AN: Hello! Wow. I was amazed with the response after the first chapter. I don't really have a word for how I feel after receiving so many reviews and story alerts/favorites/etc. You all are amazing! Especially the following for reviewing: Gamax, acelticdream, Artemis Acorn, emmas212, MAB35, tcdavis, Avanell, hagadoe, Beat-Skip, lindablanche, lynniern, Gennyxoxo, YepItsMe, Panda.193, CourtneyCS, InOcEnT-schoolgirl, Amzsop, aishiteru naru, R-Gomeni, otilia, VinterNatt, skittleysweet, and andi1624. I appreciate all of your encouragement and advice and especially about the name-thing. I have been thinking about it a lot (more than I would have thought I would for a fan fic, haha) and I think that I'm going to, of course, continue to use proper address for dialogue, but give myself a little leeway with the narrator's use of their names. I'll try to stick to the correct terms for people, but when I'm writing from Elizabeth, I don't really want to call her "Miss Elizabeth" . . . so anyway. Am I making too big a deal of this? I feel like I am, haha.

I'm so sorry that I can't update every day. I would if I didn't have to young children running around and a third on the way (my hubby and I just found out yesterday that we're expecting our third! We're super-excited!). But please know that I am doing my best to update once weekly. It might occasionally be more often or less often, depending on how I'm feeling and how the kiddos are behaving.

And lastly, I'm sorry about such a long note. P&P is Jane Austen's and I love it!

Chapter Three

There were few things which could have increased Elizabeth's elation with the events of the ball. She had discovered a friend in the young Miss Darcy. Georgiana, as she timidly invited Elizabeth to call her, was more of a kindred spirit than Kitty or Lydia, her own sisters of near the same age. She was possessed of a quick, if hidden, wit that seemed to be showing its face more and more frequently as the evening progressed.

Mr. Darcy joined them a short while after they started their ambling stroll about the room, walking on Georgiana's other side. The conversation turned to the Bennet family and Elizabeth was quick to use the opportunity to extol Jane's better features.

"She is the kindest woman I have ever known," she murmured with sincerity to Georgiana, knowing that Mr. Darcy was listening by the tilt of his head and the way that his eyes stared unseeingly ahead of him. "She sees only the best in people, but is rather reserved, similarly to you, Georgiana."

At her use of his sister's given name, Mr. Darcy's head snapped up. The girl simply smiled, however, encouraging Elizabeth to go on, so she did. She spoke most of the evening of her sister and was delighted to see that Mr. Darcy listened to every word she spoke.

Mr. Darcy was listening, though perhaps not in the manner that Elizabeth had supposed.

He was rather intrigued with Miss Elizabeth. Her easy spirit calmed him, as he was not required to speak with her and could simply enjoy her wit and vivacity. Similarly to his sister, he was rather reticent regarding new acquaintances. He did not, however, stutter or blush as Georgiana did and his unease with the unfamiliar was often taken as pride or haughtiness. However, as Miss Elizabeth went on, pointing out several people in the room as they walked while always returning to the subject of her sister (it was clear that she had great love for her sister), Darcy found himself smiling and even chuckling at times. What was more, he saw Georgiana doing the same and even more.

By the time the evening ended, she was speaking openly with Miss Elizabeth, addressing her by her given name, allowed to leave off the formal and proper "Miss". And for the first time in his life with a lady so little-known, Darcy wished to do the same. Not that he would, for his good-breeding and manners were very deeply engrained. But they did nothing to abate the strength of the wish.

That evening, Jane and Elizabeth dressed for bed and finally had a chance to discuss the events of the evening. The elder sister had been rather guarded in her opinion of the happenings of the evening, but once the two were alone, she shared how much she truly admired one of the gentlemen at the assembly that night.

"He was quite handsome and agreeable." Elizabeth found Darcy to be extremely handsome, and while she did not find him to be disagreeable, she was not certain that she would term him as "agreeable". Still, she simply smiled at her sister, encouraging her to go on. "Honestly, Lizzy, when they first entered at the assembly, I was rather distracted by the dress of his sister. It was lovely, was it not? But once we were introduced, I could scarcely keep my eyes from him."

"He paid you a very nice compliment earlier in the evening. He said that you were the only handsome girl in the room."

"Did he?" asked Jane.

"Indeed, Jane." The girls clasped hands affectionately for a moment before hurrying under the warm covers of their bed. "I am quite convinced that he is well on his way to falling in love with you."

"I was quite flattered that he asked me to dance the second time," commented Jane.

"Dance?" Elizabeth propped herself up on her elbow to better see her sister's face. "But he did not dance at all the entire night."

"He danced with you one set, Lizzy. Surely you must recall!" cried Jane.

Elizabeth thought to herself that she would have recalled dancing with such a man as Mr. Darcy, but the thought caused her face to heat in a blush. She burrowed back into the covers, hoping to hide the blush. "Jane. Mr. Darcy did not dance one set. Whoever are you talking about?"

"Mr. Darcy?" asked Jane, perplexed. "I speak of Mr. Bingley! Mr. Darcy is handsome, but he is rather intimidating."

"Mr. Bingley?" Elizabeth was unsure what to say. "But I thought you spoke of Mr. Darcy. He complimented you so nicely."

"Oh, he said that?" Jane's voice was mildly disappointed and Elizabeth felt an unexpected weight settle in her chest.

"Are you not pleased?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh! I am." Jane sighed gently, falling into silence.

"But it is not as sweet a compliment when not coming from Mr. Bingley?" Elizabeth queried.

"No, no. Mr. Darcy is a great man." Elizabeth could faintly make out her sister's smile through the darkness. "I am very flattered that he would say such a thing of me."

"And so you should be." Elizabeth smiled. After a time, she continued, "Although not so very much. After all, you are the most beautiful girl in the county, are you not?"

The girls giggled together, then began to discuss the dresses they saw, the antics of their younger siblings, and how warm the room was compared to the night air, until eventually sleep claimed them.

Several days had passed since the ball and Darcy still could conjure no suitable reason to see Miss Elizabeth again. He longed to see her, to taste more of her wit and feel himself relax slightly in her open, warm presence.

He considered paying her a visit at her house, but the thought of being forced to deal with Mrs. Bennet, as well as the two giggling hoydens who were the youngest Bennet sisters. He also was unsure of his intentions and did not wish to mislead the young lady. Or her mother. Was he prepared to offer for her, if pressed to do so because of calling upon her at her home? Surely, in Town, this would not be an issue, but in this rustic setting, who really know what expectations a call would bring about?

He also considered walking through the countryside, as Miss Elizabeth had confided to his sister that she enjoyed walking. However, that also held no appeal for him, as he did not know whether she walked alone or with her sisters or perhaps with Miss Lucas. Were he to come upon her walking alone, it would certainly be the most enjoyable. However, the propriety of the situation seemed questionable, at best. If she was walking with others, however, he felt that he should be unable to properly converse with anyone else. And so he did nothing apart from thinking of her often, perhaps more than he preferred.

His thoughts and attempts at planning a meeting left him tired and with an increasing ache in his head. However, it was during the evening meal that those undesirable symptoms were relieved. Miss Bingley suggested a most ideal option for him and Georgiana secured it.

"I was thinking of inviting Miss Bennet for a dinner," Miss Bingley announced with a tone of grandeur and importance. She and Mrs. Hurst had already declared Miss Bennet a young lady with whom they should not be adverse to furthering their acquaintanceship. "You, Charles, must be dining out, as well as Darcy and Hurst. I believe Miss Bennet would be most comfortable with just the ladies present."

Darcy glanced at Bingley and saw that his color was heightened. Whether it was anger or embarrassment or something else altogether, Darcy was at a loss. As for himself, he should have been enraged at a sister such as Miss Bingley ordering him out of his house. Still, her idea had some merit. Had he but thought to ask Georgiana if she would care to call upon Miss Elizabeth, he would have been able to accompany her. Perhaps he still would.

But Bingley was speaking and he had missed a great deal of it. "Therefore, Caroline, I will be glad to engage a meal at the inn for us. Just tell me the day." Darcy realized that he had just had his evening planned for that day.

"Very good, Charles," praised Miss Bingley. Her smile was quite satisfied.

"M-might I i-invite Miss E-elizab-beth?" queried Georgiana quietly.

"Miss Elizabeth? Was that the dull one who sat in a corner all evening?" asked Mrs. Hurst haughtily.

"No," answered Darcy. "She was the second-eldest. She made lively conversation and smiled a great deal."

Miss Bingley's eyes fell on him and a deep sigh escaped her nose. "The entire family seems to smile in excess."

"Just the same," Darcy said, "Georgiana seems to have formed an attachment with the girl. And as I will be absent, I believe it would be to my sister's benefit to have someone with whom she is comfortable present."

It was nothing so severe as a cut direct, but the shock on Miss Bingley's face gave no evidence to that fact. Darcy realized he ought not to have made such an insinuation as he did – that his sister was uncomfortable with Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst – but he had and could not find it in him to apologize. His sincere hope, however, was that it would not influence the ladies' treatment of his sister or of the Misses Bennet.

AN: Sorry about the shorter chapter. Next time, it will be dinner with the ladies. Will we get to see some Darcy/Lizzy interaction? Let's hope so . . .