Caroline looked around wildly, seeing only looks of disdain on the faces of the crowd which had gathered around them, watching her downfall avidly. ‘But they are nobodies…’ she whispered.
‘The Queen disagrees with you. She thought that the Misses Bennet and their relatives are quite charming.’
‘You met the Queen?’ Caroline addressed Jane.
‘Her Majesty honoured us with an invitation to tea,’ Jane confirmed quietly.
Caroline felt sick to the stomach at the revelations. Without thinking she murmured, ‘If I had not warned Charles away from you, we could have connections all the way to the Queen.’
Jane was startled into an admission. ‘Why would any sane person want to be associated with you?’ she exclaimed, only to clap a hand over her mouth and blush furiously at the unkind and rude statement.
Bingley startled at that comment and said as his shoulders slumped, ‘I have been asking myself the self-same question for years.’
A moment later his mind caught up with a statement by the Duchess. ‘Miss Bennet you are engaged to Lord James?’
‘I am indeed.’
‘Will you tell me why you did not think me good enough?’
‘If you truly wish to know, I shall tell you, but now is neither the time nor the place…’ she said with a glance at their avid onlookers.
Bingley looked around and realised how much of an audience he and Caroline had gathered with their single-minded ambitions. His own blind resolve to win the lady’s admiration and Caroline’s determination to rise in society and become the mistress of Pemberley had just caused them to make complete fools of themselves in public and as a result they had become social outcasts.
This suspicion was confirmed when Lady Matlock, who had stood by and watched with her arms crossed over her chest, at last spoke up. ‘Miss Bingley, the other day at Gunter’s I warned you about insulting or slandering my family or our friends. I hope you realise that tonight you have burned all the bridges which you hoped to build to our society. I suggest that you find a different town to live in since you will never again be invited to any function in civilised society.’
The duke stepped to Lady Matlock’s side and addressed his least welcome guests, ‘Thank you for the entertainment you provided, but I believe it is time for you to exit stage left.’
At a gesture from their host, a couple of footmen appeared to escort the Bingleys out.
~T~
Once the Bingleys had exited the room, Fitzwilliam started to applaud. ‘Thank you, Langford. You do put on the best entertainments.’
His quip was greeted with startled laughter until their host declared, ‘You have had long enough to recover from dancing. I believe the second set is somewhat overdue.’
At his signal the musicians started to play, and his guests led their partners back to the dance floor.
~T~
Fitzwilliam was partnering Elizabeth for the following set.
When she had a chance to speak without being overheard, Elizabeth asked, ‘Why do I get the feeling that you had something to do with the Bingleys being invited to this ball?’
‘I thought it was too good an opportunity to rid society of two parasites.’
While Elizabeth agreed with his actions in principle, she wondered, ‘Why did you not warn us?’
‘Because this needed sincere reactions and you, your sisters and Darcy are too honest for your own good. You could not have acted surprised, which would have harmed your reputations. You would have been seen as manipulating… which I know you are not.’ He added with a smug smile, ‘That is my domain.’
Elizabeth was somewhat disconcerted, but managed to say, ‘I see… thank you.’
They danced in silence for a few minutes until she recovered her equilibrium, after which she and Fitzwilliam enjoyed a pleasant banter for the rest of the set.
~T~
The final dance in the set before supper caused a stir amongst the guests as the musicians announced, ‘We have been requested to play a different piece of music. Therefore, instead of a polka the next dance will be a waltz.’
Darcy turned to Elizabeth and held out his hand in invitation as he asked with a challenging smile, ‘Do you know the steps, or would you prefer to sit out this dance? Or would you prefer to sit out the dance even if you do know the steps?’
