“But who can do all of this letting out and hemming in?” Jane asked. “The entire house is upside down getting ready for this breakfast, our sisters’ gowns are yet being finished by Sarah, our mother is not going to want?—”
“Me.” Elizabeth put a hand on her arm. “I can do it. I shall do it.”
Although she did not like to admit it, Elizabeth was far more skilled with a needle than anyone ever thought she could be. She attributed it to one winter of illness when she had been set abed with dreadful colds four times complete. Much as she enjoyed reading, too many days of doing nothing else would have sent her mad, and so she had honed her sewing skills.
“When?” Jane asked. “The ball is tonight, then tomorrow is the dinner, and we shall scarcely have a moment to rest. Mama will not hear of you remaining home for any of it.”
Elizabeth knew she was correct. Much as she would have loved to miss the ball, it was not possible. But itwaspossible to be at Netherfield and not at the ball.
“We shall send it over to Netherfield,” she told Jane. “Then, once I have had a dance or two, I shall slip below stairs and work down there. You know Mrs Nicholls will allow me to sit in a corner somewhere.”
“Oh no, I could not ask you to do that.”
Elizabeth removed her arms from the pink gown and began to slide it off down her body. “It will be a relief to be able to absent myself from the dancing.”
“Why?” Jane eyed her curiously. “The colonel has seemed very friendly with you.”
Elizabeth had not confided in her sister about the wagers, or her reaction to learning of them, thinking there was no cause to put a damper on her sister’s felicity. Now, she kept her attention ostensibly on the gown, picking it up off the floor, shaking it, laying it carefully on the bed.
“Mr Darcy has as well.”
“Let us hope Mama has not noticed, else she will be determined that I should marry one, or both of them,” Elizabeth said, gesturing to Jane to turn so that she could help her remove her gown.
“But surely you wish to?—”
“What I wish is for my sister to be happy on her wedding day.” She set to work undoing what buttons had been fastened on the ivory gown. “It is all decided! Nothing more to be said, or done, save for trusting me to make the changes.”
“Will not our mother be very angry about this?”
“If she is,” Elizabeth said, sliding the gown away from Jane’s body, “then we shall remind her that no one wished for all this lace! You are three-and-twenty, Jane, she cannot dress you up as if you were a child and had no say in the matter.”
Turning, Jane threw her arms around her sister. She kissed her on the cheek, and said, “You are the dearest sister in the world.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The ball truly was a compliment to Jane.Miss Bingley has done well, Elizabeth thought, taking in the flowers, the candles, and the chalk on the dance floor that was a special design incorporating Jane and Bingley’s initials entwined with vines.
Some part of her was excessively conscious of the two men she wished most to avoid. She walked about a little, dreading any meeting, but fortune was kind. She saw neither of them, though she did see Lord Saye with a shockingly pretty young woman with whom Elizabeth was not acquainted. The elusive Miss Goddard, perhaps?
She crossed paths with them not long thereafter, as the set began to form. An introduction to Miss Goddard revealed her to be as sweet as she was pretty, and Lord Saye to be plainly smitten with her. Elizabeth smiled at that, wondering at how uncomplicated romance was for some people.
“Miss Elizabeth, you are the talk of London,” Miss Goddard told her.
“So I hear.” Elizabeth decided to treat it humorously and rolled her eyes at the pronouncement.
“There have been bets on my engagement—or lack thereof—for some years now,” Miss Goddard confided.
“Bets which I intend to bring to a conclusion very soon,” Lord Saye interjected.
“I have already told you I am not going to marry you,” she said to him but smiled in such a way that it seemed more encouraging than not.
“We shall see about that,” Lord Saye replied airily. “I have some arts remaining which are yet unknown to you.”
With that, Miss Goddard gave Elizabeth a roll of her eyes and a mouthed ‘help me’ but it all seemed in good humour and she allowed Lord Saye to lead her off soon after.
When the dance began, Elizabeth still had not seen either Colonel Fitzwilliam or Mr Darcy, and she was heartily thankful for that. She danced with Philips, making sure that her mother saw them. Afterwards, relieved to escape, she hurried below stairs to play seamstress for the rest of the night.
Mrs Nicholls hada little room near the kitchen that had a long table and little stools that were ideal for sewing. She seemed scandalised that Elizabeth was missing the ball to sew, saying to her, “Miss Bingley’s maid could surely be put to work?”—but Elizabeth refused her, saying Miss Bingley’s maid was likely collapsed in exhaustion after tending to her mistress. That made the housekeeper laugh.
