~T~
A few days later the Carletons invited the Gardiners and their nieces to attend the theatre.
On the evening of the planned outing, Mrs Gardiner felt unwell. When her family members suggested that they should all stay at homewith her she objected. ‘My dears, I plan to go to bed and sleep. I assure you that I am perfectly capable of doing so without your help.’
The sisters felt torn between eagerness to attend the theatre and concern for their aunt.
‘Are you quite sure that you do not wish for at least one of us to keep you company?’ asked Jane.
‘Quite sure. I am certain that watching me sleep cannot compare to watching a performance on stage. The actors will be much more lively.’
In the end, Mr Gardiner accompanied his nieces to the theatre, where they were met by Mr and Mrs Carleton.
~T~
As both Gardiner and the Carletons liked to be punctual, they had some time to stroll about the foyer, greeting friends and acquaintances.
As they were short on gentlemen, Carleton was escorting his wife and Elizabeth, while Jane and Mary had their uncle as their escort.
While they were stopped so that Mrs Carleton could briefly converse with a friend, Elizabeth let her eyes wander around the room to admire the elegant ladies and gentlemen, when she spied a familiar face.
The Colonel from Hyde Park noticed her as well and on seeing her companions, approached with a smile.
‘Carleton, Mrs Carleton, good evening. I hope you are well,’ he greeted them as soon as Mrs Carleton turned away from her friend.
Once the greetings were completed, the Colonel requested, ‘Would you do me the honour of introducing me to your charming companion?’
Carleton obliged and introduced Colonel Fitzwilliam, the son of the Earl of Matlock to Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn in Hertfordshire.
Mr Carleton also introduced the rest of their party to Colonel Fitzwilliam while Elizabeth exchanged looks with Amelia Carleton, who smiled and nodded, earning her a sparkling smile.
Once the introductions were complete, Fitzwilliam addressed Lizzy. ‘Miss Elizabeth, now that we have been formally introduced and I am sure your cousins will vouch for me, perhaps you would allow me to escort you on your walks in Hyde Park?’
‘If my uncle agrees, I would be delighted to have your company although conversation could be difficult while you are mounted and as a cavalry officer you might not be accustomed to walking.’
‘I can assure you that I am capable of keeping up with you on foot, even though I have noted that you enjoy a brisk pace.’
Once Mr Gardiner gave permission for their walks, further conversation was forestalled since they had to adjourn to their box.
Once they were seated Elizabeth said to Amelia, ‘So that was the formidable Colonel Fitzwilliam. He seems quite charming.’
‘He is that. He is also quite single,’ Amelia responded, raising her eyebrows suggestively, causing Elizabeth to laugh.
~T~
Fitzwilliam could barely contain his glee.
The pretty young woman whom he had noticed in the park was a cousin of the Carletons.
It was even better that she and her sisters were the Bennets of Longbourn in Hertfordshire. He recalled his cousin telling him of Bingley’s angel in that county and he distinctly remembered the name.
Miss Jane Bennet had exactly the looks which Bingley favoured, so there could be no doubt as to her identity.
Fitzwilliam also remembered Darcy mentioning that the lady was quite unsuitable as she was from an insignificant family with no connections and the family was too poor to provide a decent dowry to their five daughters.
The Colonel thought that Darcy must have come to this information by way of Miss Bingley. The ladies he had met tonight were elegantly dressed, with the kind of elegance which he knew was anything but cheap, if his father’s complaints were anything to go by. Therefore, the family must be far wealthier than Miss Bingley had assumed… or possibly seen fit to convey.
And that nonsense about not having any connections? All he could guess was that they either were modest, or they tried to avoid fortune hunters. Around people like Miss Bingley, he would bet on the latter.
