He shook his head, clearing his dream of the future from his mind.
At this moment, Elizabeth was not his wife, and she might never be if he did not convince her to marry him.
Therefore, such was his goal this evening.
Bingley stopped at the window with a jolt. At first, Darcy speculated at whether Bingley’s sisters and brother-in-law had arrived, for Bingley had confided earlier that he had not yet mentioned the Bennet ladies’ presence in Town to them at all. Darcy wondered what excuse he had given to head off to the Earl’s residence before them. He almost laughed at anticipating their reaction when they saw their brother and Darcy dancing the opening set with Miss Bennet and Elizabeth.
Darcy hastened his steps to come up next to his friend. His heart skipped a beat, for what he found there was not the Hursts’ coach, but the Gardiners’.
Miss Bennet stepped down first, then Elizabeth. They quickly disappeared through the entryway directly below the gentlemen’s feet.
Darcy and Bingley faced each other.
“It will take a minute or two for the footmen to take their wraps,” Bingley said.
Darcy added, “And they will need to make their way through the receiving line.”
He started pacing once again, but now, Darcy’s path was more circular so he could peek out into the corridor. It was a ridiculous display. Had anyone else been there, Darcy would have forced his behaviour into strict control, but as it was, Bingley was conducting himself in exactly the same manner.
Upon his fourth pass, Darcy stopped abruptly. Bingley took note and dashed up beside him.
Elizabeth wore the same gown she had worn to the ball at Netherfield Park, a cream-coloured silk that fit exquisitely. At the Netherfield ball, Darcy had been unable to tear his eyes from her even more than usual. Tonight, it would be a nearly impossible feat.
He decided that, after they married, he would hire the modiste who designed this gown to become Elizabeth’s personal seamstress.
The pearls in her hair perfectly matched the shade of the gown, contrasting beautifully with the deep brown of her hair. The light from the multitude of candles in the foyer’s chandelier highlighted the mahogany undertones in her locks. The effect was exquisite, making it difficult for him to breathe.
He pulled on his gloves and moved into the corridor, glancing at Bingley, who appeared as deeply entranced by Miss Bennet as he was by Elizabeth. “What say you to joining them in the receiving line?”
Bingley did not answer. He simply stepped forward and led the way towards the ladies.
Darcy followed without delay, renewing his determination to win this woman for his wife this very evening.
After their greetings were out of the way, he offered Elizabeth his arm.
She took it, glanced around them, then smiled up at him impishly. “Mr. Bingley’s behaviour, I understand, but yours… it seems you insist on making a spectacle of yourself this evening, sir.”
“If my aunt and uncle had not required my presence earlier in the day, I would have offered to escort you and your sister here in my carriage personally,” he said matter-of-factly. “I wish to introduce you to my uncle and cousins.”
She looked around the antechamber. Her colour rose when she again met his gaze. “Are you certain you still wish to dance three sets? I would not hold it against you if you changed your mind. I could obtain a new card…”
An uncomfortable tingling on the back of his neck had already told him all eyes were on them. Furrowing his brow, he said, “What matters to me is your opinion, not theirs. My wishes have not altered in the slightest, but if the attention causes you discomfort, I will make a change.”
Just then, the couple before them moved away from his aunt and uncle. Darcy and Elizabeth stepped forward, followed closely by Bingley and Miss Bennet.
Darcy presented Elizabeth to the earl, who glanced at his wife with a twinkle in his eye telling Darcy he knew exactly what was going on. Surprising everyone, Aunt Adelaide leaned in to kiss the air next to both of Elizabeth’s cheeks as if they were dear friends, then she did the same when greeting Miss Bennet. Lady Adelaide took over the introductions, presenting his eldest cousin, Albert, and his wife, Deborah. Darcy then introduced his cousin Richard, who was looking quite smart in his colonel’s full-dress uniform, sans his sword.
“Miss Elizabeth,” said Richard, “as soon as you obtain a dance card, I would like to be the first to sign it, for I would enjoy spending some time with the lady who can cause my cousin to smile like that when he is about to enter a ballroom. It is simply unheard of.” He paused and looked again at Darcy, then mock-whispered to her, “You may not know this, but usually my cousin’s frown deepens the closer he gets to the doorway.”
Elizabeth’s laughter tinkled. “There is no need to elaborate, for I have witnessed the phenomenon myself, Colonel Fitzwilliam—at the assembly ball at Meryton, then again at the ball at Netherfield Park.” She looked up at Darcy in a way that caused his heart to melt. “I cannot account for the change in his demeanor tonight.”
“Can you not?” Darcy held her gaze, then turned to meet his cousin’s astonished stare with a wide grin. “I am afraid you are too late, Richard. You will not be the first to sign her dance card.”
The flicker in Richard’s eyes was very like the one his father had sported a few moments ago. “How interesting.”
“Nor the second.” Elizabeth cleared her throat. “The countess kindly provided my sister and I with our cards in advance. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley have already had access to it.” Almost hesitantly, she handed her card to his cousin.
Richard looked down, blinked several times in a row, then laughed quite loudly. “It appears that my cousin would like very much to monopolize your time this evening, Miss Elizabeth, but I am resolved to have you all to myself at some point.”
Monopolize? Well, yes! He would stand by his declaration that, if he could have managed it, he would have reserved every one of her dances, but as it was, he was practically skimming the pond of scandal.
Richard reserved the third set, after Bingley. As he returned her card, he said, in all seriousness, which was rare for his cousin, “You must be quite an extraordinary lady, Miss Elizabeth.”
She bowed her head slightly in thanks. “I shall look forward to our dance, colonel.”
Chapter 20
Do not blush. Do not blush! Elizabeth chanted in her mind as she took yet another deep, calming breath. She attempted to examine the scene painted directly on the wall above Mr. Darcy’s head to keep her mind off what was going on around her, but she could not concentrate.
Everyone in the entire ballroom was staring… but not at the earl and countess, who were certainly the most elegantly dressed couple at the ball this evening, and not at their sons, who lined up next to them with their partners. Although Caroline Bingley stood out, wearing the most shocking shade of orange, the peacock feathers bouncing above her coiffure were more numerous than an actual bird would dare to display all at once, and that lady was glaring at Elizabeth with a mighty scowl, even her appearance had not caused the current stir of interest from the crowd.