James Deveril was intrigued by all the sisters, and while he had noticed Jane’s beauty, he was attracted by the kindness she showed to the awkward young man. Unlike most young ladies whom he had met, she did not put herself forward to the gentlemen. She appeared content to interact with the family as a family, rather than a hunting ground for a potential husband, despite several age-appropriate single men being present.
As the occasion was a family dinner, no one stood on formality and when they sat down to dine, it just so happened that James took a seat next to Jane.
‘How do you like your visit to London, Miss Bennet?’ Deveril opened the conversation.
‘I have not yet seen very much on this trip, but Lizzy and I are looking forward to going to the theatre and Mary can hardly wait to attend the opera.’
‘Do you not like music?’
‘I love music, but many operas are in Italian and my command of that language is not quite good enough to easily follow the story.’
Deveril was pleasantly surprised that Jane admitted to her lack without the least self-consciousness. ‘Which composers do you enjoy?’
‘I am rather partial to the work by Joseph Bologne even though in the current political climate he is not popular in England.’
‘I am afraid that Bonaparte has much to answer for since he is interfering with your pleasure.’
Jane smiled at the compliment but added, ‘I must confess to feeling torn. While I love his music, I am not enamoured with his support of the revolution, although it is understandable considering the discrimination which he suffered under the previous regime because of being a mulatto.’
‘It must be quite a burden to be able to see both sides of an argument,’ Deveril said as he inclined his head respectfully towards Jane.
Jane beamed at him. ‘You understand,’ she exclaimed. ‘Lizzy complains that I always see the best in people and cannot recognise when someone is in the wrong. But I simply try to see all sides of an argument.’
‘I must compliment you. It is unusual wanting to reach a balanced view.’
While Deveril uttered the compliments easily, he was impressed by Jane. When Mrs Carleton had invited him to dinner and sang the praises of the sisters, he had been dubious about the lady’s intentions. It had been obvious that she was trying to matchmake. The only reason he had agreed to attend was that he also knew the lady to be honourable. Even though she might have hopes that one of her cousins would catch his eye, she would not push the issue.
Now he was glad that he had come. Miss Bennet and her sisters were delightful company. They conversed intelligently and without flirting. They were prepared to state their own opinions and politely disagree with whomever they were speaking. They were such a refreshing change from the usual crop of young ladies he met in town. Admittedly, their beauty was an added bonus.
He realised that he had been woolgathering when he heard Jane say, ‘I shall be quite content with the works by Mr Shakespeare.’
They fell into a spirited discussion about the bard while Mrs Carleton looked on with glee.
~T~
Elizabeth and Mary also had a pleasant evening, but while they enjoyed their conversations with Simon Harrington and Fergus Elridge respectively, none of them developed any particular interest in their new acquaintances.
As it happened, Mary found her discussion with Sarah Eldridge the most enjoyable part of the evening.
After the post dinner separation of the sexes, Mrs Carleton prevailed on the Bennet sisters for entertainment. She and her guests were impressed with Mary’s performance on the pianoforte and Jane’s playing of the harp as they accompanied Elizabeth’s singing.
Later in the evening, after their guests had departed, Mrs Carleton said to her husband, ‘I have rarely heard a better performance than the one provided by our cousins. I shall be envied for being able to introduce such accomplished ladies to society.’
‘You shall also be hated for having introduced Jane Bennet to one of the most eligible bachelors in the country,’ her husband replied with a somewhat malicious chuckle.
~T~
12Belles of the Ball
A couple of days later, Mrs Carleton again visited Gardiner House, this time bearing an invitation to a ball.
‘It was most fortuitous,’ she declared once she was ensconced in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea. ‘I had been shopping, and feeling absolutely parched, I stopped off at Gunter’s. And who should be the first person I saw. Cecilia Ashcroft. She is a cousin of Deveril’s on his father’s side. Of course, she invited me to join her and when I told her of our lovely cousins, she invited us all to her ball on Thursday.’
She beamed at the ladies. ‘You did say that all your dresses have been delivered and surely you had some ballgowns made up…’
Mrs Gardiner rolled her eyes at the enthusiasm of the lady. ‘Yes, we have one or two gowns.’ As a matter of fact, the girls had half a dozen gowns each. ‘And I believe that we are free on Thursday. Unlike on Friday when we will attend the opera.’
‘Oh dear. It is too bad that we already have plans for Friday, but feel free to use our box,’ said Amelia, momentarily side tracked, before she returned to the reason for her visit. ‘But can I let Cecilia know that you will attend her ball with us? That reminds me. We have room in our carriage and would be delighted to convey one of you girls to save your gowns being crushed since there is plenty of space in ours.’
