Page 1 of A Different Impression

CHAPTER 1

The Assembly

“Come, Darcy; I must have you dance.” Charles Bingley, the newly arrived tenant of Netherfield Park, chided his friend who had accompanied him to the assembly that night. “I hate to see you standing about in this stupid manner.”

“Bingley, you insisted that I join you this evening, and I informed you before we left your home that I would not dance tonight, so leave me be,” his friend, Fitzwilliam Darcy, stated in a flat tone. “My head aches, yet had I stayed behind, your sister would have insisted it was her duty to remain as company. Since that seemed the worse fate, I grudgingly came along, but I told you I was not in a mood to dance.”

“Darcy…” Bingley began.

“No, Bingley,” Darcy cut him off. “Had you told me there would be an assembly tonight, I would have delayed my departure from London until the morrow. I am here at your request to help you learn to manage the estate you have leased. Despite her attempts otherwise, Miss Bingley will never be my wife; nor will I risk her attempting to compromise me by remaining alone in her company.”

“Darcy…” Bingley tried again to cajole his friend.

“No, Bingley, go and return to your newest angel and her many smiles,” Darcy stated abruptly. “Leave me be. I will be in a better humour when I have had time to rest, and my head no longer aches. I am tempted to call for the carriage to sneak out of this damned assembly and return to Netherfield to sleep; I would if I thought I could do so without it being noticed.”

Bingley grumbled but finally walked away, returning to the blonde woman he had been dancing with. Since Bingley met a new angel every other month and typically lost interest just as quickly, Darcy rarely paid them much attention.

Darcy had not noticed the young lady seated just behind him, nor had he attempted to lower his voice; Bingley could never have heard him above the music had he done so. When their eyes met, Darcy felt heat rise into his cheeks. A delicate blush coloured hers, suggesting that she was equally conscious of the impropriety.

Before he could apologise, she spoke.

“I am sorry to hear that your head troubles you,” she said gently, rising and stepping nearer. “Although we have not been properly introduced, I hope you will forgive me for addressing you. I carry some headache powders in my reticule which may afford you some relief.”

As she spoke, she discreetly withdrew a small packet and offered it to him with quiet grace.

“Thank you,” he murmured, accepting it without meeting her eyes.

“I did not mean to listen to your conversation,” said she, “but I could hardly avoid it. I do apologise.”

“It does not matter,” he said, somewhat abashed, but quickly realised he honestly had not minded that she overheard.

The young lady glanced towards the others before turning to go, as though conscious that they had already spoken longer than propriety permitted.

His low murmur stopped her. “I hope to speak with you again soon, miss.”

She glanced back and offered him a brilliant smile—one that lit her entire countenance and rendered her quite striking in his eyes.

“Perhaps,” he added, emboldened, “I might persuade my friend to make the introduction later.”

Darcy watched as she walked away, pleased to see that her smile remained upon her lips.

Elizabeth Bennet turned his suggestion over in her mind as she resumed her walk.

“Ask your friend to have my sister do the honours when their dance is over,” she called softly over her shoulder.

She continued towards her family, hoping their brief tête-à-tête had gone unobserved by the crowd—and particularly by her mother.

Looking around, it seemed her mother’s attention had been on Jane’s progress on the dance floor with Mr Bingley, so she approached Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte, who was older than Elizabeth and considered “on the shelf” by many in the neighbourhood, was a good friend.

“John will be quite put out to have missed the assembly,” Charlotte remarked as they watched the dancers. “He asked particularly whether you meant to attend before he left for London.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Your brother knows perfectly well that Mama drags all five of us to every assembly within reach.”

Charlotte gave her an odd little smile but said nothing more.

Their conversation soon turned to Jane, and Charlotte remarked on how taken their new neighbour appeared to be with her. “He is quite captured by her beauty, to be sure,” she said. “But if she hopes to catch him, she must encourage him and show more than she feels.”

“Catch him?” Elizabeth repeated, eyes wide with disbelief. “Is he a fish, to be caught and reeled in? Surely you do not expect Jane to behave in such a manner—you know how reserved she is.”