Miss Bennet & Mr Bingley (14 page)

Jane scanned the faces; she saw several that she knew but Mr Wickham was
not amongst them. ‘Lizzy, do not frown so. I am sure that he has not been
excluded deliberately. After all, he is in the militia, is he not answerable to
others? He could have been called away to attend to business matters for his
regiment.’

She could see that her sister was not convinced by this feeble
explanation, knew that she blamed Mr Darcy for Mr Wickham’s absence. She would
not think of that now, she had come to enjoy herself; but first she would talk
to her friends. This would make the wait for Charles to come and claim her for
the first dance seem less tedious.

 
* * * *

Charles watched Jane, and her sister, vanish amongst the crowd. She
looked ravishing tonight, and Elizabeth almost as beautiful. He wished that
Darcy could take more pleasure in the evening; he had not liked to press his
friend for further information about the rift between Wickham and himself. He
vaguely recalled Colonel Fitzwilliam, who shared the guardianship of Darcy’s
sister, also mentioning that young man’s name with loathing.

Wickham would be
persona non grata
at Netherfield in future. Whatever
the reasons, he was disappointed that his friend would no longer feel inclined
to mingle with the guests. He had hoped to see Darcy dancing with Jane’s
sister; whatever his friend said to the contrary, he knew that Caroline would
not be so incensed against Elizabeth Bennet if she did not see her as a rival.

He was forced to return his attention to greeting the line of people and
was puzzled, although relieved, to realize that Wickham had not been amongst
those who had arrived. In a lull he turned to Caroline. ‘I have not seen Mr
Wickham tonight? Is he not coming?’

‘Oh, I had forgot to mention it. He sent his regrets, it seems he has
been called away to London on urgent business.’

That was excellent news; as soon as he was done he would find Darcy and
tell him the good tidings.

Mr Bingley stared with dismay at
the row of guests still waiting to be greeted. He glanced towards the ballroom
but could not see his Jane amongst the swirling crowd. The orchestra were
already tuning up, no doubt they would play something or other until he was
free to open the occasion with his chosen partner.

He had no idea that Caroline had
invited so many to the event. He had left matters to her, the only party he had
been intent on inviting had been those from Longbourn and the officers. He
bowed and smiled and nodded for a further twenty minutes and then the queue had
gone. He could still hear the sound of carriage wheels on the gravel outside,
but there was no one waiting for his attention.

‘Caroline, I have done with
standing here. Anyone who arrives after this must find their own way to the
ballroom.’

‘Charles, there are still at least
ten more couples to arrive. It will look decidedly odd if you, as the host, are
not at your station to greet them.’

He grinned, unrepentant. ‘In which
case, my dear Caroline, you must make my excuses. The orchestra is ready to
play and I am ready to dance.’

He heard her sniff of disapproval
as he threaded his way through the throng and into the ballroom. He wished he
was as tall as Darcy, then he could see over the heads of his guests and
immediately locate his partner. Now, where would she stand? He remembered that
the Longbourn party had gathered near the orchestra at the Meryton assembly he
had attended.

Perhaps that would be the best
place to start his search.

Several hopeful matrons, no doubt
with marriageable daughters, attempted to intercept him but he was fixed in his
determination to find his love. He emerged on to the dance floor, and stared
down the long room. His smile widened when he saw his quarry.

He had always known that she was
the most beautiful young woman he had ever met. Tonight his opinion was doubly
confirmed. Jane stood next to Elizabeth, her head erect, her nut brown hair
piled up in a complicated arrangement. Her gown, of an unusual blue green
colour, moved around her figure like water in a pool.

Elizabeth saw him first and touched
her sister’s arm. Immediately Jane turned and the smile that lit her face made
him clumsy, almost stopping him in his tracks. He recovered swiftly and strode
towards her, bowing deeply.

‘I believe this is my dance, Miss
Bennet, allow me to lead you out.’

She rested her gloved hand on his
arm and he was the happiest man alive to have this lovely creature at his side.
The conductor waved his baton and the opening chords echoed around the room.

 
* * * *

Jane glided gracefully into the
centre of the ballroom. She curtsied and he bowed and they waited for the other
couples to make up the set. As soon as there were sufficient, the music began
in earnest. Her feet had never felt so light, the music so enchanting. She
scarcely saw the other dancers, her attention entirely on her partner.

‘Mr Bingley, your sisters have surpassed
themselves to night. I had no idea that Netherfield was so grand. We could be
in a fine house in London, not in deepest Hertfordshire.’

‘Exactly so, my dear Miss Bennet. I
believe that Hertfordshire has everything in it that a man could possibly desire.
What reason do I have to return to town?’

They were separated temporarily as
they were obliged to dance around the other couples to meet again at the far
end of the set.

‘I believe that Miss Elizabeth is
dancing with your cousin, Mr Collins.’

Jane glanced across at the adjacent
set concerned for her sister’s discomfort. ‘Oh dear! Yes, you are quite
correct, Mr Bingley. That is indeed Mr Collins. He is a most willing gentleman,
eager to please and not short of ready conversation.’ She saw Elizabeth have
her toes stepped on for the second time in as many minutes. ‘However, I do not
believe that dancing is one of his strengths. But then he
is
a
clergyman.’

He chuckled and she responded with
a smile. ‘Perhaps Miss Elizabeth will have more congenial partners later on.
She is attracting a deal of attention from the gentlemen. I am not an expert on
such things, but permit me to say that I think your ensemble tonight is
delightful.’

Jane felt herself flush. ‘Thank
you, Mr Bingley. I was not sure of the colour, it is not in the usual way, you
know. I am so glad that you approve.’

He whirled her around with such
vigour as they danced down the centre of the set that she was too breathless to
speak again for some time. The end of the first reel they stood together waiting
for those that wished to continue to rearrange themselves, and those that had
had enough, to depart the floor.

‘I do not intend to dance with
anyone else tonight, Miss Bennet. I should like our second dance to be the
supper dance, would that to be acceptable to you?’

Jane was not sure if she should
remonstrate with him or if he expected her to agree to do the same. It would be
marked by all the guests if Mr Bingley refused to dance with anyone but
herself. She raised her eyes to stare earnestly at him.

 
‘I am deeply honoured, sir, that you have
decided I should be your only partner. However, you must dance with both your
sisters and with at least one of mine or they will feel decidedly left out.
Remember you are the host- it would not do to offend your guests. ‘ For a
moment she thought he would refuse, then he nodded amiably.

‘You are correct, but do not think
that I shall enjoy it for one minute. The only lady that I wish to be with
tonight is you.’

His eyes held hers and his hand
tightened. Her heart beat so loud she was surprised he did not remark on it.

As the orchestra struck up the
second set Jane caught Elizabeth’s eye and smiled sympathetically. It must be
unpleasant to be obliged to dance twice with someone who stood on one’s toes so
frequently. Then she forgot her sister’s woes in the pleasure of her own
partner. Never had a fifteen minutes passed so quickly, of what they had
conversed she had no idea. She, without a shadow of a doubt, knew herself to be
the happiest woman in the room.

After the final curtsy and bow
Charles drew her arm through his and walked her out on to the terrace. Although
it was November the evening was surprisingly mild, the heat from the hundreds
of candles and the press of people had made the ballroom unpleasantly warm.

‘My dear Miss Bennet, do I need to
send for your wrap? Shall you catch a chill out here?’ His concern made Jane
glow.

‘No, Mr Bingley, it is a pleasure
to be outside for a few moments. I am not the delicate flower that you imagine;
it was most unusual of me to contract a cold so quickly after my drenching a
few weeks ago. I am rarely ill, you know…’ she stopped, appalled. Did he think
she was recommending herself to him as a healthy specimen? But he took what she
said without offence.

‘Then that is something else that
we have in common, Miss Bennet. I also have the constitution of an ox. I can
even tumble headlong from my horse and not break a bone. I have frequently got
wet through and never had so much as a sniffle from the experience.’

They strolled companionably
up-and-down a few moments longer. They were not alone out there as several
other couples were enjoying a respite from the dancing as well.

‘Mr Bingley, I am afraid that I
must go back inside. I believe that Mrs Bennet might become alarmed if she
discovers that I am absent from the room.’

Instantly he was apologizing for
his thoughtlessness and inconsiderate behaviour. She stopped him with a laugh.
‘You know how it is, Mr Bingley, my mother has five daughters and it is her
dearest wish to see us all happily settled. The slightest sign of partiality on
either our part, or a gentleman’s, and she is ready to believe there is an
offer coming.’ Jane intended that Mr Bingley did not think
she
was
pursuing him, whatever her mother might say.

‘I know exactly what you mean, Miss
Bennet, it would not do to give the tabbies something to gossip over.’ He
escorted her back into the noise and light and bowed low over her hand. ‘I
shall not leave you for long, Miss Bennet; I shall ask one of my sister’s to dance
and possibly one of yours as well, as you suggested, but then shall return to
your side. I shall dance again with others later on.’

Jane saw Colonel Forster
approaching to claim her for the next quadrille. ‘I am dancing the next set
with Colonel Forster and then I shall return to sit with my mother.’

‘I shall come and find you there,
my dear Miss Bennet. We can stroll around the ballroom, and make conversation
together until it is time for our second dance. Then I shall have the great
pleasure of leading you into supper.’ He paused, a worried expression upon his
face. ‘You shall join me for supper, Miss Bennet, I hope?’

Jane nodded. ‘I should be
delighted, Mr Bingley, and look forward to spending more time with you later.’

Colonel Forster was an excellent dancer,
as many of the military were, and a good friend of the family. They had
completed almost the first set when he touched on the subject of Charles and
herself. ‘Mr Bingley appears very taken with you, Miss Bennet. He is a charming
and amiable young man, and has a fortune of £100,000, I hear.’

Jane blushed painfully, this would
not do. She did not wish him to be speculating on her behalf, although
her
affections were engaged, and she had every hope that he reciprocated, nothing
had been said by either of them that indicated a lasting attachment had been
made. It would be better to stop this rumour before it reached her mother.

 
‘Colonel Forster, Mr Bingley and I have much
in common, but it is his sisters that I am friends with you know. He is a kind
gentleman, and pays me attention for his sisters’ sake, but there is nothing
more to it, I do assure you.’

He looked at her narrowly, then
nodded. ‘If you say so, my dear, but you do make a handsome couple.’

For the remainder of the dance the
conversation was on general things, the excellence of the orchestra, the
lavishness of the decorations, the excessive number of guests, and the delights
of the supper to come.

As Jane was threading her way back
to join Mrs Bennet, who was seated by Lady Lucas deep in conversation, she was
startled to see her sister Elizabeth being led on to the floor by none other
than Mr Darcy. She paused, standing a little behind one of the marble pillars,
the better to observe without herself being seen. Charlotte appeared at her
side.

‘My word, Mr Darcy and Lizzy make a
fine pair do they not?’

‘Oh no, there is nothing like
that
between them. She holds him in dislike, is constantly telling me how proud
and disagreeable he is. I am certain that he is only dancing with her because
Mr Bingley asked him to.’

Her friend was claimed by Mr
Collins and they walked off together leaving Jane alone to speculate on what
had been said. Could Charlotte be correct? She watched the couple more closely
hoping to see something that would reveal how they felt about each other. She
thought she detected admiration in his glance but she might have been mistaken.
They seemed to have little to say to each other initially and she wondered why
he had asked her if that was the case, and why Elizabeth had accepted.

Then she saw the conversation
commence, before long it had become quite animated. She smiled, it would be
better if Elizabeth let go her dislike of Mr Darcy. She stiffened as she
watched his expression change. She knew what had taken place, Elizabeth had
asked him about Wickham and he had taken offence at it. But it was not until
later that evening that she learned more.