“Did you hear that, Darcy?”asked Bingley in an excited whisper.
“Yes, tonight is Miss Catherine’s first assembly.It would be polite to ask her to dance.”
“Not that!Jane!Her given name is Jane!JB!”He looked at Darcy expectantly until the other man acknowledged the wonder of meeting a woman with the initials JB.
“Have you not met a great many women named Jane?It is not an uncommon name.”
“Yes, but not with the last name Bennet and in possession of a mark.”
“How do you know she is marked?”asked Darcy.
“It is common knowledge in the town,” answered Bingley, color tinging his cheeks.
Hmm.Darcy imagined he knew exactly how Bingley knew.He had probably set his valet to question the local servants on the ladies of the neighborhood.Most women in the ton were not marked, so it was not unreasonable to think his lady love might be country gentry.It would not be the step up Darcy had hoped for his friend, but it would be better than a servant.
“I see,” said Darcy.
“I shall ask her when we dance.”
“Bingley!You cannot ask a woman about her mark.It is unseemly.Not to mention entirely too personal for a public ballroom.”
“It may be on display.Many ladies’ marks are,” he said, ignoring Darcy’s words.
“Did you see it?”
“No, but I was hardly looking for it.I could not do such a thing in front of her father!”
Darcy sighed.“Of course not.You could look discreetly while you dance.Discreetly, Bingley,” he added when his friend looked entirely too excited.
“She is an angel, Darcy.Look at her!Have you ever seen such a beautiful face?”
Darcy could admit she was pretty enough.He was not blind and he knew what was considered attractive.But he did not feel attraction, not like an unmarked man would.“I suppose she is pretty.”
“Ha!You only say that because you are marked yourself.You cannot truly see her.”
“That is all the better for you.”
“It must be her, Darcy.I have never found a woman so lovely.”
“You could ask her father, you know.Save yourself all this wondering.It is quite an acceptable question.Better than involving the lady and facing an embarrassing situation if you are wrong.”
“Yes, yes,” said Bingley absently.“I should speak to her father.Wonderful idea, Darcy!”
Darcy shook his head, certain his friend had not really understood what he was saying.
When Bingley led Jane Bennet to the floor for their set, every eye in the assembly hall was on them.The entire town knew Jane was marked, and that the initials on her mark were CHB.A man named Charles Bingley could not possibly come into the area without a great deal of scrutiny.
They faced one another on the line and the musicians began to play.They danced across from one another for a few minutes, neither speaking, each staring into the other’s eyes as if in a trance.Mrs.Bennet could not stop thumping her husband’s arm, whispering, “Look!Look at them!”
Elizabeth was happy to see it.The couple seemed completely wrapped up in each other, and Jane had certainly never looked at anyone that way in her entire life.
The music shifted and Jane stepped forward with the other ladies.She proceeded to dance around Bingley in a circle, and he followed her with his eyes.When she was passing his right shoulder, he could see the mark on the back of her neck.It was a country house, with a wide front door and a set of initials in the center of the door.He could not read the small script while she was moving so, but he did not need to.For the image on her neck matched the one on his chest exactly.
“Miss Bennet!”he cried as she paused in front of him.“It is you!”
“Mr.Bingley?”
He caught up both her hands and brought them to his chest.“You are my soulmate.”
