Barely Tolerable | Lizzy & Darcy
"Oh, look, my dears! This is very nice. Very nice, indeed," Mrs. Bennet exclaimed, surveying the parlor at Barton Park as though it would one day be her's, "Jane, I expect you shall be a mistress of a home this grand when you marry," She said, her tone lower, but still much too loud, especially as she cast a glance at Mr. Bingley, who was entering the room with his company, as she said it.
Mr. Bingley had danced with Jane more than anyone else at the assembly and had accepted an invitation to dine with them, and that, as far as Mrs. Bennet was concerned, was almost as good as a marriage proposal.
Elizabeth cringed, exchanging glances with Elinor Dashwood. She prayed Mr. Bingley did not hear, and thankfully it seemed he did not, for he and Jane had found each other almost as soon as Jane was through the door.
Sir John Middleton hated for his home to be empty and would fill it every hour of every day with lively young people.
Elizabeth glanced around the room, and doubted that this was what Sir John had had in mind when he had made his invitations. Mrs. Jennings and her mother were gossiping loudly, with quiet interjections from Mrs. Dashwood; Kitty and Lyida were giggling in a corner - pointing to Mr. Darcy and then to Mr. Bingley and Jane, who sat near each other by the fire. Marianne and Mary were having a heated argument (especially on Marianne's part) about Shakespeare's Sonnets, and Fanny Dashwood was engaging Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst in a conversation they clearly wished to have no part in. Mr. Dashwood and Mr. Hurst seemed content enough, and so did Elinor who was speaking with Colonel Brandon.
And then there was Mr. Darcy, who was standing on his own, away from the rest of the party looking very displeased with the entire thing.
"Oh, no, no, no. This will not do. I will not have two young people sitting by themselves while visiting Barton," Sir John said with a broad smile. Colonel Brandon may have given an unfavorable account of Mr. Darcy to Sir John, but Darcy was his guest, even if only by association with Mr. Bingley, and he would not allow for anyone to spend their time here in gloomy silence. He was convinced that even someone like Mr. Darcy could have a good time.
"Miss Elizabeth, have you met Mr. Darcy?" He asked, "We should have some dancing after dinner, yes? Miss Marianne plays the piano forte very well and we do have enough young couples, I think."
"I'm afraid Mr. Darcy is not very fond of dancing," Elizabeth replied, her brown eyes smiling as she spoke.
"Oh, oh," Sir John said, flustered, as though this comment had gone and confirmed everything horrible he had ever heard about Mr. Darcy must be true. To hear a young person say that they did not like to dance (when it was clear he did not like to talk much, either) was almost beyond believement to Sir John. "I see. Well, surely you will not object to Miss Elizabeth's company, at the least? I know we are away from Darbyshire, but even here, there are certainly pleasures to be had."