A Bevy of Suitors

Bingley was so bemused at the sight of such loveliness before him that he almost missed the introduction which Sir William had graciously agreed to perform. Collecting himself with no small effort, Bingley attended to the introduction and was delighted to apprehend that the two young ladies in question were indeed the two eldest Bennet daughters of whom he had heard so much.

The elder was as lovely as he had been led to believe, and he felt himself very much entranced by her soft voice and reserved manners. Yet there was something about the younger sister which arrested his attention. She was obviously livelier and more open than her sister, but this did not reflect negatively upon her manners, as they were everything proper for a young woman of her station.

“Mr. Bingley,” said Miss Elizabeth, “I had almost begun to wonder if you were a myth dreamed up by my father for the purpose of vexing my mother.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“The arrival of a new party to the neighborhood has created such a stir that your whole party will no doubt be spoken of in raised tones for the next sixmonth at least.”

Bingley laughed. “I scarcely think we make such an interesting subject as that.”

“Then you seriously underestimate your impact upon country society, sir. Here, an addition to the company is to be viewed almost as a miraculous gift.”

Bingley allowed her to take the lead in the conversation, and although he could not later recall much of what had been spoken, he found himself entranced by her ready wit, her vivacity, and her ease among the company.

Throughout the conversation, Bingley kept thinking of the discussion he had had with Darcy several days earlier concerning the vapid women who always caught his interest for only a brief time. With Miss Elizabeth as a wife, intelligent and lively conversation would be a certainty. And Miss Jane, although decidedly the quieter of the two, held her end of the conversation when required and impressed upon Bingley the fact that she, too, was not the sort of empty-headed yet accomplished woman who would bore her husband to death after she married. Suddenly, Bingley desperately wished to become better acquainted with both young women.

The dance was coming to a close, and Bingley knew he would have to move quickly to secure one of these delightful ladies as a partner for the next set. Thus, he focused on the young ladies before him, and after a moment’s pause, he fixed on the one whom he wished to know better and asked the fateful question:

“Miss Elizabeth, if you are not otherwise engaged, will you do me the great honor of standing up with me in the next set?”