Pride Prejudice and Perjury

All the World's a Stage

Chapter 16 ~ All the World's a Stage

The guests from Pemberley arrived in two carriages. In the first, were Lord Netherby, his sister, and Georgiana Darcy, who arrived some ten minutes ahead of Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam in the second.

Lord Netherby was almost immediately at Elizabeth's side. “Miss Bennet,” he said, “I contrived that I should arrive here before the other gentlemen, as I was eager to be the first to make a particular request of you.”

“Oh?” responded Elizabeth apprehensively. “And what is your request, sir?”

“Only the pleasure of the first two dances at the Pemberley ball.”

Elizabeth smiled. “It will be my pleasure, also, Lord Netherby. But have you considered that you must certainly invoke the disapprobation of Lady Netherby, whom I feel certain would wish to hear that you had opened the ball with the young lady whose birthday it is intended to celebrate.”

Lord Netherby smiled. “Most regrettably, I choose my own pleasure and – I sincerely hope – that of my intended partner, above the wishes of my dear mother.”

“And is not the pleasure of the young lady in whose honour the ball is held to be likewise considered?” asked Elizabeth softly, not wishing the others – Georgiana, most especially – to hear.

“Certainly,” replied Lord Netherby quietly. “But it is my belief that it would be a pleasure of no great moment to the young lady – in the way that it would be to my mother, or to her brother. I think you comprehend my meaning, Miss Bennet?”

Elizabeth nodded. Lord Netherby wished her to understand that, in his opinion, Miss Darcy was not in love with him. Elizabeth reflected that Georgiana had said nothing to indicate that he was mistaken in the matter.

When the second carriage arrived, and greetings had been exchanged, Elizabeth was surprised at the immediate approach of Mr. Darcy. “Excuse me, Lord Netherby,” he said. “If Miss Bennet will consent, I wish to have a private word with her.”

Lord Netherby nodded his assent – somewhat ungraciously – and crossed the room to speak with his sister, leaving Elizabeth alone with Mr. Darcy, whom she now regarded. He looked ill at ease and tense, seemingly steeling himself for some most formidable task.

“Err… Miss Bennet, I wish… err, that is to say… if you are not otherwise engaged, I wish to request the pleasure of the first two dances at the Pemberley ball,” he said nervously, unable to quite meet her eyes.

“I thank you, sir; but I regret to inform you, that I am already engaged for those two dances,” said Elizabeth.

Darcy stiffened, and looking away, he turned his gaze to the other side of the room, where it came to rest, resentfully, upon Lord Netherby, whom, he surmised, must be the gentleman to whom Miss Bennet was engaged for those two dances.

Elizabeth felt awkward and embarrassed, and could think of nothing further to say. If Mr. Darcy truly wished to dance with her, rather than simply to triumph over Lord Netherby in some sort of schoolboy rivalry, he had only to request the pleasure of dancing a subsequent set with her; but it was not her place to suggest it.

Darcy turned back to her and said aggrievedly, “Miss Bennet, my motive for wishing to dance the first set with you is on account of my particular desire that it should be noticed by all those present at the ball. It would be understood as an unambiguous acknowledgement that I was mistaken in my reasons for excluding you from my society, and of my incontrovertible belief in your respectability. I must tell you that although the stated intention of the ball is to celebrate my sister's birthday, my real reason for holding it is my earnest wish to undo the damage I have done to your reputation.”

Elizabeth blushed. “Your good intentions do you credit, sir. I believe that your object will be principally achieved by the simple fact of my presence at the ball. I am most appreciative of your efforts on my behalf; however, I earnestly hope that if you do request the pleasure of dancing with me, it will be because you truly deem it a pleasure – and not merely a duty.”

Darcy knew not how to answer, and as he searched for a suitable reply, the butler announced the dinner. Darcy was momentarily distracted by the approach of Miss Netherby, and when he turned back to Miss Bennet, he saw Lord Netherby offering her his arm to escort her to the dining table, leaving him to accompany Lord Netherby's sister.

Whether by accident or design, Darcy was seated at the bottom of the dining table, with Victoria Netherby on his left side and Elizabeth on his right, next to whom sat Lord Netherby, then Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Charles Bingley at the top of the table. To his right were Georgiana, Jane, and Victoria Netherby.

Elizabeth reflected that if Colonel Fitzwilliam had developed a preference for Miss Netherby, as Georgiana thought possible, then he would be unhappy to once again find himself seated so far from her – and more particularly, to see her again seated beside Mr. Darcy. Miss Netherby's partiality for his cousin was becoming all too apparent.

This entirely unexpected turn of events both puzzled Elizabeth and disturbed her. She endeavoured to more closely observe the behaviour of the other members of the party, most especially Victoria Netherby, who sat opposite her, and whose conduct with regard to Mr. Darcy she found more than a little provoking.

Elizabeth's task was not made any easier by Lord Netherby, who was eager to engage her in conversation, and – to her surprise – Mr. Darcy, who made repeated efforts to converse with her – albeit somewhat clumsily. Whenever he did succeed in winning her attention from Lord Netherby, Miss Netherby, inevitably intervened and deftly drew Mr. Darcy's attention back to herself.

Never in her life had Elizabeth experienced such a meal. So engaged was she in conversing with one or other of her neighbours, or observing the intercourse between Miss Netherby and Mr. Darcy, that her dishes were all cleared away unfinished. Colonel Fitzwilliam, too, she noticed, was closely observing Miss Netherby and Mr. Darcy, and appeared most dissatisfied with what he saw. Georgiana, Jane, and Charles Bingley seemed amused and somewhat bewildered. Elizabeth, however, was by this time becoming exceedingly suspicious of both Miss Netherby and her brother.

When the ladies withdrew to the drawing room, Elizabeth seated herself beside Victoria Netherby, and smilingly raised an inquiring eyebrow. Miss Netherby looked away. Georgiana was standing beside the pianoforte with Jane, selecting the music she would play when they were joined by the gentlemen.

“When I think back to the wonderful time I spent with you and your brother at Fendalton Park,” said Elizabeth, “one of the highlights was those occasions when we were reading from Shakespeare's plays. I imagine that you and Lord Netherby must spend many hours together enjoying such amusements?”

“Indeed, we do. It is a favourite pastime of ours, and one that our mother has encouraged from an early age.”

“Then please give Lady Netherby my sincere compliments for promoting such a worthy enterprise; anyone who has seen you perform cannot but agree that her efforts have not been wasted – and I do not refer to Shakespeare's plays.”

“Oh,” said Victoria, smiling. “So you have discovered my little ruse? I should have guessed you might.”

“I am only ashamed that it has taken me so long,” said Elizabeth.

“I think it has all worked rather well. I must confess I am rather pleased with it. You know, of course, that I plan to one day write a romance? I think I shall make use of a similar stratagem; it will add a delightful element of amusement, I believe.”

Before Elizabeth could reply, they were joined by Jane, who was concerned that her sister was not well, for she had not finished her plate in any of the courses served.

“I am very well, Jane, and your cook excelled himself this evening; all the dishes were excellent. It is only that Lord Netherby and Mr. Darcy kept me talking the whole meal long; I barely managed to eat at all.”

“Well, it was most rude of them to keep you talking so relentlessly,” said Victoria, and then smiling, she added, “I did my best, you know, to distract Mr. Darcy, and afford you some peace, but I must concede that I was unequal to the task of preventing his attentions from repeatedly returning to you.”

When the gentlemen joined them, Lord Netherby approached Elizabeth and adroitly steered her towards a sofa to the side of the room, away the rest of the party.

“I have just been asking your sister to congratulate Lady Netherby on my behalf,” said Elizabeth, smiling mysteriously.

“And on what account are these congratulations in order?” enquired the gentleman.

“For encouraging you both, so successfully, to develop such prodigious acting abilities.”

“Oh? So you have guessed our little game, then? To do my sister justice, I must acknowledge that the authorship is all hers; I am merely an actor playing my part.”

Lord Netherby looked a little embarrassed and guilty, thought Elizabeth. “Nevertheless, you played your part exceedingly well; I must concede that I was entirely taken in.”

“Miss Bennet,” entreated Lord Netherby anxiously. “Please tell me that you have not… well, that is to say… I sincerely hope that your heart has not been touched by the enthusiasm of my performance.”

“You may rest assured, Lord Netherby, that in spite of your considerable charms and the verisimilitude of your performance, no damage has been done,” said Elizabeth, eager to set his mind at rest, for the sincerity of his concern was evident.

Lord Netherby sighed with relief. “My sister assured me that there was no likelihood of your being swayed by my pretence; for she was quite certain that your affections were elsewhere engaged,” he said, looking in the direction of Mr. Darcy, who was seated beside his sister.

“Miss Netherby assumes too much,” said Elizabeth curtly, following the gentleman's gaze. Mr. Darcy, she observed, was looking back at Lord Netherby, not with the same barely-concealed hostility with which he had regarded him at the table, but rather with a look of expectation.

Lord Netherby, evidently comprehending the meaning of Mr. Darcy's expression, said, “Miss Bennet, I have a rather unusual request to make of you.”

“Yes?” said Elizabeth smiling, encouragingly.

“I wish to withdraw my application to dance the first two dances of the ball with you.”

“How extraordinary,” said Elizabeth, feigning offence. “I have never heard of such a thing. There is no precedent, surely, for a gentleman to recant an invitation to a lady to dance with him? You must have a very serious reason for so un-chivalrous a slight,” she said, raising a questioning eyebrow.

“Indeed I do, and please believe me, that no insult of any kind is intended. I beg you, Miss Bennet, please do not understand my unusual request as representing a diminution of my regard for you; it is only that Mr. Darcy was most forceful in his demand that I relinquish the honour in favour of himself. He took me aside while we were at our port and cigars, and requested a private word with me. For a moment I feared that he intended to challenge me to a duel, so stern and grave was his demeanour.”

“Doubtless, it was his intention to do so, had you not acceded to his demand,” said Elizabeth ironically. “I must tell you, sir, that I am most disappointed that you were not willing to die for the pleasure of dancing with me. You are not at all the romantic young gentleman I had believed you to be.”

Lord Netherby laughed. “I fully intend to dance with you, Miss Bennet, but not those two dances. And I wish you to know that I did not give them up lightly.”

“And how, exactly, did Mr. Darcy succeed in making you give way to him in the matter?”

“He explained that his desire in wishing to engage you for the first two dances was that it would be understood by all those present at the ball, and very soon afterwards the entire neighbourhood, as an unequivocal acknowledgement that his former reasons for excluding you from his society had been entirely mistaken, and of his incontrovertible faith in your respectability. It is his earnest wish that your good name be restored. That also being my own sincere wish, I was most willing to comply with his request.”

Their conversation ended abruptly at this point, as Lord Netherby was called upon to join his sister and Miss Darcy in a song. Upon its commencement, Mr. Darcy approached and seated himself beside Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet,” said he, “am I correct in understanding that you are no longer engaged for the first two dances?”

Elizabeth nodded her head, scrutinising her interlocutor carefully.

“In that case, may I reapply for the pleasure of engaging you for those two dances?”

Elizabeth nodded again, but remained silent.

“Then you agree to open the ball with me?” he asked tentatively.

“You are getting somewhat ahead of yourself, Mr. Darcy. I merely agreed that you might make your request again; I have not yet assented to it,” said Elizabeth pointedly. “Furthermore, it would seem strange, would it not, if any lady other than your sister, in whose honour the ball is to be held, should stand at the top in the first set.”

“Of course, you are quite correct, Miss Bennet. My sister and her partner will indeed lead off the first set. I only intended that you and I should be the first couple to follow them.”

“But I have not yet consented to be your partner.”

Darcy's face took on a reddish tinge, as he looked silently and imploringly at Elizabeth.

“As I informed you, Mr. Darcy, upon your earlier application this evening, while I am most appreciative of your efforts on my behalf to undo the damage to my character that you have inflicted, good intentions, alone, are an insufficient inducement for me to accept an invitation to dance with a gentleman. If you wish me to agree to be your partner for the first two – or indeed any – dances, then you will have to convince me that your request springs from a sincere desire for the pleasure of my company and of dancing with me – and not merely a feeling of guilt and a sense of duty. Please excuse me, sir,” said Elizabeth, quickly rising and crossing the room to sit beside Jane, leaving Mr. Darcy perplexed and dissatisfied.

Elizabeth adroitly managed to deny Mr. Darcy any further opportunity of a tête-à-tête during the remainder of the evening. He sat alone, unhappy and discontented. Miss Netherby was otherwise engaged, for Colonel Fitzwilliam, taking full advantage of the greater freedom of movement possible in the drawing room, was constantly beside her and entirely successful in engaging her attention.

***

The following morning, the first snow of the winter began falling heavily. Consequently, Elizabeth and Jane put off their intended visit to Pemberley to wait upon Miss Darcy and Miss Netherby, and instead sat in the morning room recounting the events of the previous day's dinner. Jane commented on the seating arrangements, which, at her sister's suggestion, she had left entirely up to her guests to determine. “It was quite similar, I think, to the Pemberley dinner – and entirely contrary to how I should have arranged things. And yet, once again, conversation was abundant and greatly animated; I must confess that I was quite baffled by it all. Something strange is afoot, Lizzy. I cannot quite put my finger on it. Do you have any inkling of what it can be?”

“Indeed I do, Jane. I began to suspect that everything was not quite what it appeared to be when we dined recently at Pemberley; and so yesterday I closely observed all the party, and by the end of the meal, I had uncovered the mystery: Miss Netherby and her brother have been enacting a rather elaborate – and I might add, successful – little deception upon us all.”

“Good heavens!” exclaimed Jane. “Surely you do not believe that Miss Netherby's attentions to Mr. Darcy – and those of Lord Netherby to yourself – are not genuine? Why, Lizzy, that would be scandalous! I cannot believe it to be true!”

“It is entirely true. I challenged Victoria when we withdrew to the drawing room and she conceded it all – without, I might add, the least embarrassment. It was all her idea, her brother was simply acting the part she had devised for him. She even expressed her satisfaction at the result.”

“How shocking!” said Jane, shaking her head. “It is the sort of outlandish thing that one might expect to encounter in an amusing novel! Miss Netherby is indeed an eccentric lady! I find myself unable to approve of her extraordinary behaviour.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Indeed, she cares little for social conventions; and yet I must admit to a certain admiration of her spirit. You will be unsurprised to learn that she intends one day to write a novel, and remarked yesterday that she may very likely employ such a device in her story. In any case, you must admit, Jane: she achieved exactly what she intended.”

“If you mean that Miss Netherby made Colonel Fitzwilliam jealous by pretending to favour Mr. Darcy, then yes, it seemed so. Having failed to be seated near her at the table, the colonel wasted little time in seeking out her company in the drawing room. As I recall, he similarly sought Miss Netherby out at in the drawing room at Pemberley, but on that occasion she stayed so close to Mr. Darcy, that he was hardly able to converse with her. Yesterday, however, Miss Netherby allowed Colonel Fitzwilliam greater opportunity, and he took full advantage. In fact, I must confess to overhearing him applying for the first two dances at the ball, and being accepted with pleasure.”

“Yes, that part of her scheme worked well, indeed,” said Elizabeth.

“Was her pretence at favouring Mr. Darcy also intended to arouse your interest in him, by making you jealous of her?” asked Jane coyly.

“Yes, very probably; although it was merely a side effect. I suspect that Miss Netherby believes that despite the abominable way Mr. Darcy has treated me that I still care for the man, and am consequently in no great need of encouragement. Her scheme, in that regard, was more in the nature of provoking Mr. Darcy, by making him jealous of Lord Netherby; an endeavour in which she succeeded admirably.”

As her sister had introduced the subject, Jane took the opportunity to ask the question which she had wished to ask ever since her return to Willowbank. “Lizzy, I hope you do not mind me asking you, and I will quite understand if you choose not to answer. Is Miss Netherby correct in her belief that you still have feelings for Mr. Darcy?”

Elizabeth was silent for a long time while she considered her reply. “Sometimes I fancy that I do still care for him. But at other times, he makes me so angry that I feel as if I would be happy never to see him again.”

“I can certainly understand how angry you must have been with him all those long months when he treated you so coldly and refused your society. And then to discover the reason for his behaviour – that he had believed the lies of his aunt rather than trusting in your good character – your anger and scorn were entirely justified. But Lizzy, has he not shown true remorse for his errors, and begged you to accept his sincere apologies? And consider what he has done for Lydia; his extraordinary generosity. Can you never forgive him his mistake?”

“I believe that I forgave him after his visit to Longbourn, when I learned of what he had done for Lydia. It is not that which now sometimes makes me angry – although anger, perhaps, is not quite the right word.”

“Then what is it?” asked Jane.

Elizabeth contemplated how best to explain what she felt, for she was not entirely certain in her own mind. “Last night, before the meal, Mr. Darcy requested the first two dances at the ball. Unfortunately for him, Lord Netherby arrived ahead of him, and had already secured them – no doubt it was all part of the plan to make Mr. Darcy jealous. Mr. Darcy, however, was determined, and after the ladies had withdrawn from the dining room, he persuaded Lord Netherby to relinquish the engagement. When the gentlemen joined us in the drawing room, Lord Netherby revealed what had transpired, and that he had acceded to Mr. Darcy's request. Soon afterwards, Mr. Darcy approached me and reapplied for the first two dances.”

“Then he must still love you, Lizzy,” said Jane eagerly.

“Of that I am not at all certain. He made it clear, both to myself and to Lord Netherby, that his purpose in wishing to dance the first set with me is to publicly acknowledge that he was mistaken in his reasons for excluding me from his society. He intends it as an unequivocal statement of his belief in my respectability. He even revealed that this was, in fact, his true reason for deciding to hold the ball – Georgiana's birthday is merely a pretext.”

“It will most certainly have the desired effect, Lizzy. The news will very soon spread throughout the district, and your reputation will be entirely restored. Does not the willingness of so proud a man to humble himself by publicly acknowledging his error, indicate his love for you?”

“No,” said Elizabeth, shaking her head. “Consider the trouble and expense he undertook on account of Lydia, whom he most certainly has never loved.”

“Lizzy, have you never considered the possibility that, contrary to his stated reasons for what he has twice done on our sister's behalf, that he very likely did it for you. In fact, if I recall correctly, from your account of our Aunt Gardiner's letter, she was of just that opinion.”

“Our aunt may have been mistaken; but even if she was not, that was a full year and a half ago, and prior to Mr. Darcy coming to hold the most abominable opinion concerning me – for over a year. I believe Mr. Darcy was being entirely honest in the reasons he gave for helping our sister on both occasions: it is his obsessive sense of duty.”

“Do you really believe that, Lizzy?”

“Indeed I do. His efforts at securing the first two dances and his many attempts at conversation during the meal all speak of his sense of duty. He is ashamed of the way he mistreated me, and of injuring my reputation. He feels guilty for his actions and is eager to make amends. I do not call that love, Jane. In fact, it has nothing to do with his feelings for me in the least bit – it is rather about himself, and the standard of behaviour he believes is demanded of a gentleman of his elevated rank. I fear that what induces his actions is nothing but pride, and his precious sense of duty.”

Jane reflected for some time upon her sister's words but she could not agree. “Really, Lizzy, you do not know for certain; this is all surmise. Have you never been wrong?” she asked gently.

Elizabeth gave a wry smile. Jane was referring, she knew, to how her opinions of both Wickham and Darcy had both been entirely mistaken. Luckily, her sister was unaware of the ridiculous delusion she had briefly entertained at Longbourn – that Darcy, having killed Wickham, was determined to marry Lydia in recompense. Though it now seemed absurd, was it in fact so utterly unthinkable? Mr. Darcy had been willing to marry Caroline Bingley, without the hint of affection on either side, so why would he not have married Lydia? If he had, in fact, killed her husband, might he not have been persuaded that it was his duty?

“I concede, Jane, that I have sometimes judged the character of others too hastily, and without sufficient information. However, I have now known Mr. Darcy in excess of two years, and I am confident that I understand his character very well.”

“And you believe that he does not care for you in the least? That having done his duty at the ball to set the public record straight, he will treat you as a common and indifferent acquaintance?”

“Perhaps,” mused Elizabeth. “What I fear more than him treating me with indifference is that he will, again, ask me to marry him.”

“What?” demanded Jane in confusion. “I do not understand you at all, Lizzy. You say he is indifferent, and in the same breath that you fear he will pay you his addresses. How can that be?”

“Consider, Jane: Mr. Darcy has determined that it is time he was married; he wishes to produce an heir – it is his duty, after all! He was even prepared to settle on Caroline Bingley, so evidently love is in no way a consideration. By dancing the first set with me at the ball, he may rehabilitate my reputation, but he will hardly consider it full restitution for all that I have suffered. Mr. Darcy will continue to feel guilty, and consider himself honour bound to make amends for the pain he has caused me. Furthermore, Georgiana has, I imagine, alluded to how happy it would make her to have me as her sister.”

“So you truly believe that he may pay you his addresses?”

“I consider it… quite likely. Lord Netherby's pretence may have added urgency, and spurred him to action; but it is something, I suspect, that he has contemplated ever since he learned the truth of his aunt's deception, and broke off his engagement with Caroline Bingley. When I consider his behaviour yesterday, his unexpected eagerness to engage me in conversation, his motive was not, I believe, solely his scheme regarding the first two dances at the ball – that is his first objective only – he means to court me.”

“And yet you are convinced he does not love you?”

“Love has nothing to do with it, Jane. Mr. Darcy is a creature of reason, and he has three very good reasons for wishing to marry me: He feels obliged to produce an heir; his guilt regarding the evil he has done me would be assuaged and his duty discharged; and it would gratify the fond wishes of a beloved sister.”