{"id":2186,"date":"2017-12-22T10:26:00","date_gmt":"2017-12-22T15:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elizabethannwest.com\/author\/?p=2186"},"modified":"2021-12-17T12:53:43","modified_gmt":"2021-12-17T17:53:43","slug":"chapter-4-mr-darcy-dared","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elizabethannwest.com\/author\/wip\/chapter-4-mr-darcy-dared\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 4 If Mr. Darcy Dared"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Thank you everyone who has posted comments, I will respond I promise. Been head down writing.\u00a0 Also the issues you are catching I am correcting, so thank you for that as well!<\/p>

XOXOXO Elizabeth Ann West<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chapter 4 - If Mr. Darcy Dared<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Inside, Longbourn had become a flurry of activity. Elizabeth scarcely slipped in through the back door to remove her boots when Lydia, her youngest sister, thundered down the back stairs with Kitty close on her heels.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“Give them back, give them back! I chose the pink roses!” Kitty yelled.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Lydia laughed and nearly escaped until Elizabeth held out her arms to brace for an impact as she turned her face away from the general direction of Lydia. The collision stopped Lydia, but produced irreparable harm to the delicate pink shoe roses Lydia had held in her hand.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“You ruined them!” Lydia whined as Elizabeth looked down at the crushed petals in her sister’s hands. Lydia made a sound of disgust and thrust the flowers out to give them back to Kitty who held up her hands in refusal.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“I don’t want them now!”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth scolded her youngest sister. “Then you should not have stolen them from Kitty in the first place.” Elizabeth nodded to Kitty who understood her older sister and dashed up the stairs to grab Lydia’s white shoe roses before the most spoiled Bennet daughter could claim those as well. Lydia stamped her foot but Elizabeth gently reached out to grab her arm. “Do not let your temper get the best of you. You claimed the pink shoe roses and have them in your hand. Pluck a few of the crushed petals and the bloom will be just as before,\u201d Elizabeth coaxed as Lydia pouted.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

When the not-yet-sixteen-year-old calmed and considered her elder sister\u2019s good sense, Elizabeth issued a last warning. \u201cAnd leave Kitty alone.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Lydia flinched and inspected the crushed blooms in her hand. If she removed some of the outside layers, the flowers would be as good as new but she did not wish to admit such a defeat to Lizzie. Instead, Lydia stuck out her tongue and turned around to leave her sister alone in the kitchen.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth blew out a breath and travelled through the kitchen to the front of the house. She held no desire to run into her quarreling sisters by following them above stairs as they likely blocked the way to her shared bedroom with Jane. Avoiding them, she had not thought to pause outside the dining room door to listen for voices on the other side. Since her cousin Mr. Collins came to visit after she and Jane returned from Netherfield Park, she had worked to avoid him as well as a general rule.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

To her chagrin, just inside the parlor was her cousin, Mr. Collins, in a low conversation with her mother. The two spotted her and her mother called out.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“There you are, Lizzy! Mr. Collins here was just telling me he had searched the entire house for you and could not find you. I explained how he must have been mistaken, that none of my daughters would be rambling about the countryside with such an important evening ahead.” Mrs. Bennet pronounced with a forced smile as her daughter looked down at the hem of her gown, clearly showing signs of dirt.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth kept her counsel. She wished neither to lie to her mother nor draw her irritation confessing the truth. Shrugging her shoulders, she plastered a false smile on her lips and stared blankly at her mother.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“It was my aim to find you, Cousin Elizabeth, for in speaking with your mother I have determined that I should like to open the ball with you for the first.\u201d Mr. Collins announced as her mother squealed with delight. Elizabeth\u2019s smile melted with dread.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“How kind of you, Mr. Collins. See Lizzy? Jane will dance the first set with Mr. Bingley and you will dance the first with Mr. Collins!” Mrs. Bennet preened with pride as she practically took credit for the marriage prospects of her two eldest daughters.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Ignoring the sour feeling in her stomach, Elizabeth\u2019s voice came out nearly louder than a whisper. “I’m afraid I must decline,” she said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“Now, now, cousin. I know you relish a good tease.” Mr. Collins still grinned like a fat pig presented with slop as he looked back to Mrs. Bennet for her approval. “The ball is not even begun; surely you cannot be spoken for.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth slanted her eyes in her struggle for words. She could not believe her cousin would be so equally rude as he was dense. Did all gentlemen insult ladies so cavalierly?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“I assure you, I do not jest. The first set is not mine to give.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Mr. Collins began to breathe very heavily as he returned his focus to Mrs. Bennet. “Do you allow your daughters to make a mockery of their suitors? You warned me your eldest daughter was spoken for; why did you not confess the same for your other?” Mr. Collins began to grow very angry as Mrs. Bennet became flustered.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“I never said Jane was spoken for, just merely that she was very nearly spoken for by Mr. Bingley. As for Lizzy, she has no suitors. What trick are you playing, young lady? Either you will dance the first set with Mr. Collins or you will not go at all this evening. Do I make myself clear?” Mrs. Bennet admonished Elizabeth who shook her head.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“But Mama, I just agreed to dance the first set with Mr. Darcy. If I were to dance the first with Mr. Collins, I would insult Mr. Bingley’s good friend.” Elizabeth found herself surprised she so vehemently did not wish to miss this evening and defended her opportunity to dance with Mr. Darcy. Just moments ago she still questioned the man’s character! However, in a question of a Mr. Collins or a Mr. Darcy, even Elizabeth was no fool as to ponder such a comparison for long.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“But, but, \u2026 Mr. Darcy? That\u2019s nearly \u00a310 000 a year!” Mrs. Bennet struggled to contain herself at such a boon for her daughter and nearly forgot Mr. Collins altogether.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“Did you say you are to dance the first set with Mr. Darcy? A Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley?” Mr. Collins asked icily in a tone that Elizabeth mistook as mere jealousy that another gentleman had asked for her dancing company first.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“I believe he is the same.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Mr. Collins suddenly seemed delighted and clapped his hands together in an abundance of jubilation “Oh, then I need not worry. Yes Cousin, you must certainly dance the first set with Mr. Darcy, for he is the nephew of my esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I have it on good authority that he is to marry her daughter next spring.” Mr. Collins boasted.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Mrs. Bennet began peppering Collins with questions about such a match, as Elizabeth began to feel light headed. Her entire body felt disconnected from the world around her as she gently excused herself to ready for the ball. Both her mother and her cousin shooed her to do exactly that and Elizabeth mindlessly climbed the stairs to her room.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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