Page 7 of Fitzwilliam Darcy Undone
“Lizzy, are you well?”
Charlotte touched her arm in concern. She pulled herself back into the conversation with great difficulty. Her sister and best friend must never know what she’d been thinking.
“I’m very well. I was contemplating how the party from Netherfield were quite full of their own importance.”
“Not Mr. Bingley.” Jane defended the young man.
“Yes, Jane, your Mr. Bingley was very amiable. I refer, for the most part, to his sisters and Mr. Darcy.”
“Thankfully, his cousin made up for his bad manners.” Charlotte said, almost as a sigh.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam did set many hearts to fluttering.” Elizabeth sent up a silent prayer that her redirection had worked. “Even Mary danced with him and she is usually rooted to a far wall, not willing to venture from the relative safety of obscurity.”
“I don’t believe I saw Mr. Darcy’s cousin.”
Both Lizzy and Charlotte turned to look at Jane, their mouths agape.
“What?” Wide-eyed, she returned their stare.
“How could you not notice the most handsome man I’d ever seen in my life?” Charlotte blurted out.
“He wasn’t that handsome−” Lizzy started to say.
“Not handsome? Were we in the same ballroom, Lizzy Bennet?”
“Well... I... Yes, we were.”
“And did you not look upon him with your own two eyes?”
“Yes,” she answered pertly. Lack of sleep had her losing whatever tenuous control she had on her temper. “But I did not find him handsome.”
“Are you girls talking about the gentlemen from Netherfield?” Mama called from her side of the room.
“We were talking about the ball in general, Mama,” Lizzy said in a half-hearted attempt to belay their mother’s rambling about five thousand a year and Charlotte’s obsession with the genial Colonel Fitzwilliam.
“You began the evening well, Charlotte. You were Mr. Bingley’s first choice.”
“Yes – but he seemed to like his second better.” Charlotte gave Jane a little smile. In turn, Jane blushed a lovely shade of pink.
“Oh – you mean Jane, I suppose – because he danced with her twice.”
Lizzy rolled her eyes heavenward. There would be no stopping their mother now.
“No doubt Mrs. Bennet.” Lady Lucas said. “I overheard Mrs. Robinson ask him how he liked our little assembly and did he not think there were a great many pretty women in the room, and which he thought the prettiest.”
“How did he answer?” Mama almost sat on the edge of her chair in excitement.
“Oh! – the eldest Miss Bennet, beyond a doubt, there cannot be two opinions on that point.”
“I knew Jane could not be so beautiful for nothing!” Mama eased back into her chair with great satisfaction. “Upon my word, that was very well done, although the bird is not in the cage just yet. But he’s tempted, my dear friend. He’s tempted.”
“I must say, his friend left much to be desired by way of gentlemanly behavior.” Lady Lucas cast a quick glance at Lizzy. “He stood with only those from his own party and barely spoke to anyone else.”
“He did speak with Lizzy, although he didn’t ask her to dance.” Charlotte offered.
“After what he said about my daughter...” Mama pursed her lips in anger. “Elizabeth, I give you leave to never dance with Mr. Darcy.”
“I believe, Ma’am, I may safely promise you to never dance with him.”
