A/N: I AM BACK! I bet you all hate me, and I am really REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY… (Ten years later) REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry for not updating in *gasp* over a month! Life has gotten in the way. I always write and update on weekends, but my weekends have been SUPER FULL. But I'm back, and with (finally) the second part of the ball! YAY! I just want to give a ginormous thanks to those who have reviewed, and I hope that my LONG absence from this story hasn't made anyone lose interest! Review if you want! (I need to know that SOMEBODY is still reading this at least.)
Beautiful music filled the air amongst laughter and general merriment. The Colonel and Mrs. Forester had asked some of the officers who enjoyed and played music to play at their ball. After a few hours of dancing and enjoying company, the supper break had finally arrived.
Elizabeth Bennet was relieved to have her horrid dance with Mr. Collins end. He had spent most of the dance insulting her and Mr. Darcy, despite her constant protests that nothing was going on in that quarter. Eventually, she zoned out the derision of her ridiculous cousin and counted down the dance steps until it was over.
As she made her way into the hallway, she spotted a rather uncomfortable sight. Her beloved sister Jane was standing in a rather secluded corner with Mr. Wickham, who was perhaps too close to Jane than propriety would normally allow. There was not another soul in sight of the dark hall. Elizabeth's eyes narrowed as Mr. Wickham leaned down and kissed Jane's hand, before leaving to go join some of his fellow officers. Jane smiled contentedly and made her way over to her younger sister.
"Isn't the ball so wonderful, Lizzy?" Jane asked dreamily. Elizabeth replied rather suspiciously, "Yes, I suppose it is. Say, Jane, have you been spending much time with Mr. Wickham?"
Jane looked surprised, and then she blushed. "Yes, when you and Mr. Darcy go on your walks, I have been fortunate enough to encounter Mr. Wickham in town several times."
Elizabeth closed her eyes for a moment, remembering what Mr. Darcy had said about Mr. Wickham.
"Jane, I believe that you like Mr. Wickham. Is this true?" Rather unnerved by Elizabeth's strange tone of voice, Jane replied cautiously, "Yes, I do like him. Very much, actually, I do not see how anybody could not like him. He has such an easy manner around people, and goodness becomes his countenance after a mere brief meeting. Do you like him, Lizzy?"
Her sister hesitated. What should I tell Jane? That Mr. Darcy informed me that Wickham is not to be trusted? But how will she take that? I do not wish to ruin the ball for her… But I also would not wish for dear Jane to become too attached to an untrustworthy man! Whatever do I do?
After great contemplation, Elizabeth replied, "I must warn you Jane, I fear that Mr. Wickham is not to be trusted. Although easiness becomes his countenance, it does not mean that he is good on the inside as well. Please be cautious, sister."
Jane looked astonished. "Why ever do you not trust him, Lizzy? Mr. Wickham has always been completely civil to you, even though you are friends with Mr. Darcy!"
As shock became her countenance, Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. "I am not aware of how my acquaintance with Mr. Darcy would affect my interaction with Mr. Wickham. Pray, inform me, dear sister, of how this could be so?" With a slight jolt, Elizabeth realized that for the first time in her twenty years, she was arguing with her elder sister.
Said sister realized this as well, but was not to be deterred. "Mr. Wickham has told me that he was cheated out of an inheritance by Mr. Darcy. He was the son of the late Mr. Darcy's steward, and the said deceased gentleman was fond of him. Mr. Darcy senior told his son that on his passing, Mr. Wickham was to receive a commission from the church. When the present Mr. Darcy's father died, Mr. Darcy denied Mr. Wickham the inheritance and now he is forced to make his own way out in the world!"
Anger became Elizabeth's face. "Jane! How could you say such awful things about Mr. Darcy! Who is to say that Mr. Wickham is not lying?"
Her elder sister was also becoming angry, for the first time in her life. "Are you suggesting, Elizabeth, that I am not intelligent enough to discern for myself blatant lies from truth?"
"No, I am merely implying that you were too fooled by how handsome Mr. Wickham looked in his regimentals to give truth to what he said after so short an acquaintance!" For a moment, the two girls were silent in the hallway. They could both hear the music coming from the ballroom, and the laughter from the dining room. But what Elizabeth had said of her sister's supposed shallowness hung in the air like a dreaded toxin.
Jane was the first to speak. "From your logic, dear sister, we must be forced to concur that you are biased towards Mr. Darcy as well, for he is a rich and handsome gentleman with a great estate in Derbyshire. Perhaps, Elizabeth, all of the Bennet girls are this shallow!" She snapped.
Elizabeth glared at her sister. "I am friends with Mr. Darcy for mutual enjoyment in company and intelligent conversation, which I can clearly not partake in with you!"
Miss Bennet laughed in derision. "Yes, mutual enjoyment indeed. The man is clearly in love with you, Elizabeth! Are you the only one daft enough to not realize it?"
After a slight pause where Elizabeth's brain deciphered what Jane had said, she recovered herself enough to reply. "You, Jane, have no right to say that I am daft when it is you whom fell for such dreadful lies! Even before Mr. Wickham entered the neighborhood, Mr. Darcy had told me that he and his sister Georgiana encountered problems with an untrustworthy gentleman! It was only after Mr. Wickham came to Meryton that he even mentioned his name! Put the facts together, Jane, and you will see the truth!"
Jane's stern gaze faltered for a moment before she was able to conduct a response. "I already see the truth, thank you very much. And the truth is that you are so reliant on Mr. Darcy that you will not look past the weakness of his argument towards Mr. Wickham! It is you that needs to see the truth, sister, not I. And if the truth is that I feel affection towards Mr. Wickham, then so be it!"
Elizabeth realized the extreme consequences of the sisters' argument. As she thought for a moment on what Jane had said, she recalled the extreme pain in Mr. Darcy's eyes when he even mentioned Mr. Wickham. She trusted Darcy's judgment completely, and knew that she could think about it later. What needed to be done now was persuade Jane that Wickham was not to be trusted.
"Please, Jane," she begged. "Do not so easily believe everything that he has said to you! I am your sister, and I only have your best interests at heart. I have a very bad feeling about your affection for Mr. Wickham! Just do not do anything rash, Jane. Look at what he has done to you already! This aggressiveness was not part of your disposition before. I do not like this new Jane!"
Her sister had tears in her eyes as she finally said, "If you do not like me, Elizabeth, than I suggest you stay away from me." Jane wiped her eyes and left for the dining room.
Elizabeth stood in the hallway, as unmoving as a statue. She felt angry tears threaten to emerge, but would not allow it. She had never argued with Jane before. Nobody ever had. A part of Elizabeth felt awful about it, but another was simply angry and confused. Why was Mr. Wickham saying such terrible things about Darcy? The rumor could not possibly be true, could it?
Elizabeth briefly wondered how many people Wickham had told the story to, but quickly took that thought out of her head. The townspeople respected Mr. Darcy, as he was a frequent visitor to the shops. He was especially known to buy small pastries from the bakery, typically for Elizabeth on their walks. Elizabeth was confident that the citizens of Meryton would stand by Darcy in the event of such a terrible rumor being spread.
What was to be done with Jane? Elizabeth had a forewarning feeling inside her that absolutely nothing good would come of her relations with Mr. Wickham. But Elizabeth simply had no idea what to do about it. Her head full of concern for her sister, Elizabeth moved into the dining room.
-Break line-
Mrs. Forester had taken the liberty of placing Elizabeth next to Darcy, as her expectations of the couple were no less than the rest of Hertfordshire; marriage. Little did Elizabeth Bennet know that the news was making its way to London already that Fitzwilliam Darcy, Derbyshire's most eligible bachelor, was falling for a country miss with virtually no fortune to be known.
As Elizabeth sat next to him, Darcy gripped his fork tightly. He was still unaccustomed to being in love, and was not entirely sure how to proceed, although he had spent the majority of the ball trying to figure it out. One thing was for sure; he would not handle it the way Wickham would. Darcy almost laughed at what Lady Catherine's reaction to him seducing and eloping with Elizabeth Bennet would be. No, that option was definitely out.
He would simply have to take the time to woo her. Darcy was fairly certain that she was not in love with him at the present moment. As disappointing as the thought was, he was confident that it could quickly change. Despite his complete personal lack of romantic experience, he knew that these things took time. Well, not for him… But that was an exception. For who could not fall in love with Elizabeth Bennet immediately?
Mr. Darcy was taken out of his stupor suddenly by the glimpse of Elizabeth's pale face. "Miss Bennet, is something wrong?" He asked in alarm. As though she had just realized that he was there, she studied his face for a moment.
Coming to a decision, Elizabeth said quietly, "Mr. Darcy, I am afraid that I am in need of your counsel. As a close friend, I beg you to be honest in answer to my question."
His heart pounding silently yet very quickly, Darcy said, "I can honestly say that I would not lie to you ever, Miss Bennet." She looked up at him quickly, and for a moment they simply sat there looking at each other. Elizabeth looked down quickly, and then turned her gaze to Jane and Wickham.
"Mr. Darcy, can I trust Mr. Wickham with my sister Jane?" she asked softly. Darcy suddenly went stiff as his head snapped over to where Jane was laughing with his childhood friend. After a moment's contemplation, he responded.
"Miss Elizabeth, you asked me to be perfectly honest with you, so I shall. You cannot trust Wickham with your sister. In fact, you cannot trust Wickham with any young lady." He said the last part so ferociously that Elizabeth realized that Wickham must have been untrustworthy to a lady of Darcy's acquaintance. Clearly it was a very close acquaintance!
Elizabeth did not know how to respond. She did not like the sudden anger she was feeling towards the woman whom she did not even know. It did not matter if Mr. Darcy had feelings for a young lady. He was probably 26 or 27, making him either six or seven years older than Elizabeth herself. That was six or seven more years for him to fall in love! Elizabeth clenched her fists under the table. Why should she care if he was in love with another woman? It was none of her business whom Mr. Darcy was and was not attracted to. Although they were close friends, she had no claims over him. She had no rights to feel the way she felt! But how do I feel? She wondered. Am I… jealous?
She quickly realized that she was over thinking Darcy's words I asked him to be honest, and he was honest. It is not his fault that the honesty is painful for me. This led Elizabeth's thoughts to another quarter. But why is it painful for me? Why should I care that Mr. Darcy is in love with someone else? It is not like I am in love with him. As soon as she thought it, Elizabeth realized how close her feelings for Mr. Darcy were to love. Oh dear lord, I am falling in love with Mr. Darcy! Whatever can I do?
Laughter what almost her reaction to this piece of news. It is ridiculous that such slight emotion in his voice could lead me to invent an entire circumstance about his past, guess his age, become jealous, and realize that I am falling in love with him! Then, of course, she realized that she had sat there for several minutes without speaking to Mr. Darcy.
"Oh, I apologize, sir, was merely processing this information." Elizabeth immediately scolded herself for sounding so bland. Say something else, Elizabeth! He was speaking with actual feelings, not empty words!
The jealous part of Elizabeth began to take over. "I thank you for being honest with me, Mr. Darcy. I fear you will find me impertinent to ask this, but my childlike mind must know; has a lady of your acquaintance had any particular trouble with Mr. Wickham?"
To say that Darcy was startled by the question was overrated, but he was surprised. "Yes, Miss Bennet, a young lady of my acquaintance was as unfortunate as to be fooled by Wickham's mannerisms."
Elizabeth pretended to be occupied with cutting her meat. "Hmm. And may I take the liberty of asking if this young lady was close to you?" Her last words came out sharp.
What can she mean by this? Is Elizabeth… No, she can't be. Darcy had an idea of what was going on, but decided to try her further.
"Yes, the young lady in question is very important to me. It was painful for me to see her so heartbroken because of that gentleman." Elizabeth stopped cutting her meat as she froze. It hurt him to see her in love with another man! Why would this ridiculous girl fall for Mr. Wickham when Mr. Darcy was in love with her instead? "I see," she replied curtly.
I cannot believe it. Elizabeth is actually jealous. Perhaps she does like me! But at seeing her pained expression, Darcy decided to end his teasing.
"The lady whom Mr. Wickham fooled was my sister, Georgiana. It only happened this August," he said softly. Elizabeth looked up in surprise. This means that Mr. Darcy is not in love! Oh dear, poor Georgiana. Poor Darcy! Elizabeth knew that he cared so much for his sister that her young heart being broken would deeply wound Darcy.
"Oh Mr. Darcy, I am so sorry. I feel simply horrid for making you speak of it!"
Darcy looked at her in surprise, and at her concern for his feelings, turned his expression into a more gentle one. "I thank you for your concern, Miss Bennet, but it is alright. I am glad you know," he said softly.
She smiled at him, and then turned to Jane and Wickham in worry. "I must admit, Mr. Darcy, that I fear for my sister Jane. We had an argument, and I have told you that Jane never argues with anyone. I am scared at the influence he already has on her, Mr. Darcy. They have only known each other for a few days, but Jane's heart has already been touched. The aggressiveness that she showed towards me was very unlike her. I worry that she will be hurt."
Rather unsure of himself, Darcy put his hand over hers that was on the table between them. "Do not worry, Miss Elizabeth, I am sure that your sister shall be fine." Elizabeth felt her heart thump at the small gesture of caring, and still felt his touch long after the meal was over and his hand had moved.
-Break Line-
At another table in the room, a very different conversation was taking place.
"You look astoundingly beautiful this evening, Miss Bennet." Jane Bennet blushed at Mr. Wickham's compliment.
"I would thank you, Mr. Wickham, but I believe that I already have repeatedly," she teased. Wickham smiled at her. Only a few days of acquaintance and she already has feelings for me! Why, this Jane Bennet will be an even easier prize than Georgiana Darcy would have been.
"I fear, Miss Bennet, that you are not yourself. Are you quite alright? Such a lovely lady as yourself should not be upset at a dance!" George Wickham had noticed Jane's sadness, and was intending to use it to his advantage.
Jane looked up in surprise, unaware that her discomfort was so evident. She figured, however, that the connection she had felt with Mr. Wickham on meeting him (that he informed her he felt too) made it easy for him to decipher her emotions.
"I confess, Mr. Wickham, that I am not in the best mood. I had an argument with Elizabeth, and I fear that we shall never reconcile."
Wickham pretended to care about Jane's distress. "How awful! Forgive me if I take the liberty in asking this question; whatever was the argument about?"
Jane sighed. "I fear that Elizabeth fancies herself in love with none other than Mr. Darcy. He is obviously in love with her as well, but I fear his intentions. If he is as untrustworthy as you related to me, how do we know that he will do well by her?"
Wickham did not even hear the last part of her concerns. "Miss Bennet, I must know if I heard you correctly. Did you say that Darcy is in love with your sister?"
Jane looked surprised. "Yes, I believe most of the town knows it, he is quite obviously infatuated with her." Jane laughed. "In fact, she is the only young lady he has bothered to befriend here! Mr. Darcy has unknowingly broken some hearts here already, including Kitty and Lydia!"
She was cut off by Wickham. "Yes yes, but he is in love with her, is that right?"
His dinner partner was surprised by his abrupt interruption. "Yes, he is. Ask any of the residents of Meryton and the neighboring estates. Mr. Bingley, Kitty and I conversed over it the other day. The two of them thought that it would be splendid if they became married. After what you have told me," Jane sighed. "I am not so sure it would be a good idea anymore."
So Darcy is in love. With a country girl none the less! Oh, this is gold. No, this is better than gold. This circumstance is as perfect for me as being the master of Pemberley itself! Darcy will never propose to her, his sense of "honor" and "decorum" shall never allow it. Such an opportunity has surely never presented itself to mankind before! This is my perfect revenge.
As Wickham thought of his plan to bring about Darcy's great undoing, he glanced over at the man in question. Just in time, he saw Mr. Darcy gently put his hand on top of Elizabeth's. Wickham smirked. Oh Darcy, you fool. Just wait until I get my revenge. Just wait. The plan was perfect. All that was left to do was wait.
A/N: IT'S DONE! YAY! How'd you like part 2 of the ball? Wickham is evil. This chapter wasn't very funny, it was more serious than some of my other chapters have been. I thought about making it longer, but then decided that more Darcy/Elizabeth flirting/realizing feelings stuff while good, would just seem spread too thin. Jane was kinda OOC with the whole argument thing, but here's my idea; she's been spending time with Wickham, and he is subtly influencing her to be more… aggressive, I guess? Also, she thinks she's falling in love with Wickham, so she got mad when Lizzy started insulting him. Sorry for the lack of Mr. Collins in this chapter, he just didn't really belong anywhere. (Not that he usually does…) PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW YOU ARE STILL OUT THERE! And thanks for all of the EPIC reviews that I have gotten so far.