Work Text:
"Come now, Anne, we must have you dance," said Caroline Bingley, who had come from the dance for a few minutes to press her friend, Miss Anne Darcy, to join it. "You cannot leave my poor brother to the mercy of these savages. He is determined not to sit down all night, and you would be doing him a great favour in allowing him to enjoy some superior dancing for a set or two."
Anne Darcy had long since declared her dancing days to be over, and the prospect of hopping around with Charles Bingley at a country-town assembly was far from inducement enough for Miss Darcy to pin up the train of her dress and join the set. She valued Mr Bingley as a friend, and wished very much to see him well married,—and had she had a sister, she would have been happy to see her joined to him in holy matrimony. She had no intention, however, of herself entering with him into that blessed state, no matter how much his sisters might wish for such an event to take place.
"He seems to be enjoying his time with his current partner well enough," pointed out Anne.
"Oh! yes, Miss Bennet is a sweet girl, and not at all remiss as a dancer. But you must own that she is rather the exception that proves the rule, and Charles cannot dance with her all night. Indeed, I just heard him mention that he might ask for an introduction to the second Miss Bennet next (with a significant look behind the back of Miss Darcy)."
Anne turned around, and immediately saw who Caroline must be referring to. The young lady was rather oddly attired, in a plain dress with a high collar and full epaulettes on her shoulders, and her curls seemed to be shorn short, rather than piled upon her head. The overall effect was mannish and severe, and very much not of the fashion. This Miss Bennet was not someone that Caroline Bingley would approve of her brother dancing with.
"To be sure," said Anne, turning back to her friend, "an assembly room in Hertfordshire is not where I had expected to next come across a Titus cut, but I dare say she's tolerably pretty, and if your brother wishes to amuse himself with giving consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men, I shall not stand in his way. You had better return to the dance."
Caroline did so, and as Anne followed her with her eyes, she noticed that a new couple was joining in the dancing. The Miss Bennet who Anne had just been observing was now standing at the bottom of the set—on the men's side, opposite a freckled young lady who had had as little luck as herself in finding a more appropriate partner.
This most unladylike behaviour seemed not to take anybody else in the room by much surprise, which must indicate that standing up with other young ladies was a regular habit of Miss Bennet's. Anne was pondering this possibility, when Miss Bennet caught her eye, and acknowledged her with a satirical little bow,—which, to Anne's own great surprise, caused the heat of a blush to spread across her cheeks.
It was mortifying, to be sure, to realise that Miss Bennet must have been within hearing when Anne spoke so disparagingly of her,—that was enough, surely, to make anyone blush. Never mind the fact that, had she truly been so very concerned about not being overheard, she could very well have lowered her voice.