Lizzy sat at the dressing table fiercely brushing her curly hair.

"Mr Bingley seems half in love with you already dear Jane," Lizzy spoke in a low voice to avoid being overheard. She glanced excitedly at Jane's reflection in the mirror, the candle's reflection dancing mischievously in her eyes. Jane blushed with pleasure as she got ready for bed.

"I am sure you tease Lizzy. We have only been acquainted a fortnight. It is still too soon to know his character."

"I know enough of his character to know that he is unaware of anyone else in the room when he is in your company." Lizzy replied smugly.

"Don't think I was so distracted by Mr Bingley that I didn't notice you dancing with Mr Darcy!" Jane said, hoping to divert the attention away from her. "I thought you had vowed never to dance with Mr Darcy." She continued smugly.

Lizzy giggled. "Sir William gallantly offered me as a sacrifice, I suspect to avoid continuing a conversation with him. Although he did apologise for being so rude at the assembly," she conceded as an afterthought.

"Mr Darcy apologised? See he can't be all bad if he admitted he was wrong. I knew you had just misunderstood him" Jane said.

Elizabeth knew Jane couldn't stand to think badly about anyone and paid no attention to her defence of the proud gentleman. Determined not to give Mr Darcy too much credit she replied,

"No Jane you are mistaken. He could hardly do less when I brought to his attention the fact that I'd heard his disparaging comments."

"Oh Lizzy please tell me you're teasing. Whatever did you say?" Jane worried.

Knowing that Jane would not approve of her behaviour, Elizabeth thought carefully for a moment before she answered.

"He was eavesdropping when I was discussing with Colonel Forster the chances of him hosting a ball. I simply asked Mr Darcy if he deemed us tolerable enough to dance with, despite being slighted by other men" Elizabeth said defensively.

Jane surprised Lizzy by throwing herself back on the pillow laughing. "Poor Mr Darcy." She wheezed once she'd got her breath back.

"Fear not dear Jane. I'm sure it does no harm for a man of his stature to be taken down a peg every once in a while."

"And I'm sure you plan to be the very one to remind him of how a gentleman is expected to behave in society," Jane replied.

"It cannot be easy to have people always deferring to your opinion and whims. It would quite ruin a man. I feel it my duty to society as a whole to ensure Mr Darcy realises he is a mere mortal. It's a hardship I know but I'll endure it as best as I can." Lizzy retorted.

"I think you are beginning to like him Lizzy," Jane teased.

"Nonsense," Lizzy replied, "however his rigid behaviour does divert me. I am sure I shall find him quite an interesting character study. Now enough of Mr Darcy! Let's continue talking about your Mr Bingley," Elizabeth declared firmly.

"He's not my Mr Bingley," Jane stated.

"But he very well soon shall be." Lizzy said as she began braiding her finally tamed hair.

Jane smiled contently as her eyes drifted close. Lizzy finished getting ready and climbed into bed. She blew out the candle and snuggled under the blankets. She was unable to settle easy into sleep though and stayed awake for quite some time afterwards, replaying the conversations between herself and Mr Darcy, trying to understand his character and her feelings towards him. Despite Mr Darcy's apology she still felt he fell quite short of the mark for the type of man she could esteem. She was pleased that he had managed to apologise but felt he would never have done so of his own volition. This was indeed a character flaw.

She had a sense that her sister and she were on the edge of a new phase in their lives and was unsure she was ready to face her destiny. It was with these thoughts that she fell into an uneasy sleep.