Pride and Prejudice: An Amorous Retelling

4 :: Dining at Netherfield

Mrs. Bennet sniffed.

"We'll go as far as Meryton with you," said Catherine and Lydia, and the three young ladies set off.

They parted at Meryton and Elizabeth continued the remaining miles alone, crossing fields at a quick pace and jumping over puddles and fences with impatient activity. She arrived in view of the house with weary ankles, dirty stockings, and a face glowing with the warmth of exercise. In a state of anxious hurry, she rounded the corner of the house and unexpectedly collided with a figure.

She recognized the hint of his cologne instantly and found herself surprised that she did so. She experienced an inconvenient racing of her heart when she felt large, warm hands through the fabric of her dress and light jacket as he helped her remain upright. While she'd admired many a broad chest, Elizabeth found it startling to experience a visceral enjoyment of feeling a male form so intimately. Though improper of her to acknowledge it, the sensation of being clasped in strong arms and pressed against a man from shoulder to knee thrilled her.

A deep, startled inhalation pressed her chest against his and the thrill of it recalled her to reality. She was being embraced by a man she detested and who disdained her. Elizabeth ought not to be finding a secret sort of physical pleasure from it! Certainly not with Mr. Darcy. And certainly not in plain view of the house where anyone might see.

Stepping back, Elizabeth's already brilliant complexion was made more so by the new glitter in her eyes. The way she bit her lower lip drew Darcy's gaze as she backed away from him. The sight of her momentarily stole the breath he'd only just recovered from after their collision.

Darcy was unsettled by his response. He knew immediately who he held in his arms and desire—quick, sharp and unbidden—rose up in him. He would've liked to dismiss the sensation as a natural response to the momentary pleasure of holding a female form, any female form, but he suspected this wasn't the case. His interest didn't fade but instead bloomed further when he looked on the brilliancy of her eyes, the pink of her cheeks, the disarray of loose tendrils of hair framing the prettiness of her face, and the sight of her biting her lower lip. His eyes didn't miss the heaving of her bosom. Nor could he ignore his regret at having to release her.

He straightened his overcoat, glad for its coverage for reasons other than warmth from the autumn cool, and drew himself up stiffly.

"Miss Bennet," he said. "Pardon me"

"My apologies, Mr. Darcy," she said. A silence fell over the pair before Elizabeth cleared her throat and said, "I've come to inquire after my sister."

His brow raised. "On foot?"

"As you see," she replied, straightening her shoulders.

Darcy felt admiration rise up in him again and immediately turned to shield his inopportune response. He told her, "Follow me, then," and led her inside to show her to the breakfast-parlor where the company at Netherfield were all assembled.

Her appearance created a great deal of surprise.

Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley found it incredible she would've walked but they received her politely. Mr. Darcy said very little once inside, and Mr. Hurst nothing at all. The former wrestled with the tumult Elizabeth Bennet's appearance had evoked. The latter was thinking only of his breakfast. Only in Bingley's manner there was something better than politeness, there was good humor and kindness.

Elizabeth was glad to be taken to Jane immediately, and Jane was overjoyed to see her. Not wanting to alarm anyone or cause inconvenience, Jane hadn't written her desire for just such a visit, but she'd longed for Elizabeth's comforting presence all the same. Unequal to conversation, however, she had only enough energy to express how grateful she was for the kindness of Bingley and his sisters before subsiding. Needing no conversation and seeing how it taxed Jane, Elizabeth silently attended her sister and was glad for the tasks that directed her thoughts away from her encounter with Mr. Darcy.

After breakfast, the sisters joined them and as Elizabeth watched them shower her sister with affection, she almost came to like them. The sensation was short lived once she discovered they had nothing else to do as the gentlemen had gone out. That piece of information gave Elizabeth acute relief; it meant she wouldn't be required to meet with Darcy again.

When the clock struck three, Elizabeth felt she must go. Miss Bingley offered her the carriage until Jane expressed such concern in parting with her sister that Miss Bingley was instead obliged to extend an invitation to remain at Netherfield or seem churlish.

Elizabeth had only a moment's pause as she weighed the potential ills of prolonged interaction with Mr. Darcy against the potential good it would offer her sister. It didn't take her long before she consented with many thanks. A servant was dispatched to Longbourn to acquaint her family with the information of her stay and bring back a supply of clothes.