Worst Impressions

Bonus Chapter - Darcy Dances

Beth had followed me onto the dancefloor like a deer in headlights. A new song began, and I tugged her in close. It wasn't forceful by any means, but she was so stiff with fear that she almost toppled into me.

I'd been talking to her about all manner of things from the decorations to schoolwork when I realised that she wasn't listening. A glassy expression had set itself firmly upon her face, and I had to wonder if I'd made a mistake in being so forceful in asking her to dance. I hadn't exactly clubbed her over the head and dragged her unconscious body off to my cave like a neanderthal, but I supposed that this might be the upper-class equivalent of doing so.

'Bennett?' I asked to shake her out of her stupor.

'Huh?'

'Were you listening?'

'Not even slightly,' she replied brashly.

I sighed in frustration. It was no wonder I couldn't form any serious design on her when she was so abrasive in my company. Perhaps if her temperament had been more like Jenny's we might have been able to chat like civilised people without the conversation devolving into waspish comments and bickering. I didn't know how we might even begin to be friends, never mind anything else.

Rather than simply letting her go then and there and giving the dance up as a bad job, I repeated myself. 'Are you having a good evening?'

'It would be better if Wyatt would leave me alone.'

'I noticed that his dancing leaves a lot to be desired.'

I pressed my lips together tightly as soon as the comment rolled off my tongue. How careless I was. Saying it may well reveal to Beth that I'd been keeping an eye on her while she'd been in Wyatt's company. That I, William Darcy, had given her presence a second thought.

Fortunately, she was too distracted by her annoyance of Wyatt to notice my slip up.

'Yeah. I might need an x-ray on my feet tomorrow. I can't believe I have to put up with him until the end of the school year. Not that you're interested. Why ask about my evening in the first place?'

'Because we're having a polite conversation,' I said.

Thank God, she hadn't noticed.

I didn't need to come up with some cock-and-bull story about how I absolutely didn't give two hoots about what Beth was doing. That I wasn't tormented with thoughts of Gideon making a move on her in a dark, empty music classroom. Nor that I had considered knocking Wyatt out simply because he was pushing boundaries and clearly making the girl that I absolutely did not like uncomfortable.

'What's that about?' Beth's voice trembled with nervous laughter. 'You hate me.'

A lump stuck in my throat.

Hate?

Hate?

I knew that I hadn't been polite to her in the past and that she had been as rude in return, but I didn't think that I'd given off an aura of hatred. Sure, I hated the way that her friends behaved and that Beth was born to the wrong social circle. I also hated that she was so openly hostile to anyone outside of her group of friends and that she'd so easily welcomed Gideon into her society.

There were a lot of things to hate, but I never hated her. Not directly.

I let out a scant, frustrated breath through my nose. 'Hate is a strong word. You're not my favourite person in the world, but Charlie seems to like your company.'

'Wow. What a massive sacrifice you're making for your friend by dancing with me. I'll try not to make it too painful for you.'

Oh, bugger.