Disclaimer: Guess what.? I don't own the talking/moving/awesome portraits at Hogwarts and in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. (If you haven't been there, GO! It's awesome.) JK Rowling does. Guess what else? I don't own Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen does.
A/N: HAPPY 26TH OF NOVEMBER! This is the 200th anniversary of the Netherfield Ball! Yay! Okay then. Well, I mentioned in a couple of my stories how it would be cool if a lot of people wrote one-shots about the Netherfield Ball, and posted them today. So here's mine! I used the idea of Harry Potter's talking & moving portraits at Hogwarts. ENJOY AND REVIEWWWW!
Lady Claudia de Rolfe of Red Oaks Manor had always been a firm believer in romance. During her life, she was known to be a sort of matchmaker, always dreaming up which Count would fall for which gentlewoman, or which Lady would marry a Colonel. After two and twenty years of setting up her lady friends with those of her brother, she met Sir Thomas de Rolfe the Second. Miss Claudia Evans had taken an instant dislike to his obnoxious behavior and flirtatious mannerisms. The young, wealthy gentleman of five and twenty took an instant liking to Miss Evans' kind and enthusiastic nature, well-read mind, and of course, her fine eyes. It took two years and four proposals from said gentleman until Miss Claudia fell in love with and accepted him.
Now, after the couple had been deceased for twenty seven years, her portrait, along with her husband's, was placed in the ballroom of their country home, Netherfield Park. The current master, a Mr. Charles Bingley, was throwing a ball, which the de Rolfes' were watching with delight.
"Darling, do you remember when we threw our first ball here at Netherfield?" Lady Claudia asked her husband dreamily.
Sir Thomas snorted and replied, "How could I forget? You refused to dance with me for no reason at all, and told the cook to poison my turkey!"
His wife glared at him and replied, "I refused to dance with you because you said, and I quote, 'There now darling, do not fret. If you do make a fool of yourself as hostess, you will always have my charm and general handsomeness to keep you from appearing too ridiculous.' As for cook, I said no such thing!"
He scowled, muttering, "I'm sure you would have had you the chance." But Lady Claudia was not listening.
"Darling, look there! You see Mr. Bingley's friend, Mr. Darcy, I belive his name was?" Sir Thomas nodded in acknowledgement. "Look at his dance partner. It is the oddest thing! She clearly despises him, and he is in love with her!"
A critically raised eyebrow caused her to explain. "Well, I overheard some of the servants talking as they were preparing this room for the ball. They were speaking of a Miss Jane, and how Mr. Bingley was sure to dance the night away with her. Apparently the poor thing had to stay here at Netherfield, as she had taken ill while paying the family a social call. Then, the butler, Melvin, teasingly said that Mr. Darcy, the tall fellow, would not dance with anyone if his life depended on it! Several of the servants laughed, except for two of the maids. One of them had apparently noticed his increasing fascination with Miss Jane's younger sister, a Miss Elizabeth. The other maid agreed, saying that Mr. Darcy was violently in love with her! This shocked all of the staff, although one maid in particular was astonished. She said that she had heard Miss Elizabeth telling Miss Jane of her pure hatred and dislike of Mr. Darcy! There Thomas, now do you believe me?"
Sir Thomas de Rolfe the Second of Red Oaks Manor looked into his wife's pretty face in surprise. "Indeed, that is most peculiar. I am not as inclined to listen to servant's gossip as you," He teased lovingly, "But I do recall hearing something of the sort."
The dance ended, and the couple watched as Mr. Darcy gently took Miss Elizabeth's hand and led her over to their portrait.
"I wish, Miss Bennet, that you would not attempt to sketch my character at the present moment. The performance should reflect no credit on either of us," Darcy was saying.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and teased, "But if I don't take your likeness now, I may never have another opportunity!"
There was a slight pause on Mr. Darcy's part after this, and something else, that although Elizabeth could not detect, the couple on the portrait up above the young people clearly identified as longing in his eyes.
"I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours," He murmured. With a bow, he left before Miss Elizabeth's curtsey was even complete. Looking to where Darcy had gone, she frowned for a moment, before sighing and moving across the ballroom towards some of her friends.
Lady Claudia triumphantly turned towards her flabbergasted husband. "There. Do you believe me now?"
Sir Thomas was snapped out of his reverie. "What? Oh yes, I already believed you. But did you not catch Miss Elizabeth's name?"
His wife frowned in concentration, but then shook her head. "No, I do not remember what it was. Why do you ask?"
He pointed across the ballroom to Elizabeth. "Her name is Miss Elizabeth Bennet! As in Andrew Bennet! Why, she must be the daughter of his young son Alexander!" Claudia's eyes widened in understanding. Alexander Bennet had been the eldest son of Mr. Andrew Bennet, the master of Longbourn, a neighboring estate to Netherfield. Mr. Bennet senior had been a dear friend to both of the de Rolfes.
"Good God, Thomas, you must be right! She is a very handsome young lady, is she not?" Sir Thomas nodded, but then quickly added, "Although not as handsome as you, my dear." But his wife was not listening.
"Oh, I wonder whom Alexander married! Perhaps it was Mr. Jacobsen's young daughter, Eleanor, was it? It could have been the young Miss Woods, I suppose. Or maybe Franny Gardiner?"
At this, Sir Thomas scoffed. "Franny Gardiner? A more ridiculous girl never lived! Her brother Edward was a very sensible boy, he would have done well to take over his father's trading business one day. But Franny?" he shook his head. "Alexander may have been young, but he was much too inteligent to marry Franny of all people."
Lady Claudia nodded and waved her handkercheif in the air. "Of course, darling, I don't know what I was thinking. Franny was a terrible choice. But I wonder whom it was..." Thomas groaned and replied, "Claudia. Listen to me. HE IS ALREADY MARRIED. You cannot matchmake for him!"
Claudia laughed. "I know that darling. Besides, I quit matchmaking all together when I met you." Sir Thomas shot her a skeptical look.
"Quit all together, you say? What about Miss Sarah Frazier and Lord Garcia? The Princetons? Miss Gates and the young Earl of Matlock? And you JUST NOW spotted a match between Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I would not exactly call that quitting."
Lady Claudia glared at her husband. "Those were just coincidences. I happened to spot where there could be attraction, and they came together on their own accord. As for Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth, well, they are hopeless."
Sir Thomas was genuinely surprised. "Hopeless, my love? Why ever do you say that?"
"For even if he does look past their social differences and work up the courage to propose to her, she will never accept him." Her husband held up a hand to interrupt her.
"I have two questions for you, Claudia. First, how do you know that they have social differences, and second, why will she never accept him?"
She glared at him and replied, "To answer the second question, I was just getting to that. As for the first, Longbourn, though a charming home, is not the wealthiest estate. Also, do you not remember Mr. Flynn Darcy of Derbyshire? He bears a striking resemblence to our Mr. Darcy over there, and he had over ten thousand pounds per year."
Sir Thomas waved his hand nonchalantly. "Yes, I suppose you are correct. Continue on."
She rolled her eyes, but suited his request. "Miss Elizabeth will never accept him because he is too aloof and proud for her tastes. I can clearly tell that she is a lively girl, and he is obviously not comfortable in company. Also, she appears to hate him for another reason entirely. I feel sorry for him, but she will never accept him."
Her husband smiled fondly and put a hand on her shoulder. "Watch what you say, my darling. I had literally a dozen people tell me that you would never accept my hand, yet here we are."
Lady Claudia smiled and replied, "Yes, here we are." But Claudia was never one to be idle for long. "Oh look Thomas, over there! It is Mr. Bingley! That must be Miss Jane! Oh, she is even more beautiful than the servants described! I dare say, they shall be engaged by Christmas!"
Sir Thomas rolled his eyes. Quit matchmaking? Even as a painting, that would never happen.
Sir Thomas the Second and Lady Claudia de Rolfe of Red Oaks Manor were a very happy couple. After their deaths in a fire nine and twenty years ago, they were living out eternity in a portrait in the ballroom of Netherfield Park. The current mistress of Netherfield, a Mrs. Jane Bingley, was throwing a ball to announce the birth of her and her husband Charles' daughter, Laura.
"I knew it," Lady Claudia exclaimed happily to her husband. "I knew they would be married!"
"Technically," commmented Sir Thomas, "You said they would be engaged by Christmas. This, my darling, is the 26th of November. Not the 25th of December two years ago."
She waved her fan nonchalantly. "Details, details." A sudden gasp alarmed her husband. "What is it? Are you alright?"
She shook her head. "I am fine. Look at the dancers! Do you see the pair opposite J. K. Rowling the Twelfth's portrait?" He squinted.
"I just see a gentleman and a lady. Although they do look familiar..."
Lady Claudia nodded vigorously. "I agree with you, indeed. But who are they? Oh, I wish they would come closer!"
The dance ended, and the man led the woman over to the portrait. Sir Thomas and Lady Claudia's eyes widened, but they were unable to say anything. (It would not do well to have the couple hear a talking portrait.)
"Are you enjoying yourself, my love?" Mr. Darcy asked his wife as he kissed her hand.
Elizabeth Darcy smiled at her husband. "Yes, I am certainly having a better evening than the ball exactly two years ago."
Darcy groaned slightly, recalling his mannerisms that night. "Must we have this conversation again? I was a fool for being so stoic and unsocial. Will you ever forgive me?"
Elizabeth laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "Trust me my darling, you have already made up for it, and then some. William, let us not dwell on the past when we have such a bright future ahead of us."
Mr. Darcy smiled lovingly and took her arm in his. "Come Elizabeth, let us go speak with our Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. I hear that little Isabelle has finally grown her first tooth!" His wife laughed, but hesitated slightly as he was going to lead her away.
Darcy turned to her in surprise. "Is something wrong?" Elizabeth looked as though she was contemplating something. She apparently reached her descison, as she grinned at Darcy, and pulled him down to whisper in his ear.
As he heard whatever it was that Elizabeth told him, his face paled considerably. Darcy's mouth was hanging open, and a broad smile was lighting his face.
"You're- We're- I'm- You- Really?" Mr. Darcy exclaimed excitedly.
Elizabeth bit her lip to hide her smile and nodded enthusiastically. Darcy grinned and without delay, planted a firm kiss on his wife's lips. There were a few scandalized gasps heard by the few who saw, including Sir Thomas and Lady Claudia, but the Darcys' did not notice.
As they broke away, and the onlookers began to murmur about how improper the display of affection had been, Darcy said, "I could not be happier. Let us go make our own announcement!" The expecting Darcys' then walked away towards the three Bingleys. Charles and Jane's faces were delighted as they congratulated their dear friends.
Lady Claudia turned to Sir Thomas and squealed. "Can you believe it, darling? Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are married! And expecting a child! Oh! I knew it! I knew they would end up together!"
Thomas scoffed. "Actually, as I recall, you said that she would never accept him. Ever. Although I was of a similar opinion to yours... I wonder what happened?"
A shrug from his wirfe was all he recieved in response before she gasped. "Thomas!"
He looked at her for a moment, before sarcastically replying, "Claudia!" She either ignored him or did not hear him. "Mr. Darcy said that their Aunt and Uncle's names were Gardiner..."
Thomas stared at her for a moment, realization dawning on him. "That would mean that Alexander Bennet married..."
"Franny Gardiner!" They both cried in unison. After exchanging a shocked look, Sir Thomas commented, "I did not see that one coming." And they returned to watching the Netherfield Ball.
A/N: Hehe. That was fun to write. Even though this is 11:20 PM on the 26th of November, I still made it on the 26th! I just had to throw in the part about Elizabeth being pregnant. It was too perfect. :) PLEEEASE REVIEW!