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The young woman was so astonished, so filled with genuine fear, that I instantly knew that compromise was not her goal. She was fairly trembling as she stared at me. As for me, I was so astonished by my sudden escape and by my changed circumstances that I knew not what to say.

My new companion approached me with wide eyes, perplexed, I think, by my lack of any reply. She reached out to touch the sleeve of my jacket, as if to satisfy herself of its substance. When she felt the texture, she gave a great sigh of relief. But in the next second her cheeks were overswept with a deep blush. "Forgive me, sir, I had to be sure that you were not a phantasm or- or something more sinister."

"What do you mean by such a question?" I answered- rather angrily, for I had finally found my voice. "Are you in the habit of imagining spirits and phantasms where there are none?"

The young lady looked even more embarrassed, if possible. "If you please, sir, I meant no harm. I should not have been wandering about in strange rooms, I know-"

"Nor accosting strange gentleman!" I interrupted, for I was by now in a thoroughly ill mood.

"But I really feel as though there is some deep dark mystery inside this place, and I am seeking evidence of what I think may be-"

"There you are, Catherine!" And another young woman entered the room. Really, it was remarkable how many ladies were throwing themselves into my path. "Did you find any weapons? A secret note, or poisons cleverly hidden in some secret compartment?"

"Who are you?" I demanded of the newcomer, with a total lack of manners. But I think you will agree that I was sorely provoked. "Are you going to accuse me of being a ghost as well?"

The newcomer turned to face me and gave a great peal of laughter. "No indeed! I am Charlotte Heywood, and this is my good friend Catherine Morland. We were playing at a silly game, nothing more. I daresay you can join us if you would like!"

"Certainly not!" I drew myself up to my full height and put on my most severe expression. "I am well past the age of playing childish games."

"There is no need to be so rude. If you did not wish to join in our fun, you could simply say so."

Her impudent answer took me aback. "I am not being rude! I simply lost my way coming from the dining room and found myself in this peculiar location."

"I could not have known that. You were already here when I came in." The young miss pointed out. Her companion, Miss Morland, giggled.

The one thing I detest most in life is to be laughed at. I cannot abide it. I drew myself up to my full height. "If you will be so good as to point the way out, I will inflict myself on you no longer."

"Oh, please, do not be offended!" Miss Heywood responded, with such genuine remorse that some of my irritation diminished. "I simply meant that you looked a bit ridiculous, standing there staring at us the way you were. You would enjoy yourself a great deal more if you did not take yourself so seriously."

Never had a young lady spoken to me in such a way. "I wish to leave you now."

"That is easily done. The door you must have come in by is just behind you."

I looked behind me at the door handle, remembering the scene I had just fled. "I cannot go that way."

"I believe it works in two directions, sir." She had a teasing tone again, but the severe look I gave her made her roll her eyes. She rolled her eyes at me! "Very well, if you can not avail yourself of that option, then I suppose you may use this other door instead."

It was time to cut my losses and leave while I still had some claim to dignity. I bowed without another word and went to the door Miss Heywood indicated. As I passed through and shut the door firmly from the other side, I heard a loud peal of laughter break out behind me.

I arrived back in the assembly room without further incident. The musicians were playing loudly and another set was under way. Lady Susan and her future son in law were nowhere to be seen, to my immense relief, and my absence from the assembly had removed me from everyone's mind. I could stand stiffly at the edge of the room, glare at anyone who dared approach me, and hope for a rapid end to the evening. A country dance was no place for the nephew of an earl.

Bingley chose this time to let me know what he thought of my manners. He wandered over at the end of the next set "Come, Darcy," he said. "I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had much better dance."

His request could not have come at a worse time. This whole dreadful evening was his fault. "I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it," I answered shortly, trying to put him off.

"I would not be as fastidious as you are for a kingdom!" he exclaimed, drawing the attention of those around us. "I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening!"

"You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room," I told him, looking pointedly at the lady I mentioned earlier, a Miss Jane Bennet, the daughter of a local squire of no particular worth.

"One of her sisters is sitting down just behind you. She is very pretty, and I dare say very agreeable. Allow me to ask you to be introduced."

"Which do you mean?" I asked, looking where he indicated. When I caught the eye of the sister he pointed out, I looked away quickly, fearing yet another unpleasant experience for the evening. She was quite pretty, but I was not about to admit it. Once bitten, twice shy, they say, and I had been well and truly bitten enough already. Besides, she was very likely to be another fortune hunter. "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me," I said in my firmest voice, letting Bingley know the subject was at an end. "Go back to your partner and enjoy her smiles. You are wasting your time with me."

Even I could hear the venom in my tone. Bingley took the hint and marched away, muttering something under his breath about sticks in the mud.

"Excuse me." I heard a quiet but compelling voice at my elbow, drawing my attention. "I could not help but hear you and your friend just now."

I glanced at the lady who addressed me with such temerity, noticing she was slight in build and about my own age. I also noticed that she could hardly be described as the toast of the regiment. Forgive such an uncharitable assessment- but it is the truth. She was definitely past her first bloom. Yet there was something about her, a calm yet determined air as she peered steadily up at me, that compelled my attention.

"Forgive me, madam, but I do not believe we have been introduced."

That should have put her off, but she persisted. "I am the one who should ask your pardon, for indeed we have not met. And I am intruding in a conversation where I was not invited. But I wonder, sir, what has happened to you to put you in such an ill temper tonight."

"Whatever do you mean? For all you know, I may be like this every night."

"I doubt that. You would not be such good friends with Mr. Bingley if you were not truly amiable yourself."

Her comment took me by surprise. "Do you think you know me so well? I do not even know your name."

"I am Anne Elliot, from Bath, and I am visiting my good friend, Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn. You need not introduce yourself, for your name and reputation have already spread through the assembly."

"I see. And I suppose the assembly's opinion of me is something I would not like to hear."

She gave me a wry smile. "You could hardly expect it to be otherwise, considering your behavior so far this evening."

I made a scoffing sound. "Towards the people here tonight, I have been kinder than I had any obligation to be."

"You made no effort to hide your disappointment in your first two partners of the evening," she rejoined. "And you slighted Miss Woodhouse, a respectable young woman."

I could not answer her, since she was entirely correct.

"I am sure you are capable of much better behavior."

I should have been offended, but she only spoke the truth. I was more intrigued than angered. "May I have the honor of this dance?"

She looked surprised but agreed, and as the music started up we proceeded onto the floor together. We did not speak for the first few minutes. I was silently debating whether I could trust her with the information about what Lady Susan had tried to do. I owed her no explanation, but I realized that, for some reason, her opinion mattered to me. There was something about Miss Elliot of Bath that inspired confidence, and after a few minutes the story of my encounter with the would-be compromiser came pouring out.

To her credit Miss Elliot did not so much as smile, but looked at me with solemn concern. "That was very wrong of Lady Susan. I am sorry that you had to encounter such a woman. How did you get away from her?"

"By making my way into an adjoining room, where I met two of the most peculiar ladies I have ever encountered. They seemed intent on finding an evil spirit or some such nonsense."

"Silly girls." Miss Elliot dismissed them.

"One of them rather mocked me before I left them to return here."

"And you let such a brief encounter determine whether or not you would enjoy the rest of the evening?"

The rebuke was gentle, but it was there. "Very well," I conceded. "Perhaps the foolishness was not all one-sided."

Throughout this conversation I was studying my partner, trying to learn more about her. She was not pretty. Even in my improved state of mind, for which she was largely responsible, I could not give her the honor of calling her handsome. But there was a wisdom in her face, a maturity that comes with experience. And in her eyes there was a hint of sadness.

"Do you know that gentleman who keeps glowering in our direction?" I asked her, motioning with my eyes towards one side of the room.

She followed my gaze but looked quickly away from the gentleman in question. "Do you mean the tall man in the naval uniform? He is Captain Frederick Wentworth."

"Is he a friend of yours? He has not taken his eyes off of us since we started the dance."

"I know him- a little. That is to say, I knew him well some years ago, before he went to sea, but we have had little contact since then."

She blushed furiously as she said this, and from that blush and her general air of uneasiness I made an educated guess. Wentworth's continued glare at me confirmed my suspicion, and I hazarded saying out loud, "You had an understanding with him once, but no longer."

She was too surprised to deny it. "How did you know?"

"You must have been the one to break it off, else he would not be so resentful now."

"He has been angry with me ever since." The sadness in her voice was almost palpable.

"And you have come to believe that you made a mistake in refusing him."

She gave me a wistful smile, confirming my suspicions. "If I had the same choice as I did then, I would not be so easily persuaded from my opinion this time. But his feelings for me are quite, quite over."

"Did he truly love you?" It was an unbearably intrusive question between an unrelated man and woman, especially ones who had just met. Indeed our whole conversation was quite extraordinary. Yet Miss Elliot and I seemed to have a rare understanding, the kind of connection that allowed us to speak as informally as if we were intimate friends of many years.

She blushed again and looked down. "I believe he did."

"May I give you a piece of advice, Miss Elliot? You must find a way to tell him how you feel."

"But he no longer cares for me!"

"That is not true. He wouldn't spend so much time glaring at me if he did not still have feelings for you. A man loves just as deeply and just as long as a woman does, though we may show it less."

Miss Elliot looked up at me questioningly, and then, seeing the conviction in my eyes, gave me a great smile. At once I could see why this Wentworth fellow had fallen in love with her, for there was an undeniable depth and beauty in those eyes when she smiled. If she had been free, I might even have been in some danger myself. But her heart was so plainly taken already.

"And may I return the favor by giving you a piece of advice, Mr. Darcy?" she asked. "You have been given every advantage a man can have- a handsome appearance, wealth, and good breeding. But pride makes a lonely companion. I should know. It has been mine for these eight years. Take care that it does not become yours as well."

I hope you enjoyed this! I think the next installment will be the last in this short tale. Please let me know what you think-I read and treasure every word you leave! Have a terrific weekend. -Elaine Owen