A/N: This is because of my fairly recently discovered love of Pride and Prejudice. It is a one-shot mini sequel to Pride and Prejudice, simply because it will make me happy to write it! Please please please review! It's sort of like a drabble...
"Who is that man speaking to Julia?" Fitzwilliam Darcy inclined his head towards his wife, scowling, his dark, brooding gaze fixed on his simpering daughter and the young, handsome officer standing beside her. Elizabeth Darcy, nee Bennet, looked over too, standing close to her husband.
"I do not know. But if he is here then he must surely be perfectly respectable" she said, her voice slightly exasperated yet amused also, "Do you not trust my sister and Charles to choose their guests with absolute care?"
"Usually" Darcy replied dubiously, in one of his normal one-word responses, "Not when they invite men who fuss over my daughter"
"Julia is a good, sensible girl" Lizzie reminded him, "Heavens, I fear that you shall be even worse when Clara makes her debut"
"Clara is quiet. No-one will take any interest in her until she finds her voice, thank goodness"
Lizzie laughed, causing a few people to look over in surprise. She had not left her husband's side all evening, and they had not bothered to speak to anyone, talking quite happily between themselves. Bu then, this was not unusual. People wondered how stern Mr Darcy could possibly ever make anyone laugh – he rarely seemed to smile, always looking so severe – yet his wife never seemed to tire of his company.
They stood for another few moments, in comfortable silence. Lizzie nudged Darcy.
"Look, over there. Fitzwilliam has been speaking with Catherine Collins for over an hour! I thought that there might be something between them when he invited her to stay with us during our visit to Hunsdon" she said with pride, gesturing to their eldest son. He was extremely handsome, inheriting his Father's looks, though thankfully he had his Mother's charm. If he had been as aloof as his Father Charlotte's daughter would surely never have spoken to him.
"I am glad that we invited her to stay with us" Darcy agreed, a slight smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, "It seems to have done Fitzwilliam some good. And Julia and Clara adore her"
"I wish Henry had taken some lessons from Fitzwilliam" Lizzie added, glancing around for their younger son. He had only recently made his debut, and their youngest, Clara, would join him the next season.
"Where is he?" she continued. Darcy couldn't help chuckling softly.
"Over there, in the midst of those gaggling girls" he gestured towards a group of twittering debutantes – Lizzie could just spot her son's dark head in the middle of the crowd. She giggled too, pressing her fingers to her lips to smother the sound.
"Oh dear" she sighed, "Goodness, is that Lydia's Beatrice I see over there? He is her cousin! Foolish girl"
Darcy leaned closer to her, "What do you expect of a daughter of Lydia and George Wickham?" he whispered. Lizzie faked annoyance.
"She is my sister, you know" she paused, "But he is vile, so I suppose it evens out"
"It certainly does" Darcy agreed.
Lizzie looked around the room again, and her face broke into a sudden smile.
"This is where we were the day that you called me tolerable" she taunted. She liked to tease Darcy about his initial rudeness to her, and it was possibly the only thing that she had ever seen embarrass him.
He was embarrassed at that moment, looking away from her, "Stop, Lizzie"
Lizzie grinned a little wider, "I forgive you, now. But tolerable? Could you not have thought of something a little nicer?"
Darcy looked at her, eventually, "I was hardly thinking of being nice"
Charles and Jane came suddenly towards them. Darcy had always adored Charles, the two of them being such close friends, and with Lizzie's sisterly love of Jane, the two couples were known throughout society at the best of friends. It was the fifth ball that Jane had thrown at Netherfield that season – she did enjoy being the hostess. Their three sons and two daughters were scattered around the room, each one more handsome and pretty than the last.
"I do think, Lizzie, that you have been spending far too much time with your husband" Charles scolded, eyes twinkling, "The two have you have spoken to no-one else the entire evening"
"We have been watching, so do not pretend" Jane added, her arm linked with Charles'.
Lizzie and Darcy both smiled, "We are perfectly fine with each other's company" Darcy answered, his eyes dancing too, "But thank you for your concern"
Jane sighed heavily, smiling, "Let us dance. I have not danced one step, and it is my ball" she looked to Lizzie, "Will you dance?"
Lizzie looked pleadingly at Darcy, "You do like to dance..."
He took Lizzie's hand and a waltz was played. Jane and Charles danced nearby. Lizzie looked to Fitzwilliam over Darcy's soldier, nodding her head towards Catherine, who he was still talking to. He smiled, understanding at once, and asked Catherine to dance.
Julia was looking longingly at her parents and brother – her companion had noticed, and asked her, too, to dance the waltz.
Lizzie looked up at her husband, her smile widening, "I am sure that this is one of the first places in which we danced together, too"
Darcy smiled back at her - a few people noticed this with murmurs of surprise, "Shall we leave now? The children can join us later on, as they are staying here too. Anyway, Clara will be waiting up to hear all about it, and we mustn't have her staying up too late"
"You always leave early!" Lizzie tutted, "Well not today! Today we shall dance until our feet bleed"
Darcy laughed aloud at that, "If you wish, Lizzie" he agreed, still grinning, "If you wish"