Chapter 1

Deep down she hadn't truly wanted to be there. There was a new book that her uncle had acquired for her that she was most anxious to read. It was a new author who had a very new style of writing, and she wanted to know how they differed from other authors. As she sat in the coach on the way to the ball, however, she knew that she would not have won the battle.

She had been just presented into London society. Her mother never would have forgiven her if she had not gone to the ball with her sister and aunt and uncle. She would never hear the end of it. She gave out a light sigh which caused her sister to look over at her. She only smiled comfortingly with an expression that read "I shall manage." Her sister went back to speaking with their aunt and uncle.

Dear Jane. She was such a kind and caring creature. She never questioned her younger sister's emotions. They were always so close, and both parties hoped to remain as such. She was always thinking of others above herself, and she never had a cross word for anyone. It was then that her aunt addressed the daydreaming girl.

"Lizzy, did you enjoy the last ball we attended?" Mrs. Gardiner asked her niece.

"I did aunt," Elizabeth replied with a small smile. "Indeed, the men of London are far more obliging than I had expected them to be."

Mrs. Gardiner returned her niece's smile and went back to conversing with Jane, leaving Elizabeth to her thoughts.

It was strange being out in society. Having men pay attentions to her made her feel uncomfortable. Then again, meeting strangers always did. She never knew if they knew her secret or not. The only people to know were herself and her father. No one else knew, and she hoped that no one else found out. She didn't want attention or anything remotely close to it. She liked her quiet life in Hertfordshire, and she didn't want that to change. That was one of the reasons she didn't like being out in society. Being out in society meant that she was ready to take on the role of wife to a man. Well, Elizabeth wasn't quite ready
for that. She still liked being the free-spirited, strong-headed, opinionated Elizabeth Bennet. She didn't want to have to succumb to a man just yet.

And certainly not to a man she did not love or respect. She could never marry a man she did not love. She had observed her parents marriage from an early age. She knew that her parents were not happy in their marriage, and she did not want that. Her father had always told her to only marry for love or a great respect. Never make his mistake. Elizabeth would not.

She sat silent for the rest of the carriage ride, content in her musings. Thinking about love and marriage made her think of her mother again. Mrs. Bennet had been wailing for Jane to pay attentions to their neighbor, Lord Ashby, who had come to the neighborhood in the early spring. He didn't seem generally interested in Jane, but he had become rather well acquainted with their father. Mr. Bennet always saw Lord Johnathon Ashby as a respectable man whom he would not oppose to getting to know better.

As Elizabeth's thoughts ran on, the carriage came to a stop. She was handed out by her uncle and, walking behind her aunt and uncle and beside Jane, she followed the party into the London Assembly Hall.

This was the last thing he wanted. He did not want to go to the ball. He wanted to stay home and read the latest novel published by E.B. Anne. She was his favorite author by far. She wrote her novels with such emotion and depth. He had always wished deeply to write as she had been able to. He wanted to know about the female author. He wanted to know what she was like. The one thing he knew about her was this: E.B. Anne was not her Christian name. There were hints all over her novels about false identities and untrue names. Only a great studier of literature would have been able to acquire and understand those hints. He prided himself on having found it out.

He was alone on this night. His sister was far too young to be out in society, and his father was never in a mood to attend parties anymore. When the invitation came up, he couldn't say no, but he would not attend himself. He sent his son instead. So now here he was in the carriage on the way to a ball which would more than likely prove to be the same as every ball before that.

The amount of his fortune was well known throughout London society. Too well known, in his opinion. He always had mothers of ladies of theton scheming to get him to marry their daughters. He had tried to fend them off since he had become eligible. Well, not anymore. No doubt they would still try it, of course. He knew that they would never relent in their advances on him. He sighed, knowing that he would always be an object of prey, and also knowing that his sister was likely to fall to the same fate.

Poor Georgiana. She was still so innocent in the ways of the world. Being only ten years of age, he didn't expect much else. He just hoped that she would not always be so ignorant to the ways of the world. She would need to know that not everyone in the world was as kind as most of the people of their acquaintance.

The carriage came to a halt in front of the assembly hall. He could hear the coachmen scramble to get to the door in a hurry. He sighed again. Why did everyone insist on treating him like he was royalty? When the door was open, his footman said, "St. James Court, Mr. Darcy."

"Thank you Henry," Darcy said as he exited the carriage. He looked up at the assembly hall. Within the walls that made up the exterior lay many women who would no doubt want him to dance with them and pay his attentions to them. He would not, however. He would thoroughly disappoint the whole of the ton and even those beneath it.

He walked in and was greeted by one of his acquaintances. He made excuses for his father, as he always did, and they would remark back, as they always did. Tonight the reply was, "Poor George just hasn't been the same since his dear Anne died." Darcy just bowed at the indecency of the comment and walked in. He did not see anyone else that he knew right away, so he decided to stand in a corner and observe the people around him.

He was only able to have three dances worth of contemplation time when his acquaintance Sir Gregory Kentworth joined him.

"Enjoying yourself, Darcy?" he asked.

"Very much so Sir Gregory," Darcy lied. "And you? Are you enjoying yourself as well?"

"Yes, I daresay I am," Sir Gregory replied. Sir Gregory was definitely not one of Darcy's favorite acquaintances. He was a married man who took pleasure in dancing with young, unmarried women. Some times it went farther than dancing, but mostly Sir Gregory took delight in toying with the young ladies emotions. He would seem caring, kind, considerate, interested even. Then he would just cut off all acquaintance as quickly as he had struck it up. Darcy hoped that he would never have to introduce Georgiana to the man.

As Sir Gregory went on about…well whatever it was he was talking about, Darcy skimmed the room with his eyes to finish the observations he had started. Just as he was about to go back to listening to Sir Gregory talk, he saw her. She was across the room from him, and he couldn't help but notice how absolutely beautiful she was. Her eyes met his gaze, and instead of turning away as he knew he should have, he did not. He locked her eyes with his, and he couldn't help but noticed how absolutely intense they were. They had to be the finest eyes bestowed in the pretty face of a woman he had ever seen.

"Darcy?" Sir Gregory asked, snapping his companion back to reality. Darcy looked back to Sir Gregory. "Yes?" he replied.

Not distressed with the knowledge that his acquaintance had not been listening to him, Sir Gregory asked, "Who is it that seems to have captured your attention so blatantly?"

"No one of my acquaintance," Darcy admitted. "The party over yonder."

Sir Gregory glance over at the group Darcy had motioned to. "Ah, that is the Gardiners and two of their nieces. Shall I introduce you?"

Darcy looked at his companion with shock. He had not expected to be thrust into the company of the woman who had instantly captivated him. "Uh…I…if it would not trouble you, Sir Gregory."

"No trouble at all I assure you," Sir Gregory said as he motioned for the Gardiners to join them. They began to walk over along with their two nieces.

Those eyes. She couldn't stop thinking about those eyes. They had pierced right through her. She couldn't believe how much he had said with his eyes. So many words were portrayed, yet she couldn't remember a single one. He just stared at her, and he didn't look away. He intrigued her like no one else ever had. When his head tore back to the person next to him, she blushed a little and looked at the ground. The next thing she knew she was following her aunt and uncle over towards him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner," a man said pleasantly once they had come into the two men's company. "May I present Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire? Mr. Darcy, this is Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner."

"It is a pleasure, Mr. Darcy," Mr. Gardiner said. "My two nieces, Miss Jane and Elizabeth Bennet. Jane, Elizabeth, this is Sir Gregory Kentworth."

"A pleasure to meet you both," Jane said with a smile. She and Elizabeth both respectively bowed to the gentlemen. Mrs. Gardiner then struck up a conversation with Mr. Darcy.

"You are of the Darcys at Pemberley?" she asked.

"I am," he replied.

"I spent all of my girlhood years in the village of Lambton in Derbyshire."

"But that is not five miles from Pemberley!" Darcy exclaimed with a civil and coincidental smile.

"Indeed sir."

"Have you been to Derbyshire recently?"

"No, not recently," Mrs. Gardiner admitted. "I do hope, however, that my husband and I may be able to travel north to Derbyshire in a few years. As of now our own children are too young to be left without us."

"I completely understand, madam," Darcy said. He didn't want to make small talk with these people, however civil and proper they seemed. All he wanted was to ask Miss Elizabeth to dance with him. Said young woman was making light conversation with Sir Gregory as was the rest of the party. Just then Elizabeth turned and joined their conversation. The three did not speak for very long before Mrs. Gardiner excused herself, in want of refreshment.

"Miss Elizabeth," Darcy said finally gaining his courage now that they were speaking to themselves. "Would you do me the honor of dancing the next set with me?"

"It would be my pleasure," she replied with a smile. Since the next set was due to start soon, Darcy offered his arm which she accepted and led her to the dance floor. They made leisurely talk as they danced and once the set had come to a finish they walked out of the assembly hall and took a stroll around the gardens in the back.

A/N: Alrighty! First Chapter. Lemme know what you think! Just letting you all know that I have this whole thing finished, so I'm just going to update at random moments when I feel like it or I'm not busy. Review please!