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Once all of the officers had alighted and were standing where the colonel had instructed, Biggs cleared his throat. “My men and I, there is one more inside, have been employed to make sure that no one takes advantage of Misses Kitty and Lydia Bennet.” Biggs held up his hand to stem the forming protests. “We are fully aware that the two in question flirt outrageously and that none of you would take that which is not freely offered. Hence, you may think of us as being here to protect the two girls from themselves. To that end, we request that none of you ask them to dance, speak to them at all, or mention the former lieutenant by the name of Wickham. This will help keep them safe and ensure that your regiment’s good name is not besmirched.”

Most nodded in agreement; however, a few men grumbled.

“Allow me to reinforce Mr Biggs’s words and make them an order. What the lieutenant said is no longer a request. We almost had a man, the one the lieutenant mentioned, blacken my regiment’s name. Hence, I will not stand for any of you doing so by taking advantage of silly girls who do not know how to behave as they should.” Forster looked at his officers sternly.

“Yessir!” was chorused by all in one voice.

“Much appreciated, Colonel.” Biggs saluted again. When Colonel Fitzwilliam had told him the militia commander was a good man, he had been correct.

Biggs, Johns, and their men slipped back into the house to take up positions in the ballroom while the officers filed in behind their colonel and joined the line of those to be received by Mr Bingley, and Mr and Mrs Hurst.

Elizabeth walked into the ballroom on Mr Darcy’s arm; his sister was on his other arm, with the companion right behind her charge. They stood close to where the Fitzwilliam brothers, Miss de Bourgh, and Jane stood. “Miss Darcy, is this the first ball you are to attend?” Elizabeth enquired of the younger lady.

“It is. I am only allowed to dance with my cousins, brother, and Mr Bingley, who is like another brother to me,” Georgiana replied. “Mrs Annesley and I will retire after supper.”

“Mr Darcy, do you not want to dance the first set with your sister?” Elizabeth asked in sotto voce.

“When she comes out at her ball, wild horses will not stop me from having that honour. Because she is not out, Anna, in consultation with Richard and me, decided she will sit out the first, and I will have the pleasure of dancing the second with her.” Darcy paused and looked into Miss Elizabeth’s magnificent emerald-green eyes. “If you would prefer not to dance the…” He stopped when she placed one of her dainty gloved hands on his forearm.

“Oh no, Mr Darcy, that was not the genesis of my question. I wanted to make sure I had not usurped your sister’s place to open the ball with you,” Elizabeth explained. “After all, this is her first one.”

“I thank you for considering Anna’s feelings. However, she is completely sanguine with sitting out the first two dances,” Darcy assured. “We discussed this before your family arrived. Hence, by the time I made my request of you, I knew what my sister desired. Before you ask about the supper set, although I will not dance those dances with her, Anna and Mrs Annesley will be seated with us for the meal. She will not exhibit, as she hardly feels enough confidence to play for close family members, never mind a room full of those she does not know.”

Elizabeth noticed arriving guests begin to file into the ballroom after they traversed the receiving line. One of the first families to arrive was the Lucases. Sir William and Lady Lucas went to stand with Mamma and Papa while Maria headed to where Kitty and Lydia were watching the door longingly for officers. Charlotte, Franklin, and Johnny Lucas joined Elizabeth and Mr Darcy.

Just after the three Lucas siblings joined them—Elizabeth was impressed that Mr Darcy was conversing with the Lucas sons as equals—she knew the moment the officers arrived. Lydia squealed and, with Kitty in her wake, ran across the room to welcome her favourites.

Knowing that Cousin Collins had taken steps to protect Kitty and Lydia and seeing it were two very different things. Kitty and Lydia stood calling out officers’ names, and not a single one acknowledged them. They kept walking as if the two youngest Bennets were not there. Rather, they began to circulate around the room. Elizabeth watched as Lydia grabbed Mr Denny’s arm. The man speared Lydia with a look of disdain, cut her, and went on his way without saying a word to her. Both of her youngest sisters stood there, their mouths hanging wide open. Lydia turned and ran back to where Mamma was speaking with Lady Lucas, Aunt Hattie, and Mrs Goulding.

Lydia complained about her ill use by the officers, forgetting that she had not seen the man she intended to marry. Mamma told her and Kitty to wait, and then she marched over to where Colonel Forster was standing and speaking to plain Charlotte Lucas.

“Colonel, your men have used my daughters very ill,” Fanny screeched, ignoring, or not caring, that Colonel Foster had been speaking to Charlotte.

“And how have they done so, Mrs Bennet?” Forster drawled.

“None of them will speak to my girl, and not a single one has asked her to dance,” Fanny complained. “After all the time she has spent flirting with them, how can they ignore such a pretty and lively girl?”

“Mrs Bennet, it was I who commanded my officers to keep away from your daughters. I do not need my regiments’ welcome being rescinded because your daughters have not the first idea of how to behave like gentlewomen. If I were you, I would be more concerned that they are seen as lightskirts because of the indecorous way they carry on in public. Now if you will excuse me, I was having a discussion with Miss Lucas.” Forster bowed to the matron and then turned back to Miss Lucas.

Forster was pleased when the pretty and sensible Miss Lucas granted him the first and supper sets.

Fanny Bennet was shaken to her core. How dare the colonel call her Lydia a lightskirt? Now her problem was how to tell her youngest that not only would none of the officers dance with her or even speak to her, but that she could do nothing about it. That Kitty had been included in the colonel’s assessment was ignored by Fanny, as was the fact that Kitty was also being ostracised by the officers.

There was no little caterwauling when Fanny returned to her two youngest daughters and conveyed the bad news to them.

Bennet had watched with amusement when his wife harangued the colonel about his men ignoring his silly daughters. The smile had vanished when he had heard what Colonel Forster had said to Mrs Bennet about Kitty and Lydia. Surely that was not how all their neighbours saw his youngest daughters. Could it be that they needed more than to be told they were the silliest girls in the land and to be laughed at? While his youngest daughters complained loudly, Bennet was too caught up with his thoughts to enjoy the spectacle they were making of themselves.

When the first set was called, Fanny, Kitty, and Lydia were fuming. The two youngest Bennets were the only two unmarried females without a partner for the dances. As far as Fanny was concerned, it was a personal slight to herself that two of her daughters had not been asked to dance. Jane was dancing with Mr Bingley. The high and mighty viscount, who had refused to ask Lydia to dance, was seated speaking to Miss Darcy and her companion. How was it that Lizzy was dancing with Mr Darcy? Had she not said she would never dance with him? Mary was being squired by Cousin Collins. At least that was expected. From what Fanny could tell, her husband’s cousin was a very accomplished dancer.

Even after wiping the lenses of his spectacles, the picture of Lizzy dancing with the proud Mr Darcy, whom Bennet thought she hated, had not changed. Not only was his favourite daughter dancing with the man from Derbyshire, but she was smiling at him!

Was up, down, and down up? He watched as Lydia stalked up to two officers who did not have partners for the first set. Bennet was certain that his uncouth, brash daughter was commanding one of them to dance with her. They said nothing to her, cut her, and walked away, leaving Lydia standing, staring daggers at their backs. It seemed that Colonel Forster had been serious when he had told Mrs Bennet that he had embargoed his officers from contact with the youngest Bennets.

The couple who had confused Bennet were enjoying their first dance together immensely. Elizabeth was sure that, had she still believed the drivel that terrible man had fed her about Mr Darcy, she would not have been enjoying dancing with him the way she was. He was a tall man; however, he was very light on his feet and danced very well. If she still disliked him, Elizabeth was sure she would have found ways to needle him with conversation on the dance floor; and more than likely she would have made comments in support of the man who had fooled her. As it was, the silence between them was companionable.

Darcy could not think of a time he had enjoyed a dance more than this one. What made it all the better was that he could tell that Miss Elizabeth was savouring dancing with him. She was dancing with him because she wanted to, not because it was an obligation.

He saw Bingley with Miss Bennet in the line close to him and Miss Elizabeth. Bingley looked like he always did when he was with his angel, but Miss Bennet did not look like she was enjoying the set.