An excerpt from The Best Part of Love focusing on Growth in Adversity

This month’s theme at Austen Variations is Growth in Adversity  (shout out to Joana Starnes who keeps us all well supplied with thought provoking themes!)  I happen to really enjoy thinking of new forms of adversity/torment for Darcy and Elizabeth!

The following is a scene from The Best Part of Love, the first book I ever published.  If you’ve never read it, or its been awhile, Elizabeth is a girl with a hidden past, the widow of an earl who would be in grave danger if her status was known. So she’s not quite the same girl when Darcy meets and insults her–and she’s not so inclined to take his insult in silence!

Hope you enjoy!!

The room was soon a throng of Hertfordshire’s residents except for the Bennets. Darcy felt his head turn, almost against his will, each time the door opened, but it was always in vain. The room filled with the gentry of the area. Young lady after young lady was thrust at him, their smiling fathers or mothers behind them in a most insupportable fashion. Bingley, he saw, received the same treatment but did not appear as vexed by it as he was.

Darcy took to lingering on the periphery of conversations so he would not attract undue notice by any of them and, as such, missed the entry of his heart’s desire. He became aware of her only when he heard Miss Bingley greet her, somehow managing to make the name Miss Eliza sound like an epithet. He turned about, feeling his stomach drop into his shoes as a deep flush spread over his entire body and his heart began to pound.

Calm yourself. You do not even know her. Intent on a proper introduction, he moved to where she stood speaking to Miss Bingley, heedless of the fact that Miss Bingley would surely believe he had crossed the room for her benefit.

Miss Bingley preened when he appeared, enjoying having him at her side as though they were greeting guests together. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet, please allow me to introduce you to our esteemed guest, Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy.”

Miss Elizabeth offered a proper curtsey, and Darcy bowed. To his shock, rather than court his favour, she turned to leave. He stopped her with the stupidest, most commonplace subject that sprang to his lips. “The weather has been exceptionally fine. Tell me, is it generally so?”

Elizabeth turned back to him, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “I would say the weather hereabouts is always what I consider to be tolerable. However, I am not so fastidious. To me, many things are tolerable.”

Darcy was mortified and felt the flush only recently abated return to his cheeks. At least she was teasing him about it. Heaven only knew that, if she were to walk up and slap him, he would deserve it. But now, she was moving away from him once more.

“A moment, please.”

She turned back again.

“I wish to offer an overdue apology.”

She raised one eyebrow, looking delightfully saucy. “Why? As we have only just met, I cannot imagine how you might have offended me already. Nor could I think you were the sort of gentleman who went about offending ladies unknown to you.”

He smiled despite his embarrassment. Seeing good humour in her eyes, he admitted, “I am not the sort of man who would usually do such a thing, but I am afraid I did so at the assembly.”

“Indeed?” Elizabeth was the picture of innocence. “Well, then you must have had good reason to do so. Did I offend you?”

“No,” he admitted. “However, it was unkind of me…”

“What was it you said? I wish to be certain, should I accept your apology, that I am accepting it for the correct grievance.”

He looked at her and judged by her sparkling eyes and suppressed grin that she remained somewhat amused. “I said you were tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me, and I was in no mood to give consequence to ladies slighted by other gentlemen.”

Elizabeth gasped theatrically and placed her hand on her bosom. “Oh my!”

“I am exceedingly sorry for such an appalling remark and hope I might make amends for any distress it caused you.”

“Hmmm…” She continued giving him that teasing look. “May I clarify one thing?”

“Certainly.”

“Are you sorry because you did not mean it? Or is it only regrettable because I heard you? Understand, I am not seeking to be flattered; I only wish to be perfectly clear on what it is I am supposed to forgive.”

He repressed the beginnings of a chuckle. “It was both entirely untrue and unkind in its utterance. It was based on nothing more than my desire to be rid of Bingley’s pestering.”

Miss Elizabeth looked over at Mr Bingley, who was making sheep’s eyes at her sister and looking in every manner like the happily besotted youth he was. “Mr Bingley is indeed a fearsome, and no doubt dangerous, creature. I can readily apprehend that you might have to employ any means possible to extricate yourself from his evil clutches.”

Darcy now permitted himself a broad smile. “He seems harmless enough now, but I assure you, when he sets his mind to something—such as the cause of making me dance—he can be both relentless and ruthless.”

She inclined her head. “Very well. I appreciate your candour, and I accept your apology. No amends are needed.”

“Thank you, Miss Elizabeth.” Darcy frantically cast about in his mind for something else to say that would permit him to continue speaking to her.

“If you will excuse me, sir.” With that, she was gone—to Darcy’s profound disappointment.