The next morning I was awoken to crying, very loudly. I rose from my bed and went to the hall to see Fanny sitting on the ground crying. Really? Ugh it is too early for this. I walk over to her and plop down beside her.

"I do not understand this! He nearly proposed to me and now he says his heart has changed? How could all of that have happened in two days?" She asks me sobbing.

I turn my head to look at her.

"Fanny please, this is all over a boy? You are young very pretty woman. Any man would want you on their arm do not worry about the one who can not see past the end of their nose." I tell her trying to comfort her.

"He says his heart has found another, in such a short amount of time. How is that even possible?" she asks me.

Great I feel like I am playing twenty questions with her now.

"I know not my friend. Do not dwell on it though. Your aunt told me there is a ball tonight I am sure many men will want to dance with you there." I tell her as she perks up a little.

"Do you really believe that to be true?" she asks wanting me to say yes.

"I do not have a doubt in my mind, go on now pick out a dress to wear and please let me sleep." I ask her as I retreat into my room and lay back on the bed. "Was I really ever like her?"

A few hours later I am wide awake with a different dress on this time is a brown one. I don't know how to do their hair styles so I wonder out of my room to find Jane when I bump into none other then Mr. Plumtree. I really had hoped to avoid him today but it seems he is quite drawn to me.

"Miss Worthington, your hair is down just as it was the day I first saw you." he tells me being rather observant.

"I was just going to find Fanny or Miss Austen. In America we do not wear the same hair style and I usually leave my hair down." I tell him as I look for a way to get past him.

"You look very well." he compliments me.

"Thank you very much Mr. Plumtree. I am sorry I startled you when I fainted. Miss Austen informed me you never left my side. No one has ever been that kind to me." I tell him as he smiles at me.

"I was just making sure that if you awoke that your needs would be met." he says humbly. "Are you attending the ball tonight?"

"Yes, Miss Austen informed me of it just last night. Will you be attending as well?" I ask him already knowing the answer.

"I am, I hope to have a dance with you there." he tells me.

"What of Fanny? I thought you and her and an attraction to one another?" I ask him.

"It appears my heart has chosen another path." he says as he steps to the side allowing me to pass him.

Jane stands at the end of the hall watching us as I walk up to her.

"Come, let us put your hair up my dear friend." Jane says as she takes me away. "Very good conversation skills you have."

"I will be nice as you have asked me to. I will be so nice he can't stand me. Or I could-" I start.

"Why not just be calm and allow him to be kind to you?" she asks me.

"Alright, I will do just that." I tell her as she finishes putting my hair up and we walk into a room where the piano is. Out of the window I see Mr. Plumtree getting in a carriage and leaving.

A part of me actually misses him but that is a very small part. I know I will see him at the ball very soon.

"I am ready dear aunt to go meet the man of my dreams." Fanny says with a giggle.

I roll my eyes and look at Jane.

"You look wonderful dear niece. It appears you are correct we should start for town if we arrive at the ball early the more the dancing we shall have." Jane says leading us to the door.

It took a little over two hours to get to the house that was hosting the ball. People began to flock in as the sun was barely just starting to set. It turns out this was Fanny's house.

"Perhaps here I can win Mr. Plumtree back from whoever it is." Fanny says walking inside.

"You are in the clear?" I ask Jane.

We all walk inside Jane and Fanny start dancing and I sit back and smile watching them dance. It look like they are having a very good time. As the dance ends I see Mr. Plumtree and Fanny walking my way but from different directions. This is not going to end well. Mr. Plumtree reaches me just as Fanny comes to my side.

"May I have this dance?" Mr. Plumtree asks looking right at me.

"Of course you may." Fanny says taking his hand and starts to lead him to the dance floor but he looks back at me.

I just smile at him as they begin to dance for the next seven songs. I begin to grow bored and decide to walk out of the room and to the gardens. It is beautiful outside and very peaceful compared to the ball inside. I guess I never really was a party type of person. I sit down on a bench and listen to the mixture of the sounds from both inside and out.

I look at the window and can see Fanny and Mr. Plumtree dancing. Though it seems as if his eyes are searching for something or someone else. I still don't understand how something as small as a hand touch could make his heart change it's mind? I try to put the thought out of my mind. I look up to the stars for peace and do find it momentarily. Then I hear someone walking my way I look over and see a man who looks a bit tipsy to me.

"Ah what a lovely damsel!" the man cries out as he walks closer.

"Get away from me or I will hurt you!" I yell at him but it's no use.

He finally reaches me and grabs my arm very tight. I know that is going to bruise my soft alabaster skin as they would say here. Gosh this guy is strong and heavy two things against me. Finally I am fed up with it.

"Get off me or I will break your nose!" I yell at him at the top of my voice.

The man just laughs and has the nerve to try and kiss me, my hands reacts fast and thrust forward breaking his nose and splattering his blood on my new white gown Jane had gotten me. The man does stumble off of me and I run inside to see Jane and Fanny still dancing. I look down at my dress and am clearly upset but I don't want to ruin their time. I look up one more time and see Mr. Plumtree looking my way with pure horror on his face.

Oh no he is going to take this the wrong way. He is going to think I am the damsel in distress when I actually was the heroine. I see him release Fanny leaving her alone on the dance floor and he comes rushing my way taking me in his arms.

"Are you alright? Where did the blood come from?" he asks me very quickly.

"I am fine, there was a man in the garden he forced himself on me but-" I try to tell him as he walks past me to the garden.

I watch inside as Jane comes and joins me we see Mr. Plumtree at first talk to the man for a few moment but then he punches him and the man falls to the ground again.

"You alright?" Jane asks me.

"I was the one who broke that man's nose. He forced himself on me I had no choice." I tell her quickly as Mr. Plumtree comes back inside.

"Just let him play the hero, act like you are more than grateful." Jane says as Mr. Plumtree reaches me and takes my hands.

"Forgive me for not being there when you needed me most." he says looking me in the eyes.

I felt something odd in my stomach then. Was this really butterflies in my stomach. Oh no was I starting to like him?

"Thank you for being here with me now, I fear I could not face the rest of the night alone." I tell him as he just smiles.

"Then you shall dance with me the rest of the night." he says offering me his hand.

"I don't know how to dance like that. I only know how I dance back home." I tell him as I look away from the ballroom.

"Do tell me how do you dance back home?" he asks me.

"I would have to show you for I cannot explain it." I tell him as I hear a small giggle come out of me.

"Show me then." he says.

I take his left hand and put it around my waist and take his other hand in mine and slowly dance a very simple dance.

"I like this dance, it is a simple one is it not?" he asks me.

"That it is, it is usually a couples dance but it can be a friends dance as well." I tell him as we continue to dance.

We go back into the ballroom as the clock strikes fifteen minutes after twelve. I sit down in a chair happy to rest as Fanny comes up to Mr. Plumtree.

"Where had you gone? You left me alone on the dance floor so now we must finish our dance." she says putting her arms behind her back and giggling.

"It is past midnight Fanny, it is the Lords day now." he tells her.

"You did not seem to mind when dancing with another woman. Who is she?" Fanny asks him not a tad bit angry.

"That is not any of your concern please just rest a while." he tries to explain to her.

I see this is going no where fast so I come up to them about to take Fanny away.

"I bet whoever she has must have more money then I for I know she is not prettier then me" she says.

I just stand in shock. Well she doesn't know that she is talking about me but still that hurt. I take her arm and walk her out of the ballroom.

"Fanny you are acting like a child who has had their candy taken away. No one will ever find that attractive!" I tell her as she lowers her head.

"I am sorry it's just I really like him and I don't know how to tell him." she tells me.

A wave of guilt hits me. It's my fault that she is unhappy.

"Fanny, there are plenty of men here are you to tell me the only one you like is Mr. Plumtree?" I ask her.

"Well no, but he is the one I have known the longest." she says lifting her head up.

"Maybe it is time to expand your horizon try talking to new people and get to know them." I explain to her.

"Yes, I shall do just that. Please forgive me for behaving improperly." she says as she turns and walks away from me.

I look back into the room and see her start talking with a group of people around her age.

Mr. Plumtree comes to my side and smiles at me.

"I thought that you would not want me to tell her that you were the one who I have taken a liking to." he tells me.

"Thank you for that, though I fear she will still want you and that I have ruined her chances for a happy life." I tell him not looking away from the ballroom.