“She is not wrong, my dear. Lady Catherine has made her approval of her nephew’s courtship plain,” said her father.
“But, Papa!” Miss Woodhouse objected.
“Come now, Miss Woodhouse, you must not tire yourself. Come and sit here by the wall with me, you may keep me company while I await an invitation to dance.” Caroline took Emma’s arm and led her to the side of the room with the other young ladies.
“Excuse me, but I am no wallflower!” objected Miss Woodhouse again.
“Well, you are an invalid, are you not? You ought to get used to sitting by the wall if you are to remain forever unwell,” said Caroline pointedly. All of the young ladies agreed that no one believed Miss Woodhouse was truly unwell. It was not only that thecomtehad drawn it to attention, everyone had noticed thatMiss Woodhouse’s condition was odd, and that no one seemed to believe in it but her father.
It was not long before Caroline was asked to dance by the colonel of the militia, a dashing man, with an expectation of a rather incredible estate from an uncle on his mother’s side one day. It was rumoured that the family’s fortune rivalled Mr Darcy’s, though the uncle himself was reclusive and reviled society. In the meantime, Colonel George Allen was doing his duty to his country. Caroline never thought she might consider an officer, but a handsome colonel with fine expectations, who would not go to war, for his regiment did not leave the country? Perhaps…
By the third set, thecomtehad arrived, and solicited a dance with all of the noble ladies present, as well as the ladies of Bourne House. Everyone was shocked and delighted to see Lady Catherine spinning about the floor with thecomte, laughing, eyes alive with merriment. Mr Woodhouse lost no time in claiming her hand for the next set, and when she returned to the side of the room, Darcy approached her with his hand outstretched.
“Aunt, you could not be so cruel as to deny your favourite nephew the pleasure,” grinned Darcy. His aunt took his arm as thecomteapproached Elizabeth for their set.
“Your elixir has done wonders for her,” Elizabeth commented, following thecomte’sgaze to her hostess.
“She has always reminded me of Catherine the Great. How that woman loved to dance! So alive! So strong, so determined…” he trailed off as his memories washed over him. “Did you know, her real name was not Catherine?” he laughed aloud, “It was Sophie.”
“How do you know all of this?” Elizabeth asked curiously. This man wassuch a conundrum! In a hundred years, she could never puzzle him out.
Thecomtesmiled at her and replied, “I was there.”
“How could that be possible?” Elizabeth demanded.
“Mademoiselle, I have attended so many coronations and royal funerals, I regard myself as a proficient bystander of history,” answered the mysterious man.
“Are you a vampire, then?” she asked boldly.
“I have been mistaken for a vampire, a time traveller, and a wizard. Truthfully, I am only a man who has discovered a wonderful skin cream.” he smiled.
“How old are you then?” Elizabeth asked.
“Thecomtelaughed at her boldness. “Mademoiselle, I have lived through so many centuries, that I stopped counting birthdays many, many years ago.”
They stopped talking as the dance drew them apart for a moment, and he smiled at her. “You are a citrine, I think. Perhaps a topaz.”
“Whatever do you mean,monsieur?” Elizabeth asked.
Thecomtelaughed. “I like to amuse myself, by selecting the perfect jewel for the ladies of my acquaintance. You,mademoiselle, are a citrine. Your youngest sister, she is a rare one. You do not see many pink topaz. Her friend,Mademoiselle D’Arcy, that one is special. Not a jewel, but a pearl.”
“What an amusing activity,” Elizabeth laughed. “I must say, you do have good taste, and good instincts too, I think.”
“In a jewel, I see the splendour of creation, and the imperfections that nature left. Just as the finest jewels have tiny flaws, so too do the most noble hearts.” He nodded towards Emma Woodhouse who was near the side of the floor, watching her father and Lady Catherine intently, “Like your friend there.”
“I am not at all certain what you mean, but Miss Woodhouse’s condition is curious, is it not?” Elizabeth said in perplexity.
“Not so very curious,” thecomtesaid, smiling. “I believe it makes perfect sense.”
“Thecomteis certainly an odd man,”Elizabeth said as she joined Jane, Bingley, and Darcy at the side of the room a short time later. “Every time we speak, I leave the conversation lightheaded.”
“Ha! Yesterday, the man informed me what Louis XVI was wearing at his beheading!” Bingley choked out. “And what's even more odd, I believe he was perfectly serious!”
“And your aunt’s claim that he has not aged since she met him over thirty years ago!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “He just informed me that he is centuries old!”
“I find him fascinating,” admitted Darcy.
“WellIfind him revolting!” interrupted Anne as she joined them. “Lookat my mother!”
