Till There Was You~Section III

    By Annie

    Beginning, Previous Section, Section III, Next Section

    The Assembly Ball

    Posted on Saturday, 10 July 1999

    Before traveling to London, Lady Grace decided it would be a good idea if Elizabeth were to test the waters of success by attending one of Meryton's Assembly balls. Though she disparaged the society as being a bit unvarying and bland, she admitted that London was little more than a more jaded version of Meryton. Lord Robin was to be their escort to the ball, which he admitted was not his favourite place to be.

    "Too many matchmaking mothers and their simpering daughters to suit me," Lord Robin admitted. "All of them salivating over the great Hamilton fortune and not bothering to see the man underneath."

    The ball was well underway when Lady Grace's carriage pulled to the front of the building. Elizabeth looked up at the blazing torches of the building and wondered how she had thought she would ever be able to accomplish this feat.

    "I cannot do this," she murmured.

    "What?" Lady Grace asked.

    "I cannot. I am sorry, Lady Grace, but I cannot do this. I cannot lie to these people. I cannot pretend to be something I am not."

    "Nonsense. You are just feeling nervous, and I can understand that. I was so nervous upon my first introduction to any sort of society that I spent the entire hour before our departure in my room, feeling violently nauseated. When we arrived, however, all the fear went away and I felt confident, because I had Charlie."

    "Yes, but you see, I do not have the late Lord Denby."

    "No. You have something even better. You have me."

    "Lady Grace!"

    "Well, my dear Charlie had a great deal of confidence and courage, but he was a bit inept when it came to social niceties. I was the one who had to teach him that, and knowing that he lacked something when we entered the ballroom greatly increased my confidence."

    Elizabeth knew she was not going to get Lady Grace to understand her feelings on the subject, so she decided not to pursue her attempt to change the lady's mind. Before Elizabeth realized what was happening, she was being escorted out of the carriage by Lord Robin, who offered his other arm to his mother.

    "Such a gentleman!" Lady Grace beamed with pride. "Robin, you must promise to dance the first with Elizabeth."

    "Of course I shall dance the first with her," Lord Robin said. "It would be a great honour."

    "Really?" Elizabeth smiled.

    Lord Robin winked at her as they entered the ballroom. A lively tune was being played, and in the center of room no fewer than a dozen couples were dancing merrily. Elizabeth looked around the ballroom and felt herself becoming nervous again.

    "The Earl of Denby, Lady Grace Hamilton, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet!"

    Elizabeth turned to see where the voice had come from. While she had been looking about, Lord Robin had given their names to the gentleman announcing guests at the door.

    True to his prediction, the moment Lord Robin's name was announced, half a dozen women's heads turned to look their way and admire the wealthy young man.

    "You realize what you have let yourself in for, do you not?" Lord Robin asked Elizabeth.

    "What?"

    "All of these women are going to wonder who you are, and then they are going to think that I have some interest in you. Why else would a complete unknown be in the company of the Hamiltons?"

    "Is there a young lady in particular you would not have thinking this?"

    "Not at the moment," Lord Robin said. "Although my mother truly wishes there were."

    The three of them made their way around the dancers and over to the middle of the room. They were beset by a trio of women, two middle-aged and the other one nearer Elizabeth's age.

    "Why, Lady Grace, we had no idea you were at Longbourn!" the oldest of the three said. It was a lie, of course, for everyone had known before Lady Grace had arrived in Meryton that she would be coming. When she had not received any callers of extended any invitations, most people had figured that she was sick and forced to recuperate in the country.

    "I arrived a little over a month ago," Lady Grace replied. "Allow me to introduce my dear friend and cousin, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Miss Bennet, this is Mrs. Lucretia Phillips, Mrs. Iphigenia King, and Miss Mary King."

    "I am most pleased to meet you," Elizabeth said politely.

    "Lord Robert, it is a pleasure to see you as well," Mrs. Phillips said. "It has been quite a long time since we have had the pleasure of seeing you dance in this hall."

    "Yes, too long, I think," Lord Robin said. His smile was a gracious as his voice, but Elizabeth could tell by his posture that he was far from agreeing with that statement.

    "I do hope you have come, eager to dance, as you always are," Mrs. King said with a pointed look at her daughter.

    "I believe I have." The music ended at that precise moment, and Lord Robin turned to Elizabeth. "I believe I promised my first to you, Miss Bennet. If you ladies would excuse us."

    "Of course," Lady Grace said. The two elder women looked at bit disgruntled, while Miss King kept a calm look on her face.

    "I feel I should thank you for giving me a perfect excuse to escape those women," Lord Robin murmured in her ear as he led her to the dance floor. "I suppose young Miss King is all politeness, but she is insipid and I could never possibly marry her. I only wish that society would allow me to tell that to her mother, who is convinced that I am madly in love with her because I once danced two dances with her in a single evening."

    "Perhaps if you were to dance three with me, that would dash her hopes," Elizabeth suggested.

    "It would work, but I do not think you shall be free for another dance after this one," he said.

    "Why do you think that?"

    "Because I have been glancing at all the young men while trying to avoid conversation with Mrs. Phillips and company and I have noticed that they all seem intrigued by you."

    "I cannot imagine why. I am not so pretty as Miss King, nor do I have--"

    "Ah, but you are a mystery to them. And do not think badly of yourself. You are ten times as pretty as Miss King, and you have a lively mind in addition to looks."

    The two separated to opposite sides of the dance floor as the music began. Elizabeth closed her eyes and said a silent prayer that she would remember the steps. She would hate to make a dreadful impression at her very first ball. She took her steps toward Lord Robin and bowed.

    "Do not worry, Elizabeth. Just remember to have fun and you shall," he said quietly as she stepped back.

    Elizabeth smiled at him and did just that.

    Lord Robin proved correct--there was a great deal of interest in the young lady who, it was discovered, was Lady Grace's cousin (although just how closely they were related was not quite known). It was believed by many that Lord Robin had an interest in the young lady, which broke many a young woman's heart as well as her mother's. The gentlemen besieged Elizabeth for dances, and she tried to be as obliging as possible.

    Elizabeth was resting between dances, talking with Lady Grace and a delightful old woman named Mrs. Portsmouth, when she heard an announcement which made her go cold.

    "Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hurst...Miss Caroline Bingley."

    "Oh my God," Elizabeth murmured. It was a good thing she was not holding a glass of punch, for she surely would have spilled it over her gown.

    "Why, Elizabeth, whatever is the matter?" Lady Grace asked.

    "They knew me...when I was in London." Elizabeth knew that Lady Grace had tried to keep their deception as simple as possible, merely telling people that she was a relative but not going into detail. Or at least, she had not had to as of yet.

    "Oh, Lord," Lord Robin muttered, walking over to his mother. "Did you see who just arrived?"

    "I believe so, Robin. Elizabeth says they knew her in London."

    "What should that matter? It was part of the..." Recalling that there were eavesdroppers everywhere, he said in a low voice, "Everyone knows Miss Bennet's story. She should not be ashamed of it."

    "You know Miss Bingley and her friend, Miss Tysen?" Elizabeth asked.

    "Yes. Miss Tysen is a nice enough girl. I never heard anything bad against her, except perhaps her judgment. She is the only person who could possibly tolerate Caroline Bingley." Lord Robin sighed. "There are women who have interest in me, and then there is Miss Bingley."

    Elizabeth almost laughed aloud. "She is that bad?"

    "Well, I shall say this. I was forever grateful when she was introduced to whatshisname, that gentleman from Derbyshire with the great estate near Miss Tysen's. Dancey? Darney?"

    "Darcy," Elizabeth said. "Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. He is the owner of Pemberley."

    "Yes, that is it. Darcy."

    "I wonder why she abandoned an earl for him," Elizabeth said. "Given a choice between you and Mr. Darcy, I would choose you every time."

    Lord Robin chuckled. "You would?"

    "Of course. However, you must remember that I know Mr. Darcy and I do not particularly care for him."

    "I cannot account for Miss Bingley's preferences, except to say how grateful I am that they are no longer directed at me." Lord Robin's grin widened. "However, I think I may have offended her at some point, at which time she decided to look elsewhere."

    Mr. Hurst immediately disappeared to the card room, where gentlemen without the slightest interest in dancing could go and enjoy themselves. Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley walked around the ballroom, greeting people in their superior way. Elizabeth had not felt nervous since the beginning of the evening, but she was beginning to feel as though she should leave. Her charade was about to be exposed. At least she had anonymity to hide in, but if Lord Robin was correct and Miss Bingley's interests were in marrying Mr. Darcy, what would happen if that event came about?

    "Lady Grace!" Mrs. Hurst exclaimed. The two women had finally come to their small group. "What a pleasure to see you again. We had heard that you had come back to Longbourn, but when we did not receive an invitation to visit, we feared you were quite sick."

    "I have never been in better health," Lady Grace said cheerfully. "I was, however, in need of some seclusion before returning for the Season and I wished to spend some time with my cousin."

    "Cousin?" Miss Bingley frowned as the two women then noticed Elizabeth. Miss Bingley's eyes widened in shock and recognition. "But...but I know this girl. She is nothing but--"

    "It would not surprise me if you did," Lady Grace said. "My cousin had the great misfortune of being forced to work in her uncle's shop for a time. When I heard of her disgraceful condition, being reduced to such circumstances, I simply had to rescue her. Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst, allow me to introduce my cousin, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, to you. Actually, she is a cousin of my late husband's, but I think of her as my own cousin. Miss Bennet, this is Miss Caroline Bingley--"

    "We have met," Elizabeth said.

    "And her sister, Mrs. Louisa Hurst. Her husband is wandering around here someplace, I think."

    The ladies performed the necessary niceties, though with very little feeling. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst made their excuses and very quickly continued on their way. A moment later, Elizabeth heard a burst of laughter. Her cheeks flamed.

    "The rotten cats," Lord Robin muttered. "They seem to forget that their family was in trade when they were children."

    "Enough money can make people forget a multitude of sins," Elizabeth said.

    "Elizabeth, I believe it is time for me to claim my second dance. I could use a little exercise, and I think you could as well."

    Elizabeth was grateful for the distraction, and practically led him out to the floor. This shall be the last dance, for after this I am going home. I should have known that it this would never succeed. I should have known better.

    The dance required Elizabeth and Lord Robin to stand opposite each other for a minute as other dancers danced around them, then continue on. It was during one such moment that she heard exactly what everyone was thinking now that her secret was out, so to speak.

    "You certainly cannot tell she worked in a shop from her manner. Surely she must be a lady of some sort, otherwise why would Lady Grace bother with her?" Elizabeth recognized the voice. It belonged to Mary King.

    "Indeed. Lady Grace was telling me that the poor girl's father lost all the family fortune in some sort of foolhardy scheme, which was why she had to work in the shop. I think it splendid of Lady Grace to take the girl in. She said she wants to take her to London and give her a Season." The second voice was not recognizable.

    "I wish I could have a Season. Do you suppose I might be related to Lady Grace?"

    The two girls laughed. The second girl said, "'Tis a shame that Miss Bingley feels she must insult Miss Bennet because someone else has caught Lord Robert's attention."

    "I think we should befriend her while she is here in Meryton, to show everyone that we do not believe Miss Bingley's supposition correct."

    "Why? What else is she saying?"

    "She says that Miss Bennet is little more than a servant. She says that when they were in London last month, Miss Georgiana Darcy told her that the girl--"

    "Oh, nonsense! Trust Caroline Bingley to drag that sweet girl into this. Georgiana Darcy would say nothing against a lady, unless Miss Bingley wanted it to seem that way."

    "I thought that myself, but you do know that there are those who will believe her."

    "Yes, those who are just as jealous of Elizabeth Bennet as Miss Bingley. I dare say that Lady Grace shall tell them the truth, and if they gainsay her, well, then they risk losing the object of their desire altogether. Lord Robin would never marry a girl who called his mother a liar."

    Elizabeth just barely managed to remember to continue dancing, and when she did so she was feeling a good deal better.

    Close to the end of the evening, when Elizabeth's feet were so exhausted from dancing that she thought she would never be able to walk again, a gentleman with a familiar face approached her and asked for a dance. Elizabeth was puzzled as to where she had met the man before, but she agreed to dance.

    "You do not recall where we last met?" he asked her as they began.

    "I am afraid that I do not. I hope you do not take offense."

    He smiled. "None whatsoever. I almost did not recognize you in that lovely outfit, in this society, but then you have changed quite a bit since the last time we met."

    "I have?"

    "Yes. Back then, you were a child and now you are a woman full-grown." As the two came close together for a moment, he whispered, "Back then, you were the stableman's daughter."

    Elizabeth again felt a sliver of cold fear. This man knew who she was. Clearly he would not have told her if he did not plan to expose her in some form.

    He laughed playfully and moved away. When they were again close together, he said, "Never fear, dear lady. Your guilty secret shall never cross my lips."

    Elizabeth wished she could believe that. "How do you know me?" she asked.

    "I think I shall keep that a secret," he said. "Until the end of this dance. As I have said, you have nothing to fear from me. Indeed, I have a great deal of admiration for what you have been able to accomplish. I had no idea you were a relative of Lady Grace's."

    "I...I did not know myself until recently. I am not nearly as well-versed in family history as she is." Elizabeth tried to relax. "What did you mean, you admire what I have been able to accomplish?"

    "When last we met, you were something of a brat. I never imagined you could become such a lady. Indeed, I remember...well, I remember a great many things I did that make me feel quite mortified now. You shall probably never forgive me for many of them, or like me. This is why I am not currently revealing my identity, because as soon as you know who I am, you are likely to never speak to me again."

    "I cannot imagine hating anyone enough to never speak to them again." Elizabeth thought for a moment. "I take that back, sir. There is one gentleman I certainly hope I never see again."

    "I see." He fell silent. "Suppose this gentleman were greatly apologetic for whatever he had done to you?"

    Elizabeth shook her head. "Probably not even then."

    "Suppose this gentleman had had something so dreadful happen to him that it made him see the error of his ways? That he wished to be forgiven by everyone for the foolish and degenerate way he had behaved in the past?"

    Elizabeth looked at him closely.

    And then she knew.

    "George!" she exclaimed, drawing several glances her way. "George Wickham?"

    He sighed. "Yes, I am afraid so. If you would be so kind, Miss Bennet, as to finish the dance so I am not completely humiliated, I would appreciate it. However, I would understand if you wished to leave now."

    Elizabeth was so caught between fear--for surely George Wickham had no other purpose than to do something awful to her--and confusion that she could do nothing but continue dancing.

    "Thank you," he said as they continued to make their way around the floor. "It would serve me right were you to leave me, and I think you should. But thank you for not doing so."

    "I--I am most confused on how you came to be here," Elizabeth said. "And what you plan to do to me."

    "I am a friend of Mr. Long's. He lives here in Meryton, and I have been staying with him for some time. When word reached me that an Elizabeth Bennet was making quite a stir in the ballroom, I could not resist excusing myself from my friends and finding out whether or not she was the same girl I remembered. You are who I thought you were, but you are completely different than you used to be." He sighed. "As to what I plan to do to you, I intend to apologize, as I said."

    "Why? Why now?"

    "Because last year...last year something happened which broke my heart and nearly killed me. You did not recognize me instantly, correct?"

    "Yes."

    The dance ended, and George said, "I think perhaps the tale must wait another time."

    "Nonsense. We shall sit this dance out and you can tell me what earth-shattering event occurred which made you want to apologize to me."

    George led her to a small bench, and the two of them sat down. He told her his tale.

    And she accepted his apology.

    The evening soon came to a close, for Lady Grace had gotten tired and insisted that they return home. Elizabeth was silent and sullen, thinking over what George had told her and thinking with great reflection on her father's letter.

    There was no doubt in her mind now that Mr. Darcy had been behind Bingley's defection. No doubt at all.

    Whirlwind Sensation

    Posted on Monday, 19 July 1999

    The trip to London was made the following morning, sparing Lady Grace and Elizabeth from the ennui of having to receive callers. Elizabeth had little doubt that Miss Bingley and her sister would have been among the guests, and so she was grateful for the brief respite. Their next encounter would likely take place in London. The trip took an entire day, and once they had arrived, Elizabeth declared herself far too tired to do anything and went to bed. She was still in something of a quandary about the revelations George Wickham had disclosed the night before.

    It seemed to Elizabeth that there was a great deal of truth in his story. George had said that after the will had been read, Mr. Darcy had offered him three thousand pounds instead of the living because of animosity between the two men. George had accepted it because he had preferred to study law, and not theology, as the late George Darcy had hoped.

    "I managed to live all right on the money, and pay for my education," George had said. "I was doing quite well, and then I fell in love."

    The young lady in question turned out to be none other than Miss Sabrina Tysen. George said that he believed Miss Tysen to return his feelings. He even said he had asked the young woman to marry him. She had confided in Georgiana, who had made mention of the hoped-for engagement to her brother. Mr. Darcy went to Mr. Tysen, who had immediately brought his daughter to the country and away from George Wickham.

    "He told her father that I was the worst sort of reprobate, that I could not be trusted. Perhaps I had not been the most reliable sort in the past, but I loved Sabrina. She changed my entire life. For the first time, there was someone who did not care that I was merely a steward's son, but loved me for me. Have you ever wanted that, Miss Bennet?"

    "Of course," Elizabeth had replied.

    "Fitzwilliam Darcy interfered most heinously in my affairs, and I shall never forgive him. When my letters to Sabrina went unanswered and later returned, I fell into a deep despair and became quite ill. I nearly died."

    "Why did he ruin your chances with the girl?"

    "I could list you any number of reasons. I thought perhaps he had an interest in the girl himself, but I have heard rumours to the effect that an engagement is soon to be announced between Miss Tysen and...and Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Darcy wanted his cousin to marry the girl, even though she does not love him." George sighed. "And he does not like me. He was my dearest friend as a child, and now we cannot stand the sight of each other."

    Had she not had the letter from her father, stating that Jane believed Mr. Darcy to be the reason Bingley had not declared for her, she would not have believed George Wickham's story at all. Yet how could she not believe it? Mr. Darcy seemed to take his pleasure from ruining happy couples. First George and Miss Tysen, then her sister and Bingley. What was to happen next? Would Elizabeth manage to find a fellow in London only to have Mr. Darcy reveal her secret before she could?

    George had given her every assurance that he would not reveal her secret, saying, "As I said before, Miss Bennet, I admire what you have accomplished. You are a charming young woman, I wish you every success in finding a husband."

    Elizabeth prayed that George had truly reformed and would not return to his prior ways. But she would have very little time to reflect upon the matter, for the following morning Lady Grace began preparing for the St. Cecelia's Ball, which opened the London Season.

    Of all the balls that would be held, the St. Cecelia's Ball was possibly the grandest. Some would argue that the ball which ended the Season, always hosted by the Duke of Eddington, was much grander if far more selective in attendance. In general, most people agreed that the St. Cecelia's was better.

    Ladies of all ages fought to be included in the planning of the event, though generally only older married or widowed women were included. Lady Grace mumbled, "A bunch of ninnies, the lot of them. I would not work on the St. Cecelia's Ball if they paid me to do it."

    Still, despite her distaste, Lady Grace looked forward to the occasion as the beginning of Elizabeth's future.

    The day before the ball, Elizabeth discovered why Lady Grace did not particularly care for the ball. Her opinion came from a year when Lady Grace had worked on the ball and had become so frustrated with the women in charge that she nearly resigned. The only reason she did not was because she did not wish to be frowned upon. "Poor Charlie," Lady Grace added. "I would come home from each planning session ready to pull hair, and he bore the brunt of it. 'Tis a miracle he did not retreat to his gentlemen's clubs."

    "Perhaps that was why he did not go to the clubs," Elizabeth said. "Perhaps he knew you needed someone to talk to after such things, for you could not discuss them in public."

    Lady Grace thought on that a moment, then beamed. "I believe you are right, Elizabeth. I never thought of that before."

    Elizabeth's eyes went dreamy as she said, "I hope that when I marry I shall find a man like your Lord Denby."

    Lady Grace looked at her protégé and said, "Is there a gentleman you have in mind?"

    Elizabeth straightened. "No. What makes you say that?"

    "Oh, I suppose it is the way you looked when you said that. And the way that you did not look at a single gentleman with any sort of interest in Meryton."

    "Was it not you who said that nobody of interest was to be found in Meryton?"

    "Of course it was, but you still could have looked. Even the gentleman you sat with for a full twenty minutes at the ball did not receive any sort of distinguishing interest from you. Indeed, you looked almost...upset."

    "I was upset, but it was only because of something he said."

    "Did he offend you in any way?"

    "No, not at all. He is a young man I knew from back home and he told me something that...well, if I had any doubts at all as to whether or not Mr. Darcy interfered with my sister's relationship, they are now gone."

    "Then if he is not the young man, who is?"

    Elizabeth sighed. "You are quite good at winkling things, Lady Grace."

    "And you are quite good at trying to avoid subjects, Miss Bennet."

    "There is a young man whom I have loved...since I was but a child of nine."

    "Nine? Good heavens, Elizabeth, that is far too young to know you are in love with anyone with the exception of your parents and sometimes other relatives."

    "Forgive me, but were you not eleven when you knew you were in love with Lord Denby?"

    "I was fourteen."

    "I was still in love with Richard when I was fourteen. And fifteen. And even now at twenty, though I know deep in my heart that he shall never be mine."

    "Why can he never be yours?"

    Elizabeth did not answer for a moment. "He is Mr. Darcy's cousin," she finally said. "His name is Richard Fitzwilliam. He is an Army Colonel. When I was a child, he came to Pemberley with George Wickham and Mr. Darcy, and he was the only one of them who was nice to me. George was constantly boxing my ears, and Mr. Darcy treated me with condescension. But Richard...he always took time out of his day to come and visit me. When he left, he gave me three books because he knew how much I loved reading. He wrote me letters when he was at school."

    "This sounds promising."

    "Yes, but Richard Fitzwilliam is not only a Colonel, he is the Honorable Colonel Fitzwilliam. He is the son of an earl."

    "Not the Earl of Matlock!"

    "Yes."

    "Why...why I have been friends with Oliver Fitzwilliam for years! Well, he was a friend of Charlie's, but he was one of the kindest people to me after Charlie died. His wife Melissa was quite wonderful as well. If the son is anything like his parents, then I must commend you on your choice."

    "I have only met the Earl of Matlock once, and that was quite by accident, so I must take your word on his character. Richard is absolutely wonderful, though." Elizabeth's smile faded. "He is the younger son, and therefore not free to marry where he chooses. I have heard from several different people that he has a tendre for Miss Sabrina Tysen, although how violent his affections are varies depending on who is telling me."

    "Does he return your feelings?"

    "No, and he does not know of my feelings. I tried to tell him the last time I saw him, but he saw me as only a child. I could not possibly tell him when he would dismiss my feelings. That was five years ago. He promised to continue writing, but I only received one letter from him the entire time. I guess he had forgotten all about me, and with Miss Tysen to entice him, why should he remember? She is everything I am not. She is beautiful, wealthy, from a good family. She is an only child and therefore her father's heir. Should Richard marry her, he would have an estate not far from his cousin's.

    "And I should want these things for him, right? I should want him to be happy. I should love him enough to know that I cannot have him, for I bring nothing to marriage but myself, and we cannot live off of me. Were he to marry me, he would become the laughingstock of England, and it would likely undermine any chance he would ever have of becoming more than a colonel. But I cannot help wishing that he could be mine."

    "Elizabeth, if he loved you enough, he would risk everything. I truly believe that. You shall never know how he feels, however, if you do not tell him."

    "I shall likely not see him again."

    "That is not necessarily true. Miss Tysen is likely to be in society, and if he does have some sort of attachment to her, he shall be there as well."

    "So I am to watch him court another woman?"

    "You should try to be subtle but persuasive."

    "I do not know if I can be that, Lady Grace. I have always been up-front and honest about my feelings."

    "Perhaps that might work with him. He seemed plenty charmed by you when you were younger."

    "I always wondered if perhaps he pitied me, being stuck at Pemberley with George and Mr. Darcy."

    "I doubt that. I am certain he did hold you in some regard, and it is something you can build upon when you see him again."

    To see Richard again... It had been five years since George Darcy had died, and eleven years since that summer. She had changed so greatly in that amount of time.

    She wondered how different Richard was now.

    Elizabeth stood waiting for Lord Robin's carriage to pull into the driveway. She was wearing a beautiful white gown that probably cost more than she would be getting from her legacy, but she had gazed into a mirror and realized that it was worth it. She looked stunning in the gown. Despite the excitement that was building, as this was her first official ball, she was feeling extremely nervous again. It had been one thing to attend a ball in Meryton. That was a country gathering. This was London.

    And this was the grandest ball of the year.

    She watched from the window as the carriage arrived. The door opened and Lord Robin bounded out.

    "Honestly," Lady Grace said as she saw him coming. "You would think my son had never been to a ball before."

    "I think he is excited on my behalf," Elizabeth said.

    "No, he is always like that. He loves society and everything that goes with it. If he would only get married..." Lady Grace sighed. "He is following in his father's footsteps. I fear that he may never find the right woman."

    "Do you not think that it was a good thing that Lord Denby waited for you?"

    "I do, but that does not mean that I want my son to do the same. I wish to have grandchildren to fawn over before I die."

    "Lady Grace, you are the picture of perfect health. I am certain you are going to live long enough to see plenty of grandchildren."

    "I pray that is so, Elizabeth. It does not, however, lessen my desire to see my son settled."

    "Good evening, Mother. Miss Bennet, you look absolutely ravishing this evening. You shall make the other young ladies look positively dowdy."

    "Such a flatterer you are, Lord Robin," Elizabeth said. "However, I hardly think I shall outshine every lady."

    "Robin, you are quite late. We shall be the last people there," Lady Grace said.

    "Was it not you who said that it is far better to be fashionably late?" Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow.

    "It is one thing to be fashionably late, and quite another to arrive as the ball is ending."

    "I am only twenty-five minutes late. If the St. Cecelia's Ball is ending this early, it must surely be because Lady Grayson has made a right mess of the whole evening."

    "Sophy Grayson could make a right mess of a dinner at home alone," Lady Grace mumbled. Elizabeth covered her giggles with her hand. "And we should not waste any more valuable time arguing here. Come along, Elizabeth. It is time for the ball."

    Lady Grace had decided that it would be far better for her to enter the ballroom alone, allowing Lord Robin to escort Elizabeth in. Elizabeth suspected that Lady Grace was merely trying to be a matchmaker for her son, but did not have the heart to tell her that although she liked Lord Robin, Richard had the first claim on her heart and quite likely always would.

    "Are you sure it is proper for you to escort me into the ball?" Elizabeth asked. "I would think it would give people the illusion that we have an attachment."

    "Which is precisely what my mother wants for you. If you do wind up finding a gentleman here, you may say that we are not as close as possible. And if you attract a gentleman you wish to have nothing to do with, you remind him of me."

    "That sounds downright dishonest."

    "What about this whole charade of my mother's?"

    "Do you disapprove?"

    "Not in the slightest. My mother is the finest judge of character I know, and I, above anyone else, know how greatly she feels the loss of my sister, even to this day. My point was that since the whole thing is false to begin with, what should one more lie matter?"

    "I suppose you are quite right," Elizabeth said. And before she could prepare herself, they were being announced.

    "The Earl of Denby, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet."

    Taking a deep breath, she took tentative steps into the ballroom. Never in her life had she seen so many people. She wondered that so many could fit into what seemed like a small space and manage to survive, but it appeared that none of the ladies had fainted. Many pairs of eyes had turned her way the moment it was announced that she was being escorted by Lord Robin. It was much the same reaction she received in Meryton.

    "This is it," Lord Robin said. "It is too late to turn back now, Miss Bennet."

    Elizabeth continued to look around the ballroom, wondering if there were anyone from Meryton there. Wondering if anyone could tell that she was not a lady, that she had no right being on Lord Robert Hamilton's arm, and that she could not even afford the gown she was wearing.

    And what makes any one of them better than me? I am a person, just as they are. The only difference between us is money, and that should not matter as much as it does. Elizabeth's chin rose a notch as she dared to meet the gazes of nearly three hundred people.

    "I do not intend to run away from anything, Lord Robin," she replied.

    The rumour of Elizabeth being a distant relative of Lady Grace's quickly spread. It also became known that she was in great favour with the lady, who was intending to give her a generous dowry upon finding a suitable husband. The rumour which spread fastest, however, was that Lady Grace was hoping to keep the money in the family by having Elizabeth marry her son. There were many young ladies and their mothers who became distressed at the news, for they had been hoping that this would the be Season they finally snared the young man considered London's most eligible bachelor.

    Through the evening, people gleaned more information about the complete stranger who had entered their sphere. Upon such occasions, it is generally the rule to ignore such upstarts, but Elizabeth was so charming and had no less a champion than Lady Grace on her side, that she was soon considered the most popular girl in the room. She danced her first with Lord Robin, and her skill and delight in the exercise had people remarking on her graceful figure. When she made it a point to converse with some of the plainer girls at the ball, people remarked on her generosity and kind nature. Several of her dance partners told of her great wit and how the exercise made her eyes seem all the more beautiful.

    Lady Grace heard all of the compliments (and the few sour grapes that arose due to Elizabeth's sudden popularity) with great delight. She had known that Elizabeth would be a success, and she was! Lady Grace was barely able to contain her true feelings on the subject, for fear of giving away something which she should not. Elizabeth was doing so well that to inadvertently reveal her true origins--though the story she had spread was as close to the truth as it could be--would be disastrous.

    "You should be very proud of yourself, Mother," she heard Robin say. "I think she is well on her way to becoming this Season's prime catch."

    "Indeed she is."

    "What do you intend to do when one of these dandies offers for her hand in marriage?"

    "I thought you knew." Lady Grace was deliberately trying to be vague. "And if you think them dandies, perhaps you had best get your claim in before them."

    Robin laughed. "I do not fancy myself in love with the girl, and she shall settle for nothing less. Back to my original subject, though, I know what you have told Elizabeth."

    "Then I wonder why you are bothering me with the matter."

    "Because I know you, Mother."

    Lady Grace's cheeks turned pink. "I suppose you think I am throwing my money away on some worthless girl who has done nothing to deserve it."

    "I think some people tonight would have thought it--if Elizabeth herself were not as wonderful as she is. I think there are a few people who shall think it anyway."

    "Do you think so?"

    "I have never quite known what to think of this scheme. I know that this was not Elizabeth's idea, and therefore I have more knowledge than everyone else. Yet I wonder what you intend to accomplish. I know that you intend to settle some money on her. Perhaps not as much--"

    "Keep your voice lowered, for goodness sakes. There are four hundred people here and no privacy whatsoever."

    "You do not deny that she shall have some sort of dowry, regardless of whom she marries?"

    "Of course I do not. I cannot tell Elizabeth, because I know what she would say, so let us keep this information secret until such time as she marries. Perhaps I have gone mad, as some people shall say, but in the few weeks we have been together that girl has become so much to me, so much like what I would have liked your sister to be. I cannot explain it...but I feel a sense of connection to her. I could not possibly do such a dreadful thing as finding her a husband only to cut her off without a pound."

    Robin shook his head. "I hope things work out as you want them to, Mother. I sincerely do, for Elizabeth's sake. I shall endeavor to do my very best to insure that she does not marry a popinjay like the one she is dancing with at the moment."

    Lady Grace smiled. "I think we shall not have to wait long for her to find a husband."

    "I may be mistaken, but I continue to think that she is waiting for someone special to appear and shall not marry before then."

    "I believe every young woman wants that," Lady Grace said. "I was no different when I waited for your father."

    "If Papa had never returned to Meryton, would you have found another to marry?" he asked.

    "I was fortunate enough never to have to ponder that. Are you not grateful for it?"

    Lord Robin laughed. "Of course I am. Now if you will excuse me, I believe it my duty to set Society's tongues wagging by asking Miss Bennet for a second dance, for it is well known that I never ask a lady to dance more than once in an evening."

    Lady Grace watched her son walk across the ballroom to where Elizabeth was standing, talking cheerfully with a group of young people. "If only you would dance with a lady more than once," she lamented, as she did upon occasion. "And if only the lady you are dancing with more than once tonight had caught your interest."

    By the end of the evening, it was decided among those who counted that Miss Elizabeth Bennet was a complete surprise and delight, even if it did seem as though she were going to be the one to marry the elusive Lord Robert Hamilton, and that even though her background was somewhat murky, she was a lady in every essence a woman could be.

    A Night to Remember

    Posted on Wednesday, 1 September 1999

    That fall and winter marked the happiest era of Elizabeth's life, surpassing even that of the summer she met Rich. Never in her life had such attention been given her, and had she not enough sense for three "true" ladies, she may have become overly proud and people's enjoyment of her would thus have decreased. Miss Bennet was the Belle of the Season, and would certainly end her first year in Society engaged...if not to Lord Robin (and there were reports of all sorts on whether or not the two were truly engaged), then surely to another of the many gentlemen who had paid her court. The wager-books at many gentlemen's clubs were filled with speculation as to the identity of Miss Bennet's future husband, with Lord Robin more often than not being involved in the wager.

    "You should put in your own wager that we shall not become engaged, for you are the only one with the truth," Elizabeth declared upon hearing this.

    "I would hardly be considered an honest sporting man were I to do that. Besides, they would all wish to know who is the lucky man." Despite his easy smile whenever he and Elizabeth spoke about the matter of marriage, Robin's interest in the matter was far from casual.

    He knew not when his feelings for Elizabeth Bennet had come into prominence. It seemed to him as though at one ball, he had been amused watching her on the dance floor and trying not to look bored by all the men crowded around her, and at the next, he had wished he could dismiss her suitors and claim her as his own and no one else's. His mother's deception and Elizabeth's lack of feelings for him prevented him from doing so.

    Robin knew quite well that Elizabeth did not want just any man. She wanted the dashing younger Fitzwilliam, the one who had joined the army and had not written her as he had promised. He had hoped she might consider another if Richard did not make his appearance in London, and as the Season progressed and Richard did not arrive, Robin had reason to hope that perhaps he may have a chance.

    Elizabeth's days were spent receiving visitors and paying calls; her evenings invariably included balls, musicales, and theatres. She paid visits to her aunt and uncle on a weekly basis, and dearly wished she could be with them more often. Outside of Lady Grace and Lord Robin, there was no one to whom Elizabeth could show her true self, and she relished those times when the pretense of being a carefree heiress could be stripped away, and she was plain Elizabeth Bennet again, the daughter of a coachman and a cook. Unfortunately, the whirlwind of the Season did not permit her to spend more than once a week with her family, and when she did see them, she spent a great deal of time reassuring them that she was enjoying herself and was happy.

    On the whole, Elizabeth would readily agree that London was an absolutely magnificent place, wanting only one thing to make it perfect.

    Despite all she had hoped, Richard had not come to London.

    Through her connections with the Earl of Matlock, Lady Grace was able to bring Elizabeth news of the family. Elizabeth learned that an illness had made Miss Darcy quite weak, and she was recovering at Pemberley. Elizabeth wrote her father and asked him to send her well wishes to Miss Darcy. (If Tom Bennet thought it peculiar that his daughter did not mention sending any well wishes to Mr. Darcy, he made no reference to it in his future letters.) The Pemberley party would remain in the country, likely for the entire Season. There was talk that Mr. Darcy might appear at the Duke of Eddington's ball, but no one could confirm it.

    Elizabeth was glad that Mr. Darcy had opted to remain with his sister, for it meant she did not have to pretend to get along with him. Her anger at Jane's continued depression from the loss of Bingley grew as the weeks passed, assisted by the remembrance of the insults that George Wickham had spoken of to her. Elizabeth did not like Wickham any better for having told her the truth of Mr. Darcy's character (which she had known but liked to have confirmed), but she could respect his heartache and anguish. The two did not meet but twice during Elizabeth's stay in London, and each time they spoke of Mr. Darcy and his shameful behaviour towards them and their families.

    It was not until Elizabeth had it from Lady Grace that Richard was at Pemberley, and heard the talk that Miss Sabrina Tysen was in Derbyshire with her family, that she regretted not having the Pemberley party in London. To be sure, Richard was in Derbyshire because he was concerned with his cousin's welfare. After all, he was her guardian as much as Mr. Darcy was. However, Elizabeth soon had it fixed in her mind that he was there for another reason, one that held his interest far greater than Miss Darcy--that he was there to court Miss Tysen. Elizabeth's only small consolation was that there had been no announcement; nor had any of the party come to town, which would have been torturous to her.

    Spring came all too suddenly. The end of April would bring the Duke of Eddington's final and grandest ball, to be held on the same day that Elizabeth would celebrate her twenty-first birthday. Elizabeth knew that Lady Grace was disappointed by the fact that she had not found a husband (and further disappointed that Elizabeth had not seriously considered Lord Robin), but though she found a few of the London bachelors to be quite delightful, and most of them to be merely tolerable, she could not find a true love among them. If she did not spend her time comparing them to Richard, she compared them to Lord Robin, and they were all lacking.

    Elizabeth knew that at the end of April, she would return to Pemberley for good. Her spirits became melancholy for the first time in many months, for it would also serve to divide her from Lady Grace and Lord Robin forever. Lady Grace had talked a few times of giving her a second Season, but Elizabeth politely declined on such occasions, saying that she could not trespass on her kindness any further.

    "Then you mean to return to your ordinary life?" Lady Grace asked one afternoon, perplexed that Elizabeth had not even thought to ask before being offered the chance at another year.

    "What other choice have I? I could not presume to think that I could last a second year in this deception. Were it not for the untimely illness of Miss Darcy, I would likely have been exposed quite early last fall."

    "Tush. No one cares about that any more. You cannot return. How would you be able to work at your uncle's shop, where many elegant people visit, without being ridiculed? It would be an impossible situation. And there was nothing you excelled at when you lived at Pemberley, so you would have little to do there."

    Elizabeth sighed. Lady Grace did have a point, and an excellent one at that. "This whole plan was not well-thought by either of us. The blame is mostly mine, for I knew better than to want what I could not have and did so anyway. I could have chosen any man of my acquaintance to marry, but I did not."

    "Not from a want of offers," Lady Grace said. "And if you have decided to choose one, it is not as if you do not have time yet to accept. A few weeks remain in this Season, and you could announce your engagement at the Duke of Eddington's ball on your birthday."

    "I know, but...but..."

    "You still want Richard."

    "Yes. The idea of marrying another when I have not even seen him is so repugnant to me that I cannot do it."

    "You could always solve this dilemma by marrying Robin."

    Elizabeth smiled, for that was always what Lady Grace said when the topic of marriage arose. Never had Elizabeth seen a woman more determined to marry her son off than Lady Grace. "Lord Robin, I fear, is the sort of man a woman would not mind marrying if she could have his identical twin around for when she wished to be serious. Shakespeare's quote escapes me at the moment, for he put it much better than I, but the sentiment is the same. Even if I wished to marry your son, he has never declared himself to be in love with me and he has never offered marriage."

    "I am certain he wants but a little encouragement from you. I have seen the way you act with him, and it is that of a sister to her brother."

    "I could not feel more for your son if we were related. As it happens, I do not love him, either. Not in the way a wife should love her husband." Lady Grace was clearly disappointed, and Elizabeth wished she would have put her thoughts less bluntly. She said calmly, "For your sake, I wish that my feelings could be otherwise, for it would bring you such joy. Heaven knows it is the least I could do for you after all you have done for me."

    "I would not have you marry simply to please me, for I am not the one who shall live with the man till death do you part. Better that you marry where you love, than marry to please others. Always remember that, Elizabeth." Lady Grace could not resist one last comment. "I have noticed, of late, that Robin watches no one but you while you are together. I do not know if that is a symptom of love or merely protectiveness, but it is something. He did not do that when this Season started."

    "Lady Grace..." Elizabeth groaned in exasperation. Lady Grace's comment did, however, accomplish her intent. Elizabeth began to wonder if perhaps she had been blind for the past several months, if perhaps Lord Robin had fallen in love with her.

    Elizabeth told herself she was being foolish. Robin was merely performing a duty for his mother, she knew that. He had told her himself on several occasions. It amused him, she thought, to be fooling society so completely by having them fawn over a common girl. He had no other motives than that, or so she believed...and yet, of late, were the glances he gave her more admiring? Was there a hint of affection in his voice when they spoke? Was there an indication in the way his eyes followed her in a crowd, or on the dance floor when she danced with another?

    Elizabeth began to wonder if perhaps Lady Grace was correct. Was he concealing his affection for her because she had not encouraged him? He surely knew all about Richard. She had no doubt that Lady Grace had told her son about the young man Elizabeth's heart was set upon. If he thought he had no chance to win her, he would never come forward and proclaim his feelings.

    And what, she wondered, were her own feelings for him? Were they, as she had continually stated to Lady Grace, those of a sister for her brother? No, for if that were the case, she would not feel the occasional flush when he took her hand or elated spirits when he complimented the way she looked. She certainly would not be having thoughts such as the ones she was currently having, if she felt sisterly towards him. Yet she could not be certain if she loved him.

    Elizabeth had to admit that of all the men she had met in London, Lord Robin was her favourite. She thought so well of him. Every other man who had courted her seemed dull in comparison to him. Had she been forced to marry, she would have chosen him in a heartbeat.

    Elizabeth began to wonder if the time had come to put her childish dreams of Richard away...and seriously consider marrying the only man in London she truly esteemed, and maybe even loved.

    If Lady Grace noticed any changes in the way her son and Miss Bennet behaved toward each other, she did not speculate on them. London society took very little notice, as the attachment between the two of them had long been speculated upon and presumed to soon occur officially.

    Truly observant people, however, did notice that Miss Bennet was much warmer to Lord Robin, and that the looks he gave her were no longer amused, but rather captivated and affectionate.

    Lady Grace was delighted, of course, as she was among the observant. But she had only suspicions until the day she paid a visit to the Earl of Matlock. When she returned, she expected Elizabeth to bombard her with questions as she always did. However, Elizabeth was remarkably silent when Lady Grace mentioned where she had been, and merely asked if she had had a pleasant afternoon and if the Earl was in good health. Lady Grace knew in her heart that the girl had at last given up on Richard...and surely the looks being exchanged between Elizabeth and Robin meant a true engagement was soon to come.

    The following day, Lady Grace had her confirmation of her son's feelings. She found Robin standing at a window with a view of the garden. Elizabeth was sitting on a stone bench, reading a book and absentmindedly petting Pug.

    "A lovely picture, if I do say so myself," she murmured.

    Robin took his first notice of his mother and grinned. "You need not champion Miss Bennet's cause. I quite agree that she makes a lovely picture."

    "So lively and smart. So pretty. So--"

    "Mother, you are lecturing a convert."

    If she had been alone, Lady Grace would have rubbed her hands together with glee.

    "It has been quite some time since I began to consider Miss Bennet the handsomest woman of my acquaintance. Of course, you knew that." Robin looked over at Elizabeth again. She had set her book down and was tossing Pug a stick. Pug immediately chased after it, followed by Elizabeth's joyful laughter.

    "Do you fear that she does not return your feelings?"

    Robin sighed. "Until a few weeks ago, I knew with complete certainty that she did not. I hoped that I might have a slim chance, though I knew myself to be a fool. In the past few weeks, however...I have started to believe that she might care for me. And then I must question what role you have had in bringing it about."

    "None whatsoever," Lady Grace said. "I gave up trying to persuade her on that matter long ago. I think she has finally realized that her dashing Colonel shall never come to save her by marrying her."

    "I do not know that I like the thought of being second choice, not even if it means winning the woman I love."

    "You are not her second choice, Robin, but her first adult one. All girls dream of the man they want to marry. They place their ideal man on a pedestal and compare other men against it. Eventually they find one which they think comes closest and then they marry him. In Elizabeth's case, she found someone quite worthy of the pedestal...but found no one worthy of being compared to him. Until now."

    Despite his mother's words of encouragement, Lord Robin still feared that Elizabeth would reject any romantic overtures from him. She was the first woman to ever captivate him and make him consider marriage. Robin had seen beauties far greater than Elizabeth Bennet, but none of them had her spirit, her warmth, her charm. In one swift, unsuspecting Season, she had him thinking about marriage. And he was not only considering it. He knew with absolute certainty that he wanted to marry her more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. It was quite a feat, given that he had lived a score and a half of years without ever loving any woman outside of his mother.

    Telling himself he sounded every bit like the fool he knew himself to be, Robin decided that he would ask her to marry him on her birthday, at the Duke of Eddington's ball.

    Despite the fact that they had made many entrances at various social functions in the past several months, the announcement of the arrival of the Earl of Denby and Miss Elizabeth Bennet created nearly as great a stir as their initial one. This was the night, most believed, which would settle once and for all the state of affairs between them. If they were indeed betrothed, many were eager to hail it as the Match of the Decade. If they were not, many scheming mothers would breathe a sigh of relief and renew their hopes that they would win the elusive Earl next Season.

    Either way, a great number of wagers would be settled.

    Lord Robin claimed Elizabeth's first dance, as he always did. As soon as it ended, she was besieged with suitors eager to dance with her. Ever the gentleman, Robin stepped aside but did ask that she leave one dance free for him later in the evening.

    Fervently wishing she could refuse the pack of hounds at her heels and dance only with him, she agreed. Two dances, she felt, was not nearly enough time to figure out her feelings for him, but it would have to do.

    Lady Grace managed to keep herself in a position to watch them both, her eyes alight with such emotion that people observing her knew her feelings on the subject of her son and Miss Bennet. Lady Grace would have told them that anyone could know what she felt, for she had always secretly dreamed of Robin and Elizabeth marrying, and had made a few (all right, a great number, she thought with a chuckle) hints. But she had not truly believed that her recalcitrant son would actually fall in love.

    At long last, it seemed as though everything was going splendidly.

    "The Earl and Countess of Matlock...Viscount Castleberry...Colonel Fitzwilliam...Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy...Miss Caroline Bingley...Mr. and Mrs. Horace Tysen...Miss Sabrina Tysen!"

    Oh my God. Richard Fitzwilliam is here. Lady Grace's dreams of Elizabeth wearing her lovely wedding gown and saying her vows to Robin in a candle-filled church vanished. At last, Elizabeth's dear Richard had come to London.

    She knew the exact moment when Elizabeth realized who had just arrived. Throughout the evening, she had been stealing glances at Robin. But now, at a point in the dance when she could pause for a moment, her gaze fell upon Richard Fitzwilliam for the first time in almost six years.

    He nearly took Elizabeth's breath away, handsome as he was in his red coat. She wanted to quit the dance floor immediately and run into his arms, but she had spent far too many hours having etiquette drummed into her at Lady Grace's hand, so she did not. When the dance ended, Elizabeth insisted that she was exhausted and sent her hapless suitor off to get her a glass of punch. Elizabeth immediately disappeared in search of Richard, her heart beating rapidly. Had she wished, she could not have chosen a better moment to see him again. She was dressed so beautifully, she looked every inch a lady...surely this time he would see her as a woman and not as a little girl.

    Richard's eyes passed over her without realizing who she was, but a moment later his eyes met her as recognition dawned. "Elizabeth?" he murmured.

    She nodded, beaming.

    "Elizabeth?" he repeated, louder this time.

    "Hello, Richard," she finally managed to say past the knot of fear in her throat.

    "I...I cannot believe it is you. Whatever have you done to the gangly girl who loved horses and books and..."

    "She still exists," Elizabeth replied. "She just exists beneath a polished veneer. Just as the somewhat awkward boy who could talk for hours undoubtedly exists beneath your regal military bearing."

    Richard laughed. Miss Tysen, who had been talking with Miss Bingley but a short distance away, noticed them and smiled. "Miss Bennet!" she exclaimed. "How lovely to see you again."

    "Miss Tysen," Elizabeth replied politely.

    "Darling, I did not realize that you knew Miss Bennet," Miss Tysen addressed Richard.

    Darling?

    "We have...known each other for quite some time."

    Mr. Darcy approached the party, but stopped short at the sight of Elizabeth. "Eliza?" he asked, his voice almost as incredulous as his cousin's.

    "Elizabeth," she corrected, resenting the fact that she had had no time to prepare herself to face the man who had disappointed the hopes of her sister, who had driven a second couple apart for no reason. Her smile was a forced one. "Or Miss Bennet. But never Eliza."

    "Of course," Mr. Darcy replied, all politeness. "Your father told me you had been taken in my Lady Grace, but I thought surely he must have been mistaken. Then Miss Bingley told me she had made your acquaintance at an assembly ball in Meryton."

    "You keep yourself well informed," Elizabeth said. "I do hope your sister has recovered from her illness."

    "She has, thank you." Momentarily distracted from his original topic, he forced himself to return to it. "I had to wonder what you thought you were doing by being presented to Society."

    "I suppose you think I have somehow tricked Lady Grace, or blackmailed her, or used some other evil in order to enter Society."

    "Quite honestly, Eliza--beth, I did not know what to think. I could not believe you to be capable of such dreadful things as Miss Bingley, for you are Tom's daughter."

    "Yet at the same time, I am Sandy's daughter as well. You would be willing to think things of my mother, would you not?"

    "No, I would not."

    "Darcy, I hope you are not saying you have objections to Miss Bennet's being in Society merely because she is your coachman's daughter," Richard said. "It was you, was it not, who once said that England needed to show less distinction of class?"

    "I have not the slightest objection to Miss Bennet being here. In fact, I wanted to say that--"

    "How is your valet, Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth asked, her voice rather low. She did not want to hear another lie come out of the man's mouth.

    "Bingley? H-he is quite well, I believe."

    "Did he make the trip to London, sir?"

    "He did indeed."

    "And how does my sister Jane? I have heard that she is quite melancholy lately. It must be a broken heart."

    Mr. Darcy reddened, and Elizabeth took this to be a sign of his guilt. She was about to finally give in to temptation and give him the scolding he deserved when Miss Bingley decided to interrupt.

    "Why, if it isn't the little shop girl," she said in a shrill voice. "Eliza Bennet, whatever are you doing here?"

    "I received an invitation, as you undoubtedly did," Elizabeth replied. "My very own invitation."

    Miss Bingley's eyes narrowed in surprise and anger, for she had not received a personal invitation to the ball and had only come as a friend of the Tysens. A common girl receiving her own invitation...well, it was not to be borne!

    Miss Bingley had been in London for several days, and had heard a great deal about the lovely Miss Bennet. The truth of her origins was little mentioned, and most people tended not to believe that she had come from an ordinary background when Miss Bingley mentioned it. Most distressing of all was that many people thought Miss Bennet was engaged to Lord Robin Hamilton. That was what infuriated Caroline Bingley most of all. Lord Robin could have had her, and instead wanted a common, ignorant, uneducated...it could never be borne!

    "Do they know of the little shop you work at? Do they know that your uncle owns the shop? Do they know that your father--"

    "That is enough, Caroline," Miss Tysen said. "It has nothing to do with who she is now, and it is most impolite of you to continue bringing it up."

    "I think it is not nearly enough. These people have been deceived, and no one seems to care."

    "I agree with my fiancee," Richard said calmly, putting a hand on Miss Tysen's shoulder.

    Miss Bingley was so busy arguing with Richard and Miss Tysen that no one noticed Elizabeth getting quite pale. Mr. Darcy joined the conversation, and Elizabeth believed he agreed with Miss Bingley, for she had an adoring look on her face when she stared up at him.

    Fiancee. Richard is engaged. To Miss Tysen.

    Elizabeth felt as though she were about to pass out. The rumors were all true--all of them. She had lost him forever before she had even had the chance to win him.

    And now, to add to her humiliation, Mr. Arrogant, Interfering, Snobbish, Bloody Proud Darcy was about to expose her with the help of that dreadful Miss Bingley.

    "Excuse me, Elizabeth, but I do not believe I have been introduced to your...friends."

    Salvation had arrived. Had Elizabeth not believed Robert Hamilton to be an angel before then, she certainly would have nominated him for the post that evening.

    Numbly, Elizabeth introduced Lord Robin to Mr. Darcy and Richard. Before Mr. Darcy or Miss Bingley could make any further remarks, Robin whisked her away to the dance floor, where a waltz was beginning.

    "Are you all right?" he asked softly.

    "I believe so." After a short pause, she said, "Thank you."

    "You are quite welcome. You looked a bit pale a moment ago."

    "He knows. He shall tell everyone."

    "Who? Richard Fitzwilliam? From what I have heard of him, he is too honorable."

    "Not him. I mean Mr. Darcy."

    "Ah, yes. He is looking at us, you know."

    Elizabeth managed to catch a glimpse of Mr. Darcy, whose face was unreadable as she whirled past him. She did not think he looked disapproving, but it was impossible to tell with him.

    "Do not let him crush you, my dear. Stare right back at him and refuse to be intimidated."

    Elizabeth did just as Lord Robin suggested, her every look saying, Expose me if you dare.

    "Elizabeth..."

    She was pulled from her troubled thoughts by Robin calling her by her Christian name again. She had not realized until now that he had done it before, when he had saved her from Miss Bingley and Mr. Darcy.

    "Yes?"

    "I realize this is the wrong place and time for such a question."

    "Yes?" Elizabeth was becoming confused.

    "Will you marry me?"

    All sense of decorum fled, but then Elizabeth had never expected to have a man propose to her in the middle of a waltz. She stopped dancing and stared at him. "What?"

    Robin sighed. "I knew it. I knew I should have led you into the garden to do this." He forced her to move again, apologizing to the other dancers for stopping. "But I never asked anyone to marry me before, and I wanted to do it before all my courage deserted me. I am such a complete fool, so I must beg your forgiveness and say that love has made me mad."

    Marry Robin?

    She had considered it, then discarded the notion in a heartbeat when she had seen Richard again.

    How fickle you are, Elizabeth Bennet. If Richard had never appeared, you would have accepted Robin's proposal in a minute. Richard can never be yours. Robin can make you happy, and you can learn to love him in time. Richard was a childhood fantasy. Robin is your future, and he loves you.

    "So...will you marry me?"

    Elizabeth waited until the dance was over, for she feared her answer might cause them to create yet another stir by stopping on the floor a second time.

    "Yes," she said quietly, amidst the applause for the ending dance. "I shall marry you."

    "You...you are certain?"

    Elizabeth could not help laughing, despite her nervousness. "I would not have said so otherwise, Robin."

    Robin's eyes lit up at her use of his first name without the title. Without hesitation, he called out, "Excuse me, my lords, ladies and gentlemen, but I have an announcement I wish to make."

    Conversation died immediately when people realized who was speaking.

    Robin stepped to the center of the dance floor. "I am quite aware that my marital status has caused my poor mother no end of grief these thirty years or so." There were some chuckles from the guests, who knew Lady Grace well. "This past Season, however, I think that many of the people present in this room have taken a far more avid interest in this situation than in the past."

    More laughter. Elizabeth felt many pairs of expectant eyes on her.

    "I am pleased to announce that as of this evening, my dear mother may rest easy and many of you shall be collecting heavy sums of money from your friends. You have all wondered, this entire Season, whether or not I was actually engaged to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. This evening, I am proud to announce that she had honoured me by agreeing to become my wife."

    There was a loud uproar in the wake of Robin's announcement. A number of congratulations rang out for both Robin and Elizabeth.

    Elizabeth smiled, pleased and greatly relieved to have made her decision. She looked around the ballroom again, her eyes catching those of the man who had stared at her during the waltz. Belatedly, Elizabeth realized that her acceptance of Robin's proposal could be taken as a preventive measure against being exposed as a fraud.

    From the look in his eyes, Darcy seemed to believe that to be the case.

    I shall prove you wrong, Mr. Meddling Darcy. Robin shall never suspect that I do not love him as he loves me.

    Never.

    Schemes and Dreams

    Posted on Wednesday, 8 September 1999

    As the Duke of Eddington called for a toast to the future Lady Hamilton, Richard once again tried to associate the girl he remembered as Elizabeth Bennet with the beautiful young woman clinging to the arm of Lord Robin. He sneaked glances at her, not allowing himself to stare and attract attention. The last thing he wished was to cause a scene if someone noticed him looking too long at Miss Bennet--especially if the someone turned out to be his fiancée or her best friend. Well, perhaps just the best friend. Lord, what a row Caroline Bingley would make if she saw! But Sabrina would doubtlessly think he was merely happy to see an old friend and not worry about it.

    Sabrina.

    How on earth had it happened? Richard asked himself that for the third time in the past five minutes. It was a question he had been asking himself a great deal since the day he had asked her to marry him, and even at the moment of proposing he had not had an answer.

    All he could remember was when it had first struck him that Sabrina Tysen had blossomed into a lovely young woman. Georgiana had been quite sick, and against her parents' wishes Sabrina had come to tend to her friend. It had probably been the best thing for Georgiana, as both he and Darcy had been completely helpless in the sickroom.

    One afternoon, needing respite from the gloom hanging over the house, Richard had gone for a walk through the park. After spending some time at the pond where he had spent so much time with Elizabeth Bennet, he decided that he had neglected his cousins long enough and went to return to the house. On his way back, he found Sabrina sitting on a bench underneath a tree, reading a book. Her fascination with her book did not fade as he approached her, and Richard could not help but remember another girl who loved books with such zest.

    Sabrina finally looked up and saw him. He joined her on the bench and the two of them talked at great length. To Richard, it appeared as though the two of them had a great deal in common, and he found that he liked being able to talk to a woman with some intelligence, even if she had a tendency to agree with him when he knew he was wrong. Still, the last woman he had talked to in such a manner was Elizabeth.

    Now he had to wonder if perhaps he had been deceived in thinking them alike, and that it had been a great concern for Georgiana which had clouded his senses and made him see more. Not that Miss Tysen was to blame for that--she had just as great a concern for Georgiana, and it may have had the same affect on her that it had on him. Richard had seen Sabrina as compassionate, virtuous, sweet-natured, and charming. Mercenary as it sounded, he could not overlook her dowry and the promise of her being Mr. Tysen's heiress. In his life, Richard had met only one other girl who could compare to her, and no one would tell him where she had gone, only that she would probably never be returning to Pemberley.

    So he had asked Sabrina Tysen to marry him. If he did not actually love her, well, that could come in time. He was content.

    Until tonight.

    Until Elizabeth Bennet, whom he had presumed was living in utter disgrace since no one would speak of her, had appeared at the grandest Society ball of the year. Until she had outshone Sabrina so greatly that he could not imagine how he had been able to compare the two.

    The orchestra struck up a lively dance. Elizabeth eagerly took part in it, dancing with glowing eyes at her new fiancé. Richard could not help staring openly now, for he thought he could always cover up by saying he was admiring the dancers in general, rather than one in particular.

    "She is quite lovely, is she not?" he heard Sabrina ask beside him. Richard realized that he had not been successful in hiding his interest in Elizabeth from her.

    "She is not as lovely as you, my dear," he replied, for he knew it was probably what she wished to hear.

    Sabrina smiled, for although she knew he was lying, she was glad that he loved her enough that other women paled in comparison. "I had heard that there was some question as to whether or not they were engaged. Some of my friends told me that she had been leading him on a merry chase, others that he had little interest in her at all."

    "Perhaps he wished for her to have full enjoyment of a Season before they announced their engagement," Mrs. Tysen suggested. "Sabrina told us that she lived in the country before coming to London."

    "Did she tell you the rest of it, Mrs. Tysen?" Caroline Bingley asked, all her fury in her voice. "Did she tell you that her father works for Mr. Darcy at Pemberley, and her mother as well?"

    "What does it matter now? She is to be the next Countess of Denby," Sabrina said quietly. "Honestly, Caroline, you are carrying a grudge against Lord Robin too far in trying to sully his future bride's reputation. I see not what either of them has done to you to make you dislike them so."

    "You will forgive me if I feel that there should be some distinction of rank," Caroline said, lowering her voice as the couple under discussion danced by them. "I realize that by saying it, I go against what Mr. Darcy has lately come to feel about the issue--though for the life of me I cannot fathom his thinking--but I must be allowed to speak my own mind. Elizabeth Bennet is little more than a girl from the gutters. She is a girl of no breeding and no class, despite what Lady Grace has been trying to foist off on society all Season. She is merely a novelty to them, and had Lord Robin not been courting his mother's good graces by asking her to marry him, he would no doubt cast her off. I do not see any particular marks of love in him, any more than he has had for the number of other girls who--"

    Richard had felt himself tensing all through Caroline's speech, and finally he allowed himself to speak openly. "Including yourself, I have no doubt. Let us get to the heart of your argument, Miss Bingley. You are not content to--"

    "Richard," Sabrina said softly. "I do not think you should speak out so."

    Richard looked down at her, frowning. He could not help thinking, Elizabeth would have let me talk. Elizabeth would not have reminded me of good manners. She would have enjoyed seeing me defend someone else from insult.

    Caroline appeared eager to continue the discussion. "I have not the least bit of interest in what Lord Robin Hamilton does. If he wishes to marry a guttersnipe, then he may do so. Yet you cannot prevent me from saying that I do not like his choice, and that I shall never receive her in my home--even after she marries him, for to be sure, she shall not let him escape."

    Richard had a great deal more he wanted to say to this malicious woman, but he knew Sabrina would be displeased with him if he continued. So her concluded his conversation with her by saying, "Then you shall likely be among the minority, since Society seems to like her as she is. Marrying Lord Robin shall only serve to make them think her a sensible young woman as well as a likable one, for she has little fortune and no name and she shall be marrying both. And now, Sabrina, I feel that perhaps we should take a turn about the dance floor."

    Sabrina agreed readily, and the two of them joined the rest of the dancers. Caroline Bingley watched them walk away, frowning. She knew she should be kinder to Mr. Darcy's favourite cousin, but for the life of her she could not like Richard Fitzwilliam. Still, at least Sabrina had finally won the man she had loved since she was a girl. Perhaps now Caroline could set about winning the man she wanted.

    Caroline glanced again at Lord Robin and Elizabeth Bennet. Lord Robin was saying something that caused Elizabeth to laugh, and she turned and appeared to look directly at Caroline. Caroline glared at her until she realized that the look was not for her, but rather for someone standing close to her.

    Insolent girl. Caroline smoothed her face into a calm expression, knowing that there were people there observing her behaviour, not the least of which was Mr. Darcy. The subject of Elizabeth Bennet, however, caused her to forget herself as she remembered with no little anger all the praise she had heard for the young woman.

    People actually seemed to like her! She was a nobody, the daughter of a coachman and a cook. She was little more than a servant herself, even though Georgiana said that Elizabeth had never really fit in with any profession at Pemberley. And this was the girl who had been declared the Belle of the Season! A nobody!

    Caroline hated her. Her dislike had started in Meryton, when Elizabeth had captivated the people there with her outgoing charm and appeal. For weeks after Elizabeth and Lady Grace had departed, people were still talking about how nice Miss Bennet was, and how they wished they had had more time to spend with her. No one had ever said that about her.

    Caroline had hoped to end Elizabeth's deception in London, but then Georgiana had become sick and Sabrina had insisted on staying in Derbyshire. Caroline, wishing to show as equal a concern about Georgiana as Sabrina did, stayed as well, though Caroline was more apt to send little notes expressing concern than actually spending time at Pemberley, worrying over Georgiana's welfare. Having seen where open affection got Sabrina, Caroline dearly wished she had done as her friend had. Sabrina had gone every day, and was now engaged to Richard. Caroline had preferred not to be bothered with the actual disgusting details of sickness, and it appeared that Mr. Darcy was still hesitant about asking her to marry him.

    By the time she had arrived in London, it appeared to be too late. The Season was almost over, Elizabeth was a success, and now she was engaged to Lord Robin. Once she married the Earl of Denby, Elizabeth Bennet was likely to become the most sought-after prize in Society. Her presence would make a ball or a musicale a success. Caroline could see it now, and it sickened her. For it was not she, Caroline, the girl who had the fortune of twenty thousand pounds, the girl who had had all the right tutors and knew the ancestry of any number of noble families (including the Hamiltons, who had been Chaunceys before that and Timberlakes before that), the girl whose every day from her early adolescence to adulthood had been spent preparing for such a future, who would be in that position.

    Rather, it would be Elizabeth Bennet doing those things. A girl of no breeding, taste, class, beauty, or wit. A girl of such appalling family. Caroline would not put it past the girl to have trapped Lord Robin into matrimony, for everyone knew how liberal Lady Grace was and she was likely to overlook an indiscretion on her son and Miss Bennet's part, as long as it insured the two would marry.

    Sabrina had asked what Elizabeth or Lord Robin had done to make her dislike them so. Lord Robin had rejected her, as everyone was well aware. But that he had rejected her for someone such as her was insupportable. As for Elizabeth, well, surely everyone would see why she disliked her.

    And when Elizabeth Bennet finally received her comeuppance, well, then, they would know who they had to thank.

    In the meantime, however, Caroline recognized that she had spoken far too forcefully and truthfully to suit most people, including Richard and Sabrina and likely Mr. Darcy. It would be best if she apologized to them instantly, and in the future remember to hold her tongue until the rest of Society agreed with her.

    Caroline Bingley was no fool. She knew just what she could and could not dare. She knew when the best time was to strike, and she would be awaiting that time.

    Continued In Next Section

    © 1999 Copyright held by the author.