Lydia, who had wandered off after her aunt and Georgi, had proceeded to do everything but pour herself some tea and return to her seat. After taking far longer than necessary to straighten her skirts and leave the box, she found the dimly lit hallway nearly empty as she leisurely strolled onwards to the tea room. She'd only just turned a corner when her gaze settled upon a shadowy figure leaning against the wall - it was none other than Mr Thomas Lowland, this time standing uncomfortably close to an unrecognizable young woman. The lamps were still dim as the performance had not yet paused half-way as was customary and so the girl, keeping to the shadows as she moved, drew ever so slightly closer to the couple hoping to make out what was being said.
She had sneaked dangerously close to the pair when suddenly Mr Lowland and his companion stepped into the light with their backs turned towards her, and disappeared down the hallway. Unable to fight her curiosity Lydia pursued, stepping as lightly as she could. Keeping her eyes trained on their dim figures the girl tiptoed along after them, stopping only when they turned a corner and she heard a door squeak open and shut again with a light thump. They had disappeared into what Lydia assumed was an unused cloakroom, and if the girl had been curious before, she now found herself frozen to the spot before the closed door. She simply had to know what they were doing.
Leaning in closer, she laid her ear against the wood and strained to make out any sounds from inside. As she did so she couldn't help but quietly chuckle at the fact that she seemed to be spending an extraordinary amount of time following Londoners around dark hallways. For several minutes she could only make out whispering and a few giggles that were almost instantly hushed.
Then everything fell abruptly quiet.
Lydia, who had quickly begun to grow bored with her little adventure, immediately perked up and focused her attention on the door once again. She had no desire to get caught, even though she felt certain she would be able to talk herself out of any accusations and was just about to make good her escape when her ears picked up a new set of sounds.
For a split second, she wondered what in the world they were but then, as the realization quickly dawned, her eyes suddenly widened and her cheeks began to burn.
Hurriedly backing away from the door she lost her footing, fell flailing backward, and found herself sitting down hard on the polished wooden floor. Fearing her fall had been heard she rapidly scurried to her feet, rushed in the opposite direction of the cloakroom, and made good her return to the Matlocks' box. Her cheeks were still tinged bright red but, as no one seemed to notice, she fell into her chair with a loud, relieved sigh.
She had always prided herself on knowing more of the relations between a man and woman than any of her sisters – Mrs Smith's tongue having been far too loose on her frequent visits to Meryton's small haberdashery – but being made privy to such actions, even in a minor way, had simultaneously surprised and embarrassed the girl more than she would ever admit.
You are being utterly ridiculous, Lydia! She said to herself, How do you expect to seduce a man if you cannot even bear hearing a few inappropriate sounds?
Thankfully Georgi and Mrs Gardiner returned soon after and Lydia could, at last, forget her embarrassment as Lady Matlock moved to join them and almost immediately turned the conversation to the main Opera girl's voice.
Even though she had paid little to no attention to what had been happening on stage, Lydia had never in her life been more eager to engage in a discussion of the talents of a woman other than herself as she was at that very moment.
As the curtain fell on the first half of the performance, Lady Matlock arose and suggested a game of cards. Calling to one of the servants she requested a table be set up, and soon thereafter insisted Lydia join the game so they could observe her actions and perhaps learn a trick or two in the process.
The Earl, who was unaware of the girl's skill, found himself teamed up with Mr Gardiner as Lady Matlock placed herself firmly at Lydia's side, determined to at last defeat her husband in a game. Mrs Gardiner and Georgiana joined forces, although they knew full well they would not last all that long at all, which left Jane, Kitty, and the Viscount to their own devices.
Finding her sister and Lord Fitzwilliam completely oblivious to her attempts at making conversation Kitty stood up with an indignant huff and withdrew from the room.
The tea room ought to be infinitely more interesting! she thought to herself and slowly made her way through the hallway, greeting a few familiar faces, and sticking her tongue out at a few disdainful ones behind their backs. It was at just such a moment, with her tongue protruding from her mouth and her eyes being rolled most inelegantly when she spotted Mr Martin and felt her body grow cold with shock and embarrassment.
He had been looking directly at her as she so openly displayed her poor manners and the unreadable expression on his face made her worry she had lost his good opinion forever. Her relief, therefore, was immense and spilled over into a shy giggle, when he broke into a face-splitting grin and had to cover his mouth with his hand to prevent him from laughing.
The colonel never tried to hide his laughter, a small voice reminded her and her face fell for a few seconds, before returning to its usual cheery state.
Her heart still ached from his rejection and abandonment but she couldn't allow such painful thoughts to prevent her from finding new happiness, happiness that seemed far more promising than Richard ever returning, giving up his beloved position in the army, and actually falling for an artist with no dowry and no particularly redeeming qualities.
I loved him. I still love him. But I can't allow that to stop me anymore, she would try her best to convince herself to move on.
"I've never seen someone openly show quite as much dislike for high society as you just did, Miss Catherine, and I must say I found it delightful!" Mr Martin chuckled as he approached.
"I really do apologize for my behaviour, I have just grown so dreadfully tired of all the ugly looks and whispered insults," she said, her voice sounding decidedly unapologetic.
"It would not be wise to incur the ire of some of those present tonight. The reputations of nearly all the ton's inhabitants rest in the hands of far too small a group of elite men and women," his voice sounded far more serious than Kitty had expected and she immediately mentally rebuked herself for her carelessness.
"Your words are truer than I would like to admit," she voiced at last, unsure of how to continue.
"I simply do not want you to fall under unnecessary scrutiny, Miss Catherine," came Mr Martin's reply in a much more cheerful tone, "London can be such a dreadful adjustment, I myself found it incredibly challenging to learn the ways of the ton when I first arrived."
"You weren't raised here?" Kitty inquired curiously.
"Oh no, my family home is in Brighton," came his reply.
"Brighton?" the girl exclaimed, "Oh, I have always wanted to visit! I've heard the weather is far warmer and the sea is just divine!"
"You most certainly aren't mistaken! When I first came to London I missed the ocean so dearly, I would go down to the harbour hoping to smell the fresh sea air or watch the sunset over the water, but here it is all just grey and smells of rotten fish and burning wood," Kitty's nose instinctively crinkled at the description and Mr Martin gave a small laugh.
"You seem to have a very lively imagination, Miss Catherine," he noted, as his laughter died down.
"So I've been told. For ages, I felt as though nothing could really provide me with an outlet for all my ideas and dreams. That is until I began painting and drawing. Now I simply close my eyes, take a deep breath, and recreate whatever comes to mind," Kitty's voice trailed as she spoke, her thoughts turning to a set of portraits she had drawn what felt like an eternity ago and subsequently hidden at the very back of her portfolio.
Snapping back to reality, she gave the young man before her a small smile and said, "You really must pay my sisters and me a visit. I would love to show you what I have been working on. I'm sure you will be able to provide me with some much-needed criticism as Mr Winthrope rarely says anything bad about my projects, he is always so kind about giving advice he even makes his suggestions sound as though I thought of them first."
"I would be honoured to view your work," came his happy reply.
"Well, then it is settled! I shall expect you after three any day next week," Kitty stated matter-of-factly, handing the man her card - or rather the card her aunt had given her to use - as Mr Martin only nodded with a pleased, yet surprised look on his face. He certainly did not seem at all used to the lively young woman's straightforward manners.
Catherine spent the next few minutes merrily discussing her favourite artists with Mr Martin, who described his in return and also suggested several new books from which to take inspiration. So engrossed did she become in their conversation that she felt quite despondent when the time came for her to retrieve a cup of tea and return to her seat.
She had looked for Miss Applebottom, hoping to congratulate her on her excellent work, but the girl seemed nowhere to be found and so Kitty made her way back to her family and friends in high spirits, eager to share her news with her sisters and aunt.
In the meantime, Lydia and the Countess had won their first game, much to the Earl's surprise. The girl had only just begun to explain her background, at Lord Matlock's request, when the Duke stepped into the box with a smile and greeted those assembled with a polite nod.
"Have you come to test your luck once more, Edward?" Lady Matlock asked with a delighted laugh.
"I'm afraid not," the man said with a rather sheepish look, "I have come simply because I enlisted Miss Lydia's help to better my playing."
"It promises to be a monumental task," Lydia said with a smirk, ignoring the surprised looks of those around her at the way she addressed the man.
Georgi, who had decided she would rather join her cousin and Jane in conversation, vacated her seat which was soon after filled by the Duke as he made himself comfortable and looked expectantly at Lydia to begin her lesson.
With a smile the girl dealt out a new set of cards to everyone except the puzzled young man beside her and, seeing his expression, she laughingly said, "The secret to playing and winning at cards, Your Grace, does not lie in the cards but in the players!"
All those gathered at the table turned their attention to the young girl in anticipation at her words. In a similar fashion to the way the Duke had instructed her to hone her skills of observation, Lydia now instructed the man to do the same, as the rest of the players listened intently and determined to do the same as well.
"Facial expressions, swallowing, hand and eye movements, yes, and even blinking all silently project precisely what sort of cards the player holds. Your, sir, bite your lower lip when you are unsure of your position," she instructed, well aware of the fact that all the players' eyes were glued to her as she spoke, and loving every second of the attention.
"Truly?" came the Duke's surprised exclamation.
"Indeed. Lady Matlock toys with her necklaces when she believes she will win," the girl stated nonchalantly as the Countess gave a surprised exclamation, followed by a small laugh as she realized the verity of the girl's words.
"And Jane, who is one of the easiest players to read, always twists a lock of hair around her finger when she feels uncertain of what to play, and that usually means she holds a poor selection of cards," Lydia's words soon drove all the players madly distracted as they focused far more on the expressions of those around them than the cards they held in their hands, much to the girl's amusement.
"So all you need to do, Your Grace, is to find one such sign for each of the remaining players," Lydia concluded, motioning for the game to begin. The Duke, who seemed to have lost his last shred of skepticism, proceeded to do precisely that and for the next twenty minutes, his eyes flitted constantly from one face to another as he strained his concentration so as not to miss a single action.
In light of her conversation with Lady Matlock, Jane found herself growing increasingly uncomfortable with the Viscount's proximity as he sat silently beside her. She was unsure of her feelings, and her future, and oh, how she wished Elizabeth was there to help her choose.
"Is something weighing on your mind, Miss Bennet?" the Viscount quietly inquired, part of him worried that his earlier reaction to Mr Reeding had upset the woman seated such a short distance away.
"Oh, it's nothing of great importance I suppose I just have rather a lot to think about, sir," Jane replied, not wanting to lie, but also refusing to tell him the full truth.
"And I most likely couldn't be of much help deciphering those thoughts, could I?" the man said with a small smile which Jane immediately mirrored.
"Unfortunately not, I am afraid I have to overcome this dilemma on my own," came her soft reply.
Seeing their train of conversation seemed to be making Jane more and more downcast, the Viscount determined to change the subject, bringing up his daughter's insistence that the girls visit her as soon as possible.
"She has been asking for you, Miss Elizabeth, and Miss Catherine almost constantly these past few days, although I must admit she did not use your names properly at all," Lord Fitzwilliam chuckled, pleased to see Jane's smile returning as he recounted the new names each of the sisters had been assigned.
"Oh goodness, I'm sure Catherine will be quite annoyed to know Miss Margaret came to the exact same conclusion as we all did and has begun to call her Kitty," Jane laughed, "She has tried to rid herself of that pet name for as long as I can remember, but it has stuck relentlessly, unfortunately!"
"I know exactly how she feels. When I was younger everyone called me Andy and I absolutely hated it. I felt as though no one would take me seriously when my little brother constantly ran around screaming 'Andy, Andy, come quickly the Romans are attacking!'" the Viscount countered.
His brother had always seemed fascinated with war and strategy. Their games would consistently turn into extensive planning sessions where each participant was assigned a rank and duty, and each said participant would feel incredibly annoyed with the way the six-year-old boy insisted on commanding them and explaining each and every tactic they would use in great, if slightly flawed, detail.
"It came as no surprise then that he joined the army?" Jane asked with a cheerful look on her face as she imagined the two boys rushing around in their imaginary games.
"Not at all - although Darcy knew long before we did, but then again he was the only one who always took Richard's games seriously, so he was the first one my brother told of his decision. We constantly fear for his safety, of course, but the military is truly the one place my brother found purpose. He grows so restless when he returns home I doubt he will ever be able to live a sedentary life."
Their conversation continued well into the start of the second half of the performance, having turned to lighter topics once Georgiana joined them, and then dissolved into laughter when Catherine did the same. She was, of course, rather surprised that Margaret had begun to call her Kitty too, but if she was in anyway annoyed she hid it well behind a rather loud laugh that turned several heads from the audience towards their box and made Jane hide behind her sister in embarrassment.
Lydia, who insisted on seeing the Duke out to the hallway once several games had been played hurriedly recounted her experience with Mr Lowland, leaving out the very last part of her eavesdropping, and then smilingly provided her reply to his earlier challenge. The Duke was, needless to say, impressed with her dedication and astute observations and promised to provide her with more advice when they met again, before disappearing into the darkness and returning to his own box.
Each of the sisters truly enjoyed their outing that evening, although Lydia still wouldn't tell anyone where she had disappeared to earlier, or why she and the Duke seemed to be on such friendly terms. Thankfully each in their party remained so absorbed in their own experiences and thoughts they quickly brushed off her silence as nothing more than fatigue after their long and busy night.
Each of the Bennets and Gardiners fell into bed as soon as they arrived home, being informed that Mary had retired hours earlier, and didn't stir once until morning.
A/N:
Thank you all so, so much for your kind messages and your patience! I never imagined I would find such a supportive community here on FF but you have all just been so wonderful and I don't have the words for how much I appreciate every last one of you!
Thank you to Ayla, tfranco9, LadyLizzyPuff12, HarnGin, KurukiXV, Another Lizzie, Happy Lizzy, Mangosmum, Mstron2, Deanna27, and liysyl, for all your kind words, they mean so much to me!
Now on to the replies,
Tfranco9 – in defiance of the title of this story I shall now tell you to be patient! xD Jane is a dreadfully indecisive young lady I'm afraid.
LadyLizzyPuff12 – Jane is sort of like that unfortunately. She hates disappointing anyone and feels she HAS to give Mr Reeding proper consideration as not doing so would be rather mean and Jane is NEVER, EVER mean. xD Hope this chapter cleared things up for you on the Kitty front as well. She's not quite over the Colonel yet but she's working on it, the poor girl. Ah well, Lydia is just Lydia. Somehow she just starts to improve and then goes and chucks it all out the window again. Very much still a know-it-all teenager.
Deanna27 – Kitty has certainly not forgotten the Colonel although she is desperately trying to do so. I think it will take much more time for her to get over him but all we can do is hope she ends up happy. Mr Reeding was acting a bit strange, I must agree, and you will soon find out why!
AmyCampbell – I hope you enjoyed the Viscount and Jane's interaction! And YES! I'm sooo excited for Darcy to be back!
Nancieellen – Hahaha I have to admit Colin Firth is handsome and a great actor, but I MacFayden just seemed so damn Darcy-ish in appearance, I can't help it!
KurukiXV – I am in fact a Bible reader, and the verses you mentioned were such a comfort and brought a lot of peace to my heart. Thank you very much for suggesting them. – I'm also really glad to be back to focusing on a range of different characters again. The next chapter will have a lot more Lizzy in it, but there's really only so much she can do at Hunsford until Darcy arrives.
Another Lizzie – that's so true. After the initial shock and sadness it just feels so strange to think he's just not here anymore. I know I'm a bit late but I can only wish for strength for you and your family. A mother is such an important, loving figure I can't imagine what you went through.
Mangosmum – Thank GOODNESS Mrs B isn't here to tell Jane what to do, although I can imagine she'd be rooting for Andrew all the way since he's a Viscount after all. But then again she might have had issues with the fact that he already been married and has a daughter. I don't really know. Also, I TOTALLY agree with your opinion on the Colonel! I mean Darcy is a LITERALLY the dreamiest of the dreamy, AND the Viscount is quite the looker, so why wouldn't the colonel also be handsome? I mean he doesn't have to be Chris Hemsworth handsome, but he still has a lot going for him!
ALSO, I'm so, SO happy you noticed the significance of Darcy putting his trust in Mrs Reynolds! I did lots of research on whether it would be possible for the housekeeper of an estate to actually provide any help in running it financially and it seems as though an experienced, smart one could – and Mrs Reynolds is precisely that! I like to imagine Darcy wasn't so incredibly blind to the abilities of women as most men were at the time.
EmlynMara – Thanks so much for your consistent reviews on the chapters! I'm always happy to see new people start commenting and I know how fun it is to binge a fanfic so please do keep reading!
TiaMaria710 – Oh gosh thank you for your review! If I ever do publish, I'll be sure to let you all know here on FF
Tigrchic8 – Yes I DID mean Matthew! I couldn't remember his name so I Googled it and found out his first name is David. I'm terrible with names anyway! xD I don't know if Keira Knightley is exactly as I would imagine Lizzy, but MacFayden DEFINITELY looks exactly like I imagined Darcy when I first read the book.
SuddenlySingle – I agree Mr Reeding said a few questionable things but perhaps he is simply nervous and letting his tongue run away with him? I'm seriously impressed by your research skills in remembering each interaction they had! I doubt I could even do that! All I can say is I DO absolutely promise there is NOT a ton of angst here. Jane shouldn't be forced to deal with a scandal regarding herself when her other sisters are heading for quite few of their own anyway. xD
Lily – I'm excited for Darcy and Lizzy's reunion too!
I hope I've replied to everyone! Thank you all again for being such awesome, supportive readers, and for making such a massive impact on this story and my love for writing! You rock!
And, before I forget AGAIN, just a reminder that Lady Gertrude, her family, and her cats belong to the talented HarnGin who created them all and was kind enough to let me add them to my story, and of course the handsome, mysterious Duke of Avondale (Edward) is the creation of the awesome DetectiveOfTheOpera. Everything about the characters belong to their respective creators, and I'm just pleased I get to play around with their stories for a bit!
Xx,
Sammy