Darcy in Want of a Wife

Chapter 19

Lowry House

Half an Hour Later

Fitzwilliam Darcy nodded his thanks to the footman who took his cane and hat and stepped into the wide foyer of Trowbridge House. He had attended a dinner near Hyde Park earlier, where he had been seated next to Miss Teresa Curtis, one of the ladies whom he was investigating as a possible bride. He was now tired and a little irritable, along with being discouraged. Miss Curtis was, indeed, quite like Miss Bennet in looks, but she had none of Miss Bennet’s sparkle and charm and intelligence.

“Good evening, sir,” the butler said, stepping forward. “May I guide you to the ball room?”

“I can make my way, thank you,” Darcy replied, and strode gloomily down the hall toward the music. It would, as usual, be a crush, filled with far too many people, most with no interesting conversation. But he understood that Miss Storey and Lady Audrey Galpin were likely in attendance, and he needed to take opportunities to spend time with both ladies.

The congestion was even worse than he had anticipated, and he nearly turned tail and ran away. He had attended one dinner tonight – was that not enough? But no, he was determined to march forward in his grim search for a wife. As attractive as his library was on a cool spring evening, he would dance and talk with his prospective brides this evening.

He was taller than most of the men in the crowd and all of the women, and thus it only took a few minutes for him to spy Miss Storey, who was seated on a chair against the wall. Darcy made his deliberate way toward the lady, even as he relished the cool breeze from the open doors out to the veranda. It was a cold night, but with so many candles lit and so many ladies and gentlemen in attendance, the zephyr was welcome.

Miss Storey was talking to a woman who looked, from the back, like Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn. Darcy found his heart beating quickly at the sight and sternly ordered that foolish organ to calm. Miss Bennet was in Hertfordshire where she belonged, and he had a task to complete.

Miss Storey’s countenance was intent, and when Darcy halted a few feet away from her, it took the lady a full thirty seconds to look up at him. She looked startled and then rose to her feet. “Mr. Darcy!”

He bowed as Miss Storey’s companion stood up as well, and his brain immediately froze.

It was the face which had been haunting his dreams all these many weeks, and his breath caught in his lungs.

“Mr. Darcy,” Miss Storey said with a smile. “May I please introduce you to my friend, Miss Bennet?”

“Mr. Darcy and I are already acquainted,” Elizabeth said. “Good evening, Mr. Darcy.”

He stood like an idiot for a full ten seconds until the look of consternation on her face shook him from his reverie.

“Miss Bennet!” he said with more warmth than was usual. “I had no idea that you were in London!”

“My sister Jane and brother-in-law Charles were kind enough to invite me to spend a few weeks here,” she replied, her brow a trifle knit. He cursed himself inwardly; he might not be able to marry Miss Bennet, but he admired her greatly, and to be so awkward in her company … well, the truth was that he often was awkward in her company.

“Where did you and Mr. Darcy meet?” Miss Storey asked, much to Darcy’s relief, as it gave him a few moments to recover his equanimity.

“Mr. Darcy and I met in Hertfordshire; he was a guest of my sister Jane’s husband, Mr. Bingley.”

“How delightful!” Miss Storey declared. At this moment, a young gentleman of Darcy’s acquaintance approached and, after a brief bow toward Darcy, said, “Miss Bennet, I believe it is time for our dance.”

“Thank you, Mr. Reginald,” she replied and allowed herself to be escorted onto the dance floor.

Darcy watched her leave, his eyes fixed on her graceful form, clothed as it was in an elegant green gown which showed off her white shoulders and delightful figure.

“A wonderful young lady, is she not?” Miss Storey inquired, and he turned to find the lady gazing at him curiously.

“Erm, yes, a very pleasant young woman, yes,” he agreed, and then, using every iota of self control, he said, “Miss Storey, might I have the honor of a dance this evening?”

“I have this dance free,” she replied, inclining her head.

He held out his arm toward her, and together they made their way onto the dance floor. The ensuing dance was agonizing; it behooved him as a gentleman, and especially a gentleman in search of a wife, to converse with his partner, and even smile at his partner, even as most of his mind and heart were reeling from the close proximity of the only lady who had ever touched his heart.

To his profound relief, Miss Storey did not seem to require much in the way of conversation, and he thought he performed reasonably well, both with his dancing and his few sentences, though it took considerable self-control to keep from seeking out Miss Bennet’s dark hair and fine eyes as the couple proceeded up and down the lines.

When the half hour was mercifully over, there were new horrors to face. He must, by honor, offer to fetch a beverage for his partner. Miss Storey, who was flushed after the vigorous dancing, requested lemonade, and informed Darcy where she would be sitting. Once Darcy had waited patiently in line, and obtained the requisite lemonade, and rejoined Miss Storey, he found her happily ensconced in a lively conversation with Miss Bennet, Mrs. Bingley, and Lady Audrey Galpin. The latter, yet another lady on his list of possible marriage prospects, was chattering eagerly with Miss Bennet on the subject of the Peninsular War. When she spied Mr. Darcy, she turned a vague smile on him and rose to her feet. “Mr. Darcy, good evening.”

“Good evening,” Darcy replied, and in spite of himself, found himself glancing hastily at Miss Bennet, who had turned to say a few words to her elder sister.

“Lady Audrey,” he continued, forcing himself to attend to the lady in front of him, “do you have any dances available this evening?”

“Most regrettably, I do not,” the lady replied.

“That is my loss,” he said with a bow, and then turned toward Miss Bennet, who was now looking up at him inquisitively. “Miss Bennet, do you have more dances this evening?”

“My last dance has not yet been taken, Mr. Darcy,” she replied.

“Might I have the honor of that dance, then?”

“Of course,” Elizabeth replied.

/

Later

It was late, and ordinarily Darcy would have departed at least an hour previously, as he disliked extremely late nights. But tonight, he was prey to a mixture of guilt and excitement. Guilt, because he really ought not dance with Miss Bennet. It was not fair to the lady to give her any hopes of capturing him as a husband. But he had not seen her in some weeks, and he had endured a wearying number of irritating events of late, and he could not help but allow himself the pleasure of half an hour in her scintillating presence.

The Boulanger was a vigorous dance, and thus Darcy did not converse as Miss Bennet and he twirled around and around to the lively strains of music. He was conscious, once again, of a strange exhilaration in his very soul. Miss Bennet, while an excellent dancer, was no better than the many other ladies present at the ball. She was not the most beautiful, and her manners were playful in ways that were considered rather unfashionable. And yet, she drew him in a fashion that he could not understand and had certainly never felt before.

When the dance ended, he reluctantly escorted her off the dance floor and asked, as honor bound, “Miss Bennet, might I fetch you a glass of lemonade?”

She shook her head, her eyes dancing in her inimitable way, and said, “Indeed, sir, if I have any more lemonade, I fear I will turn into a lemon. Might you escort me to my sister and Charles? I see them over in that corner.”

Darcy did so with alacrity, and after greeting the Bingleys, whom he had not seen since their wedding, asked their current address. Bingley supplied it with pleasure, and Darcy said that he would, with their permission, call on them soon.

This was, of course, given, and after making his farewells, Darcy departed the house.

He was glad that he was alone in his carriage. He had danced with Miss Storey and spoken a few words with Lady Audrey, and yet all he could think of was of the fine eyes, handsome countenance, and tantalizing speech of Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn.