The Eldest | F. Darcy

Chapter 16: A Dance to fall in Love

"Mr. Darcy," she smiled fully and so beautifully that Darcy thought his heart would stop beating. She courtesied and he bowed.

"You look beautiful, my dear," he breathed. His eyes shamelessly wandering through her body as she stood before him shyly and blushed.

"Thank you," she replied breathlessly. Suddenly, the room became a little too much for her to bear.

"And does the lady remember her promised dance?"

"Yes," she replied and he took her hand as the first roll played.

As they took place in their set, the neighbors gave them an expression of shock and disbelief. No one had seen Adele and Darcy dance ever and certainly not with each other. After the news of the 'tolerable but handsome enough' comment spread like wildfire in the neighborhood, the people had been adamant that the two abhorred each other. However, watching them stand opposite to each other for a dance roll did appear to be the last thing the people and themselves- Adele and Darcy- imagined.

Adele could see Jane and Bingley, Lizzie and Mr. Collins, and Mary and James standing for the set while Miss Bingley gave her glares that could have killed her. Mrs. Bennet looked stunned by the couple and was ogling them, Mr. Bennet was smirking and her dear Charlotte was giggling.

As the dance started, they both moved swiftly with each other. While they never danced, they were more than accomplished in the art. They literally glided, too lost in each other to see the world around them.

"You dance quite well," Mr. Darcy commented.

She laughed and Darcy was aware of the gasps that left people's lips at how unguided yet melodic it was. "You was quite graceful too, Mr. Darcy."

"Well, I remember a certain little girl teaching me when I was little," he mused, indicating it was herself.

"Then, sir, you certainly must thank that girl. She did a splendid job in teaching you," she played along.

He chuckled and they were again silent for a few minutes.

"After the sets," she paused as she moved a little far, "you need to befriend Elizabeth."

He nodded.

"It wouldn't be easy, Mr. Darcy," she urged, "she does despise you with a passion. I need you to remain patient with her. For if both of you started to use your tongue, the ball room would be in fire. Besides, people are already against you and thus, the fire will only you, Mr Darcy."

He nodded again for he knew she spoke the truth. However, he did not want the dance to end for his own selfish reasons. Adele looked more of a goddess that day than ever and he was not sure if he could find it in himself to let her go.

"I do not want the dance to end, Miss Bennet," he confessed and she found herself grateful for the music that required her to move a little far, for she was all red for herself.

"Well, you and I, both, sir," she added, "you and I, both."

However, the dance did end and before any of them knew, the two rolls were over and Adele had to practically force Mr. Darcy to look for Elizabeth for the next dance.

She herself was invited to dance with James and she couldn't deny it. Mr. Collins chose Charlotte and she admitted to herself that they both looked nice together. Jane was dancing with an officer she did not know and do not want to know. Mary stood in the corner and her other three sisters too were dancing with the officers.

"Do you love him?" James asked bluntly the first moment they got close enough to confide. She felt flustered.

"Yes," she spoke without hesitation and inspite of her flushing.

"Did you tell him, my dear?" He spoke again, softly.

"No, I suspect that there is an another," she said and quickly accused, "nor have you confessed to her."

His eyes shot rapidly at her, "to whom?"

She raised her eyebrow as if daring him to refuse that he knew. He flushed and just shook his head.

"I couldn't," he confessed, "she just had opened up to me and I couldn't handle her aloofness after, if she did not reciprocated. You know as well I that she would never talk to me after the knowledge that she had expressed herself in the wrong way."

She couldn't deny and thus, said nothing. Her eyes, instead, drifted to Mr. Darcy and Lizzie, whom she found looking at each other heatedly. She frowned, something had went extremely wrong.

"I find their frowns as an incredibly disturbing sign," James observed the same. She affirmed and sighed.

"They couldn't be in the same room without being at each other's throat. I wonder how they would manage if they were to be brother and sister."

It came out incredibly wrong and that was not lost upon her partner as he gave her an amused smile.

"Why, my friend? Do you plan upon making them brother and sister? Do you intend to marry him?"

She sighed in defeat as she looked at him tiredly. The devil had the nerve to laugh and she would only glare at him while shaking her head.

The roll ended soon after and she noticed Elizabeth making her way off the dancing floor. She looked at Darcy who had an exhausted expression and that was enough to tell that the dance did them no good.

She found herself leaving for the balcony when Mr. Collins stood on her way.

"Mr. Collins, may I do something for you?"

"Yes, Miss Bennet. May I ask for the honour of dancing the next roll with you?"

She sighed in defeat and was lead to the floor by the parson. She was, however, glad to notice that Mr. Darcy was leading a very shy Mary to the floor as well and passed a gracious smile at him that made his heart flutter. He smiled back equally.

Mary did not say anything during the dance, however, the silence was a welcome distraction to ponder upon the memories of the previous dance with Miss Elizabeth. The roll ended in no time and he made his way to the second eldest Bennet who stood beside an officer.
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Adele smiled while observing as Darcy made his way towards her after leaving Jane beside Charles. She was happy that he was making efforts to get into the good graces of the family. She did not expect him to talk to her mother or dance with her youngest two sisters, for she knew he despised them with a passion and she couldn't deny that he is reasonable in the subject. However, he was trying in the ways he could and she couldn't wish for more.

He sighed as he stood beside her. She chuckled at his tired expression.

"I despise dancing," he admitted.

"You dance splendidly," she smiled, "I did not find observing your foot unpleasant."

"You were staring at me all the time, Miss Bennet," he teased.

"I was observing you as you danced with my sister," she corrected him but still flushed.

"Well then, Miss Bennet," he said in such a tone that took her breath away, "you can observe me all to your heart's desire, besides, who am I to deny you anything."

She looked at him through her lashes with her reddened cheeks and heaving breasts that he needs stirred. He imagined what things he shouldn't do to her and something stirred in his nether regions. He had been a celibate all his life and his celibacy had never erked him before he met her here, at Herefordshire. Since the moment she graced him at the assembly, all he could think of were the things that could be defined as sinful, however, he couldn't deny that he was falling in love with her all over again.

His reverie was broken as James and Mary joined them and remained by their side for about another hour. After that, dinner was announced and Mr. Darcy had the pleasure to have Adele's arm in his as he guided her to the dining room.