Disclaimer: The Chronicles of Narnia, all characters, places, and related terms belong to C.S. Lewis.

Author's Note: This takes place before The Last Battle. I found a timeline that said seven years pass between The Silver Chair and The Last Battle. So Jill and Eustace are sixteen in this. Enjoy.

Notice

"I expect you to be on your best behavior. This is terribly important for your father if he gets promoted," Mrs. Pole whispered into her youngest daughter's ear after the Mr. Pole had introduced them to Sir Robert Quiller, the manager of the bank he worked at.

Jill nodded, wincing slightly at the tight grip her mother had on her arm. Mrs. Pole sighed and released her and moved ahead to walk alongside her husband. Jill trailed behind her brother and sisters and took a moment to admire the huge room once more.

The room was brightly lit; couches and chairs were scattered about the room, some on the edge of the dance floor and others far back by the walls. The marble floor was spotless. Musicians in a corner tuned their instruments. Several doors opened out into the garden, and five windows nearly reached from the floor to the ceiling.

The girl swallowed nervously. The place was so beautiful and strangely intimidating as well. Clasping her hands together, she tried not to stare at all the lovely gowns the women wore. Next to them, Jill felt plain in her fancy dress from Narnia. (She wondered again how she had not outgrown it over nearly seven years.) In Narnia she had felt as though she had been dressed like a princess, but here the dress felt not as grand compared to the others. And she knew she was not as pretty as some of the other young girls here tonight, especially Elizabeth.

Jill glanced at her oldest sister. Nearly nineteen, Elizabeth was dressed in a lovely pink dress while her hair was piled on top of her head. Earrings dangled from her ears, and Mother had lent her necklace to Elizabeth. Jill frowned slightly. The perfect angel, she thought unhappily. She felt like a simple little girl next to her sister. Her Narnian dress was an elegant purple; her brown hair draped simply over her shoulders.

When she had first washed and dressed for the ball, she had felt excited as she had examined her reflection. But her excitement had vanished when she came downstairs and was barely noticed by her family. Mother had fussed over Elizabeth and Sarah while Father inspected David. The only attention Jill had received was when Mother had quickly looked her over with a frown and asked if the dress was from Grandmother.

Sniffing a little as she recalled her mother's remark, Jill quickly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Erik!" Elizabeth suddenly said.

Jill gasped and swiftly lowered her hand, her eyes darting about. She flushed as she saw Erik Drake a few feet ahead. He turned from the gentleman he was speaking to, and his eyes lighted up when he spotted Elizabeth; he quickly excused himself and approached Elizabeth and her family. Jill's heartbeat quickened as she looked at the young man from behind her brother.

Erik Drake was the handsomest boy Jill had ever seen. He had called on Elizabeth for almost a year now. There was something in his face that reminded her of Rilian. Of course he never noticed her, except as the baby sister of Elizabeth, no matter how much she wished...

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Pole," Erik greeted them when he reached them. "David, Elizabeth, Sarah, Jill," he nodded.

Jill smiled, but his attention was on Elizabeth.

"I hope your family is well," Mrs. Pole said with a happy smile, watching him and her oldest daughter with undisguised delight.

"Yes, they are very well, thank you," Erik replied. "My mother wished me to let you know we all shall be able to come to your picnic next week," he added.

"Oh, how wonderful!" Mrs. Pole exclaimed happily.

The orchestra started playing, signaling the beginning of the dance. Smiling, Erik offered Elizabeth his arm and escorted her onto the floor. Mr. and Mrs. Pole followed closely behind. Jill tracked her sister and suitor for a moment before looking to her parents. They smiled at each other, and she saw the love shining in their eyes. The girl's stomach did a flip flop. It seemed strange to realize how much her parents loved each other and yet she was the least favorite of their children.

"You were a surprise," Mother had told her many times. "We were delighted with David and Elizabeth and Sarah. We did not expect to have any more. But then you came."

Perhaps that is why I'm never noticed, Jill thought bitterly. I was not wanted.

When she looked around, Jill realized Sarah and David had gone off. Feeling very lonely, she started to wrap her arms around herself but then thought of her mother's words. Instead she clasped her hands again and moved through the crowd with the grace and politeness she had been taught. She worked her way to one of the huge windows and gazed out into the garden. Her eyes clouded as she spotted two couples disappearing down the pathway hand in hand. Jill moved away from the view and sank into a nearby cushioned chair. Sighing, she smoothed the nonexistent winkles in her dress. She leaned against the back of the chair and idly traced the patterns on the arms of the chair.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she was not aware of the shadow that fell over her until it spoke.

"Punch, my lady?"

Startled, she looked up to discover Eustace standing in front of her, a cup of punch in each hand; he extended one towards her. His hair was neatly combed, and he was dressed in a suit and tie. Her lips twitched. Eustace looked himself over and scowled. Jill smiled.

"Thank you, my lord," she answered, accepting the offered drink. She laughed lightly when Eustace ran his free hand through his hair, messing it slightly.

"Don't ask," he ordered when she opened her mouth.

Suddenly feeling a little better, Jill only smiled and took a sip from her cup. Eustace sat down in the chair next to hers and fiddled with his tie for a moment. Taking a drink of punch, he gazed at the guests crowded around the dance floor. It was impossible to see the dancers. A few people sat on couches or made their way into the garden. But here seated by the window and away from the party, he and Jill were alone. Lifting one eyebrow, he glanced over at Jill. She was staring blankly ahead. The boy cleared his throat.

"It took me a long time to find you hidden back here," he said.

"I did not know you were here," Jill answered, shaking herself from her thoughts. "I thought I was the youngest person here."

"No, and I am very glad you are here. These ball-parties are quite boring."

"They are not all that bad," she protested.

"Well you are having a jolly time all by yourself," he observed.

The girl blushed slightly and toyed with her cup. "Oh, Scrubb," she sighed heavily.

The boy's eyes narrowed slightly. "Mr. Drake is here," he stated.

Jill's blush deepened, and she gave the faintest nod of her head. At Eustace's almost silent sigh, she gave him a puzzled look.

She cannot recall exactly when or why she told Eustace her secret, but she did. It was about three months ago she told him about what she truly thought of Erik Drake. Since then, Eustace had been…different. He was now more thoughtful and often asked if Mr. Drake had finally taken notice of her. Jill did not know if she was glad or sorry that Eustace knew.

"He is too old for you," he said.

Jill's eyes flashed. "Indeed?" she asked coolly.

"Obviously he likes Elizabeth—"

"Yes, it is always Elizabeth everyone likes," Jill said, almost angrily. "It is always 'Elizabeth is such a wonderful girl,' or 'It is a pity you are not more like your sister.' I don't think it is too much to hope that someday someone will notice me."

"And you want it to be Erik Drake," her friend said, gazing at the floor.

"Well, yes. I know it will never happen. I am only a kid to him, but there's nothing wrong with wishing. I mean at least in Narnia I was noticed." She let out a long breath and took a drink from her cup in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

Eustace stared at her with a look she could not interpret. Feeling awkward, Jill played with the sleeve of her dress, ducking her head.

"You're noticed here, Jill," he said quietly.

She gave him a disbelieving look and chuckled humorlessly. "If you count being scolded and such, then, yes, I agree."

"You're impossible, Pole!" he said, raking a hand through his hair and jumping to his feet, his face a mask of frustration. A second later, he knelt in front of her and stared at her almost sternly for a long silent moment. Jill held his gaze, stunned.

"You've lived in your sister's shadow and pined after Mr. Drake for so long that you don't realize you are noticed here!" Eustace said in a fierce whisper, his eyes hard.

Jill finally found her tongue. "And who, pray tell, has noticed me?" she asked with feigned annoyance. In truth, she was almost breathless by how close he was and waited with anticipation for his answer.

She watched in fascination as he opened and shut his mouth, and his face turned beet red and his eyes grew to the size of saucers. Swiftly he stood up to his full height and took a step or two back. "Oh, you know," he replied in a voice that wavered, "Peter, Edmund, Lucy, the professor, and Aunt Polly."

The girl frowned, sensing something was amiss but could not put her finger on what. "Oh," she said, feeling strangely disappointed.

Eustace seemed to gather his wits because he reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come on." He led her towards the dance floor.

"What? Where are we going?" Jill asked.

"It is no fun just sitting back there and all, and seeing you feel sorry for yourself," the boy said.

"What…," she trailed off.

He brought them to a stop and faced her. "Jill Pole," he said with a little bow. "Will you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

She blinked in surprise and glanced uncertainly at the dancers gathering on the floor as the music started anew.

"You are noticed here."

Squaring her shoulders, she returned her eyes to his and gave him a smile that spoke her acceptance, thanks, and apology all at once. Eustace grinned, and led her on.

"That's the dress you wore in Narnia," he said softly, glancing at her over his shoulder. "It looks very nice on you," he added, quickly looking away.

Blushing, Jill squeezed his hand and lowered her head. Someone noticed, she mused with a smile.

THE END