First Impressions: A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice (Tales of Less Pride and Prejudice) (3 page)

“
Oh Mr. Bennet! Never have I had such a night! Our girls so distinguished! The entire neighborhood bore witness to their success! I always told you our girls were beautiful for a reason – it shall be the making of them, I’ve often said it. I have no doubt that the gentlemen will come courting soon and will undoubtedly be completely taken with Jane and Lizzy! Mr. Darcy is so exceedingly handsome! Oh, I just knew how it would be! Such an honor!”

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Just a moment there Mrs. Bennet,” her husband interrupted her. “Am I to understand that it is my Lizzy who has caused such excitement? Who is this Mr. Darcy and what ever became of Mr. Bingley, the cause of so much recent uproar?”

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Mr. Darcy,” his wife replied with much impatience,” is the gentleman whom Mr. Bingley brought back with him from London, of course! Along with his two sisters and the elder’s husband.”

“
I see the rumors of six ladies were quite unfounded?”

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Oh Mr. Bennet, please listen!” Mrs. Bennet pleaded, not betraying her gratification at this sorry but, nonetheless, novel display of interest from her husband in her matchmaking schemes. “Mr. Darcy is the most handsome and eligible young man fortune could have placed in our path! All distinction and elegance! He is said to have ten thousand pounds, Mr. Bennet – ten thousand a year do you hear!”

“
How could I not?” he managed nonchalantly.

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He has a magnificent estate in Derbyshire and is surely the finest gentleman in that country, wherever it is. I am sure he must be. Noble lineage too! And the only lady he partnered all night, excepting those in his own party, was our Lizzy!” She grinned triumphantly.

Mr. Bennet, not for the first time, noted his wife’s occasional resemblance to a cat, right now one who had caught a particularly meaty mouse. He was almost, but not quite, inclined to pet her. “I see how it is Mrs. Bennet – a rich man has danced with Lizzy. When he arrives to ask for her hand do show him in.”

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Yes he surely will come, mark my words. You were not there, Mr. Bennet. You did not witness the attention he bestowed on her!”

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And what of Mr. Bingley? Was he not to your liking?”

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Mr. Bingley is everything amiable. He danced twice with Jane. Twice! It was a most delightful evening! I told you how it would be Mr. Bennet – we shall have Jane settled at Netherfield and Lizzy amongst the first in the kingdom! Surely they will find admirable husbands for their sisters, perhaps even amongst the peerage!” She gasped for breath.

Despite the humor Mr. Bennet always found in his wife’s antics he remained quite capable of filtering out anything valuable from her constant effusions. While he was never inclined to become overly heated himself, he did recognize the opportunity these new acquaintances provided for his daughters. “If any deserve it, Jane and Lizzy do,” he thought with a chuckle. The notion that the troubling lack-of-an-heir dilemma could possibly be resolved so conveniently to himself as his wife prophesied was an excessively diverting notion indeed. Mr. Darcy had yet to prove himself worthy of Lizzy but, as he had already shown the good sense to single her out, Mr. Bennet would happily acknowledge that as a mark in his favor.

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When Jane and Elizabeth were alone the former, who had been cautious in her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister how very much she admired him.

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He is just what a young man ought to be,” Jane happily exclaimed, “sensible, good humored, lively!” Elizabeth could not help but laugh. Rarely had she seen Jane so nearly approach giddiness. “And what say you of Mr. Darcy?” the elder sister continued. “I believe I have never before seen such a distinguished gentleman.”

Elizabeth did not immediately answer, though well she knew that Jane could detect the train of her thoughts. Similarly, when Elizabeth did speak, Jane perfectly perceived the concern hidden behind her sister’s teasing response: “Certainly distinguished – I cannot but admit that I found his company pleasant. That is, when he actually spoke. At one point I grew quite concerned that he had suddenly gone mute between requesting my hand and leading me to the floor.”

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Oh Lizzy, you jest! Surely he was not so very quiet.”

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I assure you neither of us spoke a word throughout the majority of the dance. Please, whatever you do, do not let Mama hear of it! Her nerves surely cannot handle the shock.”

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Yet you found his company pleasant,” Jane asserted with a happy smile.

Again, Elizabeth had no ready response. Obviously Jane did not intend to be dodged on this point and, while Elizabeth did keep some secrets from her sister, they were very few. Her admiration for Mr. Darcy need not be one of them, “He is one of the handsomest men I have ever encountered.” As she leaned forward to confess this her eyes sparkled. The sisters spent the next several moments indulging in a great deal of incoherent giggling and swooning, quite in the manner of Kitty and Lydia, and far too unbefitting the dignity of both ladies to recount here. Their raptures only ceased when Elizabeth resumed a serious tone.

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I know I should not say so, and would never admit this to anyone other than yourself, but I must confess my great relief Mr. Darcy did not appear to observe the over-exuberance of our mother’s reaction to his attentions. I cannot but recognize that a man like Mr. Darcy, not only in his refinement but also his quiet nature, will be quite mortified by her response to him when they finally do interact. I make no pretension at having truly won Mr. Darcy’s favor, yet cannot help but regret the opinion he must surely form of our family after she accosts him with her expectations.”

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Our mother means well, Mr. Darcy will surely recognize that.”

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No Jane, he will not. There is not only our mother to consider. What of Kitty and Lydia? Tonight they behaved even more unseemly than usual, dancing and flirting with complete abandon. No. It was a most memorable assembly but I believe I best not allow myself to indulge in fantasy. I cannot imagine a man of Mr. Darcy’s stature marrying a dowerless young lady. What would his relations say?!”

This thought caused both ladies to entertain many melancholy reflections. Jane wondered how Mr. Bingley’s relatives would regard her as a potential wife. Already he had been perfectly amiable with Mrs. Bennet but his sisters – well, they seemed less friendly. Jane had experienced a brief but uncomfortable conversation with Miss Bingley that evening in which she was intrusively direct in her questions regarding the size and wealth of the Longbourn estate. Though she would never say so aloud, she was not what Jane could wish for in a sister.

Elizabeth saw her sister’s disquietude and made another attempt to laugh at the whims of fate rather than be daunted, “No matter what occurs, I shall not be the one to reject any overtures of friendship Mr. Darcy may extend. I believe I can bear our family’s foibles with grace and not be too mortified when he proves to be less swept off his feet than our mother believes. But on the other hand,” she grinned playfully, “in the off chance it should turn out that he is subject to such an unfortunate bout of clumsiness, perhaps I can adapt to that circumstance as well.”

“
My dear Lizzy,” Jane laughed. Both ladies fell asleep smiling, more content than uneasy.

--

At Netherfield, too, the evening was recounted with a mix of excitement and apprehension. Bingley declared that he never conceived of an angel more beautiful than Miss Bennet; never had he met with pleasanter people or prettier girls in his life. Darcy, with characteristic reserve, allowed the evening had been pleasant and the company more worthy than he had anticipated. As both men agreed that the Bennet sisters were charming, Miss Bingley found that she could no longer remain silent. She must interject. Miss Bennet she acknowledged to be a sweet girl – which her brother interpreted as leave to like her – but she could not truthfully claim to have seen any beauty in Miss Elizabeth. She began to recount a litany of flaws in far more detail than it seemed possible to compose after such a brief meeting, covering her face, which was deemed too thin, its features (decidedly unhandsome), and her complexion, which was lacking brilliancy.

Darcy listened in astonishment, taken totally aback that this woman, whom he had always at least considered well-mannered, would so blatantly reveal her pettiness and jealousy. He was amply cognizant that she had long ago “set her cap at him”, as the vulgar phrase it, and while tolerating her company for Bingley’s sake he had been cautious never to allow himself to behave in any way which might be construed as encouraging her hopes. So his conscience was clear as he mentally rebuked Miss Bingley’s ridiculous behavior. After all, what had Miss Elizabeth done but dance with him and what of significance could possibly be gleaned from that?

It was Mr. Bingley, and rightly so, who put an end to his sister’s diatribe, “Come now Caroline, she is nothing of the sort. Clearly you are out of sorts this evening. You must be exhausted from having attended an assembly right on the heels of a bumpy carriage ride, though a short one. I’m sure we all are. Perhaps we should retire for the evening?”

The company followed their host’s advice, Caroline feeling the sting of her brother’s open rebuke. She realized she had revealed far too much of her emotions and resolved to guard against such behavior again. Exposing herself to such a degree was not the best means of dealing with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, nor would it endear her to Mr. Darcy’s affections. Subtlety was called for. She would proceed with care.

Chapter 4

The ladies of Longbourn soon waited on those of Netherfield. Miss Bingley did her best to maintain an appearance of civility throughout the visit though she found the mother intolerable, the younger sisters ridiculous, and Elizabeth impertinent. Nevertheless, the visit was returned in due form, providing the Bennet ladies with their opportunity to assess Miss Bingley. She was universally deemed proud and haughty.

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I see no reason why she should put on such airs,” Lydia exclaimed. “If I were an unmarried woman at her age I believe I should shroud myself in shame.”

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As should I,” Kitty readily concurred.

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Mrs. Hurst is more than civil,” admonished Elizabeth. “If we must speak of the visit let us speak of her.”

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We must grant Miss Bingley some leeway girls,” Mrs. Bennet said, ignoring her wisest daughter. “Think of how she must feel. If Jane should marry Mr. Bingley she shall be mistress of Netherfield and Miss Bingley will feel the loss of place acutely, I am sure.”

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La Mama! Why should we care for her pains?”

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Your attitude is uncharitable Lydia. We must endeavor to care for the sufferings of all mankind,” Mary sermonized.

Lydia rolled her eyes and Kitty giggled.

In the carriage, Mrs. Hurst nodded absently in response to her sister’s declarations that only Miss Bennet, of the entire family, was to be borne. Privately, Louisa had grown quite tired of Caroline’s jealousy. Miss Elizabeth was certainly a bit of an oddity but she was perfectly ladylike. It would not be a great match for Mr. Darcy, should he actually pursue such a course, but what did that matter to her? She was thoroughly sick of Caroline’s ever more obvious attempts to engage Mr. Darcy’s attention and shamed by the increasing disdain with which they were dismissed. She was almost convinced that it might not be such a bad thing for Caroline to observe his attentiveness to another woman, even though such an occurrence would undoubtedly prolong the suffering of her own poor ears. Perhaps then her sister would finally abandon such a transparently futile pursuit.

So it was that Mrs. Hurst observed the continuation of Mr. Darcy’s attentions to Elizabeth Bennet with a degree of pleasure. Darcy himself was unsure of his feelings but took solace in two, he believed, incontestable facts: the first, that he would never do anything to compromise a lady’s reputation by giving her false hope and the second, that Mrs. Bennet (whose company, as is inevitable in a small community, he had now been repeatedly forced to endure) provided ample evidence that Miss Elizabeth, however much he admired her, would never be an acceptable wife. In spite of what Mr. Darcy perceived as the irrefutable soundness of his reasoning, to his dismay he learned that his intentions had already been completely misconstrued by several members of the community, most notably by Miss Bingley and Mrs. Bennet herself.

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Oh, Mr. Darcy! It is such a pleasure!” the latter lady exclaimed upon introduction. “I cannot tell you how I have longed to make your acquaintance, ever since you favored my dear little Lizzy with your hand at the assembly! I cannot account for how we managed to miss each other.” Darcy noticed Elizabeth look away and slightly redden. Amused, he wondered if she had somehow maneuvered his previous avoidance of this connection. “And may I say, my dear sir, that you are just as handsome and distinguished as Lizzy claimed. How much she has told us of you!”