Chapter 15

Charlotte Lucas was standing off to the side of the dance floor speaking to Elizabeth while the musicians were warming up their instruments as the anticipation for the first set to be called by her father built. Sir William was the master of ceremonies, which like his past stints as mayor of Meryton, he both volunteered for, and loved doing.

She saw the five unknown men enter the Assembly hall. Elizabeth had not seen them as her back was to the door, but she saw Charlotte’s interest directed towards the new arrivals. With her petite stature, once she turned towards the door, it was hard for her to see over those between her and the newcomers. “You have the advantage over me, Charlotte,” Elizabeth stated the obvious. “You must tell what holds your interest as I cannot see who is garnering the attention of everyone around me.”

“I believe it is the Netherfield Park party, although none of them look like my father’s description of Mr. Bingley, his sisters, or his brother-in-law,” Charlotte averred. “A handsome group of men if ever I saw one.”

Fanny Bennet was speaking to her sister, Hattie Philips, and best friend, Lady Sarah Lucas, when the commotion in the hall began. It was caused when her neighbours spied the arriving strangers. She was too engrossed in the conversation to pay the men mind at that moment. Between that and her worry for her husband whose cold had turned more serious, she was far more distracted than normal. She had almost cried off attending, but her husband and mother had convinced her to accompany the three eldest Bennet daughters. At least Mother was at home and making sure Thomas had everything he needed. Cathy and Lydia would ably assist their grandmama with anything she required.

Jane and Mary, the latter had been informed by Aunt Hattie that Mr. Wickham was working on a contract so he would not attend, were near the door speaking to Elinor Goulding and Tabatha Purvis when the five men entered the hall. When they got a good look at the men, Jane and Mary stared for different reasons. Jane’s vision was instantly arrested by Mr. Fitzwilliam, there was no mistaking he was here. Mary’s eyes were locked onto two young men she guessed were a little older than her who bore an uncanny resemblance to the portrait of Papa in the hallway, near to the drawing room. It had been taken when her father was about twenty. Seeing the two almost made her forget her disappointment that Mr. Wickham would not be able to dance with her this night.

Richard had not seen Wickham, but he had noticed Miss Bennet and did not miss the way her eyes had locked onto his person. He hoped it portended a positive sign, but he well knew it could mean the opposite. He saw William roll his eyes and his cousin was about to make a comment. Both he and Jamey gave William a stern glare which made whatever he was about to say die in his throat.

Even though she could not believe her bad luck that the man who did not care to continue an acquaintanceship with her was here, Jane plastered her serene mask in place as she watched Mr. Fitzwilliam approach her.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~

“Charles, order the coachman to speed up,” Miss Bingley demanded, “I need to be at the ball in time for one of our important guests to request the first, another the supper, and then the third one, the final set from me. They need me to rescue them from the inelegances to be found hereabouts. Why did you allow them to leave ahead of me…us?”

“Caroline unless you have the attention span of a gadfly, you have been told that you are the reason they departed before us,” Mrs. Hurst reminded her sister.

“It is dark out, so it would not be safe for the coachman to speed up, regardless of your demands,” Hurst spat out at his delusional sister-in-law.

Miss Bingley threw herself back against the squabs, crossed her arms in front of her, and looked at the other three in the cabin with a gimlet eye. Bingley was thankful she had not released a tantrum yet. All he could do was hope she would forgo one for as long as possible. He knew not what Louisa told Caroline when she had spoken to her upstairs, but whatever it was it was effective. Caroline had entered the drawing room her equanimity largely intact, and demanded they leave with immediacy. She had remained calm as that was exactly what they had done.

They arrived at the assembly hall and as they were a little late, and unbeknownst to the late arrivals, the attendants had been moved inside the hall to assist with other tasks. They had made the short trip without a footman so it took waiting for the coachman to climb down from the box, place the step and open the door before they were able to alight.

As they entered the hall Bingley saw Fitzwilliam leading his cousins towards the most perfect angel he had ever seen. She had everything he looked for in a woman. She was blonde, beautiful, tall, willowy, and had the most perfect blue eyes he had ever beheld. He led his sisters and Hurst in the same direction.

Miss Bingley was not well pleased that one of the men who would be acceptable as her husband seemed to be drawn to the prettyish blonde.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~

“Miss Bennet, it is very good to see you again,” Richard stated warmly as he bowed over her hand. “Would you introduce me to your friends?”

“Mr. Fitzwilliam, I present to you my sister, Miss Mary Bennet and our friends, Miss Elinor Goulding and Miss Tabatha Purvis. Mary, Elli, and Tabatha, Mr. Richard Fitzwilliam…” At that moment, Jane noticed Mary was staring at some of the members of Mr. Fitzwilliam’s party. She followed her sister’s line of sight. Seeing the two young men for the first time Jane gasped.

At first Richard had thought Miss Mary, as he now knew her to be, was enamoured with Saul or Philip, but now as he looked around, he noticed that there were some strange looks directed at the two of them, from males and females alike. He decided he must perform the introductions and then he would determine why his two cousins were attracting such attention from the local populace. It was then he noted Bingley was on his way towards them when he was waylaid by a portly man, who led Bingley and the three with him away, he assumed to introduce him to others in the hall. Before he could make the introductions, the two friends of the Miss Bennets excused themselves.

He performed the office, and was able to see that the fact two of his cousins had titles did not seem to impress the two Bennet sisters. “Miss Bennet, did you not tell me you have four sisters?” Richard enquired.

“Yes, that is correct, Mr. Fitzwilliam. I am the eldest, and Mary is the middle sister. Our sister, Miss Elizabeth, was speaking to a friend but is about to go line up to dance the first set.” Jane inclined her head towards Elizabeth, who had her back to them. “There are two more sisters at home who are not out in society yet, while Mary is only out locally.”

“Miss Bennet, if you are not engaged for the first, may I have the honour?” Richard requested. He had no polite way to ask why so many were looking at Saul and Philip the way they were, so he refrained from saying anything. Regardless of her doubts and her not wanting him to trifle with her emotions again, Jane accepted Mr. Fitzwilliam for the first set, and allowed him to lead her to the line just as the first bars of the music for the opening dance began.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~

As much as he had wanted to join those speaking to the blonde angel, Bingley had followed Sir William who introduced him to his wife, Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Philips, Miss Lucas, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He did his duty to Sir William and asked Miss Lucas for the first set and Miss Elizabeth for the second, just before the latter’s partner for the first set of dances collected her.

He was not happy to see Fitzwilliam lead the angel to the dance floor. For once he and his younger sister were in accord. If she did not know better, she would have thought Mr. Fitzwilliam was acquainted with the blonde. That could not be so, how would a member of the first circles be familiar with anyone in this backwoods nowhere. She very much wanted to make her way to where the Viscount and Mr. Darcy were standing with the second sons, but Louisa and Hurst were speaking to the matrons they had just met and she could not go off on her own. It was not done and she did not want the targets of her matrimonial aspirations to question her commitment to propriety.

Fanny was impressed by Mr. and Mrs. Hurst and thought her husband may enjoy speaking with the gentleman. She knew when he made his call on Mr. Bingley that he had not had an opportunity to speak to Mr. Hurst. It was then she noticed Jane had joined the line with a man she did not recognise and remembered Mr. Bingley had stated something about another five gentlemen being hosted at his estate. At that moment Fanny looked across the hall and saw the four unknown men. She was about to turn back to her friend and sister when she saw the two younger men for the first time.

“How can this be?” Fanny asked barely above a whisper, but loud enough for Hattie and Sarah to look in the same direction.

“Fanny, how is it those two look so much like Thomas?” Hattie asked as she stared at the two.

“I have before heard tell of strangers who look like they could be related, but are not,” Lady Lucas stated. “There are many wonderous, strange, and unexplained things in the world He created for us.”

“There is much truth in what you say,” Fanny agreed as she returned to the conversation with her sister and friend, still not feeling at ease.

As William noted the way so many were watching him and the three cousins with him, he assumed everyone was interested in matching their daughter with the rich and titled men. One thing was different however, he had not heard whispers of any of their purported income yet. He pushed that thought aside, feeling more and more uncomfortable at the scrutiny he was receiving. He had not noticed he was not the one drawing the attention. He saw a shrub in a huge pot in the one corner, chose the way to it which would not take him past Miss Bingley and stalked off.

“Jamey, why are we drawing so much attention?” Philip asked his brother. “Saul and I do not feel very comfortable being eyed like haunches of beef at the butchers.”

“Would you two like to take my coach and return to Netherfield Park?” Jamey suggested. “Giana and Mrs. Annesley are there and the harridan is not. Even though she ignores you as you are schoolboys and mere second sons, it will be much more pleasant without her presence.”

“I think we would prefer that, although we do not want to give the impression we are above our company,” Saul answered for both while Philip nodded.

“If there are questions, or I hear any comments I will let it be known you two felt a fever coming on,” Jamey offered. “In the meanwhile, I will attempt to discover the source of the interest in you. I do not think anyone here knows of your birth at the local inn.”

Saul and Philip slipped out as unobtrusively as possible and soon enough they were in Jamey’s coach on the way back to the estate where they were being hosted.

At the end of the first set, Bingley brought Miss Lucas over and introduced her to Jamey who requested a set with her. Miss Lucas granted his request. It was then he noticed the young lady approaching Miss Lucas. Now it was his turn to stare. She looked a lot like his mother, but more so like Aunt Rose and Aunt Elaine as she too was petite like them. Knowing it was rude to stare, he requested Miss Lucas introduce him.

She did so and he realised it was the Bennet sister whose back they had seen when she had been with others at the time Richard had spoken to Miss Bennet.

“Do I have something on my face, my Lord,” Elizabeth asked impertinently.

“Please pardon me Miss Elizabeth, you look like some ladies I know,” Jamey responded.

“I hope they are pleasant people,” she teased back.

“They surely are. If I said anything else I would have my ears boxed as one of them is my mother and the other two are her sisters—my aunts.” Before Jamey could confirm she was the one who played chess by post against William or that she had been born at the inn, she was collected for a set by Bingley.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~

At the end of her set with Mr. Fitzwilliam, a confused Jane was led to the side of the room and not back to Charlotte who had been joined by Lizzy. “Miss Bennet, would you permit me to pay you a call on the morrow?” Richard requested. He had not missed the way she had been polite, but not more than that during their dance.

“To what end Mr. Fitzwilliam?” Jane enquired suspiciously. She would not allow him to play with her feelings again.

“All I ask is that you listen to what I have to tell you Miss Bennet, if at the end of my recitation you do not desire to keep the connection, I will understand,” Richard stated quietly all the while hoping against all hope it would not be the case.

Jane’s first instinct was to refuse him, but then her innate sense of fairness took over. Was she not the one who admonished Lizzy not to judge too quickly? She would be well chaperoned so what would it cost her to hear what he had to say. “You may call at Longbourn on the morrow at eleven in the morning,” Jane averred.

Richard beamed a smile. As long as she was willing to listen to him, he had a chance. He danced the second set with Miss Mary. At the end of that set, she introduced him to her sister, Miss Elizabeth from whom he requested the next set. She refused him telling him she would sit out to give others who may want to dance an opportunity. His eyes still full of Miss Bennet, he did not notice Miss Elizabeth’s looks or who she resembled.

At the end of his set with Miss Lucas, which he had enjoyed greatly, Jamey saw Richard on his way to where William was trying to blend in with the huge pot and the shrub within it. He took a circuitous route to avoid Miss Bingley on his way to join Richard and William.

Said lady was angry and growing more so by the minute. Not one of the three men she had decided would dance significant sets with her had approached her even for an insignificant pair of dances. Her brother came and collected her for the third set. At least she would dance with someone. She would talk to Charles and make sure he spoke to his friends so he could demand they dance with her.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~

Jamey joined Richard before he reached William. “Where are your brother and our young cousin?” Richard enquired.

His cousin explained they had departed and why. “I do not think the looks are connected to mercenary motives, I have not heard anything in that vein from anyone not named Miss Bingley,” Jamey observed.

Just then Jamey saw the Miss Bennet, who looked like his mother and aunts, pass by him and Richard, and she proceeded to sit down on the other side of the big potted shrub from William. He said nothing of her presence as he and Richard reached William.

“Come, William,” Richard stated as he clapped his cousin on the back, “I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. The next set will begin soon enough. You had much better dance.”

“I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this it would be insupportable. Mrs. Hurst is engaged to dance with her husband, and there is not another woman in the room with whom it would not be a punishment for me to dance with.”

“I would not be so fastidious as you are for a kingdom!” cried Richard, “Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening; and there are several of them you see who are uncommonly pretty.”

“You danced with the only handsome girl in the room,” said Mr. Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.

“She is one of the most pleasant creatures I ever met! But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty, and I dare say very agreeable. Do let me introduce you.”

“Which do you mean?” and turning round he looked for a moment at Elizabeth and coldly said: “She is tolerable, but not...” He stopped. “Wait Miss Bennet, could she be the one I play at chess?” He turned back towards the young lady and froze. “Why does she look like Aunt Elaine and her sisters? What can this mean?”

It was at that moment Richard saw Miss Elizabeth, and who she looked like, for the first time.

Elizabeth heard the conversation and was preparing herself to be insulted by the unsociable man when he stopped. She stood and joined the three men all looking at her intently. “Lord Hadlock, Mr. Fitzwilliam, and am I correct that this gentleman who loves to dance is none other than Mr. Darcy the younger, the one I have trounced at chess for many years?”

Forgetting about her similarity to his mother momentarily, Jamey made the introduction.

“So, am I tolerable enough to play chess with but not one to whom to be introduced?” Elizabeth asked with arched eyebrow. “Would you like to continue the statement you were about to make? I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours.”

“I beg your pardon Miss Elizabeth; I was being missish and rather rude. In my attempt to have my cousin cease importuning me to dance, I almost insulted you most grievously,” William owned.

“As one who has been known to jump to conclusions a time or two, it would be rather hypocritical of me if I was to deny you my forgiveness, not to mention it would be very unchristian. Perhaps you would like to call on Longbourn once my father is well again so we may play some games across the board from one another.” Elizabeth paused. “Remind me who these relatives I look like are, please. I think Lord Hadlock mentioned them, but I was not paying attention.”

“Our mothers,” Richard indicated himself and Jamey, “and our Aunt Rose. They are sisters.”

“How many sets do you choose to sit out?” Richard asked pointedly to let William know it was her own choice she was not engaged for the set.

“Most of us sit out two sets, as there is a shortage of men thanks to the war with the Corsican Tyrant,” Elizabeth averred as she looked at her partner in chess. “There are many more ladies than men present.”

William hung his head in shame. “Miss Elizabeth, may I request your next open set?” William asked when he lifted his head.

“Mr. Fitzwilliam has the next, so you may have the one after, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth granted.

“And I would like the one after that, if it is open,” Jamey requested.

As he waited for his set, William looked at Miss Elizabeth closely and was able to see what a beauty she was. He began to anticipate his dances with pleasure.