Regardless of the invitations to Rosings Park, the Cavendishes never accepted. And conversely, neither did they issue any reciprocal invitations to the de Bourghs.
“Elaine, you know that you and your family are always welcome, do you not?” Lady Georgiana reminded her sister.
“Yes, of course I am aware of that, Anna. Am I not allowed to tease mymuchyounger sister?” Lady Elaine responded. “Ican think of nothing which will keep us from attending the next season, so if the schedule allows it, we will travel into Hertfordshire with you.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Fanny, I am not certain that I want to assist you in entrapping Mr Bennet,” Hattie Gardiner told her younger and much more forceful sister.
Knowing that Hattie would deny her nothing when she cried, Fanny forced tears from her eyes and began to wail. “On her deathbed, did not Mama make you vow you would look after me?” Fanny manipulated. “At least you had time with Mama for many more years than I was allowed. In marrying Mr Bennet, I will be fulfilling a promise I made to her to raise our family’s standing.”
Hattie knew what Fanny was demanding was wrong. However, in the face of her tears and evoking the memory of their long-dead mother, she was powerless. “I will assist you,” she capitulated.
While pretending like she was drying her eyes with a silk square, Fanny was smiling out of her sister’s view. She knew how it would be; Hattie would never deny her anything. “Thank you, Hattie. I am sure our mother is smiling down on you from heaven because you will help realise a dream she had for me.”
“You said you will dance with Mr Bennet, but, Fanny, he rarely dances, and he never asks you to stand up with him,” Hattie pointed out.
She was about to protest that fact. Their late mother told her she could not be so beautiful for nothing, and no man would ever refuse her anything. Just then Fanny realised Hattie was correct; Mr Bennet always made to escape her company andnever asked her to dance. As such, she would have to think of some other way.
“I will make another plan. Thank you for reminding me about his propensity not to dance,” Fanny replied. She ignored what Hattie had said about Mr Bennet not wanting to dance with her.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Thomas, are you sure it is not better for you to remain home?” Beth Bennet enquired the evening of the assembly just before they departed Longbourn.
“No, Mother, I will not allow that woman with nought but fluff between her ears to drive me to hide away as if I have done something wrong. I told you I will not dance a set and go directly to the card room. Not even Miss Fanny would intrude into that room,” Bennet insisted.
“I pray you are correct,” Beth stated as the two made for the Bennet carriage waiting for them in the drive. “Thank you, Hill.” The new butler had the door of the carriage open and handed the mistress up. His wife, Agnes, was the new housekeeper.
Bennet joined his mother, and as soon as the butler closed the door, he struck the ceiling with his walking stick, and they were off. The one mile ride to the assembly hall on Meryton’s main street was quick. Once there, the Bennet carriage joined a line of others discharging their neighbours who would also be attending the assembly.
Neither Bennet, nor anyone else noticed Fanny Gardiner watching their arrival with a predatory gleam in her eye. She had been waiting outside to make sure her prey arrived. Once the Bennets alighted from their carriage, soon to be her own conveyance, Fanny slipped inside and went to stand next to hersister. They were standing just next to the hallway, which led to the card room. The sisters watched as Mr Bennet escorted his mother to some chairs where some of the matrons were seated.
Being the prettiest girl in the area meant that Fanny had many requests to open the ball and for subsequent sets. However, to make sure she would be in place to affect her plan, she told the disappointed men that she did not feel well enough to dance.
Rather than approach the card room the way she expected him to do, it seemed Mr Bennet had asked Jenny Purvis to dance. Fanny was fuming as she watched the man she was determined to be engaged to before the night was out, dancing with someone else. She could not change her mind and suddenly have someone escort her to the floor. All the men were dancing, and it would make her out to be a liar.
When Bennet walked to the group of matrons with his mother, he had heard one of the ladies comment that Jenney Purvis had not been asked to dance the first set. He felt no attraction to the lady but did not like to see a lady who loved to dance sit out. Hence, he set aside his resolve to eschew the activity for the night and asked Miss Purvis for the opening set. She brightened up immediately and accepted.
Beth Bennet was well pleased that her son had made her good friend’s daughter so happy. She watched carefully while he danced with her to make sure she did not see Fanny Gardiner try to approach him.
When Beth noted the girl was not dancing with anyone, she relaxed. Could it be that her worries were for nought and the youngest Gardiner was not even at the assembly? Feeling her worries lift, Beth concentrated on speaking to her friends until the end of the set.
Bennet guided a very grateful Miss Purvis back to the side of the hall and bowed to her curtsy of gratitude. Having danced one more set than he had intended, he headed in the direction of the card room.
Fanny saw Mr Bennet on his way to where she was waiting. She sent her sister to the cardroom to summon their father while she hid herself in a dark area of the hallway. She made a sizeable rip in her dress and waited for her victim to approach. As soon as he was a few steps from where she was hidden, Fanny jumped out, throwing herself into Mr Bennet’s arms.
Thanks to at first not understanding what was occurring, Bennet did the gentlemanly thing and caught the woman before she ended up on the floor.
A number of things occurred at once. The woman threw her arms around his neck and planted her lips on his. It was only then he saw who it was. Miss Fanny!
Upon his eldest summoning him, Gardiner, who did not like his card game being interrupted, was not in the best of moods already when he exited and joined Hattie in the hallway. His mood darkened significantly when he saw his youngest daughter in the arms of Thomas Bennet. Not only that, they were in an intimate embrace, and worse, her dress was torn! “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? UNHAND MY DAUGHTER!”Gardiner yelled at the top of his voice.
It had been loud enough that the musicians ceased playing, and the dancers who had just commenced the second set all stopped dancing. It took no time at all until many were crowded around watching the scene unfold.
Beth heard the outcry and identified it as Mr Gardiner’s voice. She got a sick feeling in her stomach that her son had been compromised.
Bennet woke up from the shock and pushed the woman he despised from his person, resulting in her falling onto the floor, landing on herderriere. It was obvious she had made herself fall, and she immediately began to wail.
