My dear readers: I am sincerely remiss in this post. It is with a sense of duty that I continue this story. I can honestly say it has stretched my capacity at imagination and it is taking a fair amount of discipline to proceed. Unsurprisingly, new characters and peripheral characters are the hardest to write. Without further adieu, however, I turn it over to the cast and crew.
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Penny sat in the balcony above the ballroom and discretely took in the beauty of the evening. The ladies were all elegance and the men were dashing. Even the night air itself seemed to conspire to create the perfect temperature and humidity in the room for romance and beauty. She watched Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley and beamed with pride at the fact that she had been responsible for fixing their hair so beautifully and for ensuring their dress and accessories were just right. Miss Bingley, as always, was the height of all that was high fashion at the moment. Her gown was a deep navy blue silk that accentuated the beautiful red hue of her hair and the fine alabaster of her skin. It was a risque color for a maiden but she figured she could get away with it at a private ball in the country if any where. Her sweet-heart neckline was just high enough on her bosom to be considered acceptable and her sleeves were gathered at her shoulders and extended to her petite wrists in flat folds of silk. Her skirts draped from a high empire waist into a swooping scalloped hemline. It was a very talented seamstress who envisioned this dress and it must have cost Miss Bingley a month's pin money for the material and sewing but looking at her from above Penny had to agree it was worth it. Penny had allowed several large curls to escape from her swept up hair to drape around her collarbone and much to her dismay Miss Bingley, rather than choosing no adornment other than these curls, chose a large princess cut sapphire necklace of a similar color to her dress to wear as the centerpiece. Penny thought that it detracted from an otherwise breath-taking ensemble and wondered if Miss Bingley would ever learn subtlety and nuance when it came to style. Probably not she thought with a sigh.
Ceasing her meditation on the two host sisters she let her eyes wander to the other guests. She picked out the hitherto unknown to her Mr. Darcy from the crowd. He seemed keen on studying one of the doors leading off the ballroom through which the young lady he had been dancing with and another lady had just exited. From her vantage she saw the strong set of his shoulders and proud lift in his chin and chuckled to herself at the resemblance in stature to Mr. Sharp. She wondered if Mr. Sharp, Mr. Darcy's senior by more than ten years, had taught him as a boy just such a way to stand to command the whole room. It was Aristotle's chicken or egg dilemma and she concluded there would never be a way to truly know and that perhaps one born into such a station as Mr. Darcy did not even need schooling in the art.
She continued to think on this until she was surprised to see Mr. Sharp as he opened the door for the two ladies who were returning to the ballroom. Without willing it and without knowing why, she saw him peer up into the orchestra pit and appear to look directly at her. From this distance it was hard to tell, and honestly, how could he know she was up here? Wiping the thought from her mind as pure silliness she watched as Mr. Sharp closed the doors and Mr. Darcy sought out the taller of the two ladies who had exited the room with single-minded purpose. They joined the dance and as they moved up the set and got closer to the orchestra Penny saw that his fair partner was indeed a beautiful complement to him. She wore a much simpler gown than Miss Bingley but it was a beautiful light pink tinged silk taffeta gown with basic sleeves and a less fashionably high empire waist. Penny could see that what the dress lacked in design the one who donned it made up for in natural beauty and magnetism. Many eyes were drawn to her as she danced and her own eyes had a sparkle in them that infected those around her.
Penny saw women look on her in undisguised envy and men in masked admiration and every one, as their eyes flitted away, brought some of her innate excitement back to their own conversations or dance. She was electrifying the crowd and quite oddly she was doing so without saying any words. She and Mr. Darcy's eyes were locked on one another but they did not speak. Penny was not as easily fooled as those on the floor. She had seen the way Mr. Darcy stared after that door as she disappeared into it. He was completely smitten with this woman and from the looks of the lady's twinkling eyes they had found an equal object of admiration. Penny was sucked into their romance and drew on their energy. Was she the only one who could feel it? Clearly others felt Elizabeth's magnetism but as a couple their chemistry radiated the whole length and breadth of the ballroom. She stared for a solid ten minutes reveling in the couple and their perfect movements and the movement of the dance and then her eye caught the one other person in the ballroom who seemed to feel the waves of attraction coming from the handsome couple: Miss Bingley.
Her look of disgust was utterly unattractive. Penny observed such barely contained rage that she almost left her seat to search out Mr. Sharp to prevent and altercation but she was saved from such an action and froze in her spot when a man in a red coat whose face she could not see but whose hair looked too familiar approached Miss Bingley. He bowed before her and offered his hand and when they turned to join the line she finally let out her breath. It was not Mr. Wickham.
Caroline was fuming. How could he? Had he not observed Miss Bennet's hideous family? The mother was ridiculous, the father impotent and the children absolute blights on the kingdom. She was shaking with rage and felt nothing but white hot ire at the amount of effort she'd put into her dress and person for this occasion. Did he think that a figure like hers could be found just any where in England. The biscuits she missed were not the problem however, it was more that she felt Mr. Darcy was her entitlement. He had been hers since Charles introduced them and now this country chit in her hideous taffeta had captured his heart by pretending she did not want him. How gauche of her!
She had been staring at the pair for so long that she neglected to even notice when an officer stood in front of her until he bowed. She startled and reverted to learned manners and offered him her hand. He did not kiss her for she was not gloved but he did hold her fingers lightly as he requested a dance. Out of spite and emotional turmoil she was tempted to refuse just to get a heated rise out of whoever this stranger was but again her training overwhelmed her and she found herself responding, "Yes." Yes!? I have not been introduced to the gentleman! What am I thinking? Better, what is he thinking, the philistine!?
When he stood she immediately recognized the features from the first assembly in Meryton but could not place the name. At least they had been introduced. She would dance with him but she would not like it. He interrupted her thoughts with a knowing look and said, "Miss Bingley, thank you for the honor. I believe we were introduced several weeks ago when I was on a leave of absence to visit my Uncle here in Meryton. I remember your name but I know I was one of many that night. I am Captain Denny but that night I believe I was introduced to you as Mr. Elliot Denny." She merely nodded her assent and as he led her to the line he glanced askance at his fair partner and continued, "I am sure that I will say the wrong thing but I must say it. You look ravishing this evening."
She gasped, had this peon actually complimented her person? She quickly processed that thought and folded it into something much more grim- Captain Denny was the only person who complimented her this evening besides her maid who clearly disapproved of her jewels as she put her necklace on her. It hit her like so many daggers to realize that not one person in the receiving line had said a word. Oh, they commented on the space, the drive, the home and her efforts but not her person. She felt a small fissure in her composure and she told herself she would not crack. No one got the better of Caroline Victoria Bingley. Hardening herself she put up her usual emotional barriers and returned to the conversation saying, "You did not say the wrong thing Captain Denny. You were merely the only one brave enough to say it."
He looked at her in mirthful shock and smirked as her replied "Surely not! Any man within twenty feet of you would easily concede that you are the finest woman in this room. Any who would not I would challenge to a duel and I am known throughout the colonies for my skills with a sword. But I apologize. I run on and flatter myself."
Caroline began to be genuinely amused by this man in spite of her grim mood and asked, "How long have you been a master at swordsmanship?"
He pretended to study her hard before he answered and asked, "Can you keep a secret?"
She laughed, "I hardly think anything you tell me in a crowded ballroom will remain a secret and besides you barely know me. Why would I keep your secrets?"
"Ah, then you have not learned the art of secrecy. The trick is hide it in plain sight with someone that can neither do you credit or harm. Say it in a crowd. Shout it with such authority and truth that no one can possibly believe something so outlandish is true."
"You have a queer view on things, but I will relent. Yes, I can keep a secret. Most of the issue is whether I choose to keep it."
He looked at her with a half grin, "I have met a worthy adversary in you madam but I will tell you my secret and I suspect you will choose to keep it. I am the fifth bastard son of a rather illustrious Duke who spends lots of time fencing when he is not holed up in a laboratory doing what he calls, 'Scientific Experiments.'"
She knew just such a Duke- Cavendish. There could be no other. She processed this information, smiled and said, "I see. So you won your father's approval with your skill?"
"I am an open book in your hands madam but now I ask again: will you tell my secret or have I won you over?"
"The one I find is not a secret. My brother sought to gain our father's approval until his dying day. If you would like me to keep that then I'm afraid your sex has already outed you. The other, while certainly interesting, holds little bearing with me and I have already forgotten what you said."
She looked at him pointedly and then attended to a little bunch in her dress as she concentrated on her steps. He looked at her with amusement and said, "Really? I would have thought that my secret would have had quite a bit of bearing with you Miss Bingley."
She flushed crimson at his suggestion that she would care for his company merely because he was the son of a titled gentlemen but she boldly looked him in the eye and with a commanding sneer said, "You thought wrong then. What possible interest would such a revelation hold for me? I care nothing for title or rank."
Captain Denny openly grinned at her and it only angered her more to see that he was genuinely laughing at her expense. She remained silent deciding just how poorly she would be perceived if she merely quit the dance with this infuriating man. Their steps at that moment brought their faces in close proximity however and rather than continue to laugh Captain Denny said in a low voice, "I know you care a great deal indeed. Your eyes have rested for too long this evening on a certain wealthy gentlemen who is neither titled nor civil to you. As you are looking quite beautiful in your frock- which I presume you purposefully wore to raise eyebrows- I am prepared to offer you an evening with a gentlemen who will be more than civil to you. Should you refuse, I will not force you, I will merely find my amusement elsewhere. Now, are you as worthy adversary as I thought or not Miss Bingley?"
She looked at him intently and then stepping back with the other women in the line and effected boredom and said with a small yawn and a barely perceptible twinkle in her eye, "Why Captain Denny, I thought you would be better at sparring for all your skill with the sword. Shall we commence a second round and perhaps this time you can challenge me."
Penny checked the time and knew her break was fast coming to a close as she was watching Miss Bingley and the military man dance. It seemed that someone had done a good job of distracting her mistress from her purposeful staring in the direction of Mr. Dracy and, for Miss Bingley's sake, Penny felt genuine relief that she might enjoy the evening. She remembered back to the assembly after George had found out she was with child and thought no one deserved to feel the fire hot scorn of a beloved in the dance bestowing their love on another. No, Miss Bingley, though she could be maddening, demanding and downright rude to her, deserved more.
Miss Tillar was lost in these thoughts on her way to the kitchens when she bumped into someone solid and was knocked against one of the claw-footed sideboards in the hall. She hit her hip with some force on the ledge of the table and used all her force of character to keep in a squeal of pain. Breathing deeply she looked up to see that she had run into none other than Mr. Sharp. She was quickly distracted from her pain by his look of consternation at her clumsiness and words of apology were forming on her tongue when he said, "Miss Tillar, if you must move at such a quick pace through the halls I would ask that you keep your wits about you. Are you all right?"
It took some force of will to answer, "Yes sir, I am OK. I hurt my side quite a bit but I believe it will only bruise."
"Well, since you seem OK, the cook called me in to attend to a man who requested your company at the back servant's quarter."
Penny looked confused and then Mr. Sharp saw something more like fear when she asked, "A man? Was it Mr. Hill or Mr. Truslow?"
She rapidly thought of any other male acquaintance in town who would actually call on her in her place of work. There were none others but the Overtons and if the Overtons were calling then there must be something wrong with Emma that was urgent. She had to get down to the kitchens and now!
Mr. Sharp saw her thinking something through and he wondered why the two men she thought of should cross her mind. One was married and one was affianced so there could be a secret liaison. No. He firmly shut those thoughts out. Under his watchful gaze she began to look truly anxious and he asked, "Why would either of those gentlemen call on you here?"
She disregarded his question and with a voice bordering on hysteria she said, "Was it Mr. Overton? Please, was it Mr. Overton?"
He knew that the Overton's eldest cared for Miss Tillar's daughter so he quickly allayed her fears and said, "No, it was not the Overtons or a messenger from them. Nor was it Mr. Hill or Mr. Truslow. I have never seen the man in question."
She breathed a sigh of relief and stood there calming herself and thinking for some time before she said, "Mr. Sharp, I have named the only three people who know me well enough to call on me here. I am baffled as to why someone would ask for me. We are all so busy tonight and I was in the middle of the only break we would have before dinner service. This is odd indeed."
"My thoughts exactly Miss Tillar. Perhaps it is someone from Meryton. Do you have any close acquaintances there?"
Mr. Sharp asked the last question with great hesitancy. He knew that if her answer was yes, he very likely had no hope with her but if the answer were no then he would have to begin to formulate his plan of action for gaining Penny's heart. He felt as if too much hinged on such a question.'
Penny saw the fleeting thoughts crossing his face and wondered if she had truly seen the angst that seemed written there a moment before. She answered, "No. As I said sir, there is no one else who would dare call on me here. I keep to myself and I rarely have enough time home to spend with my daughter. Surely, this seems odd to you too sir."
"Odd indeed. Our busiest night of the year and a visitor that is unexpected and unknown. If you would like, I will accompany you to this interview."
She smiled a genuine smile and his heart beat harder beneath his cool exterior. She said, "If you have time sir. Surely dinner will begin to be served within the next quarter of an hour and we will all be needed. I do not wish to hinder your duties."
He smiled back at her and then deadpanned, "On the contrary madam, my master wished me to be entirely at his disposal tonight and much to cook's dismay I am willing to hazard her wrath in devotion to Mr. Darcy."
She half laughed but he could see the apprehension written on her face as she said, "I am not so fortunate and she will expect me to help. Thank you for your offer. I will gladly accept. Shall we?"
With that Penny turned back to her original purpose and began to snake her way to the kitchens while Mr. Sharp inwardly admitted to himself that it was not a bad thing to be bumped into in a hall and the results were not always bruises. He had to keep himself from offering her his arm and from snaking his arm about her waist when he saw her wince and touch her hip.
Mr. Darcy was placed in the dining room across from Miss Jane Bennet, Mr. Hurst and Mr. Phillips and between Mr. Collins and Captain Denny. He had received no previous introduction to either gentlemen to his left and right and the company of Mr. Hurst and Mr. Phillips was tedious to his nerves. They spoke at great length on the finer points of each course and the accompanying wine. The only saving grace of the situation was Miss Bennet who, when they were first seated made a fine attempt at putting Mr. Darcy at his ease. He lauded her desire to draw him out about the country but even discussion of Pemberley was no inducement to speak in such company.
Mr. Collins had greatly affronted Mr. Darcy when he arrived at the table by introducing himself with an ostentatious bow- his rear end in his neighbors astonished face- and a rambling discourse on his Aunt. Mr. Darcy did not verbally respond and gave Mr. Collins his most withering glare but the man just continued to speak of Rosings and Lady Catherine like a doting mother hen. Thankfully, Mr. Darcy was saved by his other neighbor, the soldier, who seemed to be interested in architecture and the two spoke across him for the first three courses until Mr. Collins was distracted by the actual need to eat with the fourth course.
Miss Jane Bennet seeing her opportunity to speak again said, "Mr. Darcy, may present anew to you, Mr. Collins, our cousin and rector at Rosings Park?"
"Yes. Thank you madam." He looked scornfully at Mr. Collins and said, "We are already in acquaintance."
She blushed deeply and said, "It is also my duty to introduce Captain Denny who is sitting on your right. He with the _th regiment quartered in Meryton. Captain Denny, I am pleased to introduce Mr. Darcy of Pemberley of Derbyshire."
Captain Denny said, "It is a pleasure indeed and I apologize for speaking over you sir," he cast a mirthful eye on Mr. Collins who was mid-spoonful and said in a lower voice, "I sought to spare us both as much as possible."
Mr. Darcy regarded Captain Denny with interest but chose not to respond with more than a nod of approval. Mr. Denny did not seem affronted, however, and he turned to Miss Bennet and said cheerily, "Thank you Miss Bennet for the introductions. I believe that Mr. Darcy and I share a common acquaintance in one of my previous regiment's superior officers, Colonel Fitzwilliam, therefore I truly appreciate getting to know another from that fine officer's circle of friends."
If Mr. Darcy was surprised he did not show it but he did respond, "Captain Denny, Colonel Fitzwilliam is my cousin. It gratifies me to hear him spoken well of by a junior officer."
Captain Denny smiled and responded, "Were you in our regiment you would hear him spoken well of throughout all ranks. He is truly one of the finest men I have had the privilege of serving with. If Miss Jane Bennet would not mind our digression, I could tell quite a few stories about the action we saw and Colonel Fitzwilliam's part in it."
Jane said, "Not at all sir, although, I prefer not to hear any details that are horrific."
Captain Denny laughed and said, "Of course not madam. I am the soul of discretion."
He then went on to tell such stories of Colonel Fitzwilliam that Mr. Darcy gained a new appreciation of his cousin. He knew that he was brave when they were children but through Captain Denny's eyes it appeared that he had reached fame within the ranks of soldiers. Mr. Darcy appreciated the conversation and the manners of Captain Denny were altogether unimpeachable. His dinner was going better than anticipated after being seated so far from Elizabeth. Jane's dinner, however, was less savory as Mr. Collins had eaten his fill and finding that both sets of gentlemen were engrossed in war stories or food critique bestowed his pontification on gluttony onto her unwilling but respectfully quiet character.
Elizabeth was seated at the far end of the table opposite to Mr. Bingley and Miss Bingley at the other end and quite some way from Mr. Darcy. She was surrounded by her aunt, her mother and Mrs. Hurst who rapidly deepened her scowl until she appeared to Elizabeth to be an angry tortoise. Really, Mrs. Hurst ought to have seen to the seating arrangements in more detail and since she did not, Elizabeth did not feel one iota of sympathy for her. Though she was used to Mama and Mrs. Phillips gossip it was still painful to her and if she had been given the choice or any say in the matter she would have been seated as far from them as possible.
Mrs. Bennet was rambling on about a most advantageous match for her daughter but Lizzie was not paying her any attention until she heard her mother attempt to whisper, which was ordinary volume level to most people, "Yes, we will never have to deal with that wretched entail again after tomorrow." She inwardly groaned. Mr. Collins attentions had been particularly marked as of late and it was one thing to suspect her mother of casting her to such a man and another to hear it spoken of openly. She began to formulate a mental picture of how Mr. Collins would make his amorous declarations and for all that it was serious and she would have to decline she found the scene unfolding in her mind to be infinitely amusing. She let a little giggle escape and it was not missed by her mother who said, "Lizzie! The entail is no laughing matter! Your father will be warm in his grave as we are kicked out in to the hedgerows!"
She attempted to placate her mother by saying, "Mama, please, I was not paying you least bit of attention. I was considering a joke that Charlotte and I shared, but please could you lower your voice?"
Mrs. Hurst was openly staring at the exchange with disgust, and at the other end of the table Miss Bingley looked on her sister's misery with a wry smile. Louisa got her just desserts for neglecting to help her with the seating arrangements! She caught her eye as she looked away from the Bennets and had the satisfaction of lifting a sour eyebrow conveying all her displeasure with Mrs. Hurst choosing to nap the afternoon before the ball. Although, this made up for it, so she quickly exchanged her look for a broad smile at Louisa's expense. Mrs. Hurst merely scowled at her sister and went back to her food.
There were, of course, other advantages to the arrangement. She had purposefully placed Mr. Darcy in an awkward location and as far away from Miss Elizabeth Bennet as possible, she had separated Charles from Miss Jane Bennet and she had assured that Mrs. Bennet was in the most muffled corner of the dining room. The only negative aspect of her seating chart from her perspective was that she had placed the hitherto unknown, Captain Denny, so far from her. He had entertained her for the last two dances and she was flattered by so handsome a man with a gentleman's lineage paying her compliments. He had a unique brand of droll mockery and applied it to many of the couples on the dance floor including himself. Caroline had, for the first time in a long time, laughed at herself and seen the humor in her situation with Mr. Darcy.
She did not acknowledge it as such, but it was the beginning of the end of her infatuation with the proud man of Derbyshire. She could no longer look at him without hearing Captain Denny in her head saying, "Yes, I believe ten thousand a year lends itself to stiff manners, boring hair styles and utterly horrific taste in coats. And really, you do not need money, you have enough. You need gaiety!"
