“My nephews and I will travel in one of our coaches. I understand there are some who believe they should befashionably late, a practice I abhor and find very rude. We will not insult the locals by either arriving late or being dressed in clothing inappropriate for a country assembly,” Lady Catherine stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. “Tea would be good now.”
Miss Bingley ran out of the room, up the stairs, and intoher chamber. After the slamming of the door, the sound of porcelain being broken could be heard.
“What does your lease state? Oh yes, anything maliciously destroyed will be paid for at five times the price of replacement. I assume it is another thing youforgotto tell your younger sister?” Richard stated near Bingley’s ear.
The younger man cringed. He looked at his older sister pleadingly. She ordered tea.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Gardiners and Jane arrived at Fitzwilliam House in Berkeley Square a few minutes before seven, the time they had been invited to arrive. They were met in the foyer by the older and younger Mr Wendells.
With their outerwear having been taken by the butler and a footman, the Gardiners followed Mr Wendell.
Jane accepted her suitor’s arm and allowed him to lead her towards the drawing room where his family was waiting. The Gardiners were ahead of them when David leaned closer to the woman to whom he was losing his heart.
“I am very pleased to be able to introduce you to my parents,” David stated.
They were about to follow Aunt Madeline and Uncle Edward into the drawing room when they both froze, both gasped as they stared ahead of them. Jane was concerned, so she disengaged her arm from her partner and walked to join her aunt and uncle.
Before her on a settee, two ladies were seated. Both looked like older versions of Lizzy. Jane instantly fainted.
David had followed Miss Bennet forward, not understanding why the Gardiners were rooted to the spot. He was greatly concerned when Miss Bennet—Jane—took one look at his mother and Aunt Elaine and fainted. Thankfully, he was close enough to catch her before she fell onto the carpet.
Seeing Jane’s reaction brought the Gardiners out of the shocked stupor.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bennet, Fanny, and Lizzy arrived about ten minutes prior to the start of the assembly. While the former two were speaking to the Phillipses, the latter sought out her good friend, actually best friend after Jane, Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte was six years older than Eliza, as she called Lizzy, but the age difference never came between them. They were in a corner speaking with the Long sisters when two men and an older lady entered the assembly.
Elizabeth suspected they were part of the Netherfield Park party. Given Papa’s description, neither man was the Mr Bingley who chased Janie away. She supposed in an unintentional way; Mr Bingley had done Janie a good turn thanks to her sister’s unofficial courtship. She turned back to her friends, her back to the newcomers.
Darcy felt his feelings of being trapped with those he did not know rising quickly. To alleviate this feeling, he escorted Lady Catherine to some seats near a huge potted plant in one corner.
Meanwhile Richard was staring at the raven haired, petite woman in the opposite corner. She had turned briefly, and he could have sworn she looked like Mother and Aunt Cilla. It had been too brief and too distant to see the colour and shape of her eyes. Soon Sir William approached him, made himself known, and volunteered to introduce him to some of the locals.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Caroline Bingley was in a foul mood. She had not thought Lady Cathrine was serious when she had made an entrance twenty minutes after the time the others had discussed departing.
Rather than the men being there to admire her inher signature burnt orange ensemble with a turban and a half dozen dyed-to-match ostrich feathers, only her brother and the Hursts were present. Messrs Fitzwilliam and Darcy had done what Lady Catherine had threatened and departed without her.
So it was, when she entered the assembly rooms, she was determined to have the men dance with her. When she approached Mr Fitzwilliam, he was standing and staring at some chit with dark hair. The woman had nothing to recommend her. No matter how much Miss Bingley attempted to attract Mr Fitzwilliam’s attention, he ignored her. Mr Darcy was with that termagant of an aunt of his, so she would not approach them and have the old lady insult her again. Instead, she decided to discover anything she could about the one who had drawn Mr Fitzwilliam’s attention away from herself.
During one dance, Richard could swear he saw a flash of emerald-green eyes. It had been too quick, so he could not be sure. He saw her take a seat near Aunt Catherine and William after a set was complete. Richard made his way to his cousin and aunt.
“William, I know you do not want to look at any woman at a ball except to find fault, but look at this lady seated just the other side of this pot,” Richard suggested as he cocked his head towards the lady in question.
Elizabeth had felt the man staring at her, but she had ignored it. Now he had followed her to where she was while she sat out one of the two sets each lady did thanks to the war with the Corsican Tyrant, and the dearth of young men. Not only did he follow her, but he was telling the man speaking to the older lady to look at her. Did she have some dirt on her cheek? To show she was not intimidated, she was about to glare at them when she saw the overdressed, supercilious, ridiculous-looking woman approaching them, which caused them to look away.
“I know why you have been staring at that chit,” MissBingley said in her grating voice as soon as she stopped near the men. “She is a foundling!”
Richard’s head shot to the woman, and Darcy’s followed suit. Staring back at them, with fire in her eyes, was a younger version of Aunt Cilla. Without thinking, the cousins exclaimed in unison, “Ellie!”
Hearing that name, the one she had tamped down and refused to use for so many years, shocked the anger out of Elizabeth, and she promptly fainted.
Fanny had been watching Lizzy. Seeing her daughter faint, she grabbed Thomas and almost ran towards where two men were trying to assist Lizzy while an older lady seemed to be scolding the overdressed one.
Chapter 11
