VI

"Goodness! How could you convince your father of that?" Catherine asked Ms. Carter as they were entering the seamstress' shop. It was right after Ms. Carter had told her that Colonel Forster invited her in his ball a week after this day. Of course the ball will be big and many important people will come but how could Ms. Carter's father agree to such a proposal? Especially after what has happened five years ago.

"Dearest Cathy! I hardly know myself just now!" Ms. Carter exclaimed. "He was right there in front of me and my heart beat just rose up and—and…" Ms. Carter had not yet finished her thought.

"Oh you poor girl! How could I help in such?" asked an affectionate Catherine.

"Oh Ms. Cathy, no one can convince my father of such and I hardly know what to do," Ms. Carter told her softly.

"Ms. Carter, I dearly want to help! Please let me!" Catherine told her.

"Oh Ms. Catherine, please don't bother." Ms. Carter told her.

Catherine knew that she should keep quiet now and she just wondered about what dress she would pick but somehow, her thoughts kept reappearing back to Ms. Carter's face. It was as lifeless as a rock.

They have been at the seamstress for half an hour and Mr. Reynolds looked very uncomfortable. He just kept looking at one direction to another.

Ms. Carter had already picked a light blue and was just helping Catherine pick her clothes. "You will look more beautiful in the green one" She commented at Catherine who was holding pink and green cloths.

Mr. Reynolds moved forward beside them and smiled. "Besides, James would love you better if you wear the green one"

Catherine blushed and smiled secretly. Not knowing that Ms. Carter had pushed Mr. Reynolds and forced him to lose a balance.

After a few minutes, a lady and a gentleman went inside the seamstress. "Really Sarah! I need not help you pick your clothing for Colonel Forster's ball!" The gentleman exclaimed.

Catherine could not help but look up from her dress and stare at her brother and sister's faces—who was also looking at her with bewilderment. Catherine quickly picked up her skirt and went flying over to Sarah and Peter to hug them both dearly. It was only now that she had realized that she had missed them so. "Sarah, Peter! How fortunate for you to come here at so evident timing!" cried she.

Peter laughed. "Do want us to leave?" he asked sarcastically.

Catherine faked a frown and giggled. "Of course not!" cried she and pulled the two of them over Ms. Carter and Mr. Reynolds' direction. "Sarah, Peter, please be acquainted with Ms. Carter and Mr. Reynolds" she introduced. Everyone curtsied and smiled at each other.

For Mr. Reynolds, Ms. Catherine's sister was the handsomest woman he had ever seen in his existence and life. He stared at the handsome face and very fine eyes of Ms. Sarah Campbell and smiled at her very warmly. He was suddenly interrupted by Ms. Campbell herself. "Mr. Reynolds, I do hear some town gossip that you own half of hunting dale?" asked she.

"Yes." He replied. "I might be hosting a ball there maybe in the next five months"

"Oh. Do you always host one?" asked she.

"Yes. I might even save you a dance" he replied with a smile. They have smiled longer at each other until someone cleared his or her voice.

"Ms. Campbell, Sir Peter," Ms. Carter started. "Will you please do us the honor of joining us for lunch?"

Ms. Sarah looked at his brother. "Can we, Peter?" she asked him.

"We would be delighted." Peter commented with a smile.

As soon as they were done at the seamstress, Catherine took the urge of speaking Sarah about Mr. Reynolds while they were walking along the grass to the Carter Estate.

"He is every man ought to be." Sarah started "Kind, has a humor, charming—"

Catherine cut her off. "And his having twelve thousand a year…" she told her sister with a laugh.

"Dear Cathy! Are you letting away your pride for money?" Sarah told her sister sarcastically.

"Not. Not at all." Catherine told her seriously. "That is the very reason I have arrived here in the carter Estate"

Sarah laughed. "Oh dear! I have missed you my dearest sister." She exclaimed.

"I have too." Catherine told her, smiling.

"So how is Sir James?" asked Sarah, changing the subject.

"He manages to surprise me every time. He is still a man of mystery." Catherine told Sarah with a smile fixed on her gorgeous features. "And I have met his betrothed, Ms. Lydia Huntsman."

"Dearest Cathy!" Sarah exclaimed with an apologetic smile transfixed on her face. She held the hand of Cathy and rubbed it for comfort.

"Oh, Sarah." Catherine started. "I need not comfort. I would have been in far better comfort if I did not see your sad face. So please smile for me"

"Oh. Fine" Sarah told her and her smile came back. "Well how is she?" asked she.

"Gold digger" Catherine commented with a laugh.

Sarah's Face turned into shock at her dearest sister and stopped at their walk. "Catherine Campbell you shall not speak ill of a human!"

"Dearest Sarah! I have been speaking ill of a human for many years now. You, my dearest sister, got so far as 'I shall loathe him for the rest of eternity'. You need to loosen up a bit!" Catherine protested.

"But it is wrong!" Sarah told her dearest sister.

"Oh fine!" Catherine told Sarah, giggling. "I shall not speak ill of a human when you are around"

It was after the two sisters stopped giggling and Sarah looked over to their new acquaintances. "Cathy, I really think we should get back together with Peter and the others."

When Sarah started running towards them, Cathy grabbed her hand and pulled Sarah back towards her. "Cathy! What did you do that for?" Sarah commanded.

"Dear Sarah! I have not been able to spend time with you today and you want to withdraw from me?" Catherine told her.

"What do you mean? I have been with you all day" Sarah said.

"Not really. You were with Mr. Reynolds all times" Catherine told her sister. "I really think he fancies you" she added with a giggle.

"Really?" Sarah suddenly asked and the conversation of the two sisters turned into a conversation about the gentleman who owns twelve thousand.

Sir James Carter was exhausted of it all. His constant walk with Ms. Lydia everyday, his mother's excessive talking, his sister's delight and his overly thinking about Ms. Catherine Campbell. He could never get her out of his mind and every time he thinks about what his life will be after his marriage, he kept changing the face of Ms. Lydia to Ms. Catherine. Deep inside, he knew that he could not think about her that way and he should just ignore his feelings and attend to his duties.

"James, why did you not escort your sister and Ms. Catherine to the market?" asked his mother one day when he was writing in the library.

"I did not have the time. Besides Charles was with them and Ms. Lydia needed some assisting" He told his mother without expression.

"But you should have been there!" His mother exclaimed. "And Ms. Lydia needs to do things on her own!"

He knew his mother had disliked Ms. Lydia ever since she met. "My sister is strong and Ms. Catherine seems a bit stronger. There is nothing to scare her I dare say" He scowled when he was started thinking about Ms. Cathy again.

"But she is new in town, James" his mother commented.

"Charles is with them, Mother. They are safe." He commented coldly.

"Now you listen to me James—"his mother started but it was interrupted by their maid. She had announced that they have arrived and apparently, they had some visitors over.

"Oh! How delightful!" His mother exclaimed.

He stood up then and got ready for their visitors.

As Everybody was waiting for Lunch to be ready, Ms. Lydia, Ms. Carter. Ms. Catherine, Ms. Sarah, Sir Peter, Mr. Reynolds and Sir James were all in the library just sitting and after some time, Ms. Lydia will open a discussion about the musical pieces she had played in the piano forte. Ms. Catherine had settled on her book and Sir James did too.

"Ms. Catherine, what are you reading?" Ms. Lydia suddenly asked.

"Pride and Prejudice," Catherine answered.

"OH. An Austen book?" asked Ms. Lydia and when Catherine nodded, she continued. "I must admit, Ms. Austen will be a much acknowledged writer someday. And I love her tandem of Romeo and Juliet!"

Everybody laughed at the incredulous assumption of Ms. Lydia. It was dreadfully a shame that she had told everyone in a most obvious manner that she does not read books.

"Ms. Lydia, with all due respect, the protagonists in the story is Ms. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy." Catherine told her, trying to hide a laughter that is shaking inside.

"Oh." Ms. Lydia said softly, trying to hide the shame. "Then what is your opinion of Ms. Elizabeth Bennet?" ask she, changing the subject.

Catherine nodded her head and said. "Ms. Eliza Bennet answers a question rather sarcastically and she has a great sense of humor and never marries arranged"

"Then what about Mr. Darcy?" asked Ms. Lydia.

Catherine and Sarah exchanged glances and laughed together in harmony leaving everyone in curious phases. It was then that Catherine cleared her throat and half laughingly said "Mr. Darcy is my ideal kind of man" she professed.

In this sentence, Sir James' head snapped up to look at her and Mr. Reynolds and Ms. Carter turned to move forward and started to listen intently at the conversation.

"Really?" asked Ms. Carter, interested. "But we know his character to be proud and arrogant!"

"Yes at first." Catherine told them earnestly and it was impossible for them not to believe her. "But in the end, he was always the generous and kind man and he is always acquainted with his love for Elizabeth"

It was then that Sir James shut his book and questioned Catherine. "Ms. Catherine, are you so severe that these things happen in real life?"

"I never saw such a happy ending" she commented, smiling hugely up at him. "But if there was, I would gladly be a part of it.

"But there are no such things as Happy Endings, Ms. Catherine. If you are in a relationship, you work on this relationship and not just let if flow" He told her coldly.

Catherine frowned lightly. "You might have mistaken me, Sir James for I said the word 'if' you're your benefit."

"For my own benefit?" questioned James, loving the way she got cornered by him.

"Indeed." Replied Catherine. "I shall save you from all the questioning later so that you won't get bored ion the pit of shame"

Charles let out an excessive laugh but no one even looked at him. They were all drawn to the conversation of the two people who loved to read.

Sir James eyes Catherin suspectively and smiled at her. "I shall agree with that." He professed. "But let me ask you a question, Ms. Catherine, does the world revolve around love?" He challenged.

Catherine smiled but made no reply.

"Shall I answer that question myself?" asked he and when Catherine nodded, he continued. "It does not. Am I right Ms. Catherine?"

Catherine nodded. "Indeed." She professed and continued. "But what do you call your love for your virtue?" when Sir James raised his wicked brows, she smilingly said. "I do believe Sir James that in some part of this unconceivable world; the world does revolve around love,"

He considered that for a moment and questions her yet again. "Ms. Catherine is that your theory?"

Cathy smiled lightly. "It is one of my theories. And I do follow the quote 'A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool'" She professed.

"Are you quoting Shakespeare, Ms. Catherine?" asked he.

"Indeed" She replied with a smile.

Never once has Sir James conversed with a person so daring as Ms. Catherine. He was in deep grief in fearing that he had paid too much attention to her and picturing her are his betrothed.

Sarah Campbell could not believe how fast she has grown into be in-love with Mr. Reynolds. He was severely the man who she wanted to be with for the rest of eternity. He is kind, has a great sense of humor and he takes things easily. She knows it is too early to be thinking of things like such but she seemed so sure in him. It seems like they were acquaintances long before they had first met and looked at each other's eyes this morning.

As she was sitting at the great dining table of the Carters, she could not help but just smile and look at him. He has such a handsome face.

"Ms. Campbell, when is your next visit in the Carter Estate?" asked he.

"Oh." She said, blushing. "I hardly know. At the next assembly or ball maybe"

He nodded. Just then, Mrs. Carter practically jumped from her seat and started to exclaim which gave everyone a fright. "Oh! That reminds me, Ms. Campbell" said she, addressing her. "I want your family to be in here the day after tomorrow"

"Oh. We possibly don't want to intrude." Said she, affectionately and made Reynolds smile.

"Oh my dear! You do not" she told her and Sarah nodded. "And speaking of balls, Mr. Carter," said she to her husband. "I got a letter from Colonel Forster inviting us to attend his ball at Natherlodge! I do hope we can come"

Ms. Carter's stomach had dropped back on her as she waited to the reply of her very dear father.

"He did huh?" said her father attentively looking at her. He smiled for a little and said. "Well then, I suppose we are"