Section I, Next Section

Chapter 1

All of the Bennet sisters, except Mary, along with their cousin, Mr. Collins, had just made the acquaintance of Mr. Wickham on the street in Meryton and the whole party were still standing and talking together very agreeably when the sound of horses drew their notice, and Darcy and Bingley were seen riding down the street. On distinguishing the ladies of the group, the two gentlemen came directly towards them, and began the usual civilities. Bingley was the principal spokesman, and Miss Bennet his principal object. He was then, he said, on his way to Longbourn on purpose to inquire after her. Mr. Darcy corroborated it with a bow, and was beginning to determine not to fix his eyes on Elizabeth when they were suddenly arrested by the sight of the stranger, and Elizabeth happening to see the countenance of both was all astonishment at the effect of the meeting. A look of recognition crossed both their faces and Mr. Darcy immediately dismounted and approached Mr. Wickham with outstretched hand and a good natured smile. Mr. Wickham clasped Mr. Darcy's hand and shook it vigorously while Darcy was saying, "Wickham, my friend, I had no idea that you were to be in this part of the country."

"Yes, I have recently joined Colonel Forster's regiment. I just came down from town yesterday. I did not know Bingley's estate was near Meryton."

"Indeed, it is but two miles from here," replied Darcy.

With that Wickham turned to Bingley, who had followed his friend's lead and dismounted from his horse as well, and the two exchanged a friendly greeting. Darcy greeted the rest of the ladies and was introduced to Mr. Collins by Jane. Elizabeth was amazed at Mr. Darcy's behavior towards Mr. Wickham. She had never seen him so friendly and unrestrained. She had never seen him behave with such warmth and openness, not even to Mr. Bingley. She had never witnessed such an absence of arrogance in his countenance. Elizabeth guessed Mr. Wickham must be the second or third son of some very wealthy, well connected family of Mr. Darcy's acquaintance. But their greeting demonstrated more than a mere acquaintance, they were obviously on very intimate terms.

When Darcy finally turned to greet Elizabeth after listening for several minutes to Mr. Collins, she said, "you and Mr. Wickham obviously know each other well, Mr. Darcy, it is a small world is it not?"

"Indeed it is Miss Bennet," he replied.

"My friend Denny has only just now introduced me to the Miss Bennets, Darcy," said Wickham, "I dare say I shall be very pleased with the society around Meryton during my stay here. And how do you find Hertfordshire so far?"

"It is a fine country."

"You know I care not about the country Darcy," continued Wickham jovially, "how do you find the society?" Elizabeth was anxious to hear Mr. Darcy's response as he had thus far been very disagreeable towards everyone in the neighborhood.

"I have not had much opportunity to get to know Bingley's neighbors very well, but from what I have seen most of them seem to be very agreeable."

The entire party walked with the young ladies and their cousin to the door of Mr. Phillips' house, where they all took leave of each other. The gentlemen would not be persuaded to come inside even in spite of Mrs. Phillips' throwing open the parlour window and seconding the invitation that had been made by Lydia. Mrs. Phillips did promise however, in response to Lydia's request, to invite Mr. Wickham to dine there the following evening with some of his fellow officers who were already engaged to do so.

The following evening, the girls were pleased to learn, upon arriving at their uncle's house, that Mr. Wickham had accepted the invitation. It was during a game of lottery tickets after dinner that Elizabeth had an opportunity to have some conversation with Mr. Wickham and her curiosity regarding his relationship with Darcy was relieved.

"It must be very pleasing," began she, "to find that you have friends residing so close by in a neighborhood where you undoubtedly expected to be surrounded by strangers."

"Yes, indeed, I was very happy to find Darcy staying so near, although I confess I am not very well acquainted with his friend Mr. Bingley. I knew something of Darcy's plans to travel to Mr. Bingley's estate for a time, but I did not know the location. Mr. Bingley invited me to go shooting with them tomorrow at Netherfield. I will be happy for a chance to catch up with my old friend. I have not seen him in quite some time. How long has he been in the neighborhood?"

"About a month, but little is known about him other than that he has a very large property in Derbyshire."

"Yes," replied Wickham, "his estate there is a noble one. A clear ten thousand per annum. You could not have met with a person more capable of giving you certain information on that head than myself, for I have been connected with his family in a particular manner from my infancy. I am not surprised little is known of him, he tends to be very reserved by nature, it is one of my favorite subjects on which to tease him."

"I can not imagine that he would take very well to being teased."

"No, in general he does not, but someone like myself who has been raised with him almost as a brother, can venture to take some liberties whether or not he is inclined to allow them. He has always had a very severe countenance and I have taken it upon myself to lighten his mood whenever I can. I dare say that many are frightened by his high and imposing manners, but in spite of this I can assure you that he is the best of men."

"I confess that I am surprised to hear such a fine account of him. I am sorry to say that your friend is not well liked in Hertfordshire. He is found to be proud and disagreeable by almost everyone. He barely speaks to anyone when in company. For myself, I have spent four days in the same house with him and find him very disagreeable."

"I am sorry to hear it. I know that he tends to keep to himself and I cannot deny that he is proud, but he comes from a well respected and well connected family, and has good reason to be so. His father, in particular, was an excellent and benevolent man."

"You said that you were raised together, is your family's estate near his in Derbyshire? Were you neighbors?"

Wickham chuckled lightly. "No indeed madame, my family has no estate. My father was steward to the late Mr. Darcy." He noticed a look of surprise cross Elizabeth's features, and continued, "I was raised at Pemberley. Darcy and I played together as boys. We were born in the same parish, within the same park; the greatest part of our youth was passed together; inmates of the same house, sharing the same amusements, objects of the same parental care. His father was my godfather and was kind enough to provide me a gentleman's education. Darcy and I went to Cambridge together and maintained our close relationship throughout our time there. Soon after the completion of our educations, our fathers died within six months of each other. It was yet another one of life's trying times that we experienced together. Old Mr. Darcy's kindness to me extended beyond his own life and he made a generous provision for me in his will. I have been fortunate in my association with such a family, who have been not only benevolent in their financial support of me, due, I am sure, to my father's excellent service to them, but in their admittance of myself into their family circle and their treatment of me as one of their own. Darcy's kindness and attentions towards me have been more than I deserve, being merely the son of his father's steward; but we are both keenly aware of the strong friendship and trust that existed between our fathers, and our own friendship is, I dare say, equal to what they both had always hoped it would be. It is true that old Mr. Darcy often declared my father's services to be invaluable to him and that he esteemed my father as an intimate friend and confidante. Mr. Darcy had often acknowledged himself to be under the greatest of obligations to my father's active superintendence of the Pemberley estates. Prior to my father's death Mr. Darcy gave him a voluntary promise of providing for me; a promise, which I believe was made out of both a feeling that he owed a debt of gratitude to my father and his affection for myself."

Elizabeth grew more and more astonished as she listened to Mr. Wickham's tale. That the proud and haughty Mr. Darcy could treat with such warmth and generosity a man so much beneath him surprised her greatly. She recalled the interaction between the two that she had witnessed the previous day. Darcy had approached Wickham as a friend, as an equal, with no air of superiority in his countenance; yet Wickham was the son of his own father's steward and was indebted to the generosity of Darcy's family for his independence and comfort. She reflected with even greater astonishment that this man who was so imposing and severe would allow himself to be teased by someone so inferior to himself as Mr. Wickham.

"I can scarcely believe your account of Mr. Darcy, I have seen nothing of his character as you describe it," she finally said.

"I can assure you that your opinion of him would in general astonish, for he is widely respected as a man of good character. But I have not told you everything of his generosity towards myself. I am, in fact, indebted to him for my current situation. It was he who purchased my commission in Colonel Forster's regiment."

"Indeed?"

"It was his father's wish that I enter into the church as my profession, and in his will, in addition to a generous cash bequest, he requested that a valuable family living be given to me as soon as one was vacant, if I were to take orders. Darcy knew that I had always intended to make my living in the military, even before his father's death and generous legacy to me. He was well enough acquainted with my disposition to know that the retiring lifestyle of a clergyman was not what I desired and that I wished for the more active employment and the opportunity to travel offered by a military life. I told him, however, that I would take orders to honor his father's desires, but he would hear nothing of it. Instead, he insisted on amending the bequest and converted the living into an increase in the cash legacy his father had left me accompanied by a resolution to assist me as much as possible in my chosen profession. Although old Mr. Darcy clearly had the church in mind when he requested that his son should promote my advancement in the best manner that my profession might allow, Darcy has kindly undertaken to honor his father's wishes with respect to my career in the military instead. Although the monetary bequest I received from old Mr. Darcy, as augmented by his son, was extremely generous, and sufficient to maintain myself in a comfortable and independent lifestyle, I have elected to enter the militia nevertheless in the hope of increasing my fortune so that the advantage to myself occasioned by the generosity with which I have been bestowed can be extended to any children I may have in the future."

"I am all astonishment, Mr. Wickham. I never imagined Mr. Darcy to be as amiable and generous as you have described."

"His amiability and generosity are not limited to myself Miss Bennet. He is revered by all within the power of his influence, not only for his liberality, but for his kind and attentive nature. He is a most caring and considerate brother to his sister, Georgiana, who has been in his guardianship since the death of his father. He is also an excellent landlord and master to all his tenants and servants, as was his father. You will find no one spoken of more highly in all of Derbyshire I am certain."

"You certainly have many good things to say of him."

"I was an only child, and so was he for many years. I look upon him as a brother, and I am keenly aware of the extent of his kindness to myself. I can do little for him in return, other than speak highly of him, which I do whenever I can. In this particular case I am even more eager to speak well of my friend because you have expressed an adverse opinion of his character. I hope that my information has served to improve your estimation of him."

"Indeed Mr. Wickham, you have shed a whole new light on his character for me," replied Elizabeth.

Just then something Mr. Collins said gave Wickham to understand the identity of his patroness and Mr. Wickham said, "you know of course that Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Lady Anne Darcy were sisters; consequently that she is aunt to the present Mr. Darcy."

"No, indeed, I did not," replied Elizabeth, "I knew nothing at all of Lady Catherine's connections. I never heard of her existence till the day before yesterday."

"Her daughter, Miss de Bourgh, will have a very large fortune, and it is believed, at least by Lady Catherine, that she and her cousin will unite the two estates. I have also heard that Lady Anne Darcy hoped for a match between her son and Miss de Bourgh as well, but I have never spoken of the subject to him."

This information made Elizabeth smile, as she thought of poor Miss Bingley. Vain indeed must be all her attentions, vain and useless her affection for his sister and her praise of himself, if he were already self-destined to another.

"Mr. Collins," said she, "speaks very highly both of Lady Catherine and her daughter; but from some particulars that he has related of her ladyship, I suspect his gratitude misleads him, and that in spite of her being his patroness, she is an arrogant, conceited woman."

"I believe her to be both in a great degree," replied Wickham, "I have not seen her for many years, but I very well remember that I never liked her, and that her manners were dictatorial and insolent. She has the reputation of being remarkably sensible and clever; but I rather believe she derives part of her abilities from her rank and fortune, part from her authoritative manner, and the rest from pride in her family and connections."

Elizabeth allowed that he had given a very rational account of it, and they continued talking together, with mutual satisfaction till supper put an end to cards, and gave the rest of the ladies their share of Mr. Wickham's attentions. There could be no conversation in the noise of Mrs. Phillips' supper party, but his manners recommended him to everybody. Whatever he said, was said well; and whatever he did, done gracefully. Elizabeth went away with her head full of him. She could think of nothing but Mr. Wickham, and what he had told her, all the way home.

She reflected on what his words revealed not only of Mr. Darcy's character, but of his own. She now acknowledged that the former was indeed a man of excellent character and considered how unfortunate it was that his manners should be so contrary to his true nature. Of the latter, she was truly impressed by his humility and his awareness of his own good fortune. He accepted his own rank as occasioned by his birth and was grateful for the opportunity of advancement afforded by his connection to the Darcy family. He recognized the value of his father's having provided his services to that family in such a way as to forge an intimate friendship with the former Mr. Darcy.

It occurred to Elizabeth that having been raised in such a way, so closely with the child of a family of such means and importance that Mr. Wickham might have grown to be envious or resentful of his childhood companion. Instead, he was all humility and gratitude and she gave him credit for his ability to maintain his friendship with Mr. Darcy without losing respect for the disparity in their positions. She reflected with amusement that humility and gratitude were also the foremost sentiments expressed by Mr. Collins; but how different were Mr. Wickham's expressions of those same sentiments. He lacked all of the pompous self-importance underlying Mr. Collins' expression. Mr. Wickham was sincere and modest in his expression, conveying true appreciation without being obsequious.

Likewise, she thought that Mr. Darcy might easily have become jealous of so strong an attachment between his own father and another, and one who was only the son of a servant. The quality of their current good relationship she credited equally to both men.

Elizabeth then turned her thoughts to how different Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy were in both countenance and manners. She could comprehend that Darcy was a man of good character and would obey his father's wishes in providing for Mr. Wickham, but she was baffled by the steady and affectionate friendship that existed between two gentlemen so different in disposition; a friendship which extended well beyond Darcy's obligation to his father's wishes and must have been formed based on their own experiences together since infancy.

Chapter 2

The following day, Mr. Wickham arrived at Netherfield in time for an early breakfast with the gentlemen of the house, followed by a morning of shooting. When they returned home, Mr. Bingley went out with his sisters to call upon some of their neighbors and invite them, personally, to a ball he was planning for the following Tuesday. While waiting with the other gentlemen for his sisters to ready themselves, Bingley was speaking at length of all the qualities possessed by Miss Bennet, and his joy at the prospect of seeing her at Longbourn within the hour. Wickham was amused by Bingley's evident admiration of the young lady, but he noticed that Darcy's expression remained serious. Once Bingley and his sisters had gone, Mr. Hurst also quitted the room in search of some amusement. Wickham took this opportunity to comment on Bingley's choice of subject, "your friend seems to be quite taken with the charms of the lovely Miss Bennet."

"It is quite obvious that he admires her, but I have seen him in love many times, I am sure his attachment to Miss Bennet is no more serious than the others have been."

"I will allow that you must know your friend better than I do, but I will not scruple to disagree with you nevertheless based solely on what I have seen so far. Between his attentions to her at their meeting the day before yesterday and the way I have heard him speak of her today, I would venture to say that he is very seriously attached. But I will reserve my judgment until I have seen them together."

"If you are correct, then I fear he will be disappointed, or worse yet, ill used, for I am certain that she does not return his affection."

"Yes, and when we were seven you were certain that I could not climb to the top of the oak tree at the edge of the west garden at Pemberley. And when we were twelve you were certain that you could defeat your father on the chess board. And when we were eighteen, you were certain that Miss Emily Palmer would not dance with you at the Pemberley Christmas ball if you were to ask her."

"Enough!" cried Darcy smiling at the memories conjured up by his friend's speech.

"But you were proven wrong in each of those instances, yet you have not learned to have doubt in your certainties?"

"I have also been right about many things."

"How often have you been right about the contents of a woman's heart?"

"I have seldom had occasion to be right or wrong about such a subject as I do not tend to speculate on such matters often."

"And how attentive have you been to this Miss Bennet's reaction to your friend's attentions?"

Mr. Darcy reflected on the fact that his mind was usually more agreeably engaged in contemplating her sister whenever he was in company with Miss Bennet. He smiled and replied, "very little, I confess. But I will have the opportunity to observe her closely at the upcoming ball."

"And so shall I. Undoubtedly between the two of us we can be of invaluable service to your friend. But surely you do not presume that your observations over the course of one evening, even coupled with mine, could be more reliable than your friend's impression over a month's close interaction with the lady in question. Do you not think he would be the best person to determine whether she returns his affections?"

"Perhaps, but Bingley has a stronger dependence on my judgment than his own. He will listen and give credit to my opinion."

"If that be the case, you ought to encourage him to rely on his own judgment, but if he is determined to rely upon yours, you should take care that yours is correct."

"I believe that my opinion in this case will prove to be correct, and although Bingley will be disappointed, I cannot say that I would be unhappy about it."

"What manner of friendship is this, that you would wish Mr. Bingley's love to be unrequited?"

"It is in the name of friendship that I worry about his choice. She is unsuitable for him."

"Unsuitable? In what way? She is lovely, well-mannered, intelligent, and perfectly amiable. From what I have seen, they seem to be very well suited to each other in disposition."

"It is not her person that is unsuitable, but her situation. She has no fortune and very low connections."

"But if those considerations are of less importance to Mr. Bingley than the felicity he would receive from a union with a woman well suited to him in temper and disposition, then why would you object to the match?"

"Indeed, her want of connection and fortune can not be so great an evil as the total want of propriety so frequently, so almost uniformly betrayed by her mother, her three youngest sisters and occasionally even her father. You have spent little time with the daughters of the family and have yet to meet their parents. When you do, I dare say you will agree with me."

"I know there is some merit in what you say from what I have seen of the younger Miss Bennets last evening and the day before. Indeed, the two youngest were quite shameless in their flirtation with the officers and their behavior bordered continually on the line of propriety. Thus, I can understand your concern given your conviction that Miss Bennet does not love Mr. Bingley. Certainly it cannot be desirable for him to connect himself with such a family, if they are indeed as bad as you describe, and if her motivations are solely mercenary. But you must concede that if he loves her, as I suggest, and if she loves him in return that the happiness to be obtained from such a union would make it worthwhile to suffer any ill consequences occasioned by the circumstances giving rise to your objections."

"I will concede to that, but I maintain both my doubts as to the strength of his affection and my certainty as to her indifference."

"And if you can be satisfied that you are wrong on both counts?"

"Then I will wish him well in making his addresses to her."

"Very good. Now I must confess that although I found Miss Bennet to be quite lovely, I spent a good part of the evening yesterday enjoying the charms of her sister, Miss Elizabeth, who I believe you excluded from your censure of the rest of her family." Wickham was surprised to notice Darcy start ever so slightly at the mention of that name and was interested to learn the meaning of his reaction.

"And how did you enjoy her company?" asked Darcy.

"Very well. We spoke mostly of you."

"Of me?" said Darcy, in a surprised tone, his interest obviously piqued.

"I am sorry to say that she did not have a very high opinion of you, but I did my best to correct it."

Darcy seemed surprised that he was held low in her esteem and asked with some concern, "what had she to say of me?"

"I believe her chief complaint was that you are unsociable, which she attributes to pride."

"Yes, she said something to me once of pride and vanity as being weaknesses of character. And pray, what said you to correct her ill opinion of me?"

"I simply told her of our history and of your generosity towards me."

"I would not call it generosity. I have only seen that you receive your due as my friend and the object of my father's affection and esteem. You were raised as part of our household, part of our family, and your father was an invaluable friend to mine, thus you are entitled to benefit from our prosperity."

"As pleased as I am that you take that view, I cannot take your family's generosity towards mine for granted."

"There is no need to, it is well deserved. Aside from your father's service to mine, you know that I am indebted to you for your assistance with Georgiana last summer. I care not to think how you came to know Mrs. Younge's true character, but without your warning as to her designs I know not what evil would have befallen my sister under the care of such a woman."

"I did no more than any friend would have done in the same situation, but it is in the past, let us speak no more of such unhappy events."

"Very well, were you successful in improving Miss Elizabeth's opinion of me?"

"Indeed I was," said Wickham, noticing his friend's faint smile.

"Then I thank you for defending my character."

"There is no need for you to thank me. I derived no small amount of pleasure from my conversation with Miss Elizabeth, even though you were our principal subject. I look forward to seeing her at the ball next Tuesday, and to the pleasure of dancing with her there."

"I am sure you will not find yourself in want for a partner at the ball on Tuesday."

"Are there so many delightful young ladies in this part of the kingdom?"

"I am sure that you, like Bingley, will find them all to be delightful."

"And you Darcy? Do you find any of them to be delightful?"

Darcy appeared uncomfortable for a brief moment as he thought of a way to respond to the question without actually having to answer it. Then he said, "I will not prejudice your perceptions by giving you my opinions in advance. You will meet all of the young ladies of the neighborhood soon enough, and then you can judge the delightfulness of each for yourself."

Wickham laughed heartily at his friend's response, and was convinced by his hedging that Darcy admired one of the young ladies of the neighborhood, and he had a fairly good idea of who it was. But, he did not want to push his friend further, so he did not pursue the subject. Instead, he allowed the conversation to change to other subjects, including Pemberley, Georgiana, and Mr. Wickham's new commission; and they continued to speak companionably until Bingley and his sisters returned to the house.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth related to Jane what had passed between Mr. Wickham and herself the previous evening at their aunt's home. Jane was pleased to hear confirmation of the good character of Bingley's friend, and was not so surprised by it as Elizabeth. The two young ladies were summoned from the shrubbery, where this conversation passed, by the arrival of some of the very persons of whom they had been speaking: Mr. Bingley and his sisters came to give their personal invitation for the long-expected ball at Netherfield.

Once the visitors had left, the ball was discussed at length by the inhabitants of Longbourn. To Elizabeth's dismay, Mr. Collins secured her hand for the first two dances. She had fully proposed being engaged by Mr. Wickham for those very dances. This gesture on the part of Mr. Collins, together with his continued attentions towards herself soon gave her to realize that she had been selected from among her sisters as being worthy of being the mistress of Hunsford parsonage! She was distressed by this prospect as well as her mother's obvious approval of his attentions, and could only hope to delay any argument over the matter until he actually made her an offer.

When Mr. Bingley and his sisters returned to Netherfield after extending a personal invitation for their upcoming ball to several of the neighboring families, Mr. Wickham was still visiting with Darcy. Upon entering the drawing room, Miss Bingley, who had only met Mr. Wickham very briefly that morning, and knew little of him other than his being a great friend of Darcy's, expressed her delight that he was still there and issued an invitation for him to remain for dinner along with an offer of their carriage to return him to his quarters afterwards, which was quickly seconded by her brother and accepted by their guest.

Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst then began to relate to Mr. Darcy, Mr. Hurst and Mr. Wickham, the particulars of their visits earlier in the day. When they spoke of Longbourn, Mr. Bingley was quick to add that he had enjoyed that visit very much, and that the Miss Bennets, particularly the eldest, were all looking very well today. Wickham gave his friend a knowing glance to remind him of their earlier conversation regarding the depth of Bingley's feelings, but Darcy only smiled. Miss Bingley felt that now would be as good a time as any to engage in her typical abuse of Miss Elizabeth for the benefit of Mr. Darcy.

"Yes Charles, Jane was looking very well today, considering her recent illness," began she, "but Miss Eliza was in very poor looks."

"Oh, I agree sister," chimed in Mrs. Hurst, "her features are so inelegant, and her wild ways certainly cannot help the matter." The two sisters giggled a bit at their mutual recollection of Elizabeth arriving at Netherfield, after walking three miles, with her petticoat covered in mud.

Miss Bingley then turned to her guest and asked, "so, Mr. Wickham, have you and Mr. Darcy known each other very long?"

"All our lives, Miss Bingley," replied Wickham.

"How delightful it must be for you to encounter such an old, dear friend, here in the country."

"It is indeed. In fact, I am sure you will be happy to learn of the similarity between your own mind and Miss Elizabeth Bennet's, for she made the very same comment to me just last evening, when, I might add, she was looking remarkably well." Bingley and Darcy could barely contain their amusement at this observation.

"Oh, have you had the pleasure of meeting the Miss Bennets then?" asked Miss Bingley.

"Yes, I dined at their uncle's home in Meryton yesterday."

"Ah yes, the Philipses. I am sure you enjoyed a very elegant meal there, along with the finest society in the shire."

"I did, thank you. Miss Elizabeth was very charming company."

"Of course she was, for she has many charms indeed. Surely you must have noticed her exquisitely fine eyes," replied Miss Bingley with a smirk and a glance towards Mr. Darcy, which did not go unnoticed by Wickham.

"Indeed, I did," he replied, "they were quite expressive."

Then it occurred to Miss Bingley that Mr. Wickham and Miss Eliza were very well suited to each other. Indeed, she would do everything in her power to forward a match between them. Thus, resolving to undo any damage her earlier comments on Miss Eliza's looks may have done to Mr. Wickham's opinion of her rival, she set out to contradict herself as much as possible. "I dare say, she can be very pretty, and is a rather lively sort of girl. Certainly that is an attribute a man such as yourself can appreciate, Mr. Wickham."

Miss Bingley's attentions towards Mr. Darcy had been evident to Wickham immediately, and although he was more amused than surprised, he had also seen immediately that Darcy had no interest in encouraging the woman's hopes. Thus he replied, quite mischievously, "Although I liked Miss Elizabeth very much, I do not think I would do well with such a lively woman, Miss Bingley, I tend to be a bit too excitable myself sometimes, and would prefer the company of a woman of a more gentle nature, who can soften my natural exuberance with the refined delicacy, graceful dignity, and sweet serenity of true elegance." Here Wickham paused to gaze charmingly at Miss Bingley. Then, he turned his gaze to his friend and watched carefully for Darcy's reaction as he continued, "my friend Darcy is much more lacking in liveliness than myself. I have no doubt that he could benefit greatly from the company of a more vivacious woman." Darcy's look was one of both alarm and amusement, which conveyed that he fully knew what his friend was about.

"Mr. Wickham, you must comprehend that such impertinence as must inevitably result from a young lady's unrestrained vivacity that has remained untempered by any education or discipline, must only agitate the calm and temperate mind of a respectable and well-bred man who has been accustomed to only the most superior society," responded Miss Bingley.

"To the contrary, Miss Bingley, I believe Darcy's life would be dull indeed if he sought out the company of others equally reserved and withdrawn as himself. He might never enjoy a pleasant conversation if his only companions were as reticent as he is. Surely you must acknowledge that there must be a reason he has chosen friends such as myself and your brother, who are so different from himself. Both Mr. Bingley and I have much more open and engaging manners than Darcy."

"I will thank you both to allow me to choose my own companions," interjected Darcy, before Miss Bingley could respond, "an undertaking of which I am certain I am capable.

"Certain, are you?" quipped Wickham.

"I believe there is some merit in what you say Mr. Wickham," added Bingley, "but I can not agree that similar dispositions are always unsuitable to one another."

"I agree Mr. Bingley, there must always be some commonality between the two. To be compatible, a man and a woman must share similar values and interests. For example, if they are both good natured and obliging, there will only be happiness in such a match; however, if you take a man who values conviction in his principles and honesty above all things and who despises disguise of every sort, and pair him with a woman who is artful and manipulative with no real convictions of her own, but rather whose opinions change with respect to their convenience to her immediate object. Such a match could result only in misery for both parties. Whereas, two people who share common values and perhaps even similar dispositions, but only differ in their manners, are each able to benefit from the other by finding what they lack in themselves. Without diversity in some aspect of their personalities, neither would need or value the other. What do you think Darcy?"

"I think you are a keen observer, but you talk far too much!" replied his friend with a smile.

"And you far too little," laughed Wickham.

Upon noticing the time, Mrs. Hurst suggested that the party retire to ready themselves for dinner. When the others had left the room Darcy remained behind to have a private word with his friend. "I was a bit surprised by your representations to Miss Bingley."

"What do you mean?"

"You gave her to believe that you did not care to further your acquaintance with Miss Elizabeth Bennet after having told me that you look forward to seeing her again and dancing with her next week."

"You take an eager interest in that young lady's concerns," snickered Wickham.

"I take an interest in your duplicity," replied Darcy quickly.

"Darcy, you undervalue my talent for dissembling, but I would hardly call my actions in this case duplicitous, all I did was intimate that Miss Elizabeth would be better suited as a companion to you than to myself." Wickham watched his friend carefully for a reaction to this statement, and he thought Darcy looked a bit uneasy, but his demeanor was well guarded. Darcy did not respond, so Wickham continued, "even if my actions were duplicitous, they were perfectly harmless. What does Miss Bingley care whether or not I wish to further my acquaintance with Miss Elizabeth?"

"I doubt she would care at all," said Darcy.

"Then there is no harm done," replied Wickham, and with that the two gentlemen separated to prepare for dinner.

The entire party enjoyed themselves at dinner and the primary topic of conversation was the upcoming ball. When the ladies had withdrawn, Mr. Wickham continued the conversation by inquiring of Mr. Bingley as to some of the details of his plans for the event. Feeling more at leisure to speak on the subject in the absence of his sisters, it was not long before Mr. Bingley stated how much he was looking forward to dancing with Miss Bennet, and his intent to secure her hand for the first two dances of the evening.

"Then, you will not object to my soliciting the hand of the hostess for those same two dances?" asked Wickham as he noticed Darcy's curious glance in his direction.

"Not at all," said Bingley, smiling, "I am sure Caroline will be very pleased to oblige you."

They continued speaking of various topics until it was time to rejoin the ladies.

After the gentlemen had rejoined the ladies in the drawing room, and all had enjoyed their tea, the tables were set up for cards. The evening was spent pleasantly enough, and after a few games of cards, Wickham inquired of the ladies whether they played and if so, whether either of them would oblige him with a song. Mrs. Hurst made no move towards the pianoforte, but only looked expectantly towards her sister. Soon after Miss Bingley positioned herself at the instrument, Mr. Wickham sat beside her and offered to turn the pages. She played skillfully, and he enjoyed the entertainment immensely. After she finished a long concerto, Mr. Wickham addressed her thus, "that was lovely Miss Bingley. Your playing is excellent. I have rarely had the privilege of hearing such proficiency."

"Thank you Mr. Wickham."

"I hope you will favor us with another song."

"I suppose I could play one more, then I really must insist that Mrs. Hurst play for you as well, for her talent is quite equal to my own."

"That is an excellent plan, I would like to have the pleasure of hearing Mrs. Hurst play as well."

Miss Bingley gave a slight bow in response and asked whether Mr. Wickham had a preference for what she should play next.

"Please play something lively Miss Bingley, all of this talk of the upcoming ball has caused me to look forward to an evening of dancing."

"You enjoy dancing then Mr. Wickham?"

"Very much Miss Bingley, I find it to be quite entertaining. And what about yourself? Do you care for the amusement."

"I do indeed sir," she replied, glancing at Darcy, "when one is at a dance, certainly one should dance a little, but I prefer conversation."

"Then I hope, madame, that I may be so bold as to request the honor of your hand for the first two dances at the ball on Tuesday, that we may engage in both."

"I thank you for the compliment sir, but I am sure my brother expects me to stand up with him to open the ball."

"Indeed he does not, for he told me himself of his intention to ask Miss Jane Bennet for the first two dances of the evening."

Miss Bingley could scarcely conceal her disappointment. She glared in the general direction of her brother, then stole a glance at Mr. Darcy, to whom she had fully proposed being engaged for those very dances, and noticed no reaction to his friend's request, though there could be little doubt that he had heard it. There was naught she could do however but accept Mr. Wickham's proposal with as good a grace as she could. "In that case, sir," she replied, "I would happily stand up with you for the first two dances."

"Thank you Miss Bingley," replied Wickham.

After playing another song, Miss Bingley was replaced by her sister at the instrument and she played a couple of songs before supper was served. After having eaten, Mr. Wickham announced his intention to go home and the carriage was ordered. Mr. Darcy offered to wait with his friend in front of the house for the carriage to appear. Accordingly, Mr. Wickham took leave of the others and the two walked outside the house.

"I had a very enjoyable evening Darcy," said Wickham, once they were alone.

"I am glad to hear it."

"I must say I was gratified to engage Miss Bingley for the first two dances at the ball on Tuesday."

"I must confess myself surprised by your desire to do so."

"Why should you be? She is a very handsome and fashionable woman."

"I am merely surprised that you would commit yourself to dancing the first with her. I would have expected you to wait until your arrival at the ball to survey your options."

"That may be more my style, but it is also true that my dancing the first two with her saves you from the obligation of doing so."

Darcy smiled, "am I to understand that saving me from dancing with Miss Bingley was your motivation for engaging her?"

"I do not require very much extraneous motivation to enjoy the exclusive company of a beautiful woman for half an hour. The fact that I have given you at least one half hour of freedom from her attentions is an added benefit."

"I hope that you will take care not to mislead the young lady about your intentions."

"You give me too much credit by supposing that she would take my attentions seriously enough to be mislead, or that they would engender any hope in her for something further. Nevertheless, I will take care not to set myself up as your rival."

"I believe I can safely say that there is very little likelihood of that."

By now, the carriage had pulled up beside the gentlemen, and as Wickham climbed in he replied, "perhaps you are correct, so long as Miss Bingley is the object." Darcy was a bit taken aback by this, and the carriage began moving before he could form any reply. Thus he was left to contemplate his friend's words with some uneasiness.

If there had not been a Netherfield ball to prepare for and talk of, the younger Miss Bennets would have been in a pitiable state at this time, for from the day of the invitation, to the day of the ball, there was such a succession of rain as prevented their walking to Meryton once. No aunt, no officers, no news could be sought after - the very shoe-roses for Netherfield were got by proxy. Even Elizabeth might have found some trial of her patience in weather which totally suspended the improvement of her acquaintance with Mr. Wickham; and nothing less than a dance on Tuesday, could have made such a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday endurable to Kitty and Lydia.

Likewise, the Netherfield party were quite desolate during these days, but were occupied in preparing for the ball and hoping that the rain would cease before Tuesday. Wickham was also prevented by the weather from visiting with his old friend or his new friends anymore before the day of the ball.

Chapter 3

Elizabeth dressed for the Netherfield ball with more than usual care, and prepared in the highest spirits for the conquest of all that remained unsubdued in Mr. Wickham's heart, trusting that it was not more than might be won in the course of the evening. When she entered the ballroom, she soon noticed him speaking to Mr. Darcy on one side of the room. Wickham had reminded Darcy of his resolution to observe Bingley with Miss Bennet. Mr. Darcy had then told Wickham, "Bingley will be going to town tomorrow on business. He was disappointed when he received the news that requires him to go there and he has resolved to make his visit as short as possible. But, I am glad of it, I think some time away from Miss Bennet may help to clear his mind."

"It does not appear that you are beginning your observations this evening with an open mind. It is a good thing that I am here to make observations of my own, that they might temper the prejudices inherent in yours."

Before Darcy could reply, he noticed Elizabeth enter the room. She looked lovelier than he had ever seen. He smiled involuntarily and nodded towards her saying, "speaking of the Bennets, it appears that they have arrived." Elizabeth noticed Mr. Darcy's gesture, and although she could not hear what was said between the two gentlemen, when Wickham turned around and smiled at her it was obvious that Darcy had brought her presence to the attention of his friend, and she indulged her fancy to the point of concluding that such a gesture must mean that Mr. Wickham had told Mr. Darcy of his interest in her. Why else would Mr. Darcy point her out to his friend? The two gentlemen then approached her and made polite inquiries as to her well-being and that of her family.

Once these civilities were exchanged, Mr. Wickham said, "Miss Bennet, I am already engaged for the first two dances, but I would be honored if you would dance the two second with me."

"Thank you, Mr. Wickham, I will be happy to dance with you," she replied, slightly disappointed that he had not reserved the first two for her. Even though she was already engaged to Mr. Collins for those dances, there was no way Mr. Wickham could have known that and she was curious to know whose hand he had secured to open the ball.

Wickham thanked her and then excused himself to find his partner for the first dances, fully expecting that Darcy would secure Miss Elizabeth's hand for the first two dances. It was not to be, however, for just as Mr. Darcy was about to ask Elizabeth to dance the first two with him, Mr. Collins approached to claim her hand. After Mr. Collins thoroughly flattered Mr. Darcy for several minutes, he excused himself and his cousin as they made their way to the dance floor. So effusive was Mr. Collins in his praises of the esteemed nephew of his noble patroness, that he and Elizabeth scarcely made it to the line in time for the first steps of the dance. Mr. Darcy was disheartened to see Elizabeth dancing with Mr. Collins. But, he was relieved that he had been prevented from requesting her hand, for he would have been turned down in favor of her prior engagement with Mr. Collins. He contented himself with watching Elizabeth's figure as she elegantly executed the steps of the dance. He clearly observed in her countenance that she was displeased with her partner.

Indeed, Elizabeth was distressed and mortified by her first two dances. Mr. Collins, awkward and solemn, apologising instead of attending, and often moving wrong without being aware of it, gave her all the shame and misery which a disagreeable partner for a couple of dances can give. She consoled herself by noticing that Mr. Bingley was opening the ball with Jane as his dance partner. As the host, this was a compliment of the highest order, and everyone had expected that he should dance with his sister, instead. This thought led her to seek out Miss Bingley in the line, fully expecting her to be dancing with Mr. Darcy. Instead, she noticed with surprise, that it was Mr. Wickham who had engaged the lady of the house for the first two dances, and Elizabeth wondered to herself how such a circumstance could have come about, for she was certain that the young lady was not pleased by it in the least.

Naturally, her thoughts turned to Mr. Darcy and she was not surprised to find that he was not dancing. She was, however, surprised that when she noticed him, he was looking at her. When she caught his eye, he did not look abashed, nor did he make any effort to avert his gaze. Believing as she did that he looked at her because he did not approve of her, she was all the more infuriated by his utter lack of shame in having been caught doing so. She decided that she cared not about his opinion and tried to return her attention to the dance, where it was sorely needed. She could not help but consider however, the weight Mr. Darcy's opinion would have with his friend, who obviously thought very highly of Mr. Darcy. Would Mr. Darcy attempt to dissuade Mr. Wickham from forming an attachment to her? Surely she, the daughter of a gentleman, would be good enough for the son of his father's steward! She could not, however, discredit the possibility that Mr. Darcy might influence his friend against her, and her indignation at that gentleman was rekindled, in spite of her having learned of his good character, as a result of an offense born solely in her imagination.

She considered further, all that Mr. Wickham had told her about the assistance he had received from Darcy. Although Mr. Wickham was independent now, due to the fortune left him by his godfather, and his current employment in the militia, she could not help but foresee, if her hopes came to fruition, that her own domestic felicity with one man would, in all probability, be influenced significantly by the other. She knew that Wickham did not behave in a subservient manner towards Darcy, but the thought of the latter gentleman having any power over her own happiness was unsettling. She could allow that he had a good character and a generous nature, but nothing could undermine her firm conviction in his arrogance, his vanity and his conceit, not even his recent behavior that she had witnessed to be complete devoid of these characteristics or what she had learned of his acceptance and treatment of Mr. Wickham.

Darcy, for his part, observed Elizabeth and Mr. Collins for several minutes after she had caught his eye and looked away. Then, remembering his resolve to observe Bingley and Miss Bennet, he shifted his gaze to that couple. He tried to maintain his attention on Bingley and Miss Bennet, but he felt constantly drawn by Elizabeth and could not stop himself from looking at her every few minutes. It required a concerted effort on his part to remain attentive to the interaction between his friend and his partner. Even when he was able to fix his gaze on Bingley and Miss Bennet, he was distracted by thoughts of Elizabeth. He never considered forming any serious design on her, she was unsuitable with respect to family, connections, status, and fortune. Nevertheless, he was drawn to her, and he saw no harm in looking at her and even indulging in the pleasure of dancing with her, which he fully intended to do before the close of the evening. He knew he was in complete control of himself, and would not allow his feelings to overcome his reason.

Mr. Wickham, was also attempting to be diligent in his resolve to observe Bingley and Miss Bennet. In his effort to do so, he noticed that while his friend was also observing the couple, his attention was often cast in another direction. Any doubt in his suspicion that Darcy admired Miss Elizabeth vanished at that moment. The look on Darcy's face as he regarded Miss Elizabeth seemed to indicate to Wickham that his feelings for that young lady were even stronger than Wickham had supposed.

As for himself, Mr. Wickham, was enjoying his dances with Miss Bingley immensely. She was a beautiful and challenging woman. As their dance began, her behavior towards him was cold and indifferent, however, this only provoked his interest further. They had stood for some time without speaking a word and he began to imagine that she intended for their silence to last through the two dances. He, however, was resolved to make her speak. Thus, he attempted to begin a conversation by complimenting her arrangements for the ball. She thanked him very succinctly. He made a second attempt by complimenting her attire and her looks this evening and received a similar and even less enthusiastic response. He then made a third attempt by complimenting her dancing ability, to which she merely bowed. Finally, after a few more minutes of silence, he said, "it is your turn to say something, Miss Bingley, I have made three attempts to converse with you thus far, and you ought to make some kind of remark in return."

"Do you talk by rule then while you are dancing, Mr. Wickham?" she asked him.

Wickham could not help but laugh at this characterization of his last speech. "Only as a last resort, when I find my partner reluctant to converse. One must speak a little you know. It would look odd to be entirely silent for half an hour together. However, if you like, we may arrange the conversation so that you may have the trouble of saying as little as possible."

"I am most obliged to you, I am sure."

To her surprise, Mr. Wickham did not become indignant in response to her impertinent remark, but instead smiled. Miss Bingley noticed his smile but did not comment. She was nearly as well acquainted with unwanted suitors as the object of her own designs. Many young men had courted her and flattered her with the prospect of how well her twenty thousand pounds could improve their fortunes foremost in their thoughts. She certainly was not going to succumb to the wiles of a fortune hunter barely half a step removed from servitude, no matter how dashingly handsome said young man might be. For, being a red blooded woman, she could not overlook his handsome features and well formed physique. Nonetheless, forgetting her own roots in trade, and apparently believing the same did not hold true for ladies, she reflected with disdain that a gentleman's education did not make a gentleman. No, her fortune would not be wasted on the likes of such a one as George Wickham. She intended to improve her own fortune and social status by marriage, not that of her husband. As for Mr. Wickham, she had to be careful not to offend him since he was such a good friend of Darcy's, but she would be certain to nip his designs in the bud.

Mr. Wickham however, was intrigued by this young lady. He was not deterred by her air of superiority in the least, after all, he had grown up dealing with Fitzwilliam Darcy. He knew how to handle snobbishness. She was certainly a beautiful woman, well-bred, elegant, intelligent, and educated; but evidently a bit too well pleased with herself, a trifle shallow, and, he suspected, somewhat manipulative. But, he was not intimidated. Instead, his courage rose to meet the challenge of her disdain. Having already learned her ill opinion of the Bennets, he decided to embark on that subject. "Your brother and Miss Bennet look well together, do you not agree Miss Bingley?"

"No, I do not. She is tolerably pretty, but she and Charles are not well matched at all. In my opinion they look very awkward together."

"Well, I believe you must be alone in your opinion, for I have heard said from more than one quarter that they make a very handsome couple, and I cannot help but agree."

"Perhaps you only heard it several times from the same source, Mr. Wickham," she replied with a smirk, nodding towards Mrs. Bennet.

"Indeed, you are mistaken for I heard Sir William Lucas himself comment on his expectation of their engagement soon." Knowing something of Bingley's family background he added, "his obvious affection aside, your brother must feel fortunate to have made such a favorable match."

Wickham was surprised that she did not express indignation at the remark, but he could see he had affected her. "A favorable match?" she said in a menacingly calm tone, and then with a light laugh she summoned all the hauteur she possessed and replied in a low voice, "you know she has no dowry to speak of, and her connections are not likely to recommend her."

"Nevertheless, she is the daughter of a landed gentleman, an eligible circumstance for your brother, considering his situation."

Wickham smiled as he observed his companion flinch ever so slightly, telling him he had hit on a sensitive subject; but, showing no other outward signs of her discomposure, Miss Bingley said in a chilling tone, "not as such, Mr. Wickham, for her family's establishment will not endure. Her father's estate is entailed on Mr. Collins," she nodded towards the clumsy clergyman dancing with Elizabeth, "which is why, I suppose, the family is forwarding a match between him and Miss Elizabeth. Now there is a handsome couple if ever I saw one, and quite an eligible match for her. Although I do not know how the poor man will suffer her impertinence," finished Miss Bingley triumphantly. Then (without having realized that she had revealed that Miss Eliza had no fortune to the man she hoped would pursue her), after a moment's pause, while her companion looked at the couple in question, she added, "It does not appear she will be unattached for very much longer. That is unfortunate for her many admirers, and I would venture to say that if one of them wished to secure her hand, he should not lose any time in doing so."

When Wickham looked towards Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Collins, he did not think they were a handsome couple at all. Then he looked again at his friend, and noticed him still watching the same couple intently, apparently having given up entirely on observing Mr. Bingley and Miss Bennet. "It appears that you are not the only one who takes an interest in that couple's affairs, I wonder why Darcy looks upon them so intently. Do you suppose he is also meditating on what a fine pair they make?"

Miss Bingley immediately looked at Darcy and followed his gaze to Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Collins. Wickham was amused as he watched her become visibly disturbed by what she saw. At length she replied, "I cannot guess what Mr. Darcy is thinking," recalling the last time she had tried to do just that, and unsure of whether Mr. Wickham's reference to a 'fine pair' had meant Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Collins or Miss Elizabeth's eyes.

"Shall we speculate on the eligibility of any other matches to be made this evening then, Miss Bingley, or have you wearied of that employment?"

"There are no other matches in which I have any interest."

Now Mr. Wickham knew he had her. She had slipped, and he did not miss it. "None other than the two we have discussed? I can see why you would take an interest in your brother's affairs, but I am surprised you would care who Mr. Collins marries." Then, with raised eyebrows, he added, "unless . . . ."

Before he could finish however, Miss Bingley, incredulous that he would make such an implication regarding her preferences, quickly replied, "I have no interest whatsoever in who Mr. Collins marries, Mr. Wickham, I assure you."

"Then it must be Miss Elizabeth that you are concerned with. I did not know that you and she were such good friends."

There was nothing Miss Bingley could say in response to this that would be both polite and true, so she said nothing. She knew very well that her interest in Miss Elizabeth was to have her safely married, or at least engaged, to someone, anyone, except Mr. Darcy. In spite of his strong temptation to do so, Mr. Wickham wisely refrained from observing that perhaps it was not who Miss Elizabeth married that concerned Miss Bingley so much as who she did not marry. They continued down the rest of the dance with Mr. Wickham persistently making conversation and Miss Bingley, with equal effort, attempting to deter him by replying as little as possible to his constant remarks.

When the dance ended, he thanked her sincerely, and complimented her again on her dancing and her looks. She received his compliments gracefully, and when he excused himself to search out Elizabeth, she was free to seek out Mr. Darcy's company. When Miss Bingley approached him, Mr. Darcy felt obligated to engage her for the next dance. He was disgusted by her feigned surprise at being asked by him, because he knew she had been expecting it, and had probably moved towards him in the hope of receiving just such an offer. Nevertheless, he knew he would have to dance with her this evening, so he decided he might as well have done with it. He watched with no small amount of envy as his friend approached Miss Elizabeth with his usual easy manner.

The moment of her release from Mr. Collins' company was ecstasy for Elizabeth. She could scarcely contain her pleasure when Mr. Wickham approached her to claim her hand for the next two dances. His object in dancing with her, aside from his own pleasure, had been, of course, to awaken something in his friend akin to jealousy, that might cause him to acknowledge his own feelings. A secondary motive had been to see what he could learn about her sister's heart. Wickham and Darcy had been challenging each other their entire lives, and these challenges were taken very seriously. Wickham felt certain that he was right about Bingley and Miss Bennet, and he was determined to apply himself diligently to the task of proving it to his friend.

He fell into conversation easily with Miss Elizabeth. They each spoke of their previous dances, and the mention of his dance with Miss Bingley naturally led him to explain how that had come about, which in turn, he hoped, would provide an opening to embark on the topic Wickham wished to discuss. "Upon hearing of Bingley's intentions the other night at dinner to open the ball with your sister, I took the opportunity to engage Miss Bingley for the first two dances."

"Your application must have surprised her, your being such a new acquaintance."

"Yes, I believe it did, she was counting on opening the ball with her brother."

"I was also surprised to see Mr. Bingley engage my sister for the first two. I can scarcely believe he formed the resolution to do so nearly a week ago."

"I dare say he had formed it before that, I am only able to tell when I heard him say it. It is evident that he admires her. He called at Longbourn on the day I was at Netherfield, and when he returned, he seemed quite happy with the visit and in particular, with your sister's company."

"I am happy to hear it. I am very pleased for her. I could perceive that she was gratified by his compliment in dancing the first two with her. I have never seen Jane this happy before, and I do not believe that anyone deserves it more. She is the sweetest, most generous person. I think they are very well suited to each other."

"I agree, but unfortunately, not everyone seems to be pleased with the match."

"I cannot but agree with you there, I believe that his sisters do not approve." Then perceiving Darcy watching Jane and Mr. Bingley together, she continued, "nor his friend. Although Jane does not perceive it, I am sure they deem her unworthy of Mr. Bingley."

"Perhaps they are only concerned about Mr. Bingley's happiness. It is possible that they fear his feelings are unrequited . . . ."

"Unrequited?!" interjected Elizabeth with feeling, "how can you speak so Mr. Wickham? Have you not seen them together? No, his sisters can have no concern on that head. They object to her, or I should say her situation, because there can be nothing objectionable about Jane, herself."

Wickham was satisfied by her impassioned response. "I will venture to say, Miss Elizabeth, that your sister's feelings towards Mr. Bingley are not nearly as evident as his are for her."

"That is to her credit, I think, Mr. Wickham," Elizabeth said defensively.

"Yes, I agree, but, despite the propriety of her reserved behavior, it must leave Mr. Bingley a bit uncertain as to how his attentions are being received."

Elizabeth glanced at Jane and Bingley. They were talking to one another in a corner of the room animatedly, each smiling contentedly at the other. "Mr. Bingley appears to me to be quite satisfied with her reception of his attentions."

Mr. Wickham followed Elizabeth's gaze and upon fixing his own on the same couple, could not but agree with her observation. Then he said, "I understand that he was a bit put out to learn that he would have to go to town tomorrow on business. I think his reluctance has to do with your sister."

"I had no idea he was to go, do you know how long he will be gone?"

"A few days I think."

"I fear Jane will be disappointed, but she will be happy when he returns."

"I do not believe he would be able to stay away, even if he wished to."

Elizabeth and Wickham enjoyed the remainder of their dance together in lighthearted conversation.

Darcy found far less enjoyment in the company of his partner. Miss Bingley began thus, immediately upon the commencement of the dancing, "I dare say, your friend and the lady of the fine eyes look very well together. They do make such a fine couple, and they are so well suited to one another in both situation and disposition."

Darcy began to think he could not bear this talk for half an hour, but only replied, "they do look well dancing together."

"I have noticed that Mr. Collins seemed to have his eye on her as well, poor Miss Eliza, with so many fine suitors, I do hope she will not have too much trouble making a choice. On the one hand, she has the heir to her family's estate, who is well situated, while on the other hand, an officer with a comfortable situation who has qualities of his own, not the least of which is a generous benefactor. What an accomplishment for one in her situation, with no fortune and no connections, to have attracted two very eligible young men. I dare say with such prospects for your favorite, you had better get on with making your addresses or she will be lost to you forever."

Ignoring the end of her speech, he replied, "Once again, your mind jumps quickly to the idea of matrimony. Yet you have had no guidance excepting your observations of one evening. The intentions of the gentlemen in question may not be as you imagine."

"Well, I would not be surprised if she was engaged to one or the other of them before the week's end. I am very happy for her, it is my dear wish that she find herself contentedly settled in a suitable establishment." He had no doubt as to her sincerity in wishing for Elizabeth to be married and settled, and in a suitable establishment - suitable for Elizabeth meaning someone other than himself - but whether she cared that Elizabeth was content he seriously doubted.

Unknown to Miss Bingley, the effect on Mr. Darcy of her speculations regarding Miss Elizabeth's marital prospects was exactly contrariwise to her intent. He began to think more and more of how little he liked the idea of her marrying anyone but himself. Darcy changed the subject, and Miss Bingley chattered almost incessantly during the remainder of their time together. In addition to abusing Miss Elizabeth and her relations, she spoke, in a contrasting manner, of Miss Darcy and all her accomplishments, asking whether Darcy had received a response from her to his last letter and inquiring as to all the particulars of his sister's affairs. Darcy answered as civilly as he could, but he was often distracted by his desire to observe Bingley and Miss Bennet, and his less voluntary awareness of Miss Elizabeth and Wickham.

When the dance was over, Elizabeth led Mr. Wickham over to where Charlotte was standing and introduced her to him. He immediately engaged her for the next dance and the two soon moved away to line up with the other couples. Elizabeth turned towards the refreshment table when she heard a voice behind her, "Cousin Elizabeth, did you enjoy your dances with Mr. Wickham? I must say you are an extremely accomplished dancer. Your movements are so graceful."

Elizabeth had not time to reply to Mr. Collins' speech due to its continuation, upon his noticing her destination and asking her if he could get her a glass of punch. Before he completed the question she had arrived at the punch bowl and just as her cousin was reaching for an empty glass to fill for her she noticed Mr. Darcy - who had just relinquished Miss Bingley's company to her brother with all the haste induced by listening to her talk nearly continuously for half an hour - standing next to her offering her an already full glass. "Perhaps you would care for some punch, Miss Bennet," he said.

"Yes, thank you," she replied, taking the glass and reflecting with some surprise at his civility.

"Yes, of course, thank you," Mr. Collins repeated, "you are so kind to take notice of my dear cousin's thirst Mr. Darcy. Such benevolence is rarely seen."

Elizabeth could barely contain her laughter as her cousin continued his effusions on Mr. Darcy's kindness. Mr. Darcy perceived the mirth in her eyes and smiled ever so slightly. "Miss Bennet," he began, when Mr. Collins paused for breath, "if you would do me the honor of dancing the next with me, I believe we can still line up in time."

"I would be happy to dance with you Mr. Darcy, but I dare say, we should be quick," she replied with a smirk. They hastily excused themselves from Mr. Collins and repaired to the dance floor together.

Once the dancing had begun, Elizabeth said, "thank you Mr. Darcy."

"You are welcome I am sure, but may I ask for what I am being thanked?"

"For saving me from the continued attentions of Mr. Collins by asking me to dance," replied Elizabeth laughing lightly.

"I am happy to assist you in any way I can, Miss Bennet, but you give me more credit than I deserve, for my reasons for asking you to dance with me were more selfish than you imply."

"Oh? Did you wish to escape someone yourself?"

"No indeed, I wished only for your company. I had already formed the intent to request your hand before your cousin appeared at your side."

Elizabeth was more than a little surprised at this declaration, and replied with exaggerated feeling, "that is a compliment of the highest order indeed!"

"I would be highly gratified if you really felt that way, but I know that you sometimes take great pleasure in expressing opinions that are not your own, and I fear this may be one such occasion."

"Mr. Darcy, are you challenging my veracity?" she asked incredulously.

"Not at all, I simply believe that your statement, which you did not attribute to anyone, including yourself, was a reflection of what you believe my opinion to be rather than your own."

"I cannot deny it Mr. Darcy, but you have already heard my opinion on the subject of vanity."

"You attribute to me an opinion that I have not expressed, as well as a motivation for it that I have not acknowledged."

"But sir," she replied with an air of playful innocence, "since you have been in the neighborhood, until now, you had never danced with anyone other than Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. Do you not agree that I should feel the compliment of being the only resident of Hertfordshire that you have condescended to engage for an amusement that you despise so vehemently?" Mr. Darcy was startled at the realization that he had been entertaining thoughts similar to those she had just attributed to him. "But that is the way of it," she continued, "the compliment in dancing must always be felt by the woman, which I suppose makes up for the inequity inherent in the manner in which balls are conducted."

Darcy asked with some amusement, "and what is it about a ball that you deem so inequitable?"

"Well, the man has the advantage of choice, and the woman only the power of refusal."

He smiled and said, "but should not the man feel the compliment of not having been refused?"

"How can he? If he is refused, the lady can dance no more that evening, lest she offend him. I have known more than one young lady to accept an offer to dance with someone she would prefer not to stand up with, to avoid foreclosing her opportunities for further pleasure in the same evening, should someone she prefers more be inclined to apply for her hand. I do not see how a man can feel complimented, because he never knows a lady's motive for accepting him. A woman, on the other hand, can always take pleasure in knowing that she is the object of her partner's choice."

"But that is not always the case. A woman may, at times, feel disappointed that she is the object of a man's choice," he glanced at Mr. Collins, "such as in circumstances as you have described, where the lady accepts the offer against her wishes."

"That is true, but whether or not a woman feels pleasure in being chosen depends upon her own preference, while a man can never be certain that her acceptance can be taken as a compliment to himself, regardless of his preferences."

"Nor can a woman always take pleasure in being chosen, there are many reasons a man might choose to dance with a particular lady. Admiration is not always the motive."

"Of that, Mr. Darcy, I am certain," she replied laughing, "but your observation presupposes that a suspicion that the man admires her is the source of the lady's pleasure in being chosen."

"I cannot believe any woman would take pleasure in knowing that she was chosen for any other motive."

"Well I suppose it would depend on what the other motive might be, since I am not a man I cannot say what motivates their choices, but perhaps you might enlighten me."

"Perhaps the man might feel an obligation to dance with a particular lady due to his association with her family."

Elizabeth understood immediately that he was speaking of Miss Bingley. "In such a case, however, the lady would be aware of the existence of such an obligation, and would be guarded against attributing the gentlemen's attention to a different motive. Also, she herself may not wish for the gentleman's admiration."

"Nevertheless, she cannot be certain whether he admires her or not in such a circumstance. I cannot imagine that any lady would feel more pleasure in being chosen out of obligation than admiration even if she does not wish for the gentleman's attentions. Therefore, she cannot always feel complimented by a gentleman's application for her hand."

"I will allow you an exception to my rule for the limited circumstances of your example, wherein the relationship between the two is such that the gentleman feels a duty to stand up with the lady."

"Thank you," he said with a gallant smile.

"Now, what other motivation could a man have for choosing to dance with a particular woman than admiration or a sense of obligation due to his relationship with her family?"

"I suppose if the gentleman had mercenary intentions, he might wish to dance with a lady that he does not admire."

"Yes, but since his intentions will probably be the same as one who does admire, it would probably be best for both if the lady believes he feels some affection for her. Have you any other examples?"

"I can think of no other." Elizabeth did not realize at that moment the implication of his response when considered in light of the fact that in the present case there could be no perceived obligation to motivate Darcy to ask her to dance and nor could his intentions be mercenary. If she had bothered to employ the process of elimination, she would have realized that by his own words that there could be no other reason, that he had admitted to admiring her. Nor did Darcy realize what he had unintentionally revealed as his mind was quickly occupied by her next inquiry.

"I will help you by giving you another example for your argument." He smiled and bowed his thanks as she continued, "Perhaps, if the gentleman perceives that the ladies at a ball outnumber the gentlemen, he may feel inclined to stand up with one of them to prevent her from having to sit down for a set of dances due to the scarcity of gentlemen."

Darcy blushed slightly, then smiled and said, "but your example is not a good one because it addresses a motivation to dance with any lady present who does not happen to have a partner, rather than a motivation to dance with a particular lady, which is, I believe, what we were discussing."

"That is true, but it applies nonetheless, for if the gentleman is motivated merely by a sense of social duty, the lady, whomever she might be, cannot feel complimented that she was chosen. If she happens to be the only one sitting down at that particular time, she has even less occasion to feel the compliment since his choice was only in whether to dance, and he did not, in fact, choose her from among a group of young ladies."

"Likewise, there is no compliment to the lady when the gentleman is urged by another to seek her hand, rather than making the choice himself. Indeed, your whole basis for the compliment, that the lady was the gentleman's choice, is undermined. And a lady, undoubtedly, would prefer not to partake in the dance at all under such circumstances."

It was now Elizabeth's turn to blush. She was surprised that he had picked up on her challenge and rose to the occasion, and without attempting to defend his previous ungentlemanlike behavior. Indeed, he had addressed at once both his slight of her at the assembly rooms as well as her refusal to dance with him at Lucas Lodge, all the while remaining within the confines of their topic of conversation.

Darcy smiled as he reflected how becoming the blush that overspread her face rendered her countenance. However, she did not seem inclined to make any response and he felt that she was equally desirous of changing the subject as he was. Thus, he waited a few moments and then asked, "do you and your sisters often walk into Meryton?"

"Yes, quite often. My younger sisters are particularly fond of visiting my aunt, Mrs. Phillips. Your friend, Mr. Wickham, dined with us at her house last week."

"Yes, he told me that he enjoyed his evening very much."

This statement made Elizabeth wonder whether Mr. Wickham had told Mr. Darcy of their conversation about him that night. Elizabeth was a little embarrassed as she considered the impropriety of expressing her dislike of Mr. Darcy to someone so intimately acquainted with him. She felt certain that Mr. Wickham must have told Mr. Darcy of her ill opinion. This thought finally gave her an understanding of why Mr. Darcy had singled her out as a dance partner. His vanity could not tolerate that anyone should not think well of him. Knowing of her opinion, he must have thought she would be so flattered by being asked to dance, that she would cease to think ill of him. Finally, she said, "I am glad to hear it. I enjoyed his company very much. He certainly spoke very highly of you. I confess I was surprised to hear of your intimacy with him, the two of you seem very different."

Mr. Darcy was a bit disheartened by her avowal of how much she enjoyed Wickham's company, immediately followed by an observation of how different Wickham was from himself. "I suppose that is what happens," he replied, "when two people are thrown together constantly from a very young age. By the time our different personalities fully emerged, we had already become close."

Elizabeth then asked, "and how do you explain your association with Mr. Bingley? Surely he was not a childhood friend as well. Yet, he is also very different from you."

Darcy thought for a moment, and then smiled at his own cleverness when he said, "I suppose I enjoy lively company."

Elizabeth laughed again. Such an assertion was so contrary to everything she felt about this man. "That is very well for you Mr. Darcy, but what of Mr. Bingley? Will you next have me believe that he enjoys the company of those who are quiet, reserved and withdrawn?"

He looked at her curiously and smiled again at her description of himself. "For the answer to that question, Miss Bennet, you must apply to Mr. Bingley. As for your description of myself, I cannot pretend to say how near it may be to my own character. You think it a faithful portrait, undoubtedly."

"I must not decide on my own performance."

Recalling what Wickham had said of her ill opinion of himself, Darcy replied, "I could wish Miss Bennet, that you were not to sketch my character at the present moment, as there is reason to fear that the performance would reflect no credit on either."

This gave Elizabeth to know that Wickham had indeed shared her opinion of Darcy with him. She was not ready to relent however, and so she said, "what have you to fear from my assessment of your character, Mr. Darcy? I assure you, I could do little harm to your reputation with your gallant friend heralding your many virtues to any that will listen. Anyway, if I do not take your likeness now, I may never have another opportunity."

"I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours."

Elizabeth was surprised by the gallantry of his response, and thinking of his influence over Mr. Wickham, she replied, "I may hold you to that sir." He looked a bit startled, but said nothing.

At that moment, Sir William Lucas appeared close to them, meaning to pass through the set to the other side of the room; but on perceiving Mr. Darcy, he stopped with a bow of superior courtesy to compliment him on his dancing and his partner.

"I have been most highly gratified indeed, my dear sir. Such very superior dancing is not often seen. It is evident that you belong to the first circles. Allow me to say, however, that your fair partner does not disgrace you, and that I must hope to have this pleasure often repeated, especially when a certain desirable event, my dear Miss Eliza (glancing at her sister and Bingley) shall take place. What congratulations will then flow in! I appeal to Mr. Darcy: - but let me not interrupt you, sir. You will not thank me for detaining you from the bewitching converse of that young lady, whose bright eyes are also upbraiding me."

The latter part of this address was scarcely heard by Darcy; but Sir William's allusion to his friend seemed to strike him forcibly, and his eyes were directed with a very serious expression towards Bingley and Jane, who were talking together.

Elizabeth perceived his reaction and said, "what is it that has caused you to become so grave all of a sudden?"

"Something Sir William said," he replied without thinking.

"But surely his speculations cannot be a surprise to you. You cannot have failed to notice your friend's continuing attentions to my sister."

"No, indeed. It is only that I had not realized such a general expectation to have been created as alluded to by Sir William."

"If such an expectation exists, Mr. Darcy, it is your friend's own doing, and he does not seem to mind it."

"And what of your sister? Does she mind?"

"I believe that she would prefer not to have her private affairs canvassed publicly. She is always mindful of maintaining a guarded demeanor to avoid becoming an object of speculation." Then remembering what Mr. Wickham had said of Mr. Darcy's and Mr. Bingley's sisters' possible concerns that Jane did not return Mr. Bingley's regard, she continued, "But, such things are not always within her control, and she has told me herself that she takes great pleasure in your friend's attentions." Darcy looked again at the couple, but remained skeptical.

After a few moments of silence, Elizabeth spoke again, hoping to gain further intelligence regarding Mr. Bingley's intended trip into town. "I understand that Mr. Bingley leaves for London in the morning."

"Yes, he has some business there to attend to."

"Have you any idea how long he will be gone?"

"A few days, I believe. He has not told me for certain."

"And the rest of you will remain here?"

Thinking she was trying to learn whether or not he was also going to town, Darcy replied with a complacent smile, "yes."

"It is lucky for you that you have your friend Mr. Wickham in the neighborhood to keep you company during his absence, but I do not suppose you are ever dissatisfied with solitude."

Darcy reflected that he could find little time for solitude in the same house with Miss Bingley. He replied, "I confess, I do enjoy some time alone for reading and other solitary pursuits, but I enjoy company as well . . . "

"Yes, of the lively variety, if I recall correctly," interjected his companion, laughing.

"In any case," replied Darcy, not in any way agitated that she had interrupted him, "I do not suppose Wickham will leave me to myself very much, although he does have duties to attend to."

Then, his previous words having reminded her of a recent folly that had diverted her, Elizabeth stated, "you know Mr. Darcy, reading does not always have to be a solitary pursuit. With the right company and the right book, reading aloud can be very pleasurable." The look Darcy returned to her was a mixture of surprise and amusement, as he imagined himself sitting close to her in front of a fire in his personal sitting room at Pemberley, reading poetry - no not poetry, something else - aloud to her. He quickly shook the thought out of his head wondering how he could allow himself to think of such a thing. Elizabeth, having no idea of the direction in which his thoughts were bent, and indeed had she an inclination to speculate, his true thoughts would never have even entered the realm of her mind, continued, "why just the other night Mr. Collins was kind enough to read aloud to all of us from Fordyce's Sermons. Although, I confess, such a way of passing the time was not well received by Lydia." The picture she painted was sufficient to awaken Mr. Darcy from his reverie, and he was delighted by her amused expression. Her warm smile and bright eyes stirred feelings in him that he cared not to acknowledge at present. He simply enjoyed her company. She, on the other hand, was wholly oblivious to the effect her lively expression was having on her partner and, with an arch smile and raised brow, delivered her coup de gras, "perhaps you could perform the same service for the ladies at Netherfield. I understand that Mrs. Hurst is married and must now look to her husband for instruction, but perhaps Miss Bingley could benefit from the teachings of Reverend Fordyce." Mr. Darcy looked at her incredulously, as he considered that Miss Bingley could indeed stand to benefit from, at least, that section of Fordyce's Sermons dedicated to instructing young ladies on the impropriety of openly pursuing a gentleman. Her smile grew broader in response to his expression, and when she broke out in full laughter, he could do nothing else but laugh with her. She immediately became serious with surprise, and said, "why, Mr. Darcy, I had no idea you ever laughed."

"I do, on occasion, Miss Bennet."

"You should do it more often."

He was inclined to reply that he would endeavor to do so, to please her, but he checked himself and became serious again. His dances with Elizabeth were soon over and he felt no small amount of regret at having to part company with her. Dancing with her had not satisfied his desire for her company, as he had intended. Instead, it caused him to long for her even more, for in his breast there was a tolerable powerful feeling towards her which he could not ignore, and what was worse, he began to lose faith in not only his ability to control it, but in his willingness to do so. He considered that perhaps dancing with her had been a mistake, but his heart would not allow it to be the case.

Continued In Next Section