His Good Opinion: A Mr. Darcy Novel (10 page)

She rested her chin in one hand, her gaze fixed on Darcy. "To yield readily--easily--to the
persuasion
of a friend is no merit with you."

"To yield without conviction is no compliment to the understanding of either."

"You appear to me, Mr. Darcy, to allow nothing for the influence of friendship and affection. A regard for the requester would often make one readily yield to a request without waiting for arguments to reason one into it."

Darcy opened his mouth to protest this point, but she raised a hand to forestall his words. "I am not particularly speaking of such a case as you have supposed about Mr. Bingley. We may as well wait, perhaps, till the circumstance occurs before we discuss the discretion of his behavior thereupon."

He smiled at her wisdom and her clever words, but before he could reply, she continued. "But in general and ordinary cases between friend and friend, where one of them is desired by the other to change a resolution of no very great moment, should you think ill of that person for complying with the desire, without waiting to be argued into it?"

Once again, the lady's intellect caught his attention.
How far can we take this discussion?
"Would it not be advisable, before we proceed on this subject, to arrange with rather more precision the degree of importance which is to appertain to the request, as well as the degree of intimacy subsisting between the parties?"

By the spark in Miss Bennet's eyes, he knew she was willing to carry the debate farther, but before she could, Bingley cut in. "By all means! Let us hear all the particulars, not forgetting their comparative height and size; for that will have more weight in the argument, Miss Bennet, than you may be aware of. I assure you that if Darcy were not such a great tall fellow, in comparison with myself, I should not pay him half so much deference. I declare I do not know a more awful object than Darcy, on particular occasions, and in particular places, at his own house especially, and of a Sunday evening when he has nothing to do."

Bingley had managed to turn the joke on him, and social convention demanded that he smile. Inwardly, however, he felt hurt that his friend thought so little of him that he could make him such an object of ridicule in front of their guest.
Did you not do the same to him?
his conscience asked, but the reminder did little to sooth his pride.

"Charles!" Miss Bingley reprimanded her brother. "You should not speak so of Mr. Darcy. You know he is everything that is good and kind to us, the very best of friends."

Darcy ignored her defense. "I see your design, Bingley. You dislike an argument and want to silence this."

Bingley shrugged, apology in his eyes. "Perhaps I do. Arguments are too much like disputes. If you and Miss Bennet will defer yours until I am out of the room, I shall be very thankful; and then you may say whatever you like of me."

"What you ask is no sacrifice on my side," Miss Bennet said, "and Mr. Darcy had much better finish his letter."

Elizabeth's apparent lack of interest in their conversation was more of a letdown than Darcy wished to acknowledge. However, after her statement the best he could do was return to the long forgotten letter to Georgiana. He glanced up at Miss Bennet, who had turned her attention back to her book.

He tapped his pen against the paper a few times before he dipped it back in the ink and continued:

We have met a few young ladies I think you would enjoy socializing with, however: a pair of sisters by the last name of Bennet. Miss Elizabeth in particular possesses a wit and vivacity I think you would find refreshing, especially after the stilted conversations and manners of town ladies. Since you are not likely to meet either of them, you shall have to know them through me.

He continued for a few minutes, telling Georgiana of the people in Hertfordshire and sharing some of the more humorous incidents he had witnessed, though he was careful not to mention any names. When the page was full, he signed the letter and carefully removed any excess ink with a sheet of blotting paper.

The letter then tucked away in his pocket, he sought another means of entertainment. He glanced around the room and spotted Hurst asleep beside the fire.
Preferably one that does not employ the card table.

His eyes lit on the pianoforte, and he remembered how well he had enjoyed listening to Elizabeth play at Lucas Lodge. "Miss Bingley, Miss Bennet, perhaps you would be good enough to grace us with your musical talents."

His brow tightened in a frown when Miss Bingley moved toward the instrument with unladylike haste. She recalled her manners just in time and turned to her guest with false politeness. "I would be delighted if you would entertain us first, Miss Bennet," she said, the lie patently obvious by the look on her face.

Miss Bennet's half-smile seemed to say that she felt the insult just as keenly as Darcy did, but she would not acknowledge it. "No, indeed, Miss Bingley, I am quite satisfied to be the listener this evening. Please, you go ahead."

So she truly does not care to perform.
Darcy had wondered if the attitude she showed at the Lucas party was typical for her. His admiration of her rose; Miss Bingley had bordered on bad manners in first her eagerness to perform and then the obvious afterthought with which she offered the instrument to her guest, but Miss Bennet was gracious enough to ignore both slights.

He listened to Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst play and sing with half an ear, but his attention was focused on Miss Bennet as she strolled the room, eventually walking up to the pianoforte and perusing the music lying on top of it. She swayed slightly to the song, and he was struck by the impulse to dance with her.

He approached her and said, "Do not you feel a great inclination, Miss Bennet, to seize such an opportunity of dancing a reel?" He waited a minute for her answer, sure of what it would be. Though she smiled, she remained silent. Finally, he repeated his request, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice.
I had thought all young ladies ready to dance when asked.

Elizabeth set her music down and looked at him, her eyes lit with mischief. "Oh! I heard you before; but I cannot immediately determine what to say in reply. You wanted me, I know, to say 'Yes,' that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kinds of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. I have, therefore, made up my mind to tell you that I do not want to dance a reel at all--and now despise me if you dare."

Her words elicited a smile from him. "Indeed, I do not dare," he promised her, taking pleasure in the bemusement he saw in her own eyes. Miss Elizabeth Bennet evidently took great pleasure in a sort of verbal sparring and had expected him to offer a parry in answer to her riposte. However, there was something about her manner that drew him in, rather than upsetting or unsettling him.
Were it not for the inferiority of her connections, I would be in some danger of falling in love,
he realized with surprise.

The next afternoon, Darcy tried to take a solitary walk. He was not used to being so constantly in the company of others, and he greatly desired time to himself. Though the Netherfield library might be lacking, its gardens certainly were not. Here, among the twisting paths and walkways, Darcy was able to lose himself for a time. Surrounded by peace and quiet, he took a few deep breaths and finally began to relax.

However, just as he started to contemplate his rather unexpected response to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, his privacy was most unwelcomingly interrupted when Miss Bingley joined him from one of the side garden paths.

"Mr. Darcy! Why, I never expected to see you out walking on such a day as this."

Her lips curled into a coy smile, and Darcy knew she lied. The only thing which could persuade Miss Bingley to leave the comfort of her private sitting room was the company of a gentleman, and he realized with a start that her attentions to him were becoming quite marked.

"Miss Bingley," he said with the utmost civility, "I must tell you, you have not found me at the best of moments. I have several things on my mind and will not be a very good companion."

She took his arm and he went cold at her touch. "I can only imagine what things must be occupying your thoughts at present, Mr. Darcy. Why, your impending marriage into the Bennet family is of great interest even to myself, and I am not a concerned party." Miss Bingley walked farther down the path, and as she had possession of his arm, Darcy had no choice but to join her.

"I am afraid I do not follow."

"Oh, I do not mean that I am not interested in your future happiness!" cried she. "On the contrary, it is a subject which I have given much thought, and I have a few suggestions if I may."

There did not seem to be a polite way to avoid further conversation, so he bowed his head in acquiescence.

Miss Bingley's face took on the expression of a governess scolding a naughty child. It was completely out of place with her flirtatious tone of voice, and Darcy nearly laughed at the odd pairing. "I hope you will give your mother-in-law a few hints, when this desirable event takes place, as to the advantage of her holding her tongue; and if you can compass it, do cure the younger girls of running after the officers. And, if I may mention so delicate a subject, endeavor to check that little something bordering on conceit and impertinence, which your lady possesses."

Perhaps if Miss Bingley had not added this last about Elizabeth, her words would have landed on fertile ground. Instead, Darcy experienced a mad desire to discount everything she had said and do the opposite of what she wished. "Have you anything else to propose for my domestic felicity?" he asked, keeping his tone disinterested.

She tilted her head in consideration, a gesture he knew was designed to draw his gaze to the graceful curve of her neck. "Oh yes!" She squeezed his arm and Darcy fought the urge to shake her off. "Do let the portraits of your Uncle and Aunt Phillips be placed in the gallery at Pemberley. Put them next to your great uncle, the judge. They are in the same profession, you know, only in different lines. As for your Elizabeth's picture, you must not attempt to have it taken, for what painter could do justice to those beautiful eyes?"

His own indignation finally rose to the surface, and he expressed it in a manner he knew would most upset his partner. "It would not be easy, indeed, to catch their expression." He had not intended to say anything else, but once he began, he found he could not stop. "But their color and shape, and the eyelashes, so remarkably fine, might be copied." Miss Bingley blushed in vexation and her step faltered, and he took great pleasure in knowing that his words had upset her.

It was perhaps to his advantage that they were at that moment joined by the young lady in question, who was walking with Mrs. Hurst. There was much Darcy could have said in general approbation of Miss Elizabeth that he might have regretted sharing with anyone, especially Miss Bingley.

"I did not know that you intended to walk," Miss Bingley said, and Darcy
noted
in her tone a general unease that Miss Elizabeth might have
perceived
some of their conversation. He had the benefit of being able to read Elizabeth's expression well enough to know that she had not, so he was comfortable in the knowledge that she had not heard his praise of her, nor Miss Bingley's censure of her family.

Mrs. Hurst pouted. "You used us abominably ill," she answered her sister, "in running off without telling us that you were coming out."

Then, before Darcy could object, Mrs. Hurst took the arm that Miss Bingley was not holding, leaving them to walk three abreast on the path, with no room for Miss Elizabeth to join them. He instantly saw the insult of their behavior and was ashamed of them, on Bingley's behalf. "This walk is not wide enough for our party," said he. "We had better go into the avenue."

But it seemed Miss Elizabeth was unable to be offended. Instead of encouraging such an action, she laughed and said, "No, no; stay where you are. You are charmingly grouped, and appear to uncommon advantage. The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth. Goodbye."

Darcy's gaze followed her down the path until she was out of sight, and when his companions again began their idle chatter, he wished mightily that he had been able to join her instead.

Darcy was still thinking of Elizabeth's calm, easy manner a few hours later when the dinner hour was announced. When he entered the dining room, he was surprised to find the eldest Miss Bennet had joined them. At the general exclamations of the party, she smiled and said that she felt much better.

Darcy noticed with some displeasure that Bingley could not keep his eyes off Jane Bennet, and later when the ladies had withdrawn and the gentlemen were enjoying their port, Bingley continually glanced at the clock. After the tenth time, his face broke into a broad smile, and he said, "Ah, I believe it is time we rejoin the ladies, gentlemen!"

Bingley led the way to the drawing room, and Darcy frowned at his back.
His attentions are becoming quite decided.

However, Darcy could not keep his friend away from Miss Bennet, because Miss Bingley sidled up to him as soon as they entered the drawing room.
Her manners are nearly as bold as those of the younger Bennet sisters.