Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange (bts books to read .txt) 📗

is being playful there is a

certain lustre to her eyes. I remarked it, as I remarked the

flush of animation that added beauty to her cheek. Her

complexion is a healthy one, and her skin is lightly

bronzed. It is perhaps not as fashionable as Caroline’s pallor, but it is pleasing all the same.

She soon left Colonel Forster’s side and sought out

Miss Lucas. The two of them appeared to be friends. I

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was about to speak to her, feeling an urge to see the

sparkle in her eye once again, when the lady herself challenged me.

‘Did you not think, Mr Darcy, that I expressed myself

uncommonly well just now, when I was teasing Colonel

Forster to give us a ball at Meryton?’

‘With great energy,’ I replied, surprised, but not displeased, to be spoken to.‘But it is a subject which always

makes a lady energetic,’ I added.

‘You are severe on us.’

This was said with such a saucy look that I was compelled to smile. Her manners would not do in London,

but there is something to be said for being in the country. One needs variety, after all.

‘It will be her turn soon to be teased,’ said Miss Lucas,

turning to me.‘I am going to open the instrument, Eliza,

and you know what follows.’

She refused at first, saying that she did not want to

play in front of those who must be used to hearing the

very best musicians, but Miss Lucas teased her until she

gave way.

Her performance was surprisingly good. Not by way

of notes; I believe a great many of them were wrong. But

there was a sweetness to the tone that sounded well to

my ears.

I was beginning to warm towards her, indeed I was

intending to continue our conversation, when she relinquished the pianoforte and by some chance – lucky or

unlucky, I do not quite know which – her younger sister

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took her place. My smile froze on my face. I have never

heard a more disastrous performance in my life, and I

could not believe Miss Mary Bennet was exhibiting her

lack of talent for so many people to hear. If I had had to

listen to it one minute longer I believe I would have told

her so.

Matters were made worse when the two youngest

girls got up a dance with some of the officers. Their

mother looked on, all smiles, as the youngest flirted with

every officer in turn. How old is he? She does not look

to be more than fifteen. She should still be in the schoolroom, not out in public where she can disgrace herself

and her family.

Her behaviour banished any warm feelings I had been

entertaining towards Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and I did

not speak to her again.

‘What a charming amusement for young people this

is, Mr Darcy!’ said Sir William Lucas, coming up beside

me. ‘There is nothing like dancing, after all. I consider it

one of the first refinements of polished societies.’

‘Certainly sir,’ I replied, as my gaze rested on Miss

Lydia Bennet, who was dancing without the least shred

of decorum, ‘and it has the advantage also of being in

vogue amongst the less polished societies of the world.

Every savage can dance.’

Sir William only smiled, and tormented me with a

long conversation on the subject of dancing, asking me if

I had ever danced at St James’s. I replied politely enough,

but I thought that if he mentioned St James’s once more,

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I should be tempted to strangle him with his own garter.

As my gaze travelled round the room, I saw Miss Elizabeth Bennet moving towards me. Despite her sisters’

shortcomings, I was struck once again by the grace of her

movement, and I thought that, if there was one person in

the room I should like to see dancing, it was she.

‘My dear Miss Eliza, why are you not dancing?’ asked

Sir William, as though reading my thoughts. ‘Mr Darcy,

you must allow me to present this young lady to you as

a very desirable partner. You cannot refuse to dance,

when so much beauty is before you.’

He took her hand, and surprised me by almost giving

it to me. I had not thought of dancing with her myself,

I had only thought of watching her, but I would have

taken her hand if she had not surprised me by drawing

back.

‘Indeed, sir, I have not the slightest intention of dancing. I entreat you not to suppose that I moved this way

in order to beg for a partner,’ she said.

I found that I did not want to give up the unlookedfor treat.

‘Will you give me the honour of your hand?’ I asked,

interested rather than otherwise by her reluctance to

dance with me.

But again she refused.

Sir William tried to persuade her.

‘Though this gentleman dislikes the amusement in

general, he can have no objection, I am sure, to oblige us

for one half hour.’

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A smile lit her eyes, and turning towards me, she said:

‘Mr Darcy is all politeness.’

It was a challenging smile; there was no doubt about

it. Although she said that I was all politeness, she meant

the reverse. I felt my desire to dance with her grow. She

had set herself up as my adversary, and I felt an instinct

to conquer her rise up inside me.

Why had she refused me? Because she had overheard

me saying that she wasn’t handsome enough to tempt me

at the Meryton ball? Of course! I found myself admiring

her spirit. My ten thousand pounds a year meant nothing to her when compared with her desire to be

revenged on me.

I watched her walk away from me, noticing the lightness of her step and the trimness of her figure, and trying to remember the last time I had been so well pleased.

‘I can guess the subject of your reverie,’ said Caroline,

coming up beside me.

‘I should imagine not,’ I said.

‘You are considering how