She recited a silly poem to herself to lighten her mood. When that didn’t work, she recalled moments of her childhood that she found particularly funny or lighthearted: Mary falling in the mud and being so angry about it she pulled Elizabeth in with her and they both dissolved into girlish giggles; Lydia as a baby laughing hysterically while Elizabeth made funny faces for her just to hear the delightful sound; Jane trading her sampler for Elizabeth’s when their mother was inspecting their work, knowing hers was better and not wanting her mother to be disappointed in Elizabeth.

Finally, Elizabeth felt composed enough to re-enter the party, but her reprieve was short lived. Darcy entered the hall a minute later and she rolled her eyes at his attempt at chivalry. Would that he understood a true gentleman would not chase his betrothed into the hall because he would not have caused her to escape there in the first place.

He took her arm and led her back to the corner. “Will you not tell me what is wrong?”

“I do not understand, Mr. Darcy, how you can proclaim to love a woman so passionately while at the same time detesting her relations wholeheartedly. How does one accomplish such a feat?”

She was satisfied with the shocked look on his face and quickly gathered her skirts and pushed past him, leaving him wide-eyed in the corner.

He quickly turned and grabbed her arm. She spun around to face him in a swirl of skirts and righteous indignation. Her eyes were ablaze and Darcy felt a moment of fear when he looked at the rigid set of her face.

“What do you mean, madam?” he asked.

“What do I mean? Surely you know you have been less than civil with my aunt and uncle. You have nearly been hostile! What can you mean by it? How can you behave so poorly to my dearest relations?”

Darcy took a deep breath and released it through flared nostrils.

“Your aunt was hinting at an invitation to Pemberley. It was unseemly. Did you ever think that perhaps I was not the one being uncivil?”

“She what? I find that very difficult to believe.”

He huffed. “She commented on the season and how beautiful Derbyshire was likely to be. She clearly wished to see it for herself!”