisting Mr. Bingley in the making of a punch. They shared their special recipe, producing a tasty if somewhat potent concoction. There would be no shortage of good spirits that evening, Mr. Darcy thought, making a mental note to warn his three protégées to avoid the punch bowl.
CHAPTER 18
When Elizabeth entered the drawing room at Netherfield, she immediately looked about for Mr. Darcy, an action which revealed to her the depth of her feelings. She cared not who else was in the room, and in the moment of seeing him, her heart soared. Their eyes met across the room, smiles were exchanged, and she felt the certainty of being in love with him.
Before they could speak, Mr. Bingley came forward first and spent several minutes locating and introducing his relatives. Elizabeth was astonished by the remarkable difference between his sisters and these two new Miss Bingleys, who were completely unaffected in their manners and had nothing of superiority. They did laugh and talk more than they should, but she much preferred this comfortable friendliness to contrived refinement. The married sister, Mrs. Baxter, was just like them, and her husband nothing like Mr. Hurst. He and the brother were lively in appearance and conversation.
Mrs. Bingley was especially keen to meet Jane, who she pronounced to be the most beautiful girl she had ever met, and the nicest, thus earning Mrs. Bennet’s eternal friendship.
“We were so pleased to hear of his engagement at last,” the happy aunt said. “It was about time he found a wife, and he could not have chosen better.” The two of them formed an immediate bond over the subject and went off to discuss it further, leaving the young people to their conversations.
Mr. Bingley and Mr. Baxter were eager to offer themselves as dancing partners, and Elizabeth, being already engaged for the first dance with Mr. Collins, now found her ha
nd spoken for the second and third as well, so when Mr. Darcy joined the group and made the same request, he had to settle for the fourth. He did so in excellent humour, remarking that a delay in the pleasure only meant it would not be over so soon.
It was Mrs. Baxter who stood up with Mr. Darcy for the first dance, and Elizabeth could not help but envy the lady a little as he now revealed himself to be a very polished dancer. Her own partner was quite the opposite. Mr. Collins’s lack of ability was marked by confusion and disorientation, which made the first dance a trial to be endured, but like all trials, it eventually came to an end, leaving her free to enjoy the rest of the evening. This was the great advantage of having been his first choice.
Her next two partners were infinitely preferably. Both were lively and skilled in the art, and she suspected that this came from frequent practice. Their enjoyment in the activity was evident, and in the various pauses they entertained her well with amusing conversation. She also watched the other dancers, something which had not been feasible when it had been necessary to keep a constant watch upon Mr. Collins’s erratic movements. Now she saw Mary, Kitty and Lydia all dancing with grace and elegance which suggested that they had been receiving some sort of instruction.
Between the dances, Elizabeth chatted with various friends. One of these conversations was with a lieutenant who made an interesting remark. “Your sister has an exceptional understanding of the recent encounters in Portugal,” he said. “I have just finished dancing with her and was very much impressed by her knowledge of events, but to discover that she also has a comprehension of the tactics involved was remarkable.”
If she had not discovered Kitty’s book, this would have been both astonishing and incomprehensible to Elizabeth, but now she calmly nodded and said,” Yes, I believe the art of warfare is a particular interest of hers.”
“She told me she has been studying the subject recently. I was pleased to hear that she has been reading Mr. Lloyd’s book. I am a great admirer of his work.”
Elizabeth knew nothing of Mr. Lloyd, but the officer enlightened her as to some part of the author’s wisdom, and she listened attentively.
A little later, she spoke with another officer, who complimented Lydia’s excellent knowledge of the revolution in France and the subsequent history of that country.
“I understand that her French teacher is an émigré, and she has learned from hearing of his experiences. She has promised to introduce me some time.”
Elizabeth almost startled at the mention of a French teacher, but kept her composure. That explained how Lydia was learning the language, yet the information opened up new questions. How did her sister come to be taking lessons? And exactly where was she doing so? The when was obvious since Lydia walked into Meryton every day. With Kitty and Mary. Were they also taking French lessons?
“One of my uncles married an émigrée,” the officer continued. “My aunt barely escaped from France. Hers is a fascinating story, so I am keen to meet this gentleman and hear his account.”
So was Elizabeth.
Just before supper, she fell into a conversation with Captain Carter. “I had an interesting discussion with your sister Mary earlier,” he said. “Her grasp of philosophy is quite superior to my own. The subject is a hobby of mine, but I understand it is a great passion of hers. I was very impressed to learn that she has a tutor in the subject. Your father is to be commended for his enlightened attitude toward the education of women. It is a pleasure to converse with such a rational lady as your sister.”
That her father was aware of everything, Elizabeth had no doubt, but she did not think he was the man who had arranged for Mary to study philosophy. It was Mr. Darcy who had done this. She was sure of it. This must be the assistance of which he had spoken when he had admitted being involved in their secret.
After the meal, she was given further evidence of his involvement. When singing was talked of, Elizabeth had the pleasure of seeing Mary not push herself forward as she had done in the past. It was only after a particular request from Mr. Darcy that she took a seat at the pianoforte and began her song. Her improved manners were wonderful, but still, Elizabeth was in some trepidation, knowing Mary’s voice to be weak, and her manner of playing affected. This was an evening of surprises, however, and here was another.
Mary carried her voice remarkably well in a song which perfectly suited it. Her playing was immensely improved since the last time Elizabeth had heard her, which was quite a few weeks ago now that she came to think of it. She could not recall having heard her sister practice at any time since. It was incomprehensible how this change had come about, but it was glorious. Mary’s performance was skilled, even talented, and Elizabeth experienced a moment of pride. Also, she added a music teacher to the astonishing list which was growing in her mind.
Mary rose immediately afterward, declining genuine appeals to play again, in sharp contrast to her habit of imagining such appeals in the past. A few other ladies played, and then to Elizabeth’s great astonishment, Kitty and Lydia came forward. She thought her eyes must be deceiving her, but they began a very creditable duet. It was a simple song, but they had somehow learned to play and sing very prettily. This was even more remarkable than Mary’s enormous improvement. When they finished, Elizabeth applauded louder than anybody in the room.
There were many times in the past when she had been embarrassed by their behaviour, but now she was extremely proud of all of her sisters. They were a great credit to their family. Even her mother had not exposed herself this evening as she usually did. With Jane and Mr. Bingley engaged, there was no reason for her to speculate upon the match, and with Mrs. Bingley declaring to everybody that she was delighted for her nephew and enamoured of his choice, there was very little that Mrs. Bennet could add.
After the musical part of the evening concluded, there was a moment when Mr. Collins seemed to be on the verge of making a speech and humiliation threatened. He began to say that he would like to sing if he had the ability, and that he considered music very compatible with the profession of clergyman, but Kitty swiftly intervened.
“One of Miss Bingley’s cousins is a clergyman,” she said. “He sounds like an interesting person. You must come and hear all about him.” Mr. Collins was whisked away, removing any further opportunity for him to hold forth.
The dancing began again, and Mr. Darcy came to claim his partner. They talked of general things at first, in a very comfortable way, but after a time, Elizabeth introduced a particular subject.
“I have been getting some idea of my sisters’ secret and your involvement in it,” she said. “You seem to have arranged a number of lessons for them. It must have been a great effort, and at your own expense, I suspect. It was very good of you.”
“I think nothing of the expense or the effort. The reward has been great. Did you not see me smiling like anything while they were playing? I have seen their progress with pleasure and even pride. More importantly, they have found fulfillment in applying themselves and acquiring an education. One which would put Miss Bingley’s notions of an accomplished lady to shame, I have no qualms in saying. I am sure that your sisters have done more reading in the past few weeks than any of her supposedly well-read friends have ever done.”
“Much of it behind the cover of a novel,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “I suppose they will give that up now there is no need for secrecy.”
“I do believe they will. They recently mentioned a desire to let you and your elder sister in on the secret.”
CHAPTER 19
Mr. Darcy danced with Jane next, and after that with Charlotte. At the end of the dance, he drew her away from the others and asked, “May I take the liberty of giving you some advice of a very personal nature? You may think it dreadfully impertinent of me but I have a concern that you are about to make a grievous error.”
She was surprised but allowed him to speak. “I am sure you cannot be so very impertinent.”
“What I wish to advise you is n
ot to think of marrying Mr. Collins.”
She gave him a startled look. “Why do you think I would?”
“For a settled home, I presume. I saw the way you were looking at him earlier and it is a look which I have seen before, in many a drawing room or ballroom. You were wondering what chance you might have of drawing his attentions toward you instead of his cousin. I believe you are right to assume she will turn him down, but you are wrong to think that he is the solution for your situation. He will not make you happy.”
“I am not looking for happiness, but you are right. I suppose there is no point to denying it. You have perceived exactly what I was thinking, but I do not think my happiness need be dictated by my choice of husband. All I seek is a home and a reasonable provision for my future. I can find contentment in that.”
“At the cost of being continually in the company of Mr. Collins, that provision could never be considered a reasonable one. You must reconsider. The price is too high.”
“I think it a fair price. If I do not marry for love, I cannot expect companionship. Nor has Mr. Collins given any indication that he is looking for affection in a marriage. He desires a useful sort of a wife who is not accustomed to a high style of living. I suit his requirements exactly. I will make myself very useful and be completely satisfied with what he has to offer.”
“In terms of the household and other provisions I suppose you could be, but I am going to say something very blunt and I beg you not to take it offensively. It seems to me that you have not given any consideration to the marriage bed. Have you given any thought to the intimacy which must exist between man and wife? Are you certain that is something you can endure?”
“One can close one’s eyes.” Charlotte said optimistically.
“There is more involved in the intimacy of the marriage bed than what is to be seen. Closing one’s eyes may offer little comfort from repugnance. You cannot deny that Mr. Collins repulses you. I have been watching evidence of that dilemma.”
Mr. Darcy Dances: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 13